Click here for a SERIOUSLY FUNNY post about breastfeeding and society's standards of "offensive". Everyone please please check it out — especially if you think it should never be done in public! :)

Speaking of BFing in public, I am so grateful for KY state breastfeeding law. That helped make it a lot less stressful for me to do my job (as a nursing mom) when I had to feed Perrin during traffic school this afternoon (12-3:45). Not only did I have the reassurance that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing, I had freedom from fear of retribution. That's exactly what laws should do — protect citizens. None of the 43 class attendees cared anyway, which is awesome...not that they could even tell I was doing anything other than holding my baby. LOL I gave the instructor a heads-up before the class, but Perrin ended up wanting to eat exactly during one of our breaks, so the timing was a non-issue. I am so proud of our state, especially in light of what other states grudgingly provide to protect their nursing moms. In fact, KY recently passed an addendum to the law detailing the fines should someone "interfere with a mother breastfeeding her child" — $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses! GO, KENTUCKY!!!

Caspian just astonishes me, every day, with his precociousness. He came up to me tonight and chanted, "All for one and one for all! We are the three Musketeers!" Then he looked into my eyes and stroked my arm as he asked, "Remember that song, Mommy? Do you remember that?"

He also looooves playing with my pink Mary Kay Cadillac business card holder (which I earned as a prize). He asks to play with it every time he's in my office: "Excuse me, ma'am — can I hold your Mary Kay car, ma'am...please?" Seriously, he says it just like that, every time.

Last Saturday, I told him we'd get to see a REAL pink Mary Kay car at our unit potluck at my director's house. He was ridiculous excited at that prospect. When we arrived, the garage was open enough for him to see the bottom of the car (a pearl pink Cadillac SRX), and he thought that was the coolest thing ever. However, being almost 3, he immediately got distracted by people, food, and cornhole. I'd totally forgotten about the whole car thing, but when we got in our minivan to leave, he got pretty upset (like, crying) when we left without getting to sit in the Caddy. Yes, my son cried because he didn't get to ride in the pink Mary Kay car. *sigh* Yesterday, I asked him if he wanted to do anything special for his birthday this Sunday, and out of nowhere he exclaimed, "I want to sit in the REAL pink Mary Kay car!" LOL He'll be thrilled when we get to the expo at Seminar next week and he gets to sit in all the MK cars! Can't wait to give him a ride in our family's own "REAL pink Mary Kay car" someday.

We made the trip to Levi Jackson State Park in London, KY on Tuesday to meet with the Cole Family for a joint 3rd-birthday cookout for our toddlers (who share a birthday). I can't believe Caspian will be 3 on Sunday. The park and the visit were sooooo awesome! First off, we L-O-V-E the Cole family. Second, Ed Cole snagged us a picnic shelter that had real bathrooms and a playground. Third, the food was really, really good. Fourth, the weather was perfect. Fifth, we L-O-V-E the Cole family. We all had a blast, and the London exit off 75 has pretty much every business that we'd need should we decide to stay overnight there some time. London is exactly halfway between Wilmore and Knoxville, so it's now our official meeting place. We're even going to visit the World Chicken Festival in September! It's going to be so exciting getting to create these family memories together in the years to come.

Because I'm too tired to reorder them, here are the photos in reverse-alphabetical order according to their file names (which is how they uploaded):

Caspian enjoyed sliding at the state park playground


His hair enjoyed the static it created.


Caspian wore his birthday apron to help crush crackers for tuna cakes.


Dueling Potties! This was not even staged, folks. Two toddlers, one birthday. Two potties, one brand. Two snacks, one fruit. Heck, even their clothes matched! LOL


We got a chocolate truffle cake from Wal-Mart for their birthday cake (heck, $8 for a Bill Knapps replacement cake? no-brainer). Caspian and Charlie shared a piece, but Caspian turned it around and ate all the icing off the end when Charlie left to change Perrin's diaper.


Beautiful Becky Cole holds my Perrin.


Perrin's 3-month well-baby checkup was this morning. He weighs 15lb 11oz and is 24.5" tall! The doctor proclaimed him "perfect" and said he's doing so well, we don't need to come back until 6 months. Perrin loves to sing along with me when I sing to him. He's so full of joy and expresses opinions on everything. I think his teeth are starting to bother him, as he bit me while nursing for the first time on Monday and he chews his hands even when he's not hungry (which causes the drool factor to go up).

Caspian pooped in his potty for the FIRST TIME EVER yesterday! How odd to think that it's the first time in his life he didn't do it in his pants. Anyway, we had quite a few runaround days last week, and his potty training totally regressed since he's only comfortable using his own little potty (not big strange toilets). Yesterday was a "naked day" so he could get used to sitting on the potty again when the urge hit. We'll get there!

Check out Caspian's new profile pic, on the right! It doesn't show off his hair, but at least he's smiling. Okay, he's not actually smiling...I asked him to say "Batman" and took a picture. But it looks like a smile, right? He actually has no clue who Batman is, but he got a Batman-with-sword action figure from my grandparents for his upcoming birthday and LOVES it. I mean, it holds a sword, mom.



He also got a sweet apron (which he wore to help with dinner tonight) and a rockin' cowboy outfit:



You totally want this outfit for yourself in grownup size, don't you? The chaps go really well with his Cars training pants. It came with a map, chaps, a "real working canteen!", a vest-with-a-badge, a hat, a bandanna, and two arm cuff things. The first picture is him standing so I can take a picture. The second picture is what happened after I asked him "Do you have a belt buckle?" (lean over to look at belt buckle) and "Would you please stand up straight so I can see your belt buckle?" (stand up high on tiptoes and concentrate so hard on doing it "straight" that his eyes bug out). How mom am I that when I look at that second pic all I want to do is kiss his little tummy and the sweet little crook of his elbow?

I finally put some real posts on my Beauty Blog again. Well, I started them. They'll be posted later, because I have to go make dinner now. It would help if someone (anyone!) would post a skin care or cosmetics question on there! http://beautyblog.kyredhead.com

Before we start this picture extravaganza, I'd like to draw your attention to Perrin's updated picture in the right sidebar. RED eyebrows! :)

On a recent trip back from SC for Charlie's grandma's funeral, we made a leg-stretching stop at one of those obnoxious rest stop fireworks stores. It had a bunch of fun stuff for kids outside (naturally), so Caspian wanted his picture taken as he played.








Perrin was so worn out after all that sitting-in-a-carseat-and-being-carried that even nursing was taxing.


Perrin has developed nice kung-fu moves, though.


Boxing was his thing back when he was a week and a half old.


(Joey Tribbiani) "How YOU doin'?"


love these continuous mode shots (he was just bobbing and lip-smacking, but it looks like I caught a surprised moment)


...maybe not all of them are so great (double rude, son)


Milestone #2 for the week: he sat up today! Well, sat over-and-up! Click for a bigger view.

I finally dumped my cell phone! (I mean, I downloaded the pics to my computer.) It was mostly Cake Wreck submissions, but here are some others:

Caspian "shooting dinosaurs" at Wal-Mart (we never put in money)


Caspian the photographer instructs his model to "look surprised"


Caspian the photographer shoots his pregnant mommy on the sly


the Sharpie Wall at Office Depot **drool**
for Hilary, this is like Monica and the notebook (2:45-3:00)


Perrin wanted my thumb edge to stay in his mouth, so he grabbed my hand :)


Guess who rolled over yesterday? My baby! We were at the dermatologist's office, and I laid him on the paper-covered table so I could change clothes, and the little stinker got bored of talking to me, turned away, and flung himself over to the right! Fortunately, that was the wall side (plus, I grabbed him on instinct before he would've fallen anyway — go Mommy Reflexes™). Last night, whenever Charlie laid him down , he tried rolling off, too.

Perrin Chats & Smiles


Caspian is doing well with potty training here at home, but to date has refused going outside the house on a strange toilet (and still doesn't go #2 in the potty at all). Last night was almost a test of other-pottyness, as he actually said that he wanted to go sit on the potty, but the restroom was flooded with an inch of water. We ran another errand and came home, and he still had all 3 flags on his pull-up! Yay!

His big thing right now is asking for food after we brush his teeth for bed. The first time, I asked if his mouth wanted food or if his tummy was hungry. He said his tummy was hungry (and we'd had a weirdly-timed dinner), so we gave him some cheese or something and brushed his teeth again. We explained that he needs to tell us when he's hungry so we can give him food, but eating time is over once we brush teeth for the night. Now, however, it's a nightly occurrence. Instead of just asking for food, he says, "My tummy is hungry!" Let me tell you, it broke my heart having my child on the verge of tears last night, begging me for food. (cue violins) BUT, last night he repeatedly refused offers of food, both for and after dinner, so my sympathies did not come into play. Once we got into bed to read a book, he didn't bring it up even once.

Speaking of which, it's amazing what is in-born in children. What kind of cosmic joke is it that children naturlly ask for a drink of water once they're in bed? Neither Charlie nor I get a drink before bed, and we don't keep water by the bed, yet about 4-5 months ago Caspian started asking for a drink of water once we're in bed! Funny.

I'm trying to get on a better schedule, so we're going to try meal planning. I'm not used to cooking actual dishes for dinner (just á là carte), so this is very daunting. Also, our freezer space is nil. We'll be starting slow on this one! LOL Now, if only I had some Seven-Layer Bars to sustain me... :)

One positive step toward this whole "cooking" thing is that my KitchenAid is usable! It's been sitting in the car (for six months) and on the kitchen floor (for seven months) since Christmas 2007. We took it to my mom's to help with family dinner, and it started leaking oil. First, we didn't get around to looking up KitchenAid repair places, then we had no money, then we forgot, then we kept forgetting, then I found out we'd have to pay to ship it for repairs, then we forgot about it again, then Charlie looked up the problem on the internet and found out that the tiny amount of oil leakage is common and doesn't matter!

Off to search Craig's List for a chest freezer!

another giveaway

First, a plethora of pictures.

trying to sit up


frothing spit bubbles (time to eat!)


middle-of-the-night migration


the tools it took to get our first coconut drained, open, and scraped (concrete front porch not pictured) (yes, that is my Higginbotham hammer)


what turned out NOT to be a clump of hair in the tub drain


why we spent our tax refund on a king-sized bed


Daddy learns to multi-task


brotherly bonding in a SC motel


Despite the fact that I'm not wearing a skirt, Caspian is adamant to hide inside.


2mo Perrin grins at Daddy


Perrin, 11w5d (he graced his special outfit with a rare spit-up moments before) (I had to change his outfit before bed because his thighs just wouldn't fit in this one anymore.)


Okay, onto the news.

We're on day 4 of potty training Caspian. Perrin is already 15 pounds, and the little chunkmeister has outgrown our Little Sandies infant diapers...which means he needs to use the Motherease One-Size diapers...which means Caspian can't, as we don't have enough for two children to use them (unless we wash a load of diapers every day)...which means Caspian is getting potty-trained! LOL

He was ready, anyway. He's very interested in potty books and talking about the potty, and he is aware of when he's going to "go". On Tuesday, we bought him some Cars training pants that have little designs on the front which disappear when they get wet. There are 3 on each pair, so we let him wear the same pair as long as he can keep at least one design. He has done AMAZINGLY. He lost one design yesterday and one the day before. We have potty time as soon as he wakes up, before and after each meal, and before bed. He knows that if he feels like he's about to pee, he's supposed to run to the potty, pull down his training pants, and sit on the potty. He has only had three accidents in the last four days — all willfully, to see what would happen. Now, he loves making it to the potty on time. He even got up from bed two nights ago and from his nap yesterday (both before he'd fallen asleep) because he knew he had to go. What a big boy!

The only obstacle we have to overcome now is that Caspian doesn't want to poop in the potty. We don't know why, and he knows when it's coming (and retreats to the corner to hide), so we're hoping he gets over it soon. We promised to buy him big boy underwear as soon as he starts pooping in the potty.

TIDBITS:

• Caspian has started telling me how much he misses me when I'm gone "at work" for a few hours. That's pretty wonderful.
• He acts out his favorite book and movie scenes, complete with emotions and vocal inflection.
• Once every few weeks, he decides to sleep in his own bed.
• Sometimes he shouts, "Babe!" when he wants me, because that's what Charlie calls when he needs me. Yeah, we nip that in the bud.
  
• We think he's starting to read, because he's sounding out words he finds. One a walk, for example, he saw the word "WATER" on a water main mini-manhole. He pointed to it and said, "wuh-ah-tuh-ǝ-err...water!"

• Perrin is so flirty. He'll look you right in the eye and talk and smile forever! He coos along when I sing to him, and definitely uses non-verbal communication via facial expression. When you sit and talk with him, he tries to repeat you.
• He never complains/cries unless something is wrong.
• He is so gorgeous. He has a dimple in each cheek. Sometimes he laces his fingers together (like he's praying), and it's so adorable. And, yes, he's another curly redhead.
  
• He holds his head up, and he's trying so hard to sit up by himself.
• He has 5 fat rolls on each arm.
• He's slept through the night for a couple weeks now, PRAISE GOD.

• Charlie enjoys working at home SO much. It is so much easier to parent the way we want when we're both home.
• I'm already 100% back in my pre-pregnancy clothes (and about a ½ size smaller).
  
• Having mono for the last two months has made it difficult for me to jumpstart off maternity leave the way I need to. Prayers (and referrals) are appreciated!
• If you are running out of your regular brand of sunscreen, moisturizer, face wash, shave gel, body lotion, mascara, etc. — or would just like to try something new — please give Mary Kay a try. My business is our family's financial support! MK has a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and free shipping is cheaper/easier for you than driving to the store. :) Shop on my website 24 hours a day!
  

I love my boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so immensely, incredibly blessed.

Speaking of blessed, we were approved for EBT, so we can "afford" to buy any food we want! All we need now is to find someone with a chest freezer they don't want anymore so we can save some of this bounty for when we really need it! If you know anyone in central KY who wants to get rid of a chest freezer, please let us know!

We spent the 4th of July playing with Ginny and her boys, then at RJ Corman's, then watching fireworks in the rain from the playground next door. Pics to come...

I finally broke down and bought 2 pairs of LANACare Wool Nursing Pads. Using disposable breast pads was grossing me out so much, I couldn't take it anymore. They're $7 a box, too, so at a box a month for the next 2 years, they're also costly. The wool pads should last that entire time, and beyond! They feel soooo wonderful and soft. And best of all, they're large enough to fill the entire bra cup, so no more fumbling with a crumpled breast pad when I'm trying to re-hook my cups! Two thumbs way up.

C ~ "I want two crunchy pastas and two cold broccolis, one big, and one small." (He likes to eat dry rotini and frozen broccoli.) He ate his entire serving of broccoli tonight still frozen. He still very much prefers cold or lukewarm food, in general.

Oh, yeah. We had our 9-year wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago. And Caspian turns 3 in two weeks!