It's here!

Friday, the day we all long for.

Because it means it's time for the weekend.

And K-State football of course.

 
TOP | funny faces in the glass make him laugh | new necklace, old navy | hey dad

MIDDLE | messy eater | bath time is the bestest | mother son photo opp

BOTTOM | daddy home early makes us smile | chub a wubba face | lake drink of choice 

#Ozarks

Last weekend, my besties and I headed to the Lake of the Ozarks for our annual lake trip.

We've been taking these trips for 10 years. Ten years!

It was my first overnight away from Carson. It was pretty hard and I missed him like crazy, but this momma soaked up some much needed girl time and relaxation.

We owe our friend Megan and her family BIG for putting up with our shenanigans all these years. I can't imagine we were the most enjoyable bunch the first few years of these trips.

My, have things changed over the years. #shitshownomore

Just to name a few:

• We no longer crack open a beer before brushing our teeth in the morning.
• Cover ups now stay on until we absolutely have to take them off.
• Party Cove isn't a place we necessarily want to go anymore (Rolling into the cove blasting the Chi Omega song just sounds obnoxious now, but yes, we did that).
• We are responsible about applying suncscreen.
• Everyone makes it out after Party Cove.
• We can leave the bar without being wasted and are completely content with that (Don't worry, we busted out the beer bong on the way to Horny Toad for old time sake).
• 3:001:00 AM activities are now pumping and dumping. Yay for mommyhoood!
• We drink coffee in the mornings and Facetime with our families.
• There is beer leftover at the end of the weekend.
• Our group dwindles in numbers year after year. The first couple of trips we had 20+ girls! I know life is busy, but I wish we could ALL go back someday and relive our college days.

And what hasn't changed?

Our bond. The stories. The laughs. And the fact that these trips are some of my greatest memories from college.

That, my friends, will never change. #lovemygirls

Check out Lake Trip 2011
Check out Lake Trip 2010 

Learning to Sleep

We have Carson's 9-month appointment tomorrow. I'm anxious to see how my boy has grown, ask some feeding questions, and leave the office without getting shots. Yep, at 9-months, no shots. Wahoo!

However, I can hear it now, standard questions I assume most doctors ask,  "Is he sleeping in a crib? Are you co-sleeping?"

One month ago, my answers to these questions would have been yes, he's in his crib and sleeps all night long (most of the time). Done and Done.

But nope, that hasn't been the case lately. I swear he's teething. I blame everything on teething. Fussy? Teething. Not sleeping? Teething. Slight fever? Teething. Loose stools? Teething. Not eating? Teething.

Teething causes lots of things to go awry. Brian says I've been blaming teething for 6 months. Maybe, just maybe, I am just trying to point fingers and pinpoint reasons for his lack of routine. Stupid teething.

I don't know what the deal is, but his sleeping has altered. He wakes up a lot throughout the night. And now  that he is upright, he just stands at the crib rails and wails.When he was sick, he did the same thing and would only sleep while being held. So what did we do? Held him, all night long.

It got better though. He went back to being a sleeping angel. But now I feel like we are taking steps backward. Great nights of sleep are spotty and extremely inconsistent.

We've tried rocking him back to sleep, but he wakes right back up once you set him down in the crib. About every hour. Well, I'm not going to do that back and forth all night long. No thank you.

So, we resorted to co-sleeping. Gasp! I know, it's a no-no in mommy world.

But, Moms and Dads need sleep too, and sometimes, you have to do what's best for your sanity. It hasn't been a ton of nights, but more nights than we would prefer.

So last night, both Brian and I decided we were going to put a stop to this before it becomes a habit. We made a pact at dinner that we were both going to stay strong and let him "cry it out."

I felt good about it.

We have some experience with "crying it out," but only for when he first falls asleep for the night. The middle of the night...when sleep is abruptly interrupted is a whole different ball game. I tend to do whatever I can just to get sleep. Hence, Carson has us trained to pull him into bed with us.

First of all, listening to your baby cry is just heart wrenching. Not running to comfort them is one of the hardest things I've ever done. It sounds silly...until you experience it.

I sat there with two doors between us and just listened. Even a pillow over my head didn't help. I had to find the willpower to not run in there and pick him up. And kiss him. And tell him I love him.

"This is good for him Krista," was on repeat.

He woke up every hour for about 10 minutes starting at 10:30 and finally stopped at 3:30, when he gave us a good stretch with no crying. The few times we allowed ourselves to check on him, he appeared to be in a very uncomfortable position or slammed up against the rails. It was obvious he was falling asleep while standing and wailing or trying to get there.

It was a tough night, but he hasn't made a peep yet tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed that tonight goes better. And if it doesn't? We'll keep trying. And learning.

See, that's the funny thing about parenthood. They are learning just as much as we are.

Stress Free Weekend

Welcome to the newly designed blog! It's fresh, it's clean. And I'm lovin' the newness feel.

I added page tabs under the header introducing the blog and our little family, as well as some buttons on the side that lead to other exciting posts. I'll be making minor tweaks in the next few weeks, but feel free to stay awhile and poke around:).

If you're new here, welcome!

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We're already half way through this week, but this past weekend was so incredibly long overdue that I just can't skip over it.

We had time. Together. No plans. No rushing around. No work. And no stress.

We relaxed. We grilled. We enjoyed the sunshine. We snuggled. We laughed.

We did things families are supposed to do.

It was just what we needed.

I hope all of you had an equally great weekend!

Time to Wind Down

This is the first Friday me and the husband have spent together...doing nothing, in a very long time.

No social events, no night shifts for him, and no sickness. Finally. A night to ourselves.

As a family.

We enjoyed a long family walk and trip to the park tonight. Carson begged for Dad to push him higher and faster on the swing, but Mom made Dad simmer down a bit. Moms are like that, you know, all worrisome and such.

Next, we devoured a healthy dinner of BLTs and sweet potato fries. Sounds like a great Friday night dinner if you ask me.

And now...I'm sipping on a nice glass of red vino and the hubs is working on a whiskey 7. Carson is sleeping like an angel while we enjoy this beautiful night on the deck.

Depending on how tipsy we get, we just might make it an all-around unhealthy night and throw in root beer floats. It's still up for debate.

I guess long work weeks will do that to you. Good thing Fridays are for winding down.

And drinking of course.

I've been a slacker with the Friday Phone Dump posts. Although, you haven't missed much if you follow me on Instagram. Follow me at kutterchaos. I could use more followers:).

TOP | jeans + flats= friday | what re-re would put a bumbo on a raised surface? #recalled | double chin

MIDDLE | see mom, bottles are bonding | shoulder rides with dad | baf time for jakey

BOTTOM | front yard play time | messy but occupied | family of feet 

Mixed Emotions

I had my first normal meal today for the first time in four days.

We've had a lot of sickness running through our household lately, and well...a stomach bug just ransacked its way through all three of us this past weekend. With Brian and I getting the brunt of it.

It all started last Tuesday when we found our sweet angel covered in vomit around midnight.

I just stood there for a few seconds, looking at my baby covered. Preparing myself to clean up the mess, but mostly trying to calm my racing worrisome mommy thoughts.

And then he gave us the biggest smile you've ever seen, just as happy as can be, to be lying there in soiled sheets. So I picked up my baby covered in vomit and cuddled him. Because that's what mommies do.

He then received his second bath for the night and we did a load of laundry.

I then hurried to the iPad to research baby vomiting. It was a first for us, so I immediately went into mommy freak-out mode. He seemed very normal, and it only happened once, so we chocked it up to a new food upsetting his stomach.

And then Thursday came around and he didn't eat much at daycare...
And then Brian threw up all night...
And then I threw up all day the next day...
And then Carson got diarrhea...
And now we are recovering.

We just can't seem to stay sick-free. We found out yesterday that a "stomach bug" has been going around daycare. Several babies and teachers out with flu-like symptoms. I keep telling myself that C is just building an insanely strong immune system with superhero powers that will help him one day when he goes to kindergarten. Sigh.

Thanks to the stomach bug, my milk supply has dwindled and I'm having mixed emotions about putting Operation Wean in place.

When I first shared with you my breastfeeding experience, my goal was six months. I've made that goal. I've stuck it out longer than I hoped for. I should be happy, right?

But no, I for some reason am finding it hard to let go. I, of all people, never thought I would be this way.

It's a bit out of character for me really. I tend to seek the easy way in most things.

And breastfeeding is definitely not that at times. It's hard work and takes patience, motivation and diligence.

I don't know why it's such a hard decision for me. I actually only nurse him once a day (in the mornings), and the rest of the time I pump. So, it's not the bond that I'm struggling with solely.

I guess I'll feel like I didn't go as long as I could have? The feeling of quitting when I didn't have to.

Whatever I decide, I need to tell myself that I did good. And that I was successful for longer than I expected.

Carson will still be the same sweet, healthy baby, and we'll still have the same bond.

Family Pics

These are much overdue, but definitely too good to leave off the blog.

As I previously mentioned, we had to reschedule three times due to the nasty heat and....sickness. We just can't seem to beat sickness in our home. I blame daycare:).

Despite Carson's extremely runny nose on this hot day, we managed to capture some great shots. We initially wanted to do a sunset shoot, but the heat just wouldn't ease. An early wake up call for my little booger had me worried, but he did awesome.

The best part? Having pictures of all three of us. Together.

Love my boy's crazy hair.

I really wish we could have included Jake in these, but it would have been way too much to handle.

We already had our dear friend Heather there to help Carson laugh, which I highly recommend for any baby shoot. He would have been much too distracted without her.

I can't wait to put some of these on canvases and display in our home.

Pssst...you'll probably be seeing some of these in a new header design.

Dapper

Hi friends!

Have you checked out Google's Doodle today? They have a fun hurdles game you can play in honor of the Olympics.

My pod buddies and I had a friendly competition to see who could get the best time. A coworker won with 12.8. I was only able to get 13.3, and it was still only good enough for two gold stars!

It's fun. You should try it:). Love me some Google and all their doodles.

Speaking of doodles, which is sort of like a header, have you noticed how out-of-date mine is? It's a bunch of photos of me and the mister when we had time to snap a photo of both of us. Together.

Sheesh, it doesn't even include big boy. And this is a face you don't want to leave out.

Here he is looking all dapper this past weekend. It was his first ride in the front of a shopping cart. He absolutely loved it!

Fresh blog look is in the works, promise. But don't expect anything too dapper. I'm just not a dapper kind of gal. I'll spice it up, but it will better reflect my life these days.

Which translates to I went from a reality tv watching married chic with a lot of time on my hands to a crazy mom who arrives at work with spit up on her clothes.

True Story. You should try it. Everybody's doin' it.

Watch Me Grow: 8 Months

Another month has zoomed by and my baby is quickly growing up.

8 Months old already! Didn't I just have this little booger yesterday?

Big Boy rocked his adorable jean overalls for his 8-month pic and just like last month, he didn't really cooperate. These pictures are getting harder and harder to capture.

He's just too busy these days. I couldn't get him to lie on his back or sit. He goes straight for the sign, and in two seconds flat, the sign is dunzo.

I did, however, manage to finally get a pic of his two bottom teeth.

Notice he has a scratch on his nose. Total rough-houser.

Carson's 8-month stats:

Weight: 16 lbs. 11.5 oz.

In the Closet: Primarily 6-9, but most of your pants are 3-6 months, skinny boy

Diapers: Size 2, but pretty snug

Grub: Breast milk, some formula, rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, puffs, mum mums, water, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, butternut squash, carrots, apples, peaches, bananas, pears, prunes, and combinations.

Sleep: You go to bed at 8:00-8:30 and sleep 10-11 hours. Still working on getting you to nap better...

New Activity/Development: Crawling (man you are fast!), standing with support, pulling up on everything, saying da, ma and ba a lot these days, but we don't know if you really know what you're saying. 

Loves: Playing with or doing anything you aren't supposed to! Cords, Jake's bones/toys, dirty shoes, electrical outlets, vents, pulling out the filler in the house plants, climbing up the stairs. I swear...you'll have ten million toys right in front of you and you'll go for the thing that's 10 feet away and dirty.

You are all boy Carson. And man are you determined. Determined to do anything you put your little mind to.

I've been calling you bruiser lately because you seem to tumble a lot. It appears that you are just too adventurous and are trying too much...a little too early. I get the hebbie jeebies when I think about you walking, so why don't you go ahead and hold off until you're one. Mmm kay?

You are already opening drawers and cabinets, but you aren't quite pulling stuff out yet. Your little fingers will get stuck in the drawer and you'll cry until I come to the rescue. Or when you get caught standing up and can't figure out how to get back down.

We didn't know how much you would love going upside down, until we started doing it more. Daddy and I fling you around like a rag doll and you just laugh and laugh. I think you're going to love roller coasters someday.

Me and you. Front cart. With our hands up. It's a date kid.

Love you snuggle bug,
Mommy

7 Months
6 Months
5 Months
4 Months
3 Months
2 Months
1 Month
Newborn

Restaurant Review: Gram & Dun

I'm slacking on posting my restaurant reviews, but I can assure you I'm not slacking with crossing them off the list.

In fact, I've already managed to eat at six eateries. SIX!

That's pretty good if you ask me. Glad you asked.

First off the list to share with you all is Gram & Dun.

We went while ago now, and have since been back. It was so yum-in-the-tum that I'm taking it upon myself to do free marketing for them and tell everyone I know.

Location? Plaza, so location gets an A+ in my opinion. It took place of the former Baja 600, which I wasn't a huge fan of considering it was exactly the same as Jose Peppers only more moolah.

Their website says they have the "best patio in town," and I just might agree. This American gastropub is definitely doing things right.

Casual and sophisticated at the same time, offering an awesome place for people to relax and enjoy the vibe.

If you don't go for lunch or dinner, at least go for drinks. The atmosphere really is pristine.

Open is a boring word, but it's a great word to describe the atmosphere. They have large doors that open up onto the patio giving the feel of sitting outside, even when you're inside.

This was 90+ degree and we weren't even hot. I couldn't believe it myself. I definitely thought we would bake, but I was proven wrong.

Fam & Friends

Here's the deets:

Restaurant: Gram & Dun
Location: Plaza
Atmosphere: casual + sophisticated
Price: Mid Range ($$)
Ordered: PBR Can Chicken (Banana Bandino and the Gram & Dun Bar for dessert to share. oh.my.gosh.)
Service: Superb
Verdict: RAVE

Free Friendship Card

Friendship Day is right around the corner! August 5th!

Why not send a card to a special friend?

I love sending cards.

In a world drowning with digital communication, receiving a card in the mail is exciting.

It reminds us that there is time to write a hand written note. It reminds us that someone took the extra effort to choose a card, think about the message and send it with love.

It's a surprise, a hidden gem, that greets you at your mailbox amongst all the other crap we receive.

Even though the price of a stamp is ridiculous, a card is where it's at.

But guess what!?

In celebration of friendship day, Cardstore.com is offering up a free card by simply entering the code FRIEND12. They will even mail it for you...for FREE!

I've ordered cards from this site before. It's super easy, quick, and the cards are great quality.

I just scored my free card for a far away friend. Go snag yours. :)

Sneak Peek

It only took me three weeks to make my selections. And three reschedules to actually get them taken.

They were worth the wait. Because I love them.

 Without further adieu, a few of our family photos.