Dubstep the Vote

I voted today. I hope you did too. That's it. Short and sweet. Here's a little Bieber dubstep for you. Rock this shiz on your way to the ballot box.

Hulk and Chicken

We had a really great Halloween this year, Loretta's first! My little chicken did not want to kick back and roll in her stroller so mama got a little workout, carrying that big bird all through the neighborhood while big brother did his trick or treat thing. My arms are still feeling it 2 days later! Haha.

Otto was the incredible Hulk. My kids will always be allowed to be whatever they want for Halloween, with the single rule that no masks are allowed. I want to see their cute faces! So when Otto requested Hulk we decided to DIY his costume. We got face paint and black hairspray, a green long sleeve t-shirt that we drew muscles on, green American Apparel tights that we ordered online and looked like they were going to be the same color as the t-shirt (ummm, hee hee, nope), shredded button up and shorts that Ot had outgrown, and then stuffed that boy full of sock muscles the likes of which no one has ever known! It turned out great. He looked so rad and had the time of his life.

He was so cute, saying, "Happy Halloween!" at each house. He was a master trick or treater who only had to be reminded, ummm, maybe a hundred times, to say, "thank you for the candy," after bagging his loot. He was on a mission, people. At home he counted all of his candies and then has been obsessing over them Golum style ever since. It brings back so many memories of childhood.

My favorite story from this Halloween is of my 2 year old nephew who lives wayyy too far away in Arizona. I guess he refused to wear his costume but they went trick or treating anyway and at every house instead of, "trick or treat" he said, "You're Welcome!" hahahahaha! Love and miss my nephews so so so so much and cannot wait until December when we are planning a family vacation over the holidays to go see our AZ fam.

How was everyone's spooky holiday? Are you decorating for Christmas now? I can't believe Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away! Yikes! Potatoes! The next couple months are going to fly. Oh boy. And I still haven't packed or shopped for the PNW Blogger Holiday Party which is tomorrow. I think I'm screwed. I'll be wearing dirty pajama bottoms to this thing at this point. At least I have a RAD ASS roomie in Katherine. We got a beautiful suite at the Mark Spencer Hotel and I honestly can't wait to meet so many people I've become friends with online, party hardy, get a little boozey, and then just sleep in a bed with no small humans attached to me. It's going to be epic!

ps. One of my awesome sponsors, Refreshingly Sacred, is having a really cute cameo jewelry Etsy shop giveaway on her blog right now you should all go enter to win!

Recent Instagram Pics

Some recent pics of the kiddos from Instagram. Including scootering for Ot (his new favorite thing). Army crawls for Miss Loretta. So many smiles and other silly faces.  

This week is sure to be a busy one! Halloween just a couple of days away, oh boy. Otto is going as The Incredible Hulk. Loretta will be my baby chicken. And then the PNW Blogger Meetup this Saturday. I need to pack a suitcase but am having wardrobe sadness. Maybe a trip to Buffalo Exchange is in order? And DSW? I hope I can find the time!

Is everyone ready for Halloween? What do you do if both of you parents want to go trick or treating with the kids? I think we are going to just both go and then tuck a candy bowl on the porch with a little sign, "please take one." so that we can both go. I don't want to miss a second of it! Even if some greedy kid comes along and steals the lot. That's a risk I'm willing to take. Risky aren't we? What are your Halloween plans?

A Tale of Two Boobies

My boobs have been giving me a lot of trouble lately. You see, I have a real go-getter and a freaking slacker hanging out on my chest. A student class president (Reese Witherspoon style) on the right, screaming, "look at me! i am the most active awesomest boob ever! vote for me!!!" And then a pothead on the left, taking a nap, almost always. And honestly, I hate them.

It's hard to hate these boobs that are such a huge and important part of my life these days, with nursing and pumping every single day, around the clock. And I do hate them. I hate how they make me feel even more awkward in my already awkward post-pregnancy body. I hate that they're not perky or even a matching set. I hate how I look in a tshirt. I hate that they're unreliable still, at almost eight months post partum. I leak almost every day. I can't rely on them when I need to pump to have enough milk, although sometimes it's like Whoa! The left one is like a sad little pancake looking down at my belly button. The right one likes to Hulk out halfway through the day and peek out of my bra to say hello.

And that is pretty much my story. I have been sick this past week with some kind of stomach bug that's going around and I think it dehydrated me in a weird way so that my always-annoying boobs have been each doing their thing to the extreme. I'll sit down to pump in the morning (I usually pump from about 5am to 6am while watching Morning Joe & VH1 <--- ways to know you are getting old, haha) and usually get 1-2 ounces out of the left guy, and then 6-10 ounces out of the right. So uneven. 

A few days this week the right one threatened to not come through, I think because of the dehydration, and I felt the worst kind of panic. What would I do if I couldn't pump enough? Like really, how would I feed my daughter???!!! I drank organic mother's milk tea and even though I was totally feeling yuck, I guzzled water and orange juice and ate handfuls of raw almonds. So far we've powered through but it hasn't been fun at all.

Boobs really aren't fun at all. 

I never wanted big boobs. I reallllly never wanted one quitter and one giant boob. But I do expect that if I have to walk around with these droopy, heavy globs on my chest every day that when I need them they'll come through for me. And this week when they kind of haven't, I've just been all kinds of resentful. I can be happy with two uneven, sloppy, leaky, annoying boobs that are at the end of the day doing their job and feeding Loretta. But two uneven, sloppy, leaky, annoying boobs that are holding out? It kind of equaled instant depression. 

As of this morning we seem to be back on track, thank goodness. And down the road when Loretta is no longer nursing, I know I'll look back on this time through rosy shades and miss it a lot. Because there are things I really love about nursing her. But I just thought I'd take a moment to air my grievances with my stupid boobs. Call it Festivus of Boobs. Right boob wins at feats of strength :)

Anyways, I just wanted to share. If you have mismatched or unreliable boobs, you are not alone! 

This weekend we are looking forward to a really fun couple days of farm visits, pumpkin choosing, carving, and mellow family hangouts. Me, my family, and my stupid boobs. Next weekend is the Pacific Northwest Blogger meetup! I'm nervous and scared and excited about that jam!