Happy St. Patrick's Day

Since this is one of my favorite holidays I wanted to make it fun for our kids. We all dressed up in our festive green before leaving the house today.

When we got home, we discovered that a leprechaun had come to visit. He left footprints all over the kitchen...

He left a note on the kids bathroom mirror...

And he got into a little mischief, check out our milk!

I wish I could have gotten a picture of Ryan's face, he couldn't believe we'd had a visitor while he was at school. Now he's outside trying to find more footprints or, even better, our little leprechaun.

I'm off to make Irish Soda Bread and make sure the Guinness is chilling.

Slainte!

Pay It Forward - Part II

Remember this post... http://fertilelychallenged.blogspot.com/2009/02/pay-it-forward.html

I opened my door yesterday to find a delivery on my doorstep! A cute basket filled with goodies!

An exploding box with a cute broach.


Here it is up close, sorry for the poor photo. It's going to look great on my winter jacket, although I may have to take Candice's suggestion and pin it on a bag periodically.

There were also Chocolate Chip Cookies which I CAN NOT STOP EATING! I'm a sucker for homemade baked goods and these cookies are delish!


Makenna thinks so too!

Thank you Candice, you made my day!

First Grade Attitude

Tonight, my son the first grader, sat at the kitchen table doing his homework. He finished it much quicker than I anticipated so I questioned him about it and looked it over. While I was checking his work he said "This homework is so kindergarten", eye roll and sigh included.

Did I mention he's only in first grade?

One Month!

Dear Eli,

Two days ago you turned a month old! Your dad, brother, sister and I have spent the last month falling in love with you and watching you change before our eyes. It always amazes me how quickly the time with a new baby goes, and this time with you is no different.

It's been so fun discovering things about you.

You have a tiny birthmark on your right eyelid. We first thought you'd scratched yourself but then realized it never went away, I'm wondering if it will fade in time. You have another birthmark on the back of your head at the base of your skull. Makenna and I have one in the same spot. Both of ours are in our hairlines now, I'm guessing yours will be too as you get older.

You HATE having your diaper changed, however we have managed to change a few that you didn't scream through. Same goes for clothing changes. If you could stay in a nice warm sleeper at all times you'd be happy.

You squeak...a lot. I call you velocarapture because that's what you sound like to me in the evenings when you fuss. Your daddy calls you Keebler, he pushes your ears forward and thinks you look like an elf. Your voice, when not squeaky, is somewhat deep and raspy.

When you were born we didn't think you looked like Ryan or Makenna, over the weeks it's become obvious that you resemble your big brother. He's a handsome boy, and we're sure you will be too. The nurses at the hospital couldn't get enough of you and how cute you were when born...now you're even cuter!

Along with our immediate family, you met a few other family members during your first month of life. Your Nana, Papa and Uncle Colin were here when you were born, they were as excited as we were to meet you and traveled from Colorado and Arizona for the event.

You've been busy during your first month. You've already been to the mall twice, two playdates, and out to lunch with friends a couple times. You're so good in the car and when we're out that it's easy to take you places. We have a double stroller that you and Makenna ride in, it's huge, but the two of you are riding in style. In the picture below you're all bundled up and ready to travel.

You've been a pretty good sleeper so far. We often get a 4 hour stretch from you during the night and have even gotten 5 hours. You generally want to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours during the day, which means you've gone a bit longer during night feedings. Daddy and I really appreciate that! You usually eat for the last time around 11pm and then get up around 3 or 4 and then again when daddy gets up at 6am. Another sign that you're eating well, a double chin and chubby cheeks! You're very tolerant of your siblings. They want to hold you and kiss you all the time, and you usually let them and hardly ever get upset about it. Sometimes they can even calm you down if you're fussy. Ryan will get right in your face and talk to you and your eyes get big and wide and you just stare at him. He loves it!

At some point you'll share a room with Makenna, but for now you sleep in our room in a bassinet. We're probably going to try putting you in a pack n play in our master closet when you grow out of the bassinet since you grunt and groan a lot when you're first falling asleep and when you're waking up. Once you sleep through the night, hopefully your big sister will be ready to give up the crib and you can move in with her.

You're weighing in at 8lbs 8oz and are beginning to grow out of your newborn clothes. You still seem so small, and yet you were so much tinier just a month ago. It's been an incredible month little man, you are such a sweet natured baby.

Happy One Month Birthday Eli, we love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Pay It Forward

I saw this on my friend Candice's blog and can't wait for my crafty item from her. She makes some really cute decorative items for her house and her baked goods have always been delish! I was excited to be a winner on her blog and look forward to sending out something to those who read mine...so go comment after reading!

The Rules

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!

2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on their post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate pictures and comments!

If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along.Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER...Pay it forward!P.S. If you are one of the first three and don't have a blog to post you can take the next three friends that call you just to chat and Pay It Forward to them! Then challenge them to do the same. Let's help make this a wonderful world to live in and show our friends how much we care for them

She did it again!

Makenna used the potty again last night! DM was changing the wee one's diaper and she decided to take hers off and go sit on the potty. She sat there for about 10 minutes and lo and behold she left a surprise. We aren't pushing this at all, and I'm probably going to jinx it, but she might just train herself!

Oh Tooth Fairy...

Ryan finally lost his first tooth! It's been loose for quite awhile, you can see the new tooth is already half way in. He got $2 from the tooth fairy, she had a toothbrush for him as well but forgot to leave it under his pillow. Another first...I can't believe how big my boy is!

Birth Story

You'd think, with a planned c-section, that I wouldn't have much of a birth story to write. That's mostly true, although there were a few things worth documenting.



Sunday night I packed my bag and went over all the little details regarding Ryan and Makenna's care with my mom, step dad and brother. We hung out, had some cake and ice cream and went to bed. I didn't think I'd be able to sleep, but I was tired enough that sleep came pretty easily. Even though my c-section wasn't scheduled until noon, I was told I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight. I wasn't overly concerned about not being able to eat, but I knew I'd need to take my acid reflux meds or I'd be sick. My pregnancy induced acid reflux decided to give me one more bad night, so I was up at midnight eating Tums and then up again at 2 taking Zantac. Up once more about 4:30 am throwing up and beyond irritated that I couldn't take anything to settle the acid and cool my throat. After about an hour, I think I dozed again and got a bit more sleep before the big day.



That morning we were due to arrive around 9:30. I got up, threw last minute items in my bag, tried not to smell the coffee brewing, chatted with my friend Kele and then Wayne, my mom and I were off to the hospital. We spent a little time waiting to get admitted and then we were off to Labor and delivery. After changing into my beautiful hospital gown I spent quite awhile chatting with the anesthesiologist. I had so much trouble with the medication during Makenna's birth that I didn't want to experience that again. We decided to go with an epidural vs a spinal with hope that I wouldn't have such a strong reaction to the meds...and no spinal headache to contend with after delivery. The anesthesiologist thought I'd been "wet tapped" with Makenna, so I was hopeful that my complications were due to that and all would go well. After putting in the epi, it appeared to take affect on one side, so I rolled to the other side to let gravity help out. Slowly I was starting to get numb, and then I was laid down all the way to let some of the meds work their way up my belly. That's when things got a little crazy. I instantly felt sick from the acid reflux and then had to close my eyes and concentrate on not throwing up. I'm not sure how long I laid there, but at some point I remember hearing lots of noise around me and lots of beeping machines. My BP had dropped, I think I heard the nurse say it was 38/23. They gave me a shot of basically adrenaline and sat me up, soon I was able to open my eyes and was feeling better. After that we were off to the OR to meet our sweet boy. The surgery was pretty uneventful. I don't remember much, however Wayne says blood went flying at one point. I'm sure that was enjoyable for him to see. Before long Eli was out and getting cleaned up. I remember looking at him and thinking he looked really different than Ryan and Makenna did when they were born. He had less hair and his skin was more fair. I think I heard the nurse say his apgars were 9/9. I got to have a couple minutes with him before he and daddy were wisked off to the nursery, at which point I fell head over heels in love with our third child. After they left I recall the doctor popping his head over the curtain and saying "So, no tubal today right?" He was joking and knew my response would be that yes indeed, a tubal was on the agenda. There were two things that struck me as odd that morning. I'd requested dermabond to close up the incision and during surgery they had to call down to another OR to get someone to bring the dermabond. Since I'd requested that months before, you'd think they'd have it ready. Also, I have a minor allergy to an antibiotic and they didn't have the appropriate one to give me and had to call someone for that too. Again, wouldn't you think they'd be prepared with that stuff?

Recovery went well until an hour or so after surgery, then the throwing up began again. It wasn't as bad as it was with Makenna, but still miserable. I was sick through the night but by the next morning I'd started to feel better. Thankfully I was able to nurse laying down even though I was sick, so Eli didn't have to get formula.

After the first 24 hours, recovery went really well as long as I took my pain meds. I let it go too long one night and my body let me know it by shivering uncontrollably, but I'm still surprised by how quickly the body recovers from being sliced open! Surgery was monday and we were released from the hospital on thursday, it was so great to go home and have our whole family together. Eli even had a welcoming committee since my brother, mom and stepdad were still in town and would remain for awhile longer.

I'm glad we decided to go with the repeat c-section, after much second guessing, it was the right choice for us. Now it's time to enjoy being a family of five!

Birth Weight...heck yeah!

Today was Eli's second dr's appt. We had to take him in because his first weight check at one week and one day old showed him to be 3 ounces shy of his birth weight. Well today, at two weeks and a day old he was 7 pounds 8 ounces...I guess the breast feeding is going well!

At his first appt, they plotted his size for us and he was on the low end of the spectrum, just like Ryan. Sadly, It's only been a week and a half since that appt, but I can't remember the exact stats. I'll have to look up the info. Sleep deprivation does wonders for the memory.

Edited to add that I finally looked up the stats...Eli's 26th percentile for height, 17th for weight and 42nd for head circumfrence. I wonder if he'll grow into his noggin?

Big Day!

It was a big day in our house.

Early this morning, Makenna decided she was ready to try out her potty. She said she had to go but I didn't think much of it as she's been teasing us in that department. Well, today she was serious. She sat on her potty, asked me to leave and when I went back in to check on her, she'd pooped! We all clapped and cheered and there were high 5's all around. I hope this is the beginning of potty training, but I'm not holding my breath just yet.

Not long after that excitement, I changed Eli's diaper and discovered he'd lost his umbilical cord. Welcome to world of warm baths, little man. I hope you love them.

We're in Love!

Introducing...

Eli Sterling

7 lbs 3 oz

19" long

Last Monday started like this. Wayne and I posed for my last preggo picture while waiting for the nurse to come in and start c-section prep.

A couple hours later, Eli arrived!

Makenna and Ryan waited patiently to see their little brother. He's there in the background!

Ryan seeing his little brother up close for the first time.

Ryan holding Eli and looking like the proud big brother he is. Later in the week, the big kids and daddy took a special trip to the Greatest Show on Earth. Ryan enjoyed the cotton candy, and really understood the jokes. He had a great time. Makenna love the lemonaid but had a hard time sitting so long.



Makenna holding Eli for the first time, with Ryan smiling and waiting his turn.


Makenna can't get enough of Eli. She wants to hold him or touch him all the time. Daddy's getting time with the youngest two and helping Makenna hold her little brother.

It's been an exciting and wonderful week in our house. Birth story to follow.

39 Weeks

All the family that are coming have arrived from out of town, we can have this baby now!

Today will be filled with last minute tasks and cherishing some time with my kiddos and family. I still haven't packed a bag for the hospital, put up the pack in play, or cleaned the swing, so I need to get to those things today as well. I find myself excited and anxious about the week ahead. I'm so excited to meet our little man, to see what he looks like, how much he weighs, what his temperment is. But honestly, I'm a little anxious about time management and how the other two kids are going to handle having less mommy time. I've had dreams the last couple nights that show my inner fears as well...c/section dreams, dead baby dreams, etc. I generally wake up from those and push on my tummy to get Eli to move for me, he's already a sweet baby and generally complies. I don't remember dreams like that with the other two, but I probably had them.

I'm so thankful that my mom, stepdad and brother are here. I imagine we'll be in the hospital for the majority of the week, so it's nice to know the kids will be well cared for and enjoying time with their uncle and grandparents. I'm sad about being away from them for a few days, but they'll come visit and it will be so fun introducing them to their new baby brother.

See you on the flip side...with pictures...and baby stats!

Makenna's Birthday Party

We had a small birthday party for Makenna after the family arrived. She had a great time with her new bike. Ryan and Uncle Colin pushed her around on it for most of the night. She also dug into her cake and had fun being sung to. She even clapped for us when we were done singing. She calls birthday candles "happy"

because she knows that when she sees them we sing "Happy Birthday". I'm glad we had a little party for her, she really seemed to enjoy it.

Happy Birthday sweet girl, we love you!

Holy Cow

I have a "follower", meaning someone who's interested in my blog and signed up to follow it. I'm feeling the love.

Hi Tasha! I didn't know you had a blog. I've added you to my favorites, guess I should figure out this whole follower thing too. :)

Gah!

I've been trying to format Makenna's birthday post for two days and I still can't get some of the paragraphs to work. Not sure if it's user error or Blogger, either way it's user frustrating!

Sorry for the rough transitions in Makenna's post, but I wanted it up and running, even if it's missing a few spaces.

She's TWO!

Dear Makenna,

Today is your birthday! You're two!! This almost surprises me because it's seems like you've been two for awhile now. You're on the high end of the growth chart for height and seem right on track socially and physically with kids that are a number of months older. You have, in the past week or so, started exhibiting more of the "terrible two" behavior that we hadn't seen much of prior to this. You really are two!

You are so much fun to be around. You smile and laugh all the time, love to play with us and your brother, and constantly want to be tickled. You're still pretty easy going and distractable, although you definitely have a mischeivious streak and have recently figured out "No!". You still love playing hide and seek, peek a boo and even patty cake, but you also appreciate light saber fights with Ryan, books (which you are constantly asking one of us to read) and anything associated with baby dolls. Oh, and I can't forget your obsession with bags and shoes. You got that from your mommy.

You continue to enjoy just about any fruit we put in front of you. You call all of them apples, even the green olives that I eat are called apples, and your favorites right now are probably cantalope and clementines. Your favorite meals are spaghetti and stir fry, both of which generally get a "YUM YUM" when they arrive at the table. Other favorites include pickles, string cheese, yogurt, milk, chi bok...which means juice box to you, and any kind of cracker or cookie you can get your hands on.

You're still pretty quiet when out of your environment or around people you don't know, but we slowly see you coming out of that. Strangers can get you to smile now, although you still survey your surroundings intensely and the smiles only come when you feel comfortable. You get tons of comments about your little ringlet curls, cute cheeks and grey eyes which you couldn't care less about, but they make your daddy and I smile.

You tell all of us that you love us all the time. It's the cutest thing and makes my heart burst each time I hear it. I really want to get it on video but every time you see the camera or video camera you freeze. I hope to catch it soon.

You have your own language right now. I find myself translating for you at times, even with your daddy. Some of your better known "words" are:

chi bok = juice box

elk = thank you...it stems from the shortened version of welcome, which you seem to think means thank you

ook/bok = milk

yock = sock

Your vocabulary is growing all the time and most words are understandable, so your "makenna-isms" are pretty cute. You've also begun stringing two words and sometimes even three together and often if you're talking about an action you have to talk about it for each member of the family, ie. "Daddy bye bye? Ryan bye bye? Mommy bye bye?"

You got Pneumonia for Christmas this year and got to be just like your brother and have breathing treatments. You did really well and even held the mask with only a few short lived battles. I hope this doesn't mean you'll develop the asthma issues that he's developed. You also got to visit a dermatologist last month because of a rash on your face that refused to go away. The doc thought it was eczema, so we're treating it as such. Seems to be working, so hopefully you won't have continued issues.

You seem to have the same appreciation for music as the rest of the family. One of your favorite Christmas gifts was a little guitar that Ryan picked out for you, you play it and dance around. You dance and clap along with songs on the radio and you're constantly singing the ABC's. You seem to have an affinity for 80's music right now...your daddy is proud.

We're thankful your baby brother hasn't arrived yet, I was nervous he'd want to share your birthday. We're glad your special day continues to be just yours.

Your favorite outfit currently consists of a diaper, your brothers sunglasses and some mismatched flipflops that your brother wore last summer. I wouldn't care, except it's the middle of winter, so we're constantly trying to put your clothes back on.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl. We love you very much!

Love,

Mommy

*1st and 2nd pictures by http://katecrafton.blogspot.com/

*Updated to add Makenna's stats from her well check up. She was a trooper and very cooperative. The nurse and ped both commented on how good she was. She shed a few tears when she got her shots, but then sat through the blood draw like it was nothing. Turns out her iron is a little low so she's on a daily vitamin for that now. She weighed in at 30lb 14 oz which is 90th percentile, 35 1/2 inches tall which is 89th percentile and head circumference is 88th percentile. Ryan better watch out, she might just be taller than he is!

Happy New Year!

It's resolution time!

I know mine need to be pretty minor, what with having a new baby in the house as well as a toddler and 7 yr old. That being said, here are a few things I hope to accomplish this year, in no particular order :

~Loose the babyweight I gained, plus about 10 lbs
~Get back to meal plans, cooking more and trying new recipes
~Pay off some debt
~Find a church
~Focus on my relationship with my hubby. (We always struggle when a new baby is in the house due to lack of sleep and stress which we take out on each other. I need to remember that and instead try to make him feel loved and appreciated and not get frustrated with him too easily.)
~Create a portfolio of rooms I've designed

A woman in my mom's group asked the question "What 5 things would you do, if you didn't have to do them perfectly?" Here were my answers:

1. Open my own decorating/staging business.
2. Community Theater
3. Host more gatherings at my house
4. Paint, as in pictures...specifically watercolors
5. Landscape my backyard and build a screened in patio.

Something to think about for future years and goals. What are your resolutions?

2008 in Review

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was fun.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Planned and executed a major home renovation project with the help of a few family members.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn't really make any resolutions last year. Had a few goals but didn't do very well on those. A little surprise a few months into the year sidetracked me. I've made some for 2009, they'll be in another post. :)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My stepbrother and his wife had the sweetest baby boy and a number of women in my mom's group had babies.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Not this year.

5. What traveling did you do? We went to Atlanta for a long weekend and to Colorado to see family for a week. I also spent a long weekend with girlfriends in Atlanta early in the year and the DM travelled some for work.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? More fun times with friends. Pregnancy tends to make me become a homebody. I'd also like to find a church our whole family enjoys.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I don't know that there's a specific date but the election and our unexpected pregnancy will be the events that hold a place in my memory.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Redoing all the bedrooms in our house and feeling like my decorating ideas were actually good.

9. What was your biggest failure? Probably my parenting. I've not had a lot of energy since April and know that my kids have missed having a more active and patient mommy.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I had a few pregnancy related ailments but nothing major. Ryan broke his collar bone this year and the DM had some back trouble.

11. What was the best thing you bought? I managed to catch the 90% off sale at Target in early January. I got awesome deals and had toys for most birthdays and a number of Christmas gifts. It felt great to save so much throughout the year. My favorite purchase, however, was the stuff to redo our master bedroom. The result was exactly what we wanted and we enjoy our space every day.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The DM's. He works really hard and then comes home to two kids who can't wait to see him and a pregnant wife that's either sick, tired or both. He's been a workhorse this year as well as an awesome father and husband.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I plead the 5th.

14. Where did most of your money go? Food, things for the kids, our house.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Our unexpected pregnancy, all of the work we did to our house and the election.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Hmmm, probably It's A New Day, since it was linked to the election and has other emotional significance for me.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Much happier, richer, nicer? All of those are probably comparable to what they were last year. If anything I'm probably less nice, as I've become more egocentric towards the end of pregnancy.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Exercise!

19.What do you wish you'd done less of? Worry. We had a few big things come up that brought with them lots of worry and thought. They all worked out so I wish I'd worried a little less.

20. How did you spend Christmas? We spent Christmas Eve with friends and their family, who are like an extended family to us. Christmas day was spent at home with just our immediate family. It was a wonderful and relaxing day and it was nice to be home and not trying to split time between families.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? Yes, with a little blob on a black and white screen and then with the little kicks that followed.

22.How many one-night stands? Since I've been married for 15 years, not a one.

23. What was your favorite TV program? Criminal Minds, or just about anything on HGTV

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Nope

25. What was the best book you read this year? I really enjoyed Eat, Love, Pray and the Twilight series was surprisingly engaging.

26.What was your greatest musical discovery? Not sure I had one.

27. What did you want and get? A trip to Colorado

28.What was your favorite film of this year? I didn't see many new releases this year, although I enjoyed the Sex and the City movie. I also rented What Happens in Vegas and The Other Bolin Girl, and enjoyed both of those a lot.

29.What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 36 this year...sigh. We travelled to Colorado on my birthday and spent the evening in an awesome house in Breckenridge with my mom, stepdad, brother, stepbrothers, SIL and nephew. We had a yummy dinner and dessert and enjoyed the time together.

30.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If I had done more with my desire to help people decorate/stage their homes. I helped a few friends with some small projects but I really need to figure out how to expand to a little business for myself.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Big. I don't think Maternity clothes count as a fashion concept.

32.What kept you sane? Music, books, my laptop and the DM.

33.Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Probably Barack Obama.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? The election as a whole was really important to me this year.

35. Who did you miss? My family, they all live across the country, a couple close friends that I don't see much and my friend Jenna that passed away in 2007.

36. Who was the best new person (people) you met? Our newest family member and I have been becoming very acquanited over the last number of months. :) I can't wait for the rest of the family to meet him!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008: You can't plan everything, fate has a way of stepping in and taking over when you least expect it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: Capri by Colbie Caillat
"She’s got a baby inside
And holds her belly tight
All through the night"
This year has mostly been about gestating and preparing for the arrival of our little man.

Hi!

Apparently I've lost my blogging voice.

I guess I've been so busy being mommy to a 7 yr old, keeping up with a toddler, gestating and trying to be a good wife, daughter and friend that I've let blogging fall to the bottom of the priority list.

Where to begin...

Sadly, I don't even remember what I've talked about over the last few months, maybe I need to read my own blog before I start writing. October, November and December have flown by. We went to Colorado for Ryan's fall break, which was awesome. We spent time with my family in the mountains the first part of the week and spent time with DM's family the second part. We flew this time, allowing us a lot more time to spend with family. It was wonderful to see everyone, and meet our nephew Sebastian for the first time.

Other than that, we've been working on home projects in preparation for the arrival of our newest family member. The kids switched rooms, giving Makenna the bigger since she'll be sharing with her younger brother at some point in the future. Ryan's room is done, and looks great. I'll post pictures soon. Makenna's room has been painted, but lacks all the finishing details. We're still working on those. DM also finished all the crown molding and trim that was installed in August. You wouldn't think it would take that long to caulk, sand and paint trim, but it does. He was thrilled when he completed that task.

I've been working on Christmas crafts and have been pretty happy with the outcome. Can't post pictures of those until after Thursday.

Pregnancy wise, I'm 34 weeks now (35 tomorrow)! Hard to believe we're almost there and we'll soon have THREE kids! My mom's group hosted a beautiful babyshower for me a couple weeks ago and our little guy got some cute outfits including a handknit hat, BPA free bottles, eco friendly diapers ,an adorable diaper cake, some cute burp cloths and personalized baby gear! By the time you get to three kids, you don't expect a babyshower, but these women are so awesome and are sure to celebrate every baby, no matter if it's a person's 1st or 5th. We also had maternity/family photos taken a few weeks ago. I haven't done this during my other pregnancies and am so glad we did it this time. I absolutely LOVE the photos and will always cherish them. The photographer gave me an album with all the photos at my shower, she apparently knows what a slacker I am about printing photos but how much I love looking at them.

Other big news is that we've decided on a name. Actually, we came up with it months ago and it's the only name we both like. We kept it a secret for awhile, trying it out and seeing how we felt. After time it became pretty obvious it was the one. So, our little guy's name will be Eli Sterling. Eli is a name we both like and Sterling is a family name. It's my brother's middle name and the name of my maternal great uncle. We both love the significance and are excited to honor my brother with a namesake. We've gotten mixed reviews about our choice, Ryan in particular has expressed his disdain. His preference is some variation of Jack, but since there are already two people with that name in my family, we needed something different.

Other than that, I'm trying to keep things pretty low key. We spent last saturday night in labor and delivery due to consistent contractions. Once there, of course they slowed down and then stalled, we did, however, discover that I've already started dialating. I was pretty embarrased to be on my third pregnancy and making my first false labor at midnight trip to the ER. Had I been a few more weeks along I probably would have waited, but at this stage, I'd rather not have a baby that has to spend a lot of time in the NICU. Anyhow, contractions have continued here and there, so I'm resting as much as possible and drinking lots of water.

The kids are starting to wake up, so I'm going to enjoy my last few moments of silence and sip a cup of tea by the lights of the Christmas tree and mantle garland. I love this time of year.

Vote!

Go Obama!!!

That is all.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I'm terrible about posting pictures, so here's one of the kids taken yesterday. We were at the Pumpkin Patch for the last time this season, it was a beautiful day and the kids had a great time. Not sure yet what they'll dress up as for trick or treating tonight. Ryan wants to be a ghost, storm trooper, batman, cowboy. We have the pieces for all those costumes so it'll be a last minute decision. Makenna will be a frog if it's cold or Princess Amadala if it's warm and Ryan is a storm trooper. Makenna missed out on the fun last year because she was sick so we're looking forward to a fun family evening.

Hair Talk

Do you know how you can tell if big changes have occured or are about to occur in a girls life? You can tell by looking at her hair. If her hairstyle changes drastically, her life is probably in transition.

Any guesses what I did today?

If you guessed that I cut my hair off, you guessed right. I also got darker lowlights along with highlights. The husband is shocked, but adapting to the new me. I'm still unsure about it, but once I fix it myself I hope I like it.

The last time I chopped it, I was pregnant with Ryan. Must be a pregnancy thing.

Adulthood

Ever wish your life had an escape hatch? If not an escape hatch, an easy button?

I wish for one of those right now. We have a lot going on, most of which I can't really talk about. A few big things with a few smaller things thrown in, which only make the big things feel bigger.

I laid in bed last night tossing and turning and never really sleeping, issue after issue running through my brain. Some of the issues require a decision now, and some require us to play the waiting game. I'm not very good with either of those scenarios...I don't like forced decisions, but also really struggle with letting things go and just waiting to see what happens. Being an adult is hard some days.

On the bright side, Ryan is receiving a citizenship award at school today. I'm so proud of our boy and what a good kid he is. I'm looking forward to sitting in the bleachers watching him get recognition for being a positive role model for his peers. Moments like that make being an adult pretty great.

Look what I did...

What can you do with a little scrapbook paper, some Mod Podge and a brush?

Line the inside of your bookshelves with it! See before and after pictures, I'm thrilled with how it turned out. A project that costs less than $10 and only takes a couple hours to complete...what could be better?

History Lesson

It's Sunday, a day to sleep in, and yet my lovely children were up before 6 am. Ryan needed to ask me a very pressing question, and proceeded to wake his sister up when he got up.

The question:

"Hey mom, you know that bell, the Liberty Bell, why does it have a crack in it?"

What? How is it that a 7 year old is woken from a deep sleep by pondering the crack in the Liberty Bell? More importantly, why didn't he wake up his father, the man with the History degree?

Light The Night

I've signed up to walk the Light The Night walk again, in memory of my friend Jenna who passed away last year. The walk will be on October 16th and my goal is $100, although I'm hoping to raise more. If you'd like to sponsor me, please follow the link.

http://www.active.com/donate/ltnNashvi/2471_chandramharrison

Found it!

Camera was in the diaper bag...duh. Here's her rash. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

Missing Camera, a Rash and a Rant

Makenna's had a rash on her face for over two weeks now. I took her to the pediatrician early on and they thought it was a virus and would probably go away. They said it's possible it's an allergy, but we hadn't really changed anything...detergent, shampoo, food...all the same. I wondered if it could be related to the amount of dairy products she consumes since she seemed to have a lactose intolerance early on, our ped thought that was unlikely.

Anyhow, here we are, more than two weeks later. The rash has gotten a bit better and then worse again. I'd love to take a picture but I can't find my camera! Who loses their camera??? I try to be organized and a camera isn't a little thing. I'm annoyed at myself, and concerned about my little one's poor face, besides, I want a picture of it!

Speaking of annoyance, I'm also annoyed by an aqaintance of mine who continually calls Makenna fat. I recognize that she's a big girl and has a little chub, but according to the charts she's the appropriate weight for her height, besides the fact that she's NOT EVEN 2! This person needs to keep that opinion to herself because the next time she says it I'm going to have to get all "mama bear" on her.

One Issue...

The topic of overturning Roe v Wade was discussed with Senator McCain this morning on Good Morning America. He said he's Pro-Life and he believes the abortion discussion should be about changing the culture of America and about courage and compassion. He says we need to tell young women that if they have the courage to have a baby we will help them in every way we can and that there will be compassion for them. That would be wonderful, but overturning Roe v Wade won't magically make people have compassion for young, unwed mothers. Money won't fall from the sky to help those young women support their babies. (especially not from his camp since Republicans are generally anti welfare) People aren't going to come out of the woodwork to adopt the babies that have serious health problems because a young mother didn't take care of herself while pregnant. People aren't going to automatically change their opinions and their actions because Roe v Wade was overturned. Abortions will still occur, they'll just be illegal and unsafe. No matter how much you preach abstinance and safe sex there will still be people with unwanted pregnancies.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not pro-abortion, but I am pro-choice. Because of that belief, McCain implies that I don't have compassion for the young women who chose to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term, which isn't true. I would prefer to see a young women take care of herself during pregnancy and give the child up for adoption or decide that she was going to raise it, and then have the programs available for her to do so. I also think it's her choice, not her parents, not her Supreme Court, not her doctors...her choice.

During the same interview Cindy McCain completely sidestepped a direct question about her opinion on the matter and tried to change the topic, and then proceeded to nod her head yes, showing agreement with her husband. When she's on record stating opinions on the opposite side of the matter.

I'm not a one issue voter, but this candidate makes it difficult.

Wake me up, when September ends...

I wanted to post two pictures yesterday, but unfortunately blogger couldn't read the second so I'll have to tell you what it was.

It was an x-ray, showing a broken collar bone. Taken Tuesday afternoon. The x-ray belongs to Ryan. The poor kid can not catch a break. Next year I'm going to wrap him in a bubble for the entire month of September and hope he makes it through unscathed. The sad part, he was just playing chase and tripped on the playground. Apparently he fell just right and the bone buckled. He's been a trooper, but it's obviously very painful. His teacher said he was so brave, neither she nor the school nurse realized how badly he was hurt at first. He has a cheesy little sling from the doctor, that doesn't do much but at least tells people he's hurt. DM and Ryan went out to purchase a more "manly" sling yesterday but they couldn't find one. He'll have to deal with the "babyish" boats and the diaper pin holding it together for at least a week. Sadly, he only got to play 1 full game of this baseball season and is very concerned about how he's going to do schoolwork, since it's his right side that hurts. Our poor boy, we just want to hug him constantly.

Wordless Wednesday!

First Day of First Grade

Back from Staycation...

I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus. It all started when my Mom, Stepdad and Brother arrived from different parts of the country to help us install new floors in our house. Initially we were just going to put wood laminate in the living room, but the project got much bigger quickly. We ended up ripping up every inch of floor in our house and replacing with wood laminate or tile, depending on the room. We also put crown molding in our bedroom and living room and trim around the windows in the main living area. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. DA and I were so impressed with my brother. He drove across the country with a trailer full of tools to help us complete this project, we were so lucky to have his help and expertise.

Since they left, we've spent the time trying to get our house back in shape and then we realized labor day was approaching. Anyone know what that means? If you guessed that Ryan would end up sick and having trouble breathing you guessed right. We were more proactive this year, recognizing that he's been in the hospital the last two years at this time. At the first sign of a cough we were at the pediatrician's, hoping to head it off. We still ended up at the hospital, but only spent a night in the ER. Ryan is such a trooper when all this happens, and this year he didn't even need shots or an IV. We'll be watching him closely over the next few weeks, but for now he's cleared to resume normal activity.

Baseball season began too. DA signed up to be an assistant coach, thinking he'd just man the dug out since he's never played baseball. Well, the lucky guy gets to pitch the first game, against the team Ryan was on last season...the one that won every game. He's feeling more stress that he has in quite some time and is looking forward to the game being over.

In the midst of all that, Ryan started school. He's in first grade this year and so far I like his teacher. She's organized and relates well with the kids. Plus she communicates well with the parents. Yay! The best thing about the new year, according to Ryan, is that he's riding the bus. He has to get up pretty early, but loves it so far. This should make things a bit easier when the new baby arrives.

Speaking of babies, we have two! We lost two of the bird eggs during all the construction, but two of them hatched and we've been watching the birds grow. It's been two weeks and now they're starting to get feathers. It's been fun to watch and Makenna can't walk by the fern without pointing at it and asking to see the birds. I wonder how long it will be before they start testing their wings?

I've probably lost any readers I once had, due to my lack of posting, but if you've hung in there with me I hope you enjoyed the update.

15 weeks and some change

It occurred to me that I haven't written much about this pregnancy and baby, other than that we were expecting and that I had morning sickness and was grumpy. As I enter the second trimester, I find myself starting to believe we're going to have another little one running around here and find myself wanting to document a few things about this pregnancy.

Here are a few things of note so far...

*We had the Nuchal Ultrasound and all results came back negative. No early indication of Down's. Baby was moving all around and had a heartrate of 154 bpm. It also measured almost a full week ahead in size.
*DM is positive it's a girl, I'm just as positive it's a boy.
*We haven't even begun to talk names yet. There was one name I saw and thought it was cute, DM agreed. Not sure if it'll be for the correct gender of it we'll still like it in January.
*According to the developmental websites, the baby is about the size of an apple right now and weighs about 2.5 ounces. Unfortunately, I've already gained about 7 pounds.
*I've been thinking about my last two deliveries a lot lately. One was a vaginal birth with epidural, the other included an accidental spinal, epidural and emergency c-section. Neither was easy, but both had definite positives and definite negatives. My current doc has asked which way I want to go and I immediately thought repeat c-section. I've been doing some research just to be sure that's the right decision.
*DM and I are stressed about adding a third. Time and space are the major reasons for the stress.
*We have no idea where this little one is going to sleep, or where the other two will for that matter. We can't decide who should share a room, although we know that it won't be us. :) Neither of us sleep well when we have a baby in our room. Every little groan and rustle wakes us up. And if the next one sleeps like Makenna, we're going to need our sleep when we can get it.
*I considered not finding out the gender of the baby but DM said we had to....or at least he had to. He's right. I'm a planner and need to know so I can figure out rooms...and put him to work.
*I'm concerned about how Makenna, and Ryan for that matter, will adjust to another little one taking mom and dad's time. Although they both love babies, and seeing the two of them together lets me know it will be ok.
*I've felt a few small flutters. They've made me tear up and grin from ear to ear.
*I'm slowly getting my energy back and feeling less sick. I still have moments and days, but at least it isn't all day every day now.
*Heartburn is just starting to kick in. I've had it here and there but for the last week or so I've noticed it numerous times a day and always before bed. I'm up to three pillows under my head now and at least 4 tums a day.
*Earlier in this pregnancy I had to pee 6-8 times a night, now I'm down to 1-2. I know it'll pick up again, but I'm enjoying this. Once I'm up my mind starts and I have trouble falling asleep again so the less times up the better.
*As my m/s started getting better, the headaches increased. There isn't a day I don't wake up with one and they usually last on and off all day. I try to save caffeine for when I can't take it anymore, and it usually helps for awhile.
*This pregnancy has been really mellow, and that's been so awesome. I've enjoyed being "normal" and not having to take nightly shots, have restrictions, etc.
*Two more weeks until the next run of the mill appt. Let's hope I haven't gained too much more before then.
*Depending on what I wear, I look fat or pregnant. I like wearing the things that make me look pregnant, so I wear the same few outfits A LOT right now.
*I'm hungry all the time. In fact my stomach is growling as I type. Time to go make dinner.

They're Multiplying!

Nesting

We have two ferns hanging on our front porch. We discovered a nest in this one a week or two ago. This is what we saw today, when we watered it.
I wonder if we'll have babies?

Sadness

The mom's group I'm in has been touched by cancer again. One of the girls found out her husband has cancer yesterday, Melanoma and apparently it's progressed a fair amount. They have kids the same age as ours and have a very strong and loving relationship. I'm so sad for them, they've begun to travel down such a difficult road.

I'm not sure she'd want her name on my blog, but if you're the praying type please send a prayer up for this woman and her husband.

Our 15 seconds of fame

We went to a Fit Kids event at the local hospital today. It was sponsored by Cartoon Network, but it was all activities to get kids moving and was meant to educate about childhood obesity. Ryan had his picture taken by the local newspaper and I was interviewed by a local news station. The interview went something like this:

News Guy: How do you, as a mom, determine how much TVyour child watches?

Me: Well he watches a little when he first wakes up and some during the afternoon to chill out and rest, but other than that the expectation is that he play outside or do other things in the house.

News Guy: What does your son like to do outside?

Me: Ride his bike, ride his scooter, play in the pool, etc.

Some other random stuff and then Ryan has finished playing soccer so he gets in on the interview.

News Guy: Would you rather play on the computer and watch TV, or would you rather play outside.

Ryan: (after some thoughtful consideration) I'd rather play the computer and watch TV.

Awesome. Yes folks, another stellar mommy moment. I had to laugh. The whole point of the event was to get kids off their butts and outside playing.

News Guy: Well, that just shows what parents are up against, kids would rather sit and watch TV.

(I'm so glad we got to be an example of that.)

News Guy: What do you do to get your son outside.

Me: I plan a lot of things to get us out of the house and we attend events just like this.

Apparently it made it to the news and I missed it. Oh well, no need to live my disgrace twice. :)

As a side note, the event was small but really fun and they gave out sweet goodie bags with great water bottles for the kids. Too bad it was about a million degrees today, otherwise we might have stayed all day so Ryan could bowl and run through the obstacle course.

I just found the interview online, here's the link in case you're interested.
http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=8775888

An iPod Meme

Care to play along? Here's what you do: put your ipod on shuffle then answer the following questions with whatever song comes up. Who knows! You may find a song that you want to download to your own music player!


1. How would describe your personality? : Good As Gone (Little Big Town)

2. What do you like in a guy/girl? : All Kinds (Dan Wilson)

3. How do you feel, today?: STaple It Together (Jack Johnson)

4. What’s your life’s purpose?: Alternative Girlfriend (Barenaked Ladies)

5. What is your motto? : Ramblin' Man (The Allman Brothers)

6. What do your friends think of you?: Don't Matter (Akon)

7. What do you think of your parents?: Black Magic Woman (Santana)

8. What do you think about very often?: Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton)

9. What do you think of your best friend? : Voice Inside my Head (Dixie Chicks)

10. What do you think of the person you like?: I turn my camera on (Spoon)

11. What is your life story?: Take your Mama (Scissors Sisters)

12. What do you want to be when you grow up?: Tell Her About It (Billy Joel)

13. What do you think when you see the person you like?: Love is Free (Sheryl Crow)

14. What do your parents think of you? : This is your Life (Switchfoot)

15. What will be played at your funeral? : Strawberry Fields (Ben Harper)

16.What is your hobby/interest?: All at Once (Jack Johnson)

17. What is your biggest secret? : Mr. Brightside (The Killers)

18. What do you think of your friends?: Boondocks (Little Big Town)

19. What should you post this as? : Sexy Plexi (Jack Johnson)


Some of those were funny coincidences. Now play along, I'm ready for some new music!

Ryan's Birthday Festival

I've uploaded video of Ryan dancing with friends at Chuck E Cheese in front of the camera. I'm not sure he realized he was on the big screen for the entire place to see. I've also included pictures from his birthday festival...otherwise known as three days of parties.

I tried to add this info to the picture posts but when I added a title or description the slideshow didn't appear. Ahhh, the joys and intricacies of computers.

I'm an Aunt!!!

And not by marriage this time. Well, thinking about it, kind of by marriage.

My Sister-in-Law and Stepbrother had their first child yesterday afternoon! His name is Sebastian Roy. (Roy was our Grandfathers name) I've only seen one picture and I'm already in love, he's so cute! I can't wait to meet the little guy in person and I'm thrilled to finally have some other kids on my side of the family.

The word is my SIL didn't even need an IV. I knew she was amazing as she climbed mountians and traveled through South America during early pregnancy and then proceeded to keep up with my super active stepbrother the whole time. She's a strong woman and I've said many a time that my stepbrother married the right person. They make a great couple and I think will be awesome parents that introduce Sebastion to all the wonders the world has to offer.

The only disappointment is that I'm not sure when we'll get to meet him. These are the times when it's hard to live across the country. Hopefully we'll take a trip to Colorado in the near future. I want to hold their little man!

Congratulations Stefan and Sheryl and welcome to the world Sebastian!!!

Seven! (No it's not a name we're considering)

Sienfeld reference over and now on to the important stuff...


Dear Ryan,

It’s your 7th Birthday! I can’t believe you’re seven and still remember so much about the day you were born. I’ve written about it before, and what a special day it was. This day is special too and will be spent doing things that you enjoy right now. First of all we’re headed to Chuck E Cheese with some friends. You’ve been asking to go all summer, so even though it isn’t your official birthday party, we’ll enjoy playing games and dancing the afternoon away. After DM gets home, you’ve requested dinner at Cracker Barrel, I think you like being able to order pancakes for dinner with no veggies in sight. Before heading out to eat, you’ll open presents from the family.

Tomorrow we’ll be picking up two of your friends from school for a trip the Sounds game and a sleepover and Saturday you’ll be having a combined party with Kele and Adeline. All of your birthdays are close and it’s so nice that they include you in their family birthday party.

With so many birthday events, this year instead of a birth day celebration, as your GG would say, you’ll be having a birthday festival.

Your sixth year was filled with new and exciting things. We started the year with a trip to the beach and Disney world where you had a fabulous time. Then school started soon after we got home and you had two of the best teachers. You really enjoyed school and got a citizenship award during each of the six grading periods. We’re so proud of how well behaved you were at school. You played baseball during fall and spring seasons and your spring team made it all the way through the season undefeated. You lost the championship during the last game of the tournament, by one point, but you didn’t care…you got still got a trophy and a medal. You showed us time and time again what a great big brother you are. You are so proud of your sister and loved that your teachers called her your class mascot. You learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. You started looking older this past year. Your face thinned out, you got a few more freckles across your nose, and you started running and walking like you’re older. We enjoyed watching that transition, but it’s a little bittersweet to watch you growing up so quickly!
Welcome to 7, kiddo, and another year of adventures and fun! We love you!

The Terrible Two's...

...have begun in our house and my dear sweet daughter is only 18 months old. She's started yelling my name over and over when she isn't happy and is practicing throwing herself on the floor and kicking her legs. On top of that she just picked up a plastic yellow chair we have and literally threw it because she was annoyed by it. I always thought this little one would give me a run for my money, now I know it's true.

No Way!

New Kids On the Block had the number 1 song on the count down this morning. There's something wrong when a boy band from 10 years ago has a new song out....that's not any good, I might add...and hits number 1. Whatever!

18 Months

Makenna had her 18 month appt this past week. She is so fun right now, I love seeing her little personality develop. She weighed in at 27.5 lbs and 33 inches which put her in the 84% for weight and 86% for height. I don't remember what her head circumference was but it was 97%. Our girl has a lot of brains in that head of hers.

Makenna is saying lots of words now, with a couple 2 word phrases, and still saying a few in sign language. She climbs on everything and especially loves to climb up and down stairs. She started sleeping through the night at 15 months, after we made her CIO for two nights, thankfully the trend continues. She loves to play with purses and dolls and anything in her brother's bedroom. Peek-A-Boo is still a favorite game and she won't go to bed without kissing us goodnight. She thinks her brother walks on water, but will let us and him know when he's annoying her. She calmly sits in time out when she gets in trouble, swinging her legs and just waiting for me to let her up. Like her brother, she already loves music. She can rock out with the rest of us and has been trying to snap for months. She loves the pool, but gets frustrated that she can't swim by herself. She's so brave she'll jump off the ladder and expect us to catch her. She constantly gets compliments on her little mop of curly hair. I, of course, love it. She's working on singing the ABC's and can count to 3 sometimes 4. She loves going bye-bye, just saying the words will stop any fussing or fit, and she loves to play outside. She thinks it's really funny to grab my glasses, I, however, do not. She screams at her daddy when he gets home at night because she's so excited to see him. She'll eat anything in the dairy, fruit and carb families and is getting better about trying new things. Her favorite dinners are spaghetti and stir fry and she hates eggs with a passion. It doesn't matter how they're cooked, she spits them out. She likes having bows put in her hair and likes ripping them out just as much. She gets a huge kick out of wearing sunglasses and having us call her a "cool chick". She's very ticklish and loves to be tickled. She'll come up and show her belly saying "Tick, Tick".

All ages have their pros and cons, but this is a really fun age with Makenna. She brings so much joy to our lives. She makes us laugh every day. She makes us fall in love with her all over each time she kisses us or interacts with us. I know all parents say this, but she's really smart and very loving. Three IVF's were hard to go through, but I'd go it all again 10 times over to have this sweet girl in our family. Thanks for chosing us to be your parents, Makenna!

Sleeping Babes

I've always wondered how people were able to carry their sleeping kids through the store without that child waking up. Ryan would sleep through stores as a baby in his carseat and at times he slept in his stroller, but I never would have been able to carry him on my shoulder, without him waking up, when he got older.

Today Makenna slept her way through Target. She fell asleep in the car 5 minutes before we got to the store. I thought she'd wake up when we got inside and I'd be able to put her in a cart. Nope. I ended up ditching my idea of doing some grocery shopping and just picked up a gallon of much needed milk. Toddler in one arm, milk in the other and a fussing almost 7 year old tugging on my shirt because he wanted a cookie/gum/yo yo, etc.

I had to giggle a couple times during that short walk through Target, I was doing the thing I'd seen other mom's do and been so impressed by. I felt like Supermom...just for a minute...or until I got home and was reminded of the groceries I'd needed so I could make my kids lunch.

Tagged!

I've been tagged by http://thebeasleyfamily.blogspot.com/ . Thanks Rachel!


Here are the rules:

a. Link to the person who tagged you

b. Post the rules on your blog.

c. Write six random things about yourself.

d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blog.

e. Let each person know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.

f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up..



Hmmm, 6 random things about myself...



1. I really love photography and even took a class when I was younger. I rarely get a good picture though, I blame it on my point and shoot digital camera and my lack of editing skills and software. In reality, it's probably because I usually forget to bring my camera.


2. I never thought I'd be a SAHM, but wanting to be home and take care of my kids won out over all my other desires. I guess I've decided there will be time for me later. I struggle with not contributing to our family financial goals and not feeling like I've accomplished much. But I usually only have to look at my two great kids and I realize we've made the best choice for our family.



3. I am a horrible gardener, but I keep trying. Maybe one day my brown thumb will turn green.



4. If it's not on a list, it doesn't get done. Having kids has made me forgetful or maybe it's just that I focus on other things. I have to make lists for the details or I'd never accomplish anything. It's obvious when I haven't been making lists...bday cards are late, phone calls aren't made, meals aren't planned, ect.



5. I have a list of things to do before I die. (Again with the lists...) Here are a few things that are on it: Learn another language so that I'm somewhat fluent and then travel and use that language, drink a Mint Julip, run a half marathon, go to Italy, start my own business, take a sewing class, take my kids camping. Some are big, some are small, some might be done over and over. It's my own "Bucket List".



6. I really miss our family, but I'm horrible about keeping in touch. Due to differences in time and schedule, it's rarely a good time to call and because we live so far apart our trips home are much less frequent than I'd like. I'd love for my kids to grow up surrounded by family, but I guess when you move across the country you limit the chances of that happening.



There are my 6 things. Now I tag

http://mama2drama.blogspot.com/ , http://tanya-tanyasthoughts.blogspot.com/ , http://babythorny.blogspot.com/ , http://littlemanandriblet.blogspot.com/ , http://bourquepartyoffive.blogspot.com/ , http://www.egankids.blogspot.com/



For some reason Blogger wouldn't let me rename the links. That, or I'm a moron. Anyway, I tag Jacy, Tanya, Tamra, Shannon, Barbara and Tara. Have fun girls!

Boo Boo's

We stopped at a friend's house yesterday after the fire station tour. While there Makenna decided to get up close and personal with their wood floor. Here she is a few hours after her faceplant. Notice the fat lip? At least her nap stopped her tears. And we wonder how she chipped her tooth.

Back to Reality

We had such a nice weekend. The Daddy Man had 4 days off work and I had a friend from college in town. I haven't seen her in so long, it was a short busy trip, but so great to spend time together. She'll be back next year because she an Irish Dancer and the national competition is held here...Yay!

The weekend also included a BBQ on the 4th with some friends, a few fireworks with neighbors, lots of time in the pool, flooring shopping and a fair amount of yardwork. I love our front yard during the summer months. Lots of greenery and pretty flowering things. I wish it stayed that pretty all year and I wish our backyard was as enjoyable. Maybe next summer we'll figure out how to get some shade back there and we'll plant a few more bushes and some flowers and enlarge the patio. I say that, but I've been saying that for a couple years now. Something else always comes up and next year there will be another one in diapers. :)

I was lazy and skipped church. The series that he's been doing since Easter doesn't appeal to me at all, so I've barely been since then. I wish we all could go, I think we're getting closer to that point, M is doing better with new people all the time so I have hopes she'll stay in the childcare before she's 16.

Now it's back to reality and we have a busy week ahead. We're attending a firestation tour with our playgroup today and then I'm going to Staples because they have some school supplies for a penny each. We have lots of options for the rest of the week, but I'm trying to keep expenses and gas consumption down, so we'll see if R's boredom beats my desire to not spend money. One thing I do know is that I'll be hanging out with some girlfriends saturday night. I'm looking forward to it!

Oh, one last thing, we discovered yesterday that M has chipped one of her front teeth. It's a small chip but neither of us know when it happened or how. Bad parents!!! Guess it's time to call the dentist and make sure we don't need to do anything about it.