So Tired

I think the baby must be growing a lot these days. I have been so very tired this week. I have been more nauseated with this baby, too. All the signs, I am thankful for. I know that things are progressing normally with the tiredness and feeling a bit sick. Last night, I really didn't feel well, but I am thankful that I got to bed a little earlier. Yesterday, it worked out that Caleb and Claudia took a nap at the same time. Then, Nathaniel was reading on the couch, and I sat there with Madelyn. Lo and behold, Maddie fell asleep, and I got to take about a 20-30 minute snooze. It was great! I hope to have a few more of those kind of days this week! I am so thankful that I am back to babysitting. It is great to see Claudia and Candace again. The kids are so happy to be together, too. Today, Nathaniel got to spend the day with his friend while I babysat. He was so excited to go over there. I want him to enjoy his summer, too, and I know if he went with me babysitting everyday, that wouldn't be so fun for him. I think I am going to try my best to book a "play date" for him once a week.

Dino-Mountain Fun from Matchbox

The Dino Mountain Pop-Up playset opens up from a crate-like carrying case to reveal a thrilling treasure hunt in the world of Dino Mountain. Caleb loves playing with the truck that comes in the set, and he likes that he can bring this playing set wherever he goes. He loves driving the vehicle threw the jaws of the Dinosaur. When the vehicle goes threw the jaws, his eyes glow and his voice rumbles in a growl! Along with a Matchbox vehicle, there are accessory pieces included in this set. The set comes in a cool crate-like case that features a try-me feature for the lights & sounds of the menacing Dino Eye on the outside of the case. One vehicle included. Additional vehicles sold separately.
This toy is made for ages 3 years and up, and Caleb loves it! You can get a Dino Mountain from Matchbox at Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Toys'R'Us.

I am thankful

I am so thankful for spring and the chance to be outdoors more. I hope that with this pregnancy I can keep off the weight I have lost. I just need to be careful that I watch what I eat, and to get the exercise I need to stay fit. I am so thankful that the baby is doing well, and that I have the signs to show that everything is ok. I am thankful for tiredness, and I am thankful for the nausiation! I know that is crazy, but it does reveal that everything is ok.

We heart Elmo!

Maddie is such a little girly girl, and she was so excited when we got Ba Ba Baby Elmo! She loves to hold her little Elmo and give him his bottle. Elmo says, " Ba Ba, Ba Ba please!" I would prefer if Elmo pronounced Ba Ba as bottle, but it is a minor thing to overlook, since he is a baby. I just like toys to pronounce words correctly. Maddie loves to give Elmo his bottle. When she puts the bottle in his mouth, he makes slurping sounds, shuts his eyes, and sometimes hums a lullaby. We love how Elmo shuts his eyes when he is drinking, or sleeping. Maddie thinks Elmo is so funny. She really giggles when he kicks his feet around as he drinks. Occasionally, Elmo will say, "Burp please." Then, you just give Elmo's back a few pats, and he says, "Excuse Elmo," or Thank You." Then, he will say, "More, please." I really like that Elmo is so polite! This '12 inch adorable Elmo doll is recommended for 18 months and up.
Requires 3 AA batteries. I think this Ba Ba baby Elmo doll is super cute, cuddly, and fun for little kiddos! You can find this Elmo doll at Target, Toys R Us and Amazon online.

Lug Travel: Giveaway!!

Contest is now closed! I picked a new lucky winner~Barbarabaker!
Congratulations to you! I have e-mailed her and if I don't hear from her, I will pick a new winner. Thank you to all who entered!



I did a review on a super Lug travel bag called the Puddle Jumper. You can read my review: HERE. I think they make excellent products!

Lug is generously offering to sponsor a giveaway to a Sassyfrazz reader! Go check out there site: Lug Travel, and pick out you favorite item they have to offer! You will have a hard time choosing one! I will say, I love my Puddle Jumper!

Then, come back here and comment about what you like. Be sure to notice they offer different colors of products!

This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. You can earn extra entries by: blogging this contest, subscribing to my feed, or putting my button on your blog. Please put separate comments for each entry. Contest is open until June 23rd at 7:00 PM CST.

Thanks, Lug Travel for sponsoring this giveaway!

M.I.A.~

Sorry I have been "away from" the computer for a few days. We have been busy in our household!! Wednesday night, my Mother-in-Law came down for an extended weekend visit. It was great to see her, spend time with her, and watch her enjoying her grand kids. The kids just love their Grandma! On Thursday, she went with Nathaniel to his "Picnic Day" at school. They had outside games, and a big inflatable toy to play in. She surprised Nathaniel with Dairy Queen for lunch. He had forgotten his lunch at home, so she said she wanted to pick up D.Q. for him and Caleb. I had to bring Maddie to the Dr. appointment, so it worked out great! Caleb had fun being at the school too, until I came to pick him up. He wanted to stay there all day. Friday, I got to have a day with Nathaniel. It was his last day of school, and we went to a big Community Center. We got to go swimming and there was a big slide there. Nathaniel and I had a great time. There was another boy with us that I was chaperone of. He was very quiet, and looked at me funny when I tried to spark up a conversation with him. Kids like that kind of intimidate me. I really tried to get him to converse with me, and maybe squeeze a smile out of him. But to no avail, he with held. Oh well. At least Nathaniel and I had a really fun time. I didn't go down the slide, just because I am prego and I really don't want to do anything that may hurt the baby. I am not sure if it really would have done anything, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I did get into a game of tossing the ball with some boys. It started out with just Nathaniel and 2 of his friends. I threw it to one of them, and they threw it back to me. It was fun to watch them try to be the one to catch it. Pretty soon more boys came. I think there was about 10 boys playing after awhile. What was really funny was a couple of girls tried to get in the game, and if they got the ball...they started swimming away. All the boys went after her to get the ball back. It was quite comical. It was great to have one on one time with Nathaniel. We don't get that time enough, so I really appreciated my day out with him. Thanks Cheryl! You rock!!

When I got home on Friday afternoon, Caleb had to show me what he got. Caleb, Maddie and Grandma went to garage sales during the day. Caleb is a garage sale'aholic! He would go everyday if he could. He was so excited! He got a huge collection of Thomas the Train sets, cars, and track. He also got a Thomas the train bag/suitcase. Grandma hit the jackpot with this sale! She got such a great deal! Thomas stuff is so expensive! She got this huge box of items for $20! Terry and I couldn't believe it! She is such a bargain shopper and finds the best deals at garage sales! Thanks so much for your generosity, Cheryl! Thanks for all the maternity clothes, too! :)

Friday night, Terry and I brought Nathaniel to meet his Dad. Afterward, we went to watch trains. This is a highlight most times with our traveling to bring Nathaniel to meet his Dad. This time we went, we went up on a bridge and looked down on the trains and train yard. It was really neat to see the new views. Those cars are huge and really look so different from the top angle. While we were gone, Cheryl and Caleb took out all our tiles in our kitchen and dining room. Caleb had a great time taking out the tiles. He told Grandma that Dad will be really happy when he gets home. He wanted to start in on putting down the new flooring. I will see if I can get the pictures Grandma took of him uploaded on here.
When we got home, we tried out our new Mario Kart game for the Wii. It was super fun! I really love this new game! There are so many games and things to learn on it! It will really be a big hit this fall/winter when we are indoors more.

Saturday morning, we started our floors in our kitchen/dining room. We worked on them Sunday, too! We decided to get new flooring because our tiles were really bad. So, we put in real hardwood flooring. It isn't done quite yet, but it is so beautiful! I really love the new look! We really want to start painting, too, so we did buy one gallon of paint to start with behind the refrigerator, since it is pulled out. I hope we have enough paint to get the parts painted that we want that color. I was talking to my sister on the phone Sunday night, and she told me they are doing the same colors we are for their kitchen/dining rooms. I guess great minds think alike!!

Sunday afternoon, Caleb went to his friend's birthday party. It was a great party. The invitation said to come and dig in dirt! Be prepared to get dirty, and if you must, throw your clothes away. It was super! Caleb got really dirty. I will post pictures on here soon for that, too. There were 6 little kids there to dig in the big pile of dirt, and they really had a blast!

So, there is my long weekend. Sorry my blog has been mute for a bit. I will try to be good about posting a lot this week. This pregnancy is making me so tired. I am happy to say Maddie and Caleb are healthy. I am glad we are on vitamins, too.

Now I know what it is...

I brought Maddie to the Dr. He said that the rash was probably caused from fevers all week. When he pushed on the spots, they went away, then when he lifted his fingers they reddened again. He said that is similar to a heat rash, or a rash from fevers. If the redness didn't go away, that would imply that maybe it was a viral rash of some sort. She does have a double ear infection. I am thinking this may be her first ear infection. He said there was quite a bit of fluid in there. I feel so terrible for not bringing her in on Monday or Tuesday, but it is hard to know if it is "just a virus that has to run it's coarse," or it is something more serious. Well, I am glad to know that she will be treated with Amoxicillin now, and she should start perking up tomorrow night or Saturday! YEAH!! I also picked up Poly-Vi-Sol vitamin drops for her, toddler vitamins for Caleb, and the infant Tylenol and Motrin drops. So, I am going to make sure that Caleb and Maddie get vitamins everyday now. That won't hurt them, and maybe it will help protect their immune systems better.

Maddie is NOT better....

Yesterday, I thought Madelyn was on the mend with only having 2 messy diapers in the morning, and pretty much just the low grade temps. We even went for a family bike ride before supper to get some fresh air, and enjoy being outdoors (even with the mosquitoes). BUT, last night, just after supper, she got a fever again. She felt pretty hot. So, I gave her some Motrin. She fought sleep pretty good. Terry and I played a little Dr. Mario and she woke up. She seemed in good spirits, and she toddled around while we finished up playing our game. Then, Terry went to bed, and I nursed Maddie to try and get her to sleep. She was warm, and so I took off her sleeper jammies. I noticed she had a rash all over her tummy and her back. This is concerning to me. I thought maybe it was a heat rash, but I wasn't so sure. Then, she had a horrible night. She was very irritable, and didn't sleep well (neither did Terry and I). This morning, her face is swollen, she is running a fever, and she has the rash. So, in just a little bit, we are off to see the Doctor. Please pray that my little baby will fight this off and get healthy ASAP! Thank you~~

Talk to the hand!

I love Uncommonly cute's newest shirt for tots~ "Talk to the hand!" Coming from one Sassy momma...my little miss sassy-pants, Madelyn, is now going to be strutting her stuff in this shirt! I love Uncommonly Cute's cute baby clothes! I was very lucky to review their cute baby clothes in April, when Maddie got a Drama Queen T-shirt. That shirt really states her personality, too!
Uncommonly Cute has some really great new arrivals! I really like the I scream shirt, too! The cute baby clothes offered from Uncommonly cute are onesies, short sleeves and long sleeve shirts, and they even offer shirts for twins. The sizes range from Preemie (up to 7 pounds)- Size 6 (up to 45 pounds).
A bit behind the company:
Uncommonly Cute's t-shirts and onesies not only afford babies a sense of individual style-be they a Diva, a Rock Star or a Fashionista-but comfort as well. Each garment is made of 100% combed cotton and is super, super soft. Sure to delight the babies' no-fuss, socially conscious moms, the clothes are all machine washable, safe, durable and made in sweatshop-free American studios. Uncommonly Cute supports Room to Grow and R Baby Foundation by donating a portion of their profits as well as merchandise to those cuties in need. With Sammy and Jacob as her inspiration and her husband (and not-so-silent partner) Ben's incredible support, Allison is quite happy to be shaking things up in baby apparel, replacing conformity with individuality; cute with uncommonly cute.

Madelyn is on the mend

I have not been blogging as much this week, because my baby has been pretty sick. That, and with being pregnant, I have been tuckered out.
It has been a long week, so far, with Madelyn and her sickness. I am pretty sure it was/is a virus, but I think we are FINALLY on the tail end of it. She was pretty miserable most of the last 4 days. On Monday, her temperature actually got as high as 104.2 under the arm!! I have never seen the thermometer go that high on one of my kids! It was pretty scary. She has had so much Motrin and Tylenol the last 4 days. I am actually surprised how long the fevers lasted. Last night, her fever was 102.5 under the arm, and sometime during the night we think her fever broke. Yesterday she had about 4-5 diarrhea diapers, and today she had two. She woke up with a slightly elevated fever, and with a diarrhea diaper, we did stay home from babysitting today, too! We have missed so much babysitting with my kids being sick so much this year. It is not good for our pocketbooks, and it definitely doesn't help out Candace with us missing, either. I know she is understanding, and for that I am so grateful.

Praise God that Madelyn is doing better. Even her mood is a bit better today...even with her firey temper! :)

Lug Travel: A Review

I have found a great new bag offered by Lug! It is called a Puddle Jumper. It is an Overnight/Gym Bag. I personally use mine for a diaper bag. I love the material this bag is made out of! There are many pockets to hold all my things and keep me organized. I really like that it is so stylish looking, too! I really love the ventilated pocket on the bottom...for keeping out smells. If you use it for a gym bag, you can easily fit your shoes in there, and they won't smell up your whole bag. I figured I could put soiled clothes in there.

Special Features:
Tons of storage pockets and compartments
Lower main compartment for cosmetic storage
Detachable mirror
Plastic coated bottom with metal feet
Ventilated zip pocket compartment in back
Perfect for shoes or soiled clothing
ID card for identification
Interior bottle holder and cargo pocket
D-ring for your keys, pen holders & zip pocket

The bag also has a piece of plastic covering the bottom of the bag, so if you set the bag down on a locker room floor (which is sometimes wet) your bag and belongings won't get soaked.
The overnight/gym bag comes in 7 colors: crimson red, fog gray, chocolate brown,grass green, ocean teal, rose pink, and sunset orange. The bag is sold for $75.00, and can be purchased here.

All about Lug Travel
Lug is a manufacturer that supplies retailers nationwide with quality and innovative travel accessories. Lifestyles are changing the way we live and Lug's goal is to design wonderful products that reflect these times. We offer travel related products with a commitment to create excitement and function in the products we design.
Their mission
Not only do we care about how you travel, we care about how you feel when you travel. Our products are specifically designed to keep you organized, in control, and looking good. We understand that travel disrupts a daily routine so our products are made to ease the transition by providing organization and innovation while you navigate through your day.

They also offer a variety of other great products:
bags
beanie chairs
luggage belts
luggage tags
storage solutions
travel blanket and pillow
travel wallets

Check out Lug's products!

Updates~

Sorry, I have taken a mini vacation from the Bloggin' world over the weekend. I was home, just busy an not online. I hope you all had a super weekend!

If you are a guy, stop reading. You will not need to read this. :)
Friday afternoon, I had my ultrasound. I went to a different location this time, and I am regretting that decision. The tech lady I had was horrible! I was so disappointed with the service, and I am definitely complaining! I have had internal ultrasounds with every baby, and also when they have had to look for cysts, so I know the drill. They always give you a thicker (like a table cloth) sheet to cover your body from waist down, and you put your feet up on the table~ while totally covered. The techs I have had always had me insert the probe, too.
Well, this tech did everything wrong, I believe. She handed me the paper thin cover (like a paper towel)...which this is used for the other yearly visit. Then, after she came back in, she had me put my feet in the stirrups! If that wasn't bad enough, then she did the insert by herself, and just left me out there. NO covering me back up for privacy. It was totally uncomfortable. I asked her a few questions, and she was completely against giving me information! I was so unhappy with her. She didn't have any bedside manners, and really didn't put effort into small talk. Then, to really add icing to the visit, she started moving the probe around like she was digging. It was totally uncomfortable, and it actually hurt! I told her it didn't feel very good, and she just said, "Well, I am trying to get a good picture of your ovary, and yours is tilted back."
OK, SO WHAT!! I am pregnant, and you have no business digging around in there and causing pain! I have never been in pain for a visit like that. Even when I have been in for cysts on my ovaries, when they needed the pictures to be super clear. You know something isn't right when you are actually sore after a visit like that.

ON THE GOOD SIDE~~ I did get to see my little baby and that little heart just beating away! AMEN, and Praise the Lord! I was so happy! According to the ultrasound, I will be 8 weeks along on Tuesday. Yeah! So, my due date should be January 13 or so. Toward the end of the pregnancy, they will watch everything closely. With Caleb my amniotic fluid was low, and with Madelyn, it was almost gone on her due date. So, as my Dr. has mentioned, it won't get better with anymore, but it will be something we will have to be careful to watch. I am at a whole new clinic and new Dr.'s now, so I hope and pray all goes well.

Saturday, we got a lot done around the house, and Terry started working in the Hobby store. Then, Saturday night, our friends came over to have a grill out, and hang out. It was a fun night. We got a good storm through here, but the really bad stuff missed us. (Thankfully).

Today, we went to church. My aunt and uncle treated us to Subway. It was yummy! Maddie started not feeling very good, and she was actually kind of warm. So, when we got home, I gave her Tylenol. She is cutting 4 teeth, her first teeth, so I am not sure if that is why she had a fever or not. My aunt and uncle came over after Subway, and we went for a pontoon ride. It was a gorgeous day! Maddie got in a great nap on the boat.
In the evening, Maddie was feeling a bit better, so we went to a MOPS family picnic. Unfortunately, when we were there for just a bit, her fever spiked. So, we didn't stay too long. I feel so bad for her! I hope this (what ever it is) goes quick. I am suppose to work tomorrow, after being off for a week and a half. Not only does Candace need my help, but we need the money, too. I really am tired of my kids being sick so much!

Tonight, Caleb's legs are so swollen from bug bites! He has bumps behind his ears, and a few on his head. Poor little guy. So, he had an Aveeno bath, and Benedryl before bed.