PITA

When babies start eating solids there is a brief period of time when its fun to feed them. Any first in the life of a baby is exciting but for me the fun in feeding my kids baby food wears off fast. Especially when they won't eat, then it's just annoying. Benjamin still gets the majority of his calories from breast milk so I don't worry when he doesn't eat much. All you have to do is look at the kid to see he's not starving.

Although I'm not too worried about his calories I am a little concerned about his regularity. Poor guy is a little backed up these days. I try to give him juice and water to soften things up but he hardly ever has a bottle and is not really interested in drinking it. He is not a big fan of prunes either. I can't say I blame him. So its quite frustrating when I'm trying to feed him and he clamps his mouth shut like a steel trap. I've even tried to wiggle the spoon in using gentle force but when he's done, he's done. Today I was doing my best to coax him into eating but he just wasn't having it. He pressed his lips together in protest and even shook his had back and forth. He can't even talk and his first word is still NO! He's only eight months old and already the little turkey is saying "No mommy, get that crap outta my face, I'm not gonna eat it!". You should see him stare at me straight-faced, almost taunting me like "What are you gonna do about it Mom?".

What a little PITA.

PITA is the nick name we gave Stella as a baby. It stands for Pain In The Ass. I know, we're horrible, you don't need to tell me that. We had plenty of sweet and endearing names for her too but PITA was reserved for when she was being, well...a PITA. We just like to keep it real around here. I didn't think Ben would ever earn the nickname because he is what we call our "easy baby", if there really is such a thing. But he was being a defiant little bugger today and earned himself the title.

BFF's: Healthy eating and Exercise

It seems like such a simple concept, eat healthy and exercise. It's also common knowledge that you really don't get good results, inside or out, unless you do both. But something dawned on me while I was eating taquitos, followed by a slice of apple pie, and watching Rachel Ray talk about healthy eating on the Dr. Oz show. There is no way I can personally eat right unless I exercise too. It's not just about the end result it's about the whole thought process behind eating and exercise. Are you saying "well duh" yet? You should be! This is so simple, exercise and be active and you will WANT to eat better. Who wants to eat McDonalds after their yoga class? Uh, not me. You want to fight cravings? EXERCISE! It really cuts down on the cookie's I shove in my pie hole all week. Or in this particular week, actual pie. I bought an apple pie because it was on sale, and guess who is the only one eating it? Me! TGIF because I need Monday to come real quick so I can get back on track. The beginning of the week is always the best time to start something new, that's just good sense, and I need to finish my pie.

A whole new light

I see so many mommy blogs about losing your sanity and desperately needing coffee, both of which I can totally relate to. But I think I'm starting to see life as a mom of two in a whole new light. Its not so crazy here. Don't get me wrong, potty training Stella after just bringing home a brand new baby almost pushed me over the edge, but I think I may be back from the brink! Ben will be eight months old tomorrow and I don't know, everything just feels more...manageable. We still have the occasional bad day but Stella is maturing so much (this really is true if I ignore the out of control fit she threw at the grocery store yesterday). She behaves much more like the sweet little girl she is rather than a grunting, wild animal.

I feel like I have a new perspective and I am really trying to embrace the saying "don't sweat the small stuff". There is just no time, nor do I want to make time for that. It's not like I never stress or worry but I just don't feel so defeated by things that are often not even in my control. I'm sure if you ask Mike he will say I'm a total worrier but I have to make up for his laissez-faire attitude. He is the king of "it will work out". Ya buddy, after I work it out! (love you honey:)

I got laid off a couple weeks ago, not an uncommon thing in this economy. I was only working a couple of shifts a month at the restaurant but the extra money really made things more comfortable. This is just another hick up I have no control over, so I'll have to roll with it. Plus I feel pretty confident that I can never get fired from my real job, being a mother. They may want to fire me sometimes but too bad so sad Wingfields, mommy is tenured for life!

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

 

I could eat this boy up all day long! And let me tell you those cheeks are the sweetest! Benjamin Michael weighs a mere 21 lbs and will be eight months on friday...EIGHT MONTHS!! I can't believe it and it is so true what they say about the second flying by even faster than the first. He has already had his first holiday season and before I blink we will be planning his first birthday. My little Ben is such a joy and he loves his big sister and she loves him. What more could you ask for!

Growing fast

 

Stella's third birthday and we successfully sang to her with no tears! My little girl is growing up!

Health and Safety Faire

Stella and I went on her first field trip yesterday to the health and safety faire. Strange as it sounds, I was really excited about it. So far I am absolutely adoring the whole preschool experience. It is so fun to see Stella so excited about going to school each morning. Every time we go she ditches me at the door without even turning to say goodbye. She can't get in there fast enough to see what everyone is doing. She can be a little nuts-o when I pick her up. Last Thursday she started rolling around on the floor in the cubby room where all the parents pick up the kids. It was a little embarrassing to have to pry her silly little self off the floor but oh well, she is still a two year old.

The faire was unfortunately not the experience that I was hoping for but it was definitely not the first time I've been disappointed trying to do something fun with Stella. It was a lot bigger than I was expecting and we really didn't even hang out with people from her school except for lunch. Even in a good mood, making Stella wait in a line for 30 minutes is not a good idea. But this day she was a bit cranky and she didn't understand why we couldn't just walk up to the fire truck and get in. After we waited in line she got to sit in the truck for enough time to take a quick look and a picture. You can see below that didn't go over very well.

Overall she got to walk through an ambulance, hop in and out of a fire truck, make a bracelet, take a train ride and have a picnic lunch with her preschool teachers. Not the best field trip ever but it was mildly enjoyable. I'm hoping the pumpkin patch next month will be better. Have you ever seen anyone where a red plastic hat so well?

School Days

I can't believe my baby started preschool! She has only gone two days but I can tell she already loves it. The first day her teacher greeted her and tried to get her busy right away so she would feel comfortable. Then the teacher looked at me and whispered "now might be a good time for you to go". No! I'm not ready! I wasn't expecting it at all but after I snapped a couple more pictures I hurried out to my car with tears flowing. Stella is one smart cookie and I can't wait to see how she grows through this experience. Today I showed up a little early to see if I could observe her. They were still playing outside when I got there so Ben and I hung around the corner until the kids went inside. After I heard the teacher telling all the kids it was time to go inside I heard Stella's high pitch little voice "C'mon guys"! It was too cute, she is already a little leader and she loves her friends.