white fur winter kids boots

i came across these and adore them! i believe i have seen similar boots in my size but not as cute! 

wish they came in my size...

these are luis faux fur winter boots

our first trauma experience as parents...

well i can honestly say i reacted exactly how i pictured myself reacting to a minor trauma incident with our son. although i didn't panic or freak out the waterworks started before i ever left the house to head to the e.r.

here is how the story goes. mike and i were watching dancing with the stars. (please don't tell me who takes the mirror ball we haven't finished it yet!!) ethan loves the music. he was dancing, spinning around and having a great time as we laughed with him and cheered him on. all was perfect until he lost his balance and went face first into a beveled glass entertainment center. at first we sat there not really sure how bad it was. we waited to get ethan's reaction and see the damage when he turned around. this all seems like slow motion as i write it but all of this happened in split seconds.

he turned around blood starting to come out of a gash below his right eye and then the much delayed cry/scream. it was pretty bad. we discussed what to do and we really were not sure. i mean i am really not one to rush to the hospital but he is our first child, first experience, new parents and so many other things we were weighing and considering. i called my mom and dad and sent them a picture and they suggested going. it did seem to gape and it is on his face so off to the er we went. i prayed the entire way there and while we were there... oh wait... once he turned around to look at us that's actually when i started praying while tears filled my eyes.

he had stopped crying and was acting fine. we got to the er got checked in and ethan charmed all the doctors and nurses. it seemed like the decision for stitches, no stitches, sterile strips, and how many stitches took forever!! oh and i must mention i think the resident doctor almost passed out when i told her he is not up to date on his vaccines because we do not vaccinate. well me shocking her worked... within minutes the attending came in made the call that he needed stitches. insert waterworks from me here. i was okay when i thought the sterile strips were sufficient. but they already prepped us for what to expect with stitches so although i want whatever was best for him... i knew this was going to be heart wrenching and that it would be harder on me/us than him.

and it was...they were strapping him in the papoose and it started. i was kind of a mess and even looked to the ceiling as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. mike had to leave the room for a minute to gain his composure. once he was strapped in and settled the assistant showed me where to reach ethan's hand and I never let go as he held it and at times squeezed it. they promised us the numbing agent was not allowing him to feel any pain just the pressure. he cried pretty hard but most seemed to be do to just complete exhaustion he was getting tired and antsy before they strapped him in. twenty minutes seemed like hours as he cried and made sure we were still by his side.

let me tell you how amazing these docs, nurses and suture team actually were. what they told us to expect actually happened to the "t". and as soon as they let him out of the papoose we held him and he was fine and stopped crying. prayers, lots of love, a juice box and an awesome staff made this first experience at akron children's er "trauma" area really good. i put his coat on kissed his hand got a smile and we were headed out the door. i thanked the main suture team member and apologized if we made her nervous. i was asking a lot of questions while she was doing the procedure when i thought he might have been in pain. they always were nice and made me feel at ease but i am sure i made her a nervous wreck and felt really bad about it (i was officially "that mom"). she reassured me we were fine and not hard to deal with at all. 

as we walked by the waiting room to leave i can jokingly say i thought... "god answers prayers"...we beat the rush the waiting area was starting to pick up. (wink) and I prayed for peace and comfort for all of those little ones too.

i am sure this may not compare to some things that may have happened to your loved ones or your kids but this is my first experience seeing our son this way and it was one of the hardest if not hardest thing I have ever had to go through. i looked at ethan and mike and said i hope four stitches are all we ever have to go through...

then i realized...oh wait we have a boy : )

ethan's gash

(insert my cry face here)

waiting and waiting and waiting

four stitches and a juice box later and we are somewhat content

colorful

payton turns 1

photo contributed by melissa

photo taken by:maggie wendel of maggie wendel pjotography

this magic moment

michael and amber

photo taken by: hollie stefaniak of hollie marie photography

p & g extravaganza

today's trip was super fun! and i am building up my stock pile for these products even more!

today's trip included 2- six pack large roll Bounty paper towels, 1-12 pack of charmin tp., 3 bottles mr. clean bathroom cleaner,  1 case of 360 count pampers wipes, 1 bottle tide, 1 bottle bounty, 1 bottle of downy unstoppables, 4 bottles of dawn dish soap,3 gillette fusion pro-glide razors (mikes fav), 3 bottles of gillette shave gel, 1 gillette gel deodorant and 3 gillette men's body wash.

all of this before any discounts, coupons eoffer, etc. was 158.21

with in store sales @ giant eagle, eoffers and coupons i paid 74.23 which is a savings of 53%

then i received 35.00 in onyo coupons which would actually bring my total spent to 39.23 making my actual savings 75%!!

this is so awesome to me and mike loves my trips like this i can't wait to share it with him!! i have him the most stocked with all if his guy hygiene stuff and he loves not having to worry about running to the store when hes out he goes to our upstairs stockpile closet!