Girls night with my besties.

I forgot to post about my girls night last Friday... So, here it goes quickly...

Last Friday night, I arranged a little girls night. It had been awhile since we all got out and caught up. It was so good seeing the girls. But, I'm too old to stay out that late. And not to mention my kids get up so early... I'm usually in bed by 9pm. Yep. I know. :)

We went to a wine bar at the Promenade in Long Beach, and then walked across the street to an Ale House. After that we ended up going down to 2nd street like old times... I couldn't believe I was able to stay awake! Pretty sure my friends thought the same thing!

Here are some pics of my night with the girls.
Kristy, Julie, Katy, Alexis, and I.

Until next time...

A few of my favorite baby things... A guide for new mothers.

Recently I've had a few friends that are becoming mommies this year ask me what my favorite things are. I usually just take a look at their registries and add what I thought was helpful. But, since I have so many people asking me recently, I thought I could blog a few of my favorite things.

I will also say every mom is different. Some people swear by other things than I like. Each baby is different as well. I can post brands, but you can do your own research as to what works best for you and your family.

Hope this helps! If I forget anything... I will come back and add on... so, you can always check back, or message me privately.

1. A video monitor. This is a must in my house. I have one for Jake and Asher. It helps me sleep at night knowing I can see, and hear them. I recommend Summer Infant. I have 2 of them. My favorite one is the touch screen version. monitor

2. AQUAPHOR and A&D ointment. I use this daily on my boys. It's the best. I don't like the Destin, etc... because I don't like the white residue. However, I have used those as well.

3. A lovey. They wont use this right away... but, by a few months old, by boys loved theirs. Jake still sleeps with his.

4. A good set of bottles. I have the Medela because they work well with the Medela pump I have. I also like the Avent bottles as well.

5. Medela breast pump. I believe this is hands down the best pump! I used it with Jake, and then called the manufacturer and had them send me new tubes for when I pumped with Asher. breastpump

6. If your going to pump you definitely will want a hands free breast pump bra. Then you can pump both sides at once and do other things at the same time. TRUST ME.... THIS IS A GREAT ITEM!

7. Nursing tanks. I lived in mine! I had Bravado and I got some at Target as well.

8. Medela quick clean bags. You can sterilize the bottles, pacifiers, and nipples all in the microwave. BRILLIANT!

9. Medela pump bags. I stored all my milk in these. I didn't buy the plastic containers for storage. They took up too much space in the freezer. The bags lay flat and I could stack them.

10. DON'T WASH EVERYTHING! I washed everything and used half of it. It's hard when your a neat freak not to clean everything... but, if you can help it... don't. If you have lots of the same sizes, keep the receipt and exchange for larger sizes. My boys were born in the 7 pound range and never even wore the newborn/0-3 size clothes!

11. Have lots of diapers and wipes in the closet. You will go through so many in a day! I always liked Huggies. But, I used pampers when they were newborns. It's just my preference.

12. My kids were never swaddled. They hated it. I also didn't force it. I do own the miracle blanket, summer infant swaddlers, muslin blankets, etc. I still have them... in case I have a baby one day that likes it. ;) I have no advice here. ha ha.

13. Soothie pacifiers where a big hit when my babies were newborns.

14.  MAM pacifiers. My boys were big fans of this as babies. Both my boys were weaned off the pacifier at 6 months old. They just didn't have an interest after that.

15. Aden and Anais muslin blankets. I love these. You can used for swaddling, the stroller, the car seat, etc. They are light, breathable blankets.

16. Jake loved his glow worm. It helped us get through many sleepless nights. And if helped him fall asleep. God bless the glow worm.

17. Anything by Baby Einstein. My boys loved the everything by them.

18. I got a wipes warmer with Jake, but never used it. I have been using it with Asher and I love it. They don't get as startled when you take a warm wipe instead of a cold one. Think about that for a minute.

19. A bouncer... by 4 months my boys were jumping away in it!

20. A Bumbo. Helpful to get them to sit up, and also great for a few of their first feedings. My boys grew out of it so quickly... but, it was cool in the beginning. DON'T LEAVE THE CHILD IN IT UNASSISTED. I know that is a duh comment, but I have friends do that and there was a mini accident.

21. A good high chair.

22. A mattress pad. I think it provides a little warmth and cushion.

23. Extra sheets for the bassinet and the crib. Enough said.

24. Humidifier. Cool mist.

25. A good thermometer. One for the newborns... and one for the ear (when they get a little older).

26. Contour changing pad. Get 2 covers... One to put on while the other is being washed.

27. Hooter hider. Great for breastfeeding in more public places. I didn't breastfeed in front of people, but if I fed my little ones in the car, I used this to cover myself. I actually kept one at my house and one in my diaper bag.

28. Diaper Genie or any brand to put dirty diapers in.

29. Baby Ergo baby carrier. I never used the newborn attachment though. My boys were too big for it... I love the fact I could cover there little head from other people breathing on them or cover them from the sun.

30. Baby bath. I went through 3 until I found the one that worked for us. This is the one that I loved: bath tub

31. Baby bath seat. This was great starting around 5 months old...bath seat

32. Boppy New born lounger. I loved and used this more than the original boppy. My boys loved this! We did tummy time, they napped, and they sat a little propped up in it.

33. Boppy was good for breast feeding after my Cesarean with Jake. However, I heard the "breast friend" is amazing as well for that.

34. A bottle brush.

35. A bottle dryer.

36. The sticky question is about car seats and strollers. This is a personal preference. My advice would be to pick the stroller of your choice and then find out what is compatible with that stroller. I'm a BOB girl... so, Graco is a good fit for that. But, even that has changed over the last year. Its compatible with much more! I also like the Vista Uppa Baby strollers as well. However, every year brings new strollers... I suggest going to a location that has them all and push them around. Take into consideration if you want more babies close together and what stroller you can add to, etc. I have a Teutonia stroller and car seat, a single BOB, and a double BOB. I had to get big strollers for the big baby boys Grant and I were making! Also, a stroller that was tall enough for my 6'8 husband to push around. I can also go for walks, hikes, run, jog, and most importantly shop! I wanted a versatile stroller for my So Cal lifestyle. :)

37. A good diaper bag. I have a Timi and Leslie. This is my favorite bag and brand. It actually looks like a purse. I also have a JuJu Be that I keep in the car for a spare. I suggest keeping a spare bag in the car just in case.

OK, well I hope this was helpful! Like I said... any other questions, call or message me. I'll try and remember to keep adding as I remember more things.

Count down...

To Asher's 1st birthday! The one year mark is quickly approaching... So, I better get going on the party planning! This year.... Round Up BBQ at our house! 

2 of my Valentines.

It's been so beautiful here in California. The weather is perfect. My boys are able to play outside and be in a sunshine. Today I decided to take a few pictures of them with their Valentines shirts on. Asher is wearing Jake's from last year (when Jake was about 16 months old), and I had a new one ordered for Jake this year. 

They are so darn handsome! I can't take it! They make my whole world complete! I'm so happy they are so close in age, and that God gave me two beautiful, healthy boys to play and grow up with each other. 

Apparently Jake has found a love for the camera. He's clearly gets that from Grant... not me! ;)

Asher had just woken up from his nap... he's my serious child. LOOK AT THOSE EYES! AMAZING.

At play. :)

Oh! And clearly Jake isn't phased at all by his experience in the Urgent Care. His chin is healing great, and he gets a check up tomorrow to make sure all is good. Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!

Urgent care party of 3.

Never a dull moment around the Stone house lately. And I have a feeling... it's not going to slow down with a house full of men. So with that said... let me take you through my morning/afternoon.

The day started out quite nice... Kids aren't sick anymore... everyone is in good spirits... it's time for our morning walk... I got Asher packed up, bottle in hand... Jake was set with Buzz and Woody in hand...

Usually Jake walks out the door first and waits for me at the bottom of our stairs... I come out of the house with my double stroller, Asher all tucked in. Not this morning. Jake tripped or slipped and fell down the stair(s) (I'm not sure if he fell off of the first step or the second. There are 2 total). I looked back and I heard a scream, and a very worried look on his face. I locked the stroller and grabbed Jake. Blood on his Jacket. I was trying to figure out where it came from... HIS CHIN! So, I brought Jake in the house, and then brought the stroller back in. Asher had his bottle and the TV was randomly left on. So, he was set. I grabbed Jake and laid him down. Blood all over. I grabbed a clean towel and applied pressure. I knew this would stop the bleeding. And it did. When I pulled the towel off, there was a good size gash.

I told Jake to hold the towel under his chin and just lay down and wait for me. He did. No tears. Just a tough kid. I went to the car to take the single stroller out and to put the double in. I put Asher in the car, and then went back for Jake.

In the meantime... I was in the middle of syncing my iPhone. So, I grabbed it off the dock and realized that nothing had downloaded... I finally got my phone turned on to see some of my contacts! Of course Grant is working, we have no family around... so, there we went. To Urgent Care with the boys.

Walking in there were LOTS of people with masks on... coughs, sneezes, you name it... But, I had no other option. Our pediatrician doesn't do stitches. You can't make this up! The guy said it was only a 30 minute wait. So, I filled out the paper work, and begun to wait. I had some snacks, and only one iPad. This was going to have to do. That 30 minutes turned into 2 hours. Finally, I heard a man walk in... "Excuse me Mrs. Stone, Mr. Stone is here... would you like him to come back?" I SCREAMED... "YES!!" So, Grant walked in... THANK YOU GOD!

After 2 hours of waiting in the stroller, no more snacks, no more water, these kids were OVER it! Grant grabbed Asher and left. So, then it was just us two... Jake and mommy. Finally the doctor came in... another 30 minutes later. She decided that it wasn't all the way to the bone, and she thought it would be best for them to glue the wound shut. There is going to be a scar either way... and with a 2 year old they would rather skip the stitches if possible. So, decision made. 1 nurse, 1 mommy, and a doctor later... we got it cleaned up... and glued shut. The only time he cried was when we had to hold him down... mainly because he was scared.

Grant met me outside, Asher had falling asleep in the car seat, so we put Jake in his car seat, and I drove the kids to McDonald's since they hadn't eaten, and Grant went into his office.

We got home, Jake sat down on the couch... and said, "wow, momma... ouchy!" And then he continued eating his lunch and relaxing. He's finally down for a nap. What an amazing little boy. He's so patient. He's so careful and cautious, so the fall and smack to his chin shocked him. He is such a good little boy. And watching him grow into this strong little man is awesome. I'm so proud of him. Even at 2, getting upset doesn't solve anything. Thanks for the lesson son.

I'm thankful for my loving and caring husband rushing there to help me. In times like these when I can only rely on Grant it shows me how strong we are. And most importantly how strong we are as a couple. Every year that passes we gain more strength. We have to rely on each other for everything. We don't have family driving distance to just hold or watch one baby while we take the other somewhere... even in an emergency situations.

I love my little family of 4 so much! I'm truly blessed and thankful for all that we have, and what we've created. What a day... and it's only 2:30pm!

His chin before:

His chin after:

And here are the boys waiting... Umm... yea... still in PJ's! I don't change them until after breakfast and our walk. Yikes. Guess, I'm going to switch that up for now on. People looked at me funny because they were wearing Christmas PJ's... not because I was getting angry with the clerk saying, "2 HOURS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!" And then storming back to my chair. haha!

My kiddo when we got home. Look at how long those legs are! 

THE END.

Sunday morning walk...

Everyday I take the boys for a walk. I usually walk anywhere between 2-3 miles. Jake will walk the first and last half, and Asher cruises in the double BOB stroller. I love it. Jake loves picking up sticks, flowers, leaves, and anything he deems a good find. I keep it all on the top of the stroller, and then I either toss it before we get home... or I've made crafts out of it as well. A little something to remember these times by. Jake will get inside the stroller and have a snack while I manage to get a pretty good workout in. :)

Yesterday, Grant joined us. He clearly can't go during the day... but, how nice to be able to continue our routine with dada! Jake loved having his dad there. He loved showing him all of his finds. :)

The boys have been sick with colds for over a week... and this weekend I finally noticed a change! Jake is totally feeling better. Thank goodness! And we started Asher on antibiotics (his first time on something) Saturday. Yesterday, Asher looked better! WOO HOO! I hate when they are sick. And they both demand so much attention when they are sick. I think all kiddos do. It's just hard when they're both snotty holding on to me. Lots of nose and tear wiping. The good news is that they are building immunities... so, hopefully when they start school they don't get every illness!? Here's to hoping! ;)

Here are some pics from our walk. Hope everyone had a great weekend! Looking forward to a healthier new week!

Walking Brady.

This stick was huge!

Strong boy! Our little Thor. :)

Asher John is 11 months old!

Turns out others are right. Time goes by pretty fast with one... but, add another to the mix. BAM! The first year is flying by. Next month... Asher's first birthday!

Asher is so funny! He is SO different from Jake! I love their strong personalities.

The haps with Asher aka Hercules.

1. Yes, we call him Hercules. And we call Jake, Thor. Now we have a new super hero in the family. My boys are so strong. Yes, this has to do with Grant's ridiculous strength. But, I think with my crazy will power it makes for an even stronger combo! Asher or Hercules is so strong! I know I'm his mother so I think my kids are the greatest, but seriously... this kid is strong! The doctor always comments that he is the strongest boy (other than Jake) that he has seen. Asher pulled up, sat, stood, and walked very early. When he grabs onto something I literally have to pry it out of his hands. Changing diapers is challenging, and don't even get me started on shot day! The nurse, doc, and I have to assist. Yes, we are taking about an infant. And when he takes something from Jake... Jake isn't getting it back! :)

2. Asher is almost running... he's fast!

3. Wearing 2T/3T clothes.

4. Size 5 diapers.

5. Says, "mama, dada, no, baba (for Brady). I'll have to revise this list as he says more.

6. He loves to clap! 

7. When I say, "did it" he raises his arms in the air and smiles! Accomplishments are huge in this house! Jake did the same thing.

8. He's a dancer. He sways back and forth, bounces, and follows Jake's sweet moves.

9. He loves food. Loves Ham, bananas, Chicken, rice, pasta, cheese, bread, ground turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc etc.

10. Loves all things Jake.

11. Loves all things sports.

12. Loves being outside playing with Jake. 

13. He is stubborn. If he wants something... he will get it.

14. He is LOUD. This little guy wants you to know whats going on. If he's walking through the hallway... he's calling for us. If we walk away for a brief second... he comes looking for us... calling us the whole way. 

15. He has 6 teeth. 4 on the top, and 2 on the bottom.

16. He doesn't like to sit in the car seat for longer than he has to... not a fan of the road trip... perhaps once we turn his seat around... that seemed to change things for Jake also.

17. Has about 28 oz of milk. Changing to Vitamin D next month.

Here are some 11 month old sticker pictures: