Diva Cup??

How have I gotten through the last 10 years without a DIVA CUP?? (if you're a dude, you won't appreciate this post. You should really stop reading)

Why has no one told me about these?!

You save money & time.

(Seriously, males, stop reading now!)

If you don't know what a Diva Cup is, it's a menstrual cup.

That's right, instead of a tampon that you have to change every 4 hours, you use a silicon cup. It can be there for up to 12 hours. So, its like putting your period on hold and then controlling when it comes out.
Someone I worked with like 5 years ago casually mentioned she heard about it, and we all thought it was a crazy idea. After having 2 kids and going without a period for 3 years (since I was breastfeeding) buying a box of tampons once a month was bugging me. So I thought there has to be a better way. Turns out lots of women love them. After using it for a couple months, it pays for itself! And no more waste in the landfills (I say, as I have paper/plastic plates/utensils in my cupboard).

I wish I'd known about these earlier. (I doubt any boys stopped reading)

Pickles

Lately, within the last month or so, whenever Kaius or I eat a pickle (in a burger or something), we haven't liked it. Normally we have an appreciation for the crisp texture, and taste of a sliced pickle. It was our favorite bites of the burger. But lately...lately we take a bite and our tastebuds are overcome with a weird perfumey taste that is overpowering and we must spit it out. Josh thinks we're weird.

Isn't that weird?

Deep Breath.

Every once in a while I am reminded in some way to come and read my old blog post when I was pregnant with Monroe. I absolutely cannot read that post without bawling my eyes out. I remember that day too well. The 10 minutes I truly believed I lost my baby I went through a bunch of emotions. Anger. Sadness. Regret. Guilt. Hate. Love. Misery. Self Pity. Then the roller coaster of emotions. The eternity it took the nurse to find the heartbeat. Then feeling relief, happiness, complete elation...slight annoyance?

I only went through it for 10 minutes before they called me back to tell me it may not be true. Which is every pregnant-woman-who's-been-told-they've-miscarried's absolute dream come true. I hear about friends and even my own sister who have had ACTUAL miscarriages, some still-born. I wish everyone had an outcome like mine. Why did I and they didn't? Its not fair.

Since that day, that doctors office really walked on egg shells with me. Only scheduled me with the doctor, I never saw that nurse practitioner again. They covered my bill for the HCG blood draw at the hospital before the roller coaster day. I wasn't mad at her, she was very young. I hope she didn't get into trouble. Then Josh was laid off and got another job an hour away and we moved. I just did a google search, she still works there, so she didnt get in THAT much trouble ;) I also found that she volunteered free OBGYN care to women in rural india. Sweet girl. Looking at her picture, I remember her face. She was emotionally invested in the situation.

Anyway. Monroe lately is showing a little bit of a diva side. If I give her food she is not in the mood for, she tears it up and throws it (graham cracker, bread, etc). Hissy fit (but still cute)! She is waking up at least twice a night and I will love it when she stops that. I still don't understand how women "miss" breastfeeding.
Everywhere we go people cannot believe how beautiful her eyes are. she has great lashes, and very blue eyes. She will wave at people, but only if she is excited to see them. Kaius beats up on her hourly, she takes it like a champ. But boy, it infuriates me.

Kaius is absolutely obsessed with Spiderman, Superman, and The Hulk. He is starting to formulate sentences and it makes me soo happy. Monroe started crying and I asked, "What happened? Did you hit her?" he said, "YEAH. PUUSSH. Push her." It was so cute, I dont think I even punished him. Well, he wouldn't say sorry, so he did go to time out.

OH! and something really funny happened this week. We were leaving to go meet Josh at his office, and as soon as we got outside Kaius bails off the porch into the vines. Me, in my new Zumba sneakers, refuse to go in after him. After pleading and working up to yelling at him...not knowing what to do...I decided to tell him I was going to see Daddy without him. I get in the car and pull out and I see Kaius start to have a FREAK OUT. He is full on panicking. He almost falls on his face, but runs out into the road in front of my car, with arms up surrendering, screaming and sobbing. I wish I had a picture of that moment. He truly thought I was going to leave him there. I got him in the car and said "Mister, you know I wouldn't REALLY leave you home, right? Mommy would never leave you, Kaius" he says "Yeah...eave you Taius" (repeating my last sentence) He is my favorite little boy!

Epiphany

My friend Sarah posted this article on Facebook: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/to-the-mother-with-only-one-child

Basically it says whether you have one or many children, being a mom is hard work. and Its HARD adjusting to being a mom.

I see and hear about those women in relief society that NEVER complain or say anything negative. You know what? They are all grown and their children are grown. They don't have babies waking them up all night anymore, and they have better perspective on life. Right now I feel like crap for complaining being a mom is hard, but you know what?? Its REALLY freakin hard, and life without sleep makes everything a chore. Even eating ice cream...that creates dirty dishes. I know my kids will grow and I will miss them as babies...but freakin A will I love sleeping through the night.

Kaius was worried...

This morning Josh was leaving for work so he gave me and Monroe a kiss (and woke her up doing so, my favorite) But right after she got her kiss, Kaius woke up and walked out of his room. He came in bed with Roe and I and Josh gave him a kiss and interacted with them a few seconds. He said bye and walked out of the room. Kaius' lip quivered. He pointed at me and cried, "Mooommmmmmmmmmmyyyy!"
He walked in after I got my goodbye kiss, so he thought his Daddy intentionally forgot to give his Mommy a kiss. And he just lost it.

When I leave at night to go teach Zumba, Kaius directs my kisses. He's always first, then directs me to kiss Daddy, or Monroe ("Roe Roe"). So..I'm pretty sure he thought we were getting a divorce. I took Kaius out and let him know I already got a goodbye kiss, but I'll gladly do it again to show him everything is ok. It was cute. He stopped crying but man, he was upSET!

I just wanted to remember that. :)

7 Tier Diaper Cake

I couldn't wait to make this cake...I've been planning it for, like, 6 months. But I didn't want to make it ALL out of diapers. It would have been really freakin' expensive. I came up with the idea all on my own...I didn't even look at pinterest!

Josh helped a ton on the construction. When I told him I was taking pictures he was like "NO, I don't want pictures of me doing something like this!" But by the end, he was getting after me for not taking a picture of EVERY step. Go figure.

And to be honest...he was more of a perfectionist on how it looked than I did. It turned out great!

I needed something to fill the inside, that was much cheaper than diapers....


Hmm....



hmm...


OH!



I got a very interesting reaction from the cashier. Another shopper stopped to ask me how many kids I have.

The top tier was the only one made of diapers only.



[in the picture I told Josh to give a look that said "The things I do for you, Cammie" I can't tell if his eyes are open. It was like pulling alligators teeth to get him to turn some sports/NFL/Broncos show off and help me.]

I went to go buy some rope, but a few years ago I got really big into knitting and made like 3 projects I never finished. So, durr. Yarn!

Once the tiers got bigger, we tied sections together to make bigger sections...so it didn't come apart in the drive to the partay.




We wrapped our legs around it to keep the diapers in place.



I went to buy some ribbon to tie around the outside, but happened to pass some really cute Duck Tape (Duck is the BRAND...yes I know its "duct" tape) And it was a LOT cheaper than ribbon.



But I got ribbon for bows still. And I knew the toilet paper would be showing, so I got some tulle to cover it up.

The final product:




I couldn't wait to I had such a fun time at Cammie's shower. She was so cute and all her students loved having the bash when they have to have a Cammie-break for a while when she has her babe. Hope everyone else had a great time too!

Slacker

I am a slacker with everything right now.

Christmas was awesome. We went to California to spend it with my Dad (& fam) and Josh's parents and all his siblings. We were crazy busy, I literally remember no down time. Always on the go, seeing someone. It was really fun and nice to see everyone, it was also exhausting.

Kaius is pretty much over Pixar movies. All he wants to watch is Spiderman or Superman (Piderman & Pooperman). He doesn't care if it is cartoon or not. Josh showed him some episodes of old school Superman at my Dad's on Netflix...he was hooked. Now every time I am carrying him to time out he holds out his arms straight up and puts his hands in fists and goes "POOPERMAAAAN!".

He also doesn't understand that Superman and Spiderman are beating up villains, not random citizens (like, oh, their mother, father, or baby sister) He uses us for punching bags frequently. (Aren't parents supposed to kind of filter what their kids see on TV? Apparently anything goes in our household)
Josh taught Kaius how to move the temperature up on the thermostat. Way to go.
Kaius is starting to form small sentences "Daddy, its Mommy!" when I get home from Zumba. or "What happened?" if we react to something. He gets especially cranky when his lil sis gets into his tool box, "No no no, Roe Roe."

Monroe...I wish I could freeze her in this stage forever and ever. She just has those cute little 2 bottom teeth. She isn't very mobile..well, she can crawl backwards only. It frustrates her. She is ALWAYS moving her feet in circles (like propellers) and lots of times her hands are doing the same, mostly when she is whining for food. She learned to wave. I can ALWAYS ALWAYS count on her to give me a huge smile and make me happy. I love her random hugs. She'll just curl into me and melt, for a few seconds.