Is This Normal?

So amid the cheers of Kate's winning, we've got ourselves a situation in the Zimmerman home.  Maybe Kate is feeling the pressure to be skinny since she's now won or something is seriously wrong with her.  

For two weeks now, she pukes...she pukes?  yes, she pukes.  Let me explain.  

When it started, it was once a day, after I would change her diaper.  I figured I was feeding her too much and the pressure on her tummy was too much.  So I cut back on the amount I was feeding her but to no avail, she would still throw up.  And then it began to occur twice  a day.  That's when I started to worry.  Last Tuesday, I went to the Pediatrician to make sure she was still fine, weight wise and not becoming dehydrated.  Well she was about the same weight as she was at her 9 month apt, which, the doctor said was normal at this age because they tend to taper off in gainage and becoming mobile.  So she assumed it was reflux and gave me a prescription for a baby antacid...

I asked, Is it common for babies to develop reflux at 10 months old? 

She says, not really but sometimes this happens.

Okay, I say.  I am just hoping this solves the problem.

Fast forward to right now.  

She now pukes any time she lays on her back, meaning: diaper changes, naps, bedtimes, playing around with Emma, cuddling on the couch. (the scary part is during the night, when we don't always know...what if she chokes?!)

I have permanently smelled like puke for 2 weeks straight..it's quite becoming...no but seriously, I am honestly worried.  This is NOT normal, right?

We take the precautions of  making sure she never goes on her back.  So that means changing her diaper angled on a boppy pillow or something to prop her back...or even standing up...ya, can you imagine that?  I couldn't until now.

We make sure to change her right before we feed her so as to limit the amount of puke that will come out of her mouth.

We have gotten so desperate as to tape a large circular object on her back so she can't completely lay flat on her back... 

(...umm Joe's idea and invention...first time we're using it tonight and it seems to do the job...she just looks like a bug or something )

So I called my pediatrician today or the on-call answering service and my Ped called me back and I explained to her the extreme situation we are having with Kate.  She seemed not alarmed and said to come in sometime this next week and we'll have a look see at her vitals.  

So I just tell her the reality of what happens each day and my suspicion that it is not reflux but something else.  So I've been going crazy, trying to figure this out.  The antacids she gave us before don't do anything.  But luckily, Kate is such a calm, content little thing that she's just fine.  Other than the fact that she pucks like 3-4 times a day, she happy and laughing, playing with Emma.  It doesn't even phase her.  So it's quite the quandary.

Any takers?

Kate is the WINNER!

Thank you to everyone who helped us out and voted.  Thanks to all of your hard work, Kate was crowned the "Cutest Sassy Baby" this evening, 6 pm MST.  We were so excited to find this out!  I had no idea it had ended.  I was minding my own business and checking votes when I stumbled upon the final votes.  Kate won with 924 votes, the next contender had 862 votes...so I think that's a pretty good lead! (secret shout out to my brother JC...love you!!) 

Even though it was a tiny baby boutique contest, this is so exciting!!  I know Kate is going crazy about the win :)  I'll let you know what I buy with my winnings!

Love you all :)

Friday is the last day!

The baby contest for Kate is closing tomorrow, Friday! So everyone VOTE to the end!!

remember, go to www.sassybabies.com and vote for Kate!

the end...

Not the end of this blog.  Yes, i'm aware of the lack of participants this blog is experiencing right now.  I haven't given lots of effort into it since the blog shop opened.  But as months go by, I get more anxious and panic attacks about the shop.  I don't know if I can handle juggling that and family life.  I hate having to neglect children or housework to sew something together.  Before, I was up for the challenge of making and selling nursing covers but honestly, the thought gives me even more butterflies!  I just have to be honest with myself.  I can not juggle things I'd like to make and being a mom and homemaker.  I've tried it and looking back, I was in constant stress and worry all the time.  I have realized that I like to make and create things not under a time contraint.  I like to make things when I like to make them.  So I think i'm out....okay, let me re-phrase that.  I am out!

I have tons of things that I need to work on and do at home and with my girls.  And personally, I feel that that is much more important than making a few bucks on the side, right?  I honestly feel so much better about this decision.  But this is just me.  Honestly, more power to those who can do it all.  But I'm just not one of them.  So hopefully with that said, i'll have many new things on this...but let's not hold our breath anytime soon :)

Which TWo do you like?

So I want to get a vote going on which TWO pictures of Emma you like the best.  I love all of them but I want everyone's opinion on which two they like the best.  The reason?  I can't explain it really but just humor me on this one :)  So anyone who has an opinion on the matter, vote on the side, next to this post and vote for 2.

Please vote from the following:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

Mattress

So we're in need of a new mattress for our bed. We got out current mattress only a few years ago, when we moved here but we got a knock off of Temperpedic and it was a king size bed and it was really cheap. Initially, it was comfy but as time went on, that is not the case anymore. It's not good on both of our backs. SOOO any one out there have a great mattress that they like? Please, anyone, we're desperate! Thanks :)

A time to reflect

Yep, this is a reflection post. And it helps that my camera is broken and so I haven't been able to take pictures this past week. It's been an eventful week however and hopefully soon, my camera will be fixed. Joe is now officially done with 3rd year and with it comes the pressure of answering all the "what am I going to do with my life?" questions that we've been asking ourselves for the past 3 years. 

There are so many options for Joe. Everyday we'll talk about another option. So it gets repetitive and frustrating trying to figure out what he truly wants to do. So that's what we'll be discussing everyday until he figures that out. This isn't a post about venting about Joe and him not deciding. I don't mind all the ongoing conversations because I want him to figure out what he wants to do and not to be rushed or settle for something that he'll regret years down the road.

 So he has been shadowing his options and studying for the GRE, which he'll be taking June 5th. So now we just see and wait as time goes on and applications become due. Anyways, hopefully soon, we'll have a more set future plan on that so we can then start planning the next step of where we want to live...that one is a toughy. Anywhere is an option!  Anyways, I won't go into that because that's a whole other post itself.

The other night, I had to go to the Texas Med Clinic for an infection that I potentially had.  I got there around 8 pm and didn't get home until 10:15...and it costed $150 since I don't have insurance for myself.  And after all that, they didn't find an infection at the moment but was going to send off my result to another laboratory and do a further study.  I won't find out real result until Monday.  So that stinks.  I just want my medication but I guess I can suffer for a few more days...  so yes, I am venting about that.

Yesterday, we went to Sea World.  We were all excited to take the girls to the water park for the first time this year.  We get everything packed, girls dressed.  We get there, in the thick heat that I love so much and the water park is closed!!  boo hoo!  Well great, what to do now?  I'm not about to just walk around in this weather!  They did have a little area for small kids that dealt with water so we went there for a bit.  But of course, Emma was scared of the water in all forms so she wouldn't play in it.  It was too cold for Kate so we ended up just holding our kids in 100 degree weather.  It was kind of funny and ironic that our kids were scared of water when that was the whole purpose of going and for how hot it was.  So we ended up going to look at the dolphins and the shark aquarium.  That was pretty cool.  Afterwards, we left and relaxed the rest of the day.  Today we'll probably just relax too, unless Joe wants to take a study break or something.

Some of my goals this summer are as follows:

1. potty train Emma.  She is well over due and I think she is ready.  It's really me that is not allowing it to happen.  I mean, she'll be 3 in September.  I for sure want her trained my 3!  And since this next month, Joe will be home, I think it will be a great time so I can get some help and support.  Things seem to go well with Joe's help.
2. Completely wean Kate.  I've gone down to 2 feeds a day now, morning and night.  But by the time she's one, I want those off too.  She's doing well with other liquids and milk so I think it'll be fine.
3. Do something for Kate's 1st birthday.  I am not sure if I want to do a whole huge shabang party but I probably will because, I mean, it's her first!
4. Lose these last wretched 10 lbs that just don't seem to go away.
5. My mom is the bomb and made like a gazillion file folder stuff for the kids, like sunday boxes and scripture stories for FHE and just teaching the scriptures.  So I want to organize and finish those up so I can start using them

So on the matters of my goals, I want to ask any of you out there with tips on potty training.  I have asked some of you but I just want a wide variety of options incase Emma is difficult to train.  So please, any advise or help would be great!!

And thank you everyone for your help with Kate's contest and voting for her!  Keep it up! :)

For those of you having trouble...

Some of you have emailed or talked to me that your computer or the website isn't allowing you to vote once a day. Like the page just shows the results. I had the same problem at the beginning. I had to email the lady and ask her what I need to do. She told me that if you delete the cookies and internet history on your computer, then it should reset the page and let you vote again...so hope that helps :)

My sister was on the news!

So do go on about the obsessiveness of Twilight that my sister, Katie has, she appeared on the news labeled as "the twilight Fan". If you want the full scoop of it, check out her blog here. Anyways, I had to put this on my blog and show off my sister's debut!

The Contest...continued...

So I just had to add this in on here because it's both hilarious and disappointing to what some moms will do.  

So the website that the contest is on for Kate has been kind of shifty today because they have been doing some site work.  So trying to vote for Kate again for the day hasn't happened yet.  It still isn't allowing me.  But I guess for some parent's out there, it is still allowing them to vote multiple times...and when I say multiple times, i mean hundreds!  

If you go on to the site and see results from the voting, one particular contestant has like 234 votes in only the first day!  The reason I found this out is I had emailed the lady in charge of the votes, asking if it not allowing me to vote was normal.  She responded back saying that they are fixing some problems because some people were voting more than once a day, like one mom voted for her baby 150+ times just this morning!

Talk about determined to get their kid a $25 gift certificate!  lol so it's funny to me how much people will go to have their kids win..but it's just disappointing to what costs they will go to do that.  Anyways, i'll let you know what happens next  :)

Kate is a Finalist!!

Well I am excited to say that today, we found out that Kate is a finalist for a baby contest at a baby boutique!  We'd love all of you help in voting and making sure she wins :)

The baby boutique is called Sassy Babies and the contest is held on line at www.sassybabies.com

You can vote once a day and we'd love all your help!!  Once you're on the website, find the "baby contest voting" link and vote for Kate!!  Thanks for all your help and support.  We'll let you know what happens!!

Here's the photo that got her here:

So go VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Chubbs McKate is a Finalist!

Well I am excited to say that today, we found out that Kate is a finalist for a baby contest at a baby boutique!  We'd love all of you help in voting and making sure she wins :)

The baby boutique is called Sassy Babies and the contest is held on line at www.sassybabies.com

You can vote once a day and we'd love all your help!!  Once you're on the website, find the "baby contest voting" link and vote for Kate!!  Thanks for all your help and support.  We'll let you know what happens!!

Here's the photo that got her here:

So go VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!

Good Ol' Ebay

So if you've been reading these posts from me, you would now about Emma and her doggie that she likes to drag around everywhere.  The picture above shows the item in which I am discussing in Emma's arms.  And the problem with that is the possibility of losing it.  And a couple of times, she has left it at friend's houses and i've had to go get it because she won't take a nap with out it.  And That's been my fear ever since Emma became attached to the doggie if we ever permanently lost it.  So for some time now, i've been trying to find "replacements" for the doggie.  Joe's mom got the dog from Walmart 2 Easter's ago.  I even emailed Walmart a year ago, seeing if they still had any extra dogs in storage that I could buy...yes I am THAT paranoid of making sure I find something to replace because I don't know how Emma (or I) will cope once the dog is missing.  I mean, she is always holding this thing...ALWAYS!   

SOOO a few nights ago, I was just on-line, looking up random stuff.  I was on ebay looking at stuff and then I got the thought to see if ebay would have a THE dog.  So I looked up "Walmart Stuff Animals"  and started looking through all the stuff.  Then I came to this post:

Two Stuffed Easter Dogs, both for $7

I couldn't believe it!  It was the exact same dogs!  And even better, I found 2!  I was so excited, I bought it right then before someone else who was in need of 2 easter dogs would get it...okay, that seems unlikely but I couldn't take my chances.

And better yet, now Kate can have her own doggie too.  She has been constantly trying to take Emma's dog from her.  It's really funny because Emma will get so mad.  So this will solve the problem.  So I gotta hand it to Ebay for allowing this dream to come true!

Epicurean Style Aprons

Ok first let me say that I DID NOT make these.

My friend, Michelle, owns an online store called Epicurean Style.  She designs and makes these adorable aprons.  So I wanted to do a shout out to her and her wonderful aprons, and hopefully this will help spread the word for her too.  And talk about a great Mother's Day gift!

Check out her site at www.epicureanstyle.com.

Recently, Michelle discovered that someone has taken her design for apron-making and sold them as their own...and even worse is that Michelle had sold her one of her aprons a few months ago..so you can figure out what this person did.  It makes me so upset!  My friends and I have experienced similar things and it's so disappointing what people do these days...talk about lack of honesty!  Anyways, had to vent and help out my friend, spread the word.

ADORABLE APRONS!

Ok first let me say that I DID NOT make these.

My friend, Michelle, owns an online store called Epicurean Style.  She designs and makes these adorable aprons.  So I wanted to do a shout out to her and her wonderful aprons, and hopefully this will help spread the word for her too.  And talk about a great Mother's Day gift!

Check out her site at www.epicureanstyle.com.

Recently, Michelle discovered that someone has taken her design for apron-making and sold them as their own...and even worse is that Michelle had sold her one of her aprons a few months ago..so you can figure out what this person did.  It makes me so upset!  My friends and I have experienced similar things and it's so disappointing what people do these days...talk about lack of honesty!  Anyways, had to vent and help out my friend, spread the word.  

A year in the making...

Usually, the term "A year in the making" is an exaggeration. Well not in this case. This past weekend has been planned for seriously a year. How come? Well my great friend, Jaime Blaisdell & my sister, Katie, came to visit! It has taken much preparation for it and you'll see why as you read on....and FYI, it's a long post :) Oh if you want a very detailed description of this past weekend, visiting here.  This is my sister's blog and she is great at writing stories!

Jaime flew in Wednesday night and stayed with Hillery. They came over to Jazmin's and hung out with us as we were getting things made for our Twilight party that would be on Friday night :) So we had each day planned out with fun activities. On thursday morning, a few of us went to the San Marcos Outlet malls...OMG, this place is huge!! I honestly can't describe the ginormousness of it. Just know that if you are in the area, you have to go! Got some great deals there and i'll be going back again

Here's Christine, me, Jaime and Hillery with our kids

Thursday night, we went and ate at Rudy's for some good old fashion BBQ and everything else. It was yummy. And it was fun to be with our friends and our husbands of course. We had found a baby sitter, which was probably good since Emma would be freakin' out. So here we are...I apologize for the grease face...It was a hot day and waited in the hot line to get our hot food :)
me and Jaime :)
Now Friday, we had a playgroup in the morning to hang out while the kids hung out too. Then it was the infamous Twilight Party!!

Look at this table!!

Hillery, Jamie and Jami preparing food
Jami, Hillery, Jazmin, Jill, Jaime, Katie and Me
Our place setting...YUMMY FOOD
Katie, Christine, Jill, Hillery, Jami, Jamie, Jazmin, Amber and Me eating dinner
OH, how could you not like Twilight?  lol

Me, Katie and Jaime

Fun Times!!
Christine aka Vanna White doing our Twilight Jeopordy...yes we are that obsessed!
Here's the Twilight Crew:

Jill, Christine, Jazmin, Amber, Jami, Jamie
Me, Katie, Jaime & Hillery

Here are the finalists in Jeopordy.
Jaime-1st place

Jami-2nd place

Jazmin-3rd place

Fangs! We love our vampires :)

So as the party was coming to a close, there was talk of doing a midnight movie of Baby Mama...so we did. SOOO tired but SOOO fun with the ones you love!
Christine, Katie and me ( not pictured is Jaime and Jill)
Saturday, Katie and I slept in, missing the bakery run that everyone else did. But we went downtown to do the whole riverwalk and Alamo thing with Katie. We met at Katie's hotel and then walked over. We did a river boat tour and it was fun...
Jamie, Jill, me and Kate
Christine, Katie, Jami, and Jaime

Kate and Jami...Kate did awesome and so glad she so good since I had to drag her around this whole weekend.

So it was fun until the boat "master" told us to be quiet since it was a narrarated tour. So this is me shhhhing the camera...but honestly, he was talking in a huge blaring microphone..how could we talk over that?
The Alamo!
The guns!
Serious family shot
Next, we ate at Casa Rio for Lunch on the river walk. So yummy.  But we did have a slow waiter!  We almost did a dine-n-ditch, which would have been funny!

Katie, Me, Kate, Jami, Jill, Christine, Jamie and Jaime

Cutie Kate, she really was such a good girl!

Next was the secretive Shower  that Christine, Jami and I put together.  We distracted Jaime and Jamie so we could get everything together to have a card-making night/surprise shower for the two of them.  Jamie is having a boy and Jaime is keeping it a surprise!  So while the girls went to do pedicures, we got things up and running.  I was so glad that they didn't find out.  So they were totally surprised and we had lots of fun.  

I made some cash cans for $$ donations for the mothers-to-be so they wouldn't have to haul presents back home.  I think they got a large sum!
Jami, Jaime, Hillery and me sneaking into the picture
The 3 pregnant ladies, Jami, Jaime and Jamie :)

Card making!

Katie and I caught in a "laughing tornado!" (That's our sister-sister term we use when we are having a laughing attack!)
Pretending to be like my other sister, Jenny, and farting on Katie's lap..wha wha
spirit fingers!

me Katie and Jaime

me, Jaime, Jami and Christine, on the couch, waiting for the office
looking at stuff
Office watchers

WOW, seriously, that was the busiest weekend ever.  We did so much in such a small amount of time!  I can't believe how lucky I am to have such a fun, out of control sister who will fly to SA just for the love of Twilight!  (yes, sadly, Twilight was Katie's first priority, then meeting Jaime, then me, her sister..wha wha)

Katie, I love you so much and I'm glad we had a "Katie-Lyssa" bonding time.  It was so fun.  I'm glad we were able to hang out, free of family and kids.  I"m so lucky to have such great friends who welcomed my sister and made her feel like one of the girls!  I hope you come out and play again!  

And thanks for everyone who helped with this weekend, whether it was planning, cooking, making, crafting, helping, laughing, crying, dancing, farting, wheeling, speeding, shhhhing, yelling, sleeping, fighting, eating, reading, or just having some plain FUN!