Drummer Max...Nursing Issues please HELP!

Apple Blossom Parade, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

Max's preschool had there annual Apple Blossom Parade... where they dress up in pink, green and costumes to march down the old town mall where we live. Max got to be the drummer.... He was LOUD AND PROUD about his task... a parent pulled me aside and asked me if I had drums at the house... as it seems that Max really enjoys drumming... Yes, thank you Gamma Rose... we have drums at the house. :)

Don't read if you get queezy hearing about blood.... A few months ago Lucy got thrush (mouth yeast infection) and It spread to me... so I was very cracked and sore until we were both treated for the thrush. It took me some time to heal completely as Lucy had stopped nursing completely on my left side... so the right side was doing all of the work. Over the last 6 weeks I got really dry and cracked... and because Lucy is such an agressive eater I would bleed from time to time. Over the last 2 weeks the bleeding has gotten so bad she looks like a vampire baby after the nursing is over... blood on her shirt... running down her face... its pretty gross. She spits up... bright red/ purple blood and blood clots. YUCK!! She did this at the parade today and got a few double takes as both of us were covered in blood.

Okay, so now that Im done being gross... what do I do??? She only nurses on one side... and still nurses about 4-5 times a day...we are a while from being done.... yet I cant seem to heal and its only getting worse. Do I start pumping on the left to get milk going again?? And try and ease off the right side? Any cream suggestions?? I am not ready to quit over this... but somethings gotta give... Lucy will be preferring her steak rare if I do this much longer.

photoshop fun

, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

I thought Lucys outfit was fun today... my buddy sarah told me to take a picture.. I think I wasn't for the outfit but to document that she even had clothes on! Hahaha.. I liked the way this edit turned out... kind of looks like shes either floating (stuck to an orange wall with velcro..) or laying on her back. Whaddya think? To fakey?

Silly kids... crochet...How is "EC" going??...baby sign language

Silly kids, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

So the end of the school year it rounding the corner... May 21st is Max's last day of preschool... Then he starts kindergarden!!! Wowza, wowza, wowza! He has been talking about his "new school" everyday since I registered him 6 weeks ago. Katy is also VERY excited about starting preschool in the fall and staring her "ballet class" ... I am so proud of them... they are such beautiful and avid little thinkers. I love watching them grow and understand the surrounding world. Its really neat to see little revalations thru their eyes. .... little things about the world that you and I (as adults) easily over look daily.

I have decided that I am queen of half finished projects... I have maybe 2 hours left on my sweater... but now I cannot seem to pick it back up again. Granted there are few other pressing things going on... like moving in the next 3-4 weeks. As it stands right now... we are signing our lease agreement with the rental next friday... and moving in May 27th after our trip out to North Carolina. Andy and I are done playing games... we need to do whats best for our family.

EC... well... I don't know what happened with that... I think that Lucy decided that she was too busy to sit still on a potty anymore. I haven't EC'd here with any regularity since our trip to Floyd VA...over a month ago. I am feeling some guilt about it, we were doing so great. It seems that Lucy has better things on her adjenda. And Im not finding its so important to force her onto the potty... when she is clearly upset about being there. Anyway... we may start again soon once she is walking. Until then...

Baby signing... is still moving right along... like many other things right now... we could be more consistant with it.... but she is picking up on things very fast now that she is older. I am WAAAAY over due for a video... you will see a big difference since the last time I posted... fun, fun... anyhooo.... time to go pick up Max. HUGS everyone!!

upcoming events!

Panhandle Earth Day Festival- 2009, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

Well, first off...Lucy will be turning 1 on May 5th... cinco de mayo. I seem to have holiday babies. Katy is New Years Eve... Max is May 31... Labor day?? Memorial Day??? One of the two.. .for sure I was in labor... and it was memorable... ha! Anyway, I am short on time and I know that most of the family reads this... FAMILY?? ARE YOU OUT THERE??? What does everyone want to do for Lucy's 1st birthday?? Apple Blossom Festival is Next weekend and Mom and Ali will already be out here. ... We can do a small get together, party or something for Mini Me when I get back from the fair.... or we can just plan on doing it the following weekend. Rosie, Joe and Jackie... Of course we want everyone here... but I know you are far away... perhaps we can do something small and sweet when we come to see you at the end of May. Catherine... come on out with Nathan when we figure something out... (thats the key) ... or we can wait to see you during the trip... I know that you are a busy busy woman these days...I am so proud of you for working at this so hard!!

As I mentioned, my next Bundleboo event is this Sat-Sun at Jim Barnette Park... this is an "Apple Blossom" event called "Weekend at the park"... if you are in the area stop by and see us!!

Today is the day we find out whether we move or stay... I have been feeling my anxiety level go up over the last few days... altough I've still been able to keep a good perspective about things.

Any whoo... I just got a playdate call... so I think Im going to bug off the computer and get my kids outside before it gets too hot... hugs to everyone I hope you all had a fantastic weekend.

Panhandle Earth Day Festival- 2009... Beat this mommy brain!!

Panhandle Earth Day Festival- 2009, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

The earth day festival was really a lot of fun... very comfortable scene for me as most of the vendors and visitors there were like minded. Some very talented activists and artists for sure. I have never seen so many dread locks at one single event in my life. I had a few minutes to snap a few of the festival... see my flickr for those. Lucy was with me and was an angel earth baby all day...

So... I took the kids to McDonalds for some Ice Cream a few days ago as a treat for not making me suffer thru a photo job that I had. Lucy had her first Ice Cream cone and really enjoyed it. Lucy has had Ice Cream and diary before... cheese, yogurt, goat milk... but not Mc Donalds soft serve. When I am out with the kids sometimes its best for my stress level to simply "block out" the rest of the world and focus on them... I try not to let judging eyes steer my parenting. The kids were enjoying there cold treat and I started thinking about this weekends plans... todo list... house chores... the normal mind filling thoughts. I noticed that Lucy was COVERED in Ice Cream and her face was getting a little red from the cold (ended up being a slight allergic reaction also) ... At home If they are messy... I will use there clothes to clean them up... then wash the clothes (saves on papertowels...) If Im already a disaster I might use my shirt also. Soooo.. amongst my other thoughts... "take off shirt..." came into thought... .... .... without thinking again... I took off my shirt in the middle of McDonalds. ACK!!! So, here I am wondering why im sitting there in my nursing bra and shorts... holding my tank top in my hand. I couldn't get my shirt back on fast enough. I don't usually get embarassed about stuff like that... but I couldn't help but blush at the shocked McDonalds audience. (head in hands)... well, that tops this weeks "mommy brain" moments.

Earth Day Festival....New babies!!

Today I'm getting ready for the first annual Earth Day Festival in Shepherds town, WV!!! What a fun Idea! Bundleboo will be one of the 30+ vendors to take part in this fantastic event. If you are available and within driving distance you should definitely take part. It is a kid friendly event with lot of fun activities to take part in. Hope to see you there!

As most of you know, I have a goat share... with which I receive raw goat dairy once a week. (more on raw goat milk HERE) I have not been receiving milk for the last 4 months so that Aimee could dry up and use the extra fat and energy needed to have healthy kids... in the last 36 hours Aimee gave birth to twins!! They are soooo adorable!! The one with the brownish face is the boy... "Sam"... and the white faced one "Sally".(Max and Katy got to name them) Aimee is a fantastic mama... very attentive to her new babies.

You can't see me!!!

, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

We had a busy morning... Katy insisted on wearing her christmas dress today... I got my 2 cents in with the converse sneakers (more fun photos in my flickr)...haha...one for me!! We dropped off our way overdue sign language books at the library, picked up max from school and got our goat milk and eggs from the farm. Now im spending a few quiet moments catching up on emails and laundry.

Oh yeah and Happy Earth day everyone!!

my computer geek... changing of the sizes

Who says I need to call the geek squad for my PSE problems when I've got my very own built in computer geek. Andy has literally spent two whole days working the kinks out of my computer... while chewing off every little bit of finger nail he has left. I agreed to let him back up and "dump" my hard drive... as long as my pictures, work files and DVD compositions were not harmed or hard to find. So after doing the dump... he spent all day today... looking for lost files and relocating important business information so that is was easy to access... he really didn't have to do all that... but I'm certainly grateful... and I can see a dramatic improvement on how smooth my computer runs already. Yipeee!

Lucy is doing her every 3-4month change of clothing sizes. Its easy to forget how much they grow that first year... mini me is growing into 12-18 month clothes already...and can even fit into some of sisters old 2T clothes. Lucy is starting to show some signs of walking readiness.... I'm glad that she is... because I'm not. I left her on her bedroom floor with the door open...walked across the house to fill a sippy cup... turned around 5 seconds later and she was indulging in the wet cat food on the kitchen floor. ICK! Its like that all day... she is not one to be confined... and would rather explore than be carried. So I've baby proofed as best I can... and hope for the best. Right now its 8:30 an time to get the kids off to bed. Good night!

facebook etiquette

A fellow blogger posted this on facebook the other day... I thought I would share it here... It made me giggle.

Thinking outloud...photography

I am recently hearing amazing feedback from my family and friends... upon receiving a book from GiGi called 'Starting your Photography business' I realized how serious everyone around me is about any blooming talent I may have. I'm feeling it... but I'm so nervous about it...Its such a competitive market now as quality cameras are becoming more and more inexpensive. Although I do believe that professional photography its really an art... a special eye... and a unique flair...not just about the equipment. (tho having a nice tool is really important too) I really enjoy doing this... but could I actually make money... should I actually start a business doing this?? My style of photography is more journalistic than traditional (I think) ... is there an interest out there from family's to have someone document there children... rather than posed contrived images?? (more internal talking) Can I raise my kids... run a home... and work two businesses??? Am I over thinking?? Where to start? How do I market myself... when do I know to get serious? Hmmm...

ow... isn't this the funniest picture of Lucy ever... she is such a ham!

Monday already?? Midnight marathon and the $10,000 baby

We got home around 9pm from Sunday dinner at Nana and Papa's house tonight. Dad made split pea and ham soup from last weeks Easter Ham. Yum Yum! We had a great time... the kids are starting to feel like themselves again. GiGi, took a look at I thought was a crochet disaster... ended up being not too far off. I only have to rip out about 20 rows. My sister Ali informed me that parenting magazine is doing a cover baby contest and the winner gets $10,000.00 big ones. Hmmmm... takes pictures of my sweet babies...maybe make some cashola?? DUUUUUH! So I think I will be snapping a few off in the next month or so... perhaps you can help me pick the best ones to send.

Its 12:30 and as I'm typing Lucy is crawling up a bald patch on the playroom carpet. Apparently the cat nap on the ride home was enough fuel for Lucy's midnight marathon. She's been crawling for a few months now but only today has she realized the full potential of mischief she can get into. Look out world! Shes in 4 wheel drive... full time... all the time. Its fun, but wow... I forgot how exhausting this phase can be. ....wait... whats that??? Lucy you're ready for bed... GREAT! Off I go too... tata for now! HUGS!

Mom genius... yum yum breakfast...Twitter

So I have to say... I met the smartest mom ever at the park yesterday. It was a swing pick up... haha... Andy always jokes about the moms I pick up at the park. It is almost like dating, finding new "mom friends" that you are compatible with...and the children are compatible too. Anyway... I quickly realized that that mom had 4 children under 6. With out pride or hesitation I asked her what her house looks like. Darn it if she wasn't one of those super put together, well organized ... probably PTO moms. I said... "Well, ... hmm... I'm jealous... so If I don't ever see you again... lets see how much I can pick your brain while we are standing here... ha ha (but so so serious)". She explained that she has a day of the week for every task... scheduled, planned and set in stone. Well, it would be overly ambitious to think that I could be that organized... so I quickly cut to the chase. "How do you stay on top of Laundry??" She said... Laundry is Thursdays... they all have there own baskets.... Each basket is a load... Wash... Dry... Done. Oh my gosh... you would have thought heaven was shining down on me and the dark looming clouds opened up and angels sang... really... why haven't I done it that way all along??? ... And that was it... we went our separate ways.... I wouldn't blame her if she felt used.

I have been trying to keep up with my homemade kefir.... but unfortunately there are a lot of other pressing things going on right now. I had to throw away my kitchen science experiment and trade it in for the store bought "lifeway" brand kefir. The kids actually like this much better than what I was making... I don't blame them... I like my kefir really tart. I cant get my kids to eat much these days, they have become really picky eaters. This week I've tried something yum and different for breakfast that even Lucy can eat. Its a mixture of baby cereal, strawberry kefir and defrosted mixed berries. They eat it cold like yogurt and love it... and its really good for them.

I recently joined the twitter movement. I don't know how much I will keep up with it... but there are times that I would like to say something that doesn't warrant an entire blog post... I am bundleboomama on twitter. I would like to put the twitter stream in my side bar.. but I don't know how... any advise? Can you reply to peoples twitter comments? Obviously I'm new at this but any input will help.

kid art...4 generations

Max was back in school this week.... hopefully he doesn't come down with more Ebola... I swear if they get sick once more in the next 6 months I'm going to create a plastic bubble for them to live in. Haha....So I know ho much the family loves "kid Art" so im posting some of this weeks creations... up for grabs if you are first to post your requests... "Rocky" is the pet rock that katy created on her own Last Saturday... I helped her with the eyes. The bottle pig and bird are Max's creations from school... So So Cute.

My mother requested that I do the 4 generation photo of men for our family archive. I probably over thought it in the long run.... and ended up only having 15 minutes or less to execute the photo shoot... wishing I had a tad more time and didn't feel so rushed... I think they turned out decent. Here is one one of my grandfather that I really like.... you can see my father in his right lens and my brother in his left lens... that's 3 generations right there. Anyway, I hope everyone is having fabulous weather like we are having... HUGS to everyone. BTW I would like to request some prayers for McMama over at "mycharmingkids.blogspot" as her baby Stellan is flying to Boston tomorrow for cardiac care. I've been following her blog since her pregnancy, her story is inspiring and amazing. I am requesting prayers for her family, as stellan may be receiving lifesaving surgery this week. Hopefully the Doctors in Boston can find a solution for his extremely stubborn SVT. HUGS and Prayers for McMama, Stellan and her whole family.

Enwrapture....crochet project

I have been eyeballing this sweet sweater in one of the crochet books my GiGi bought me. It looks pretty easy from the stand point of time so I've decided to tackle that this week for Katy or Lucy. I also have decided to use up the rest of my "Christmas project" yarn and make a surprise for someone special... so that will not be disclosed until later.

My birthday gift to myself arrived yesterday... has anyone heard of "Enwrapture vintage"??? I joined a Co-op group online where they all go in to buy bulk products and unbeatable prices. I don't usually shop for myself but I couldn't pass this one up at $8.50 per skirt... check out how cute these are!! HERE ... I bought 3 because they were so "me" I couldn't pass it up...but the catch was I wasn't able to choose what they send me. I will say... my first impression was... WOW these are really UGLY... truly the prints are horrendous, but in a really fun and trendy sort of way. (which really means I need to buy about 20 more because they are all I'm ever going to wear :) I found this YouTube video online to show you how they work.... perhaps I was drawn to them because I would still be able to wrap myself long after my kids have grown out of our Bundleboo's...haha!

dirty laundry...Happy Belated Easter!

Its been a very busy week... I appreciate all of your kind words about our mortgage situation. I know there are some readers that are concerned about me airing our "dirty laundry" for all to read... please remember that we aren't a secretive family... and my husband supports whatever outlet I need to get past stress in my life (and I do with every respect to him). I post what I do, to reach out... to let other women or mothers know that although they may choose not to talk about such things in public... they are not alone. Its nothing to be ashamed of... heck, we have not committed a sin... and it hasn't changed who we are as people...infact, I believe that these are the situations that strengthen us. We are not proud of the jam we are in... we certainly took great pride in our lovely home... but we made a decision 3 years ago for me to quit my job and stay home to raise my children... and I take more pride in my children than I would ever feel for a stack of bricks and mortar. I say these things like its up to me to bring in the income... I assure you I know who brings in the "bread and butter"... and I am proud of all his hard work. I rehash this because I'm sure there are other mothers who .....(hahaha I accidently just shut my computer off with my toe :)... have made the big leap to leave there jobs to stay home and raise a family and are in a similar situation. Its a tough battle between working to pay the bills and doing what you feel is right for your family. I have to find a way to get past the guilt of laying the burden of income onto my husband and facing my role as "primary parent". Its not quite as clear cut as it was 30 years ago. In all fairness to family, I post about our private lives to put all who love us in "the loop" ... we aren't very good about calling or sending emails, we want you to know that this is our way of communicating our live to you. pheuf...

With all that said... Happy Easter!!! We had a wonderful time this year, although we missed seeing some close family that normally we would have... we got to see some family that we usually don't. My fathers side of the family... My Grandpa...Auntie Melissa, Susan and Uncle Billy were in from out of town. I also got to meet new family...Josie...Ali's sister.

Easter morning the kids and I did some Easter projects. Katy LOVES to be artsy (gee I wonder where she gets that from)...so we set up shop at the kitchen table. Usually Max isn't interested in crafts... but he decided to get involved with the project. At this point in time, I realized how totally different my two oldest children are. Katy... very meticulous and careful with her painting and color matching... Max... a little reckless and thoughtless with his painting... not very interested in the overall project idea... HOWEVER, before I dismissed him from the table for "wasting paint" in the water bowl... I realized that Max's little scientist mind was more interested in mixing paint colors in the water to create new colors. And I suddenly felt a relief that although we wasn't interested in the craft... he had found his niche and got involved using the tools he hand in hand. How smart is that 4 year old little bugger. So I spent about 30 mins refreshing his water while... blue and red made purple... and yellow and green made blue. Max is much like his daddy, where Katy is very much like me. Normally I might have been frustrated that he was taking clumps of unused paint and washing it away... but I found myself happy to let him do it.... realizing that his mind is made very different than mine... although he came from me.

I am so bloggy behind this last month. If anyone was following a few weeks ago.. Max was crazy ill with some mystery virus that left him with migraines and a spinal tap. We thought that this was the end of it... but it seems that with his weakened immune system from the last virus he has picked up a new one... According to a nasal swab at the Peds today he and Katy both have influenza B... ICK... I am sorry if we passed it on to anyone at Easter dinner... I thought it was just a cold bug. Eeekk! I think I stopped blogging for a while because all I had on my blog agenda were whiny whiny poor me... hahaha... Its all up and up from here guys. HUGS!!!

OH... BTW, I have been having problems with my PSE again... editing raw files eats the RAM on my computer and it keeps kicking me off. So I will be slowly posting all Easter pictures on my flickr as I get them done.

Keeping it Real

So it just dawned on me that my baby Girl Lucy will be turning 1 next month. Woah, seriously what happened with the last year?? As I am officially emerging from the nak, sleep, nak, poop...rinse...repeat...phase of my life. I hold a basket of mixed emotions. Mostly I feel overwhelmingly blessed that all of my children are happy and healthy. I feel contented as a mother that I am doing well by my children... and peace that I will make mistakes, but no so severe that they will ruin my precious 3. I have found balance in my marriage that allows me to respect and deeply love my spouse...while maintaining a strong self identity. I always thought that the "honeymoon phase" would be the best part of the marriage... not so much gals! Nope, it was a foreign, rocky roller coaster. Especially as a woman coming in to her own... that is a journey all by itself. Anyway, I will go on about the 10 year honeymoon later.

I mention these things because they make me feel full...happy....sucessful. And really I want for nothing more...than a god filled, full, peaceful and happy life for my family. Simple isn't it??? Not really if you have to factor money into this equation. Whats life without challenges and loopholes...right?! Well, on this solid road to success we have officially reached our first speed bump. No one could have foreseen what the economy was going to do to so many families like ours...and we never envisioned that we would be in this position to even talk about it... foreclosure... yep, its a nasty dirty word... and the pit in a homeowners stomach. With inflated interest rates and deflated economy... we have been left upside down on a home that we can no longer afford to live in and cannot afford to get out of. Thank goodness that Andy has good job security...as unfortunately, there is never a shortage of crime or people in trouble. Losing our home is definitely not the end all for us... we have SOOOO much to feel blessed and thankful for. I know this adventure coming for us...is just another way for God to help us grow in our love for him and to strengthen our bond with each other. I believe we are not meant to know all of his intentions.

We are awaiting a few more calls from the mortgage company to see if there is a last ditch chance to save this bad situation... if not, we have been given another great oppurtunity right around the corner...literally... just a neighborhood away. I have been developing a wonderful relationship with one of my very first Bundleboo customers...she has become a close friend of mine over the last year...despite the fact that she lives in Germany with her family now. Her beautiful home came up on the rental listings at the right price...at the right time... and its just what we need to feel at home again. Hmmmm... amazing how he works huh. So with that said, I feel at peace with WHATEVER happens. Goodness its late...gotta shove off to bed now. HUGS everyone!

relaxing weekend

, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

We have alot going on here at the monkey ranch. But this weekend was a refreshing break from the crazy poo throwing. My sister in law...the one in the picture was so kind to invite me to her mother's farm in Floyd Va. We were so warmly welcomed and the kids made themselves right at home. The property is simply a kid paradise and the fresh air and views were amazing. The kids got to play with the baby animals... goats, chicks, ducks, dogs... what fun! I was honored to do a informal portrait session of Ali, baby Joey and the beaming new Grandma Suzanne. Check out my photo stream for this weekend's pictures.

I have a lot to update you all on since I've been in blog hibernation for the last few weeks... right now its past midnight and my head has turned into a pumpkin...and the hampster wheel in my head has stopped spinning... good night.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Happy birthday to meeeeeee... happy birthday to meeeeeeee..... HAAAAAPPPY BiiiiIIIIIRtday to MEEEEeeeee HaaaAAAAAPPPPy birrrrthday to me! BIG 29 :)