I decided I wanted a new blog look and it was literally hurting my head trying to manipulate WordPress to do what I wanted it to do.  Or I’m just technologicallly ignorant.

I moved back to Blogspot!  I know, I know.  Who would do that?  It’s been a good while since I’ve used blogspot and I hear they’ve made quite a few changes.  I spent time yesterday and today putting together a new blog with a new look over yonder, so go check it out if you have a hankering   I’ll be posting from there from now on…unless I hate it and decide to come back.

I’m not completely doing away with THIS site until I decide.  I’d love your thoughts and input!  Thank ya!

~Kati

When your husband’s gone to a football game, you can:

a) snack on brownies while you make yourself dinner

b) blog in silence, without a disturbing episode of “The First 48″ on in the background

c) watch whatever you want on tv and hold the remote

What’s your answer?? 

All 3 is correct!  You’re so smart.

Ok, you don’t have to think anymore.  Did I tell you that my CHI flat iron died on Sunday?  Because it did.  Luckily, I was pretty much done doing my hair for church.  Not so luckily, the iron is 3 years old and I have no receipt, no box, and no warranty.  These things cost a pretty penny!  They’re regularly $150.00 at Ulta and even though they’re on sale right now for $100.00, Ryan wasn’t sold on the fact that I needed to immediately replace it we didn’t really have an extra $100.00 just lying around.  I tried to look on the bright side.  I got my hair trimmed yesterday and thought maybe taking a break from straightening might be a good thing after all this Summer heat. 

Ryan and I have been trying, after years of failed attempts, to be regular about reading our Bibles together and praying.  It’s something I really want us to do and I love it when we actually make the time for it.  So we decided to read through James and last night we read that…every good and perfect gift comes from above.  I JOKINGLY tweeted that I would begin watching the skies for my new flat iron   I think sometimes God sets little suprises up for us.  I know God probably has bigger things on His mind than whether or not my hair is straight but I’ve had several instances over the past few years where something I’ve wanted and/or needed has been either given to me or provided in some neat way.  Anyhoo.  I mentioned to my mom last night about the death of my styling tool and she mentioned that she’d just signed up for something similar to Groupon called, Deals in DFW.  You get a daily e-mail about deals in the metroplex…and wouldn’t you know it, she said that yesterday’s deal was for a flat iron.  What luck!  I tried to find it last night but couldn’t so she e-mailed me the link this morning.  There were 15 hours left for the “deal.”  I got it!  I’ve never heard of this brand so I’m hoping I like it.  They said it was a $162 value AND I got $10 off just for signing up for the daily e-mail deals.  Score!  I got it for $35.  I’m really excited and can’t wait to get it. 

http://www.dealsindfw.com/2011/08/26/Beauty-Tip-4-Use-the-Best-Products-Top-Brand-Flat-Iron-Over-70-off

In other news…Karlyn’s not feeling good.  She woke up last night for the first time in weeks.  She laid in our bed some but neither of us could really sleep so I took her back to her room, changed her, fed her, rocked her, and got her back to sleep.  That was my first clue that something was up.  Today she was DROOLY, FUSSY, and CLINGY.  She also kept sneezing and had a slight but clear runny nose.  I really don’t think she’s sick.  Our sitter said her daughter was sneezing too and that she doesn’t seem sick, so we’re wondering if it’s allergies.  Karlyn also is teething I think and I’m expecing some more nights like the past one ahead until I see some new teeth.  We’ll see.  She didn’t even finish her bottle before bed and sounded just a bit congested.  Poor baby   I like my happy girl.

Tomorrow night we’re supposed to celebrate my father-in-law’s birthday so hopefully she feels up to that.  I feel like I had more to write but I’m forgetting it…I think it’s time for some of that watching whatever I want I talked about earlier.  It’s the weekend!

Our weekend seemed to fly by pretty quickly but we managed to fit a lot in.  Friday night we headed to my parents for a big “back-to-school” get together.  It was a lot of fun and it’s just rare that we all can make it on the same night and have all 8 kids together.  I love my brothers and sister!  We took a lot of pictures which is always fun with teenage boys.  We ate, talked, and watched as Kollin packed up one of the vans to haul all his belongings back to HPU for school.  It’s really neat that he’s there right now since Kyle and I went there too.  It seems like only yesterday that my parents were dropping ME off.  Here are some of the fun pics from that night~

The one of Keith by the van…all the seniors at his school decorate their cars for the first day of school.  Did you read what it said??   And the last one if goober girl in a Fat Albert shirt.  ha ha.  Love it.

Saturday we ran mega errands in the heat and it was also tax-free weekend.  We were out and about for 5 HOURS and Karlyn hung in there and was a trooper.  I found some shorts that fit at Old Navy – miracle of miracles – one brown pair and one navy blue and they’re pretty cute!  We got some light bulbs we’d been needing at Home Depot and then a few other stops…nothing too exciting. 

By Sunday, we were ready to crash.  I did go to a little 31 party hosted by Ryan’s cousin Nicole.  They have cute things and I ordered an insulated lunch bag that is black and white flowers with a bright pink handle.  Can’t wait to get it!

All of this, and I still am not sleeping great.  I’m really hoping this ends soon and that I get back to normal, whatever that is.  On the bright side, Karlyn is sleeping GREAT.  She slept till 8:00 on Saturday morning and this morning we had to wake her up at 7:20 to get her dressed and leave.  She was so cute with her head nestled into one corner of the crib and her booty sticking up in the air.  ha.

Today we got to eat lunch with my long time friend Lindy who hadn’t seen Karlyn in probably 6 months?? Gosh, a long time.  It was good to catch up with her and I wish we lived closer.

That’s what’s been going on.  I’m still checking my weather app every day to see if some how, some way, the heat is going to end soon.  No such luck. :-0

G’night!

I have had major sleep issues lately and I’m about fed up with it.  I’m afraid it all started when Karlyn was born and I was waking up multiple times every night to feed her.  I would lay in bed, just listening for her…I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown edge.

Towards the end of my pregnancy I would take 1 benadryl before bed and that really helped.  I had to make it through an 8-9 hour workday still and so sleep was a necessity.  The benadryl allowed me to go back to sleep after I got up to pee for the 7th time.

I found out they make something called “Simply Sleep” which is the drowsy medicine you find in benedryl, but without the antihistamine.  So I’ve been taking that lately.  I know at least two things are playing into why I’m having trouble lately:

• I haven’t been working out as much, which would make me naturally tired-er and able to fall asleep at night
• Hormones – there’s an up and down adjustment period you go through after childbirth and then again after weaning

I try taking a bath, no tv, reading, etc and sometimes I still can’t sleep.  Then I get panicked thinking, I’ve GOT TO GO TO SLEEP!!  I have to get up for work tomorrow and watch my child all afternoon.  If I don’t take any medicine before bed, thinking I’ll try it on my own and still can’t sleep, then I take it later in the night.  This just makes me lethargic, exhausted, and grumpy the next morning and day and then I need a nap.  And then I can’t sleep the next night.  It’s a vicious cycle.  Ugh.

Any thoughts, ideas, advice?  I know I have got to workout.  That’s a somewhat easy step I can take but it’s hard sometimes to take her up to the gym with me and work it around her naps, or it’s 300 degrees outside and too hot for a walk.  Or I’m tired from the night before and don’t feel like it.  Not great excuses and I love working out, I really do!

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s gone through this in any form and what things helped you.  I would greatly appreciate it! 

I’m ok with 8 months.  But 9 months?  I may have another melt-down like I did when you turned 6 months old.

Daughter, you are so amazing.  You are easily the hightlight of my day =)  Here is what you’re up to!

You sleep each night from about 8:00 or 8:30 (we’ve been letting you stay up later lately) till around 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning.  Occasionaly you wake up in the middle of the night but not too often.  You drink 4-5 6 oz bottles of milk a day and eat 3 little meals.  You like to eat – that hasn’t changed!  You’re wearing size 9 month clothing and are in a size 4 diaper.  You probably could have stayed in the 3′s a little longer but I went ahead and switched you.

Your favorite toy BY FAR is the tv remote control.  Not officially one of your toys but you love it.  And daddy gives in and lets you play with it.  You also like a new toy you got: a Noah’s ark complete with little animals.  We make each animal’s sound and everything!  Except for the giraffe…I’m not too sure about that one.

You’re getting a little more hair on  your head and you still have just the 2 bottom teeth that are stinkin cute.  You are so close to crawling it’s not even funny.  You have your own version of a scoot and drag that gets you where you want to go and you also will get up into the crawl position and rock back and forth.  Just this past Sunday while I was gone getting groceries, you decided to pull up on the couch into a standing position for dad!  You did it for me too when I got home but then fell back down.  You’re learning

You are jabbering and have said the “ma ma” sound but you’re not directing it at me yet.  I can’t wait to hear you say that FOR REAL :>  Everyone says you are changing and growing so much ~ Your babysitter, the church nursery ladies…it’s so fun.

Lately when I give you your bottle just before bed, you are SO tired from playing and I’ll set your head up on my shoulder like when you were “little.”  I’ll rock you for a few minutes, listen to your sweet breathing, and feel your soft cheek against mine.  I want to capture those moments and hold on to them forever.!

We love you sweet daughter.  Happy 8 Months!!!

**Note the shiny slobber in each pic…should have wiped her face

We worked on the house and got it all spiffy-ed up and then took Ryan’s parents up on their offer to babysit.  We had date night!  Sharon had given us a gift card to Outback back in February for Valentine’s Day and we still hadn’t used it.  We had a lot of fun and were HUN-GRY by the time we got there.  Ryan had an 8 oz. steak and garlic mashed potatoes and I went with the grilled shrimp caesar salad.  It was such a good salad; the shrimp was seasoned up perfectly and their croutons are to die for.  We thought we’d splurge and get dessert too =)  Enter: the Sinful Sydney Sundae ~ a big whopping scoop of vanilla ice cream rolled in toasted coconut…dripping in chocolate syrup, whipped cream plopped on top, and surrounded by strawberry slices.  Heaven, in other words.

I love him.

 This morning we went to church, came home and napped a bit, and I knocked out the grocery shopping, although not as energetically as that sounds.  I read some more of “The Help” and can’t wait to see how it ends!  Oh yeah, and my daughter pulled herself up from sitting to standing today, holding onto the couch.  :>  I tried to take 5 different videos of it and catch her in the act again but wasn’t very successful.  I’ll keep trying.

Is it really Monday already tomorrow?

I promised I’d post my new easy delicious dinner “recipe.”  It’s pretty basic and non-original but I definitely am planning to incorporate it into our once a week meal rotation.  I give you…

“Roasted Potatoes and Vegetables”

• squash
• zucchini
• green beans (didn’t cut those)
• purple onion
• a few diced frozen carrots

Into a bowl I poured 1/4 cup of olive oil and then added 1 T. of Mrs. Dash regular seasoning plus some salt and pepper.  I spooned this all over the potato/veggie mixture and then tossed it all together.  I roasted it in the oven in a 9×13 glass pan at 450 degrees for about an hour, stirring it all about every 10 minutes.

I was super impressed!  It was YUMMY   I put on a chicken breast for Ryan and then I paired mine with a romaine salad and a Morningstar veggie burger ~

This recipe is really veratile though because you could switch up the potatoes and use sweet instead and then really ANY veggies would work!  It’s pretty filling too: fiber from the veggies, starchy potato carbs, and healthy olive oil fat.

. . . . .

I also have to share these too cute photos of you know who.  My mom works part time at Chic-fil-a and she got Kar this shirt.  We tried it on the other day and I thought it was adorable!  It’s a 2T.   :-0

Happy Weekend!

How’s your Tuesday going? 

I’ve tried to have a different and new outlook on my job this week.  It’s there for me.  Provided by God as a consistent means of income.  It fits me and my personality, which is task-oriented.  I know my co-workers, since I’ve been there since 2007.  It’s a Christian company and run with the highest measure of integrity.  It’s part-time, which is a GINORMOUS BLESSING and allows me to spend most of my day with a certain little girl I’ve grown rather fond of.  A certain little girl who is not napping right now. 

Sometimes a new outlook is just what’s in order. 

I’m experimenting <again> with a new food outlook as well.  August is meatless for me so far.  I’ve done this a few other times and as usual, I’m enjoying it and at times it’s pretty effortless.  I feel “lighter” for lack of a better word and like my body is not having to expend as much energy digesting.  I need more variety though, stat.  And I know just where to get it!

http://peasandthankyou.com/

I’ll save her official ”Blog Spotlight” for another day but know this: Mama Pea can whip up some tasty vegetarian/vegan cooking AND she has a new book out!  She was even on a Northwest talk show today and has linked a video from it on today’s post.  I’m going to spend some time perusing her ”reci-peas” for some new ideas/grocery lists.  I’m going to whip this up later today as I need some new snacks other than this box of crack:

Do you ever experiment with different ways of eating?  I’m definitely not one for going vegan, gluten free, dairy free, etc. just for the label.  That’s silly.  But, if it makes you feel better, your health, energy, or mood improves, and you’re a happier person, why not?!