The Day I Woke Up From a Nap & Thought I Was a Hipster..

You know that moment when you log onto facebook or your phone lights up and you are notified with a notification that that ONE friend (you all know what friend I am talking about! We all have one..) has tagged you in 3418370498527458713894 pictures?? That moment when your stomach drops and you feel scared/nervous/excited all at the same time for what is plastered all over the internet?! Yeah, that happened last night while the hubs and I were watching Footloose (judge if you must but John was happier than a 14 year old girl). I assessed the damage, and it wasn't THAT bad. Basically it just means that it's time to share the weekend with my internet world. 

When we arrived on Friday we immediately headed to an MSU bar to watch the basketball game. I'm a big lame-o and wanted to make sure I had maximum drinking abilities in the morning so I only had 2 drinks - husband on the other hand went a little cray..

my pretty lady frands

Mad EGG addiction.

St. Patrick's Day morning we woke up and began our drinking at the early hour of 9am. I am an awful picture taker when out so pictures did not begin until WELL into the drinking. I'm going to preface this by saying that I didn't really bother with the whole "cute" aspect of this holiday this year. As in I didn't do my hair.. I'm over it.

the first of way too many of these.

husby love

cute and functional accessories..

Then pictures like these started happening and apparently it was time to eat some Subway and take a nap..

You might think that based off of those last few pictures that perhaps it was time to retire? Oh no, false! We napped for a few hours then rallied and headed to the bar again at MIDNIGHT. At this point I have no idea who I am. Perhaps this is why I decided to dress like a hipster (when for real I just needed to change my dirty smelly clothes and my contacts dried out and died in my eyes.. it was an accident I swear!)

Taxicab confusion - "wait, I'm a hipster? How do hipsters act?!"

I'm not angst-y enough to be a hipster! I enjoy Irish step dancing too much!

Then John got his way and we all went to a karaoke bar where he preceded to sing songs like "Mack the Knife " (his go-to) and "Remix to Ignition"

priceless.

Then this happened..

Our address in college and mad love for Brit

Pure brilliance.

We shut this bar down with an encore drunken MSU fight song. All-in-all the weekend was fantastic and full of wonderful memories (many of which I will actually remember!) I am happy to say that I can still kick it like a college kid even after becoming a wife and mother. 

Now that we have this out of the way we can go back to mom group fails and cute pictures of my baby. Happiness and joy for all, because partying is WAY more exhausting than parenting.

**all pictures of the MSU bar & post nap are courtesy of my shutterbug lover Morgan

I'm Alive & My iPhone is Too!

Yes, we are home (finally) and alive. We had an absolute BLAST and could not have had a better time visiting with friends and turning Chicago into our own personal East Lansing. John and I even made it into (and out of) the city without having a total meltdown GPS fight (Go Team Marriage!) 

I do not yet have pictures and full weekend recaps ready, but at some point this week the Chicago run down will take place. For now what needs to be known is that I drank WAY too many Irish car bombs and definitely took silly face pictures in my cute green outfit.

Bubba seemed to have a wonderful time at Grandma & Papa's and I was sent many picture updates throughout the weekend that made me want to cry into my green beer because they were so cute.

After not passing out going to sleep until 4:30am on Sunday (which is actually 5:30am to John & I) I woke up at 7:30am and freaked out about NEEDING to see my child and poked John until he (grumpily) complied and we got on the road at 9am. I was CONVINCED that Jack didn't know who I was/was scared of my Johnny Cash rasp voice (seriously, I sound like a smoker of 10 packs a day). He also looked 8 years older and I felt as though I had missed his whole life (All very dramatic). 

Today was deemed a pajama day. Despite the gorgeous July-like weather outside, I spent the day snuggling and getting in some extra love with Da Bubbs. 

I also made puff pancakes for Brunch

I used whole wheat flour and almond milk instead of reg. flour & reg. milk. I also added a dash of Vanilla Extract and topped it homemade vanilla peach preserves. YUM.

Bubba is now a lighting fast speedy ninja baby that can army crawl everywhere! I wasn't exactly fully functioning today so when snuggles and play time weren't happening I made the questionable decision to set up his pack'n'play in the living room and load it up with toys. I cannot even begin to discuss the SQUEALS of delight that this scenario created. It's fine, he likes this better than playing with me, I GUESS I can try to not be offended...

Jack also took a GIANT afternoon nap. This is new and AMAZING. He was also sleeping on his stomach (VERY new).. I just don't even know this little boy anymore! Looks like I cannot go on any "Bubba Free" vacations for a while, I miss too much!

I hope everyone's weekends were as wonderful as ours was :)

St. Patrick's Day Post

As you read this I am well on my way to Chicago

I've probably already cried 100 million tears after leaving this sweet dirty face for the first time for more than 12 hours..

I've also probably gotten at least 10 lectures already about not getting drunk and crying because I miss my baby/obsessively talking about my baby/showing pictures of my baby to anyone and everyone who will listen. These things are frowned upon by my husband.

I think that I have mentioned before that I am very Irish.. pretty much purebred 100% Irish to be exact. Therefore, St. Patty's Day has always been celebrated extra special in my life. When I was younger a leprechaun would leave green milk on our front porch. Yes, this is real. This same leprechaun will leave green milk for Jack and any and all siblings he may have in the future. My siblings and I would also receive gifts. Not like Christmas or Birthday gifts, but fun little presents that continued into adulthood..  I am told by other people that this is not a normal St. Patrick's Day tradition. My dad would walk around talking with an Irish accent all day and it all made for pretty wonderful childhood memories.

Then I went to college. I don't know if it is because MSU is a school that highly celebrates the abuse of alcohol, or if it is because our school worships the color green, but St. Patrick's Day is pretty much on the books as the BEST college holiday that there is in the town called East Lansing. The heavens always seem to shine down with the most unseasonably warm weather and whether it is a Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday.. anyone and everyone will begin their day bright and early with a shot or a beer or both. No worries if you have class. you either skip it or go drunk. Priorities. 

I fully participated in these shenanigans throughout college - and usually treated it like a three day celebration with frat parties and whatnot on St. Patty's eve. 

Basically you put on something green and get all pretty 

2009

2010

*Butterflies indicated pretty friends who I am too lazy to ask permission to put on the internet..

Then drink until you make embarrassing faces in pictures.

Well senior year ended up a little different than I had planned. Pretty much my roommates and I were all about senior year, it's the end of the best time of our lives, and we will go out with a bang and make everything the greatest ever and most fun ever even if it means going out every night and we all talk like Johnny Cash. Well this is all great. Until someone ends up pregnant (Yes, that's me!)

So for St. Patrick's Day everyone is all freaking out with happiness and joy, with their cute St. Patrick's Day outfits and their 8:30am shots and beers and I am pregnant, riddled with migraine's, and miserably sober. The weather was perfect, everyone everywhere was drunk and jolly. I had the worst headache of my life and just wanted to sleep the day away. Unfortunately the frat house kitty corner from my bedroom window felt it was necessary to blare rap music from concert quality speakers for the entirety of the day. I pretty much cried the whole day and hated my life. The only plus was that I actually went to class and earned some extra credit for being one of five people in class... such a nerd. 

I feel as though this Chicago trip is making up for the senior year St. Patty's that I never had. I will be blaring that "Young and Wild and Free" rap song that I hear on the radio all the time and sing even though it no longer applies to my life in any way, shape, or form. I have already mourned the fact that I won't see Bubba in his cute St. Patrick's Day outfit and that I won't be with him at his first parade. I think that a Guiness or 5 will most likely ease my pain. 

I am so excited to be reunited with friends and have a fun weekend with my husband. I am grateful to have parents that support our need to still act "young" and wild, and free (okay maybe they don't support those last two). Mostly I just hope to make it back alive and cannot wait to share lots and lots of stories! Pray for the safety of my iPhone, please!

In case you don't know what song I am talking about.. and I had to search an edited version because I had NO IDEA there were so many bad words/weed references..  

Wednesday Randoms

Last night this little family went for a walk! It was really nice. Despite the impression you may get from the looks on my boys' faces in this picture.

We walked downtown, poked around a couple shops, then walked all the way around the dam and beyond! It was a wonderful walk.. the first time around. 

I bought Jack new shoes yesterday, among other things. I really like these new shoes (They are from Old Navy.. my new favorite place to shop for baby clothes - they are reasonably priced and cuter than Carters)

Cute, right?!

Well this darling child of mine likes to kick his shoes OFF. Unfortunately we didn't realize he was missing a shoe until we got back home. I quickly turned right back around, claiming to John that I was going to retrace our steps! I thought that it must have JUST fallen off. WRONG. It was all the way back where we turned around. 

A nice stranger put it on a park bench. Apparently Jack felt I needed a little extra work out. Oh well.

Today I took advantage of Jack's three hour morning nap and made lots of baby food. Including my latest endeavor, sweet potato french fries. 

I used a mandolin to slice the sweet potato.. in hindsight I should have peeled it first but I quickly/easily did it after the fact with a potato peeler

I cut the slices in half and baked them for 25 min at 350 degrees 

They came out firm enough to hold but soft enough that Jack can gum them without choking.

I think it's safe to say that he likes them

It was a gorgeous morning/early afternoon here (now it's cloudy/windy). Once Jack was up from his morning nap we moved all of his toys and a blanket onto our back deck and he played while I FINALLY finished my St. Patrick's Day craft. 

Bubba was pretty perplexed about being outside, but I think he liked it! What he didn't like was the sunscreen. I'm just trying to protect that pretty Irish skin :) 

Here's the ::almost:: finished product. John just needs to drill a hole in the top so that it can hang on the sign/flag post we have in our front yard. I didn't take step-by-step photos because I really just wanted to get this done. The minute I started painting the letters I was reminded of making a paddle during my pledge term for my sorority big sis. I hated that craft and I hated this craft. Basically I bought a plain wooden square/wooden letters/wooden shapes, painted them with acrylic paint, gave everything a coat of polyurethane, and hot glued it all in place. It turned out pretty but I will not be making another project like this (at least not in the near future!)

I'll leave you with a little clip of Da Bubba in his bounceroo.. he loves this thing, probably more than he loves most anything else. He screams (as you can hear) with delight, chews on everything he can get his hands on, smiles, and jumps (the adult version of this thing would sell millions, hello comfy cardio!). I'm also dying over his hilarious hair lately. It's soft and feathery but sticks straight out of his head. John wants to take him for a haircut but I sort of love it and think it has character.. 

Untitled from Kay M. on Vimeo.

A Case of the "Post Shot" Crankies & Kitchen Love

Okay, so I know that they warn you that after your baby gets shots they could be cranky for the next 24 hours. My usually sweet and happy baby boy has been turned into a screaming, crying, slobbering mess :( He won't let me hold him or snuggle him, he doesn't want to jump, and he doesn't want to play. When I try to comfort him he wants to move, when I try to put him down he still isn't happy. He still looks so cute when he's mad. I couldn't help but snap just a few pictures (NO, I wasn't neglecting him, I was sitting right by him rubbing his back and hair, giving him kisses, reading him stories, singing him songs.. anything and everything right??) 

perhaps could he be calming down?!

mmm no such luck.

My poor bubba :(

Unfortunately, this whole fussy business has kind of put a damper on my day of productivity. I did manage to clean my floors (sweep, vacuum, & mop) and scrub up the kitchen. Have I mentioned how much I am loving my kitchen lately? Sure it has it's flaws - it's not my ::dream:: kitchen by ANY means. But i have found ways to make it work for me :) It's all about the little personal touches. Even though it's not March yet, I couldn't resist getting out just a few St. Patrick's Day decorations - I am a purebred Irish girl after all!

My fun ::DECORATIVE:: dish towels (John will most likely try to use these, sigh..)

I love displaying anything and everything on our fridge. I think it distracts from the outdated white, no? So anything from Christmas cards to save the dates, sweet notes from my husband, or weekly/daily "to-do's"! 

I found a really great FREE printable for daily cleaning tasks. I slipped it into a clear sheet saver and use dry erase marker to mark off/write in daily chores. I also put stickies on my fridge reminding me of tasks that need to get done at some point during the week. 

ALSO: We are starting baby signs with Mr. Jack! I was a research assistant in a child development lab in college that extensively studied the many benefits of baby signs in language development.

So even though it will be a while before Jack starts doing these signs too, I put up a little chart of simple signs for John and I to start doing with him :) I am SO excited, and cannot wait for him to start signing back!

And I am still IN LOVE with the shelves John put in. I am basically just in love with this whole side of the kitchen! Wedding gifts are just pretty much the best thing ever..

After a short nap and a bottle this little one's mood greatly improved. He really enjoyed flipping through the new J.C. Penny catalog (there was actually some cute stuff.. I was surprised!) I'm hoping he goes down no problem tonight and wakes up back to his old self! 

Tomorrow I REALLY want to get to a special craft I have cooked up for this month (nothing fancy.. baby steps people!) And hopefully ((maybe??)) I will be motivated to get some laundry done.. it's really starting to pile up down there.. I also desperately need to go the grocery store (womp womp), our fridge is a barren wasteland right now. Ugh, looks like I will be a busy mama - for now I am going to enjoy the fact that Bubba is sleeping and bask in the peace & quiet until my hubby arrives home!

P.S. Notice my {BEAUTIFUL} new bio section to the right?? With clean & simple social networking tabs?? Well I have been figuring out all of my own blog design (God bless google) ... but when it came to figuring out how to make that little section happen.. I was STUMPED. Thankfully, Becky from Mrs. to Mama (a DIY Blog design goddess) relieved my html headache and helped a fellow mama blogger out. I think it looks great (I am already on my third version) and I really LOVE the "rush" of successfully conquering another self-design, html related task!