And the Oscar for Worst Mom of The Year Goes To....

Two posts in one day? 

You know why, right?  Because I am home watching soap operas and eating bon bons all day.  haha  I crack myself up sometimes...only in your dreams Days of Our Lives. 

Yesterday was my birthday as I entered my last year of my 20's.  It was kind of sad until I looked back on the last year and thought...what a ride!  I wonder what 29 has in store for me?  Brandon asked me what I wanted for my birthday and without hesitation I said "An Ambien + a night in a hotel".  In other words, we have a baby that gets up about 4 times in the night and only sleeps about 2-3 hours at a time.   

So last night I said 10 Hail Mary's with an extra line of "and please let Lainey sleep for 8-10 straight hours" and crossed my fingers that she was going to give me an extra special birthday present. 

At 5:30am Brandon woke me up and that is when I realized that my sweet baby Lainey slept for 6 straight hours!!!  YEA!!  I was so excited and proud of our little girl until I realized that the reason that she slept for that long is because I forgot to turn on the monitor!!!  DOH!  After a midnight feeding, she woke up 15 minutes later and I said to myself...I am just going to shut off the monitor...Zzzzzz....for 5 minutes...Zzzzzz...and then I will go check on her....Zzzzzzz.  If she is still crying, then I will go up and rock her back to sleep....Zzzzzzzzzzz's *Insert Snore*.....Zzzzzzzzzz.....

Needless to say I FLEW up the stairs, checked her pulse, cried a little bit, cussed myself out, and then realized that she was ok.  I, however, was not as I felt guilty about it all day.  I just know that she is somehow going to use this against us when she is 16.  "Do you remember that one time you let me cry it out all night Mom?"  "That is why I am quitting school and joining the cast of Jersey Shore!"  (Please God, do not let that show run another 16 years!) 

Here's to a good nights sleep with the monitor ON tonight!

-Manda 

January Video Dump

I take probably 10 videos a day of this child...so it is time that I throw them up on here to share.  :o) Please disregard the commentary and my high pitched voice.  I rarely get to talk to very many adults these days so my voice is always in "Lainey Talk" mode.  Enjoy!



3 Months Old!



Hanging out in my swing!

Playtime on my mat!

Holding up my head!

Sitting up!

Humming and Cooing with Mama

We have a talker!



Turning a New Leaf

As many of you know (all 4 of you who read this...haha), I am married to THE guy that could/would eat at McDonalds three meals a day (sick) or eat out in general for three meals a day.  B isn't a bad cook and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to follow a recipe...but for some reason would prefer Sonic, KFC, or Taco Bell to cooking a meal at home (lazy).  Instead of changing him when we became married, he changed me and I was a known culprit in throwing up my hands and giving in to eating out for the 4th time for the week and it was only Tuesday (lazy).  I refused fast food and tried to make him give up on chains (see above).   I think that we had a routine of Noodles and Co on Mondays, Chipotle or Cafe Rio on Tuesdays, Pei Wei on Wednesdays, and then local eateries the rest of the week and into the weekend.  I am suprised that I did not weigh 300lbs and be featured on the TV show the Biggest Loser.  

After eating out at Pats BBQ on a Thursday...this is what eating out does to you!

Well, a lot has changed in the past month and so have our eating habits. 

I can not tell you the last time that we have eaten out in a restuarant.  Most likely it is the fact that we have a 3 month old and it is a 50/50 chance that either she will need to be held during the entire meal or decide to cry/scream in her carseat (which she is not fond of unless a car is moving or you are swinging the carseat like a county fair ride).  Or it is probably because I should be nominated for wife of the year because I have had a hot meal ready every single work night.  It has been really fun trying out new recipes and cooking some of the classics.  I like to challenge myself and see what I can do with the ingredients that I have because "running to the grocery store" is no longer in my vocabulary with a 3 month old unless I want it to be a 2 hour process.  I also like to try and broaden Mr. B's horizons by introducing new veggies once a week.  (He couldn't handle any more than that!)  Last week it was mushrooms.  I started out with his favorite fungii and bought him basic button mushrooms but then threw in portobello, cremini, shiitake, and oyster and used them throughout different recipes all week.  So far, no complaints or gripes = success!  My ultimate goal is for him to request a spinach or kale dish...but that will be the day that he also turns to me and says that K-State is far more superior than KU in EVERYTHING!  haha  Meaning that will never happen.  But I can keep hoping and praying.  (For a short period of time, I hid spinach in my lasagne and just told him it was basil and he bought it...so miracles can happen!!!)

Tomorrow's menu:  http://taste-for-adventure.tablespoon.com/2012/01/03/spicy-asian-shrimp-lettuce-cups/

To our dear friends "Rondy": I wish that we could say "Come on down b/c I don't want leftovers!"

Have a great week!

-Manda

P.S.  Lainey pic of the week - Mohawkin' it out!

Baby...It's Cold Outside

So it has been about a month that we have made the move to the Great White Tundra...however it is not living up to its name, until today.  I think that Utah made this Kansas Gal a little too warm blooded and I forgot what it was like when it gets really cold.  The sad thing is...it isn't even that cold yet for these crazy Minnesotans.  Today it was around 16 degrees and with the windchill makes it a scorching -9.  Brrrrrrrr....  Nellie refused to go outside for me at all today.  It was like she was boycotting drinking any water out of her bowl (or toilet) for that matter just so she wouldn't have to go outside and pee.  I don't blame her. 

Do I need a haircut or what?

I really wanted to get out and about today and go exploring past Maple Grove, but I suppose that will have to wait for another day.  It is my goal to go visit somewhere other than Target and Baby Gap every couple of days.  It is really sad when "Gretchen" at Baby Gap knows me and Lainey on a first name basis.  I really need some friends in MN.  :o)  (And she knows my life story too.  Suprised Brandon?  I think not.)  Instead we had an indoor dance party...pretty subdued compared to the dance parties that I used to go too, but fun nonetheless.  Miss Lainey has just been so smiley today and that can always make a cold day brighter! 

Here is a little clip of Laineybug, Nellie, and I groovin'. (And I promise to figure out how to use my Flip Camera soon!)   Enjoy while I go for my 10th cup of hot chocolate!
-Manda

The. First. Post.

How intimidating is "The First Post"?  Very.  That is why I am going to keep our introduction short and sweet.  Kinda like this gal...she is short and sweet.  And it is her 3 month birthday.  Happy Birthday Lainey! 

Welcome to our blog in which we have titled a "House Divided".  I am a proud KSU Wildcat who happens to have a degree from University of Kansas.  On top of that, I found and married my best friend who happens to be a HUGE Jayhawk fan.  However, we come together on everything else including raising our new little one.  We want to use this as a place to keep our friends and family (from all of our journeys in life) updated on the Walker's wacky adventures.  Especially since the last three months of 2011 have been rather eventful, almost enough for a lifetime!  (New Baby, New House, New State, New Jobs)

So sit back and enjoy our ride, because we sure are! 

- Manda and Brandon