Numb Gums?

I just wanted to share a little something that a dear friend has turned me on to that I've finally found in stores. Apparently it's very popular in the homeopathic crowd. I am by no stretch a homeopathic nut, but I will give things a shot if I think they will work, and yes indeed this product works.

As you probably know J is a terrible teether. So I'm always looking for something to help him out. We finally found it in stock at Henry's and J was very interested what was in the box. So before we could even check out I was applying the first application. He sucked it down like it was candy. I found that he was in a great mood for the rest of the evening and didn't really have any cranky moments. I have given it a few other times since and he still it taking it like a champ and it seems to calm him down and more comfortable.

Oh I guess I should include what's in the product and what it does. It's a liquid that includes:

Chamomilla vulgaris 9C HPUS		Relieves teething pains accompanied by irritability
Phytolacca decandra 5C HPUS		Relieves painful gums
Rheum officinale 5C HPUS		Relieves minor digestive disorder associated with teething

I look forward to using this product more often :)

Naps and Sippy Cups

Just prior to taking some time off this week to chill out and relax at home with the J man, our sitter informs us that A) Jack is still taking 2 naps a day (1 45 min morning nap and an afternoon with the kidos) and B) she finally got him off of bottles. That means no more bottles before nap, and milk in his sippy cup with meals. C) J is not using his little boy sippy, he's in a big boy sippy, one that he can't tip over and press down and make soup of his meals with.

Here I was just starting to get real annoyed with J that he was making "soup" with his meals routinely now. It didn't even dawn on me that he was needing a big boy cup.

So over the week while daddy was at home (I unfortunately didn't have enough vacation to take the whole time off with them) we quickly found out through trial and error, that Jack has eliminated his morning nap. By doing this he is sleeping through the night! He'll get up maybe around 430 or 5am, want an early morning bottle, down it and then zonk out for another hour or so. He gets a little fussy during the morning without the nap, but the tradeoff for a sound nights sleep is well worth it.

As for the sippy cup/no bottlef issue, I'm not 100% myself switched over to no bottles before nap. We're still working on that at home. Slowly but surely we'll be done with bottles before nap....it will be gradual, but at least I know he's not doing it at his sitters.

As for his big boy sippy cups...the day that she told me about this I busted out the 10 million playtex sippy cups that I had waiting for him. I had purchased a pack, and a few were given to us. I filled it up and, yeah....Jack didn't care for them. I thought, ok I'll give it some time. After some more time with him trying to use it, he found them slippery, hard to handle, too hard to suck and the sucker part was very shallow. So I quickly texted my sitter to find out what she was using. It was a different kind which I need to look at her brand when we go back on monday, but I remembered that "babysteals.com or kidsteals.com" had a day when they had "klean kanteens sippy cups" on a deal for the day. I had one ready and waiting for him when the time came. I started using it yesterday and omg, not only does J LOVE it, I love that he's getting enough liquid and not having to suck so hard, it's easy to handle, the sipper is long just like he likes, and it's super durable and eco friendly for the plus :) AND he's not making soup!!!

I just can't stop raving about this sippy cup!! Sean laughs at me b/c I won't shut up. The only down side is that they are pricey ($14-16). But I do believe that when they are done with the sippy cup stage, I can purchase a new top and make it into a sport cap top for about $5.

So I think it's safe to say some lucky person will be getting most of my playtex sippy cups unfortunatly :( But I love the Klean Kanteen!

Heath Issues and Health Insurance for Abby

Last year we made the wise decision to get our pups, Abby health insurance. To give you a background, Abby started as my moms dog whom we've had since she was a puppy. Sean my husband was a cat person when I met him. Along came Abby and Sean had a change of heart and Abby and Sean are inseparable. Sean walks her every night 1-2 miles, allows her to sleep on his head at night, and make sure she's very well taken care of not to mention that she attends every family holiday at his grandmas, and grandma even has a special couch cover for our little pups. My mom got married to a wonderful man who lived in San Diego and they do a lot of traveling. It was then made apparent that Ms. Abby needed a new home. Without a second to ponder, we had a new dog that was coming home with us.

So going back to the health insurance, we wanted to make sure that she was fully taken care of and that included health insurance. We knew she was getting older, and was prone to quite a few health problems (hips and heart). We signed her up last year and our plan included a teeth cleaning. Essentially it paid for her premiums so it was nice.

She's also entitled to a physical with her plan and all vaccines. Her annual came up and today we had everything set up.

Sean dropped her off this morning, and not even an hour or so after she was dropped off I was getting a phone call about some issues. Sean was letting me know that her blood work all came back fine, but her heart murmur that was detected about 6 months ago, was a lot more prominate this time around and they didn't want to put her under to get her teeth cleaned without doing a chest xray and viewing her her heart could tolerate it. They wanted $350 out of pocket for the xray. After much contemplation I was about to pull the plug until it dawned on us that hey, if we upgrade would it be included? YUP! Indeed it was. For an extra $10 a month, we're covered. Thank god, b/c with her issues now, it's only likely that she's going to need more in the future.

So while doing her cleaning they also discovered that her upper k9 teeth were loose and that there was bacteria in there making them loose. So we got another phone call....was giving her meds ok? Sean and Abby being pals, of course the answer was yes. If it was left untreated by her next cleaning she would have to have those teeth removed. Hopefully this treatment works. She got injections into her gum so I'm sure her gums hurt.

After work I went to go pick her up and I talked to the kind doctor. She advised that Ms. Abby has a slightly enlarged heart, supplied me with a CD of her xrays, and advised to watch for fatigue and coughing. If things get worse, we would have to visit the cardiologist to get an ultrasound to see exactly what type and how bag things were.

Upon checking out they handed me a sheet listing all the charges and what I was responsible for. Our $1100 bill was reduced to a meer $115. THANK GOD!

Today put into reality that our little pups isn't so little or young anymore. She's aging just as we are. Hopefully she'll be with us for many more years to come.

For now she's exhausted, sore and still very groggy as she lay motionless on her pals lap keeping him warm. Hopefully tomorrow she will perk up.

My little boy turns 1

This past weekend we celebrated my little Jack's 1st birthday. What I have been planning for months and preparing for, was almost taken from us in a matter of seconds.

To start the day, Jack had a VERY bad night the night before his party, which included only 3 hours sleep for everyone in the house. He was teething and up every few minutes.

After we awoke, I went outside to check the weather. Mind you, I had been checking the weather religiously for the past week in hopes that the rain finally had left us. NOPE!!!! The ground was wet, it was misting, and while packing the car, the clouds let loose and the mist turns into rain. I kept in close contact with my mother in law, who lived around the corner from our party location, Tuffree Park, and she kept assuring me that there was no rain in her direction.

With a huge fear in my mind, I continued to load up the car and we were off. While driving, we had the windshield wipers going, the ground was soaked...and yeah I was going to cry. No sleep, plus 50+ people headed our way from far and near. It was not going to be a good day should this rain continue.

As we were driving the grounds got drier and drier. Once we arrived to the park, we discovered the clouds were opening up and we were seeing bluer skies. At this point we decided to unpack.

Oh and should I remind you that Jack has refused to take morning nap for a few days now and didn't take one this morning and feel asleep in the car on the way to the park. Woohoo, we get to set up in peace :) A blessing disguise.

We set up, partied, and enjoyed the celebration we call "Jack's 1st Birthday. What could have turned into a total nightmare, ended up being a beautiful party for our little guy. We were very lucky.

Here are a few photos from his special day.

A Day at the Park

On this particular day about a month ago, so either late Jan or early Feb, the weather was nice so we went to explore our local parks. As you can tell Jack and daddy had a lovely time :)

Also, this was the first day that we saw Jack "Clap." Ever since then, he hasn't stopped.

Exhausted, Grumpy, Moody, and Irritable

I'm not sure who that describes at the moment but what I can tell you is that each of us has at leave 1 or more of these issues going on.

Day Light Savings happened Sunday and we lost an hour, but it also seem as though the little guy is working on some nasty teeth. Not one, but multiples! He cut a molar some time last week or the week before which brings his total up to 9, and it was fairly simple. This other molar seems to be causing major pain, and J is very grumpy and irritable. Here is the recap for the past two days:

* Whining/Cranky all day
* Lacking in naps
* Use of a plug almost all day. Mind you prior to this, he was only using it for nap and bed time only.
* Use of tylenol/advil almost around the clock
*Waking up for comfort 2-3x during the night, and up for the day anywhere between 430am-5am. (Jack was not waking at all and if he was it was either at 12-1 or 5am for a bottle was waking for the day between 630 & 7am)

So needless to say Sean and I are TIRED! We hope this tooth will decide to make it's little break through soon. I'm not sure how much more all of us can take.

I did however get my new subscription of parents magazine this week and started to flip through it. In the pages were a few parents tips on helping a bad teether and we all know that J is not a great teether. Some things I had heard about, and others I did take into consideration.

Upon arriving home I put one of those tips into practice. The tip was the submerge a pacifier in water and suck up some water and fill the bulb with water, and freeze it.

After dinner Jacks plug pop was ready. He LOVED it! I hadn't seen sincere giggles and smiles in a few days so it was a nice reassurance that underneath everything he was still my little love bug.

As he rests right now I debate trying to get a few things done around the house like I normally do, ooooor crawling in bed knowing that he might be up in just a few short hours for comfort session #1.

Noodle Legs

So in an effort to shed a few baby pounds I have taken up running again. I don't get out as often as I would like, as J prevents that (I'll go into detail later).

On Monday's, my best friend and I get together in her neighborhood which is also J's sitters neighborhood. Today we get to running and things are going well, doing some slight hills, taking the occasional break for my lungs as I'm not into great shape yet and before we know it we're 1.5 miles into the run...then we realize we have to come back. On our way back, J decides he's done. Just done. Cranky turned into fussy, fussy turned full fledged MELT DOWN! The last mile home was sheer screaming! He just didn't want to be in the stroller anymore, ok and he was teething. At about the .25 remaining mark, I had to get him out and walk to my car while holding him. Not the most ideal situation while trying to push a stroller, and having a severe case of NODDLE LEGS!

Nights like tonight are reasons why I'm not on the pavement more often. I hope he outgrows this quickly b/c I would like to improve my times and distance.

New Toy and Old Memories

For months I have been on a hunt for something that Jack might be able to join us in while taking a bike ride. Jack loves being outdoors and with our condo being a little matchbox, the outdoors is an extension of our home.

Come Christmas time I thought I had the perfect contraption. A bike seat that would attach to our bike and he would sit behind the driver. I purchased it, installed it, made a few custom alterations, and gave it a whril...I HATED it. The rider (myself) couldn't sit on the seat fully, Jack never looked secure no matter how tight I did the bolts, and it rode horribly. This is the one and only photo of him in the seat.




So not long after I got the seat installed, I uninstalled the seat and returned it for a full refund. Gratefully they took it back no questions asked.

After about 3 long months of me trying to locate option number two, and making may stops by Walmart and himming and hawing if I should spend $100 on option number 2, I finally did it. I found a used one at Play It Again Sports today and even got a tutorial, and it was already assembled, and was practically new. It also came with a 7 day return policy.

I promptly came home, unloaded my car, and after dinner I got to installing the new toy. Jack even joined me in helping install the new parts. He got out his wrench and was banging away on the bike. He was investigating every bit of this bicycle as it was something new to look and touch.

After I got it all hooked up I took Jack for his first mini ride. He loved it! He was waving at daddy, and looking all around. He looked comfortable and it was easy to drive. Not to mention it was light and I barely noticed that I was towing something. Granted I need to fill up my tires tomorrow with air but it was the best $100 I spent to get Jack some more outdoor time.

Bike riding was a favorite of mine as a child always looking for the opportunity on the weekends to take a ride with my dad and brother on the bike trail always picking a new destination on the trail to go to. I hope that Jack will also find that same enjoyment.

Now we've just got to get another bike so we can all get on the trail together and daddy can have his bike back. Hehe Mommy stole it! :)

Ode To Cup/Snack Holder

For the past few weeks Jack has been giving me struggles with him being happy in his car seat on the way to Ms. Wendi's (childcare) and on our way home. He has been very fussy, toys don't seem to distract him, and when you put a toy in his face he will throw it right back at you. Only on a few occasions have I found him occupied with something, and that something currently is the garage clicker. Thank god he hasn't learned out to click it yet, otherwise we would have a serious auto accident backing out of the garage but for now, it at least keeps him quiet. Until one day this week when I went in to Babies R Us, which I don't often do b/c I have found them very pricey but I had a coupon for $5 off which I thought I would use on some necessary items. Among my finds was what you see. A "Brica Snack Pod." I thought to myself, this might be something that Jack would enjoy, and let me tell you, it was the best $11 some odd dollars I spent.

I have been on a hunt for snack traps with easier traps to get his little fingers and hands in that will allow him to bring out the snack without dropping it, but haven't been able to locate them. It's like they took them off the shelf b/c I can only find one particular one and I hate them.

This new item just clips on to his current car seat, which does not have a cup holder, and allows him to have a snack, and put his sippy cup in it.

Long behold this was the quiet that I have been looking for! I gave it a whirl this afternoon and my trip home was QUIET! I would look back a few times in my mirror to see what he was doing and he was just shoveling his favorite snack, cheezy poofs as we call them, aka gerber graduates cheese puffs (basically a baby cheeto). I also make sure to fill up his sippy cup, which I also found was almost empty by the time we came home. The little stinker has been hungry and thirsty all this time! I knew he was going through a growth spurt, but geeze, he NEVER stops eating. He could eat all day long if I let him.

So to whoever invented this contraption, I owe you a massage or spa day :) You have just made my life so much more peaceful.

Happy 29th Sean

Today marks my husbands 29th birthday. Jack and I promptly woke daddy up at 645am to his birthday cards that awaited him.

Later I decided that he and I needed some adult time, so I decided to surprise him at work with a little special birthday lunch I like to call Lucilles BBQ. With Seans new position as being a supervisor at SchoolsFirst FCU Cal State Fullerton satellite campus, I'm able to make it over there on lunch breaks to say a quick hello and then head back to work.

My first trip on campus was last week. I hadn't stepped onto campus in several years after making the decision to work full time rather then complete class', as was quickly reminded that I was OLD! All of the student that surrounded me were much younger and I felt out of place. Again to I was reminded of that same feeling when I arrived today and heard a very loud noise coming from the quad where a terrible band was rocking out so as to give a concert (ear plugs necessary if you ask me) and then just about 100 yards away you had a crowd of approx 300 pledge candidates I would assume, chanting for "Greek Week."

If I found neither of those appealing, I think I have officially marked myself with a stamp that says I'm in a different state of mind, aka OLD.

Let The Games Begin

Welcome!

You have just stepped into what we like to call "Plunkett Madness." Or as my husband Sean would beg to argue "Plunksanity."

Almost 11 years ago Sean and I met each other and we went through life in a fairly organize, calm, and peaceful manner. Now with 1 almost 1 year old, a 6 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog, a condo in Anaheim, 3 cars (1 of which is a race car, and always has project happening to it), a car enthusiast web site, 2 full time working parents, 1 nut of a crafter and quilter, and a non stop never ending schedule of events, the need to document our life felt necessary.

Please join us as we journey into what we call life.

Enjoy!