Slacker

Wow, it has been sooooo long since I've blogged!  I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with it once the baby was mobile. Boo.  Since my last post, we had an awesome Halloween (there were 7 costumes between the two boys!), the holidays were amazing, we celebrated J's 3rd birthday at Disneyland, and here we are in 2012! I will update soon with pics from all the big events, including the baby's first birthday!!! We are so blessed that we have two beautiful, healthy sons, and I am grateful every day for both of them.  More posts soon- hopefully!!

Adorable

I am in love with this couple! So freaking cute!!

Mama loves shoes!

I know, it's been a while since I have posted.  Two littles under age 3 can keep you kinda busy!! My baby is 9 months old today! To celebrate, we are going shoe shopping!!! I have two boys, so I miss out on all the tights and hair bows and pink, but I can still shop for clothes and shoes!! My hubby says I am a baby clothes hoarder- but he doesn't know the half of it... I hate to admit it, but both boys could probably go a week (or 3) and wear a different pair of shoes each day! I need to stop! In my defense, shoes are so fun to begin with, but on top of that they are tiny???  How's a girl to resist??

One of my very favorite brands is pediped.  They are cute, comfy for the littles, and according to our pediatrician, the best for the littlest walkers.  Here are some cute ones:

The other great thing about pediped is there "flex" system for toddlers that are beyond the baby (soft-soled) stage.  It allows your kiddo to wear their shoes longer because they come with two sets of insoles.  As their foot grows, you remove one of the pairs, and the shoe fits longer! Genius!! These are one of our older son's favorite pairs, which he was able to wear for 7 months or so thanks to the "flex" idea.

(Longer shoe life means more money for other shoes, right??)

I recently learned of another brand of shoes to love! See Kai Run shoes are comfy, cute and easy for little ones to put on themselves! Score!! Look how adorable- matching for baby and toddler!!

Baby Boy

Big Boy

And finally, here is a great website where you can get both of these brands, plus tons of others, and they often have pretty good sales.  I used the code FALL11 today and got 15% off my entire purchase (including sale items), plus free shipping!  I love websites that have free shipping!! Hello, websites that want mamas to shop there?? I am MUCH more willing to give you my hard-earned money if you give me a deal and/or make my life easier.  I love me some online shopping while the boys are napping, and if I am getting even somewhat of a discount (and can avoid dragging them to the mall), I will probably double my order. (Sorry, hubby.)


Here's one last pair of adorable shoes- who has a girl I can get these for? Soooo pretty!!

Anyone else have any online discount codes to share??

Love for Animals

I have a dilemma. I don't know what to do about Sea World. I LOVED it as a kid. However, after watching the very shocking and disturbing "Blood Dolphin" on tv, my hubby and I were very upset at the idea that almost all marine life in captivity were captured in inhumane ways.  I am torn because I feel like seeing these amazing animals in person makes children love them and want to learn more about them and protect them .  Plus, I want to share in that excitement of when my little ones see that breath-taking Shamu for the first time!

Our older son loves animals, and I know that a trip to San Diego would be so fun for all of us.  Should we just stick to the Zoo for now?  Help!!

My sweet bear, his girlfriend, and a "scuuury aldergatuurrr!"

Cartophobia

I have a fear of shopping carts. Not really, but they are so gross.  I have seen kids fall out of them (seriously! It's horrifying.), barf on them, lick them, wipe their boogers on them, etc. This is all in addition to the nasty germs that we grown-ups spread on them just by using the handles. Yuck.

I am by no means a germaphobe, but once I became a mama, I gained a whole new appreciation for nasty, germ-infested things (like the pediatrician's waiting room- you take them in for one thing, and they catch all the other bugs going around, fun!).  I stocked up on hand sanitizer, wiped down everything I could that would go into the baby's mouth, and made sure that we all washed our hands often.

Guess what?  Both little ones have still gotten sick. It is unavoidable. But I like to think that they have gotten sick less than they would have if I wasn't so crazy.

Now that our first son isn't a baby anymore (tears), I have to get used to the idea of him getting dirty sometimes. It just goes with the territory of being two and a half. He is also around other kids a lot more, so he is exposed to many more germs. I have accepted this (I guess). But the one thing that I am still not ok with is him sitting in one of those nasty shopping carts unless I wipe it down and put a cover on it.  Some of my friends think I'm nuts and that he is too old for this, but I don't care. As long as he will let me, I am sticking to my guns and covering up that dreaded seat. Luckily for us both, they have such cute shopping cart covers now, that even big boys will probably agree to sitting in one.  Here is the one we have, which covers up high chairs (also germ infested!) as well:

This cover is by itzyritzy, and they make such cute stuff!!  I love their carseat covers, wet happened bags and nursing covers too.

One last thing about shopping carts: up until a few months ago, I thought that balancing an infant seat on top of a cart was the safe way to shop with a small baby.  Then I learned that this is risky, and that baby can easily topple off.  So scary. Now I shop with the baby in his car seat in the big part of the cart, or in a baby sling, and our big boy in the covered seat in the front.  It doesn't leave much room for groceries or goodies at Target, but that keeps me from spending too much, so that's a good thing! ;)

Ok, rant over.  Happy shopping everyone!

WANT. THIS.

The baby is going to be 6 months old in 2 days. How did THAT happen?  I swear I just had him a few weeks ago!!!

Anyway, with the 1/2 a year mark comes solid food time.  Up until this point, he has been exclusively on boobie milk, so I am excited to see what he thinks of cereal, fruit and veggies.  And I'm looking into purchasing a Babycook so I can make our own organic babyfood.  Any pros or cons about this product?  It's pricey, so I want to make sure it is worth it before I splurge.  With our older son, I made some of his food, but the old-fashioned way, and it took forever.  I love the idea of one appliance that will steam, puree, etc.  Please tell me that you love this product and that I should buy it!!!!

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle, That is the Question.....

Well of course the answer is YES in our house. Our babies (and most babies I have heard) LOVE to be swaddled. It makes them feel safe, and keeps the startle reflex from waking them up. Dr. Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block (a Godsend and must read for any new parent, imho) highly recommends swaddling to help baby sleep. Since our first son was a sleeping champ from day one, we planned on doing all the same things that had worked with him, including swaddling, with Baby #2.

He is a pretty good sleeper also, although not quite as unbelievable as his big brother. I can't complain though, because he is still much better than the average 5 month old.  I guess we were just so spoiled the first time around that we think he doesn't sleep for long enough stretches at night. When I asked our pediatrician why he was still getting up once (or twice) a night to eat, he basically laughed at me and replied, "Because he's hungry!" He also told me that most babies his age only sleep about 6-7 hour stretches, and that is considered "sleeping through the night". This was news to me, as our older son slept 12 hours straight (and napped for two hours TWICE during the day) at this age. No wonder the other mommies at Gymboree hated me when I would tell them that...

Anyway, I am getting way off topic. I am supposed to be talking about swaddling. We LOVE swaddling. I am a big fan of several swaddling blankets, but baby #2 was/is quite the Houdini and was able to get out of many of them. Then I found the Miracle Blanket, which I love. However, now that my monkey is bigger, he can get out of that one too. Such a bummer, because I was sure it was unescapable. The thing is, though, that the miracle blanket's website, and many other mommies, recommend discontinuing swaddling at about 4 months. So once he could get out of it, and he was almost 5 months old, I figured it was time, even though we had swaddled baby #1 until he was 6.5 months. Well, baby #2 was PISSED. He would not sleep and clearly was waking himself up when he was not swaddled. I was able to find two swaddling options that are for longer babies (you can find them here and here), and they really are IMPOSSIBLE to get out of. My question is, is it dangerous to keep swaddling him at this point? He will be 6 months old on July 7. He can roll over very well, but he never does when he is swaddled. I am afraid of him getting stuck if he rolls when swaddled, but then again, he needs to sleep (and so do we) so I think he needs it for a little while longer. The doctor says it is ok, as long as we are diligent about checking on him to make sure he doesn't get stuck face down. Hmmm- that doesn't give me the best feeling.

Anyone else swaddle their baby past the 5 month mark?? He has to be able to fall asleep eventually without being in a "baby burrito", so should I force the issue now? With our older son it was so easy.  One day, all the swaddlers were dirty, so he went to sleep without one and he never looked back. Our new little man seems like he is not going to give this up without a fight! Help!

Got Cradle Cap?

Cradle cap is gross. It's also harmless. Nevertheless, it bugged me. Especially when it was time for 3 month portraits. I literally tried almost EVERY product to get rid of it, with both babies, to no avail, unitl now. I finally know the cure! Yay! With my older son, I never found the solution, so until he outgrew it, I just had him in a lot of different hats. Our new baby's cradle cap is even more stubborn than his older brother's though.  So fun!

Cradle cap is basically baby dandruff, but it sticks to their scalp instead of flaking off. It's caused by the hormones in the womb or something like that. (Sorry, babies!) Again, it is harmless, and I know, I know, there are worse things in life to worry about, but whatevs! It basically looks like dried orange juice on top of baby's head, so it freaked me out at the first time I saw it! After being told (over and over) by the doctor that it wasn't some awful disease or anything, I was reassured, but then just wanted to GET RID OF IT. I have heard that dandruff shampoos, like Head and Shoulders, work, but that just seemed too harsh for baby's delicate and sensitive skin. So I tried tons of different home remedies, lotions, creams, oils, etc. Many didn't work at all, and the others worked for a day or so, but then the flakes would be back with a vengeance.  After tons of experimenting, I finally found the cure, at least for my little monkey. Here's what you do to get rid of the dreaded cap:

1.  Apply a thin layer of Mustela Stelaker on the scalp before baby goes to sleep at night.

2.  In the morning, rub organic Calendula oil on the scalp, applying liberally to any areas where you can actually see the sticky flakes. Let it sit for about 20-30 minutes to soften the skin.

3.  Use a "cradle cap" brush (I used the Bean-B-Clean and it worked great) to gently brush the flakes off baby's head. The brush is super soft, so it doesn't hurt them (like using a comb might), but works surprisingly well.

4.  Finally, use Bella Bee Gone Cradle Cap shampoo to wash baby's hair.  All the oil will get washed away, and the cradle cap will be gone! YAY!! An added bonus, the shampoo smells great!

We did this routine twice in one week, and now just use the cradle cap shampoo and brush in the bath, and the cradle cap has stayed away for almost a month!

Yay for no more hats!  Especially since my baby has a huge old melon like his brother and it is hard to find hats that fit anyway!!! ;)

Thank Heaven for Little Boys

How freaking cute is this kid??




LOVE it!!!!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words?

First, my dilemma.... to post pictures of my family on here or not?  I wanted this to be a pretty anonymous blog, and plus I am worried about my kiddos' safety.... My hubby is in a high-profile line of work, so I'm not sure that it is smart to include photos and/or identifying information on here.... though we both have FB accounts, and we post plenty of photos on there.  Hmmm.... any thoughts?  Should I post photos of them, just not their full names?  I really would love any input you have!

I've gone back and forth many times with this... I want this to be a true "diary" of our life as a family, and I would love to have this blog full of pictures so my boys can have it as a online scrapbook of sorts one day. Then again, what if they don't want their pictures on here?  And I doubt they will appreciate my detailed accounts of potty-training them being on the internet when they are 13!  So I just don't know.

While I think about it more, here are some photos I have taken recently with my new love.

*Disclaimer: I know NOTHING about photography and am just playing around with this amazing camera.  I am hoping to take a class on using my DSLR this summer.  Until then, youtube has been teaching me the absolute basics.  So no mean comments on my lack of skills, please!  I will get better with time!!

Here are some non-face pics of my little angels:

Showing off a new teething toy he picked out for the baby.

Yummy toes

Such long fingers, just like his big brother.

And now, some non-kid pictures I took while playing around with the settings on my camera:

My Aching Head

I have been having the WORST headaches on and off for the last few weeks... I'm not sure if they are migraines or not, but they are brutal.  Since I am nursing, I'm not sure of what to take.  Any ideas, mamas?  So far I have been just using ibuprofen and it is just not cutting it. :(  Help!

Babies and Dogs

Nothing better than those two, right?? Right. Check out this cuteness on YouTube:

This video came from one of my fave blogs, which is written by a sweet girl who I went to high school with.  For every view of this clip that they get, it counts as an entry into a contest to win $20,000 worth of furniture!  Check it out- it's only 37 seconds and it's adorable!!

If you can't see the above video, click here.

Good luck, Spohr Family! I hope you win!!!

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag!

For my birthday a few months ago, I got a GORGEOUS new diaper bag:

I am in love with it!!! Thank you hubby!!! As if that weren't enough, he ALSO got me an exquisite new camera bag:

The only problem was I didn't have the DSLR camera to go in it yet.  I have been wanting one for soooo long, but they are so pricey, so I have been holding out.  I saw a good deal at Costco for the camera that I wanted, plus an extra lens, for cheaper than the cost of just the camera at Best Buy .  But of course when I went back to get it, they were sold out.  I learned they weren't getting any more, so I was back to square one.  Then, for Mother's Day, the hubs took me to a local camera store and bought me my newest baby:

Its official name is the Canon EOS Rebel T2i, but my name for it is my new love. Why? Because it can take stunning pictures of all my true loves!! I am having soooo much fun taking photos of our little family.  Hubs, if you're reading this, you are so generous and thoughtful and I am sooooooo grateful.  I don't know how I lucked out with a hubby like you, and NOT because of all the pretty things that you buy me!!!

xoxoxo

Mommas on a Mission

Found this video in the comment section of one of my favorite mommy blogs. How cute are these preggers?

Expectant Mommies Flash Mob

For every view on Youtube, the March of Dimes will receive a dime for research to prevent babies from being born too soon. Such a worthwhile cause, and such an adorable video!

Being pregnant is truly such a magical thing. I am so grateful that I was able to have two successful pregnancies, and that I got my two healthy, wonderful, perfect babies from them. Words cannot express how thankful I am to God for the gift of my boys. I am so, so lucky, and try never to take it for granted that I was so blessed to have two full-term pregnancies after a couple bumps in the road to mommyhood. I will never compare my experience to anyone else's loss, or say that I truly understand, because of course I don't- but my heart aches for the mamas that have experienced any babyloss. It is just not fair, and I pray that they get the babies that they deserve. I really do. And I am honored to support an organization that will help make that happen!

Check out how awesome the March of Dimes is, and sign up to March for Babies!! I've marched, and I will do it again and again, with my two cutie pies decked out in purple!

Wrapped Up With Love

With our first son, we discovered the Ergo.

It is the best baby carrier ever!!  It's super comfy and best of all, according to our pediatrician, better for baby's hip and spine development than a front facing carrier like a Bjorn.  With our new baby, we are again using the Ergo, only this time we started earlier so we used the infant insert.  I can't say enough good things about the Ergo.  I love it and so does my hubby!  He suffered a back injury from work, and while the Bjorn puts tons of pressure on the wearer's back, the Ergo doesn't at all, so he is completely comfortable wearing it.  A few weeks ago, I heard that Petunia Pickle Bottom (my absolute fave!!) and Ergo are pairing up to make even cuter Ergos.  I have the black one, so I am sooooo jealous of mamas that get to enjoy the awesomeness of the Ergo carrier in the super cute PPB patterns! I might just have to have a girl so I can get one!!!! Look how cute:

In addition to the Ergo, I LOVE wearing our little one in a wrap.  It is great to have both options, because our older son can still fit in the Ergo, so sometimes it is occupied. (I tried using this as a reason why I need the new PPB version, but hubby said "Nice try." Mean!) I love the Moby Wrap, but I simply adore the Sleepy Wrap.  They are both amazing for babywearing, and great for discreet nursing too.  I was pretty nervous about using a wrap when our little man was tiny, so I went to the Pump Station's Wrap Clinic.  They showed me exactly what to do and how to wrap him safely.  It was so great because I could try on the different wraps and decide which one was the best fit for me and my baby.  The best part of all was the clinic was free!  Just another reason why I love the Pump Station!

I had gotten the Moby as a gift, and after playing with the different wraps, I was actually going to return it for the Sleepy Wrap.  Instead, I decided to keep both because they are fairly inexpensive, and I figured if baby spit up on one, I would always have the other ready to go.  They are VERY similar~ about the same size and price, and both are truly amazing products .  The only difference to me is that the Sleepy Wrap is a bit stretchier, which I liked, because I could make the wrap tighter around baby.  I feel like the Moby is more like t-shirt material, so when it gets stretched out, it doesn't really "bounce back".  I'm not sure of that makes any sense, so be sure you try out both wraps and see which one works for you!  The Pump Station Wrap Clinic is an awesome place to start!!

Baby wearing is awesome, and if you have two little ones, it is essential.  Gone are the days where I can sit on the couch for hours on end, cuddling with and gazing at our brand new angel.  This time around, I have to chase around his big brother as well, and it is great to have my new sweetie pie wrapped around me while doing so.  I don't know if it is feeling Mama's heartbeat or what, but he is instantly comforted, and usually passes right out when I put him in the wrap.  If you don't have one already, any of these three are well worth the money!! Happy Wrapping!

Cribs

So we made the big decision that our big boy should get to stay in his crib, and the little one needs his own.  Off we went to Bellini and because they were in a new location, they were having a big sale!  Win!!  We got his crib at over 50% off, and it is super cute!  It is a different style than his brother's, but the same antique white color so it coordinates nicely.  Most importantly, it is the safest crib available.  Both cribs will eventually convert to toddler beds and then full size beds, so even though they were much pricier (even on sale) than most other cribs I've seen, in the long run they will save us money because we won't have to keep buying more beds as they get bigger.

I feel very happy with our choice, and (I think) both boys will be too.  The baby still hasn't made the official switch from bassinet to crib, but it is all decked out with super cute bedding waiting for him when I am finally ready to not have him in our room anymore.  I have been putting him in the crib for a few minutes at a time, just so he can get used to it, but until we switch the Angel Care from bassinet to crib, he won't be sleeping in it yet.  But more on baby monitors later...

Anyway, thanks to those of you that commented on last week's post.  It is always great to hear from other mommies when making big changes like this one!!  I will keep you updated on how it goes over the next few weeks as we let the baby sleep in his own room.

As they say on MTV Cribs, this is where the magic happens:

The magic, of course, being the baby sleeping so Mommy can get some rest! Ha ha.  That picture is not exactly what the nursery looks like, but it is beautiful, so I stole it from one of my favorite baby bedding shops, Posh Tots.  My hubby has forbidden me from shopping there though because I could spend the boys' college funds with no problem at all!  A Mommy can get in some real big trouble on that website!

Here's hoping that when I finally do put my little man in the crib that there are minimal tears. From him and from me!

Pillow Talk

No, not that kind! ;)  I'm talking about the babies' beds. Right now our big guy is still in his crib, which he can climb out of, but luckily hasn't in months. Our tiny one is in the bassinet in our room. Both are from Bellini, which is one of my favorite stores! Not only is their stuff sooooo cute, but their crib is always rated #1 for safety and has  never been recalled. Awesome. Their furniture can get pricey, but they have sales often, and during a great sale that they were having when I was pregnant the first time, we scored a crib, mattress, changing table/dresser and bassinet for the non-sale price of just the crib! The best part about the Bellini cribs (besides the safety rating, duh) is that they convert from crib to toddler bed to full size bed, so we will get lots of use out of it.  That is the only thing that convinced hubby to let me shop there in the first place!

The crib we picked for our big boy is antique white.  We got his bedding from Pottery Barn Kids, so his nursery kind of  looks like this:

Actually, it looks nothing like that.  We don't have those gorgeous windows or doors, they don't make the exact bedding he has anymore (these stripes, but with sailboats too), we had to take the bumpers off the crib because he used them to climb out, aaaaand this baby's room apparently contains no toys, and our son's looks like freaking Toys R Us.  They are usually pretty organized, but now that I have two little ones, it isn't always perfect.  At this point, I am just happy when it is clean at the beginning and end of the day.  Once they are both mobile, forgetaboutit!

Anyway, back to the issue at hand- what to do about the sleeping arrangements around here.  The baby is still in the bassinet, but he is getting taller by the day and probably won't fit in it much longer.  I am hoping to stretch it out a few more weeks, because I love having him right next to me. It is so easy when he needs to nurse to just bring him in bed with me, but I am too afraid of rolling on top of him to sleep that way, so I like to be able to put him back in his own space.  Since the bassinet's days are numbered, we originally decided that we would get Big Brother a bed and let the baby have his crib.  The problem is, Big Brother LOVES his crib.... so I don't really want to take it away from him and give it to the little one.  I feel like he might be jealous that the baby stole his bed!  Also, I am not thrilled about the whole big boy bed thing in general.  He is only 2 and although he is a good boy, I don't know if he would stay in bed just because we tell him to. And I definitely don't want him getting up in the middle of the night and having free rein of the house!

So.... what do we do?  Get a second crib?  Let the big one have a big boy bed (that he doesn't want but might think is cool when it gets here)? Help!!!

Are you ready?

One of my very favorite blogs had a "momversation" recently about emergency preparedness... You can find it here.

Of course being in California we are very scared of earthquakes, and the recent big one in Japan really got us thinking- we would be COMPLETELY unprepared if a big earthquake hit and we were out of food or water or electricity for a few days.  

In response to this tragedy, the first thing we did was donate to the Red Cross to help the people who are being affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami. The next thing we did was come up with an emergency plan- i.e. what we would do in the event of an earthquake or fire, who would get which little one (me: baby, hubby: toddler and doggie), and where we would meet if we were to get separated. We then made a HUGE list of all the things we needed to purchase for an emergency kit.  I realized when we were making it how expensive it was starting to get- and that canned food I was going to purchase would eventually expire, and take up a lot of room to store. So then I started to research pre-made emergency kits for purchase.  It is CRAZY how much stuff there is out there.  Honestly, you can hoard enough food to feed you and your grandchildren for 100 years if you really want to, but it ain't cheap!

The best kit I could find was from Costco and they have two versions.  One for $140, and one for $180.  They both come in backpacks- which of course would get crushed if something fell on top of them.  I wasn't completely thrilled about the type of products that these kits included, nor the reviews on their website, especially if I was going to drop almost 200 bucks on one.

Anyway, I was complaining about lack of affordable and quality-made emergency kits to my older brother, and he told me that he and his business partner had been working on one for months!  I didn't believe him, so he showed me a prototype, and I have to say (all loyalty to my big bro aside), this really is the best one I have seen, especially for the price of $80.  They products that they use are high quality, the box is pretty indestructible (and glows in the dark if the power goes out) and the food and water is good for 5 years. It also comes with a universal cell phone adapter so you can call loved ones (or get their info and call from a land line if cell service is unavailable), a flashlight, radio, and so much more. It seems pricey, but honestly it's cheaper than buying and replacing everything yourself, AND less expensive than anything else I have seen currently on the marker.  ReadyBox comes in an office version for work and a home version for families.  They also have plans to make the kits customizable so you can include baby food or specific food to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies.

I'm not just saying all of this to get my brother business or to suck up to him (he doesn't even know about this blog, so he will never know that I am posting this!).  I really, really do think this product is a great thing to purchase to prepare for the unexpected.

I'm excited to say that our ReadyBox is on its way!  Once the kit comes, I am going to add some cash and medications that we need and I'll put it under our bed so we have easy access to it if we ever need it.  I feel sooooo much better about being prepared, even if it is only a little bit.  We might not be able to prevent an earthquake or other natural disaster from hitting, but at least we can be as prepared as possible.  Here is the link if you are interested: www.readybox.com

Even if you don't go with this particular kit, I hope you prepare somehow in whatever way you feel is best for you and your loved ones.

Here's to hoping that we never need the kit!  Stay safe everyone! <3

The Happiest Place on Earth

Ok, as I look back on my last post, I see how negative it was... what a big complainer I can be! Sometimes this is a great place to vent though... so I'm glad I got it off my chest.  I just don't want to seem like I don't realize what a great problem it is to have that there is so much baby gear to pack up between our two boys. I have experienced loss on my road to mommyhood, and I wouldn't have our crazy life any other way- the chaos that comes with kiddos is what I wanted (and continue to want) more than anything in this world!!  

So, back to Disneyland.  We went down on Wednesday night so we could get an early start and be there when the park opened on Thursday morning.  That didn't happen, but we still got there MUCH earlier than if we had left from home that same day.  We were so thrilled to have the hotel to come back to if our older son needed to nap or if the baby needed to nurse.  As it turns out, both Disneyland and California Adventure have an awesome "Baby Care Center".  They have private, quiet areas to breastfeed, plus CLEAN, sanitary diaper-changing areas.  In a word, they are freaking amazing.  Disneyland is so fantastic that way- they know how to take care of their guests.  I was beyond grateful and impressed by this setup.  We actually didn't need to go back for our monkey to nap either, as he just slept in the stroller.  Still, having the hotel was the best thing ever.  Waking up and being able to pack them up and walk over to the park was great!  We of course needed and brought TONS of stuff- but had we run out of diapers or gone through all the spare outfits for the boys, we could have been back in business in a matter of minutes. Awesome! 

Our day was great, because the weather was cool enough to keep the big crowds away, but we were lucky and never got rained on.  We bundled our little guys up like crazy and enjoyed a brisk day in the Magic Kingdom.  Our older son LOVED all the rides, and the baby did great- he was happy just looking at everything and sleeping most of the time.  The little one's one and only ride was "It's a Small World", but he missed all the excitement because he was under the nursing cover the whole time we were in the boat.  Hey, a baby's gotta eat!

This was actually our big guy's third trip to D-land.  We took him for his 1st and 2nd birthdays too. People told us we were crazy to take him so young and that he wouldn't remember it, but you know what?  WE will always remember it, he absolutely loved it each time, and kids are free until they are 3, so why not?  I am thrilled that we live close enough for him to have already experienced such a magical place so many times in his young life.  We plan on taking them every year in December- both to celebrate our big boy's b-day and to see the spectacular Christmas decorations.

Two things that we were pretty proud of remembering this trip: to bring our own water, snacks, etc. to avoid spending hundreds of dollars on food our big one would barely touch, and to bring our buggyguard.  We just got our double-wide BOB a few months ago, so between that and the diaper bags I am in love with, I was nervous to leave our stroller unattended while we rode the rides, but with the buggyguard, you can lock everything so no one walks off with it! Win!

We had Park Hopper tickets, so we started off at California Adventure, which has a bunch of rides for the under 3 crowd.  After our big guy fell asleep, we left the park to grab lunch at Downtown Disney (read: hubby wanted to have a beer or two!).  When he (the toddler, not my hubby) woke up, we went to Disneyland.  We got lots of rides in, his favorites being Dumbo and Autopia. Around 7:00p.m., we were all pretty tired, so we headed back to the hotel and watched the fireworks from our room while we had dinner in our jammies.  Again, I have to say, when you have little ones, a hotel is a must, even if you live in so cal.  We would have been pretty bummed to have to make the drive home after such a long (but of course, fun) day. 

I took a bunch of pictures of the littles, that I'm not sure if I should post or not (more on that tomorrow), and we all had a wonderful time.  It is a family memory that I will cherish always, no matter how much craziness went into the prep work and packing.  Btw, we have been home for five days and I still haven't unpacked everything yet. Whoops!

Wow.... just wow.

I just can't get over how much harder it is to get out the door with two little ones as opposed to just one.  Holy crap!  And by crap, I mean the truckloads of it that we need just to get through one afternoon away from home.

Thursday was my birthday (29 for the 5th time. Yep.), and I decided that I wanted to go to Disneyland to celebrate. So we did. With a two month old. And a two year old. In the rain. And we were going to stay for two nights. AND my hubby was working, so I would need to pack up everything, load up the car, get the babies ready and drive the three of us down to his work and meet him so we could drive down to the magic kingdom. What the heck was I thinking?! It was sooooo much more work than I thought it would be.  AND so much harder than when we only had one baby.  I have nooooo idea how you mommies with multiples do it.  I was beyond exhausted before we even left!!!