Can’t believe all the firsts we crammed in this past weekend….

Fishing with Daddy!

Over the weekend, Dave, Ryan and myself crammed in all sorts of activities that included a boat load (yes, boat load is a technical term for a lot, ;0) of firsts for our little guy. So many in fact that he spent most of Monday napping!

However, the firsts for Ryan actually started before the weekend even began when my mom and I took Ryan shoe shopping for the first time on Thursday. I have purchased shoes for him before, yet, this time he actually went with me to try them on at the store, this time we went to Kohls, and thank the lord that my mom was with us because without her, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I mean, it is tough to get a little kid to try on shoes. One, all he wanted to do was chew on them, two, he didn’t want them on his feet and did everything he possibly could to keep them off his feet, and three, he wouldn’t sit still so one of us had to hold him while the other put the shoes on his feet. After about a 20 minute struggle, we managed to find one pair of grey Nikes for him and one pair of sandals. They both look cute and hopefully, he’ll be walking in them soon! 

 

On Saturday the firsts for Ryan continued when we went for a car ride and stopped at a park in Ashwaubenon, WI. We decided that it would be fun to see if he would like swinging and sure enough, he did. He laughed the entire time and the more we pushed him on the swing, the more he laughed. It was sooo much fun! After the swinging, we headed over to the teeter-todder and gave that a go as well. Again, he completely loved it and couldn't stop laughing.

First time on a swing, he loved it!

Then on Sunday, Ryan experienced one more first when we took him fishing for the first time at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary during Wisconsin's free fishing weekend. Now even though he couldn't fish himself, we let him check out the fishing pole, look at the water, and take in the whole vibe of what fishing would be like. It was just interesting to see him check out everything that was going on around him. There were times that he just sat in my or Dave's arms without even moving, starring at the trees swaying back and forth in the wind or the birds flying overhead. Basically, we just had a nice, relaxing time together enjoying the beautiful weather and we're thinking about going fishing again this weekend because of how much fun we had!

Along with all the outdoor activities that Ryan did for the first time, a few of the other things he experienced included trying to walk in his new shoes (which didn't turn out all that well), trying to change the channels on the TV (which wasn't encouraged by us, but discovered on his own), petting Beaver our pooch without assistance, and eating some new foods like cheese and scrambled eggs. At first, he didn't really like the scrambled eggs, yet, when he got a few bites down, he didn't mind them so much. My suggestions is to make them light and fluffy. To do this, add a little milk to them while whisking the eggs up before you cook them. This makes them a little easier for your kid to eat, which seemed to help out Ryan when he ate them. 

Anyway,  for the most part, Ryan seemed to enjoy all of his firsts and it's going to be a complete riot to watch him experience more. I'm actually really looking forward to it and can't wait for what's to come!

Not sure what I would've done if I had a girl...

Okay, I’m going to admit this right now, I’m not sure what the hell I would have done if I would’ve popped out a girl instead of a boy. Sure, I may be a woman, but I sure don’t act like it, not in the least. I like basketball, dressing in sweats, and burping! LOL I’m guessing that if I did have a girl, she probably would’ve become a tomboy just like me since I’m not into frilly dresses, the color pink, flowers or any of that girly girl stuff.

I’m not saying that I wouldn’t have tried to get her all glamified because I would’ve given it a shot. I would’ve dressed her up in frilly girly clothes and have her do girly things, yet, I’m sure in the end, it probably wouldn’t have worked out given that I don’t know what I’m doing at all when it comes to that kind of stuff. Like, I’ve painted my nails once in my life at that was a disaster not to mention the time I tried to style my hair and how I ended up looking like a rooster. Imagining trying to do girly things with my little girl and show her the ropes would’ve been comical, but borderline sad with a lot of tears streaming down both of our faces. Ugh, I can just imagine the fights and the headaches!!!!!

Heck yeah, check out my new
Nike sweatsuit!

So again, I’m pretty blessed to have had a boy so I don’t have to deal with the girly stuff. Thus far, it’s been pretty awesome raising our little man Ryan beginning with how I can shop for cool boy clothes for him, which is something I’ve pretty much done my whole life since I don’t remember a time where I ever shopped in the girls or women’s section. Well, there was this one time, I bought like a sweater and black pants. And, I'm not counting the times I had to go maternity clothes shopping given that, that wasn't by choice, but out of necessity.

What’s pretty sweet is all the clothes I can browse and buy. I mean, there are Nike shoes to buy him and a plethora of sweat suits, awesome stocking caps and hats to look at, t-shirts with sports logos to splurge on, and it’s even been fun to get him crib sheets with different sports themes on them! I can’t wait until he’s a bit older and we can head to the sporting goods store together! A new basketball hoop with a basketball; a set of golf clubs; a baseball bat, mitt, ball, and jersey; maybe a tennis racket and a tennis ball; a real football; a little toddler bike; and a bunch of other sport related purchases I'm sure are definitely on the horizon! I can’t wait to get him all kinds of stuff, it's going to be so much fun. Ooh, I should probably get him a fishing pole too!

Yep, his hammer has become
his most favorite toy!

The shopping though isn’t the only thing that’s been fun about raising a boy. Another thing that I’ve enjoyed is the neat boy things we can do together. For example, we can play our version of catch as much and as long as we want without having to take a break and do something else like with play with dolls or something. We also enjoy taking his toy hammer and hitting random things with it, throwing his teething key rings across the room (and yes, I’m aware that a baby of any gender can do this, LOL), and wrestling with his toy bear. Well, I call it wrestling. What it probably really is though, is him just laying on top of it for a bit because he’s stuck or something, but whatever! It looks like wrestling to me!

We also like to read the sports section of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, anything on ESPN.com, and to introduce him to things that are not all stereotypical boy, we check out the entertainment section of Yahoo.com and read up on what’s happening with all the teen moms from Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2. Needless to say, that can be some interesting reading. Listening to music is a fun way we pass the time as well, sometimes it’s nursery rhymes, other times Mumford & Sons, and we also get in some country just to make Dave happy! ;) So like I said in another post I wrote, I try not to do all sports related things with him, which is why we get in the reading and the listening to music. At some point, we'd like him to play a musical instrument, maybe the guitar or piano. That would be cool.

Basically, things are working out pretty well right now and I’m enjoying my time with my little boy. It’s been seven months now since he’s been born and I can’t believe how fast time is flying by. My goal to is take it all in, love every moment, and not take anything for granted! I love you little Ryan, thanks for being your awesome little self! :) And until next time, it’s Carla the new mom, and tomboy, signing off!

Umm, this is hard to admit…

Well, it’s official and I must say, it’s hard to admit. I mean, extremely hard to admit. But, I’m going to do it, I’m going to come clean. What’s the big secret you ask? This tomboy, gulp, actually likes to go shopping, however, it’s not the shopping for myself that I’ve fallen in love with. Nope. I’ve fallen in love with shopping for stuff for Ryan!

Okay, I guess it’s not that big of a deal to admit that I like to shop, yet, for me it kind of is since I never really like going shopping before I had Ryan. Now I can’t get enough of it and I think it’s because I like seeing him in all the cute little outfits that I get for him. And yes, this is the proud mommy coming out in me for sure! The cutest outfit to date that the little man has been seen in definitely has to be this one:

His daycare teacher said he looked like he was all ready for the big dance that night!

I mean come on, just look at the little guy! :) A Facebook friend also bought a similar outfit for her little man and what I thought was nice about it, aside from it being completely adorable, was how it was a pretty reasonable buy at Target. When Dave and I bought the tie onsie with the khaki pants to match, we also bought another onsie and another pair of pants and the total was $20 for all four. Sure, not a super steal, yet, it was way cheaper than some of the outfits that I’ve come across and believe me, if you are not careful, you can spend all sorts of money on clothes for newborns and babies only to have them wear them only a few times. That's basically a waste of money and something I try to avoid at pretty much all costs, which is why I've learned to become really, really thrifty when it comes to how I shop.

A brand new onsie I found at Once Upon A Child!

For example, one way that I’m thrifty when it comes to getting Ryan clothes is to go the second hand route and skip buying new all together. In Green Bay, Wisc., I’ve found all sorts of awesome clothes for him at Once Upon A Child. It is a second hand clothing store for children where people can buy and sell their gently used clothes. One day, I walked out of the store with a huge bag of clothes that included onsies, sleepers, sweatshirts, shirts, and pants for like $40. It was really cool, especially since the majority of what I got for him that day was actually brand new and was never worn before. I also found his bath tub there for $8.50, which I would have paid at least $20 for brand new in the store.

Another thrifty shopping habit that I’ve picked up is to get his clothes on EBay. As you've probably noticed, I love putting him in name brand clothes. And yes, the first outfit he wore out of the hospital was made by Nike, but let’s face it, if I paid full price for all of his stuff we would go broke and not be able to eat regularly. Thus, I’ve gotten pretty good at getting things for dirt cheap on EBay for him. You could call me the master of the online auction. I see what I want, I wait to make a bid on it, and at the last minute. I get the deal. Case in point, I bought his first pair of Nike shoes for eight bucks on EBay and that included shipping since I had a coupon. (Side note here, it's easy to find coupons, just do a Google search and all sorts of options will pop up. You just need to make sure they are legit and that they actually work, which takes some time to figure out, but once you do, it's totally worth the effort.)

Ryan's first pair of kicks! Awesome!

Now sure, the Nike shoes I got him for eight bucks were used, yet that’s not that big of a deal since they look brand new and the kicker is, if I would have got them new from Nike.com, I would have paid around $50 for pretty much the same exact shoes and would have paid for shipping on top of that. I have also found great deals on Nike onsies and other outfits too. Yeah, I guess I’m a little obsessed with Nike, but that’s just how I roll. LOL. 

Along with going on EBay, I’ve discovered that I can save money getting his clothes at different online department stores instead of actually shopping at the stores themselves. You think it would be the other way around, yet, that is not the case at all. Like, the other day I went to Kohls.com and bought him a Nike track suit for Christmas. If I would have driven to the store, I would have spent $45 on it. However, online I was able to get it on sale, plus, I had a 20% off coupon. So, it was like $20 and I didn’t even have to pay for shipping. Oh yeah! I also found some decent deals at Target.com too when I bought him some other clothes and some of his baby stuff like his Boppy and his swing.

Needless to say, I think I’m becoming a bit of a shopaholic when it comes to getting stuff for Ryan. At least I’m getting everything at good prices though, so, it all evens out then, right? :) Until next time, this is Carla the tomboy and new, thrifty mom, signing off!

Baby Ryan is here, baby Ryan is here, baby Ryan is HERE!!!

Okay, so it’s been a bit since I’ve posted and I do have a very, very, very good reason for why I haven't been able to post. What is that reason you ask? Like you haven't already guessed, but that reason is because baby Ryan is HERE! Look at the little guy, isn't he cute:

Ryan's going home from the hospital outfit! Nike all the way1

Ryan Charles Lee was born on Sunday, July 8^th at 2:26 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. I experienced the first stages of labor for about a week prior to his birth and was actually at the hospital on two different occasions before I “officially” went into hard labor on Sunday morning around 3:04 am. If you’re wondering why I remember the time, well, it’s due to the fact that the pain I was having completely woke me up and the last time we went into the hospital the doctor told us to time everything out to the second to make sure I was really going into labor. So, I wanted to know exactly when the pain started and after three hours of constant intense contractions, we made our way over to Aurora and eight or so hours later, Ryan finally made his way into this world!

I’m not going to lie; labor was tough and something that is very difficult to describe. It was gross, it was uncomfortable, it was intense and painful, and it was at times completely unbearable, so much so that I didn’t think I was going to make it through it. I even got all the drugs that were available to help with the pain, yet that only took the edge off and what really was unpleasant was how the epidural they gave me didn’t quite work like it should have. Not sure if that was the anesthesiologist’s mistake or what, but half of my lower body was well aware of what was going on and at one point, I was in total agony and the nurse actually brought the anesthesiologist back into the room to give me another dose. That helped a little and every 15 minutes; I was able to press a button to give myself a little more pain medication. Let’s just say, I kept pressing that button even when 15 minutes hadn’t passed. To the women who did, and are planning do this, without those pain medications, I salute you! I couldn’t even imagine what it would have felt like without getting those drugs!

When it was time to finally push, I was totally ready for everything to be over and I went into full blown athlete mode, forcing myself to give it everything that I had. I wanted Ryan to be here, so, I dug deep and pushed with all the energy I had left. After 20-25 minutes of pushing, Ryan was on the verge of being born. However, my body wasn’t quite cooperating and we needed some help from the delivery doctor who used a vacuum and an incision to basically get Ryan out. As soon as the incision was made, which Dave told me about later, Ryan was born. It was a moment in my life that I will never forget. Seeing him there, in the doctor’s hands was so surreal. In seconds, Ryan was whisked away by the on-call NICU doctor for a quick check-up since the umbilical cord was actually wrapped around his neck. The check-up took like two seconds though given that Ryan was fine and a few moments later, he was in our arms. His eyes were wide open and the little guy didn’t even cry. What a trooper. He went through a lot too ya know! Being able to hold him and love him for the first time was, again, another moment in my life that I will never forget and I’m getting choked up writing about it. Ryan is a little me and a little Dave all wrapped up into one. Man, life is so precious and beautiful. All the pain and the labor and the entire pregnancy was worth it when we got to hold him. :)

Ryan will be a week old tomorrow and there is so much more I want to write about, but with a newborn commanding my full attention, my schedule has been a little filled up at the moment. :) Before I go, I do want to thank the staff at Aurora. All the doctors were completely awesome and the nurse, Lisa, who guided me through labor process was completely amazing. There were a lot of other caring nurses who helped me recover as well and only one that I wasn’t all that thrilled with. Aside from that, my labor experience was an all-around good one, especially with my husband by my side. 

Dave and Ryan taking a little nap yesterday.

Thank you dear for your support and for helping me through it all. Your coaching during the delivery of our child and everything that you have done since then has been so wonderful that I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to thanking you. I love you so much dear. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you! I also want to thank my parents, my brother, Dave’s kids, and all our friends for their support as well.

With that said, I’m going to have to shut off the computer for the day. Ryan is due for a bottle any minute, but check back soon because I there are some fun posts coming up about a whole bunch of interesting stuff that I want to pass along! So until next time, it’s Carla the tomboy, and the new mom, signing off.

I want to shop!

I do believe that I have never uttered those words before, “I want to shop.” Thinking that and then saying it out loud makes be believe that this pregnancy thing is turning me into a full blown lady. Well, probably not due to the fact that I’m still walking around in t-shirts and shorts or jeans like I always do, but still, I’m probably more girly now than I have ever have been before in my entire life! I don’t know whether to smile, cry or laugh at that? Oh, always so emotional.

Now back to wanting to shop, it’s not something that I ever really wanted to do before, yet now, if I could go to Target everyday and purchase something for little Billy Bubba, I would be happier than a pig in sh&t! (And yes, I’m going to swear since that’s the kind of mood I’m in.) It does not even matter what I would buy for him either since if I could just get him something, I would be happy. I mean, like just getting him some diapers and some wipes at this point would probably bring a smile to my face and those two things aren’t very much fun at all!

My wanting to shop for him is almost turning into an addiction. At night when I’m sitting at my computer, more often than not I’m scouring whatever store online or Ebay, looking to get something cool for him. I have come across some good finds, like a cute little Nike outfit (see below) that has a matching hat and booties, which has now turned into the first outfit that he’ll ever wear. 

Gotta love baby outfits!

Oh, side note to that, I have repeatedly told Dave that when little BB is born, I need him to be all cleaned up before I have to touch him because after watching too many episodes of 16 and Pregnant on MTV, I don’t want to have to deal with a gross, ooky baby right after he hopefully slides right out of me. I want that cute little bundle of joy to be just that, a cleaned up baby that is all cute, cuddly and ook free. Just saying. :) And, I’m sure that I will change my mind at some point and decide on another first outfit that I want little BB to wear, yet right now, I’m going with what I found above.

One thing that I’m hoping will curb my new shopping addiction (that’s right, I’m going to accept what it is at this point and isn’t the first step to recovery admitting you have a problem! Hah, too funny) is how Dave and I are going to go shopping for our son’s furniture this weekend. Dave finished up painting his room last weekend, blue of course, and now we need to fill it up with a crib, dresser, maybe a changing table, and anything else that I cannot control myself from buying. It should be fun and with that said, I bid you ado because it’s time to enjoy the weekend and I’m not going to be able to do that sitting in front of a computer. So, peace out and have a good one! :)

Registering for baby stuff is fun!

This past weekend, my husband Dave and I registered for baby stuff at Target. I must say, it was actually wasn’t all that bad.

We started off the experience by heading to our local Target and after registering online at the store’s Kiosk, titling our gift registry Baby Billy Bubba Lee, we walked over to guest services. They provided us with this nifty scanner, which looked like a futuristic laser gun that made me feel like I was in a Star Trek movie, to scan the items that we wanted to put on our registry. Their instructions were to simply:  head to the baby section, go nuts and scan whatever items we wanted, and then when we were done, bring the scanner back to them.The only downer after talking with them is that we were supposed to get this free gift tote for expecting moms, but they were out. Hopefully, the next time we stop at the store there will be some available.

I heard that Target diapers ROCK!

Anyway, we then went to the baby section of Target and as directed above, we went nuts scanning different things that we both needed or wanted for our little guy who is coming in July.  I write both needed and wanted in that last statement because there are some things that we really need and other things that would just be cool for him to have. For example, some of the things we need before he comes are diapers, baby bottles, bath time supplies, wipes, bedding, clothes for him like onesies and socks, burp cloths, and so on and so forth.

The mobile we found Target! It looks like fun!

Then, there is stuff that we just kind of want like this fun summer outfit we found for him that we paired up with a hat. I realize that he really doesn’t need a hat or the polo shirt and short outfit that it matches, but it looked so cute that there was no way we couldn’t add it. We also registered for a Diaper Genie because I hear that they make diaper clean-up pretty easy and this awesome sports mobile, something matches perfectly with this sports motif bumper set we picked out. I must say, I think I’m starting to like this whole shopping deal. Please, don’t tell anyone! ;)

There were other expecting couples also registering for baby stuff while we were at Target and it was neat to see all of us going to town, especially since everyone was smiling and really enjoying themselves. The bonding that was going on was off the charts and cool to see. We also registered at Kohl’s, but that store didn’t have as much fun stuff, aside from some Nike socks, that Target does. I did find a kewl baby book online that would be super cool to record all of those fun baby events in his life along with a closet organizer that they had online, which would be helpful in getting all of Billy Bubba’s stuff organized! I've never really been a person who really cares all that much about being organized, yet I'm thinking I need to start given that if I don't, Billy Bubba's stuff might end up all over the place.

Nike socks, enough said!

All in all, registering for baby stuff was an experience that was a pretty fun time. And you might be thinking, does she expect whoever is reading this blog to go out and buy her and her husband everything on their registry for their baby??? My answer to that is a no, I don’t expect that at all. What is on the registry is all stuff that would be nice for us to receive. If we do, that would be awesome and I would be very thankful for whatever we receive and if not, no big deal. I basically just blogged about it due to the fact that it was one of those outings that moms to be get to experience and even being a tomboy, I really enjoyed myself and the time I was able to spend with Dave. With that said, I hope being able to read about my experience was able to brighten your day and until next time, it’s Carla the tomboy signing off!

My baby boy’s first outfit…

My love for Nike clothing, shoes, accessories and anything that has to do with Nike has hit a whole new level because I found my little son’s first outfit at Nike.com today.

Here it is and I have to say, I really like it:

It will be cool to see it on him for the first time, however, what will be even cooler than that is seeing him for the first time. I’m trying to imagine what that moment is going to be like? I mean seeing and holding your child for the first time has to be a completely amazing experience. I’m really looking forward to that day and the anticipation of it all is like waiting for Christmas to come when I still believed in Santa Claus. (Thanks to my parents and their clever ways, I believed in Santa Claus for quite some time!) Basically, July can’t come soon enough.  

Anyway, you may be thinking, what’s this girl's obsession with Nike and why would any parent be so excited about having their child’s first outfit come from Nike? Well, my answer to that is that’s how much I like Nike gear. I think it’s because of all the fond memories that I have when it comes to getting a new pair of shoes for the multiple sports that I played when I was a kid. The start of every sport season generally meant getting a new pair of shoes and going to pick them out was a fun adventure. Then, wearing them for the first time was just as special to me. They kind of made me feel like I could accomplish anything for some strange reason and to this day, when I get a new pair of running kicks, I feel the same way. The swoosh and what it represents is another reason why I like the Nike brand so much. “Just do it,” I know, super cliché, yet that phrase meant a lot to me when I was playing sports given that it represented just getting the job done. Just going out and giving 110% on the ball diamond, the basketball court, or the cross-country course. Plus, Nike makes some gear that has a nice look to it, especially the Prefontaine line that came out a couple years ago. All the Oregon green and yellow was basically all I wore for awhile outside of work. What would be even better than the Prefontaine line though would be Nike coming out with a maternity line, man, I would be all over that!

Now that my obsession for Nike is now all out in the open, I wouldn’t say that I’m crazy about it, but I’m probably just a tad over the top. Oh well, we all have our vices and if my vice is simply purchasing a lot of Nike stuff, I’m okay with that! :) So until next time, it’s C-Money the pregnant tomboy signing off.