Emma is Officially TWO!

 

Well, I’m a couple weeks late on this post; story of my life lately. I have no idea when life in general got so busy, but it has. I’m not complaining, it’s way fun, but more and more is being put “on the back burner” until I have more time. So, here it is, 10pm on a Thursday night. Emma is sound asleep in bed, the hubs is out to see a movie courtesy of a friend, and I’m attempting to blog about my baby girl turning two (two weeks ago… wait, make that three weeks ago).

MISS EMMA TURNS TWO!

Wow, where has the time gone? It feels like just a few months ago I returned to work from maternity leave with a puffy face and swollen eyes from the sorrows of facing leaving her for an entire day. Ah, memories. In reality that was 22+ months ago.

On July 12, 2014 (her actual birthday) we threw a Curious George themed bash for Emma at home. We sent custom invitations (thanks, Allie!) to more than 40 guests and we had a great turnout! Everything went pretty well, except for the heat factor. We had gone a good week with cool temperatures only to wake on that Saturday to 80 degrees at 7am. I’m pretty sure the heat index pushed us into triple digits, but who had the time to really keep track?

I did a pretty good job of planning the food situation ahead of time. We had chicken strips, deli sandwiches, pasta salad, little smokies, roasted red pepper hummus, overnight salad, chips, popcorn, etc. Then of course we had watermelon, strawberries, blueberries and cake and ice cream. Our good friend Connie even brought over some homemade zucchini bread (fyi, I’ve never had it before, and it was divine!). Then there were many drink options – soda, tea, lemonade, juice and water. Sounds good, right? Well, low and behold I forgot to tell everyone about the tea, lemonade, bottled water and juice. Go figure. I feel awful about it.

The kids had a lot to play with outside. My house is kind of small so there wasn’t too much room for play inside, but I did have Emma’s play room sanitized and ready to go if anyone needed a break from the heat. Outside we had a sandbox, trampoline, tiny pool, water table, play house, tot picnic table, and the biggest hit, an old-fashioned lawn sprinkler. The kiddos loved it.

  

Before people had to take off we squeezed in some gift opening. Emma did okay with this part, but each present opened resulted in “Open, Momma.” She got some great gifts, and I am so thankful. She loves them all! There are too many to list out here, but just to name a few, she got a “doctor dog” which is a Barbie veterinarian set, elefun, aquadoodle, bouncy balls, etc. Oh, there was/is so much. She’s been go, go, go every night since playing with everything.

It was all said and done at 3:00pm, and we were exhausted. Emma fell right to sleep, my parents packed up what they had brought, and I finished cleaning up. It felt awesome to have so many people come out for my baby girl. I love her so much, and to see other people love her, it just overflows my heart. To everyone who came, or wanted to come but extended their birthday wishes and regrets, thank you! Thank you for loving the person that is my whole world.

MISS EMMA IS OFFICIALLY TWO!

We took Emma for her two year check-up on Thursday, July 24^th. It needed to be pushed back because it was also a follow-up after she had some breathing problems from a cold. No shots at this one (actually, no more for a couple years I think).

Here are her stats at 2 years, 12 days old:

-          -  Height: 37.5 inches tall (>99%)

-          - Weight: 34 pounds, 8 ounces (>99%)

-          - Head: 48.9 centimeters (90%)

-          - Teeth: 16 teeth, gums swollen for 2 year molars.

-          - Hair: About 2” below shoulders, had one trim.

She’s so independent it kills me. She hardly ever wants my help, and I don’t dare to offer it unless she asks because an all-out fit will ensue. She can count to thirteen, and she can sing the alphabet. She can “read” two whole books and sing countless songs. She speaks full sentences and we can have conversations. Those are my favorite. She will tell us what she did that day with Grandma and PawPaw, or what happened on one of her “shows.”

Here are some of her likes:  

-          - Food: Pancakes, Chicken Nuggets, PB&J, Spaghetti O’s, Beanie Weenies, French Fries, Ice Cream, Black Olives, Blueberries.

-          - Drinks: Milk, Chocolate Milk (super rare), Juice (half water, half juice), Water.

-          - Movies: Curious George, Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo.

-          - TV: Curious George, Barney, Caillou, Bubble Guppies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sesame Street, Pocoyo, Peppa Pig.

-          - Songs: Old MacDonald, Happy Birthday [to Emma], Ring Around the Rosey, Wheels on the Bus.

-         -  Toys: Little People, Aquadoodle, Baby Doll, “Doctor Dog.”

-          - Pastimes: Putting DVDs in the DVD player, Taking DVDs out of the DVD player, Putting DVDs in the case, Taking DVDs out of the case.

Here are some of her dislikes:

-          - Food: Pizza, Pineapple, Tomato, Asparagus.

-          - Drinks: Pedialyte.

-          - Movies: Anything Adult, and she doesn’t really care about Frozen for some reason.

-          - TV: Anything Adult.

-          - Songs: None.

-          - Toys: Anything that’s not new. Oy.

-          - Pastimes: Diaper changes… STILL.

She’s getting to be so smart. I totally understand where the term “too smart for their own good” came from! We have our Parents as Teachers meeting on the 16^th, and I am so excited to see where they think she is at. I feel like she’s so advanced! Well, except for potty training. She understands it, but she just doesn’t want to. It’s frustrating to me, but her doctor says not to force her to do it because they start to hold their potty… so we are waiting for her to be ready.

I am also going to look into daycares. I think I found one that looks appealing, but it’s almost school season so they may be booked. I’ve been on the fence, from the day she was born, about daycare and other people watching her, but I think it’s time for her to be around other kids more. She’s doesn’t know how to interact with kids very well, and she definitely isn’t big on sharing, so I think daycare/early education might be the way to go; even if it’s just one or two days a week. I can post on that once it happens… if it happens.

So there you go! My Our Emma is two! I can hardly believe it. As much as I enjoy watching her grow and develop, I miss my baby.

Love is a Fire - Book Tour

Remember how I told you guys that my “Mom friend” Alyssa wrote a book? Well guess what - I got the privilege of being a part of her book tour as well! I couldn’t be happier to have her as a friend and be a part of this!

Love is a Fire, by author Lyssa Layne

Book Description:

"Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn your house down, you can never tell." - Joan Crawford

Dr. Katy Malone has sworn off love after losing those she loves most in her life including her father, a member of the FDNY. She has decided to spend her time focusing on her medical research. Her ex-fiancee (Jeremiah), and fellow doctor, isn't ready to give up on loving her though.

Firefighter Nick Garrity is on a search for the future Mrs. Garrity. As he pushes thirty, with no prospects in sight, he's afraid he'll never find her. A devoted member of FDNY, he loves the thrill of his job and the satisfaction it brings him. He strives to teach the proby firefighter, Patrick Doyle, the ropes and pass on his passion to him.

When Doyle tries to impress the guys on the crew, he ends up in the care of Dr. Katy Malone. One look at Dr. Malone and Nick knows he's found his future wife, but can he convince her to love again?

About the Author:

Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.

Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa’s own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.

INTERVIEW:

Lyssa Layne:  Hi Jenni! Thanks for being a part of the Love is a Fire Blog Tour! I hear you have some questions for me so let’s get started, shall we?  

Jenni:  When did you realize you had a flare for writing?

Lyssa Layne:  Not sure if I ever realized, or even think, that I have a “flare for writing,” but I do enjoy it. Last fall, I started reading a lot of indie authors and thought to myself, hmm…I could that so I started writing!

Jenni:  Have you written any other books?

Lyssa Layne:   I’m currently working on the sequel, Burst Into Flame, and I have another romance story about hot baseball players that I’m also editing at the moment called The Right Pitch.

Jenni:  How many books will be in the Lovesick series?

Lyssa Layne:  For sure there will be at least 4…the first one which is Nick and Katy, the sequel, Patrick, and then one from Jeremiah. I’m debating whether or not to write a prequel with Abby and Ryan’s story but I think I’ll leave that up to the readers when I get to that point.

Jenni:  Are there any details from the book(s) that came from your real life experiences?

Lyssa Layne:  I know that you, Jenni, think there is and there are to a degree. Let’s see…the fishing Santa ornament is one that I’ve had since I was a kid. Before having my daughter, I used to run, not nearly as much as Katy though. And of course, I do love hot firemen!

Enough about me though, I want you to get a chance to chat with Dr. Jeremiah Thomas!

*Jeremiah walks into the room, looking handsome as ever, and politely shakes your hand, giving a light kiss on the back of it*

Jeremiah:  Hello, Jenni. It’s nice to meet you.

Jenni:   Hi there Jeremiah. I have a few questions about you and your relationship with Katy. First off, how did you come up with Katy’s nickname, Knockout?

Jeremiah:   From our first class together in med school, I thought she was beautiful. When I saw her name on the roster as K.O. Malone, I started calling her Knockout for more than one reason.

Jenni:   That’s so sweet!

 Jeremiah:   Thanks although Katy probably wouldn’t agree. *laughing* Ah, her nickname. She says she hates it but I know deep down she loves it.

Jenni:   I have to admit, when I read the book, I kind of pictured you as nerdy.

Jeremiah:   Me? Nerdy? Back in high school I would have to agree that I was but I finally outgrew my awkwardness in college. Lyssa Layne has a board on Pinterest with all of our pictures so you can go check it out to see how she envisions me.

Jenni:   Definitely! I’ll go check that out right after our interview. At the end of the book I was very surprised that you turned around and acted professional towards Katy during delivery. Do you think that was just the doctor in you or do you think you accepted he wouldn’t get her back?

Jeremiah:   I’ve always been by Katy’s side through the good and the bad, unfortunately, we’ve had more bad than good. She needed me and I knew what I had to do.

Jenni:   Where do you see your future headed?

Jeremiah:   Well, as you know from the book I have more than myself to think about these days. I’m not going to worry too much about women until after my residency is over and then we’ll see what happens in the love department.

Jenni:   So, Jer, do you have any deep dark secrets?

Jeremiah:  *giving you a sly wink*  I think we all have skeletons in the closet, don’t we?

Jenni:   True. Well thanks for stopping by today and chatting. I’m looking forward to hearing more about what’s going on with you in Burst Into Flame!

If this interview has captured your attention, check out my last blog post where I’m doing a book giveaway (or THREE)!!!

Also, Lyssa Layne herself is raffling off a ton of great giveaways! Check it out HERE!!!

Be sure to pick up a copy of Love is a Fire (Amazon, Barnes & Noble), by author Lyssa Layne. It’s a great read that I bet most of you would just love!

Jenni

Lyssa Layne's Social Links: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.

You can also find her book on Goodreads!

Love is a Fire - Book Giveaway!

Did I tell you guys that I have a friend who is an author? Yep, I do. My “Mom Friend” Alyssa is a writer and an author. And her book is fantastic!

I always joke with Alyssa that she doesn’t sleep. She has a full-time job, she is a part-time professor at Lindenwood University, she’s a mommy to a toddler, and she’s an author. Not to mention that she blogs almost daily. Who can do all of that AND sleep?!? I can barely give Emma a bath and make it through her bedtime routine before I am zonked out.

Anyway, her book is called Love is a Fire. From the title I’m sure you’ve figured out that it’s a love story. It’s not super sappy, and while it has some “love” in it, it’s not raunchy. It’s clever and has a lot of meaningfulness in it. It’s a good read. It’s easy to follow, it keeps you sucked into the story, and it’s just short enough to finish in a few hours so you don’t have to lug it all over town for a week trying to fit it in.

It really is a great book, and I want to share one with one of my readers (or visitor), so I’m doing a raffle to win a signed Paperback copy!

Wait, make that THREE winners! Three different people can each win a signed paperback copy of Love is a Fire!

Enter Here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/be08e71/

If you’re not a winner, you can still download on Nook or Kindle for just $0.99! Book for a buck! Love it.

Good luck, and thanks for reading!

Jenni

TURTLEMETER - Mommy/Baby Must-Have!!!

Okay, in all honesty, I may have found the very best baby/toddler bath time must-have.

You’ve all seen the floating rubber ducky given at every single baby shower, that’s supposed to indicate if the water is too hot. You hear “awww, every baby needs that!”

Then, once the baby is here, Mommy runs the bath water, puts the ducky in and low-and-behold it’s too hot. Mom plays with the water countless times sure of herself that it’s too cold, but yet the little blue indicator still says “HOT.”

If you’re like me, you threw that ducky to the curb after just three baths. Emma’s lips even turned blue once!

After that I just went by what felt decent to me. I’d test both hands and wrists. Lol. Sounds crazy, but when your right hand keeps swishing the water, you have to try your left to make sure!

Anyway, about a month ago I had a company give me a list of products to choose from to review for them. I had done one product review for them already, and I enjoyed doing it, but with my busy schedule this summer I was hesitant. I scrolled through the list and came across this little gem and jumped on the chance, and I am so stinking glad I did!

Seriously. I couldn’t be happier with this product.

TURTLEMETER 

The Baby Bath Floating Turtle Toy and Bath Tub Thermometer

When the box came, I let Gene and Emma open it. The very first thing Emma said was “Turtle Cuuuuuute!” It was so sweet!

That night was not bath night, but the next night was (we do baths every other night per doctor’s recommendation). I filled up the tub like I usually do, and then I put the turtle in. It immediately kicked on and was lit up blue. The LCD display will also show you the actual temperature! So once it hit like 97 or 98 degrees (I can’t remember now) it turned from blue to green. And once the temp stopped moving and the light was still green, I knew it was good to put Emma in. We were all just standing over the tub watching it go; it’s like magic! *I failed to capture a picture of it glowing red - I meant to do this in the sink.

Did I mention that Emma loves it too? We’ve used it three times now and she just loves playing with it. She even washes her turtle with soap and a washcloth!

Right now it’s on sale for $12.95 on Amazon, and if you’re in need of a baby or shower gift then this is one thing you need to get!!! I know I’m doing this as a review so you’re probably thinking I’m just saying what they will want to hear, but in all honesty it’s the best decision I’ve made in a while because this thing is great.

 

It’s inexpensive, it’s great, kids will love it… just buy it and you’ll see!

Amazon Link (same as above): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZFPRHS

I received this product at no charge in exchange for my HONEST opinion.

Crazy-Headed

You know that scene at the end of the Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part One movie where Bella is sleeping on the surface (or seems like it) and she is screaming and writhing in pain in her head? I’m going through a similar situation. Okay, so it’s not painful, and I’m not sleeping, but on the surface I look like I do any other day (at least I think) but in my head I’m flailing my arms around and making unrecognizable gibberish noises. I have too much going on in real life and in my head to be sane anymore. I’m going to lose it. At any moment. Any. Second.

I have no idea how to calm myself. I can’t even stay up long enough after Emma goes to bed to have some wine and relax. I try to get some R&R when Emma is up and playing on her own, but after 30 seconds I usually get “Momma! Momma! Get up!” Ugh. How can I say no to my child wanting me? So I go from watching less than a minute of Peppa Pig (I didn’t say I get to watch anything for myself while relaxing), to sitting on the floor watching Emma pull apart the wooden train tracks I just put together for the twenty-second time in four days. [insert eye roll and sigh here]

At work, while I am in the one department now, I still have a huge chunk of another. I manage my time well. I’m a fast-paced worker. I can learn things quickly or take enough notes to where you never have to show me again. What I can’t do, is take two 30-40 hour demanding jobs and squeeze them into one 40-45 hour work week. Stuff is falling through the cracks and I’m losing my cool. I’m not good at handling confrontation, so I don’t like to disappoint. But it’s on the verge because it’s all growing, and I’m still one person. *Man, I hope upper management doesn’t read this and think I can’t do the job… I just need the authority to start holding people responsible or something. Or an assistant. ;-)

My “Super-Mom” friend Alyssa does about a million things with her kiddo, so I saw the need to start doing more activities with Emma. So, I signed her up for swim lessons. They don’t really teach you how to swim on your own, it’s all about basic water introduction and minor swimming approaches. I’m two weeks in and I’m exhausted. I’m sore. Literally, sore. The first week went fantastic! Emma was thrilled. She was in awe. She loved the water, loved the songs, loved the exercises and most of all loved watching the other kids. I was relieved. The second week, Grandma and PawPaw came to watch. Oy vey. It was fine at first, but I told my Mom to come down from the upper seating to get better pictures, and boy, was that a mistake. The rest of the time it was all “want out” or “wanna’ go up there.” Even when my Mom left the area (she noticed Emma wanted to play with her instead) Emma knew Grandma was still there so it didn’t stop. I really hope next week isn’t that bad because it might just be my breaking point.

Church is going well. We are in the book of Nehemiah through the summer. I can honestly say that besides the name, I can’t remember a darned thing about this book. I need to read it completely before next Sunday because I find myself losing my focus because I’m wondering what he’s going to do next. What’s funny is that this past sermon, Pastor Noah talked about the “Nehemiah Overflow.” It’s just a nickname really, but it’s that moment when you just can’t hide your emotion any longer, but it’s unintentional. You’ve probably all seen it at work for sure. Think of that one person who seems to just be so unhappy in their position that they are constantly wearing a scowl even though they act as if everything is okay. That scowl, that frown that they can’t hide, that’s the “Nehemiah Overflow.” Sometimes I wonder if there’s a look of crazy on my face at work. Hahaha.

Anyway, there are a few things with the church that have been tugging at me for a while (besides the fact that Emma doesn’t want me to leave her in toddler Sunday school). They’re stuck in my mind all the time (one more thing to fill my thoughts). I really want to get my foot in the church more, but I feel like Gene isn’t in it whole-heartedly like I am. I want to be more involved, but I just don’t see him getting into it because I think he’s still in the mindset of “we go because we are supposed to go, not because we want to go.” I want to go. I actually want to go Wednesdays too. What I don’t want to do is volunteer my time if my husband doesn’t want me to. Another is that I feel bad for people watching my child when I don’t take a turn and watch theirs. I have no idea who to talk to about this, but I would totally take a shift of Sunday School a time or two so that they can enjoy the sermon as well. Lastly, and this is probably just me trying to put icing on the cake here, but I wish the church was more… fun, for lack of a better word. Maybe the last church I went to was just that good, or maybe it was because I was young and got to do all the fun stuff, but I remember there being dinners afterwards. Or Mom-and-Me events. An Easter egg hunt, a play, a Halloween party, etc. This church is newer, and there aren’t nearly as many goers as the last church I was at, but I think a good church community is how you get it to grow. But I don’t think I’m the person who can make those changes happen.  Maybe I'm just needy.

I’m contemplating putting Emma in daycare. It's a tough internal struggle with this one. Some of you know the back story for this, but I recently had a need to get her into a daycare. I put it off out of fear, and things are kind of okay how they are right now. However, I can’t lose the thought for some reason. Something just keeps telling me to check out daycares and get her into one. Maybe it’s “momtuition” telling me that she could learn a lot about life and behavior from the environment. So, I’m making lists and Gene and I will be checking out some places on vacation next month.

Okay, I guess I’m done putting my burdens on you. Besides the crazy hectic life going on, everything is great! Emma is wonderful; getting bigger and smarter by the day. Gene and I are still employed, roof over our heads, cars that work, great kid, cute dog, etc. Family is good. Life is good. Hectic and crazy, but good. Now, here’s hoping I don’t lose my mind so I can keep watching it all happen!

Product Review: Ozeri Green Earth Textured Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan (8”)

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to review an awesome product by Ozeri!

Ozeri Green Earth Textured Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan (8”)

I didn’t know much about this product when the opportunity presented itself to try it out and give it a review, and I’m not a cooking expert by any means, so I was worried that I’d screw it all up. However, this pan pretty much does everything for you! I was pleasantly surprised.

I racked my brain for over 24 hours trying to figure out what to cook. I could do eggs, but I bet everyone tries eggs on a non-stick skillet. I thought about grilled cheese or pancakes (my specialties), but would that even showcase anything? Then I figured it out. Mushrooms. I stink at sautéing just about everything, but mushrooms prove to be the hardest for me. I think the biggest challenge when it came to getting them just right was simply that my crappy skillets wouldn’t distribute the heat evenly, so I’d end up with some burnt, and some not done enough.

So, I bought a package of mushrooms and sliced them myself. I then realized that my small package of mushrooms was A LOT once you sliced them. No way would they fit into this 8” pan. So after I seasoned the pan I put half of the mushrooms in.

Low and behold, the mushrooms started to cook evenly, and FAST! Within a couple minutes I realized that I could in fact put the entire container of them in the pan to be cooked all together. So I did.

Here are my bullet-points:

- The walls of the pan are nice and steep; I didn’t lose a single mushroom. 

- The weight of the pan is heavier, so I do feel like this pan can stand up to our household. 

- The bottom of the pan is completely flat, which was nice because it didn’t teeter or spin around. 

- The handle provided an excellent resting spot for my spatula. 

- It was the easiest clean-up ever! There wasn’t even any leftover oil from seasoning the pan!

Here are Ozeri’s bullet-points:

• Unlike other ceramic pans,the Ozeri Green Earth Pan utilizes GREBLON - an ultra-safe ceramic coating from Germany which is 100% PTFE and PFOA free.
• Innovative textured pan surface delivers enhanced heat distribution and superior non-stick performance without ever releasing harmful fumes or toxins.
• Features a scratch-resistant 100 percent ceramic coating that is super easy to clean.
• Made out of durable heavy-gauge die-cast aluminum with no heavy metals or harmful chemicals.
• Boasts a comfortable heat resistant silicon coated handle and a magnetized induction stove safe base for rapid heat transfer.

One more bonus, it’s super affordable. The pan and lid both are $39.41 total on Amazon (I love a matching lid for any pan). Did I mention that they have different sizes too?

My overall thought: If you are looking for a frying pan, pick this one. You won’t regret it!

*I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest opinion.

Amazon Link Above:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005470CB6