Reviews

Here are our most recent reviews of Academy Award winning movies, these won't be as fancy as the last movie review post because I have more to review than last time :)

Alright, first up "Casablanca"
Ranked number 2 in the top 100 American Movie Classics it won the best picture Oscar in 1943.  It is a true love story set in a war torn, yet romantic time, of World Was II.  Casablanca is the tragic love story of Ilsa and Rick.  Such a beautiful movie.  Turns out the studio that made this film didn't think much about it, and rushed it through production.  It has the dreamy Humphrey Bogart playing the romantic male lead.  Certainly an early "chick flick" in my opinion.  4 Stars all the way!
Scott Says:  Probably the best old black and white we've watched.  Because it's know as one of the greatest love stories of all time I was a bit unexcited but, like Rick, I guess I have a bit of a tender heart.  Making this love story actually quite enjoyable.  3 and a half stars.

Next up "Slum dog Millionaire."
Quite a turn from Casablanca, but a love story none the less. Such a good movie, if you haven't seen it I highly recommend it.  Slum dog Millionaire won in 2008.  A true story of an under dog, and I have a soft spot for the under dog.  Set in India it tells the story of a lower class kid who wins a million dollars on the India version of "who wants to be a millionaire."  The way he knows the answers is based on (often sad) life experiences.  Nominated for 10 awards, it won 8 and is truly a must see! 3 stars from Mystie, only because I hate the scene where the boy falls in the poop.
Scott says: I never heard of "Bollywood" until the movie, but if all Indian films are this good then I guess I'll have to start getting used to dance routines at the end of all my movies.  A classic feel good movie that makes you really cheer for the underdog.  3 and a half stars.

Up next, "The Sting"
Won in 1973, and stars Paul Newman, who went on to have a successful chain of Organic foods and products, and Robert Redford, who loves Utah and indie films.  The film takes place in 1936 as two con men try to pull one over on a mob boss.  I got really bored, and could never figure out what was going on, and fell asleep for part of it.  I was over thinking it too much I guess.  looked funny, but never really got into it, 1 star.
Scott says:  This one was just OK.  Nothing special, but nothing bad either.  Had a fun ending but was dull throughout.  2 stars.

 "Gone With the Wind"
I grew up watching this movie, and have always loved it.  Ranked number 4 on the top 100 list mentioned above, it won 8 Academy Awards in 1939.  This is a great story about the Civil War, and really depicts life in the "old south" before, during and after the Civil War.  I always wanted to be as pretty as Scarlet O'Hara, but could never get over how selfish she and Rhett were.  Another great love story.  3 Stars!
Scott says:  I spent a large portion of my youth making fun of the movie even though I'd only seen about 15 minutes of it.  Well at least now my mocking have credibility. Ok, so it wasn't that bad.  I found myself attached to the characters and excited to see what happened next.  The only problem was the ending.  Terrible! I know the movie was about the old south being "gone with the wind" but still 2 and a half stars.

Finally, "Brave heart"
Won best picture in 1995, this film was my dad's favorite growing up, and he would spend hours watching it.  I found it boring then and even more so as an adult.  Total guy film.  Yes it is a love story, but I feel William Wallace was a man whore, with an ugly butt.  I understand it's a war movie about the Scot's battle against an evil king, and is an important part of history, but I just couldn't get into this film, and yet again fell asleep while watching it.  Nominated for 10 Oscars and won 5. 2 stars, because the scenery was pretty.
Scott says:
William Wallace I <3 you (that should be a heart) Captivating from beginning to end.  Fierce battle scenes, forbidden love and the cause of Scottish freedom make this epic war film one of the best.  LOVE the ending scene that really captures the emotion of William Walace.  4 stars!!

Alright kids, that's all for this weeks reviews stay turned for more :)

7 months

I feel like I have so much to blog about, and some how I've gotten behind.  Since I use this largely as a journal I need to catch up!
On May 24 Rivers turned 7 months old!
We did nothing to celebrate, and mommy is slightly sad about this, but he doesn't really care so it's ok.
Here are some fun facts about Rivers at 7 months:
He wakes up every morning at 7:00 A.M.
He still loves to nurse, and does so about 6-7 times a day (can you say boob man :))
He thinks Laman and Lemuel are funny.
He also thinks prayers are boring, and pulling mom's hair is more fun.
Loves to watch "The Price is Right" and The Cat in the Hat".
Takes about 3 naps a day each about an hour long.
Like to eat Rice, and Oatmeal, and Pears, and Apples, and Beans, and Squash, and Sweet potatoes, and Peaches, and Prunes, but LOVES Bananas. He is such a pig!  He Also like to eat graham crackers and puff cereals.
Can almost crawl.  Rivers like to get on hands and knees and rock back and forth, Army crawl, and get on his hands and feet and try and "Walk" but still no crawling.  I think he has a natural gift for Yoga.

Loves to go for walks, and play at the park.

Loves Slurpee's :)

Absolutely loves to go on the swings.  He just squeals in delight and kicks his feet. I can't wait to take him on a Roller coaster He'll love it!!

Keeps anything ridiculous I put on him on, including hats, sunglasses, blankets, sombreros, bunny ears, washcloths, and most importantly socks and shoes :)

Loves bath time.

Likes to fake cough, and to be tickled.

Loves people.

Rubs his eyes when he's sleepy.

Only cries when He's tired or hungry.

Is such a mama's boy (which I love of course)

Sucks his thumb while he sleeps, and also sleeps on his side holding a waded up blanket, like his mommy.

Goes to bed at 6:00 P.M. and I don't hear a peep until 7:00 the next morning.

He's such a blessing and I love him so much.

Dentist

So... Ever had to have an emergency root canal?  I have, and trust me it's not fun. 

It's my fault, but I still didn't like it. 

Here is the story, way back in 2007 my back bottom molar cracked.  I didn't have dental insurance, and since it didn't hurt I didn't worry too much about it.  After I got engaged in 2008 part of the cavity filling fell out, and then that summer while eating popcorn a large chuck of tooth fell out as well.  Leaving me with a large hole in my tooth.  Well it didn't hurt, and when we got insurance (shortly after getting married Scott got benefit's Yay!) we didn't want to spend too much money, because we wanted to save for bigger things (baby).  Well, baby came, and now we are poor.  That's not tooth related.  All our money now goes to pay bills and save for Scott's Schooling.  I just put off getting my tooth fixed because I knew it would cost alot, and I'm a wimp.  I knew my teeth were bad, and I was embarrassed to go confess my candy and soda sins to the dentist (come to find out that my OCD brushing and flossing really did work).

I've been feeling sick all of last week, with a terrible headache, body ache and being super sleepy.  Thursday I noticed my tooth hurting.  I cleaned it out and rinsed it, but the pain started getting worse.  By Friday it was getting pretty bad.  While eating my lunch Friday, and piece of chicken got into the hole in my tooth and I felt like I had been punched in the face.  I quickly took care of the tooth, cleaning it and rinsing it, but the pain remained.  By the time I got home from work I couldn't see straight because of the pain.  Luckily my mom was here and watched Rivers while I found a dentist that took our insurance, and could get me in asap!  So Saturday morning, and 9:45 I went to a really nice dentist, and the work became on my tooth.

 Here is the x-ray, I'm not sure what it means, but the dentist did, and he knows how to fix it. 

Starting the "relaxing gas" turns out I needed to relax a lot.
I was willing to just have the tooth pulled, but Scott and the dentist agreed that pulling it would be a problem later on with the tooth above. 
2 hours later, they removed the rest of my previous filling on the tooth, removed the nerve that was causing the pain, and began "draining" the infection that had developed.
It's Tuesday, and I'm still in pain.  Not as much by any means, and the swelling on my jaw has gone down, but my man it's been rough.
I have to take an antibiotic every 8 hours, and 800mg of Ibuprofen, and if that doesn't kill the pain an Oxycodon, or a Loratab5 (all approved by my doc since I'm still nursing).  Today was a good day, but Saturday and Sunday were rough. 
I'm so grateful for Scott.  He found someone to work for him on Saturday (thank you Chad) and stayed home to take care of me and the baby.  That's been the hardest part of this is that I feel like such a bad mom.  I can't describe the feeling of not being able to care for your own child because you're either drugged up, sleeping or crying in pain.  I can still nurse, the amount of meds he's getting is very small, and the warning was that it might make drowsy, don't worry it didn't.
Rivers has been a real trooper through out all of this.  He was an angel in Church Sunday, and was quite while I needed to sleep.  He's gone to bed with out any fighting, and hasn't complained about having to take a bottle when mommy wasn't able to feed him.  He even snuggled with me when I was at my worst, crying on Saturday.  I'm so blessed to have such a sweet boy!
I go back in June 6 and 7:00 in the morning to have them finish up my root canal and give me a crown on my tooth.  Why I thought 7:00 AM was a good idea is beyond me since the baby isn't even up that early, but I'm hoping that I'll be better sooner so Scott can go to work and pay off my very costly mistake.  I have such a great husband :)

Stolen Baby Reviews

I really felt a need to blog today, but I don't really have anything to blog about.  So after some "blog stalking" I decided to copy a post my sister-in-law Christy did a few months back when her sweet little baby was 6 months old.  I wish I knew how to add links so everyone could read her blog, but alas I'm still figuring this blogging thing out... after almost 3 year... Lame I know...
Anyway, here are some things I have loved, liked and hated baby product wise. I'll probably find more to add that I forgot about right now, but this is a good starting point :)
Turtle sponge: I didn't get a baby bath tub for a shower gift, and when I went to price then, it just seemed like such a waste of money, so I opted for the blue turtle bath sponge for only $6.  This has been a life saver.  I just put him in the regular tub on the turtle with a little water, and as he's gotten bigger he sits on it so he can splash better.  I did replace it after about 4 months, but the cost of a second sponge was still cheaper than the whole baby bath tub (made of cheap plastic none-the-less) stuff.
White noise box: Ours can with our playpen, which we also love.  It was so helpful when Rivers was first born.  It clips to the side of his crib or playpen, and makes "soothing ocean sounds" as well as heart beats, and a few lullaby's (which would actually wake the baby).  Rivers still goes to sleep every night listening to the sounds of the ocean.  It also shuts its self off after about 20 minutes very slowly getting quieter.  It will also sooth him back to sleep if he randomly wakes up in the middle of the night.
Boppy nursing pillow: While I was pregnant I used the "Mommy Boppy" to sleep.  I got the nursing boppy for Christmas, and it was so great! before I was just using a couch pillow, and it got messing fast (distracted ester, that's my boy!).  I ended up having to throw the couch pillow out because it was too stained after we got the boppy.  Get the cover too, it washed way easy.
Swaddling Blankets:  My friend Cassie suggested these, and she was spot on!  They have Velcro so little babies can't break out easily, and Rivers still uses his only the more advanced way of wrapping with the arms out to get used to more freedom.  Rivers has been a sleeping champ since he was 6 Weeks old because of these blankets!
Bumbo + tray:  Before he could sit up he loved his bumbo.  and when he started Solids we used it as a highchair until we got a highchair.  The tray helps him stay focused on feeding. We use this now whenever we need to feed him away from home.
Medla Pump in Style Breast pump:  Knowing I was going back to work after baby was born, I researched breast pumps.  This one is easy to use, and just looks like a tote bag.  I started pumping in the morning after Rivers started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old.  I now have a year supply of frozen milk in our freezer.  It has kept my milk supply up, and even though I've slowed on milk production since he started solids I know it's not because of work, or pumping, but because I just don't need as much anymore.  It was a bit pricey, but I haven't had any problems with it, and it works amazing!
Rattle Socks:  These were a gift, and Rivers loves them.  He wears them when we go to the store and the entertain him the whole trip, and are so cute and fun for him all the time. 
Dark curtains:  When Scott and I got married we bought dark curtains for our bedroom because our neighbors had an annoying light that was on all night and we didn't have any blinds.  We took them with us when we lived with Scott's parents to make our room feel more like "home", and now they are up in the baby's room to make it nice and dark.  He has a West facing window so at bedtime his room is all sunlight. With the curtains up it's nice a dark for bedtime and naps :)
Baby swing: This was a miss for us... Rivers liked it when he was little, for a while it was the only way he would nap, but around 4 months he would rather play on the floor, and once he started rolling then sitting up the swing was more of punishment then entertainment.  I've heard older babies like the swing, so we'll try it again once he gets a little bigger.
Cloth Diapers: I loved them, but the maintenance was just too much to keep up with.  I used them from about 3 weeks until I went back to work when he was 3 months old.  I didn't want my babysitters to have to worry or deal with cloth diapers, and when I got home from work I wanted spend time with my baby, not cleaning and folding diapers.  Maybe when I have another and don't have a work I'll pull them out of storage again.
Diaper bag:  So I hate carrying a diaper bag, I really only use it when I think we will be gone for an extended period of time.  I got a larger purse for my birthday, and I pack a small bag with diapers, wipes and changing pad, with a burp cloth and some toys I'm set for our outings.
Stuffed Animals: I hate stuffed animals in general, but with a baby they are just worse.  He'll spit up on a stuffed animal and it's impossible to clean, plus they collect dust and for some reason seem to gain some sort of emotional attachment making them also impossible to get rid of.  I want something easy to wash, but doesn't carry guilt if I have to throw it out!
Moby Wrap vs Seven Sling:  Yes I have both of these products, and each has it's pros and cons.  The Moby wrap had a safer feel for wearing your baby, but was a bit of a pain to put on.  I was great for walks when he was a newborn, but as he got bigger he would fight getting in it.  The Seven Sling was easier to get on, but your holding options were limited.  It's nice for church (I spend hours walking the halls at church my arms got sore), and it's lite enough to throw in my purse when I go to the store in case Rivers doesn't want to sit in the shopping cart.
"What to Expect the First Year" This book is by Heidi Murkoff, the same who wrote "What to Expect When Your Expecting" It goes through month by month of the baby's first year and, well, what you can expect.  It covers everything from doctors visits, to post pardom, to any questions about development you might have.  Some thing are silly, but I've found it useful.
"The Happiest Baby on the Block" Also a book, by Harvey Karp M.D.  Rivers had Colic and reverse cycled (sleeping all day up all night) This book helped calm his crying and helped him learn to sleep.  It taught me tons of techniques and made those first few months with Colic so much easier!
"Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" This book is by Marc Weissbluth.  When you apply the techniques in this book you baby learns to sleep through the night.  It's the largest sleep study done on children, and it really works, I've even used some of the things in the book on Scott.  This book is written poorly though, making it a challenge to get through (seriously had to reread most of it) I think with better editing this book would solve all baby sleep problems.  It goes month by month on how to sleep train you baby, and withing days of trying the things the book suggests Rivers was sleeping through the night and taking regular naps.  It helped me see where early sleep early sleep troubles can lead to problems later (which Scott has).  Most of Rivers crying and colic problems were fixed by falling the steps in this book.
Ok this post is too long now, so I hope this has been informative to someone :)

Mother's Day

How wonderful are Mothers?  I know mine is pretty great.  And to top it off, my Mother-in-law is pretty awesome herself. 

 Just a few minutes old, and he already had this great lady wrapped around his little stretched out pinky.

 And a beautiful friendship was formed...

 But Grandma Hulse doesn't get all the love, Rivers loves his Grandma Shepherd just a much.  See how peaceful he rests in their arms, he never did that for me...

But Rivers still loves his mommy the most, and his mommy loves him the most too!  I'll never forget the day I became a mom. 
I had a pretty low keep mothers day.  It started with a great french toast breakfast (perks of being married to a Chef), a great nap with lots of snuggles with my baby boy, some fun gifts, and dinner with my mom. 
We get to celebrate Scott's mom this weekend.  Yay for Moms!!!

Favorite Outfit

Rivers is a good kid, he doesn't play favorites.  But that doesn't mean mommy doesn't.  This is mommy's favorite outfit.  I bought it for him, on a whim or course, at Target shortly after finding out he was a boy.  I thought it was cute, but wasn't going to buy it until I saw the hood of the jacket and how it looks like a dinosaurs back. it was so cute I was sold.  I was so excited when it finally fit him, and with him being born in October, it was a great outfit for the winter and our cold spring.  Sadly it's getting to small, as I knew it would, so I took some photos before he out grew it completely.  He's such a great model :)

 See how small the pants are getting :(

The long sleeve onesie under the jacket has dinosaurs on it, and says "stomp".  I think the whole get-up was only like 12 bucks, but for as much as he's worn it, it's been worth every penny :) 
Finally, the video was taken the same day, he has tons of toys, but would rather play with dish clothes and candy wrappers, go figure.  I just love that laugh :D

More Reviews! Are you in the egde of your seat yet?

I swear in this post, I"m sorry.
Turns out I only blog once a week, which is plenty, but I haven't had much desire to blog lately.  Mostly because I haven't gotten Rivers 6 month pictures taken yet and by the time I get them taken he will be almost 7 months, but oh well, we're poor. Also, Steve Carrell left the Office, and the time of summer reruns is quickly approaching and that means I'll be one bored mama hanging out at home.  It's what you do when your baby goes to sleep between 6 and 7 at night and sleep until 6 or 7 in the morning.  Anyway, on the the reviews
 
"All About Eve." staring Bette Davis.
This film was a total girl movie, or as I like to call it, a bitch-fest.  Some cool facts about this movie, nominated for 14 academy awards (which was the most ever until Titanic tied that record) and won 6.  It is the only film in Oscar history to receive 4 female acting nominations (I would think that would be an even bigger bitch-fest than the movie)
 All about Eve is #16 on the list of top 100 American movies.  It had a good story line, but dragged in a few places for me.
All About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr.
The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star. Anne Baxter plays Eve Harrington, a willingly helpful young fan who insinuates herself into Channing's life, ultimately threatening Channing's career and her personal relationships. George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Hugh Marlowe, Barbara Bates, Gary Merrill and Thelma Ritter also appear, and the film provided one of Marilyn Monroe's earliest important roles.
This was a really good movie, but like I mentioned earlier it dragged in a few places for me.  I give it 2 1/2 stars.
Scott Says:  "Uber boring. I feel asleep 1 1/2 stars"

The next movie we watched was Dances with Wolves.  Much more to Scott's liking.


Some facts about this film.  It won 7 Academy Awards, and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."  Dances with Wolves was also directed and Stared Kevin Costner.
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film based on the book of the same name which tells the story of a Civil War-era United States Army lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a group of Sioux Indians.

This is a really beautiful film, shot in South Dakota and Wyoming.  It had a real Epic feel to it, and you found yourself cheering for the underdog.  I liked it, 4 Stars from Me.
Scott Says:  "For how long this movie was, I thought it was really good. Kevin Costner can be really boring but I found myself worried about his character who just spent most of his time in a one room cabin.  Really enjoyed the depiction of Native American Indians and their culture as well.  3 1/2 stars."

The final film for this review was  "Mutiny on the bounty"
Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1935 film starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, and directed by Frank Lloyd based on the Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall novel Mutiny on the Bounty.
The film was one of the biggest hits of its time. Although its historical accuracy has been questioned (inevitable as it is based on a novel about the facts, not the facts themselves), film critics consider this adaptation to be the best cinematic work inspired by the mutiny.

This movie was really fun to watch. But it was a total guy movie.  I really enjoyed the news reel at the end from the descendants of the crew members.  Some of the men fall in love with the women of Tahiti, and move to a new island to escape form the Royal Navy.  It shows how they still lived as of 1935, it was pretty cool.  But like I said total guy movie, so I only give this 2 1/2 stars.
Scott Say:  "This was a really fun old movie.  Lots of old movies have been boring but this on was exciting, dramatic, theatrical and funny. 3 stars."