I love Shutterfly!

With all the random offers and coupons and swag you get when pregnant and with a newborn, it seemed the options for birth announcements were endless.  I looked through several websites and stores trying to find the right one for us.  To be honest, I hated most of them.  They were tacky and cutesy.  I wanted simple and sleek.  I found a Shutterfly coupon code and browsed through their selection.  Then I fell in love!

This was Squirmy's birth announcement (though the pictures were of him, as were the details).  I absolutely love it!  It gave just the right amount of information without being overwhelming and just the right amount of graphics to make it attractive without taking away from the pictures!  Add in the coupon code and a gift certificate I'd received from them as well, and the price was unbeatable.  I was sold!

As people printed photos for us from different sources, I began to notice a big difference.  I thought our local drug store printer was as good as any, but I did miss the days of film cameras and the quality of prints that came from 35mm.  Sure digital cameras can take amazing pictures, but I wanted prints that were just as nice. One of my friends order a bunch from Shutterfly and I was amazed at the quality!!  Just like it used to be!

It was a no-brainer where I was going to order our Christmas cards!  This is the picture we are going to use :)

With this card:

Even better, Shutterfly is offering 20% off all holiday cards!  So if you're super on top of things or just can't wait for the holiday season (like me), take advantage of the sale!  I can't wait to send out our washed up penguin on the winter scene card to our northern relatives, lol.  Yes, I'm a dork!




*I was not reimbursed for this post; however I will receive 50 free cards for post.  The opinions expressed are truly my own.

Trial and Error....but mostly error

Sleeping has become quite the game in our house.  Squirmy is now 7 months old and sleeping worse than he did as a newborn.  *le sigh*  I read The No Cry Sleep Solution and it had some decent ideas, but I don't really get it.  I know part of our problem is because we keep Squirmy up late at night, but he does have the opportunity to sleep as late as he pleases in the morning.  I really REALLY hesitate to put him to be earlier because DH doesn't get home until 8pm most nights.  If Squirmy had an earlier bed time, he'd literally never see his dad during the week.  I'm starting to notice he seems to roll over onto his belly in his sleep.  The only problem is that if he's on his belly BEFORE he's asleep, he'll just crawl around and not settle.  He screams at nap time regardless of if I try to put him down at the first sign of sleepy, when he's overtired, or somewhere in between.  The only place he'll nap is his vibrating chair, but he screams if I put him near it (he's fine if he crawls up to it and proceeds to climb it).  If he goes down screaming, he'll only nap 30 min, tops.  I've taken to picking him up and just dealing with the grumpy tiredness than the screaming.  I tried the book's suggestion of trying to comfort Squirmy gently at the first sign of stirring so he'll settle back in and sleep...but that's a joke.  From the first sign of stirring to fully awake is about a nano second.  True story.

Here's his typical (and I use that word loosely) sleep pattern:

• 9:30-10:30 wake for the day
• 11:30--nap for 1hr
• 2:00--nap for 30min
• 5:00--nap for 30min
• 8:00--nap for 30min
• 10:30-11:00 bedtime...clean diaper, pj's, swaddled, nurse, Dr. Seuss book, crib

Some days he'll get two 2hr naps in.  A lot of days he'll never sleep a full hour.

I literally have NO idea how often he's waking at night now.  I pull him into bed with me and nurse him.  At some point I wake back up and slide him back into his crib (it's pushed up against our bed with no front on it).  I'd guess I'm waking at least 4 times a night, not for very long, but still.

I'm not ready to try any sleep training that involves him crying.  I just can't handle it.  He gets this panicked look on his face, flairs, and tears fall when he screams and it breaks my heart.  I don't know what else to do or try.  DH has no patience for his screams and as of right now, Squirmy won't take a bottle (though I think he might soon...more on that later).

I feel so stuck.  I want to do the right thing.  I want to make the short term sacrifice for the long term gain, but I don't know what that is.  I really wish I had some parenting expert of some sort to talk this over with.  I already lie to our ped about our sleeping arrangements and he's been pushing me to get Squirmy into his own room for months now anyway.  I'd hate to be one of those parents who complains about their situation and then does nothing about it, but I just don't know what TO do.

Not sure if I'm looking for advice or empathy or just a space to complain....but this....this SUCKS.

I haven't been very good about keeping up with my blog.  :(  Life has been chaotic lately.  I now have 2 extra kids during the day, one who's 2 months older than Squirmy (so 9 months now) and my nephew who's 9.5 months older (about to be 17mo).  They keep me busy for sure.

I also got away from blogging a bit because my best friend was living with us.  She moved towards the beginning of the summer.  It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.  Despite all the naysayers and warnings about having a roommate, the situation turned out to be ideal.  Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she quickly turned from my best friend/our roommate to family.

*insert long discussion about immigration laws, politics, and other absurdities*

This weekend, my dear friend had to leave our home/her home.  She had to fly back to England, a country she was born in but has never considered home.  Her departure was harder than I expected.  Don't get me wrong, I expected to be upset....just not this upset.

For those outside of the situation, it's hard to understand.  So what?  She went back to England, no biggie.  But it is a big deal.  She left not by her own will; she left upset; she went somewhere she hates under circumstances that are difficult; she cannot return to visit (and we don't know when she'll be able to come back at all); we cannot afford to fly to England to visit her; she is very much a part of the family; she was a huge part of our daily lives.

I keep thinking about how you feel when someone passes away or you go through a rough break up.  Every little thing you do reminds you of that person.  Every little thing is infused with a memory.  Every little thing turns into something upsetting and mournful.  That's where I am.  Every little thing is setting me off.  Every little thing reminds me of how she's not in my daily life.  Every little thing is a haunting reminder that she's not here.

This sucks...yeah...that's all I got...

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Playing together with Squirmy's new toy.  I absolutely LOVE that my son will grow up with a wonderful friend and role model...and will call him "Daddy".

Charlie Banana Winner!

Sorry for the delay!  We took Squirmy to Walt Disney World yesterday and I didn't get a chance to post.

Random.org said that from 1 to 130, the winner was number 21!!  The 21st entry was:

 ShortyRobs said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/ShortyRobs/status/24187744214

September 11, 2010 7:44 AM

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the contest and a special thanks to Charlie Banana for letting me giveaway one of their great diapers!!

P.S. The prize has been claimed :)