What do you get when you wait until 11pm on Easter Eve to go shopping for goodies? Sand buckets as Easter baskets. Hey, they're cheaper and more durable anyway. I'm glad I bought the peeps a couple weeks ago because the shelves were barren on Saturday. All that was left were loads of that edible grass - apparently not the best invention ever.

The next few posts will be pictures only, because I'm lazy and my kids are cute. :D











They did pretty good, no?

The reason I haven't blogged in a week..

My brand spanking new Etsy shop!!


Avie Adorned - Custom Boutique Bows

I've been working all week to get this up and running and I'm so excited. I'll be adding lots more over the coming days and weeks. If you love Gymboree, definitely check it out because I'll be doing lots of made to match stuff.

Okay, so it's not really that bad. But I thought I would warn you squeamish folks up front.

As of last night, I have officially completed one of the Milestones of Motherhood: the first trip to the Emergency Room for stitches. Surprisingly, we haven't had to do this yet with Sawyer, but with Beckett being my more monkey-like and fearless one, he had to get it out of the way early.

We had some friends over for dinner last night, and while the lasagna was in the oven we went outside so my friend could take some family pictures of us. The boys looked adorable in their Easter outfits and the shoot went pretty well, considering we have two children who like to run in opposite directions like repelling magnets.

After the pictures, we came back to the house and were headed inside to have dinner. Sawyer and Beckett were, of course, running to see who could get through the front door first. Beckett's pants were a little big and his shoes a little too clunky I guess, because he tripped on the front step and dove head-first into the edge of the bricks by the front door.

I was too far back to see the point of impact and thought he had just hit the front door or not hit anything. Was expecting a couple tears and then another mad dash into the house. But the look on DH's face said otherwise and when he grabbed him up and spun around, I saw the blood a-gushing. Yep, onto his Easter outfit that he'd had on for all of 30 minutes (luckily Daddy actually accumulated most of the blood so I think I may be able to save the outfit).

I instantly flipped into Mommy Mode and ran into the house to grab a rag. Sat him up on the counter to survey the damage and instantly said, "Yep, that'll need stitches." I was so thankful that our friends were there, because we were able to leave Sawyer with them and take their van so that DH could ride beside Beckett and hold the rag on his head. He was such a doll baby and had stopped crying before we ever made it off our street, because I told him we were going to see a doctor to make it better.

We got to the ER and saw a triage nurse, and were thankfully able to get the bleeding stopped and a band-aid applied for the wait in the waiting room. I am knocking on all the wood available and hoping we don't catch the stomach bug from the little girl who was puking next to us. *shudder*

Once we got back into the room to see the doctor, a nurse came in to check out the damage and apply some numbing medicine. Beckett was so sweet and sat still for everything. He even did fabulously through his tetanus shot, which we unfortunately had to get sooner than I was hoping (since we delay vaccinations, he hadn't had it yet). He would wave to the nurse and say thanks every time she left the room. Total heartbreaker.

And a side note, I was amused by but did not appreciate the doctor who felt the need to come in and tell us that "tetanus is something you die from" and then leaving. Thank you, all-knowing ER doctor with stellar bedside manner. /sarcasm

Anyway. The nurse came back in then and applied some numbing medicine, which was really fabulous because it prevented him from having to get ANY shots of local anesthetic. I was so thankful for that. He had me cracking up because as soon as she applied it, he said "Ice cream!" because it felt cold.

We left that on for about half an hour and then the doctor came in to stitch him up. This was by far the worst part and I was loving her for being so quick about it. We had to wrap him up in a sheet like a burrito so he couldn't thrash, and just being held down like that really terrified him. He cried for me the whole time and it broke my heart into a million pieces. BUT, he didn't feel a single stitch go in, and that made it so much easier for me since I knew he was only crying because he didn't want to be held down. It only took about five minutes and she had three stitches applied and we were done.

He is, of course, back to his ever rambunctious self this morning, giving me mini heart attacks every time he dives onto the couch head first. Kids and being resilient and all that - it really is true.

I'm not one to miss documenting this type of event, so I of course have pictures. Look away now if a few drops of blood and some stitches gross you out! I wasn't TOO terrible of a mom because I at least waited until the major drama and gushing blood was over before busting out the camera.

Daddy and Beckett waiting at the ER. This was after we saw the triage nurse and we had gotten the bleeding stopped by then. We had to drive to the hospital with a rag pressed on his head.


Waiting for the nurse to come in and apply the numbing medicine.


Numbing medicine in place, kicking back and eating a Pop Tart.


All stitched up, bandaged, and waiting for our discharge papers.


Changing band-aids when we got home - as you can see he was happy as ever, hardly phased.


And the stitches this morning.

Or so my 2-year-old would have you believe.

Today, Beckett got a haircut. And I think we succeeded in annoying the piss out of every patron and stylist in the salon as he wailed and squawked like he was on fire. I know what you're thinking: where are the pictures of this so-called torture? I don't have any, because I was busy pinning his arms down and hugging him to my chest while the stylist tried not to slice an ear off amidst his thrashing.

He didn't want a Tootsie Roll Pop, he didn't want to wear the cool lime green cape with cars on it, and he certainly didn't want the Clippers of Doom anywhere near his head. Thankfully for my sanity (and much to the enjoyment of everyone's ears) he calmed down towards the end. One hair-covered red sucker, two sticky hands, a snotty nose and some cleavage full of hair shavings later, this little man emerged:



So in my opinion, the torture was worth it because he looks damn adorable. But rest assured I had her take quite a bit extra off the top. No plans to repeat this again any time soon.

I went shopping with a friend last night and we hit up Goodwill, JoAnn's and Target. Despite being completely exhausted from being out and about for four hours (her even more than me, she's 31 weeks pregnant with twins!) I found some good stuff. Now I just need to find the energy to actually put it to use.

First, from Goodwill, some vintage kiddie fabric. I am in love with the colors in this. It has a very cool weave, not the typical cotton quilting stuff you see today.



Goodwill also had this pretty vintage pillowcase, perfect for a pillowcase dress. I adore that little scalloped edge.



And, two dress shirts, to be made into sundresses using this fab tutorial.



At JoAnn's I found some diamonds in the rough: Alexander Henry Bird Seed and Robert Kaufman Pears. The fabric on the right is a Keepsake Calico that I thought was cute.



And have you seen the Orla Kiely stuff at Target?? I WANT. IT. ALL. My favorite are these pear canisters. Yum. Want! Not to mention, it's almost like she created this collection with MY kitchen in mind. Observe:





Amirite??

Ugh. Lust.

Anyway, I did grab some of her awesome dishtowels and am planning to make them into a bag.



Ahhhh.. so many projects.

Go here to learn more about this nifty meme.

Why no, I'm not mainly posting this because I haven't blogged in a week and have an obsession with not being a blog-neglecter. *innocent whistle* It is pretty cool though. A nice way to wrap up the week's posts. And it's a little obvious that I've been posting a lot of recipes lately. Oops.

It's official - I feel huge. Not just in my belly but everywhere. My back fat is growing, people. UGH. I wish I could be one of those women who stays stick thin and gains 15 pounds her whole pregnancy, but I'm just not. I have such a huge appetite and I figure if I'm hungry, the baby must need the nutrients, so I eat. I gained 60 pounds with both of the boys and easily lost it each time, so I'm trying not to stress over it, but I still hate blimping up in the meantime. I fully expect to start getting the "Oh my GAWDDDD are you SURE it's not twinzzzz?!?!?!" comments soon. My belly is all baby, just like it was the last two times. I have to say, I love the way I carry my babies straight out in front.

Other than that I'm feeling pretty good. Trying to keep my activity level up, although I don't always have a lot of energy. Having two whirlwinds running rampant all over the house helps with the activity. Heartburn is worse than with Beckett but not as bad as with Sawyer. I'm feeling the baby move a lot more these days, mostly down low and to the sides. Not a lot of activity above the belly button yet. She was hanging out head down with her back to my right side at my last appointment so I think a lot of what I feel is a kick from her feets on the left which bumps her body into my right. It's total cuteness.

I broke down and bought some maternity pants over the weekend. Up until now I'd just been wearing my regular jeans with a Bella Band over them. It was a nice boost of confidence. But the zipper was starting to dig in and the ol' hips were getting too wide, so I went for a pair of these from Motherhood. HEAVEN. So freakin' comfortable, seriously. On the shirt front, I'm still wearing normal ones. I hate maternity clothes with a passion. The tent look is so not me. Luckily, long shirts are in right now. I snagged a few from Rue 21 that I'm pretty sure will last me my whole pregnancy because they're so freakishly long. Then after the baby's born I can just dry them on high to shrink them up. Yay recycling!

I'm having a lot of trouble getting around already, which I guess is to be expected with this being my 5th pregnancy, 3rd to make it past the first trimester. My hips ache horribly after laying down for any length of time, and the pain in my pubic bone is excruciating. It feels like it's splitting in half when I stand up. Probably the early stages of SPD, which I luckily escaped the last two times. I need to bring it up with my midwife and maybe start seeing a chiropractor. Because with 16+ more weeks to go, it's certainly not going to get any better on its own, and I'd prefer not to need a walker complete with tennis balls before I birth this kid.

My dreams are becoming more and more vivid as the weeks go on, as well as incredibly twisted most nights. I dream every single time I fall asleep, even after getting up to pee in the wee hours of the morning. Which means I have 2-4 dreams per night. Most are nightmarish and leave me not wanting to fall back asleep. Should probably discuss this with the midwife as well. I'm hoping there's an extra supplement I can take that will help.

Next update: 28 weeks. Getting closer!

For I have discovered how to make bows as big as her head.

Also known as Beckett's Birthday Cupcakes! I wanted to do something a little healthier and not so sinfully sweet, and this turned out to be the perfect recipe. So of course, it must be shared. I found both recipes on allrecipes.com and altered them to my liking.



Apple Banana Walnut Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2/3 cup shortening OR applesauce
* 1 1/4 cups white sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
* 2 ripe bananas, mashed
* 3 small apples - peeled, cored and chopped
* 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
* 1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour 24 muffin cups, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening/applesauce and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and yogurt. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in the mashed bananas and chopped apples, then add the walnuts and white chocolate chips. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.



Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 3/4 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer. When mixture starts to stiffen, stop mixer and add honey.

2. Continue to beat until light and fluffy. Then add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended.

3. Ice cupcakes immediately. I used a small amount of icing because I didn't want to overpower the already very flavorful cupcakes. Also, if you would like less almond flavor, cut the amount of almond extract in half.


Of course, these wouldn't be complete for the birthday boy without a finishing touch. So I added what else? Dinosaurs!

We took the boys to the zoo this morning with some friends and their two boys. They all were surprisingly well-behaved, no injuries occurred and no children were misplaced. I call that a successful outing.

Shark touch tank:




Checking out the meerkats:




Hitchin' a ride:


S and B with my friend's little boy Lucas:


And her other little boy Logan:

Dear Beckett,

At exactly this time two years ago, you came swimming into the world in a pool in our bedroom. 8 pounds and 13 ounces of squishy cuteness, who would grow to be a high needs infant the complete opposite of your brother. We weren't prepared for the challenges we would face with a baby who never slept and was rarely content. But we managed, and all those sleepless night were well worth it.



At age two, you are such an absolute joy to be around. One of the happiest toddlers I know and still a total mama's boy, much to my enjoyment. Nothing makes my day better like a cuddle from my chunky monkey, and there is no shortage of Beckett cuddles in this house.

You idolize your big brother and the contentment and pride I feel watching you mimic his every move is indescribable. You are best friends more often than not, and I am thankful a hundred times over every day that I was blessed with two boys so close in age. The only thing that will match that is seeing your baby sister look up to you the same way. You are going to be such a fabulous big brother. You did have a pretty good teacher, after all.



I can't believe it has been two years, baby boy. I still get choked up thinking back to the day you were born, and I will have just as many happy tears tonight when I watch you blow out your two candles. Thank you for giving me so many reasons to smile every day.

All the love my heart can manage,
Mama.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This will be a short list of confessions this week, because I have lots of work to do still tonight for Beckett's birthday tomorrow. I mean, I don't. ;)

Upon getting home from work today, my husband did not immediately need a beer because Sawyer did not put on my bra, declare that he was a girl, and no longer had a penis. I also did not laugh hysterically as this unfolded while at the same time saying, "I'm so sorry, dear!"

Tomorrow is not Beckett's birthday and I do not still need to sew his superhero cape that will be his present. I will not be up late tonight finishing it! I also do not still need to go to the store for supplies for his cupcakes.

And again, Beckett is not turning two years old tomorrow. He was just born and is still my tiny little squishy. *sniff*

With pregnancy comes increasingly vivid and strange dreams for me. Last night? Avonlea was born with 12 teeth. Practically a full set. Adorable newborn baby, 8 lbs. 15 oz., light fluffy blonde hair, nice pearly set of chompers. Let me just say that I'm glad I don't feel pain in my dreams, because this baby did not know how to refrain from biting while nursing.

I woke up and went, "Phew, THAT was weird. Thank goodness that doesn't really happen. One or two teeth, maybe, but not 12." And then I Googled it.

Also in the same dream was a 48-hour labor. I'm thinking I'd rather have the toothed newborn.

Time for Not Me! Monday! Head over to MckMama's blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week, I did not giggle uncontrollably like a 14-year-old when I got "flatio" as my word verification on someone's blog. I also did not deem it worthy of a screen capture so I could share it with you all.



When giving Sawyer a haircut, I did not use the wrong guard on the clippers (again) and leave the poor boy looking like a chemo patient. Again.



I also don't force my oldest son to go around with a buzz cut while his little brother gets to sport long lovely locks. It's not because Sawyer's hair is awful and coarse and looks bad long, while Beckett's is soft and fine and straight as a pin. It's even cute after getting soaked in the rain.



My children always pose like angels for photo ops. They never ignore me, try to run away, or have to be held upside down by Daddy while I snap away madly.



I didn't cringe as my two tornadoes whizzed around the seemingly delicate Lego sculptures at the Children's Museum. My kid would never be the one to grab hold of the dragon's lower jaw and cause the whole thing to come crashing down.



I do not have only nine bags left out of the 36-bag case of Wild Berry Skittles that DH got me for Valentine's Day. And it definitely wasn't me who ate them all. Definitely the boys. And the cats. But not me.



And in that same vein, I would never stop at Dunkin' Donuts for a late night snack after a filling dinner at Weber Grill. Because my pregnancy diet is the perfect balance of the five food groups, with absolutely nothing unhealthy ever. Mmmmhmm.