Briley went through that dreaded "No!" phase for quite a while. Every question I had for her always returned the same answer - NO. And while she still favors this answer above any other, she has been known to toss a few yes's in the mix - especially here lately. Here's a conversation from last week while we were driving home from daycare:
Me: So, did you have a good day at school today?
BEK: No!
Me: You didn't? Well, did you play with any of your friends today?
BEK: No!
Me: Not even Lana?
BEK: No!
Me: Did you go outside and play today?
BEK: No!
Me: Did you take a nap today?
BEK: No!
Me: Hmm....did you eat anything today?
BEK: No!
Me: Oh no! Well, did they change your diaper at all today?
BEK: No!
Me: Are you lying about all of this?
BEK: Yes!
And there you have it, folks.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Me and My Girl
In the excitement of our busy weekend, I never had time to post any pictures.
I had lunch with my good friend Danielle, who I haven't seen in almost a year, and Briley and I got to spend some time hanging out with our friends Kara and Lily. We haven't seen them in awhile either (since January) so both of these visits were looong overdue. Lily is two months younger than Briley and they are just too funny when they get together. Briley calls her "Eee-Eee". So cute. And then I spent the rest of the weekend doing what everyone loves to do on a day off. Cleaning. I also made a cleaning chart so I can keep up with everything and not get overwhelmed once school starts. Yes, I am that nerdy. I made a cleaning chart - so sue me. I will not deny my love of organization and schedules!
Anyhow, here are some of the pictures I promised. I love this kid and all her facial expressions.
I had lunch with my good friend Danielle, who I haven't seen in almost a year, and Briley and I got to spend some time hanging out with our friends Kara and Lily. We haven't seen them in awhile either (since January) so both of these visits were looong overdue. Lily is two months younger than Briley and they are just too funny when they get together. Briley calls her "Eee-Eee". So cute. And then I spent the rest of the weekend doing what everyone loves to do on a day off. Cleaning. I also made a cleaning chart so I can keep up with everything and not get overwhelmed once school starts. Yes, I am that nerdy. I made a cleaning chart - so sue me. I will not deny my love of organization and schedules!
Anyhow, here are some of the pictures I promised. I love this kid and all her facial expressions.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Busy Busy Busy
Sorry for no updates, but I feel like my head is about to explode with all the stuff I've been trying to get done and all the stuff I have yet to do. Plus, I have what I refer to as "mommy brain" - I believe this is where you lose any kind of short term memory once you have given birth. I had such a great memory before Briley was born and now....well, let's just say it leaves much to be desired. I'm liable to forget Briley - oh wait, yeah right....that kid is a like a leach on mommy's leg. I can remember what I wore on the first day of school EVERY SINGLE YEAR, but I cannot remember simple, everyday things (like updating this blog). It's absurd.
Anyhow, I've been busy trying to do a MAJOR cleaning of the whole house. And I'm not just talking about the everyday chores.....I mean, we're getting down to the nitty gritty here. Ok, maybe I am stretching it by saying WE, but I have been cleaning out everything, getting rid of stuff, etc, etc. Tonight I started working on scrubbing down all the baseboards. I am doing all this in the hope that it will make nursing school less stressful. I have heard the horror stories about nursing school consuming your life (and this is from people that do not have kids) and I'm already worried. So I figure if my house if good to go, then that will ease the stress at least a little bit.
Also, Briley's birthday is coming up. Enough said, right there. I'm a very detail-oriented person and I take forever planning this kind of stuff. I do enjoy it, though. We have also decided to take her to Chattanooga on her birthday and possibly spend the night, so there's some more things to be taken care of. Last year we took her to the Knox zoo and this year we're going to take her to the aquarium and children's museum down in Chatt. Don't even ask what we've got up our sleeve for next year - we already have it planned and she's going to love it. Eventually, these birthday trips will cease to exist because we won't be able to take a trip for every kid's birthday! But we're enjoying her being our one and only while it lasts (don't worry, it will last for a while longer!) and so we spoil her accordingly. :o) (In a good way, of course!)
Plus, I've needed Adam's help with a few tasks and he hasn't been able to because he's been working ALL the time. He worked on his day off this week and this Sunday is also his turn to work (they alternate Sundays). No fun! What really saddens me, though, is that we're not going to have much time together as a family from here on out. Next week, I have some nursing stuff on his day off, so we'll only have Sunday together. Then the next week, I start school and go all day during his day off and he'll work that Sunday - so NO days together on those weeks. It ends up that we're only getting 2 full days a MONTH together while I'm in school. This really stinks. Guess we'll just have to make the most of those 2 days! And it's just something we'll have to deal with for the next couple of years.....
Ok, so that's a little (or a lot) about what's been going on with us this past week. Tune in tommorrow for new pics of Little Bit :o)
Anyhow, I've been busy trying to do a MAJOR cleaning of the whole house. And I'm not just talking about the everyday chores.....I mean, we're getting down to the nitty gritty here. Ok, maybe I am stretching it by saying WE, but I have been cleaning out everything, getting rid of stuff, etc, etc. Tonight I started working on scrubbing down all the baseboards. I am doing all this in the hope that it will make nursing school less stressful. I have heard the horror stories about nursing school consuming your life (and this is from people that do not have kids) and I'm already worried. So I figure if my house if good to go, then that will ease the stress at least a little bit.
Also, Briley's birthday is coming up. Enough said, right there. I'm a very detail-oriented person and I take forever planning this kind of stuff. I do enjoy it, though. We have also decided to take her to Chattanooga on her birthday and possibly spend the night, so there's some more things to be taken care of. Last year we took her to the Knox zoo and this year we're going to take her to the aquarium and children's museum down in Chatt. Don't even ask what we've got up our sleeve for next year - we already have it planned and she's going to love it. Eventually, these birthday trips will cease to exist because we won't be able to take a trip for every kid's birthday! But we're enjoying her being our one and only while it lasts (don't worry, it will last for a while longer!) and so we spoil her accordingly. :o) (In a good way, of course!)
Plus, I've needed Adam's help with a few tasks and he hasn't been able to because he's been working ALL the time. He worked on his day off this week and this Sunday is also his turn to work (they alternate Sundays). No fun! What really saddens me, though, is that we're not going to have much time together as a family from here on out. Next week, I have some nursing stuff on his day off, so we'll only have Sunday together. Then the next week, I start school and go all day during his day off and he'll work that Sunday - so NO days together on those weeks. It ends up that we're only getting 2 full days a MONTH together while I'm in school. This really stinks. Guess we'll just have to make the most of those 2 days! And it's just something we'll have to deal with for the next couple of years.....
Ok, so that's a little (or a lot) about what's been going on with us this past week. Tune in tommorrow for new pics of Little Bit :o)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Briley's Favorite Animal
Ok, so I really have no idea what Briley's favorite animal is. But I do know that she calls most animals ducks. She is getting better about calling other animals by their correct names, but for the most part.....they are ALL are still ducks. That dog running past our house? Uh, that would be a duck, according to Briley. That cat in her book? Once again - a duck. You get the idea. Anyhow, we've went and fed the ducks at the lake once before, but it was a couple of months ago, so we went again today. Briley really gets into this - she literally screams "Hi!" at them, waves wildly and then tries to chase after them. They always scramble away in fear and she acts like she cannot fathom why they would be terrified of her. Today she even went into the lake up to her knees and Adam and I had to drag her out because she would have went all the way in, had we let her. We do have to be careful at these duck feedings, though - those things get crazy and just go nuts when it comes to food. Moldy bread is apparently very enticing. We've heard that they have tried to attack people before, so we always park close and leave the doors unlocked in case we need to jump in quickly. Ok - I know you all are laughing now, but seriously! Today they started approaching us and hissing when Adam couldn't get the bread out of the bag fast enough! Anyway, I took a few pictures of our outing, so enjoy!
All Better Now
Praise the Lord! Briley is back to her old self. I guess it was a virus, after all. I'm so thankful. She gets sick so often and I just hate it for her - I'm so glad that it didn't last long this time. Plus, she still doesn't have health insurance, so that makes everything even more worrisome for us when she is feeling bad. Of course, my first concern is her, but I do fear that if she gets bad we will have to rush her to the emergency room and that will cost a pretty penny. Anyhow, I have to go for now - today is Adam's day off and we are going to go do a couple of things since Little Bit is feeling better. Just wanted to let everyone know she is as good as new!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Safe Sippy Cups
I first started reading about this sippy cup issue back in January. And I was behind on it, even then! Some of this info had been out for awhile, but I had not come across it in any of my research. (Yes, some people may make fun, but I research EVERYTHING. Let me repeat that - EVERYTHING.) Many of the people I know with kids are informed on the topic by now, but I figure I'll put this out there just in case because I know there are still quite a few that have not heard of this yet. This has been on the news and there are many, many articles on the subject so you can always google it if you want even more info. (I will also have some links at the bottom for you.)
I'm going to try and make a long story short. In many of the sippy cups and bottles produced, there is a chemical in the plastic called BPA (Bisphenol A). There have been many studies that show that even low doses of the chemical cause many problems in animals, so we can only assume what they must do to humans. There have also been a couple of studies that actually do include humans and the results from those have not been positive, either. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, miscarriages, neurological issues and obesity are just a few of the concerns that are associated with BPA. It's just the tip of the iceberg, so to say. There is already legislation going on to hopefully completely ban the use of the chemical, but in the meantime, it's important that we pay attention to what we buy to make sure it is BPA-free. Especially when it comes to things that we buy for our kids. There are many countries that are ahead of us on this - for example, Canada officially declared BPA "toxic" back in April of this year and a ban on it should be issued in the coming months. Also, it's important to remember that while I'm focusing on sippy cups and bottles, there are many, many things that have BPA in them. We are in the process of switching our plastic dishes (especially those containers used for leftovers) to glass.
There is a vast selection of BPA-free sippies and bottles and there are products to fit every budget. When we first started throwing out Briley's old cups and buying new ones, there weren't that many options and her cups were very expensive. Over the past few months, though, this has become a huge deal and there are now more affordable BPA-free cups and bottles. Of course, you do get what you pay for, so the more expensive ones are nicer and more durable.
Here is a link that has more info on BPA (it also has some links that will direct you to even MORE info, if you are that interested) and also gives some ideas for safe sippies and bottles.
Info on BPA and Safe Sippy/Bottle Ideas
Also, something to note: some of the plastic sippies and bottles listed on some sites are only BPA-free if they are the newest versions. So, say you have a Gerber sippy cup from 2007 - sorry, but it may contain BPA. Unless your plastic cups have been purchased very recently, I'd be super careful about trusting that they are BPA-free. Some manufacturers only made their products BPA-free when they started getting lots of bad press, so just because they are now advertising their stuff as BPA-free doesn't mean it was always so.
Here are our favorite cups:
Thermos Foogo
Sigg Sippy
Take and Toss - We use these for mealtime because they are easier to wash than the others, but the downside is that they are NOT "no-spill" so we have to be extra careful.
Alright, I guess that's about it for now. If I come up with anything else, I'll let ya know! :o)
I'm going to try and make a long story short. In many of the sippy cups and bottles produced, there is a chemical in the plastic called BPA (Bisphenol A). There have been many studies that show that even low doses of the chemical cause many problems in animals, so we can only assume what they must do to humans. There have also been a couple of studies that actually do include humans and the results from those have not been positive, either. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, miscarriages, neurological issues and obesity are just a few of the concerns that are associated with BPA. It's just the tip of the iceberg, so to say. There is already legislation going on to hopefully completely ban the use of the chemical, but in the meantime, it's important that we pay attention to what we buy to make sure it is BPA-free. Especially when it comes to things that we buy for our kids. There are many countries that are ahead of us on this - for example, Canada officially declared BPA "toxic" back in April of this year and a ban on it should be issued in the coming months. Also, it's important to remember that while I'm focusing on sippy cups and bottles, there are many, many things that have BPA in them. We are in the process of switching our plastic dishes (especially those containers used for leftovers) to glass.
There is a vast selection of BPA-free sippies and bottles and there are products to fit every budget. When we first started throwing out Briley's old cups and buying new ones, there weren't that many options and her cups were very expensive. Over the past few months, though, this has become a huge deal and there are now more affordable BPA-free cups and bottles. Of course, you do get what you pay for, so the more expensive ones are nicer and more durable.
Here is a link that has more info on BPA (it also has some links that will direct you to even MORE info, if you are that interested) and also gives some ideas for safe sippies and bottles.
Info on BPA and Safe Sippy/Bottle Ideas
Also, something to note: some of the plastic sippies and bottles listed on some sites are only BPA-free if they are the newest versions. So, say you have a Gerber sippy cup from 2007 - sorry, but it may contain BPA. Unless your plastic cups have been purchased very recently, I'd be super careful about trusting that they are BPA-free. Some manufacturers only made their products BPA-free when they started getting lots of bad press, so just because they are now advertising their stuff as BPA-free doesn't mean it was always so.
Here are our favorite cups:
Thermos Foogo
Sigg Sippy
Take and Toss - We use these for mealtime because they are easier to wash than the others, but the downside is that they are NOT "no-spill" so we have to be extra careful.
Alright, I guess that's about it for now. If I come up with anything else, I'll let ya know! :o)
Pictures soon - I promise!
I'm blaming the lack of pictures on Briley. She was crazy this weekend so I never got around to posting some. The "terrible twos" must be getting a head-start or something! Just kidding - she wasn't bad at all, she just wanted to test me on everything. The best is yet to come, huh?
On top of all that, she started coming down with something last night. She's had some congestion for the past couple of weeks, but that's nothing new for her. Then around 2:00 this morning she woke up full-blown sick. I had a doctor's appointment today that could not be re-scheduled, so she had to come with me, but she did surprisingly well. We just laid around the rest of the day because she felt horrible - her fever rose to a little over 103 and Motrin didn't even touch it. I'm pretty sure it's just a virus this time around, though. It's nothing like the pneumonia from a couple of months ago - thank goodness.
I've got to locate the cord for the camera in order to post some pictures and that may take a day or two because I've hid it and I can't remember where. Why did I hide it, you ask? Because Briley thinks the ends of the cord belong in her ears - like headphones. Haha. In the meantime, I am going to post a couple of things that I find very interesting. If you don't agree, you don't have to read it. :o)
On top of all that, she started coming down with something last night. She's had some congestion for the past couple of weeks, but that's nothing new for her. Then around 2:00 this morning she woke up full-blown sick. I had a doctor's appointment today that could not be re-scheduled, so she had to come with me, but she did surprisingly well. We just laid around the rest of the day because she felt horrible - her fever rose to a little over 103 and Motrin didn't even touch it. I'm pretty sure it's just a virus this time around, though. It's nothing like the pneumonia from a couple of months ago - thank goodness.
I've got to locate the cord for the camera in order to post some pictures and that may take a day or two because I've hid it and I can't remember where. Why did I hide it, you ask? Because Briley thinks the ends of the cord belong in her ears - like headphones. Haha. In the meantime, I am going to post a couple of things that I find very interesting. If you don't agree, you don't have to read it. :o)
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