No Clean Teeth for the Birthday Girl

So here it is, the reason I didn't brush my teeth on my birthday.

Ian and I (and Connor too) are driving thru Europe right now and camping. The night before my birthday, I went and brushed my teeth, then came back and handed Ian my toothbrush and toothpaste (yeah, we use each others toothbrushes, but that's not the point of this post) for him to go brush his teeth.

The next morning, I gathered up all my stuff and went to take a shower. When getting ready, I discovered that my toothbrush and toothpaste were missing. So, I decided I would brush my teeth when I got back to the campsite. Well, there was coffee when I got back and I said to myself, I will brush my teeth after my coffee. Of course, one thing led to another and before you know it, we were in the car headed for Disneyland Paris.

All the sudden I felt grime on my teeth, but it was too late. There was no teeth brushing for me. So, I popped a piece of gum in my mouth and got on with enjoying my birthday at Disneyland Paris.

Imagine right here a family picture of Connor meeting Mickey Mouse for the first time...apparently my uber expensive internet in Milan won't allow me to upload pictures to the internet!

Ohmygosh...I'm Getting Old!

I know, I know...it is a fact of life. People get old. We have to mature (otherwise the "cute" things we did when we were young just become obnoxious.) Though, I do figure I have another good many years ahead of me before I truly have to grow up...I figure once I hit 50, I will begin taking responsibility for my actions and learning to plan ahead!

But back to the real reason I am feeling old...

Lately while watching tv, I feel like I keep hearing cuss words. Since when is it okay to cuss on tv? I thought that was illegal or something. Problem is, I have been watching tv shows that are like 5-10 years old. That got me thinking...

TV hasn't changed...I have.

Oh crap! What happened to me?!? I've gotten older. I've had a child. Part of this causes me to notice cussing more than I used to. I guess one can say it is part of growing up (aka: getting older). It really is one of the may ways I realize I have gotten older.

No longer is it "cool" for me to walk around with my bra straps showing (partly because I wear a nursing bra and partly because in hindsight I am not sure if that ever was truly "cool"). Or my stomach for that matter...and that happened before it was ruined thru the miracle of life.

I don't drive as fast as I used to...party because I don't want to hurt myself or others and partly because I don't want my insurance to go up.

I can't go on...all this old stuff is depressing me...maybe it is because my birthday is next week. Maybe it is because I really am oh-so-old. Whatever it is, there is no denying

I am growing up

A Life-Changing Epiphany

This weekend we made a day trip down to Edinburgh to meet up with some friends from the states. It was fun to meet their little girl, introduce Connor to them and just wander around Edinburgh.

After a long day, we rolled back into Aberdeen a little after 1am. Ian and I looked at each other and decided we needed to sleep in at least one day of the weekend (having gotten up at 6:45am on Saturday) and decided it would be Sunday.

Sunday morning, I woke up to the sounds of my little boy. I collected him from his crib and while snugging back into bed with a fully awake child, I looked at the clock and reality set in...I don't think I will be able to sleep in for many a years!

My life is different. My little man LOVES the morning time...me, not so much. But I am adjusting. With a little time to wake up and some coffee under my belt, I manage to be good company for him during this completely new season of my life.

But, I have to admit, seeing Connor's smiling face in the morning makes for a pretty easy reason to get out of bed!

5 Months

Little Man Grimbleby is 5 months old! I have to say, I think the last month has seen the most change for him...

Weight: 15 lbs, 1 oz

Length: 26 inches

Accomplishments:
Can put his pacifier in his mouth...when he can find it!
Smiles at & tries to touch the "baby" in the mirror
Grabs at hair, necklaces and glasses
Tries to drink out of our glasses
Moves around to grab a toy
"Found" his legs & kicks them like mad in the bath
Tries to grab the phone..then puts it in his mouth
Knows what his bed means and starts crying when we get close to it!

Connor seems to have himself in a routine now-a-days. He gets up around 8am, takes a nap at 10am, another nap at 3-4pm, then goes to bed at 8pm. He is back to sleeping well at night and only gets up once to feed after about 8 or 9 hours. He is starting to entertain himself a lot more with his toys and will lay there and play with them while I get things done. Also, he looks at books when I read them to him and tries to touch (well, slaps) the pages. He is almost rolling over from his back to his stomach. He usually gets at least halfway there (sometimes more), then gives up and goes back to his back. His hands and whatever are in them are always in his mouth, so slobber is starting to go everywhere. He LOVES being out of the house and looking around at new things.

Its fun to watch my little man grow, but I am already feeling that it is happening way too fast!

Daddy fed him chocolate when Mommy wasn't looking

The kid sleeps like a crazy man...he likes having his face pressed up against the side of the crib & the other night we found him "cuddling" with his bumper

The Contest of Shopping

Many times, shopping is like a contest to me. I figure I can always find something cheaper than the price I initially see. There are many a ways for me to do this:

• Online shopping...google shows you the cheapest places online.
• Online discount codes...practically everyone has them for at least free shipping and 10% off.
• Sales, sales, sale...practically everything goes on sale...with clothes you can get some really good deals this way.
• Buy secondhand...beware though, sometimes things are selling for too close to their original price, so do your research before you buy secondhand.

The joy about shopping is that you don't have to pay a thing to go into stores. That means you can play with the latest gadgets to your heart's content, figure out exactly which one you want, then go shopping for it.

Lately, this is what I have been doing with stuff for Connor's. After my late night diaper inspiration, I began shopping around for cloth diapers for him. I discovered they were going for just as much on ebay as in the stores. This got me thinking, if I bought them in bulk, I would already be saving 10%...so if I used a couple and ended up not liking them, I could resell them on ebay without losing a dime. However, I also found a 10% off coupon and free shipping (I have a HUGE thing against paying for shipping). In the end, I saved about 18% off the retail price per diaper...and things like name brand cloth diapers go for the same price everywhere.

Next up, Connor's highchair. Connor seemed to be getting to the point that he is ready to set up. So first, I cleaned off the table (aka: Ian's desk) and rearranged the living room so we could actually sit at the table. Then, I did a little research and found the highchair I wanted...even the print I wanted. Then I scowered online "stores" (ebay, gumtree...I think that is only a UK thing) until I found one I wanted, in the condition I wanted it, at the price I wanted to pay. I ended up saving 75% off the original price and it looks brand new.


I could go on and on forever about this stuff...but you get the point...never just impulse buy something...not just because you probably won't like what you bought later, but because you can save yourself some mulah!

Wordless Wednesday

How can I resist those eyes?!?

I Love Homosexuals. Does that mean I am going to Hell?

Please note: Even for the sake of this article, I myself cannot use the word "fag". I find it highly offensive. Also, know that I had to take two days to cool off before writing this blog...I was going mental at first and didn't think anyone wanted to read that much of a rant! Now, without further ado...

This weekend while visiting friends we watched a documentary on the BBC called The Most Hated Family in America. It is about the Westboro Baptist Church. Honestly, up until this point in my life, I had never heard of these people. I do recall a while back hearing about people picketing soldiers funerals and thinking to myself, "bastards", but that is all...I didn't realize it was a supposed "church" doing the picketing and I also did not realize the reason for the pickets.

This entire "church's" belief is based around homosexuals. It appears we are all going to hell because we are either homosexuals, homosexual enablers or homosexual lovers. Oh yes, and according to them, God hates homosexuals. These people believe they are the only people going to heaven and if there was another church out there teaching the "truth", they would have heard about it. They believe if you are killed (really thru anything...warfare, car accident, etc.) it means God has struck you down and you went to hell. Honestly, I have never heard anything more absurd or upsetting in my life. While watching this documentry, my insides were churing and I was getting so angry.

After having a couple days to ponder, I have figured out what disturbs me the most about this:

1. They use their children at their pickets. It isn't them teaching their children their beliefs that bothers me (after all, America is a nation with freedom of religion) and it isn't taking their children to the picktes that bothers me either. It is putting highly offensive posters in their childrens hands, posters their children don't even understand, and having them parade them around. I really feel like this shouldn't be allowed. No child should be allowed/subjected to anything of the sort until they themselves understand what they are holding in their hands (i.e.: signs that read "God hates Fags" or "Antichrist Obama"). During the documentry, they ask some of the children (we are talking kids 6 and 7 years old) what the signs mean, they didn't even know.

2. They are disrespectful. America isn't about everyone having the same beliefs. It isn't even about agreeing with each other. But, it is about having respect for other beliefs. And, I think picketing soldiers funerals, soldiers who are protecting you, for no reason other than their hatred of the American flag (yeah, apparently the American flag is super bad) and homosexuals is absolutely absurd and should not be allowed. A funeral is not a place to be disrespectful. Pick any other place, but allow these families to grieve in peace.

3. Their ignorance. I don't know if I have ever seen a more ignorant and self centered group of people. They don't even want to help others or convert them to their religion. They just want to be disrespectful and in people's faces. And, they don't have real reasons for doing this. As soon as they are questioned on anything, they get angry and rude. The reason? They don't actually have answers for why they believe what they believe.

I think the igonrance is the worst part. One of the ladies laughed about the documentary host going to hell. I don't even know how that is funny. And if you believe in heaven and hell, I don't know how you could find that funny in the least bit.

I realize that this church is a dieing church... it is small, it's old crazy leader is frail and people think they are crazy. But still, it is the fact that they are so blatently rude to others that gets to me. I don't know how people have been able to stand what they are doing. It shows there are much "bigger" people out there than me because if these crazies showed up at one of my family members funerals, I would not be keeping my cool.

Oh and the angrier people get at them, the more they think they are doing what is right...go figure! If you have some spare time...and want to get pissed off...it really is interesting checking out these people. Here are some links for your viewing pleasure:

• Westboro Baptist Church website
• Fred Phelps - leader's Wikipedia
  
• You Tube videos of their demonstrations
• Patriot Guard Riders - A group of bikers that tries to block protesters at soldiers funerals

I could go on and on about everything that bothers me, but I won't. I know you don't want to read twenty pages about it. But, I thought you would like to know about these crazies and get just as worked up as I did!

Retail Therapy...of the Baby Kind

Bugaboo Bee...oh how I adore thee...


I don't get it. You (well, me) pop out a kid then all the sudden want/desire all things baby. I would rather buy little clothes for the little man (though clothes for me come in a close second!) and lust after the latest baby gadgets. Weird. Its a whole new world!

And seriously, why do I desire another baby stroller? The one I have is perfectly fine...great even...yet my little heart desires another overpriced stroller. I think someone out there would call that "wacked". I think I need therapy!

A Blast from Pregnancy Past

While cleaning up my computer the other day, I came across this picture.


It made me smile. It may not be a picture to hang on the wall, but it is me...totally and completely me. I laugh. I am not good at being serious in photos. And this one just sums me up...holding my belly, eyes closed, laughing.

Loves it!

Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming

After a week of my "fan base" getting to stare at my "fashion" (jeans and t-shirts), we are back to our regularly scheduled programming. Here is what has been going on in my end of the world lately:

Cloth Diapering:
I decided late one night to switch to cloth diapering. It was something I wanted to do while I was pregnant, but was afraid it would be hard to do with the world's smallest washer at my disposal. But, I decided to go for it. So far, so good...and I love the colorful little bottom it gives Connor!

Vacation:
At the end of the month, we are heading to Europe for 2 weeks...in our car! We are rather excited about this. Neither Ian or I have ever been on a ferry, so that is exciting. And, we will be at Disneyland Paris on my birthday...and I think that's cool! We will be heading south thru France, over into the top of Italy and back home. I think it is going to make some good memories. Oh yeah, and we are camping!

Easter Weekend:
Ian got a 4 day weekend for Easter...over here Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays. It has been nice for us to just hang out and be a family. Also, on Friday, Ian and I headed out on our first date since November. Connor survived the night without us just fine and we did as well. It was great for us to get some alone time together and it really recharged our batteries. I think we will be doing that more often!

Toy Dyson:
I picked up this toy Dyson for Connor at a charity shop the other day. Never mind that it is twice the size of him...I have faith that he will grow! I got it for 50 pence...after some googling, I discovered that new it costs 20 pounds. That means I saved 97.5%!!! Oh, and when I popped new batteries into the thing, I squeeled with delight at the vacuum noises and the little things that pop around in the cleaning cylinder. I LOVE it!


And just for fun...some adorable pictures of Connor. Try not to be jealous that I have the cutest baby EVER:

Spring Fashion Week - Day 7

Aww, we have reached the end. It really has been a fun run watching everyone show off their spring fashion...even if I hardly ever get dressed up! And it was nice meeting new people in the blogging world.

Anyway, the weather was decent today and I was in the mood for a skirt (with pockets of course), so I went for it. And since it is Easter today, the whole family participated in today's photo shoot!


On me:
Sweater: H&M
Skirt: Gap
(I realize you can see my legs and feet, but just imagine...)
Tights: H&M
Boots: Jones Bootmaker

On the husband:
Shirt: Ralph Lauren
Jeans: G Star
Shoes: Converse high tops

And the babes:
Outfit: Mamas & Papas
Shoes: UGGs

Since some of you have noticed I reside in a different country and asked about it, I thought I would give a little background. My husband and I are from California. The opportunity came from his work for us to move to Scotland and we jumped at the opportunity. We thought it would be a great adventure and it has been. We have been over here since the summer of 2007.

And for the nitty-gritty...we moved over on visas, but the husband and Connor now have dual citizenship. I am still on a visa and don't know if I will apply for citizenship or not (strictly due to the costs behind it). We enjoy living over here. We have no idea how much longer we will be here or where our life will take us next. After making a big move like this, it has been extremely freeing and makes us feel much more fluid about life and what happens.

Spring Fashion Week - Day 6

Leaving Connor last night was a success. He happily stayed with our friend's parents and the only hiccup of the night was when the dad sneezed and it freaked Connor out, causing him to cry. Not a shock there, as he does the same thing when Ian sneezes. And, it was very nice for Ian and I to get out for a few hours on our own.

Today, sickness is still around in our house. Little Connor has a temperature and threw up all down Ian this morning...secretly (or now, not so secretly) I was just glad it wasn't me!

So, here is my outfit today:


Scarf: A gift from my mom from her last trip to Cambodia
Shirt: J Crew
Jeans: Citizens
Shoes: UGGs

And a little blurp about me...I am now 7.5 pounds lighter than I was pre-pregnancy. I really don't have an explanation for this as I don't go to the gym anymore (though I do the Wii Fit). I am going to chalk this up to breastfeeding, long walks to keep Connor happy and the general lack of time during the day to feed myself. Apparently the "baby diet" has really worked for me!

And, Mr. Connor...he isn't feeling so hot, so didn't get all dressed up today:


Bear outfit: Carters

Strawberry Beer

I should have known it was too good to be true, but I had to try it.

While Ian was grabbing himself some Sierra Nevada the other day, a pink packaged beer caught my eye. On closer inspection, I discovered it was strawberry beer. Sounded good enough for a try.

So, last night, I sat down for a taste. And, it was not good. It tasted like beer with strawberry sauce in it. Now Jessica, you say...what did you think it was going to taste like? Why thank you for asking...I thought it was going to be something like wine, but made out of strawberries. Sounds good, right? Come to think of it, maybe I should invent strawberry wine! Or, just sit around and drink strawberry juice!

Anyway, here are some photos from my taste test:

Spring Fashion Week - Day 5

With today's forecast being void of "ranow" (rain/snow...I made the word up) and a date night scheduled with the hubby (our first in 4 months!), I decided a special outfit was in order. That means, out with the jeans and in with something cute. Oh, and today and Monday are holidays here in Scotland, so the husband gets them off work...that means that today's pictures are brought to you by him, so you will actually see my face and whole body in one picture!

So, here is me today...notice the top half is spring and the bottom half winter...I don't have any "springish" leggings or boots:


Shirt: J-Crew
Dress: H&M
Leggings: F21
Boots: Jones Bootmaker

Also, I would just like to say that dresses and skirts with pockets in them are about my favorite thing in the world. Such a great invention. I just love pockets. It gives me somewhere to put my hands when I am standing and I don't have to feel awkward. Nuff-said.

And, Mr. Connor's outfit:


Onesie: Small Paul
Jeans: Baby Gap
Snow Boots: Old Navy

Mr. Connor has to get his immunizations today...poor guy. I am sure he will take it like a champ.

Its My Life

Last night while making dinner, I just had to laugh. My life has changed so much in the past few months that I hardly recognize it anymore.

Before:
My life consisted of work, getting home at 10pm and Ian and I eating whatever was in sight and convenient. We tried to eat healthy, but much of the time, didn't have time for it. We were lucky if our house got cleaned on the weekend and the dishes only got done after we ran out of ones to use. Laundry was hit or miss. And, we only got one day a week off together...

Now:
My life consists of Connor and the house. Everyday I make a dinner for us, and plan the week in meals out in advance...that way I don't waste food. I try to pick up the house every evening, as it is nice to wake up in the morning to a clean house. And, I generally try to do a "big" cleaning thing every day...vacuum the house, take out all the garbage, clean the kitchen, etc. Also, I do the dishes everyday. AND, I do laundry everyday...of course the probably has something to do with how much laundry a baby goes thru! Every evening, Ian and I get to hang out/play with Connor, then try to force him to go to sleep. And, we get the whole weekend together.

Such a change. And all this change kind of makes me laugh. Yet, I find it nice at the same time. It is a nice feeling to have my son look around for me whenever someone else is holding him...usually he won't take his eyes off of me. It feels good to be able to sit in a clean house and relax with my husband over a cup of tea (yeah, we have become "cool" like that). I enjoy the thought that this weekend my husband has a 4 day weekend...in our past life we would have never been able to spend that together, as I would have been working. So it is nice...

The slower (well, just different) pace of life is one I could get used to.

Spring Fashion Week - Day 4

Sickness seems to have hit our household. All three of us have colds and sore throats...not fun. That made it pretty much impossible to coax a smile out of the normally smiley Connor this morning. Also, the sun was out for a bit. This, combined with a whiny, sick little boy, resulted in me throwing on whatever I could and running out the door to enjoy the sunshine (don't worry, I didn't leave him at home!). I forgot that it is still freezing out even though the sun was out! Good thing my gloves were in the diaper bag. And, it started snowing on our way home...apparently we timed that perfectly.

My outfit today:



Hat: No tag, but I think H&M
Shirt: Hurley
Jeans: Topshop...the same ones I wore yesterday!
Shoes: Only the best, Converse high tops


And the little man's look:


Shirt: ASDA
Jeans: Old Navy...fleece lined...why don't they make these for adults?!?
Shoes: Courtesy of Uncle Jeremy