So, Keaton turned 7 months the other day and with that milestone came tooth number 3, the HARDEST one by far!! He is just generally fussier because of it and has even refused his bink and solid foods because of it (and he has bitten mommy twice--OWW!).
He also has expanded his list of solids, adding carrot (he hates) and butternut squash (I think that this might be his new favorite). We also have green beans, pumpkin, asparagus, peach and oatmeal to try--looking forward to seeing all of his reactions. We have been video recording him every time he tries something new, looking forward to that video montage.
Keaton also officially hates his carseat--I mean I can't take him ANYWHERE without him throwing a huge fit. JJ is getting ready to load his Nook Color with some Sesame Street videos, so I can give it a try....I'll let you know how it goes.
And last, but NEVER least, his sleep. Here is the latest...Keaton has definitely gotten into a NEW pattern (we may have helped a bit), but it is not the sleep from 7:30-7:00 with a little help now and again that it used to be. Now, Keaton sleeps from 7:30 (goes down with no problem), but then wakes up regularly around 11-12pm and needs help back to sleep and then wakes up again between 12-1pm and won't go back to sleep until we move him into our bed...now I am sure some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking that we have made a HUGE mistake, but I don't think so. One, I don't mind the idea of my son sleeping with us every night, especially if it means that we ALL get more sleep and two, he then will sleep until his morning feed at 4am. (don't know when we brought that feed back, funny how a new routine can happen and you not even notice the change!) Anyhow, for now, we are in a bit of a routine and I can handle it--just hoping that a full night's sleep is in the near future. I realized the other day that I have not had a full nights sleep since April 6, 2011. AHHHHHHH! Hoping that will change soon!
IN Andrea news: I am still couponing, I got 19 cent jello, 3 free greeting cards, 33 cent Vitamin Water, free Cornstarch and cheap detergent this week--thanks to my Walgreens and CVS couponing, and still planning on hitting up Target.
I have also started planning Christmas gifts for Keaton--so excited to celebrate the holidays with our little guy.
Well, that's it for now (and probably the week)...
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Trying to catch up...
Wow--it's amazing how hard it gets to even keep up with my own blog sometimes! AHHH! So, here's a quick update on the Boswell-Burns clan...
1) Keaton had his first Halloween--he was an adorable blue alien/monster. We visited Chicagoween downtown and Navy Pier with family! It was a lot of fun. It's always soooo nice to have a house full of people. JJ and I ended up going as the Men in Black (as Keaton was an alien/monster). We got all dressed up on Saturday, to go to a local Halloween meetup, but the weather kept us at home, so we were all dressed up eating White Castle and playing Cranium! It was amazing.
2) Keaton's sleep has been an up and down thing lately--still no idea exactly what we should be doing to encourage good sleep, but REFUSE to do cry it out. I realize that it works wonders for some, but it is not my style and a lot of stress is not good for any of us.
3.) Keaton has officially made it through the list of "safe foods," without any crazy reactions. (Brown Rice cereal, avocado, banana, apple, squash, zucchini, sweet potato and peas) Now, we are getting ready to start oatmeal, asparagus, green beans, peach and many more...love this part of his development! He amazes me all the time.
4.) Keaton is starting to understand so much...
* He can now turn the pages when we read--if I just hold the page up a bit, he will grab it and turn it...amazing.
* He can "kiss the baby" in the mirror
* He is moving himself from a seated to a crawling position (no crawling yet, but we are getting close).
He is so smart and I am proud of all of his accomplishments!
In Andrea news:
My couponing has become a bit of an obsession, admittedly so, and has gotten me some amazing deals.
My last grocery trip went from $134 to $74 after coupons.
I've also had some good Wal-Mart & Target online luck!
My CVS trips have included:
*12 Airwick 2 pack refills for a total of $10.50 out of pocket and I made $20 in gift cards...this was all thanks to my friend Callie.
*3 American Greetings Cards, 1 tube of Crest toothpaste, 2 Aveeno travel size lotions and Dawn Dish Soap--Out of pocket was $7 and I received $13 back in extra bucks. Not too shabby!
Planning on hitting up Target tonight for some Christmas gifts...hoping that couponing continues to make us money, especially during the holiday season.
Going to try and get back on track with this blogging thing.
1) Keaton had his first Halloween--he was an adorable blue alien/monster. We visited Chicagoween downtown and Navy Pier with family! It was a lot of fun. It's always soooo nice to have a house full of people. JJ and I ended up going as the Men in Black (as Keaton was an alien/monster). We got all dressed up on Saturday, to go to a local Halloween meetup, but the weather kept us at home, so we were all dressed up eating White Castle and playing Cranium! It was amazing.
2) Keaton's sleep has been an up and down thing lately--still no idea exactly what we should be doing to encourage good sleep, but REFUSE to do cry it out. I realize that it works wonders for some, but it is not my style and a lot of stress is not good for any of us.
3.) Keaton has officially made it through the list of "safe foods," without any crazy reactions. (Brown Rice cereal, avocado, banana, apple, squash, zucchini, sweet potato and peas) Now, we are getting ready to start oatmeal, asparagus, green beans, peach and many more...love this part of his development! He amazes me all the time.
4.) Keaton is starting to understand so much...
* He can now turn the pages when we read--if I just hold the page up a bit, he will grab it and turn it...amazing.
* He can "kiss the baby" in the mirror
* He is moving himself from a seated to a crawling position (no crawling yet, but we are getting close).
He is so smart and I am proud of all of his accomplishments!
In Andrea news:
My couponing has become a bit of an obsession, admittedly so, and has gotten me some amazing deals.
My last grocery trip went from $134 to $74 after coupons.
I've also had some good Wal-Mart & Target online luck!
My CVS trips have included:
*12 Airwick 2 pack refills for a total of $10.50 out of pocket and I made $20 in gift cards...this was all thanks to my friend Callie.
*3 American Greetings Cards, 1 tube of Crest toothpaste, 2 Aveeno travel size lotions and Dawn Dish Soap--Out of pocket was $7 and I received $13 back in extra bucks. Not too shabby!
Planning on hitting up Target tonight for some Christmas gifts...hoping that couponing continues to make us money, especially during the holiday season.
Going to try and get back on track with this blogging thing.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
City Parking (or lack there of), brunch and a $20 bill...
Today was FABULOUS! Keaton had a much better night last night...I still think it's because he sleeps better for JJ in the middle of the night. Either way, just glad that sleep was in our cards last night. I was up and ready around 9am this morning and after Keaton took his first few bites of apple (which he really liked) I headed over to a local church rummage sale. Unfortunately, by the time I got there the place was pretty bare, but I still managed to find two onesies and 4 new books. When I got home, I got to catch up with my friend Ashley who is officially pregnant with Baby Scheufler #2--so excited for them!
Then, JJ, Keaton and I headed to the Lincoln Park Zoo for their Halloween festivities, but the parking spots in Lincoln Park were not very welcoming. We drove around Lincoln Park (in the midst of swarms of parents and children in costumes) for about 25 minutes only to find NO WHERE TO PARK--not even the zoo parking lots (where you pay an arm and a leg to park) had parking spots. So, we went home...I was extremely defeated--just wanted to go, as a family, to a Halloween meetup on a gorgeous fall day. (may have even gotten a little teary eyed about it...)
When we got home JJ decided that we to shake off the loss of the zoo we should have brunch at Baker's Square (haven't been there since I went to school at Olivet!). We both had amazing food and I ended my meal with a strawberry chocolate pie--WOAH BABY! Afterwards, we walked to the park, where Keaton took a nap outside and then woke up and played with the "bag'o'toys" that daddy had packed.
We ended it all with a walk around the neighborhood with Bentley. While we were walking, I found a Blackberry on the ground and with no one in sight called the person listed "MOM" in the phone. I ended up talking to the sister and met up with the girl 20 minutes later to give her back the phone--she gave me $20 for "saving" her phone...this meant free takeout for the Boswell-Burns' and JJ has been CRAVING Popeyes Chicken. haha, weird, but true.
Tonight, aside from Popeye's Chicken, we got to iChat with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. It is so amazing having family who is going through the same things that we are...just can't wait until we get to meet the little guy in person at Christmas!
Keaton has also started sleeping in his crib without his snuggle nest (as of tonight)--I am hoping that he will soon figure out that if he prefers to sleep on his side that he can maneuver himself into that position on his own. So proud of this baby boy--no matter what he is doing, I am impressed with him! Recently, he has started understanding the word "kiss" and now when you say "kiss the baby" when he's looking into a mirror, he will lean forward and presses his face against the mirror. Precious. Tomorrow, we are going to start giving him one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetable at each setting...hoping that by the time he is 7 months that he is eating a fruit, veggie and grain at each sitting.
In Andrea news: I am looking forward to tomorrow, we are going to a family meetup and one of the members houses--"Waffles & Bacon," hoping that we meet a few couples/families that we can hang out with. We also plan on our first grocery shopping trip with coupons...hoping that we save a ton!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
Then, JJ, Keaton and I headed to the Lincoln Park Zoo for their Halloween festivities, but the parking spots in Lincoln Park were not very welcoming. We drove around Lincoln Park (in the midst of swarms of parents and children in costumes) for about 25 minutes only to find NO WHERE TO PARK--not even the zoo parking lots (where you pay an arm and a leg to park) had parking spots. So, we went home...I was extremely defeated--just wanted to go, as a family, to a Halloween meetup on a gorgeous fall day. (may have even gotten a little teary eyed about it...)
When we got home JJ decided that we to shake off the loss of the zoo we should have brunch at Baker's Square (haven't been there since I went to school at Olivet!). We both had amazing food and I ended my meal with a strawberry chocolate pie--WOAH BABY! Afterwards, we walked to the park, where Keaton took a nap outside and then woke up and played with the "bag'o'toys" that daddy had packed.
We ended it all with a walk around the neighborhood with Bentley. While we were walking, I found a Blackberry on the ground and with no one in sight called the person listed "MOM" in the phone. I ended up talking to the sister and met up with the girl 20 minutes later to give her back the phone--she gave me $20 for "saving" her phone...this meant free takeout for the Boswell-Burns' and JJ has been CRAVING Popeyes Chicken. haha, weird, but true.
Tonight, aside from Popeye's Chicken, we got to iChat with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. It is so amazing having family who is going through the same things that we are...just can't wait until we get to meet the little guy in person at Christmas!
Keaton has also started sleeping in his crib without his snuggle nest (as of tonight)--I am hoping that he will soon figure out that if he prefers to sleep on his side that he can maneuver himself into that position on his own. So proud of this baby boy--no matter what he is doing, I am impressed with him! Recently, he has started understanding the word "kiss" and now when you say "kiss the baby" when he's looking into a mirror, he will lean forward and presses his face against the mirror. Precious. Tomorrow, we are going to start giving him one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetable at each setting...hoping that by the time he is 7 months that he is eating a fruit, veggie and grain at each sitting.
In Andrea news: I am looking forward to tomorrow, we are going to a family meetup and one of the members houses--"Waffles & Bacon," hoping that we meet a few couples/families that we can hang out with. We also plan on our first grocery shopping trip with coupons...hoping that we save a ton!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Research Study, Angry Carseat and my first Couponing Rush...
This morning I was up and ready (showered, hair and makeup done) by 7:30 am...I know, right? But, Keaton and I had signed up for the Kolcraft research study on baby activity centers and had to be downtown at 10am. Luckily, Kolcraft offered parking, so since the weather was so bad we drove...which, as many of you know, Driving = ANGRY CARSEAT TIME! Ugh. We started off the trip in rare form, bink in mouth and playing with the dangling toys, but two stoplights before the interstate the bink was out and Keaton was in rare form. The next 15 minutes were spent with me singing everything from "The Itsty Bitsy Spider" to Pink's "Perfect," it all failed. Needless to say, the sight of the Kolcraft parking lot was a welcomed one! We then spent the morning looking at and analyzing 6 different exersaucer/jumper toys--I absolutely LOVED doing this. I only hope that Kolcraft listens and creates the perfect play station for my next child! We then drove home aka ANGRY CARSEAT TIME (take 2). haha. We did make it in one piece and once we got home Keaton took a 3.5 hour nap--the crying must have worn him out, that and deciding that sleep was for the birds last night.
In Andrea news: I had my very first couponing rush/experience tonight--I had planned out my entire trip and was pretty happy with the outcome. (See my loot below).
In Andrea news: I had my very first couponing rush/experience tonight--I had planned out my entire trip and was pretty happy with the outcome. (See my loot below).
Okay, so here is what I got:
4 pkgs. of diapers (144 diapers total)
Almay Eyeshadow
Almay Mascara w/eye pencil
16 rolls of Charmin toilet paper
20 4x6 prints
Total Spent: $46.43
Total Saved in Store: $39.35 (with coupons and Extrabucks)
Total Earned: $10 CVS Giftcard (after final purchase)
I plan on going back later this week, as they only had 4 pkgs. of the diapers that I was looking for, but should be able to score a free pkg. of diapers and another $10 giftcard after that purchase!
Love saving $!!!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Rolling with the changes...
Keaton rolled over--front to back yesterday! Next stop crawling! He also started back to solids today, started on sweet potato. He wasn't too sure about it at first, but soon warmed up to the idea/taste. Happy to be back to normal. He has been enjoying his new toys, playing a lot with the new Poppity Pop Dino--that toy is just adorable!
I have started organizing our guest room (finally) and I am excited to start hanging up his nursery stuff. My sister made the letters that spell out "Keaton" on the wall and now that we have our family photos, I am ready to wallpaper every room in my baby's face.
Keaton and I have not been out, except to walk Bentley Jane (the baby once removed) every afternoon. But, we will be back on the move tomorrow--meeting our friends Casey and Veronica for a research study on baby toys--hoping that it will be fun and that we will get some freebies. And since the weather is supposed to be so cold, I think that we are going to have to drive--here's hoping that Keaton takes his morning nap in his carseat, instead of screaming the whole way downtown.
In Andrea news: I dyed my hair--it's a lot more "brown" than I had planned, but I think I can handle it until it's time to change again. I am currently planning out my first "couponer trip" to CVS...won't be a huge trip, but just trying to get a handle on the couponing world. It's a bit overwhelming--especially when you are not someone who wants to build a real "stockpile" of anything. I just want to save some money and get things for really cheap/free (preferrably FREE!) Yay for the blogs that people have suggested for locating deals--so far I have been pretty dependent on these to get the "deals." I will post on my first "shop" later this week!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
I have started organizing our guest room (finally) and I am excited to start hanging up his nursery stuff. My sister made the letters that spell out "Keaton" on the wall and now that we have our family photos, I am ready to wallpaper every room in my baby's face.
Keaton and I have not been out, except to walk Bentley Jane (the baby once removed) every afternoon. But, we will be back on the move tomorrow--meeting our friends Casey and Veronica for a research study on baby toys--hoping that it will be fun and that we will get some freebies. And since the weather is supposed to be so cold, I think that we are going to have to drive--here's hoping that Keaton takes his morning nap in his carseat, instead of screaming the whole way downtown.
In Andrea news: I dyed my hair--it's a lot more "brown" than I had planned, but I think I can handle it until it's time to change again. I am currently planning out my first "couponer trip" to CVS...won't be a huge trip, but just trying to get a handle on the couponing world. It's a bit overwhelming--especially when you are not someone who wants to build a real "stockpile" of anything. I just want to save some money and get things for really cheap/free (preferrably FREE!) Yay for the blogs that people have suggested for locating deals--so far I have been pretty dependent on these to get the "deals." I will post on my first "shop" later this week!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
Sunday, October 16, 2011
A normal Sunday turned crazy...
Well, this morning started out to be a pretty great day...we were all up around 7:45am, Bentley went out, JJ made coffee and Keaton sat down in his high chair for another day of big boy food. In the past day, Keaton has made it abundantly clear that he is NOT interested in peas (as he spits them out EVERY single time!), so we gave him rice cereal again, but with some prunes (first time). After he ate, he played for awhile, nursed and then took his morning nap. Around 10am, Keaton woke up again, played with daddy and then I came to change him, so we could go to Target and get his 6 month old toy! (a big, inviting toy that will motivate this boy to get crawlin'). When I took him back to the changing table he threw up--this was just the beginning from around 10:30am to 12:30pm Keaton threw up around 10 times and not just baby spit up, real throwing up...miserable! So, we took him into the ER, where they ran some tests. Luckily, they determined nothing was wrong and by the time we left the hospital (around 4pm) Keaton had nursed twice and had kept it down. Needless to say, our quiet Sunday that was supposed to be full of toy buying and playing took a turn, but happy to report that all is now well. Sometimes I don't know how I will ever survive these minor catastrophes. Being a mom is by far the hardest job I have ever had and at the same time, the MOST rewarding.
The nite ended on a much better note--after we got home from the hospital, I ran out to Target to get Keaton's new toys! (I LOVE shopping for him, even more than I like shopping for ME--how crazy is that? haha). Keaton seems to really like them both--hoping that they will be crawling motivators!
In Andrea news: I meant to dye my hair today, but that obviously didn't happen, so maybe tomorrow? I also decided to host my first meetup in December and I am already looking forward to it.
Hoping that tomorrow and the rest of the week are somewhat uneventful!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
The nite ended on a much better note--after we got home from the hospital, I ran out to Target to get Keaton's new toys! (I LOVE shopping for him, even more than I like shopping for ME--how crazy is that? haha). Keaton seems to really like them both--hoping that they will be crawling motivators!
In Andrea news: I meant to dye my hair today, but that obviously didn't happen, so maybe tomorrow? I also decided to host my first meetup in December and I am already looking forward to it.
Hoping that tomorrow and the rest of the week are somewhat uneventful!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Music Therapy Session, Peas and Extreme Couponing...
Well, today was the first day that I felt like Meetup.com let me down, ROYALLY! I have been planning and prepping for my mock music therapy session for about 3 weeks now, this includes posting for my free music session on Meetup.com and getting pre-schoolers/families to volunteer their time, planning my session, practicing my music and cleaning/baking for the event. I thought that I had everything ready to go and when 12pm rolled around today...no one was here...12:15, nada...12:22, ONE PERSON. I had planned on 6 children and 3 parents...and ended up with 1 parent and 1 child. (aside from my husband and Keaton). However, I couldn't have been luckier--Mandy (mom) and Esther (preschooler) were the PERFECT pretend clients! Esther loved the music and was willing to sing, play, dance, make animal sounds and play any instrument that I put in front of her. This means that my Music Therapy Grad School video is complete and once it arrives at the university my grad school app. will be COMPLETE! YAY!
In more important news, Keaton started peas today! He was not too sure about them, which was adorable! Can't believe how fast my baby is growing up. We have also noticed that our little cue ball is slowly, but surely getting more and more hair. (don't know how I feel about this--I love my baldy!)
In Andrea news: I am seriously contemplating becoming a serious couponer (don't know that I want to become EXTREME anything). Today we went on a walk and I collected 6 local inserts and I am hoping that this gets me started. Though, I would like to be able to find all of my coupons online, as this would be a lot easier for me and something I can do while Keaton naps. Anyhow, if any of you have suggestions on where to find coupons, how to make it easy, etc. I will gladly accept any and all advice!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
In more important news, Keaton started peas today! He was not too sure about them, which was adorable! Can't believe how fast my baby is growing up. We have also noticed that our little cue ball is slowly, but surely getting more and more hair. (don't know how I feel about this--I love my baldy!)
In Andrea news: I am seriously contemplating becoming a serious couponer (don't know that I want to become EXTREME anything). Today we went on a walk and I collected 6 local inserts and I am hoping that this gets me started. Though, I would like to be able to find all of my coupons online, as this would be a lot easier for me and something I can do while Keaton naps. Anyhow, if any of you have suggestions on where to find coupons, how to make it easy, etc. I will gladly accept any and all advice!
Stay tuned for more from the Boswell-Burns clan...
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