Boy-Oh-Boy. My husband dared me. Double dared me.

Create Henry’s Nursery for $200 or less.

And I took the dare.

Not that he thinks Henry doesn’t deserve to have an amazing Nursery. It’s just that, having our 4th child now, we are trying to save a bit of money here and there. And the need to spend a ton of money on a Nursery for my 4th BOY in a row just isn’t something that is absolutely necessary right now.

With William and Alexander, we had just moved to Rhode Island from NYC, where we were ALL sharing a one-bedroom apartment. It was - putting it very lightly - a tight squeeze. But having 2 sons 12 months apart, there wasn’t much time to go looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment. When it was time, we decided that moving to a New England town to raise our boys would be the best decision for our family.

We bought a house. And each of our 2 boys had his own room. Having never been able to create a Nursery for either boy to that point… I went CRAZY! I loved it. Baby boy blue everything! I devoured catalog after catalog looking for ideas and inspiration. And I was able to create adorable Nurseries… they were my dreams come true for my boys.

Soon after, I found that I was expecting another baby boy… and I was excited to create his special Nursery. I did it a little differently than William and Alexander’s, but it was truly a dream-come-true creation for me… especially since I had miscarried right before I got pregnant with Benjamin. I used to go into that empty room and pray and think about the baby-to-be who would be coming home to THAT very Nursery. That was my Benjamin, our first baby we brought home to our Rhode Island home. That room, to me, is a little extra special.

And so… here we are. My 4th little guy, Henry, is 11 weeks old. And he is still living in our master bedroom.

We have 4 bedrooms, so William and Alexander are doubling up… and Henry will take Alexander’s bedroom.

When I brought up the fact that we need to start working on Henry’s Nursery… my husband just smiled. Ahh… our 4th son. Another boy blue room. Another chance to create something…

BUT! This time around… we have a budget. With the economy the way it is today… we need to be smart.

And so…. here we go. Create a Nursery for $200 or less. GREAT.

What do I have already? Your 2 basic essentials. A crib and a changing table.

Cue the music here… THANK YOU, Simmons Kids. You absolutely, positively ROCK!

Simmons Kids was kind enough to send Henry a crib and changing table. Let me reiterate… a Simmons Antique Silver Monaco Crib and Changing Table, which is the most exquisite and beautiful line I have seen.

He will be sleeping and be changed in style. Pure style.

I will create Henry’s Nursery around these 2 masterpieces. And the already-painted-baby-blue-room.

SO!

This fashionista in me is up for the challenge. $200 or less.

Suggestions? Oh, please! I welcome ALL the help I can get!

This is what I’m working with now…

The Crib and Changing Table

My Nana’s precious bassinet that Henry has outgrown, and wooden shelves that need to be painted

Alexander’s clothes and toys, ready to be moved out

Alexander’s initials and photos, ready to be taken down

Alexander’s toys and robe and towels - need to be packed up and moved

So this is what we’re working with. We just started “dismantling” Alexander’s room. He’s now sleeping in William’s room, but he needs his things in there, too!

MAKE WAY FOR HENRY!

Stop & Shop works for me.

It really does. Being a mother of 4 boys 4 and under, I can tell you whole-heartedly that Stop & Shop really does work for me.

I live exactly 4.3 miles from my Stop & Shop. My husband and I laugh because when you see some of the commercials for Stop & Shop… you know, the ones profiling real customers explaining why Stop & Shop works for them, and their personal stories… my husband can’t understand why I haven’t contacted them (yet) with my personal story.

After all, not many women find going to the grocery store nearly every day fun. But me? I absolutely love it. I literally trekked to Stop & Shop nearly every day with my 3 boys - ages 3, 2 and 1 throughout my entire pregnancy with my littlest guy, Henry. You should have seen the faces of people as I got closer and closer to my 9th month. Not to mention… the employees began to know me, on a personal level.

“Hi, Audrey… Hi William, Alex and Ben. How’s Henry feeling in there today?”

Now that felt good. You know the “Cheers” song… “You want to go where everyone knows your name…” Well, sometimes you do. And for me, it isn’t my neighborhood bar. It’s my grocery store. And I love it!

So you can imagine how excited I was when I got an email from Stop & Shop and 360 Public Relations inviting my mother, sister and me to a special lunch, at Rialto in the Charles Hotel in Boston on August 5th, to hear about the latest news from Stop & Shop.

“Jumping at the chance” would be putting it lightly.

An amazing lunch created by Rialto Chef extraordinaire Jody Adams?

A chance to meet and chat with other women in the Boston/Providence area?

The opportunity to hear about some new features from my favorite grocery store, Stop & Shop?

Oh, yeah. I was there. I was there like a lightening bolt.

The ladies from Stop & Shop and 360 Public Relations are about the smartest, nicest and sweetest women you will meet. They were not only oh-so-professional, they were the type of women I could go out with and have a few good laughs. You know what I mean?

And what I loved about this luncheon was that it spoke to me specifically. As a busy mom. As a wife. As a woman. As the shopper/cook/baker/chef in my house… the wonderful ladies at Stop & Shop spoke about finding time for family meals, ways to save time and money at Stop & Shop, and the easy features of Peapod.com - their amazing shopping online network. And ways to keep kids eating healthy.

All topics that cross my mind all the time.

I absolutely love family meal time. Each night - even though it’s difficult with the boys’ ages right now - we sit down and eat together. There are nights William wants to watch TV, Alex isn’t hungry, Benjamin wants nothing to do with his highchair and Henry is sound asleep… but it doesn’t matter. Eating together as a family is something that I feel is one of the best gifts I can give to my children. Talk. Laugh. Joke. Celebrate. Eat. These things matter. And having 30 or so minutes each night to do this means so much to Matt and me.

Saving time and money at Stop & Shop? Oh, yeah. Sign me up for these tips. Any way I can learn a tip or two about this topic, I’m all over it. And the presenters brought up some great tips. Things that I think of doing… but never follow through doing… until now -

1. Actually going to the market with (gasp!) a list. Makes shopping easy, fast and organized.

2. Check the circular for what’s on sale.

3. Coupons! What’s that, I say? Yes, coupons!

4. Buy store brands. Nature’s Promise Natural and Organic foods are my favorite. They are priced right and are absolutely-positively delicious.

5. Use the hand-held, personal scanner to speed up my check-out. My son William loves using the scanner. He feels so important and oh-so cool! So not only will I save time with this one… which I just started doing since my Stop & Shop lunch, but my kids love it.

And then there’s Peapod. Oh, my Peapod. This is how I should start shopping now. Instead of bringing all the boys to Stop & Shop, I should just bring Stop & Shop to us. Easy. Let the boys play, read, nap or watch TV. And give me some time to peruse my shopping online. Oh… how convenient!

But!

One of my favorite features that Stop & Shop is unveiling soon… drum roll, please… Family-Friendly Lanes. Loving this. Moms equal busy. Especially when we’re with our kids. And there’s nothing like the absolute despair of being done with your shopping and then seeing lane after lane busy and filled with other busy people. Waiting with my boys does not work. Let me repeat. It. Does. Not. Work. So “Smiles for All” will save you. Listen to this… a line for families only. No sugary foods to tempt away the kids. No tabloids dangling in front of you. There will be treats… but healthy treats like low-fat milk, organic juices, drinkable yogurts, cut carrots and celery, string cheese and rice cakes. And there will be magazines… but only age-appropriate selections for children and parents. AND! One thing my boys will love is the free activity sheets and stickers being passed out at check-out. Literally… my boys will do anything for stickers. Anything. They’re happy. So I’m happy.

All in all, the Stop & Shop lunch was amazing. I was honored to be invited. And I was so happy I was able to attend. Not only that…

On a personal note, I had to leave the event a bit early on the 5th because my Nana was in the hospital and we wanted to be able to visit her as soon as visiting hours began that day.

When I told Caroline of 360 Public Relations… she immediately made sure that we had seats near the exit so we wouldn’t have to crawl over people to leave early. They were so gracious. And I just appreciated this so much. And when my beloved Nana passed away three days later… I got a beautiful email from Caroline expressing her condolences. Now that meant so much to me.

So Stop & Shop. I loved the event. I love your new look. I love shopping at your stores.

You work for me!

I never (ever) thought I would get excited about one thing in particular…

POOP.

Yes, poop.

But as most moms will attest, poop becomes an integral part of your life when you have kids… and your relationship with it.

How has poop changed my life? And become an exciting thing?

Let me start with William. He now has learned to wipe himself. Yes, no more frantic calls/screams to the bathroom that he’s “done Mommy… can you wipe me!?”

Alexander. Oh, my Alexander. He (oh-my-God, let me take a deep breath before I write this) has pooped on the potty every day for the last 5 days straight. Our little “adventure” last Wednesday… that’s a day of the past. My man Alexander has it down. THANKS to the Contoured Cushie Step-up from One Step Ahead, he is a man on a mission. One Step Ahead, I owe you BIG time. The Tinkle Targets you sent us worked like magic in our home.

Benjamin. Now… just how has Benjamin’s poop made me happy? Now when he poops he runs, gets a new diaper, pulls me over and he lays down. He may not be talking a mile a minute yet… but he sure does know how to communicate that he’s pooped and he wants changed. NOW!

And Henry. Well… today he pooped. And that alone makes me happy. He doesn’t go everyday… which obviously bothers his little tummy, so when he does go… it’s almost a holiday for me! I never thought I’d be so happy to actually smell and see poop in a diaper.

Ahh…

How things have changed in just 4 years.

Poop. It’s a good thing.

I know, I know… he’s 10 weeks.

With William I had birth announcements out in 2 weeks. With Alexander and Benjamin, about 3 weeks.

I cannot believe Henry’s have taken this long to put together.

I DO have a good excuse. I had the “perfect” birth announcement in my head. And well, it sort of didn’t go as well as I had planned.

I went out and had 4 shirts embroidered -

William #1

Alexander #2

Benjamin #2

Henry #4

My vision? OH… my oh-so creative vision! Have William on the couch by himself with the caption, “There was 1.” Then William and Alexander on the couch with the caption, “Then there were 2.” Then William, Alexander and Benjamin all on the couch with the caption, “Then there were 3.” And then all of the boys on the couch with the caption, “Oh yes, and now there’s 4.”

I had a vision that they would all sit perfectly still and smile exactly when I told them to smile.

And then? Well… I realized I was dealing with 4 boys 4 and under. Here are some of my photos on trying to capture the “perfect” birth announcement:

Truth be told, these photos reflect perfectly this-is-our-life-right-now-with-our-4-boys and welcome-to-the-world-Henry for our birth announcement!

On to PLAN B.

What’s that? I have NO clue. Just hoping to get a good photo where you can actually see Henry among the boys! Or… maybe just one of him. After all, it is HIS birth announcement.

Mom Generations started Tweightloss on Twitter 4 weeks ago. It all began when I got the green light from my OB/GYN that I could start to chip away at my baby weight. Yes, working out was finally a GO!

With William and Alexander I gained about 28-30 pounds with their pregnancies.

With Benjamin I gained about 40 pounds.

With Henry I gained 48 pounds.

Towards the end of July, I knew it was time to get myself back on my treadmill because I was just feeling - well, BLAH… I needed to get myself moving - not only for my body, but for MYself.

My only problem? Finding 30 minutes to give myself the time to get MYself moving!

Tweightloss has become my accountability. I have my team depending on me. And that MONDAY weigh-in!

I knew I needed to find the time. I couldn’t use the - I-have-4-kids-and-there-is-no-way-I-can-find-the-time-to-workout anymore. Especially when I can find the time to hit my favorite stores, go to the pool, have dinner with friends and watch some of my favorite TV shows at night.

Oh, no. The “time” excuse was just not cutting it anymore.

So. Here I am (5:55am). This morning. My 5th morning in a row. Finding my 30 minutes.

Henry? Fed. And back to sleep.

William? Ran into our bed around 3am. Now soundly sleeping.

Ben and Alex? Both sound asleep in their rooms.

Matt? Sound asleep with William and Henry.

The house is quiet. The sun is just peeking up. The news is on. The coffee is just beginning to brew.

I’m a little sleepy… but I’m sitting here with my workout clothes and sneakers on. Ready to hit my treadmill.

Ahh… my 30 minutes.

My quiet and peaceful 30 minutes. Believe it or not, I can actually hear crickets. Now that’s pretty cool.

I’m going to run (no pun intended) before I hear my little men…
Also, my bloggy friend and fellow Tweightloss buddy - Leighann - is doing something amazing for her 4 year old daughter, who was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Her family is participating in the Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes. She is running a huge giveaway on her blog to raise awareness about diabetes and to raise some money.  Check out her blog to read more and support her cause - HERE.

I haven’t updated on Alexander’s potty training in awhile.

Reason being - not much had changed. Until last week.

I don’t know what happened. What occurred. What suddenly made him decide it’s time. But overnight - like a fish to water - he started peeing on the potty. No accidents. No crying. No messes. Just a boy and his potty.

My husband and I are extremely happy… but can’t get over the fact that he obviously knew what to do for awhile, but just thought taking his time would be more fun. Thanks, Alex! But in all seriousness, like everyone kept telling me, he just got it… and that day finally came. For peeing.

For the other thing that occurs in the bowels of humans. Oh, my. That is another story.

He has found it - dare I say, amusing - that he poops in his pants, but pees on the potty. Yes, amusing. I have been greeted with a smile and a laugh for the past week in “big boy undies” that “I pooped, Mommy!” Like it’s a really, really good thing. Which it is. Just not in his undies. Something we have told him about 500 times the last week.

So today I took William and Alexander to my girlfriend’s pool club. (Jane, thank you for staying with Benjamin and Henry - I owe you!) I decided that I would try the trip without a diaper on Alexander. After all, he did the “deed” before we left and the pool was only 5 minutes away.

Off we went.

We were there for an hour and a half. I swear it was every 10 minutes - but in actuality… I kept asking Alex every 30 minutes if he had to go to the bathroom. “Nope… I’m OK Mommy.” I kept checking his bathing suit… and yes, he did seem to be “OK.”

Well… then I saw the red face. The hunch-over stance. And the closed eyes. Oh, and the grunt.

I guess we all know our child’s “sign.” That was Alex’s. UGH! Yes, right in his bathing suit. At the playground.

To the bathroom we went… I tried to be as calm as I could be - I know he’s a little guy. But - COME ON! A yucky mess on a hot summer day - in a wet bathing suit. You do the math.

Cleaned it up. Done. He said “sorry” about 20 times in the bathroom. And he promised he would tell me next time he felt ANYTHING coming on.

20 minutes later we walked through our door. Off went Alex to the bathroom. I’m thinking to myself… “He’s got it now… he can pee AND poop on the potty. As I went to see if he needed any help… I saw a little trail. And no, they weren’t rocks.

UGH!… and EWWW!

Mommy to the rescue…

Yesterday afternoon there were 3 little boys selling lemonade at the end of our street.

As we drove by, I decided to buy the boys some lemonade.  After all, it was selling for 25 cents.

My total bill came to $1.  I felt so bad for the boys because they were out in the heat selling their lemonade,  and hadn’t made much money (they made a point of telling me), so I gave them each a dollar - totaling $3.

(I know… total sucker, right?)

But the  boys were so appreciative… and they kept thanking me and telling me to “Please come back later!”

(Oh, yes. They’re not crazy… !)

So as we drove off, William asked me why the boys were so excited about the money.  I explained - as best as I could - that the boys were trying to make money so they could buy some special toys by selling the lemonade. They were working hard to get things that they wanted.

Well… William then asks me, “How much money can they make just selling the lemonade?”

To that… I didn’t really have an answer.  So I simply told him that if the lemonade is really good, it will sell and make them a lot of money.

I could see the wheels turning in William’s head as I watched him through my rear-view mirror.

After a few minutes he says to me, “So Mommy.  If I had a lemonade sale AND let people play my XBOX, I could probably make more money than those boys, huh?”

I laughed and told him that was a good idea…

But as we drove on I thought to myself… “Geez… he just may be on to something there…”

Ahhh… my little entrepreneur.

Hi everyone…

I want to thank you all for reaching out to my family throughout the last 6 days. The death of my grandmother is something that has shaken our family… for she was the true and utter matriarch.

I have been asking her to send me some signs lately… letting me know that she is around and watching over our family.

I have been blessed to see a double rainbow.

I have been blessed to see big, yellow balloons. Yellow was her favorite color. And I had asked her to send some yellow balloons.

I have been reading the scrapbook I made her for her 89th birthday this past March 9th. Each time I read it, I “feel” her spirit with me.

My Nana blessed my life with her presence alone. I don’t know how I will cope without hearing her voice… or hearing her laugh… or seeing her smile. It will be those things I miss the most. Mostly I will miss making her laugh. Her laugh filled the room.

She left a beautiful handwritten letter to our family to be read after her passing. Within it she told us to go on and live our lives… “Start out bravely with a gallant smile,” she wrote.

For that I will do today. A new day.

My Nana was laid to rest yesterday… and many, many tears were shed by the hundreds of people who she touched in her lifetime.

Today I will honor my Nana with this beautiful, sunny new day.

I will smile. I will hug and kiss my boys. I will love and live and go on… for her.

And the piece of my heart that is broken right now… I know that over time it will be filled again. Filled with memories of Nana. And stories that my family will share. Of that, I am sure.

Again, thank you to everyone for reaching out to us… it will never, ever be forgotten…

My Nana is dying… the doctors have said that today may be her last day here with us in the present.

So I wanted to take this moment to remember my Nana in the present, before she becomes an angel above.

My Nana.

My father’s mother.

Who loves me more than any Nana could love a granddaughter. She loves all her grandchildren that way. We know it. We feel it. We embrace it. We feel the same way.

We always have had a beautiful and special connection. I don’t know what it is… but there has always been something there that has bonded us, call it fate. I was meant to be her granddaughter. I have always known that.

Nana was my caretaker as a child. She took care of me every afternoon. Being a woman who had 3 sons… she just adored having a little girl around. And then my mother had Jane… and she just loved being in the GIRL MODE!

My Nana. Oh, my Nana.

She loves the color yellow. She has the most beautiful brown eyes. And she cooks with such passion. Even at the age of 89. She has many famous recipes… baked beans, golden rod eggs, deviled eggs, clam dip, chocolate sin…

I remember as a child that I loved her salad dressing. She would make her own, always. I have no clue what she put in it… but till this day, I have never tasted a better taste.

Isn’t it funny how some things in life are just that way… the salad dressing was just always better at Nana’s.

Nana loves a love story. That was our thing. We read Danielle Steel. We go back and forth trading books. We chat about them. And joke about them. And discuss the plot and characters. We’re romantics… we love us a good love story. Always have, always will. I remember going to see The Bridges of Madison County with her. We sobbed throughout the movie…. this beautiful love story. That was us. The romantics!

Nana…

My Nana was the first person who taught me that you could have different wardrobes for different seasons. She had winter pocketbooks. Summer pocketbooks. I used to love that as a kid. I would go into her hall closet and sneak peeks at her pocketbooks. She took such pleasure in showing me all her girly things… and as a child, I LOVED it.

My Nana. Who was ecstatic to hear that I was having a 4th son. She loves my boys. Loves them with all her heart and soul. And she never gets sick of seeing Alexander do his air guitar and say “Rock and Roll!”

My Nana. Always with beautifully painted nails. Who never (ever) comes to a family-outing empty handed. She has taught us all that… you go somewhere, you bring something. Plain and simple.

My Nana. Quick with a joke. Yes, even at 89.

My Nana.

Who wouldn’t miss a family function, party or event for anything. I mean, anything. And never misses a birthday or anniversary date. That’s her. She remembers things like that… always with a card.

My Nana. Who every time we would go pick her up for dinner would come down and ask if we could take her somewhere else too… something we will all, all remember fondly. She loves a good Target and Sam’s Club trip.

She bowled until she couldn’t pick up the bowling ball any longer. But still goes to the bowling alley to check in. That was a second home for her throughout her life… the Bowling Academy.

My Nana. Who never missed one of my swim meets. And who we have on video walking up and down the pool at my very first swim meet cheering me on. So close to the edge… as if - just in case I needed her - she would be able to jump in and help me.

Nana. Oh, my Nana. Who danced at my wedding… and wore a beautiful blue dress.

I remember when I told her I was pregnant with William, she cried. She cried tears of pure and utter joy and happiness. And who made my boys the most beautiful blankets… even when her hands couldn’t sew anymore, she made them. All for my boys.

She came to the hospital 7 weeks ago to meet my Henry. She held him and kissed him and couldn’t get over how much he looked like William. But most… she was just concerned about me. Kept asking me how I felt… that is my Nana.

I never thought a day like this would come. My heart is broken. My tears are flowing.

But I know she’s here. And she always will be.

The last month she has said some beautiful things to me…

She told me that she “always liked that Matt. He’s a good guy.”

And most recently as I stood over her in the hospital as she slept, I just started sobbing… she immediately came to and looked at me in the eyes. She said, “Don’t cry… it’s OK. I love you.” Those words. Those words. They will live in me forever.

And the last words she spoke to me on Monday night… she couldn’t say my name, but my father told her I was there in the room and she smiled and said, “Love story…” I laughed and told her I had the latest Danielle Steel book for her when she comes home… she smiled.

Nana. I love you. I wish upon wish you could live here forever. I know you will see me and the boys and Matt. I know you will send us love. I know you will send special things to us… just to let us know you are here, always.

I ache. I cry. I do because I love you. I love you from the depths of my being. And I am that being because of you.

Thank you for being MY Nana.

I love you…

*My Nana passed away at 1:16pm this afternoon. She was surrounded by 2 of her sons, 2 of her grandsons and one of her daughter-in-law’s… my mother, whom she felt was an actual daughter.  GOD Bless you Nana… GOD Bless you…*

Last night I took a trip to Target.

No kids.  No time restraints.  No husband.

Just me.  My cart.  A credit card.  And Target.

(Let me bask in that moment for a second, again…)

I was there for a whopping hour and a half.  I perused every aisle.  Bought what I went for - formula, diapers, wet wipes, extra binkies and sippy cups.  And bought what I didn’t go for - flip flops, magazines, tank tops and even a bathing suit (praying it fits… I didn’t have the patience to try it on!).

As I was looking at some of the baby gear (high chairs and exer-saucers) for Henry (the little guy deserves some new things, right?), I noticed that a pregnant woman was next to meet checking out some of the baby swings.

Like bees to honey… us mamas started chatting.

She was 7 months pregnant with her 3rd baby.  Her first boy.  When we first started to chat - which began when she asked my recommendation on a color choice between 2 swings she was looking at - I could tell she was in a rush.

After we had chatted for about 10 minutes… she pony-ed up.

“I told my husband I wouldn’t be long gone… he’s home alone with the girls.”

Then we started to giggle.

Here she was.  Pregnant.  Rushing.  Because her husband was home alone with his daughters.

Hmm…

So she stated the obvious - “I actually asked him if he wouldn’t mind watching the girls while I popped out for a little.”  Yes, as if he IS a babysitter, not the DADDY!

Then I had to admit, I do the same thing at times.

And it’s not like I completely mean to… it’s just that whenever I go out… I always ask Matt if he can watch the boys.  The funny thing is, I KNOW he is going to be home.  I KNOW he has no plans.  So… the question should be posed, “Why am I asking?”

He doesn’t ask me to watch the boys.

And I’ll go even further.  Before even heading to Target last night, I fed the boys.  Bathed the boys.  And got the boys in their jammies.  All 4 of them.  Emptied the dryer and folded the laundry.  Even emptied the dishwasher.

Just in case…

Because (sorry, honey…) there have been times when I come home from being out, and the boys are sleeping in the clothes they had on all day.  Yes, all day.

So as my new friend and I began to stroll Target together… I couldn’t help but think how funny it was in how we connected.  Through our husbands.

The best daddys in the world… and the best husbands… but here we both were, enjoying some time out and about by ourselves - but still glued to our cell phones.  You know, just in case… !

*When I got home, I noticed blue ink on Benjamin’s face while he was sleeping in his crib.  Turns out he was trying to eat a dyed macaroni necklace that William had made for me at pre-school.  The “blue ink” was the remnants of the blue dye.  Ahh… never a dull moment.  Never a dull moment!*

AND!

I want to thank my new friends at Stop & Shop for inviting me and my mother yesterday to their event in Boston at Rialto in the Charles Hotel.  The food was delicious.  The networking was fantastic.  And the presentation was excellent.  We will be blogging more about it this week!