The MomGate MG1

So Cait hasnt been crawling yet... but she is VERY close... and she is teething, the two front bottom teeth are starting to show where they will show their pretty whiteness... but unfortunatly, what I am guessing is a combination of all three, she has been waking up at 3am ready to play. Of course when I am not ready to play she isnt happy and voices it... loudly. SO none of us have gotten much sleep. I am to the point that I cant fall asleep because I am so tired... maybe I should see if my MIL would bring over her corkscrew (since mine vanished.... ::glare Shawn::) and I cant open the wine bottle I have in the fridge. WHo cares if it is a good wine... maybe a nice glass will calm both me and Cait down.

On top of that, poor Gabe has been kept up as well. Well that and he still seems to want to fall asleep on the floor at the foot of his bed. Go figure. Anyway, this week has been crazy with Labor Day parties... so yes I know bad me for going without another menu... Blech. Anyway, tomorrow I am hoping to get some salsa made and canned for later. Yes I know I can get pretty much as many as I want from my friends who work for Frito Lay, but man I love my own fresh made stuph. We will see if the kidlets will allow it this time. I managed to get some seconds tomatoes from a local farmer today, I just hope he didnt sell me a bunch of rotten ones (at the bottom of the bushel)

I also splurged a little this week on my grocery shopping, I got a pack of stew meat, 11 dollars, but I know my beef stew will feed us for at least 3 days. Of course I make a HUGE crock pot filled with it. I love this time of the year, soups and stews in abundance... and they are usually relatively inexpensive to make.

So anyway...

Thursday: Beef Stew
Friday: Tuna Casserole
Saturday: Beef Stew Leftovers (better the second day!)

So a couple WoW friends and I decided to make our attempts at The Glory of the Hero meta achievment. What it basically is, is doing certain things (or not doing certain things) in the heroic dungeons of Wrath. And for a reward you get a very tasty Red Proto Drake. Now since I have never been able to obtain the special mounts like the Amani War Bear, the Plagued Protodrake or the Rusted Protodrake (or the 25 man special mounts) I figured I'd at least try really really hard for this one. Since you in essence only need 5 people. Well some of these achievements are REALLY difficult. And we dont run with the 'typical' group.

It is Me (Frost or Fire Mage)
Verissi (Fire mage)
Kieranna (Marksman Hunter)
Lomar (Prot Warrior)
Kalea (Healy Shaman)

Of everyone here, Kalea and I are the best gear with pretty much all Ulduar ranking loot. Lomar has spatterings of Ulduar gear and Verissi and Kier have spatterings of Naxx and what we have gotten from badge vendors and the heroics we run. So not the 'optimal' group, but where we might lack in gear, we have lots of experience with our classes. Verissi (author OMGL2PLAYNOOB) has to be the most experienced WoW player I know, with practically an 80 of every class.

So every week we try to knock out one achievement, we have limited time to play together due to raiding schedules but we try =) and we are past the halfway point. Well last night since my raid was cancelled we decided to try one of the harder ones. And let me tell you, it was AWFUL.

We went to Ajol'Nerub to do Watch him Die and the other two in there. Which are both mainly DPS races. This one just sucked. We wiped countless times trying out strategies of all sorts. Hunter kite, Mage Kite, Flat out Zerg, Kite one group, kill all the mini adds, kill only the skirmisher mini add... despawning the boss and trying to kill him from behind... yeah we were trying everything. Finally we decided to kill the mini adds then try to all out zerg the boss. Unfortunatly there is a high RNG aspect to this fight as there are stuns and webwraps that really impinge on your DPS and or healing. LUCKILY, at about 2 hours into our attempts RNG was in our favor. My mirror images were the ones getting webwrapped as I laid into the boss.

Our tank went down at about 10%, I nuked the best I could and popped a living bomb on him just as the adds came to eat my face. Luckily I was far away from the other group members so the mobs had to run to them, and by the time the rest of the party went down, the Boss was dead. I know I wasnt the only one to shriek on TS that we got it. And boy was it a sense of accomplishment.

Alright... this is going to be a flat out rant. Because this seems to happen all the time to me as well as my friends.

So I go out of my way to help someone, work my arse off to help. Turn my back for a minute and a dagger goes flying into it. Person I am helping turns his/her back on me, sometimes quietly other times in very very nasty ways, and moves on thinking that throughtheir own stamina, their own willpower and work is what got them through it.

People around me snicker behind my back or embrace the person and then start to help them out. When I grumble about it I get labeled as inconsiderate, jealous, mean spirited or a flat out liar. Okay fine. I dont talk about it. But then don't ASK me about it if you dont want to hear my gripes. I move on, but goodness knows I am not going to go out of my way to help said person ever again. And my close friends know that I will attempt to move mountains for the few close friends I have.

The incident is forgotten, by everyone else other then me because I can hold one helluva grudge, and all seems well. Then guess what, it happens again to the new person. People who pu-pued me about my reaction and brushed me off as any of the acronyms above are suddenly up in arms and highly offended that said person could possibly do that to someone! All because they are involved with the betrayal of the person whom had already backstabbed me.

Sounds a bit funny doesn't it? Yet it happens over and over... by my count 5 times since Jr. High. Sometimes I wonder why I even try to help people out.

So yes I have been a bad meal planning momma for the past week. No Blog entries, no menus for those of us who are on a very limited budget... but it has been quite the hectic week. Yes we did do the Ramen recipes and yes they were surprisingly delicious and cheap! Although next time around I will definitely do more in the flavor department. But when you really have to pinch, ramen noodles are a filling and tasty way to stretch the budget... oh and they are VERY kid friendly. My son just adores 'oodles.

So one of the reasons this past week has been rough is because Gabe decided that he didnt want to be in his crib anymore. Ever. He was crawling out of the crib and making a ruckus during nap and bedtimes. That wasnt what worried me... what worried me was the fact he had some pretty impressive bruises from his climbing escapes. So we made the decision it was time to move him to a toddler bed. Man it is hard to accept that your baby boy is growing up... and I was worried about a lot more. Gabe has NEVER been a good sleeper, from the moment we brought him home fromt he hospital he was little caffeine baby. (And to think I barely drank any caffeine while I was pregnant or breastfeeding) So how would he handle sleeping when he wasnt confined. Las Vegas made me cringe... he barely slept at all that whole week. But his safety was first concern.

SO I was happy enough just making his crib into the toddler bed, but then we'd have to buy a crib for Cait... so It was either buy a crib or buy a toddler bed. Toddler bed it was. I researched a bunch of beds and figured we'd just get a little wooden one like my parents have.

Enter Linda.

Now my mother-in-law is a very generous and loving person... but she is a bit scattered and VERY impulsive. Thats for another post... she decided that she wanted to buy the toddler bed. Which was good news to me since we are still VERY strapped for money... so she went to Toys R Us and looked at the toddler beds... and she picked out the two that she wanted to pick from. A car shaped bed or a Thomas the Tank Engine bed...

Now Gabe LOVES cars and trains... but trains are his favorite. Everytime he visits my parents he immediatly upon entering the house takes Gaggee by the hand and leads him to the basement door. My father has a train setup down there.

Since MIL was picking up the tab... we went for the Thomas bed. This was Friday night, I didnt want to wait too long because of risk of injury to Gabe... but we got home from the store too late on Friday to put it together immediatly. Gabe was crushed. I made the mistake of bringing the boxes in on Friday so Gabe saw the picture. First thing Saturday morning he ran to the box and hugged it. He was so excited. My siblings warned me that a 'play' bed was not a wise decision and I was very skeptical about it, but hey... maybe this would make him WANT to sleep? (okay my brother corrected me... they warned me it was impractical ;) )

So after Shawn put the bed together we brought Gabe up to see it... the entire time Shawn was piecing the bed together Gabe was chanting Daddy Datata (which is his word for train, think the train sound) We brought him upstairs and his face lit up. He practically squealed and ran to hug his Thomas bed. He collected all his favorite stuffed animals and even ran downstairs to grab Froggie. He spent a good hour playing on his bed before I made him come downstairs for dinner. He was not pleased.


Bedtime we brought him upstairs and did his normal routine. It took him a long while to settle down, but we let him have his freedom. About an hour later we checked on him, he was passed out on the floor next to the bed. We giggled then put him back in bed. The morning dawned with Gabe tearing apart his room and finding everything we thought we took out... think qtips with the cotton ripped off.

Naptime... we were dreading it. He is a terror when he doesnt nap. So we do the usual routine and then put him in his room for quiet time. We placed a child knob lock on the inside of his door. We have VERY steep stairs and worry about him falling down. We left him a sippy and a couple of books, not to mention the trains he has in his room. He actually took about an hour nap! Sure it wasnt as much as he needed, but he actually took a nap in his bed!


Yesterday he took almost a 3 hour nap in his bigboy bed without us having to take his toys away! And last night he actually fell asleep *IN* the bed instead of on the floor. I think maybe this transition was harder for me then for him. I went in this morning and there he was, playing on his bed with his stuffed animals, no clothing ripped from the drawers, although there was chalk drawings all over Thomas and his wall.. but whats a little chalk for peace of mind that your son is safe!

So I want to say... the first piece of advice I give any friend who is pregnant or wants to be... Follow your Instincts. *YOU* know your baby better then any well wisher be they inlaw, friend, grandparent, book, or some wacko off the street who thinks they are a better parent then you. Once I decided to follow that philosophy life was better at home. I kept trying to get DS to 'conform' to what the books and my friends said he should be like. DS is an individual with his own personality. Sure he is a clingy mommas boy right now, but that won't last forever. And honestly, how many parents wish they held their children LESS when they are all grown up? They are only so little and dependant on you for such a short time, why force them to grow up faster?

My first biggest beef was with breastfeeding. Now I am an avid lactating mommy but it was not easy to get to the comfortable spot I am in. When I first started with DS I really didnt know anyone who breastfed. My mom didnt, my MIL didnt, really didnt have many friends with kids and the ones who did weren't lactating mommas. So I was kinda doing it without a whole lotta support. When we finally hit the 8week mark it was no longer painful and hard, it began a whole new set of bonding that I do miss with DS. However, since DS was clingy from the getgo (I think he had some medical problems to do with GERD. The Ped didnt believe me but looking back I really think that was half the problem) folks said it was because I was breastfeeding and holding him too much. I am sorry but I feel that breastmilk is the best food for a growing baby, although some can't do what I did it was just the right fit for our family. after I started ignoring those comments I became comfortable in a natural process and no longer got antsy and tried to find a place to hide to feed my son.

At 6 months folks said, okay he is starting solids, time to wean him. I said no way. Not only did I love the experience, it was comforting to both of us when he got sick, or hurt himself. Sure he had to eat more often then a formula baby, but I also got to cuddle him while I slept. Of course snotty comments would follow about me coddling and spoiling, and how he'd never sleep through the night. Once more, ignored!

10 months and DS started sleeping through the night. We had to take a rougher approach then most attachment parents because of the fact I was losing my mind. DS wasn't happy if I was home and he wasnt occupying my entire attention. And he was starting to get too heavy to carry around in his Moby wrap all day. 3 days of sleeping on the floor in his bedroom finally saw him sleeping through the night without needing to cuddle in bed with his parents. A milestone that folks said would never happen because I held him too much and I nursed him too much... What is with all the 'too much' when there are so many kids out there with 'too little' be it affection, food, shelter etc.

Then a year came along and the same thing started. Heck I would get people completely shocked that I was still nursing at a year. When did breastfeeding become everyone's business anyway? DS wasnt ready to wean, I wasn't ready to wean, so we didnt.

At 18 months I stopped BF around people, was too tired of the stinkeye and the negative comments. Neither of us were ready to wean and DS nursed more for comfort then nutrition. Of course no one seems to remember that it is recommended to nurse for 2 years. Of course about that time I was pregnant with DD. And while some folks tandem nurse a toddler and a newborn I knew that wasnt going to be for me. And if I ended up with another one like DS that would be simply torture. So at 20 months, 2 months before DD was due, I weaned him. We did it gradually, I didnt make him and I quit cold turkey. It wasnt easy, but it wasnt impossible. It helped to remind DS that now he could eat chickies and pasta and fruits... and lots of other yummy stuff. He only asked to nurse once after DD was born, and I let him try, but he lost interest right away. See, they all grow up eventually =)

Now with DD, since she is so much easier then DS was... I am not getting the negative feedback... even though I am not doing anything different for DD. I hold her a lot, I nurse her, I sleep with her by my side. She used to sleep all night with DH and me, but she much prefers her space when she sleeps. Sure she doesnt need me as much as DS did, but I am grateful since DS is still a clingy boy and loves his momma above all else. Folks just need to remember, DH included, that kids arent copies, they are unique manuscripts with their own personalities, their own ways of doing things and my mantra, something a friend from WoW told me...

This too shall pass.

So DD has always been easier then DS was... DS was to be blunt, demonbaby. People were VERY surprised when I said I was pregnant with number two... since they knew number 1 was such a handful. The differences in their personalities are so very apparent. While DS is high maintence, DD is very low key (usually) and while DS thinks sleeping is unimportant, although he gets VERY crabby when he goes without, DD seems to enjoy it.

Well as you may have read... after Vegas it was rough, no one wanted to sleep. Partially because of DD's eczema, the time shift and a cold we all picked up. But Sunday DD ended up taking an almost 3 hour nap by herself and then went to bed... and slept for 8 hours! She did wake up about 3 times but I was able to rub her back and she fell back asleep. After 8 hours I figured she was hungry and just pulled her into bed with me. And last night she did the same! Sure I still wake up at every little whimper and cry but its a huge step forward for us! She even put herself to sleep last night with just about 5 minutes of fussing. I guess with her able to put the pacifier in her mouth on her own helps, when she can find it that is. Also since she is turning over on her own, the fact that she can sleep on her belly probably helps too.

Pretty soon I guess we will have to consider when to move her from her PacknPlay to a crib in her brother's room. Okay maybe in a couple more months =) I kinda enjoy having her so close... they grow up so very fast.

Well as I said in the last post our food budget was VERY low last week and yesterday was D&D day... and we spent more then we meant to on take out... so we are going to be eating leftovers tonight and probably tomorrow start the ramen menu. I am interested in trying this out as we have some various items in the freezer that need to be consumed before I have to start worrying about freezer burn. Not a fun thing for sure. I hate throwing away food because it just makes me wince from the cost.

Anyway - unfortunatly the slugs ate the majority of my garden... with DH not watering enough while I was in Vegas.. so alas we dont have the bountiful vegetable plants it looked like we were going to have earlier this summer. Very sad =( but maybe I can find some good deals at the farmers market in the next couple of weeks because I am planning on making Christmas Presents again this year and I make a tasty salsa =)

Monday: Leftovers from Takeout Sunday
Tuesday: Beef Ramen Pie
Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen
Thursday: Garlic Chicken and Ramen
Friday: Ramen Vegetable Stirfry