Baby Acne?

So the little guy is doing well but has come up with a major case of baby acne.  At least that is what we think it is.  BUT... it's all over his entire face and well into his scalp.  It doesn't itch him and they aren't opening. He has white heads and red bumps/patches.  Poor little boy.  If he were trying to get a date, he wouldn't be very successful right now. I told him not to worry - if it persists when he's a teen, we'll get him Pro-Active. :)  (Keeping a light heart!)

So has anyone else had the baby acne problem? I've been doing a lot of reading and it seems like there really isn't anything to do but wait.  It's been here for a week now.  According to several .org websites, it can last up to 3 months.  Some natural-remedy websites suggest putting breast milk on the acne with a cotton ball or mixing honey & lemon and putting the paste on the affected areas for 30 minutes then wiping off with a warm washcloth.  Have you tried any of these natural remedies?  Did you just wait it out?

Since we are not 100% sure it is acne, I'll be calling the doctor tomorrow to make an appointment.  He's due for his 1-month checkup this week anyway.  Depending on what the triage nurse says, I may take him in early.  We'll see... hopefully it doesn't put a damper on our Monday morning play date.

Life in a Bag Speech Reflection

My first presentation for my speech class was about a topic I know quite a bit about - me.  Going into the speech, I was confident in my topic knowledge, but nervous about going over the allotted time.  Each time I rehearsed my speech, I was at the upper-half of the five to six minute time limit allowed.  Even after cutting content and anecdotes out, I was still pushing the limit.  As a result, I felt as though I was speaking a little faster than I would have normally.  After finishing my speech (within the allowed time!) I asked my teacher if she felt I spoke fast; luckily, she felt the speed was good.  I mentally sighed in relief.

One thing I can not stand when listening to people speak formally is the use of "UM".  Having been through a presentation-heavy undergraduate B.A. Marketing program, I've been trained to count other people's "UMs".  What I failed to do is control mine.  For my next speech, I'm going to really work on getting the sound out of my vocabulary.  I wish I could rewind the clock and count my own UMs.  I wonder how many I said and how annoying it was to listen to.

Overall, preparation for the speech was both hard and easy.  First, it was difficult because I couldn't decide what aspects of my life I should discuss.  Once I chose a few major points, it was easy.  I spoke of my educational and professional backgrounds, children, scrapbooking and cooking.  All topics I easily elaborated on once chosen.

The next speech is an Informative Speech.  I've chosen to talk about the benefits of breastfeeding.  I don't intend on making it come across as being persuasive and need to make sure I am presenting facts without pushing pro-breastfeeding.  However, I do think that the topic itself and the benefits I want to present may end up making people think about the subject on a personal level, thereby seeming persuasive. My other concern is the allowed time.  This topic has so many good points and reliable resources that it may be challenging to choose the most important ones to present without running over (and loosing points).  With a little hard work, careful deliberation, and practice, I'm sure I'll do fine in the end!

Supernatural, TS3, Cheesecake & Speech (what a combo!)

So I don't like to use the acronym WTF?!? because I feel it is not appropriate.  But I really couldn't think of a better (or more appropriate) thing to type considering the CW decided to ruin my upcoming 8pm hour by pushing Supernatural back to next week.  WTF?!?  I've been seriously looking forward to turning on my DVR and watching Jared and Jenson kick demon butt.  Now I will have to wait until February 4th!  Ugh!

On a good note, Toy Story 3 on Ice was fun.  The baby slept through just about the whole thing while Alex remained mesmerized.  He didn't appreciate Mickey Mouse and friends intruding on the Toy Story characters' ice time.  He is pretty mad at Mickey - I don't think we'll be watching his Clubhouse on Disney for while.

After leaving Allstate Arena, we went to Oak Brook and ate at The Cheesecake Factory.  I love Crispy Chicken Costaletta and Black Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake.  Yum!  I immediately ate my leftover chicken when we got home and I'm tempted to grab the rest of my cheesecake.  In fact, I may do that once I'm done blogging!

Oh - one last thing... I am taking a speech class.  UIC didn't require speech for completion of my undergraduate Business Administration degree (Marketing), but for some reason I need it at JJC for a nursing degree.  How bizarre.  Well, part of my class requirements include blogging about my speeches, so if you see some odd blogs about this, you know why.  In fact, I'll be posting one shortly.  You can read my reflection and enjoy.  :)  I totally understand if you skip it too.  Whatever works for you.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Friday! TS3, Newborn Pics & Alex's Photography

It's Friday, yeah!!! Today is going to be an exciting day!!!

First, we are off to see Toy Story 3 on Ice.  It will be very exciting for my older son, Alex who LOVES all things Toy Story.  Daddy took the day off to go with us, so it will be doublely fun!

Sunday we were supposed to have pictures taken by Samantha from Puddle Jumpers Photography.  She comes highly recommended by my friend Lynda.  I've seen her work and LOVE it.  It was to be a session of newborn pictures for Jacob, but with the family incorporated in them.  Unfortunately since everyone is still ill-ish and Jacob has a case of baby acne, we've had to postpone the session.  I'm a little bummed, but it is what it is, right?!

Anyway, I want to mention that  Puddle Jumpers Photography had posted on Facebook (last Thursday) the following post:

puddle jumpers photography A few more days to get your FREE 11x14 (45.00 value) all you have to do is book & pay for your sitting... book your 2011 appointment NOW!!! puddlejumpersphotography@gmail.com

I got my certificate after securing my session and it expires 11/2011.  The assistant also told me that the offer is good for anyone who books by the end of the month, so if you're interested, act fast.

Speaking of photography, Alex grabbed my phone and went crazy taking pictures with the camera feature.  I thought I would share some of his masterpieces.  Can you guess who his favorites are?

I think someone fancies Jessie from Toy Story.  Buzz Lightyear is a close second though. :)

Oh, and SUPERNATURAL is back on tonight 9/8C.  LOVE IT!

Can today get any better?!?!?

It would be hard!

I hope your Friday is as exciting as ours - or more!  

No matter where you're spending it, have a happy Friday everyone!

Busy, busy, busy!

So Wednesday was my nephew/God son's birthday... he turned 10 years old!  We ate pizza and had some Portillo's chocolate cake. YUM!

Babies are still under the weather, and so is mama!  We all better get well soon - we're supposed to head to TS3 on Ice Friday!  Fingers crossed for calmed coughs and dry noses...

Meanwhile, I won't be blogging Thursday (well, technically it's Thursday, but I don't really consider 12am being an official "Thursday" post) because I still have two papers to write by Sunday and two exams to study for.  I do want to share that I did my first speech today and got 49/50 points for it. :)  The topic?  Me. LOL... you know I spoke about my kids, school, scrapbooking and cooking!  Gotta love it.

Well, hopefully I'll be going to sleep soon.  Wish me luck with that.  Tomorrow is going to be a killer to get through without a ton of rest.  Good night!

You're So Tweet!

So the Bears didn't quite make the cut yesterday, but something good did come of the afternoon.  I was able to get one more thank you card done while the hubby took Alex outside to play in the snow.  Jacob slept, well... like a baby.  It was a little bit of "mommy time" that I enjoyed.

Here is my card... a cute "You're So Tweet".

All the cuts are from Create-a-Critter.

The branch was enhanced using a gold glitter pen, although you can't see it too well in the pictures.

I chalked the background and faux-stitched the bubble (don't you love faux-stitching?!)

Fine glitter accented the bird's wing, flower petals and "tweet".

My background grass was too plain with just the green card stock so I spruced it up with one of my MS markers.  Add a ribbon and wah-lah!  Thank you card complete!

Thanks for viewing!

Go Bears!

GO CHICAGO BEARS!!!

Baby's sick :(

My father-in-law just got in from Mexico so we headed out to breakfast together followed by some errands and shopping.  Part of our stops was the pediatrician's office...

(REWIND TO THE WEE-HOURS OF THE NIGHT)

The baby kept me up ALL NIGHT LONG.  I think I wanted to throw him out at a few points throughout the night.  Thank God for my husband!  He really kicked in and kicked butt!  Thank you... my sanity thanks you and my son thanks you! :)

This morning baby woke up and had the hardest time nursing.  His sinuses were so congested, he kept choking.  The poor little guy!  He scared me a little when his respiration rate became quick and labored while in a calm, relaxed state.  I called the pediatrician's and they said to bring him in for an evaluation, especially because he's only 19 days old.

Before we made it to the docs, Jacob sneezed a few times in a row and I was able to extract some of the deeply rooted nose mucuses (a.k.a. boogers) that came to the front of his tiny nostrils before he sucked them back in.  It helped tons!  Finally my baby was able to breath!  I sighed in relief.  But still, he needed to be checked out by a trained professional.

One of the NPs at the office examined him.  Her name is Laurie and we've seen her before.  She's our second pick next to our favorite doctor.  Anyway, Jacob's respirations were in the mid-50's (they need to be under 60), so they were high, but still in the OK range.  His SaO2 was 100%, also very good.  His lungs were clear.  His sinuses are clogged, but deeply rooted, not in the nostrils.  Just to be safe, she swabs him to check for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus).  It takes 15 minutes for the results to come up, so I nurse him in between.

Laurie returns with the news - he's positive.  (Imagine my BIG FROWNING FACE here.)  We are sad. My poor Jacob is only 19 days old and he's sick.  We speculate who gave it to him.  It is probably me - I've been having some nose issues.  Or it could be my 3-year old - he's a preschooler and who knows what those kids are carrying.  Or maybe it was Daddy - he works with tons of people and could have come into contact with someone's RSV-infested droplets.  It's no use trying to figure it out.  The good news is that it should take only 7 days to run its course... and who knows which day it is today (1, 2, 3?).  Hopefully we're well on our way through this.

Then Laurie tells us that they hospitalize infants this young for RSV to make sure they are monitored for respiration and O2.  She tells us that they won't do that at this time for Jacob since his lungs are clear, O2 is 100% and he hasn't run a fever (did I mention it can come with fevers?).  What we have to do is keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't stop breathing or start rapidly breathing (way to avoid a mild heart attack in a parent, eh?).  We're also to watch for fever, continue to keep the humidifier on and use good hand hygiene, and start using saline drops/spray in his nose to help keep the mucus moist.  Unfortunately he'll probably end up swallowing all that yuck which may make his bowel movements mucus-y as well, but that's OK if it means he can breath freely.  If he gets worse during the weekend, we need to call the office and the on-call doc will admit him for monitoring.

She also said not to freak out.

And that has been our Friday.

(FAST FORWARD TO NOW)

Hubby came home from work after picking up his dad and getting the news that Jacob needed to go to the doctor's.  He's hanging out with the kids and myself in our room while my toddler is mesmerized by "How to Train Your Dragon".  Well, hubby is trying to do his homework while the TV plays (a difficult task for any man LOL).  My father-in-law is napping and I'm blogging.  Next up, working on my speech for next Wednesday and getting my paper done that is due Sunday.  I don't want to be typing while the Bears are kicking Green Bay's butt.  :)

Please say a little prayer for a speedy recovery for Jacob, finished homework for us parents, and a Bears-kick-butt game on Sunday.  And as always, thanks for reading!

Heartfelt Thanks & Many Thanks

I couldn't decide which angle I like best, so here is the other way...

The bottom half is a premium, shiny card stock embossed through the Cuttlebug.

I chunky-glittered the heart and faux-stitched the words.

It's hard to see the shine of the cardstock in a picture, but here is my best attempt:

You see it, sorta... right? (Just nod your head in agreement.)

---------------------- Many thanks ----------------------

A quick card thanking a relative for the baby & big brother gifts.

I love simple knots... no finicky bows to deal with!

Amazon $20 Gift Card, Only $10

Check this out:
https://livingsocial.com/deals/21336?ref=conf-jp&rpi=4547187

I bought a $20 Amazon.com gift card for only $10
Here is the info copy-and-pasted from the website...

Amazon.com Gift Card*

$20 Amazon.com Gift Card

What's rarer than spotting a snow leopard, Halley's Comet, and Mark Wahlberg with a shirt on? Answer: Today's once-in-a-lifetime deal. Pay just $10 and get a $20 gift card to use at Amazon.com, the largest online retailer. Whether you are looking for something usual, like a book, or unusual, like a Borat-style mankini, you'll find it among the millions of products listed on the site. Or, if you're hankering for something that really stands out, put your 50%-off gift card toward the revolutionary and bestselling Amazon Kindle device. Just be sure to act fast, because deals like this only happen once in a blue moon.

The Fine Print

Limit 1 per person, no gifting allowed • Amazon.com Gift Card does not expire • Voucher purchase is valid for US-based customers only • LivingSocial Terms and Conditions apply • The Amazon.com terms and conditions set forth below are deal specific terms that supersede any inconsistent terms in the LivingSocial terms and conditions. • Amazon Gift Card cannot be purchased with Deal Bucks.

Amazon.com Terms and Conditions

*Amazon.com is not a sponsor of this promotion.
Amazon.com Gift Cards ("GCs") sold by LivingSocial, an authorized retailer of Amazon.com Gift Cards. Amazon, Amazon.com, Amazon Kindle, the Amazon.com logo, and the Amazon Gift Cards logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. GCs may be used only for purchases of eligible goods on Amazon.com or its affiliated website Endless.com. GCs cannot be redeemed for purchases of gift cards. Except as required by law, GCs cannot be reloaded, resold, transferred for value, redeemed for cash, or applied to any other account. See www.amazon.com/gc-legal for complete terms and conditions. GCs are issued and ©2011 by ACI Gift Cards, Inc., a Washington corporation.

BTW, if enough people use my link above, I'll get to save $10 and get a free deal... 

Still working on Thank You's

Between nursing, running to the store, catching a catnap, getting work done and meals,

I was able to get one thank you card done quickly (Thank You Gypsy!)...  

I used a 1997 Stampin' Up wooden background stamp with Inkadinkado's Pewter pigment ink

to stamp the background on a 5.5x4 white card base.

"Thank you" was welded together using my Gypsy.

I also added the flower from Stretch Your Imagination on the "T" (see pic below for a better angle).

The alphabet used on the word "Thank" is from Cindy Loo.

"You" is also welded together and the font is from Gypsy Font.

The flourish is Cindy Loo and the frame is courtesy of Accent Essentials.

I wanted to embellish more, but time had not allowed for it.

Overall it was a fast card to make, looks cute and gets the message across.  :)  

See the flower in the T?
It's from Stretch Your Imagination... stretched out of course!

In hindsight I think I should have done some distressed inking on the words and frame.

That's the thing about hindsight, right?!  Perhaps next time...

That's it for today... thanks for viewing!

Go Bears! & Another Thank You!

Go Bears!!!

Jacob looking forward to game time!

Here's another quick thank you card... Look what can be accomplished in just 5 (rushed) minutes!

Thanks for reading!

Thank You Cards

We are very fortunate to have wonderful family & friends who have welcomed Baby Jacob with love. Many have sent or brought gifts for him (and Big Brother Alex).  I started the Thank You cards for these sweet people.  Naturally I made a few, wrote the note/sentiment, and sealed them shut before remembering to take my photos.  For the two that made it to the catwalk, here are their proofs. :)

CARD 1

This was made using Cindy Loo and 2 Cuttlebug embossing folders.

I rubbed silver ink over the embossed medallion.
The center has 2 paper flowers held with a silver and crystal brad.

CARD 2

The blue part is the remainder from Card 1's Cindy Loo cut-out.
The stork is from  Lyrical Letters.

The inside thank you is also Cindy Loo.

I'll do my best to remember to take photos along the way, as each card I make is unique to the next.  In the meantime, we're going to eat dinner and take the boys out for a little bit.  Have a good evening!

Light Substitutions

Hi!  I got this in my inbox from Allrecipes.com.  (Direct article link is here.)  I hope you can make use of it!

In the meantime, baby is feeding better... :)  He's back to normal!

Alex and I are going to do some art projects today so I should have some new pics to post for tomorrow.  I'm starting to think "Valentine's Day".  Let's see where the day takes me!

Enjoy your Thursday!

Light Substitutions

Trying to cut back on calories and fat? Use this chart to determine which ingredients can be substituted for healthier options.

Instead of:	Try:
Ground beef	Ground turkey
Cream (for everything except whipping)	Evaporated skim milk OR low-fat buttermilk
Cream Cheese	Neufchatel OR Light Cream Cheese OR Ricotta Cheese
Butter or margarine	Light butter (use less or reduce the liquid elsewhere in the recipe) OR combination of light butter and fat-free cream cheese OR prune puree or baby food prunes OR applesauce
1 egg	2 egg whites OR egg substitute (amount will vary)
Chocolate chips	Mini chocolate chips and reduce amount OR use fewer chips
Sour cream	Plain yogurt OR fat-free sour cream
Nuts	Use less and toast for added flavor OR crispy rice cereal
Peanut butter	Reduced-fat peanut butter
Whole milk	Evaporated skim milk OR skim or low-fat (1 percent) milk
Oil (in baking)	Applesauce OR pumpkin puree OR prune puree OR mashed bananas
Mayonnaise	Reduced-fat mayonnaise OR mustard
Sour cream, mayonnaise, and cheese-based dips	Bean dips, roasted and pureed vegetable dips, salsa
Bacon or sausage	Turkey bacon OR turkey sausage OR Canadian bacon OR lean ham
Beef chuck or brisket	Beef round OR flank steak
Pork butt/shoulder	Pork tenderloin
Cream-based soups	Broth-based soups
Pepperoni pizza	Veggie pizza, light on the cheese
Pasta with cream sauce	Pasta with tomato sauce
Snacking on crackers or chips	Snacking on raw vegetables and fruits
Chicken wings or nuggets	Breaded and baked chicken breast strips
Bagels or muffins	English muffins