Back At It

Since the holidays have come to a close (minus New Years which I don't really count), I have decided to get back to the gym.  I felt it would be a wise idea, seeing as I ate my weight in Sugar Cookies this year.  I know I have mentioned it before, but I  have no will power when it comes to eating just ONE cookie.  What makes matters worse is that my Christmas cookie cutters are extremely large; therefore I would say it is safe to say the following equation would apply 1 of Kathryn's sugar cookies = 3 normal sugar cookies.

I always feel a little guilty after my eating sprees; so I decided a workout with the trainer would help rid me of my guilt and jump start me for the famous New Year's resolution (gym-3x a week).  This of course is one of my many resolutions; should be interesting to see how long it can be upheld.  Workout was extremely intense;  I don't think I will be able to lift the baby tomorrow........my arms are killing me.

Jake and I wanted to take James to the Milwaukee Public Museum today, to see the frog exhibit.  When I researched the ticket prices, I decided it best to wait until Monday (seeing as it is still the holiday and we can get in for $5.50/adult versus the $20.00/adult it would have cost to go today).  We never know how long James will last in the stroller, lately since he has become an extremely mobile little man it is not very long.  Instead of the museum, we ventured out to my home away from home (Barnes &  Noble).  All of the Christmas books were 50% off (and I of course save an extra 10% as a member), so we snagged hardcover copies of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and "The Polar Express."  He will appreciate them next year, even though we read the Grinch tonight.

James is growing and changing at a scary pace, I fear it is only going to be a matter of days before he starts walking.  He is still busy getting into everything, and is very curious.  He started doing, "SO BIG!" which I only felt was appropriate considering he is SO BIG.  Off the charts big for that matter; people are always amazed when I tell them he is only 9 months (he definitely has the build of a toddler).  He becomes better with the sippy cup everyday, and his favorite food is Spaghetti (and CHEESE).  The day he no longer needs the bottle will be both glorious, and sad at the same time.  I feel like I am moving at warp speed.

Looking forward to date night with the hubby tomorrow.....we haven't had much time to just chill out together.  His exam and the holidays really cramped our "together time."  I look forward to some good laughs and probably a few good cocktails, as well.  Better get my beauty rest, so I don't have to load up on under eye brightener for my date......I am sure I will be having my special date with James and a bottle at about 4 a.m.!

Holiday Hangover

I have a holiday hangover, not from drinking too much but from all of the holiday hoopla!  Here is a snapshot of what took place over the weekend:

December 24th:  I had planned on going to Christmas Eve mass at 4:30 p.m.  I prefer Christmas Eve mass to attending Christmas Day, because nobody wants to be hungover on Jesus' Birthday.  In all seriousness, I really like to hang out in pajamas all day after opening gifts.  Not to mention, it is much easier to not have to worry about James' morning nap schedule.  Well, I planned on eating our Christmas Dinner after mass so I decided I better start cooking at about 1 p.m.  On the menu: Smoked Turkey (which was already smoked but needed to sit in the oven for a good hour), Creamed Corn, Green Bean Casserole, Wild Rice and Cornbread Stuffing, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Pumpkin Pie for dessert.  This was my very first time cooking Christmas dinner, and I was a bit frazzled in the process.  I was a bit off in my timing, and started to panic.  Luckily, Mom was here to step in and add her two sense.  This was a good thing for everyone, as I was starting to crack up (picture Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation after Uncle Louis burns down his tree).  In the meantime; everyone had decided that they did not want to go to Christmas Eve mass and would rather go Christmas Day.  Ummmm....Jake, James, and I were already dressed in our Christmas outfits.  If I would have known there would be a change of plans, who knows if I would have even packed a shower into my crazy day.  The dinner ended up being a success, so I enjoyed a glass of Jameson and started to "mellow" out.  We opened gifts (which is also something I like to save for Christmas day), and then everyone tiptoed off to bed.  James loved all of his new gifts, but I have YET to find something that will hold his attention for more then five minutes!

December 25th: We headed to 11 a.m. church; which as I had feared interfered with James' napping schedule.  He did get a solid hour in, but then Jake and I had to gently wake him up so we could make it to mass on time.  We tried a new church, which was recommended to me by a few people.  I was not so fond of the priest at the church we had been attending since we moved to Wauwatosa.  I really liked the priest at this church, I also really liked that it is only 3 blocks away from our house!  We came home from church, ate a big breakfast, and then everyone crashed for an afternoon nap.  It was a very uneventful day, but lovely nonetheless.  We ended the day by grilling up some delicious fillets, and watching the movie Easy A (very true to depiction of high school).

December 26th:  This is when my hangover set in.  I was exhausted and needed to reclaim order within the house, after all of our guests departed.  I could not find the stamina to do it.  I felt as though we had to cram so much activity into so little time, and Jake had the stress of his boards exam so he wasn't really able to get into the holiday spirit at all.

Which brings us to today, I am happy to have a few vacation days to burn yet.  Jake hung out with James all day, and enabled me to take a nap (3 HOURS).  So finally this evening, I started cleaning and doing some laundry after James was tucked in.  I feel like I should be able to enjoy the rest of vacation.

My lessons learned over this holiday season: Don't set unbelievably high expectations for yourself (again this is where you can picture Clark's Griswold Family Christmas), DELEGATE....DELEGATE......DELEGATE, and take time to enjoy the little things.  After all, the holidays are all about celebrating our savior; not about what kind of feast we eat or how many presents we receive.  That is the number ONE thing I want to teach  James; it is a time to reach out to those less fortunate and celebrate Christ.

Hangover......GONE.

Tis The Season

I have taken a much needed break from blogging.  The holidays are a very hectic time, and it was especially hectic for our family this year.  Jake has spent the past two months studying for his part 2 boards exam; it is a miserable 2-day test. He completed the daunting task yesterday afternoon.  So he has a load off his shoulders (and mind); and I have an extra set of hands to help out every now and again! 

We celebrated Christmas with Jake's family last weekend, and it was a great success.  Aside from the fact that I was exhausted from baking, decorating, and cleaning the house without any help whatsoever (Jake was busy with his studying)!  James got to meet Santa, and did NOT need to be pried off of me with the Jaws of Life!  He still does not understand the concept of opening gifts, and the most exciting gifts are the boxes which the toys come in.

James has been teething, and is having a terrible time.  He did not take a nap yesterday; so he was VERY crabby the whole day.  My sister and I decided to brave the mall, and all of the last minute shoppers (crabby baby in tow).  He didn't want to ride in his stroller at all; so the stroller simply served as a giant rolling mound of shopping bags!

Here I sit, the day before Christmas Eve; making my grocery list for Christmas Dinner and admiring our beautiful tree.  I can't help but thank the lord for a year full of blessings; James, good health, great friends, and an amazing family.

What.....I don't get a day to be hungover?!

So, last night we hosted the first Siegert Family Fish Fry!  It included lots of great food, great friends, and many beverages!  We had a splendid time, James was a complete ham (as he always tends to be with a fresh audience).  He showed off his new trick, when I say "No No" to him he shakes his head!  It would be interesting to count how many times I have to say, "No No" in a day.

He had a hard time falling asleep, as he has over the last week.  I tried the cry-it-out method last night, which I HATE to do.  There is no worse sound then hearing your child wail, but I really have no choice.  I can either rock with him all night long, or rock him and lay him in the crib while he is drowsy (which used to work fine but lately he has been wailing at the TOP of his lungs).  He slept right through the night, until 6:45 a.m.  Any normal day of the week, this would have thrilled me but killing two and a half bottles of wine with my girlfriend resulted in a massive hangover.  I brought James into bed with Jake and I, and luckily he was content just to snuggle for an extra half hour.  Shortly after 7 a.m. I had to drag my butt out of bed and start my day.

Moms don't get sick days, and they definitely don't get days to be hungover.  Especially not when they have a husband studying for a boards exam.  I don't have the luxury of tag-teaming it with Jake these days.  My headache was gone quite early, but I was EXHAUSTED all day.  James refused to take an afternoon nap, so I let him lay in bed with me and he finally drifted off for a good hour and a half.  We wore our PJS all day,  James got some fresh ones after his bath but I will probably opt to keep mine on and jump in bed very shortly.  There is always tomorrow for a shower!

Holi-DAZE!

Well, it's the most wonderful time of the year (so they say)!  I have been feeling completely out of sorts, and have not been able to enjoy the anticipation of Christmas.  I was away from home for TWO weeks, so I feel a bit like those Little Tyke toys (the weebles- they wobble but they don't fall down).  I can operate like a machine when my routine is "ON" but it has been hard to get back into my routine with all of the things that needed to be caught-up on at home (i.e. cleaning, laundry, stocking the fridge, bills) and working a full-time job in the process.  I feel defeated at the end of every single day, because I have yet to make it entirely through my to-do list.  I have been a walking zombie over the course of the last week.

To make matters worse, James started round two for teething and it seams to be MUCH worse then the first time.  The screaming at night can get rather intense,and Tylenol is the only thing that helps ease his suffering. So, I have pretty much come to the conclusion that I will NEVER get a good nights sleep until all of his teeth come in (eek- he only has two at the moment)!

I was able to get the tree and various Christmas decorations up, and to my amazement James has NO interest in the tree.  His favorite toys are still the remote and my Blackberry.

My sister and her boyfriend will be staying with us tomorrow night, so I will have a little time to put my feet up because my sister will go into Auntie Overdrive!  I am hoping for an uneventful weekend, so I can mentally gear myself up to host TWO Christmas celebrations at our house.  I don't consider myself to be the best hostess, so I will have plenty of practice to improve over the next few weeks!  I am thinking some Hot Chocolate and the move Elf should get me out of my DAZED state of mind, and kick me into holiday mode!

Busy Little Saturday

Today has been an extremely productive day, I don't think I have gotten this much accomplished on a Saturday in the past EIGHT months!  I have really been missing my guys, so I decided to keep myself very busy today!

I slept in until 9:45 a.m., I cannot even vaguely remember the last time that has happened.  So once I was awake I felt ready to take on my very lengthy to do list!

So here is a snapshot of what I accomplished today:
Bills, Dusting, Vacuuming and mopping the floors, Ordered Christmas gifts for the fam and our Christmas cards, Cleaned the fridge, Did a weeks worth of laundry, Cleaned both bathrooms, Raked the remaining leaves that were scattered on the lawn, Went to Mayfair to purchase a B-day gift for my Mom, Stopped at Walgreen's to get Halloween pictures developed, and Updated James' baby book!  I felt so accomplished that I decided to reward myself with takeout from P.F.Chang's!

Getting all of this finished will enable me to completely relax and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday!

I must finish packing for Canada now, and then it is relaxation time!  I don't fly out until 1 p.m. tomorrow, so I think I shall wake up early to sneak in a workout at the gym!  

The Windy City

I haven't had an opportunity to write lately because life has been beyond busy lately.  I attended the bachelorette party of my dear friend Becky last weekend, in the wonderful city of Minneapolis.  I drove from La Crosse, as I had to drop off James with his Grandma(s).  I saw that there was a chance for snow in that region, but though nothing of it since it had been in the 60s the whole week (logic would tell me that there is no way the snow would stick).  Silly me, it IS November and we are in the MIDWEST!  I drove through the first big blizzard of the year, but anything for a night of celebrating with some of the craziest friends I have!  We took pole dancing lessons, which left me sore and bruised for days to come!  It was a great time with a great group of ladies!  The drive home Sunday........not so great........5 hours in the car..........with a massive hangover........

Sunday evening I had to quickly unpack, and then re-pack for my week in Chicago.  I worked the 2010 Greenbuild show in the Windy City.  I headed into the city on Monday, as I was designated to set-up the booth.  The show was held at McCormick Place, which is an EXTREMELY massive building.  I was less then pleased when I found that the parking lot was closed, forcing me to park 4 blocks away.  I then preceded to haul 3 boxes of marketing materials from my parked car into the convention center, and up the escalators.  I was so happy that I did not hit the gym that morning, as this was proving to be more of a workout then I would ever care to partake in!

The show hours were extremely long, translating into a ton of time on my feet. Seven hours on Tuesday, ten hours on Wednesday, and nine hours on Thursday; upon the completion of the show Thursday my associate and I had to tear the booth down and haul everything out to our vehicles.  Luckily, we both arrived to McCormick Place 2 hours prior to the show starting.  Thus enabling us to get great parking spots, and not having to endure the workout I received while setting up!

Trade shows are tough; your standing for very long periods of time, eating late-night dinners, not working out, and sometimes not sleeping the greatest.  The hotel had a very OLD heating and cooling system, which meant I had no thermostat to control the rooms' temperature. Luckily, one of the windows opened to provide some comfort (but not much- as I woke up in a pool of my own sweat every night- a big feat for someone that is cold ALL THE TIME and usually sleeps in sweatpants)!  I felt like I had run a marathon by the time the show had ended.

I miss James soooooo much, this is the longest I have had to go without seeing him.  He will stay with his Grandmas until I return from my sales meeting.  Yes, I will be leaving on Sunday for our National Sales Meeting in Niagara Falls!

So, I am not looking forward to the empty house tonight or tomorrow (Jake is at Deer Camp).  I intend to keep myself busy, and clean the house from top to bottom as well as get a jump start on making Christmas preparations.  I usually wait until after Thanksgiving to do this; however we are hosting the holidays at our place this year and I have a feeling that decorating, shopping, etc. is not going to be nearly as easy to accomplish with my little man in tow this year.

The countdown to see James is on.........5 days!  I hope he has not forgotten me (tear).

Falling Back

Well falling back an hour on the clocks has not affected us as much as I had originally anticipated.  James actually slept through the night on Saturday, and again on Sunday.  This was a HUGE relief as sleep is going to be very important over the next few weeks because my work schedule is extremely demanding this month.

I have been very busy "babyproofing" the house, and I came to the realization that it would be much easier to stick James in one of those sumo wrestler's costumes and strap a helmet to his head.  Just when I think I have covered every corner, he finds another one to bang his ninety-fifth percentile sized head into!  I think he is going to be quite the little bruiser!

I finally took care of the mane on my head, and it feels wonderful.  My head actually feels about 5 lbs. lighter, I have WAY too much hair.  I just kept waiting for it to fall out, because everyone told me it would once I finished breastfeeding.  I am very happy to have short hair again, my blowout time has gone from 20 minutes to less then 5!!!!  There is still plenty left for James to yank on, so everyone is happy with the new "do."

I was up at 4:45 a.m.and walked out the door at 5:30 this morning, because I drove into Chicago for a training and builder demonstration.  Luckily, I didn't have to fight any traffic but it made for a very long day and I am quite exhausted.  I have to get caught up in the office this week, and get some prep work completed for the upcoming trade show in Chicago.  So.......time for some relaxation tonight.  The laundry and vacuuming just may have to wait until tomorrow night!

Happy November

Whew!  Life has been a whirlwind lately!  It has been a very busy week, work has been very busy, as I have a lot of activity taking place in the next few weeks!  I will be conducting a large demonstration for a very big production builder in Chicago next Monday, so that has consumed a lot of time and preparation.  I am also busy preparing for the upcoming Greenbuild in Chicago that takes place the week before Thanksgiving.  Not to mention I will be in Canada for our National Sales Meeting the week of Thanksgiving, returning home the day prior.  Let's hope there isn't a massive blizzard, and I can make it home to the states!  

Yesterday was James' first Halloween, and we had a great time!  He dressed up as a Lion.....it was only fitting that the King of our hearts......dress up as the King of the Jungle!  Jake carved a pumpkin, with no help from James of course.  He was busy playing with Tupperware on the floor and passing out candy to all of the trick-or-treaters.  We surprisingly had quite a few people, in fact the constant ringing of the doorbell interrupted James' attempts at settling down for a nap!  We went to a Halloween party for babies, they were all so cute!  James was a bit of a crab apple, due to his lack of afternoon napping.  He did take a quick nap in Caroline's crib, and was a little more fun to be around afterwards!

The teething stage continues, and it has been a bit of a challenge.  James has been extremely restless, in fact I returned home to have the sitter report that he only napped for 50 minutes today.  I figured we would have a very tired and crabby baby on our hands, but he was like the energizer bunny up until about 8 p.m.

I am heading straight to bed............hoping for a good nights sleep!

House Cleaning

OK....so I never thought I would say this, but I miss our apartment.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love having the space especially with the growing number of baby toys and a baby that is on the move!  However, I remember the days of saying, "I really need to clean today" and POOF......I could have everything spotless in 45 minutes or less!  Living in a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home, requires a little more elbow grease when it comes to cleaning!  I have to devote at least an entire afternoon to accomplish my weekly DEEP CLEAN, which includes dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing down the bathrooms, mopping the floors, and changing the bed sheets.  Today, I actually went the extra mile and dusted the bedroom blinds and fan blades (and there are FIVE fans in this house)!  Mind you, I have a husband who always says, "Kathryn the house is not going anywhere, why don't you just relax/"  This is a nice thought, but I know (as well as any other woman out there) that when you continue to let things sit.........it ends up being MORE work on a DIFFERENT day!  It is far too hard to find the time to clean during the work week, when I get home from work I am purely in survival mode (dinner for Jake and I, James' dinner, bath time, books, tucking my little man in, and trying to perhaps keep my eyelids open long enough to read ONE chapter of my novel).  I am a stickler for keeping the house clean........so I definitely do not see the beauty in having an extremely large house!  I cannot even imagine having to keep up with anything larger then what I am currently living in!

We were going to venture out to storytime at Barnes today, but James decided to take a 2 1/2 hour nap this morning so we missed out.  We decided to head to the mall anyway, it was too cold and rainy to stroll outside.  When we couldn't find a parking space after 5 minutes, I decided to skip the mall and that we should head over to Super Target.  I needed a few odds and ends for my planned day of baking tomorrow!  I am happy that all of the cleaning is finished, because tomorrow we will be baking all afternoon when we get home from church.

James was VERY crabby tonight, I am not sure if it is because he still is fighting off his little cold or because he has another tooth coming in.  He was utterly exhausted because he did not take an afternoon nap. I usually am able to calm him to sleep when he has his "crabby moments" but that was just not the case tonight.  He had his teething tablets which usually take the edge off, but when those failed to produce any real results I caved and gave him a little dose of Tylenol.  Now all the experts are saying that Tylenol is linked to Asthma......PLEASE!  I do NOT believe in over medicating your child or yourself for that matter; however I know how it feels when you try to let a headache run its course and it simply does not (sometimes you just have to turn to the Ibuprofen).

Jake is out watching a fight with some of his buddies.  I am thinking this night out for him will buy me a morning of sleeping in tomorrow!  So I may take advantage and stay up to watch a chick flick tonight!

My "Mane" Concern

So, as of lately I am completely dissatisfied with my current hairstyle.  It is unruly and not very easy to manage.  I am trying to find a style that will be easy to style before I have to walk out the door for work in the morning; and still enable me enough time to eat breakfast, feed the baby, and unload the dishwasher before the sitter arrives.  My hair is very thick, and naturally wavy so I don't have a lot of options.  Long is nice because you can pull it back, which is great for work and for after hours when I return home to a baby that LOVES to pull hair.  However, if I ever want to wear it down I have to wrestle with the flatiron.  I guess short could be nice, but unless you are rocking a pixie cut (which I could NEVER pull off) you still have to spend time blow drying and styling.  I am completely open to suggestions on this one!  I need to get this mop on my head taken care of sooner rather then later.

James has a very nasty cold, which has really affected his sleeping.  Which of course in turn, really affects my sleeping.  The humidifier is running 24/7, the crib mattress is elevated to prevent an ear infection, and he has been getting plenty of fluids, so hopefully he can get a good night's rest (for my sake as well).  He is starting to crawl, slowly but surely.  We definitely have a mobile human being on our hands; as he loves to do the army crawl (more then he likes to crawl on his hands and knees-because he is still figuring out how to keep balanced) and he has no problem getting from point A to point B.  It is especially easy for him since the floors are all hardwood, so he SLIDES right across. His tooth is FINALLY poking through, he is becoming a little man (tear).

I am utterly exhausted and going to bed.......here's hoping we can make it until our 4 a.m. feeding!

New Week.....New Attitude

It is weird how Monday mornings give me a fresh perspective on life.  I always take a moment to reflect on the previous weeks activities and think about how I am going to tackle the week ahead.  In looking back to last week, I was a wreck emotionally (can we say PMS)?!  The weird part about that is that I wasn't PMSing..........so what can I blame my bad attitude on then?

For starters, I was traveling in Iowa all week.  Driving through Iowa is very BORING, and there are not many fun places to stop along the way (aside from Iowa City).  I forgot my book on tape, so the trip started very badly (how much talk radio can one person listen to)?  I love when I get the opportunity to work in Chicago or Minneapolis, because I have lots of girlfriends to meet up with after my work day comes to an end.  So let's see.........Long and Boring Drive + Missing My Boys + No Girlfriends to do Happy Hour with = One Sad Kathryn!  I also did not work out all week, which lately has become a major outlet for me.  When I returned home on Thursday night; my Mom had dinner made, the baby bathed, all of the laundry finished and folded, and the house very clean.  One would think this would lead to feelings of bliss, unfortunately I felt very indifferent.  I was so GRATEFUL that James was able to spend the week with his Grandma, and that I didn't walk into a disaster of a house when I got home but I was overly tired from all the travel.  I started to unravel on Friday afternoon when my Mom was getting ready to leave.  I still had to unpack my suitcase, and the floor needed to be mopped (and James decided to take a 2 1/2 hour nap which gave me the time to do it).  Instead I had a hard time peeling myself off the couch, and I decided that the only thing to help improve my attitude would be finishing off the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the Halloween candy bowl.  So at this point I was left with a bad attitude, AND a bad stomach ache.  I decided that there would be no cooking, so we went to Panera for dinner (which was where I ate Tuesday AND Wednesday night in Ames).

Sunday rolled around, and with it came a new and improved Kathryn.  Now, I normally consider Sunday as being the "day of rest."  I REFUSE to do any sort of cleaning or household chores (other then laundry); however I decided that cleaning the house may help clean up my attitude.  James went down for a morning nap at the time we usually would be getting ready to head to church, so we let him sleep (we are probably going to become Saturday afternoon church-goers if this napping schedule continues).  I vacuumed, dusted, mopped, and cleaned the bathrooms; in addition to completing all of our laundry!  I didn't stop there, I mapped out our meals for the week  and made my grocery list (which I need to continue to do, as it really does save $$).  I cannot believe how much I have trimmed down our weekly grocery bill.  When I returned from the grocery store, I went through and paid all of our bills!  James and I even managed to squeeze in a walk!

James is still not mobile, he is getting really good at getting his knees under him but he just rocks back and forth on all fours until he plops over.  I can tell he is really thinking about making a move, and I am hoping he decides to do it when I am with him.  He has also started to say, "BA" a lot.  I am thinking he may follow in Dad's footsteps and his first word may be, "ball."  Of course, he does love to eat so I don't think it to be outside the realm of possibility for him to say, "bottle."  His two bottom teeth are just starting to poke out, so I am looking forward to not having the added work of pureeing his food anymore!

So, I sit here today feeling very happy to have a fresh start to the week.  I always have to count my many blessings: I have a wonderful husband, a happy baby boy, and of course my health (which too many people take for granted).  I WILL get to the gym at least 4 times this week, I WILL cook dinner every night this week, and I WILL finally get around to doing some cutout cookies with James.  I will do the baking while he is napping, and he can help me with the decorating!  I WILL make this week a good one.....I hope everyone else out there will too!  I will no longer let the MUNdays get me down......because they are really quite refreshing!

Inhale....Exhale.....

This is what I found myself doing on the couch tonight at about 8 p.m.  I really think this long work week of travel just took everything out of me.  I barely had the stamina to make it through the day.

This afternoon we ventured out to the mall to find Jake a new pair of school shoes, Marquette has the wackiest rules.  Who wears white shoes in the winter.......in WISCONSIN?!  We also made a pit stop off to Barnes & Noble (of course), while Grandma was here with James this week she purchased him a Jack in the Box!  Now, this box was actually stuffed with a little dog whose name just happened to be "Jack."  Very cute toy in theory but I was only amused for a short while, seeing as James cannot crank the handle himself.  Now I must say that I am a HUGE fan of the new toy section in Barnes, but some of the toys are completely overpriced!  This dog in the box cost $28.00, I couldn't believe it!  Needless to say, we decided to exchange the dog and we found a darling little "Sleep Sheep" that makes lovely noises (mother's heartbeat, rain, ocean, and whale noises).  Aside from the whale's calls, I find all of the sounds to be delightful.  I may have to "borrow" the sheep tonight and test it out for my little man. 

After the mall, we headed to Target in search of a Rake.  I decided to make a short list of additional items I needed ,so I could avoid my usual Thursday afternoon Target run.  Well, I was able to find everything on my list (except for the rake).  After the failed trip to Target, I was hoping to get an afternoon nap in but James had other plans for me (he was wide awake and ready to play).  I decided that I would make Shepard's Pie for dinner, but I could not muster up the energy to peel the potatoes.  Luckily, the hubbs stepped in and managed the potatoes for me (and the vegetables, and the turkey) and he instructed me to hop into bed for a nap.  James chowed down his dinner, but after dinner he became VERY cranky (even at bath time).  So, this brings us full circle to 8 p.m., when he went down to sleep.  I had to scan HBO on Demand in search of a good flick to help me chill for a bit, I settled on "Love Happens."  It is a Jennifer Aniston film, cute but a little depressing so needless to say I didn't feel like doing anything after.

Really today was one of those days where I had very high expectations for what I had to complete (i.e. bills, house cleaning, etc.), and I feel as though I accomplished none of it.  Oh well.....there is always tomorrow.

GOOD NIGHT!

Lonely In Iowa

I must say that I am very pleased with my productive work day.  Three architectural sales calls in Des Moines, and a lunch presentation for my distributor in Ames.  However, seeing as I am so used to cramming so much activity into so LITTLE time, I didn't know what to do with all of my free time this evening.

For starters, I decided dinner at Panera would be nice (because it is FINALLY soup season)!!!  Since I have become accustomed to NEVER eating alone, I had a hard time enjoying my meal (although I am never truly alone since I bring a book with me EVERYWHERE).  To make matters worse, there were two darling babies (looked to be about James' age but they could be older since James is an abnormally large baby) that sat at the two tables surrounding me.  All of their gummy grins were enough to melt my heart, and bring me close to tears.  I immediately booked it out of there, but was not quite ready to return to my lonely hotel room.  Since T.J. Maxx was right next to Panera, I decided to venture over.  This was a horrible idea!  Me shopping while in a sad and lonely state is a recipe for disaster.  I managed to escape with minimal damage, I made a very practical purchase of some new flats (perfect for chasing James)!  The night was still young, so I ventured across the street to Starbucks.  I spent about 10 minutes debating weather or not I should splurge and get a Pumpkin Spice Latte or a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce; my sadness at Panera caused a carb overload so I wasn't really looking to do any more damage BUT I went with the Pumpkin Spice.  I will hit the hotel gym tomorrow morning, maybe it will give me some added energy for my six hour journey home!

I received e-mails from two of the customers at my presentation this afternoon, both  praising how fantastic the presentation was and expressing their excitement to expand into our other product lines!  Tomorrow, I am looking forward to my lunch meeting with a very large local stone distributor.  So all in all, it has been a very successful trip........but lonely nonetheless.

Work Trip

It was hard for me to blog at all over the weekend, as I was enjoying the company of my hubbs at the Pfister Hotel.  We hadn't had a night out together in quite some time.  We had a great time out, filling ourselves with some of the best fish I have ever eaten in Milwaukee (at one of the most unlikely places).  We went to Victor's (AKA Victim's), yes it is a very classy establishment.  I must say it was one of the most diverse crowds I have ever seen.  We sat and watched this cute elderly couple (roughly in their 60's) waltz out on the dance floor to Lady Gaga and Beyonce; meanwhile the same dance floor was stage to a couple that looked as though they were pulling moves straight out of "Flashdace."   The night was a success, and we had the hangovers to prove it!  Our bodies are simply not accustomed to that kind of weekend fun anymore!

I sit here this evening in Ankeny, IA. at the Hampton Inn and Suites.  It is a six hour drive from Wauwatosa, so I had plenty of time to think about how much I wanted to be home playing with James!  I have plenty of work to do here; calling on architects, lunch meetings, and a big presentation for one of my distributors.  I am working on my TO DO list for the next two days, so I can avoid having to make the trek back to the corn fields until next year!  All I know is James is VERY close to crawling, and I am pretty sure I will have a nervous breakdown if anyone calls me to say I missed his transition into becoming a mobile human being! 

There is not much to do here in Iowa after my work day ends.....so I will work on catching up on sleep and digging into my new novel!  Work trips no longer have the same appeal, as I end up having a lot of work to do upon my return home (i.e. unpacking, loads of laundry, and any house cleaning duties that may have been neglected during my absence).  Not to mention, I miss my guys!  Luckily, my Mom is home with the boys so I am sure she will keep things in order!

Lunch Time Sweat Session

Today, I decided to use my lunch hour to hit the weights.  I LOVE going to the gym at this hour.....you don't get all of the people coming fresh from work OR the crazy workout obsessed mommy's that decide to show off their six packs in the early morning hours (you couldn't pay me ridiculous amounts of money to show up in yoga pants and a sports bra-especially not in the morning when I am packing a gut full of coffee)!  I make some pretty ugly faces when I workout, similar to the ugly crying face that some people experience in moments of extreme grief.  Therefore, I am much more comfortable working out when there are not many people present to see me make my ugly faces.  The other advantage of working out at this hour is using your post-workout energy surge to be extremely productive.  I worked a few solid hours in the office, and cleaned the basement for our weekend guests.

James had a fantastic day with his babysitter, as always!  I think he enjoys looking at a face other then mine every once and a while!  I came home to find all kinds of art displayed on the refrigerator!

The weekend is so close I can taste it.........literally........I am practically salivating at the thought of going to the fish fry with our newly engaged friends tomorrow night!

James will be spending the weekend with his Auntie Winnie so Mommy and Daddy can rekindle their romance!  Seriously........get your minds out of the gutter people.......but who are we kidding.....right?!

Pantry Raid.....

Well, I know that the holiday season is upon us.  I always seem to kick things into overdrive around Halloween.  I just spent the evening organizing my pantry......why you may ask?!  Well to organize all of my baking supplies, of course!  I know....I am a complete freak of nature.  In doing so, I realized that I need to purchase some Halloween cookie cutters!  I am definitely going to stop by the specialty baking store in Cedarburg this weekend!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE to bake, and I love it even more when the weather starts to change!  I really look forward to baking and decorating cookies with James!  I don't think he is old enough to truly appreciate it, but we may have to do some "early" baking lessons!  Now the real problem with my obsession with baking, is what it does to my mid-section.  Unfortunately, I do not have the willpower to stop after just one cookie (most days I don't have the willpower to stop after THREE)!  I really need to watch it this year, I cannot have gone through all the pain and suffering for nothing (my workouts with the trainer continue to kick my booty).

I attacked the candy bowl tonight, which I just stocked for the SECOND time this month!  So, I am chalking this one up to bad behavior but tomorrow is a new day!

The Great Facebook "Cleanup"

Well, Jake tells me that I need to start "cleaning" up my facebook account (i.e. getting rid of the partying pictures of our college days)!  I started working on this task tonight, and it has been such a blast from the past!  I must say that I had some great times, with some awesome ladies.  It took me almost a whole hour to sort through all the pictures.  I deemed the photos appropriate if I wouldn't have a problem with my children seeing them someday!

Looking back, I cannot believe how different my life is today.  Instead of being out at the bar at 2 a.m........I am waking up for feedings and diaper changes!  I honestly believe this is one of the advantages of having children when you are young.  The body is very used to being sleep deprived!  The only thing that makes it difficult is throwing work into the mix........you could take a nap in lecture hall.........but not during the work day!  That being said.....I would not change a SINGLE thing in my life right now!

It's Saturday?!

I just finished paying bills (not the most fun task for a Saturday morning), but somebody has to do it and my boys are still sleeping.  As I sit in the office sipping coffee, I find myself wondering where the week went?!  I am so amazed at how quickly time flies now that I have a child.  As kids, we never believe our parents when they say, "enjoy it, because it goes fast."  However, I can say with absolute certainty that this statement is so very true.  So many days just feel like a blur, I wake up with the baby at 6 a.m. and we are off and running.  It seams as though sometimes I am just flying from one task to the next; never truly getting a chance to sit back and enjoy the simple joys of everyday life.  I envy women who don't have to work, as they don't miss out on rare and special moments with their children ( I am sure the argument could be made- that SAHMs have these same feelings about WMs- and some may feel as though they don't get enough adult interaction). 

I once heard the saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side, but you don't know what sh** they have to fertilize their lawn."  Which I interpreted as meaning: everyone thinks there may be someone out there who has it better, but they have their fair share of  sh** to deal with.  So in short, I love these quiet moments when I can sit and reflect on my many blessings (because it reminds me of what I am working for)!

Enough of this seriousness, I hear my sweet Baby James waking up so I must go and enjoy my day with him!  Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Birthday Bliss

Yesterday was my 26th birthday, it is hard to believe that one year ago I was receiving stretch-mark oil as a birthday gift!  I have been so busy being a mommy, wife, sales rep, and housekeeper that I have had very little time to take care of myself.  I know this is the story with most mothers out there (working or not).  So, I took a day for myself (you could almost call it a mental health day).

After our babysitter arrived, I headed straight back to bed for a luxurious 3 hour nap.  After feeling quite rested, I splurged on a facial and mani/pedi!  I would normally not feel O.K. with shelling out the cash for these activities, but I couldn't even remember the last time I had spent money on anything other then things for my sweet Baby James.  Something truly amazing happened at the nail salon, I had a man do my mani/pedi and he didn't talk to me ONCE (except to tell me how much I owed him at the end).  This may sound rude, but I HATE carrying on a conversation when I am just trying to relax.  Not that I don't love discussing the weather, etc. with complete strangers but I do it on a daily basis for my job.  I spent the remainder of the afternoon at Barnes and Noble, sipping a pumpkin spice latte and diving into a new novel!  Jake and I ordered P.F. Chang's takeout for dinner, and he surprised me with picking up Cheesecake for dessert!  The night ended with laughing our heads off to another great episode of Modern Family, and climbing into bed at 9:30!

I am back at it today, and feel as though I am going to be able to do all of my jobs that much better because of taking a little bit of time for myself.  I am looking forward to embracing another year of life!  Much love too all  my wonderful friends and family that sent birthday wishes my way!

One Sore Mama....

In an effort to get back into pre-pregnancy form, I joined the Wisconsin Athletic Club.  I felt it would be the perfect option, as it is only two blocks from our house (no excuses not to go)!  With my membership, I get two free personal training sessions.  I decided to take advantage, there is no time like the present to start whipping myself back into pre-pregnancy form.  Breastfeeding for the first 8 weeks of James' life definitely served a great purpose, I lost all 32 lbs. gained during my pregnancy (not hard to do when you have a 10 lb. baby that wants to eat ALL THE TIME)!  Not to mention, James was able to get all the health benefits of the breast milk!  So.....while I was able to fit back into all of my pre-pregnancy clothes, I was feeling a little "loose" in the mid-section and let's just say I have definitely been packing some extra junk in my trunk!

I spent only a half an hour with Jill (my trainer) on Sunday.  She whooped my booTAY!  I went to do my grocery shopping right after my session, and I could barely walk.  To make matters worse, the grocery store thought it would throw a little cruel and unusual punishment my way- the WHOLE store was rearranged (minus the meat/seafood/produce departments).  It normally takes me abt 30 min. to whip through the store (the advantages of being so anal retentive with my grocery list- and writing it out in the layout of the store).....sadly I was here almost an hour.........and could barely walk.

As I had anticipated, yesterday the pain was even worse.  I could barely bend down to pick up James without crying out in agony (doesn't help matters that he is a whopping 21 lbs.)!  Hopefully, I can stick to doing this routine 3x a week and will see some results quickly (bye bye muffin top).  I have already seen an upswing in my energy levels, so I have that as an added bonus!

Luckily, James went to sleep early last night and I enjoyed an evening of relaxation (they are very rare).  I watched Dancing With The Stars (the DVR'd version- which means only about 30 min. since I just watch the dancing)- I must say that I LOVE the cast this season!  I also was able to give myself a quick mani/pedi. with my new polish!  This polish is a life changer (I had to try it because I read about it in my latest In Style Magazine)- Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure.  It is EVERYTHING in one step: nail strengthener, base coat, color, and top coat.  It makes your life that much easier- and I am happy to report that I have no chips yet (which says something seeing as my hands are so abused everyday)!

I Heart Fall

I am so happy that fall is (unofficially) here.  I love nothing more then waking up and feeling the crisp autumn air, the pleasure of sipping a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, big comfy sweaters, and of course the beautiful changing leaves!

Although we had a somewhat hellish week, today was absolutely fabulous.  Jake, James, and I spent the afternoon at the Cedarburg Pumpkin patch!  James was able to pick out his very first pumpkin!

When we got home, the hubby took over and I was able to take a nap.  I don't know if nap is really what you would call it, I was essentially in a semi-coma.  I snuggled into bed and woke up 2 1/2 hours later with a steady stream of drool running down my face and arm!  After my nap I felt completely refreshed, and I did something COMPLETELY out of character.  I have a tendency to get ambitious "spurts" and I would consider this afternoon one of them.  I actually mapped out a menu for the entire week and proceeded to make my grocery list for tomorrow's shopping excursion.

Hopefully this great energy will carry over into tomorrow's personal training session! 

Hump Day!

I must take a moment and breathe a sigh of relief, I made it to hump day!  Get your mind out of the gutters people.....I am much too tired for that.  It has been a long week so far, and I cannot describe my feelings of elation for the weekend that is in sight.

I was in with James for his 6 month physical exam yesterday; where they of course gave him all of his vaccinations.  He was a happy little guy yesterday afternoon and evening, but as bedtime approached it was as though some whiny child entered the body of my sweet little boy.  I cannot begin to describe what a nightmare the rest of the night was.  I was up with him at 10:30 p.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 a.m., 3:30 a.m., and 4:45 a.m.  Needless to say, a whole pot of coffee didn't slice it this morning.  I was about ready to eat the coffee grounds straight out of the canister when my mother called at 9:00 a.m.  We had a lovely conversation about how hard it is to be a working Mom, etc.  She talked me out of my little pity party, and pointed out that there are many people that share my struggles.  To all the Moms out there that work a 9-5 job, and have to go into an office, hospital, etc.  My hat goes off to you, I truly don't know how any of you do it.  I have the luxury of working a very flexible schedule (i.e. working from my home office some days).  It goes without saying that I chose to work in PJs today.

It wouldn't be so bad if I had a husband that actually WOKE UP when he heard the baby crying.  He is either a blessedly sound sleeper, or a very good actor.  I can't say that I haven't had the urge to smother him with a pillow some nights; simply out of jealousy.  I sometimes long for the days of restful nights, but some of my favorite times are when I get up with James in the middle of the night.  I will just enjoy it while he still needs me; as he started using a sippy cup and I know our days of bottle feeding are numbered.

I am really looking forward to the weekend, I plan to put up my Halloween decorations.  I think Halloween is more fun to decorate for then Christmas.  Jake and I are taking James to pick out his first pumpkin, and shop for Halloween costumes!  I also intend to catch up on some much needed sleep, and have my first personal training session scheduled at the gym (that should be very interesting).

Welcome to my world!

So this is my first official "go" at becoming a blogger.  I wasn't sure what it was all about, but I have really appreciated some of the mommy blogs I began following after having my son.  I feel it is extremely important for women to be open and honest about the day-to-day challenges of being a mother, wife, employee, etc.

I am a 25 year old working mother; my son James just turned 6 months old last Wednesday.  I have a husband that is completing Dental School at Marquette University, and I am the Midwest Territory Sales Manager for a company that manufactures building materials.  My job requires travel on a monthly basis; as I manage four states.  So needless to say, there is never a dull moment in our day-to-day lives.

I must wrap this up for now, as I have a very big "To Do" list for the day which includes office work, house cleaning, laundry, bills, and making baby food!  Just another day.......