Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Discovery Fall Party Planning

Hi Mamas! This is where I'll post the sign-ups for the party. I'll update this post as emails come in. Thanks, Resa

Date for finalizing details is Tuesday, Nov. 17. Currently the quantities needed for items is at 16 (15 students + 1 sibling).

Party Helpers (please note if you'll have other siblings along to participate so we can plan the correct #'s for snacks etc.)
1. Resa Eastwood (+1 sibling)
2.
3.
4.

Healthy Snack-(napkin/lap worthy--like dried fruit/popcorn etc.)
1.
Melissa Jones

Sweet Treat-
(not messy & individual servings if possible)
1.
Kristy Boblet

Drinks-
(like juice boxes or Capri Suns etc.)
1.
Robyn Brumble

Party Napkins
1.
Kellie McQueen

Party Plates (small)
1.
Sarah Eason

Fall themed Craft
(Something SIMPLE so they can do it on their own in about 10 minutes. I will put the two mamas in touch to work out details and supplies etc.)
1.
2.

Games
(I can come up w/a couple, but please sign up if you have some proven fun ones or want to help plan!)
1. Resa Eastwood
2.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Family Snaps

Eric posted a bunch of recent pictures from life over on facebook....CLICK HERE to view them (you don't have to be on fb to see).

Monday, June 15, 2009

And...that's a wrap!


Yes, this is it folks, my last wedding cake! I am officially retiring from the cake business (for now...). This huge monster was for a wedding this past weekend at a beautiful winery in Lee's Summit. Looked like the perfect place, perfect weather (it was outdoors), perfect dress...and, so, of course, the perfect cake to go with it all (smile).

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

What a FIND!

Okay, maybe I've just been slacking in the "new blogging technology" game...but I just discovered that there are places that will turn your blog into a book! I've been wanting to print out my blogs (esp. Silly Rabbits) since I don't ever get around to scrapbooking...thinking that really I HAVE scrapped, just on the puter.

After a quick google search, I've discovered there are some options (of course). Here are two sites offering what seems to be comparable deals:

The Cutest Blog on the Block - I actually stopped here first looking to change my background since, Suz, yours ALWAYS does look so "cute"! Their book option is powered by shared book...guessing that's another site.

Blurb
- This site has you download free software for more customization of your finished product. Plus it's less expensive, at least in the bold print.

Ooooh! I'm really so excited...I think I might try the Blurb one, break it down by year or something and finally enjoy the melding of blogging & scrapbooking!

Friday, May 15, 2009

It's that time of year again!

Garage sale time!! Those of you who know me, know that bargain hunting at garage sales is near and dear to my heart. I go with a list of items I need (clothes for next seasons for the kids, home/household stuff etc.) and anymore, I actually stick pretty close to it. I've learned over the years that extra junk just is extra junk so the list thing helps immensely!

This week there were several neighborhood sales...sadly, I spent all my fundage before hitting them all, but I'm proud of myself for not driving straight to the ATM for more cash...hear "self-control, self-control, self-control", deep breath in!

My bestest find was a new-to-me dryer! Our current dryer is 25+ years old and though it works well for normal loads, cloth diapers take 3 cycles to dry...cha-ching goes the electric bill. $35 for the one I found yesterday...even is the same brand and probably close to the same year as our washer...bonus! I flipped those cool mini-van seats into the floor and they loaded it up. The gal who sold it to me just won a new front-loader set...I'm trying not to be jealous.

I also purchased summer clothes for myself, Elena and Kai. Winter coat and some shoes for Kai-boy and a book shelf for Zane's room. Some school supplies, a family night neat wooden game called Mancala, a brand new pink duffel bag for Elena's soccer gear,and a thermos for making an emergency bottle of formula on our summer road trips!

So, just thought I'd share my finds :) Now back to laundry, dishes & babies!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Cuteness.


Need I say more?

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The Fog...

...is clearing. That is, the newborn-baby-in-the-house-fog. I can make it through a day w/o a nap and the dishes get done almost every day. I've started cooking meals and grocery shopping and even vacuumed the living room yesterday...which reminds me, I sadly need to cancel my Merry Maids bi-weekly floor cleaning. Anyhoo...here are some recent pictures of our family fun! Enjoy...Resa

Easter Sunday at Chuck & Cheri's. Isn't it funny how the family pictures never quite come out how you imagine? Gotta love it!

"Can I see Zane? Can I see Zane? Can I see Zane?" E & K repeat this over and over, many times a day. "He hasn't changed since the last time you saw him, dears!"

This is all of us at Elena's Birthday party!

Momma and Zane!

Yup, all of us again. This is a Sat. morning after soccer and b-ball games.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Facebook Pictures

Man, if this works, I'm going to be so happy! Here is the link to some new pictures I posted over on Facebook: CLICK HERE.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Baby Zane & family Pictures!

Me and my two boys...

Ready for mischief!

Sleepy baby.

Heading Home!

Zane in the now sparkling clean (we sure hope) seat where he was born!

There's just nothing like it!

A big yawn in his "I'm a Little Sleepy" coming home outfit.

Our family of 5!

A VERY proud big sister!

He's so little!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Quite a Ride...and Baby Makes Five!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Hi Friends! Here is the story you've been waiting to hear (as posted over on facebook)...WARNING: This IS a birth story, so if you are sensitive to the knitty-gritty of birth, you'll need to prepare yourself for details or just not read it.

"The cops delivered my 3rd baby in my bedroom!" "Some third babies are just sooo laid back." "My friend's 3rd baby came so fast they had to pull over on the highway!" "Third babies can be stubborn and take forever to come!" ---these are all stories I heard at some point over the last three weeks or so as I clenched my teeth in discomfort and continued to walk around with our 3rd baby all nice and cozy in my tummy.

Then yesterday became reality...9:30 a.m. I had my first-one-day-over-due-date appointment with my (way cool) midwife, Crystal. The kids and I got to see our healthy baby on the sonogram screen yet again, and all was well. After waffling back and forth, I decided to let Crystal strip my membranes to see if that would jumpstart labor for me...I'd never had that done before, and it really sounds much worse than it was...just a little uncomfortable exam and done. I thought that it was supposed to be a full moon (Eric must have found the wrong online calendar...it was actually the night before) and this would just add to my list of probabilities of having the baby in the next 24 hours!

So home we went, after a fun stop for storytime/Mommy-chat-with-friends-time at the library. By 2 p.m. I was feeling a bit funny, but that's not unusual, so I went down for my nap, giving the kids their rest-time instructions before shutting the bedroom door (this would prevent me from seeing them goofing off instead of "resting", HA). I started having contractions, but irregular, again not unusual for me late in pregnancy, so jotted the times down here and there and just tried to rest.

By 3:30ish I was up, uncomfortable and decided to call my sister, Jodi. She said I should get off my butt and walk around to see if the contractions would pick up and get stronger. So, that's what I did and that's what happened! Between 4 and 4:30 the contractions started to get uncomfortable enough for me to have to stop whatever I was doing and they were 3-4 minutes apart. Seriously though, I wasn't sure if it was the real thing! I knew the whole "stripping" thing could cause some cramping, plus when Kai was born, his 3 hour labor just started with me hitting the wall with 2 minute apart pains...I wasn't so sure about the whole "gradual" thing.

Anyway, I called Crystal, Maria (who was to watch my kids) and Eric (to get home)...since I was still a bit wishy-washy, Crystal recommended a warm bath to see if they would slow down or speed up...then I was to call in 1/2 an hour. (This is the beginning of a substory!)

So at 4:35 p.m., into the tub I went...remember those 3 min. apart contractions? 2,3,4,5...well, aren't I glad we didn't get into the car and start trying to get to the hospital during rush hour and then have to drive all the way back home and find something to fix for dinner and when ARE you going to come little one you are a stinker...AND THEN SIX MINUTES and HOLY COW...OOOOWWWWWWW! THAT was a contraction. Okay...?! Hmmmmm. 2, 3, 4, 5 minutes and yup, SIX...YOWZERS again. Oh, thank you Lord for warm baths to sooth those pains, but I've got some calls to make and we better boogie.

(Enter Elena with the phone): It's Grandma J...okay Mom, I have 1 minute to talk to you then I can't as another contraction is going to hit and okay, love you, bye. Calling Crystal back...what? she thinks you're already on your way to the hospital...(ME) no, I was supposed to call her back at 5...no, no, she knows your going, just go on and she'll meet you there....(ME) okaaay. I have this conversation with two gals during the same phone call.

So out of the tub to get back in my clothes...holler at the kids to get their loveys to take to the Jones' and get in the van...contraction...excessive jubilation from the kids: "WE'RE HAVING A BABY! I'M SO EXCITED! WHOOOOOOOT! I'VE NEVER YELLED THIS MUCH WHEN I'VE HAD A COUGH BEFORE! A BABY! WE GET CHEETOS AND ICE CREAM!" Kai comes into me as I'm folded up on the bathroom floor and says quietly, "Oh Mommy, I hope we have a baby sister!". Once I'm out of the tub the six minute thing is out the window and every two minutes I have a "dive into the pile of pillows instead of trying to stand" kind of pain. Needless to say it took a while to get down the stairs.

Eric gets home (obviously finds some time to update my status on facebook...no friends, that was not me!) and we both drive the kids over to drop them off...I was in the van and we were to take the Buick with us. (By the way, don't try to drive while in labor.)

By 5:15 we are on the road, destination, 123rd between Metcalf and Blue Valley Parkway. Then we stop. Almost 10 minutes at the light waiting to get on 71 Highway. Faster to have gone across and taken the next exit in the middle of construction and rush hour? Maybe, maybe not. We're on the way again, opt for 150 across to Kansas, then 143rd over to Metcalf...I make him run the red left turn light at 150 & 143rd and am starting to get a little nervous as it sounds like I'm either REALLY getting close or having REALLY good sex. The speed limit is 35. Eric got a ticket on this road two weeks ago. We drive 35ish.

At 135th and Metcalf we decide the freeway is the way to go up to 123rd, turning left, changing lanes...oh....dear...I think, yup, my water just broke. Eric steps on the gas as we merge on the freeway and I can tell he's thinking of going around all the accelerating cars on the shoulder...but refrains, probably out of safety. (We're amazingly calm at this point). I seriously can sense that the baby is ready to come (i.e. 10 centimeters & ready to push) but am holding baby in with all my might. No! No! No! Baby...just wait a few more minutes!!! (It's not listening)! Eric says, "Can you just relax hon?!" I say "There's nothing I can do!" 5:48 p.m.

As we are merging off the freeway, I throw off my seatbelt, turn onto 123rd (hospital in plain sight) I'm wriggling out of my pants and panties as fast as one can and reach down just in time to feel baby's head, then practically climb the seat backwards to ease out the body...ohps! cord around the neck, let's unloop that, pat, pat, pat, are you crying baby? Oh, honey, it's a boy! 5:50 p.m. And out come his little feet. (Pulling into the parking lot...Where do we go? To the ER!) Man this is going to get on my favorite shirt. What did I just think? Put that baby on your chest silly woman. (that was me to self).

We park under the ER overhang (5:52 p.m.) and Eric goes to the counter and says "My wife just had a baby in the car". They look at him with wide eyes and say "Really?!" He says, "No." They come out with hot blankets and a guerney (sp?) and then peer in the car from the cold outside like, hmmmm...what do we do now?

So I get my naked butt out of the car (baby still attached and held tight to my tummy), they wrap me up in the towels and up I go to the Birthing Center where all the nurses EXCEPT my midwife (who never got the message that my labor did indeed kick in) are waiting for me. One gal takes off my sunglasses, another holds the scrunchie that was in my hair, they lift me and baby over to the real bed to finish taking care of business. I ask them is someone is please, taking care of my poor husband? I thought he was in shock...actually, as he came around the corner, he was just cool...what a guy!

30 minutes later, my midwife comes in with a big smile on her face. One healthy baby, one healthy momma...I'm guessing that's all in a days work for her. Zane Charles Eastwood's birth certificate lists the birth attendent: Resa R Eastwood, mother, en route to St. xxx Hospital. And we'll let him know who was driving!

7 pounds, 14 ounces, 19 inches long. Zane is our smallest and latest newborn, who came with the biggest story! God has been ever-so good to us and continues to pile on the smiles and laughter around here!


Friday, March 06, 2009

Bump, bump, ba-dump

Okay, so I'm a major blog slacker now that most of my online peeps are on facebook (you need to get over there if you're not). But since I keep having these "free" days pop up I'm slowly checking things to do off the floating list in my head. I really expected this baby to be born a couple weeks ago, so each day it keeps cooking is another blank slate!

Here are my baby bump pictures from this time around...don't ask me why, but this one is SO much smaller than my others...with Elena I gained almost 20 MORE pounds, even though I started out the same. Go figure! Must be that I was walking regularly in the first part of pregnancy and then have been chasing two munchkins the rest of the time.

8 months along with my fav Target non-maternity shirt. Eric took this picture and several others where he was making me laugh and look like a goof.

37 weeks (taken by Elena)...here would be what I hoped my last picture...HA!

38 weeks after being up for a few hours in the night with a sick Elena. One of those days spent in a fog. Kai was the photographer!

And finally 39 weeks and counting!!

That was Tuesday and this is Friday. My midwife says I'm progressing right along...already almost a 3 and 90% on Wednesday and yet we wait for our new little blessing to make an appearance. Hopefully my next day of posts will have pictures of a cute baby Lia or Zane!

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Do you YOGA?

Doctor's orders for me: "Do your YOGA 3-4 times a week! Your body isn't going to just snap back again if you don't get you tummy strengthened."

Okay, okay, if you insist. So, I've been good the last two weeks and am starting to gain back some of my flexibility, even with my baby getting bigger everyday.

The FUNNY thing is, though, as we were at Wal-Barf shopping yesterday, I looked over at my slightly-bored Miss Elena and she is just about into Eagle Pose (see pic) smack in the middle of the bread isle. Ha! Then she bends into triangle pose making all the other shoppers look at her (and me) funny and wheel their carts around her. You just never know what kind of crazies you'll meet in the aisles...could be me & my kids!

Friday, January 02, 2009

So Happy Together!

Tonight is a milestone around these parts. Elena and Kai are now officially "roommates"! I started just moving toys around and a couple shelves out of sissy's room, fully intending to make the move this weekend. After I asked Eric to help move a bookshelf though, he thought it silly to put it in place w/o Kai's bed in there too. So, there we have it...two munchkins "sleeping" (ha ha) side by side.

They've only whispered and giggled a few times...mostly due to the fact that we were out all day van shopping together and they are tired kiddos. Their room really is quite spacious and doesn't seem much more crowded with the second bed as it did with the previous furniture. Go figure.

Anyway, here's to all of us who have shared spaces with our siblings! Eric and I hope it deepens their love for one another, knocks Elena a little further off her diva pedestal, and helps form a host of memories for their little lives!