And the "Mother of the Year" award goes to...

ME!

Sarcastically, of course...

So Monday night was really good for Isla and Me. We got home, napped, played, ate some bananas and took a bath.

After the bath I began changing her into her pj's for beddy bye time. Rich happened to call me just as I was changing her... I spoke to him and changed her at the same time. Got her all dressed (or so I thought) and put her to bed.

Later in the eve she started to fuss a bit. Rich checked on her and noticed she was soaking wet.....

"Jess! You forgot to put a diaper on Isla!"


And this is how I win "Mother of the Year."


By the way - Isla knows her name! Also, the other day, she purposely was grabbing the toy and pushing it off the bumbo tray! Continuously. Oh she's all growed up! ;-)

Isla's *second* camping plus old folks experience

Saturday afternoon we packed up our gear and headed to Victoria for some quick camping. We got this beautiful spot on the lake.

We were a bit nervous starting the day because it had been raining cats and dogs! But the sky cleared up just in time for our night of camping fun.

It was super warm, but as the night went on the temp dropped quick. Isla was all bundled up in her fleece and after a good hour of trying to get her to snooze, she finally tuckered out! OMG did she look so comfy in the hammock asleep! I PROMISE I WILL ADD PICTURES ONCE IM HOME. 


After Isla went to sleep, Rich and I enjoyed the night playing cards under the stars and by the fire. We heard tons of coyotes and something else rustling around... A little creepy, but cool.

I didn't sleep too well. I got sweaty and started to get cold in the hammock. Then I woke up pretty stuffy in the morning. All in all, we had a great time!


Then on Sunday we had lunch with my sister Melissa, her boyfriend Zack, and my nieces Emilee and Ella. After lunch we visited my Gramma and Grampa in the assisted living home Grampa resides in in Hudson.

While there we met a couple fun characters. :-) One in particular stands out... I will call him Flatulent Fred. ;-) Need I say more?

We had a really great time chatting with them. I miss them a lot.


Sunday night we enjoyed the movie "Killers" with Katherine Heigel and Ashton Kutcher. I found it quite funny and would definitely recommend it!

Pour the wine and cut some cheese!

On Friday of last week Rich and I held an engagement party for our great friends Kelly and Brian at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center.

We served this delicious cheese display with berries, fruits and melons. To accompany it we served a delicious assortment of red and white wines.

It appeared that everyone had a good time! A good portion of them hit the town after.

The Marriott's food was absolutely phenomenal! We ate dinner at their restaurant before the party and the food was well worth the price.

I hope that Kelly and Brian had a great time!

Fluffy Holiday: A cloth diaper giveaway for needy families.

A fellow blogger and cloth diaper mommy is having a fundraiser for families in need of help. This cause is to get them started on cloth diapers which is cheaper and eco-friendlier than using disposables!

Help out a family today!

Donate on the left.

Isla Loves Mexican Cuisine

I started Isla last night on avocados! This is such a funny story... Here's how it worked:

I mashed up the avocados in a bowl. I used only a tiny bit of lime in the mix and put it in her mouth on a spoon. She was a little confused at first. She was definitely getting the feel of it, pushing it back and forth with her tongue. After she seemed like she had enough I cleaned her up and gave her a bottle.

When she was drinking her bottle, I made myself some guacamole. A teeny bit of cilantro, lime, and roma tomatoes were pureed and added. I did NOT use onions in this recipe - only some light herbs.

After she was done with her bottle, I sat her next to me on the couch and I started eating my chips and guac. She couldn't take her eyes off of me! So I thought 'What the heck... I'll give her a taste.' I put a teeny bit on my finger and she opened her mouth WIDE (as if she knew exactly what was going on) and closed down on the guac. She went CRAZY for it!! Kept begging for more!

Apparently my child is like me... gotta add flavor to those fruits and veggies! ;-)

At first I was giving her little bites on my finger, then I thought - I don't want her getting into the habit of eating off my finger. So I grabbed the spoon and she continued to eat. Eventually I had to stop, even though she was begging for more! AT 4 MONTHS!

That's my lil piggy! ;-)

Twins clinch AL Central title - I WAS THERE!

My MOH and dear friend Cece brought Beth and Me to the Twins game last night. We started the night with a beer and apps at The Refuge. The food was quite good!

Then we walked a couple of blocks to the stadium and found our seats. We were sitting next to these two guys who were quite intrigued by us - especially Cece.

The game was pretty slow for a while... then we started losing. During that time, we decided to walk around and check out the new stadium. During our lap, we got mini donuts, nachos, and popcorn. We sat back down for the last three innings. I gave the remainder of my nachos with the two dudes. They were appreciative.

Some how... the Twins started coming back! Even though I saw that they were doing better I had to leave. But Cece messaged me later to tell me the good news!

They clinched the title!

Our Crazy Nurse Story

When I was preggers with Isla I was considered a high-risk pregnancy, so any time I felt strong contractions I would go in... precaution, right?

Well... Went in this one afternoon and was seen by (what seemed at first) a nice nurse. The place was empty. The nurses were sitting behind the desk... chatting. She brought us into a triage room and I put on the gown. She put on the monitor and said she would be back in a couple of minutes to see if it was working correctly and to bring me some water that I requested.

Well... we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally ONE HOUR LATER she came back (no water). I was feeling strong contractions - but they weren't coming up on the monitor! It wasn't even reading it properly! 

She readjusted it and said "Oh it looks like you are due for your Group B Strep test. Wanna get that taken care of?" We said "sure." 

So she lifts the gown to do the test, sticks the swab in there and OUCH! She jabbed me! Almost seemed purposeful! She said, yet again, that she'd be back in a couple more minutes...

Guess what?! 50 MINUTES LATER  we were wondering where the heck she was! I had to pee, so I got up, took off my monitor and looked out in the hall. At this time I can hear MY triage alarm going off. Waiting for someone to come by... NOTHING.

Finally I said screw it. The contractions had subsided, so I went to the bathroom, put my clothes on, and walked down the hall to the nurses station.

The nurse got all defensive... making up excuses for why we were waiting for 2 hours....

The following Tuesday I saw my midwife. She says, "Ok today we are to do the GroupB Strep test." I said "We did it on Saturday when we came in." There was NO RECORD of us getting the test done or even COMING IN! The nurse tried to hide it!

At that point I told her everything the nurse had done, including hurting me while taking the sample. It was bleeding after that, btw. My midwife said that its not supposed to hurt.

Anyway... summing it up... Nurse was crazy and tried to cover it up... which made it worse. My midwife said she was going to do something about it. Well... guess who I had the NEXT time I came in........ Yeah, you got it!

Sloppy dogs and open bars.

First I want to say GOOD JOB to my husband who ran the Bolder Dash on Saturday morning. He did so great! He wanted to get a race in before the TC Marathon, and I don't blame him. Races are so fun - the people cheering you on help with endurance! It's nuts!

Isla and I had a good time cheering on daddy! It may have been sprinkling a bit, but the sun kept peeking through making it worth it! I was pleasantly surprised to see that Starbucks was the coffee sponsor of the event! ;-)

I watched this one dad with a huge camera carrying around his toddler in one of those back packs. At one point he kneeled down and the boy went flying over the top! Super man style! The dad caught him and the boy just giggled. It was pretty funny...only because he didn't get hurt!

After that we got back, showered, etc and around 12:45 Rich and I started our quest to Iowa for Mikki's wedding. Kelly was at the house with Isla and the doggies for that day and night.

While driving I got hungry (of course), so we stopped at a little DQ. We both ordered Chili Cheese Dogs, which is usually my favorite at DQ. Well, not this time! I think some how they mistook chili for SLOPPY JOE sauce. Mmmm... A sloppy dog. Not too pleasant.

After about 3 hours of driving we arrived in Estherville, IA. Went straight to the hotel and some how managed to be roomed right next to all of our friends! How that happened... we don't know! Rich and I got the jacuzzi suite - very roomy!

We all got ready and headed over to the wedding. Mikki looked beautiful! The food was good and so was the beer! Maybe a little TOO good? ;-)

We kicked off our shoes and danced the night away. Then headed back to MN after a dip in the jacuzzi in the morning!

Thanks Mikki and Tyson for such a great time!!

Bugs, Bugs, EVERYWHERE!

And I don't mean the kind that fly annoyingly by your head - or even bite you... I mean the ones that get you sick, like the common cold!

My poor Isla Bee is sick - again. I'm fighting something too. I wish there was more we could do for her when she's sick, but she's just so little! Daycare lady mention Vicks Vapor Rub on her feet and back. I might have to try that tonight.

Leaky Diapers

So I just found out on Saturday that Katie's FuzziBunz leak with only one insert, too. I just thought that Isla peed a lot! ;-)

I have been using two inserts for months, but I'm switching to one because I want Isla to be able to move around easier. She is getting to the point of rolling over, grabbing her toes, etc... So I will just use one insert and watch her a bit more closely.

Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE FB. It's just helpful to hear that someone else is having a similar problem so I know I'm doing it right!

Rollin rollin rollin rollin roll - WHAT

:-) Isla rolled over from her back to her belly yesterday! She did it for Rich a bunch of times and we kinda got it on video. ha. We'll just have to get the full thing on video next time!

Isla woke up at 6:20 am today. Happy as a clam, of course. She ate and enjoyed her morning PBS cartoons. She was talking up a storm at Arthur, too. :-) Ugh I hate leaving her in the morning.

A fine last few days...

I got up (some how at 7:18 - not sure how since I know I set my alarm) and did my normal routine - change and feed Isla, shower, let doggies out, and make my espresso. When I was making my espresso I opened up the fridge to discover that I had NO MILK! UGH... That just threw everything off course.

Kelly and Brian got engaged last night! We've got the engagement party planned - just waiting for the day to arrive!

Was going to go grocery shopping last night, but Isla wasn't very pleasant at daycare - so I was NOT taking the risk of carting her around at the store. Maybe tonight. She really hasn't been sleeping well, either. I wonder if maybe she's teething?

We have her 4 month appointment today with Dr Bodine. Looking forward to seeing where she is at with growth and development. I think we can start doing rice cereal soon.

Takin' er up north...

I will start off by expressing my gratitude for my employer's family. Such kind-hearted, thoughtful people - allowing employees to use their personal cabins.

It took us a while to get moving on Thursday. I went to sleep, and woke up, with a giant headache... making it very hard to get packed. Finally at about noon we were picking up Sue and on the road.

Isla doesn't really dig long car rides. She wasn't too pleasant on the way there (or way back). We had to stop about an hour before Grand Rapids to change her and walk her around. It was a planned stop, just a bit earlier than planned. The dogs piddled and we were back on our way.

We stopped in Grand Rapids for groceries. Isla really appreciated the time out of the car. She was great the rest of the way.

When we were finally on the "home stretch" on Hwy 6 things were going great. Isla was content, we were getting pumped - but we all know that happiness couldn't last. All of a sudden out darted a cat across the road! :-( Needless to say - we hit it. There was no avoiding it. Sorry to the unfortunate family of that poor little kitty. RIP.

Finally we arrived at the cabin! When we saw it we were all like kids in a candy store!

First of all... these cabins aren't cabins at all. They are log homes tucked away on a plethora of private land and lake shore. There are three of them, two of which are utilized by employees. Each one has a fishing boat, pontoon, pool, hot tub, and sauna.They share a tennis court and PRIVATE 9-HOLE GOLF COURSE. We utilized all but the tennis court.

Isla was such a good girl during our stay, too. I really think she enjoyed napping on the TempurPedic-style king sized bed in the master bedroom. I know I did! We brought her jumperoo and she joined us near the pool and hot tub all weekend! She LOVES being outside. Takes after daddy!

The doggies were in doggy heaven!! They got to run around, fetch balls and sticks, chase squirrels, jump in the pool, and they even met a new "friend." Saturday night, a gorgeous, young black husky came to visit. It had tags, so his owners had to be around nearby. He stuck around til at LEAST 6'oclock the next morning. :-( I hope he is alright. I did call the number on his tag, which brought me to his vet. I left a message explaining where he was - so hopefully someone found him.

We had to keep an eye out for eagles with the doggies outside. When Scooter was out, especially, the eagles would hover as if watching for the right moment. I've definitely heard of little doggies getting snatched up by eagles. The doggies almost went golfing with us until I saw the eagles hanging around... then they did it again on Sunday. Darn birds trying to eat my pups.

Rich and I stayed until 6 pm on Sunday (yeah, didn't get home until 10:30). We wanted to take Sunday slow and enjoy our last day! How often do we get to enjoy something as amazing as that?!

A few more...

A couple of photos from my "new" camera

Lesson Learned: Don't forget priorities!

Did a whoopsie-daisies at work on Friday. I was so caught up in the company event that I forgot to post a good chunk of really important mail... Nice one Jess.

I realized what I had done the MOMENT I walked into work today. Saw it and shook my head in disappointment (in myself).

And then I heard about it... Not so fun.

Sleep Deprivation

I'm not even going to attempt much of a post today. I am lacking in sleep due to a fussy baby at 3 am.

We do have stories to tell... Just not this morning. ;-)

Bee stings and tingling toes...

Forgot to mention in my last blog....

When I was filling up at the gas station yesterday I thought I felt something prick my butt cheek... At first I thought maybe it was just a tag or something that might have been poking me.

The spot started to sting and itch. I was like... what the heck?! I said to Sue, "I think something just stung my butt!" I still continued with what I was doing, not thinking much of it. Next, in the FRONT part of my pj pants, I felt something crawling around. I pulled out the pants and there was a bee!!! Crawling around in my pants! Naturally I began to freak out.

When I was younger whenever I got stung by a bee that spot would swell, itch, etc. My first thought was, 'well how can my butt swell any more than it already is?' ;-) Anyway, it did start to swell a bit... then my leg and toes started getting all tingly. My leg felt weak - but I was driving, so I didn't have to walk on it anyway.

Eventually the swelling and tingling subsided and all I had left was an achy pricked butt cheek.



Until next time...



MommyStarbucks

New cameras... Kickin' it to some Country music... and the MN State Fair!

As Isla takes her morning nap, I am sipping on my homemade skinny vanilla latte and pondering about what this Labor Day Weekend has already brought.

Firstly - it's been a blast!

Started my Friday with playing around with my "new" camera I bought from Markus (my good friend and coworker). I saw these amazing photos framed in his office and he said "I took those with this camera that I'm selling..." So I bought it. HA

Friday night was great! My bff/cousin Julia drove to ChanHappenin from our home state of WI to hang out. We started the evening out by visiting America's Best Eye Care in Shakopee to pick up more contacts and order some new glasses. SIDEBAR: Discovered a week ago that in the past three years my right eye has changed significantly (for the bad) but my left eye is unchanged. Since this is the first time in over 6 years I have worn contacts the doc needed to check them out in my eyes before he got me more... Well I wasn't wearing my contacts that he gave me (free trials)... So needless to say I was unable to get more contacts that day. I must revisit early this week. Anyway, I did get some new glasses. Hey, you can't beat two pair for $69.99! Plus I got a 20% discount! After taxes, etc, I paid $60. What a steal!

Moving on....

After all of that we went home to hang with Rich and Isla. We had a delicious Spaghetti dinner that we ALL made together (I know, cute, right?). We ate wayyy too much. After dinner Julia and I got ready to go pick up my other BFF Sue.

We picked up Sue and headed to Maplewood to dance to some Country music at the Dive Bar! Wow did we have a blast! Its the first time in a long time I got to just go out with my girls and let loose! Apparently early in the night a dance instructor teaches (mostly ladies) some line dancing moves. We enjoyed watching the other ladies so some fun, synchronized dancing all night. We did, however, throw in some of our own kickin' moves! ;-) We met some great people that will be good friends for life!


Saturday midday we lazied around the house and hung out with Isla. In the afternoon Julia and I went to the MN State Fair. Like always, I had an amazing time. Lots of walking, talking, and eating was involved.

Later in the night Julia went home :-( and Rich and I ended the night watching Dexter, season 4. GREAT show!



Until next time...



MommyStarbucks

Giggles and gaga's

Isla was chosen to do a Pearson Research Study a little while back. Pearson met with Isla, Rich, and Me to interact with Isla and take notes. The first study (about three weeks ago) went really well, but they needed to do a little follow up with her.

They came to the house on Tuesday afternoon to finish up her study. As we were doing the study I started tickling Isla along the sides near her rib cage... And for the FIRST TIME (for us at least) she started doing the cutest giggle and gaga's I have ever heard come from her mouth!! :-) I wish I could have video taped it!

She hasn't done it since. OF COURSE! ;-)


Until next time...



MommyStarbucks

A chance of whooping cough...? Should I bring Isla in?

So Isla may have "indirectly" come in contact with someone with whopping cough. She isn't showing any signs or symptoms as of yet, but should I even wait for her to show the signs? Or should I get to her to the doc quick?

We were at a baby shower and there was a baby there that showed some signs of it, but it wasn't guaranteed that she had it. We kept them apart, but some of the ladies were holding both babies. Then early this week it was confirmed. Should I be concerned?

I am a little worried, but I'm not typically a big worry wart. Any advice would be great!

Until next time...



MommyStarbucks

Sharing a "One in a Million Chance" Story

On my momslikeme.com site there is this darling girl that was told one day that the "squirt" inside her probably didn't have a chance... As of the other day, "squirt" is still there! Here is her story:

"So, as most of you have read, I was told last Tuesday, that Squirt (my bun in the oven) did not have a heart beat, and was missing from the sac. They figured he/she just didnt form, and it was left at that. Yesterday, I still hadn't felt like I passed the pregnancy and had a follow up with my dr. She brought me to a surgical room to start the DnC process. I was in tears walking in. She sat me down and said this happens, and I will be okay. I asked her what my levels were. She said "Of the 5 other women in the same position as you today, you have the lowest levels." I accepted with tears, and asked what the chance was that there was a baby. She said, "Kailly, I hate to say this, but you have a one in a million chance that there is a baby."

We started the procedure. She did an ultrasound to see where everything was placed and said Id be all done soon, and could head home to rest. Well, the machine didn't want to work, so we battled for about 10 minutes. Then she got a clear picture. All she said was "HOLY SHI*" I asked what was going on. She spun the screen, and there on the screen was a blob with a heartbeat. Squirt is back!!!!!

Now, there seem to be some complications, so we arent out of the water yet. She even had other doctors come in to look. One said Squirt is easily a miracle. I too, am shocked!!! There is another ultrasound on Friday, and  Ill get pictures. There I'll find out why the yolk sac thing is so big, and why the baby is so small. While not out of the water, I couldnt help but share with my favorite moms!!!

So, I thank you for all your support! And I thank god, for my one in a million miracle. Ive been on cloud nine for the last 26 hours"

I'm so happy for her! :-)

Last minute company parties are a BLAST...

A bit of sarcasm in the title...

So, we are having a company Vikings tailgate party on Sept 9. The reason for this little bbq is the kickoff to the season for the Vikes. I was given this task on Friday... giving me 7 work-days to coordinate. Typically I work quite well under pressure... I am working well under THIS pressure, however it has been quite the task.

Everything was going great UNTIL Monday my promo lady kept giving me bad news about the items we are giving to the employees... "They don't have that available anymore...." "They keep flying out the door..." Etc etc...

I've had to get the catering coordinated (with the caterer less than helpful, since he's been unavailable 4 out of 6 days), posters, invites, and emails created, arrange the space - rain or shine, order and muster up gifts, give aways, and tickets.... And more all in about a week.

THEN after getting things squared away with our head count, gifts, and catering, etc... I got a notice from one of our VP's that we are also inviting our neighboring company to the party. Yes, 66 employees might not seem like much, but add that to 115 and you've got some problems... especially when working with a tight budget. Now THIS is a test of my "skills" so to speak. ;-) I won't cut corners, but we will definitely be pinching the penny a bit more.

To top this delightful "ice cream sundae" off - I won't even be at the event to enjoy it! However, I can't complain. I will be at the company's cabin from the 9th - 12th with a great group of friends.

All I can say is - that darn caterer better call me back tomorrow - or sh!t will be hitting the fan! ;-)

Until next time...



MommyStarbucks

Because she's so cute...

One of the main reasons for this blog is my darling daughter Isla Bee. Here's a bit of background from her oh-so hectic life! ;-)

DOB: May 11, 2010

Right now she has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. She is a bundle of personality - talking up a storm! She has been sleeping through the night for about 2.5 months and it's really been a blessing!

But it hasn't all been a piece of cake. Since she was born she has had problems with her little baby tummy. We started noticing right before her two week appointment. We have tried a few different formulas for her, finally discovering a "lactose free" formula - not soy based.

Now that she's been on that for about a month or so, we are finally starting to see a big change! She is no longer extremely crabby in the evening, when she would have her "spells," and she seems so much happier!

Her development seems to be right on cue! She holds her head up great and is grabbing at toys. She's almost discovered her feet... I think that's coming soon.

She loves when I sing to her - she seems to want to sing back. She moves her feet as if walking or dancing (in her Jumperoo) when I dance/jump with her. She watches me as I work out on Wii Fit and tries to copy my movements. It's the greatest thing to watch her interact!

We have her room decorated all fun and pink. I call it "Confessions of a Shopaholic." She loves looking at all of the pictures - it's very stimulating! We might have one side affect - she may grow up to be a shopaholic! ;-)

Until next time...


MommyStarbucks

Rob from the rich...?

So Monday was an intense day.

Started out fine at about 7 am... Isla wasn't crabby, I didn't oversleep, etc. I knew that I had to be to the office by ten minutes to 8 to turn on the phones for Eileen. With plenty of time for me to get my daily Starbucks fix and a bite to eat I left the house about about 7:39 am.

I hopped into the Mazda, started her up and pulled out of my parking spot. I turned the corner towards the main road and was halted by two police officers - one with a VERY LARGE GUN. You know, the kind that the army uses when they guard the borders? Yes, that kind of gun. They were keeping a black car from leaving the drive. I watched as they searched the trunk and speak firmly to the people in the car.

As I sat there in my car more officers arrived on the "scene." They all spoke quite seriously, yet calmly. One officer told the first officer on the scene to "tell the people in those cars to go back into the parking lot." I was pretty worried at this point, because I needed to get to the office - and soon!

Luckily the first officer had a heart and told the other officer "I don't think that's gonna happen. These folks need to get to work." He then proceeded to move his car slightly to the right so I and the others could slip through.

Finally at about 7:50 I was up and running! I didn't, however, get to enjoy my delicious Starbucks. That ruined my day.


I later found out that the reason for all that hussle and bussle was because the TCF (less than a block from my home) had an attempted robbery. Apparently the get-away car had been stashed in my townhome's parking lot. The car in front of me was NOT the get away car... just a suspicious couple.

I'm almost glad they didn't catch them, because if they had gotten close, those robbers could have easily made this a hostage situation with someone in our complex. They didn't get away with any cash... so it's all good.

I have to say, though, that they must have been noob, because they chose a bank that is 2 blocks from the cop station. Wow... Wow... Wow.

It's about time! Here's the intro!

Well, All... I'm finally doing it - I've created a blog!

Let's play a little catch-up, shall we?

My name is Jess.
 I am a small town gal from Wisconsin whose passions are event managing, outdoor adventures, and babies (specifically my baby, Isla Betty - aka Isla Bee).  I moved to Minnesota in 2007 to be with my (now) husband, Rich. We live in Chanhassen (aka ChanHappenin, the home of Dave Ryan), and (besides the recent bank robberies) have loved every moment! We have two Rat Terrier doggies, Scooter and Sparky... and boy are they a hoot!

I have quite the extensive background - from working administrative, day cares, events, hospitality, and more - you name it, I've done it (Sidebar: Ok, if you say ditch digger or vegetable canner, you'll have got me on those.)

I enjoy Starbucks coffee, a lot. I usually will spend half of my life savings on coffee in the morning before work - but have just recently gotten my espresso maker up and running at home! Now I will be saving probably close to $40+ bucks a month (hope my husband doesn't read my blog!) just by making my own Skinny Iced Caramel Machiatto (with whip) at home! ;-) Don't worry, Starbucks... The espresso and syrups still come from you!

In the last year or so I have begun Going Green. We have our close family and friends to thank for helping us onto the wagon! We're still a little rusty, but we're getting better! All of our household cleaning products are now green, especially laundry detergent.

A big part of our life that is "Green" is my love for CLOTH DIAPERING! It's easier and not as dirty as you may think! Once you start and get into your groove, you will soon fall in love! I use FuzziBunz One Size and LOOOOVE them!

I have to thank all of my fellow Cloth Diaper Supporters from MomsLikeMe.com and especially Miss Tara for all of her fun blog posts and her passion for Cloth Diapers!

Ok, so that's a little about me! More about my semi-interesting life to come!



Jess