Tiny Prints

One of my favorite finds is Tiny Prints. I've used them for birth announcements, stationary for myself and the kiddos, and invitations! I recently received an invitation printed on Tiny Prints paper and was reminded of how much I love it.

I loved Patrick's announcements. They were perfect for our Big Sister, Little Brother arrival. Helen's announcement was precious too. It featured a sketch of a little girl and a golden-retriever-esque dog, which we imagined represented Chase.

The choices are endless and all equally precious. You can easily upload photos from SmugMug, Flickr, or Picasa. The customer service is excellent, prices reasonable, the products ship relatively quickly, and you can format and preview your product online before ordering. They also offer a Live Chat feature and free sample shipments. So its very easy to create the perfect card! Many of the announcements and invitations have coordinating thank you cards, which I always end up purchasing!

My favorite feature is the pre-shipment of envelopes. Before Patrick was born and I found myself much more organized, I selected his announcements and had the envelopes pre-shipped. I addressed and stamped all of the birth announcements before he even arrived! After he was born and we had all of his "stats" (i.e. weight, height, birthday, etc.) I went back to http://www.tinyprints.com/ and completed the order. When the announcements arrived, it was easy to throw them in envelopes and get them out quickly after Patrick's birth.

Tiny Prints always have great promotions (especially if you subscribe to the site...if you subscribe, you'll get 15% off your next order). Right now they are offering free ground shipping on orders over $49 with code HOLIDAYSHIP49 and 2 free sets of address labels when you spend $75 with code GIFTFORYOU. With such cute products and such great deals, there's no reason not to send Christmas cards this year!

Thanksgiving with No Naps

I've decided that I'm anti-Turkey Day. That's right, I'm against Thanksgiving. For most of America its family fun, good food, and the friendly lesson of the Pilgrims and the Indians. For me it was dragging two kids from one un-childproofed house to another, operating with no naps, trying to convince Helen to eat turkey and sweet potatoes, and trying to convince Patrick only to eat food.

We all got dressed up in some cute Thanksgiving clothes...I was even wearing heels, so on top of trying to convince Helen and Patrick to eat unusual foods, I also had to convince them not to throw it on me. Or themselves.

On the way home at, well, it was quite past bedtime, there was such a meltdown happening in the backseat, that I had to crawl in the back and sit between two carseats. I will admit to not wearing a seatbelt, but I wasn't too worried. My pumpkin pie filled bottom was so wedged in between the two seats that nothing could have popped me out of there.

Helen and Patrick ended the day tired, grumpy, and full of cake and lollipops (well, that was mostly Helen). The only person who was more tired and grumpy was me. I told Matt, as I always do, "Never again! Next year we are leaving town for the holidays! Its too much stress!" Save our money! Cash out the 401K! Anything to avoid another family holiday! But as I glance through the Thanksgiving pictures, listen to Helen talk about the fun she had, and lick my pie plate clean, I think I might give it another go. I'll try Thanksgiving again. On a trial basis that is.

Mia Bossi Bags

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a researcher. Maybe its the lawyer skills applied to parenthood, there isn't one item that I have purchased without reading reviews and comparing products. When I own something its because I've put a lot of thought and research into deciding what is best for my lifestyle! 95% of the time, I'm happy with the purchase.

One purchase (well, a gift from my mom!) that I love is my Mia Bossi diaper bag (http://www.miabossi.com/). When I bought (received) it, I could only find it at online retailers. After a recent cruise through Rice Village, I saw Doodles (http://www.doodlesbaby.com/) and A Woman's Work (http://www.awomanswork.com/) had them in stock.

I had a lot of criteria for my second diaper bag purchase. My first diaper bag was the Burberry Novachek Diaper Bag (http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?cmCat=search&itemId=prod5550101). It was cute, useful, and in many ways I loved it. It came with a changing pad, an easy to wipe lining (think drippy milk cups), double straps, and interior side pockets. But I needed something a little sturdier, a bit larger, and more compartments for multi-child organization with Diaper Bag Number Two!

I fell in love with the Mia Bossi bags the minute I stumbled onto their website. Lots of great colors and sizes. Thankfully the style factor was a no-brainer! They are adorable bags! I need a diaper bag that I love. You carry it constantly, so it should be something that fits with your personal style!

I have the Maria Bag in tangerine. This a big bag, but its perfect when you are carrying two sets of diapers, wipes, a toy or two, bottles, sippy cups, snacks, you name it! On any given day, I could have anything in my Mia Bossi bag! The lining zips out which is great for cleaning it up, but it also provides some extra storage around the outside of the bag (perfect for storing an extra set of clothes for a newborn!). I love the fur-lined changing pad. There are so many pockets in this bag, I've lost count! Two exterior side pockets are great for bottles and cups. I use one of the interior pockets to store the changing pad, the opposite pocket is for "toiletries"...Tylenol, disposable diaper bags, a suction bulb, Purel, and Shout Wipes. There is an interior zip pouch which is perfect for my few personal items (who has room for much else!)...my wallet, lip gloss, gum, etc. There is a hook for your keys (I can't count the number of times I've lost my keys in a mess of diapers and snacks) and a pocket for your phone (another easy to lose item). There are two side interior pockets which are perfect for snacks. Patrick gets his snacks in one and Helen gets the other. Diapers, wipes, burp cloths, etc. just hang out in the middle of the bag.

My Mia Bossi bag is one item I can't live without!

Bows!!!!!

I was blessed with a bald little girl. Patrick is 8 months old and has as much hair as Helen did when she was 18 months old. The girl was bald. No exaggeration. She still struggles in the hair department. She is currently sporting a baby mullet. But at least we are getting some length, even if its coming in faster at the back.

I am excited because we are finally getting her BIG bows. Not the little baby barrettes, but big, giant, obnoxious, girly bows! It only took 27 months. But I'm loving it. A whole new world of toddler fashion has been opened to me. So today we went bow shopping. We picked out some big bows at our favorite bow spot, Doodles in Rice Village (http://www.doodlesbaby.com/). I was so thrilled with the big bows that I had Helen put on a bow fashion show. She had to try on every big bow we bought. She knew she looked cute. Its amazing what a good accessory can do for a girl.

Another great bow website is http://www.sugar-n-spicebowtique.com/.

Ear Boogers

So gross, I know. But Patrick has ear boogers. Well, that wasn't the official medical terminology used, but I had to internally dumb it down. Essentially, Patrick's ears are so clogged that the mucous in his ears has firmed up and wedged itself at the back. Doesn't that sound a little boog-ish to you?

So on December 5th, we'll be doing tubes again. Due to the ear booger blockage, its impossible for Patrick's ears to clear up on their own. He'll have tubes inserted, as well as an ear booger-ectomy to clear out all of the firm mucous. Ugh. Two sets of tubes in two babies in two months...You'd think we could get some sort of a two-for-one deal.

My Life in T-Shirts

Just like I live my life in out of date Uggs, I live in t-shirts. A few weeks ago I went shopping with my mom and my sister. Meg loaded up on cute dresses, tops, etc. I literally got five t-shirts. 3 of them were black and 2 of them were white. Wild. But I'm an on the go mom...and t-shirts suit that lifestyle pretty well. Spills, spit-ups, paint, crayons, and baby food all look better on a t-shirt than a dress. And let's face it, that means when its time to fall into bed, sometimes all you have to do is change pants. But rather than bum around all day in my 10 year old TCU and Theta party t-shirts, I've tried to be a little more grown-up in my t-shirt choices.

When you are pregnant a good t-shirt matters a lot. Why? Because most eyes are heading directly for the giant basketball bump (formerly known as a belly) that is resting under it. So why not send a fun message with that protruding belly? 2 Chix T-shirts are so cute and comfy. I loved my "Haute Mama" tee. The daddy t-shirts are fun too. "My boys Can Swim" and "The Man Behind the Belly" are my favorite. www.2chix.com.

The t-shirt becomes no less important when that baby comes out from under it. For two reasons. One, the comfy factor again. And two, when you stay at home with your kids, you really need most of your clothes to be machine washable. If I had to dry clean everything, I would have to hit the dry cleaners every day. I love Michael Stars t-shirts (they make great maternity shirts too). Find them at www.michaelstars.com or http://shop.nordstrom.com/C/2378062/0~2376776~2374325~2378062.

The Suit Doesn't Fit

I love being a mom. I mean, I LOVE it. In my lawyer days I used to say that I felt like I was living someone else's life. It just felt wrong. Every since I became a mom, I've felt like I'm living my life. The way I was supposed to. And frankly, I am probably a much better mom than I ever was a lawyer. I still don't think I understand the hearsay rule. I also hate wearing suits. I like jeans. Jeans with a little paint, baby food, and crayon on them are my favorite. I can't lie, I'm not afraid of sweatsuit either. Oh, or Uggs. I don't think they've been cool for about 5 years, but I still love them. Even more than my pairs of Jimmy Choos, which continue to collect dust in my closet. But my totally uncool, out of style Uggs are still getting lots of wear. I told Meg I would just wear them in my neighborhood and she suggested I just wear them in my house. I hope she doesn't see me tomorrow at HEB.

Seller's Remorse

You've probably heard of buyer's remorse, but over the last few days, I've developed a case of seller's remorse.

I've been convinced for, well, forever that I only wanted two children. So out popped number two and I've started selling a few baby items (on a really great maternity/children's resale site by the way... www.labump.com ). But all of a sudden, I realize that selling these things means I really am done having babies.

Obviously, they are still going to have swings in the stores if in a few years I decide to add another one to our brood, but letting go of these items, means that I am at least letting go of the idea that we will have a third.

So the last few days I've been suffering from seller's remorse. Wondering how sure I really am. But then today as we went to our Gymboree Family Music class, I realized that I better stick with my two.

One, having kids is expensive. Lessons, toys, clothes, shoes, food, college, it never ends. I'm sure my parents would tell you that I'm still expensive. I don't think I can afford music classes for three kids. Let alone college. Hopefully my plan of raising super star athletic geniuses will pan out. Two, I can only play two instruments at a time. And that was tricky. What with beating a drum for Helen and shaking a maraca for Patrick, I don't think I could ring a bell for a third. When we left class, I was holding Patrick and holding Helen's hand. Of course Helen bolted. I dropped my diaper bag and chased her while clutching Patrick. What if that bag had been another baby? Who would get dropped? Or hit by a car? God gave me two hands. I think that was intentional...one for each child.

Music class is a blast! We can't wait to go back next week. Helen danced, Patrick laughed and bounced, and everyone smiled! And thankfully it cured my case of seller's remorse!

Tubes. Again.

Well, it looks like Patrick is going to be the second Byrd baby to get tubes in his ears. Helen got hers a month ago, along with the removal of her adenoids. She'll get her tonsils out when she turns three. Both have suffered from chronic ear infections, poor sleep, and chronic congestion.

I blame their father. He had tubes so many times, no one is sure of the exact number. He's adenoid-less and tonsil-less. Apparently Helen looks like me on the outside, but looks like her daddy underneath. Patrick got it both ways...inside and out, he's his daddy. Perhaps I should have been a little more thorough when I vetted him.

At what point in your dating relationship do you ask about someone's inner ear problems? I'm not sure during Matt's and my high school courtship, I gave much thought to it. I also wished I'd asked him about polydactyly. Do you know what that is? Its when you have extra digits...you know extra fingers or toes (like Ann Boleyn). Are any of our children going to be born with 12 toes? Because one of them was...and that came from daddy's side of things (though he was only born with 10 himself).

Below are a few resources that I found helpful when researching chronic ear infections and enlarged adenoids and tonsils. Oh and extra toes. But don't forget to ask those questions or you, like me, might be in for quite a surprise when you have a 12 toed baby with poorly draining ears.

http://www.med.umn.edu/otol/library/serousot.htm

http://www.petube.org/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/tonsillectomyadenoidectomy/htm/index.htm

http://www.emedicine.com/orthoped/byname/polydactyly-of-the-foot.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyly

Why I love my Phil & Ted's Stroller

I did more research on what double stroller to purchase than I did when I decided to go to TCU. I read reviews, I tested strollers, and I looked at pictures. In the end I got the Phil and Ted's Sport Buggy with the doubles kit. Here are the top 10 reasons why I love it.

1) Its neon green. That makes me feel like a fun mom. It also works pretty well when you have a boy and a girl. No pink or blue strollers for us. And its not like I would lose a neon green stroller in a crowd.

2) It is honestly the easiest stroller to push. It has a swivel wheel, which is great. My previous sport stroller had the wheel locked in place. I hated that. It was so difficult to turn. The Phil and Ted's is so smooth and the turns are too!

3) I love it that its easily converted to a single stroller. Sometimes we go places where Helen walks. Its nice to just keep one stroller in the car and I have the option of throwing one or both of the kids in it.

4) Gwyneth Paltrow has the same one. Other celebrities are fans too! http://www.phil-and-teds-sport.co.uk/

5) I feel like its a stroller that I will use for a long time. Again, its easily converted to a single stroller, so even when Helen doesn't ride in a stroller at all, I can still use it for Patrick. And its well made, so I have no worry that its going to fall apart any time soon.

6) I love how it converts depending on the ages of your children. From an infant, to a toddler, from a toddler and an infant, to two toddlers, it does it all. When Patrick was a newborn, he could lay down and Helen sat in the toddler seat. Now they are both sitting.

7) Its narrow. I was so nervous about pushing a double-wide stroller around. I can barely push any stroller. I was sure that I wouldn't fit through doors, I would run over toes, etc. And I was concerned that in the future, Helen and Patrick could pick on each other while sitting next to one another. Good thing. Because Helen loves to hit Patrick. She's spending a good deal of time on the "naughty stool." Thank goodness she can't reach him in the stroller.

8) Its short. I was likewise nervous about pushing a super long tandem stroller. I can't even drive the grocery cart because its so long. Let alone a 6 foot long stroller.

9) Did I mention that Gwyneth Paltrow has the exact same one? Seriously, she and Madonna go on walks together with it.

10) Its lightweight as far as double strollers go. 23 pounds. Its easy to fold and collapse once you get the hang of it. Its different than other strollers, but once you've mastered it, its a breeze!

Back on Track

Eee-gad! Is it possible that I haven't blogged in 3 1/2 months?!?! How terrible. Perhaps its because of all the events and happenings over the last few months. Here's just a little taste to get things back on track...

We've been on three weekend trips since my last blog. Flying and traveling with two kiddos under two was a disaster. At least for me. Luckily we had Ninny (my mom), Gur (what? Don't know how she came up with that, but its my dad), Uncle Brad, and Me-Me (Meg) with us for the trips. But none of them were without incident. During the first trip to North Carolina, Helen decided she hated any restraint. Car seats, strollers, shopping carts, you name it. She screamed bloody murder while we tried to strap her in on the plane. Luckily Ninny brought stickers which she proceeded to stick all over Uncle Brad the entire flight. Thank goodness for Ninny and for Uncle Brad's good nature.

The second trip was to Tulsa for my cousin's wedding. It was actually a really great trip. Attending an Indian wedding was amazing...apparently Helen has been harboring a secret love of contemporary Indian music. She was the first and the last off the dance floor. Again, thank goodness for Uncle Brad who was her favorite dance partner. I also somehow managed to lock Patrick in the hotel room ALONE and LAYING ON THE BED during that trip. I bolted down the stairs to the lobby only to have the woman ask for my identification to get in the room. Are you kidding me? My 5 month old was locked in a room rolling around on the bed?!?!?! I guess the incredulous look I gave her sped things along, because she did get me a new key.

In September, everyone went to College Station for Helen and Patrick's first Aggie game. Let's just say that Helen learned to climb out of the pack and play and had a stomach bug. So she was sleeping in bed with us and throwing up. Nice. I was glad to come home from that trip.

Helen turned two. We had a great time. We went to the Aquarium on her actual birthday and followed up with a party at a wildlife park. Good times. Patrick's been baptized, we got hit by a hurricane. We lost power for over a week. We moved in with Uncle Brad. We lost our fence, our roof still has a hole in it, but we recovered. Helen had minor surgery to have tubes put in her ears and her adenoids removed, Patrick's learned to sit up, to crawl and to grimace every time Helen comes to grab a toy away. Helen's hair is finally growing and we celebrated Halloween as a fireman and a dalmatian.

Life is good and I'm excited to be back in the blogging world!