Our Sweet Life

Not a creature was stirring

2010-05-05T22:29:00.005-05:00

So, when you have a 15 month old and things are really quiet, you can be sure of one thing: Something's not right.

In my house, it means:

1) Jacob's playing in the toilet again. Splashing around like he should be sitting in it taking a bath and smiling the whole time.

or

2) He's climbed on the kiddie table we have for Adam to use for coloring, playdoh, drawing...

or

3) He's climbed onto the kiddie table that we have for Adam to use for coloring, playdoh, drawing, and painting...

Oh, don't forget that we also use that table for cutting too (note the scissors in his hands).

I have to go. Someone's knocking at my door. I'm sure it's someone to give me "Parent of the Year" award. Or, maybe it's child services to save my kids from certain injury.

2 months...really?

2010-05-05T22:04:00.012-05:00

Holy cow! Two months since I last posted. I am failing severely at keeping this thing updated. So much has happened in the last 2 months, that I don't even know where to begin. So, maybe I will just post some pictures and let them do the talking.

After about 20 (ok, I might be exaggerating by like 1 or 2) ear infections, Jacob got tubes in his ears. He hasn't had an infection since, however his nose still runs like it drank rotten milk (that means he has diarrhea of the nose). I can deal with a snotty kid as long as he doesn't have the fever and restless nights like before. He really is a sweetheart. Love him so much. Still isn't saying mama, but I'm working on it, a lot.

We have been playing outside as much as possible. Now that spring is here, we are trying to take advantage of letting the kids run off as much energy as possible. Adam has made a new friend in the neighborhood and he loves playing with her and her little brother. Of course he has his other friend, Noah who he loves to play with also! One of the faves- the bounce house.

So, apparently I am one of "those" moms who sucks because I don't take enough pictures. I have very little else to post for pics because, well, I suck.

Here's a random picture of Adam. Just cause he's so darn cute and he thought it would be funny to put a bunch of head bands in his hair.

He makes dad so proud.

Num, num, Give me cake!

2010-02-20T15:40:00.004-06:00

Jacob turned one year old on Wednesday! Let me repeat myself: Jacob turned one year old on Wednesday! How is this possible? I am still remembering very vividly the day/night he was born. I know everyone says this, but it is so true: Time just goes by so fast! We had a party for Jacob on the Sunday before his birthday (on Valentine's Day). My good friend Stacey made him a darling giant cupcake. He loved it!

Brandi took his pictures on Tuesday night. I attempted to make a giant cupcake (I ordered the mold because I am such a baker and thought I could do it myself). Turns out I am not as awesome as I thought I was because my cupcake just fell apart. Apparently you are supposed to let the cake cool down before you try to take it out of the mold. Who knew? Anyway, I kind of improvised and just frosted the bottom portion. It didn't matter much because he knew what to do and just dug right in. He is hysterical.

Jacob gets tubes put in on Monday. Thank goodness. He has pretty much had an ear infection since October. Never gets over them! I am hoping they work and he starts to feel better soon!

My Secret Addiction

2010-02-09T21:55:00.006-06:00

So, here it is. My confession. My big reveal. My 12-step recovery process. I am officially addicted to reading blogs. I love it. I think it all started with Rock Star Mommy. I loved her. Read it religiously. Made me laugh, cry and well not much else but I loved it. Then it was over. I had a void in my life. Then Brandi sent me a random post from someone else, now I am addicted to hers. So, in order for me to not feel so bad about my addiction I thought I would share with you what I am currently reading. Maybe you can check them out and you too can become addicted.

Maybe If You Just Relax: http://www.jennepper.com/
Why I love her? She has a baby 3 days older than Jacob so often she is writing about the same things that I am going through. Plus, she has the same sense of humor that I do- but she doesn't care what other people think. Often I wish I could write about these types of things, but I'm not brave enough. She has an awesome style of writing also. Makes up funny words, illustrates events through pictures (post from Oct. 26, 2009- The Day I struck My Mother Blind with My Lady Business is one for the record books http://www.jennepper.com/2009/10/day-i-struck-my-mother-blind-with-my.html), and is just all around full of "the awesome." Cara and I often recall and laugh about her posts. (if I was more awesome I would be able to figure out how to create a link in here so you don't have to read the whole address- sorry).

Mommy Wants Vodka: http://www.mommywantsvodka.com/
Aunt Becky cracks me up. You just have to check her out. Kind of rough, but has a soft side. Guaranteed to make you laugh.

A Baby? Maybe...: www.ababymaybe.com
Love the quotes at the end of each post. Plus she takes beautiful pictures. Not to mention she works in HR, and all awesome people work in HR. How can you not like her?

Conceive This!: http://murgdan.blogspot.com/
She too is good to read. Funny. No particular reason that I like her, I just do.

So those are my main blogs I follow. Maybe you too can join me. Let me know what you think. They are girly blogs so I am pretty sure no man will enjoy them. Although I did get a chuckle out of Jeff when I read him Jennepper's post about her lady business. Really, it is priceless.

Also, if you have any to add to my list, please do. I love reading them. It makes me feel like my life just isn't as weird as I think it is.

I might not post often, but darn it

2010-01-22T22:23:00.002-06:00

I might not be the best blogger. In fact, I'm sure I'm not even close. I'm probably one of the worst. Regardless, my background will be awesome! I am soo ready for spring. Actually I am soooo ready just to see the sun!

As for an update. We are hibernating, sorta. Work, kids, and eating. That's what we do. Jacob is on ear infection number 5 since he has graced the World with his presence 11 months ago. Thinking it's about time to consider tubes or something. We are so tired of the constant shoving medicine down his throat. Poor guy. He's awesome though. The happiest little guy. Just constantly smiling with the big dimples. He's also in to everything. Now he's starting to take some steps all by himself. Tonight he took about 5 steps before he realized he would rather be crawling cause he gets where he wants to go faster. He is the sweetest thing ever.

Adam is awesome. Learning so much and just changing every day. He is always saying something that cracks me up. Earlier he told Jeff "I need some Daddy time." Of course he would probably never say that he needs "mommy time." He is by far a daddy's boy. Doesn't really want too much to do with me if daddy is around. I'm not bitter, can't ya tell? Today at day care, he was given crackers with peanut butter on them. They caught it just as he took one little bite from the corner. I'm thinking he didn't really get any peanut butter and if he did it must have been a tiny amount. My bestie Kelly ran over there for me and gave him Benedryl as I was just going into an interview at work. He didn't have a reaction thank goodness! The sad (and infuriating) thing is that the same person that gave him the peanut butter today is the SAME person who gave him peanut candy the last time. Jeff and I are considering not taking him there anymore. It's hard because he is such a sensitive little guy and does NOT adjust to change well at all. Of course, if he is not going to be safe someplace - then a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.

I have some awesome pics to post. As soon as I take the 100+ pics off of my camera I will be sure to post. However I really don't think anyone reads this. So if you read, please leave a comment every once and awhile. I'm getting discouraged.

Well, I'm off to say my good-byes to Conan!

January 22, A day that will live in infamy...

2010-01-22T22:18:00.002-06:00

It is a dark day today. The end of a wonderful thing. My world will never be the same. Well, until September at least. That's right. Conan's last night on the Tonight Show. I have loved Conan for years. He cracks me up. I'm getting ready to watch his last show. Maybe I will have a nice cry at the end. Oh who am I kidding, there is no way I can stay up until the end. I'll be there in my dreams Conan.
Long live Coco.

Our Little Smurf

2009-12-08T22:05:00.004-06:00

Jacob found blue paint today. He thought it was pretty funny. Me?? Not so much.

Adam turns 4

2009-12-08T21:50:00.012-06:00

Adam turned 4 on Thanksgiving day. I cannot believe it! It literally feels like we were just bringing him home from the hospital. Time just flies! Because his birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year, he actually had 2 birthday parties. We had a cake for him with our Thanksgiving dinner, plus we had one at a local pool with some friends. Here are some pictures:

Such a big boy!

On my last nerve

2009-12-05T21:50:00.003-06:00

So I might be feeling a little irritable over the past week or so. Some might automatically assume that they know the reason, but I am pretty sure that's not it. It's just a cumulation of many things that are just getting on my nerves. So, lucky for me (and not so lucky for you) I am going to take a few moments and get these things off of my chest. Do I really think that this will help? - Probably not. But I will try it.

Can anyone really open the macaroni and cheese box by pushing in the little tab and pulling back? I mean, are you for real? You want me to push that thing in with my thumb? What are my thumbs made of? It's enough to make me not want to make macaroni and throw the kids in the car and go to McDonalds. (making something else would be too much effort)
Really- why is it that I can have every size of battery in the house EXCEPT the ONE SIZE that a new toy requires? (commence the screaming and crying of a 4 year old)
We have a dish washer, however there are certain things that I prefer to wash by hand. Things like my pans, baby bottles, and tupperware I usually wash by hand. Also I will sometime just wash everything if there isn't very much. So why is it that when I wash dishes, there is always that ONE dish that gets missed? Drives me nuts.
Stinky little bean beatles.
Hardee's commercials. They make me want to vomit.

Ok, I can't think of much else right now. If you have anything you would like to add to my list, please feel free. I would love to hear it!

So many thoughts, so little time

2009-11-30T21:51:00.002-06:00

Often times I think about random thoughts. I would love to use this blog to rant and rave about these random thoughts, but I am afraid that people might think I am weird. And then I think, who cares if people think I am weird. Maybe I am, so get over it. See, that's a random thought. Like, maybe I want to talk about how I really enjoy watching football and miss the lazy Sunday afternoons when I could sit on the couch all day and do that. Or maybe I want to talk about how people really annoy me when they still act like we are in high school (fresh memory- sorry). Or if I just have a really crappy day. Couldn't I just talk about it on here? I really don't think anyone reads anyway, so that would be ok. See, just random thoughts spewing out of my mind and onto the screen.

This is the weirdest post ever. I'm going to bed.

PS - Did you know that Pierce Brosnan used to be a fire-eater for the circus before he became an actor?

Fall update

2009-11-07T21:20:00.004-06:00

Wow, can't believe it has been over one month since I last posted! Time has just flown by. We have been busy, but if you were to ask me what we have been doing, I am pretty sure my answer would be "I don't know. Not much." We are just living day by day, trying not to go insane.

The boys are just incredible. Changing so much. I love to watch them interact. It is so fun to watch them make each other laugh. Jacob just loves his big brother, and Adam loves his little brother just as much - except for when Jacob tries to play with his toys. We could have the floor covered with Jacob's toys, but he wants nothing to do with them. He goes straight to Adam's little cars, tractors, choking hazards, etc. that Adam is playing with. And he is so fast. Just in the last week he has grown an interest in the stairs. Why? Who knows. I think it's time to get the annoying gate out. I really sound like I am complaining - and I am not. Here is a list of my favorite things that are going on right now:

Jacob-
1. He always has a red nose. No matter if he's hot or cold - it's alway red
2. He sucks his thumb - all of the time. Love it.
3. He has very little hair, but has a long patch right on the top of his head and it's curly. I just love to play with it.
4. His belly laugh. Priceless. And he laughs at everything. Of, the squeals of delight are just as great as the belly laugh.
5. Chunky baby legs. Nuf said
6. The large gap in between his 2 front teeth. Then with his big smile - it just cracks me up.
7. He loves bouncing
8. The little slips of "mama" every once in awhile.
9. He thinks its really funny when you chase him when he is about to tumble down the stairs. It's like he knows that your heart is about to jump out of your chest.
10. He's starting to eat more table food. Loves Cheerios and bread. This is one of my faves because this equals less stinky baby food that I have to feed him.

I was going to stop at 10, but I just thought of one more. Maybe one of the best:
11. He likes to cuddle with me in bed and fall asleep in my arms.

My favorite things about Adam:
1. Love it when he says big words like "automatically," and "anhydrous ammonia" (he loves tractors, I know that might sound weird that he knows that)
2. He has such an imagination. He is starting to play on his own and I love listening to him pretend play with his cars and tractors.
3. He learns something new everyday and loves to tell me about it.
4. Only MOM can brush his teeth.
5. Only DAD can lay with him at night. (this is a selfish fave thing on my part because it means I get alone time where no one is bothering me)
6. He sings funny songs
7. He is convinced that the word "tunnel" is pronounced "tinnel" and there is no telling him otherwise.
8. Adam loves to dance with me around the kitchen.
9. Adam likes to read the comics - even though he makes up his own story based on the pictures.
10. He asks me about 10 times a day to: "Scratch my back, scratch my arms, scratch my legs." Annoying, yes. But I wouldn't want it any other way. I think I am paying for all of the times I made my mom scratch my back.

Should I make a list for Jeff? Maybe later. He's awesome all around and he loves me regardless of my oddities. Couldn't ask for a better hubby.

Weekend fun

2009-10-04T20:07:00.003-05:00

This weekend was such a nice relaxing couple of days. Yesterday I ran (and walked) in a 5k in the 12:1 Run at Harmony Bible Chuch. Although it was cold and cloudy, it was a nice time. Then me and the kids just hung out at home and played. Today we woke up to SUNSHINE! Haven't seen the sun for awhile so it was nice. Adam picked that he wanted to eat at McDonalds for lunch so we went there and even ate inside - which I normally would not do with 2 kids. But they were both good. Then we went to my favorite store - Target. When we got home we made some cookies. Adam was so hungry that he was saying that his shoulder was growling?! I didn't realize that your shoulder would growl if you got hungry, but apparently it does so beware.

Is she an Angel?

2009-09-27T21:38:00.002-05:00

Wow. To see the world through a child's eyes would have to be the most refreshing thing a person could do. If we could all do that, especially when things seem confusing or difficult, I think we would have an awesome perspective. Innocence is just amazing.

Yesterday Adam, Jacob, and I went to the park. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. There were a couple of birthday parties going on in the shelter house and then in the large room, there was a wedding reception. As Adam was playing, I saw the bride walking out in her pretty white dress. I said to Adam, "Look at that pretty lady." He just stared at her and asked, "Is she an angel?" I kind of laughed a little and said, "I don't know. Maybe we should go ask her." He agreed. We got up to go ask her but then she started talking to some of her guests so I figured we better leave her alone. Why would she want some strangers bothering her? It made me think about seeing things through a child's eyes. I wonder why Adam would even think that this is what an angel looks like. I wish that I could look at someone and truly believe they are an angel like Adam did. I think we can learn so much from children. I know mine teach me something pretty much everyday. For instance, last night I learned that if you run down your block with your 3-year old at 8:30 at night people are going to open their doors and wonder what in the heck you are doing. Who would've thought!!

This is my kid on peanuts

2009-09-25T22:07:00.006-05:00

Jeff and I have often wondered if Adam's peanut allergy has gone away. The first time he had peanut butter was when he was about 13 months old. He had a peanut butter sandwich at my moms and then had another later on in the evening. That night on the way up for his bath, we noticed a rash all up his back that was spreading all over his body. The hives stuck around for a couple of days until it was all out of his system. We visited an allergy doctor (I'm sure there is an official name for that type of doctor, but whatever) and they tested him for peanut allergy. Of course he tested positive. So, since then he hasn't been exposed to peanuts. Until today.

I received a call from day care a little after noon saying that they "think" Adam might have eaten peanuts. Turns out that there was some candy in the room and he must have eaten some. Whether it was a kid who gave it to him or a teacher, not 100% sure, but I have a feeling I know which one it was. Regardless, Adam was red with hives from head to toe. He was crying and had a small fever. He was itching so bad. He was also swollen, especially his face. It was absolutely awful. He also had a runny nose and they said he had been sneezing. I took him home and laid with him on the couch just scratching his back, arms, and legs for about 45 minutes or so waiting for the Benedryl to kick in. After about an hour and another dose of Benedryl (ordered by the doctor) he was feeling a little better. By about 3:30 he was feeling pretty good wanting to play and eat. We dodged the bullet today, but it makes me scared for what will happen next time. Everyone always tells us that the more they are exposed to peanuts the more severe the reaction will be. Tonight he still has a rash all over his back and stomach, but it's nothing like it was and he isn't itching anymore.

Here are some pictures of what he looked like. Although they really do not do him justice.

Poor little guy. I just felt so bad for him. It kills me to see him suffer like that. Thankfully he is ok and we just need to speak with the day care to make sure this NEVER happens again.

2009-09-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

"Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you. Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow. Stand up to him. Stand firm in what you believe. All over the world you know that your brothers and sisters are going through the same kind of suffering. God always gives you all the grace you need"(1 Peter 5:7-10a, NIRV).

BINGO Queen

2009-09-19T22:28:00.003-05:00

Thursday night a few friends and I went to play Bingo. Wow, was that ever intense! We had a lot of fun. Can't believe no one took their camera. We ate GREASY maidrites, nachos, pie, Pepsi, and Kelly had her favorite: "crack in a bag" (see picture). We all agreed that if we did this on a regular basis that we would all weigh 300 pounds.
We had a great time. I didn't win any money, but a few others did. Each pot was $14. We met a lady named Laura who plays pretty much every night. She gave us some helpful tips. She also had the inside scoop about where the best places to play are and where the crooked places are. Apparently there is a place in Ft. Madison that cheats. Who would have known that there is an underground to bingo!

Jacob's surgery

2009-09-09T22:12:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Jacob had his "little" surgery. It was a long day! Poor little guy. We arrived in Peoria around 9:30 after just getting slightly lost. Jeff and I ALWAYS get lost when we are driving places we are not familiar with. Jeff's parents would be able testify to that fact after our trip to Florida. Anyway, we got checked in and went to the surgery area. There we talked with several nurses, support staff, the doctor, and anesthesiologist. Everyone was so nice and understanding. We waited for about 90 minutes or so. Finally, the nurse came and took Jacob. While his surgery was originally scheduled for 11:00, they didn't get him until around noon. I still was not ready to hand him over. He's so little and the thought of having him under general anesthesia made both Jeff and me really nervous.

After they took him, Jeff and I went to the surgery waiting area. Talk about a busy surgery center! That waiting room was extremely busy. We got a pager and a patient number. It was really nice because they had a large tv screen that had the patient numbers listed along with where they were at with the surgery. So the whole time that Jacob was in there, we could tell what stage they were at. So, they started the procedure at 12:25. Around 1:10, the status changed to "closing" and the doctor was with us shortly after that. Then I was able to go see him in Phase 1 Recovery. I met him there with a very welcome bottle. He was so hungry because he hadn't eaten since around 6:45 that morning. He was in Phase 1 for about 30 minutes and then they moved us to Phase 2. That is where Daddy was able to join us. We were there for a little bit. The nurse checked in on him a few times, went over instructions and care with us, then we were off. We were hitting the road around 2:30pm. Then we had about a 2 hour drive home, which Jacob slept the whole time. Thank goodness!

He did really well last night considering. He was a little fussy, but was crawling around some. He was still his smiley little self. Such a happy little boy. We were totally expecting for him to be up a few times last night, but he slept all night without fussing. Jeff and I were excited about that because we were both so exhausted. We had an early morning and an emotionally draining day. Adam got to spend the day with Grandma Pam and Grandpa Greg. They took him to school where he got to go "upstairs to the basement." His words - not mine. He said they would go there if there was a "fire tornado." He cracks me up. If I try to correct him, he gets very annoyed. He knows what he is talking about so don't waste your breath. Adam was a trooper though. He is so concerned with Jacob's oughey. He's such a good big brother and loves Jacob so much.

This picture was taken in the waiting area before surgery. His surgery gown was so little!This picture was taken in the recovery room. He was pretty out of it. He was sucking his thumb A LOT yesterday. The nurses kept asking if he had a special blanket or pacifier. He just wanted his thumb.

Today he has been just great. Almost like nothing happened. He's been playing, crawling and just acting like his usual happy little self. We are so thankful that everything turned out ok and hope that the healing goes fast! Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. We definitely needed them.

The Big Day

2009-09-02T22:47:00.011-05:00

Tuesday was Adam's first day of preschool. He did so wonderful. Jeff and I are so proud of him. He woke up in the morning and was really crabby. He was saying that he didn't want to go. Then after he had a little bit of time to wake up and eat breakfast, he was ready to go. He did so great getting ready and letting mommy take lots of pictures.

When we got to school, he hopped right out of the car and we stood outside and got some more pictures while we waited to school to start. Here are some pics of Adam and a couple of school buddies.

After preschool was over, we went to BK (Adam would be mad if I actually called it by it's real name of Burger King) with FG and Kelly. I think they are destined to be good buddies!

It turned out to be a great day. I was very nervous that Adam would be crying and clinging to our legs. He is just becoming be such a big boy. Jeff and I are so proud of how he is growing and learning. We feel so lucky!

Preschool Orientation

2009-08-28T22:39:00.007-05:00

Thursday Adam had his preschool orientation. Jeff and I took Jacob to grandma's house so we could both go and show Adam what a special place he would be going to. He woke up in a horrible mood that morning. Jeff and I were a little nervous thinking that he would be a crab about the whole thing. As the morning went on and Adam had breakfast things got a little better. When we got there, Adam just walked right in to check things out. He wanted to show the teachers his bag and how he colored it. He put his name tag on and washed his hands (the first thing they do when they first arrive at preschool). Then he was off, a little slow at first, to check everything out.

He is being such a big boy. Just in the last few weeks we have noticed a change in him. He is talking more to people he doesn't know very well (he still talks non-stop at home) and he is just being a little more social. He is ok with the idea of going to preschool. I made a calendar where we can cross off the days until his first day of school. Everyday he is asking "Am I going to preschool today?". This Tuesday will be his actual first day. I am sad about taking him, but I know he will have a great time. Here are some pics from his open house plus a family picture that we had to have taken so he can take to school.

Here is Adam with his buddy F.G.. Jeff will be taking both of them to school everyday and picking them up. He is such a good dad! We took a bunch of pictures to try to get one family picture.
There wasn't one of them where we were all looking at the camera.

On the Wings of Angels

2009-08-19T21:54:00.002-05:00

My 35 year old cousin Kelly passed away last week on Monday after a long battle with cancer. She has 3 beautiful young children and was truly taken from her family too soon. Her passing has made me think so much about life, death, family, and the legacy that I want to leave. It broke my heart to see her kids say goodbye to their mommy. What were things like the last few weeks when the hope had diminished that things would get better? How do you possibly let go of your children? I can't even imagine how strong she had to be to hug her children and let them go not knowing if she would ever be able to hold them again. I don't know how strong I could be. Her oldest daughter read a poem at the funeral and did a wonderful job. I know her mommy was watching her and was so proud of her for doing this.

So many questions that can never be answered or understood. Things like this just seem so unfair. She still had so much ahead of her. I think we just need to take comfort in the fact that it is ok to not understand. It is ok to question God. It's even ok to be mad at Him. He can take it. In fact, I have a feeling He kind of expects it. The important thing is that while you can be mad, it's important to trust Him - knowing that we could never possibly understand why.

Anyway, on my way home from work this evening this song came on the radio. I have heard it a hundred times, but today it meant something different. Is Kelly really up in Heaven, smiling down on us saying "Don't worry about me."? I think she is. God bless Kelly and her family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8sWwFIFlK8

Misc Pics

2009-08-15T22:54:00.012-05:00

Here are a few pics of the kids over the past few months:

Adam took a nose dive off of the slip and slide right into the mud.

It was all up his nose!

Note the spit up on my shoulder. That is a normal part of my wardrobe.

Adam likes to spike his hair - but it only lasts about 3 seconds.

Playing outside on a beautiful day this summer

Adam took this picture. Not too bad...

Jacob having Fun, Fun, Fun in his bouncer!

When I sleep...

2009-08-11T22:37:00.003-05:00

Last night as Jeff and Adam went upstairs to lay down for the night, Adam said to Jeff: "When I go to bed, I sleep with one eye open and one eye closed and keep searching and searching for monsters." How funny! Where did he learn this?

I have pictures that I will post soon. I am a horrible mother!

The Whole D**N Thing

2009-07-24T22:49:00.002-05:00

So, people always say you need to record the funny things your kids say. Well tonight Adam said something that I literally had to leave the room because I was needing to laugh. Tonight we went out for pizza with Jeff's family for his mom's birthday and then they all came back to our house for cake. Adam was too distracted at the time to eat his piece of cake. We gave him his bath and to lure him out of the bathtub, we told him he could eat some cake (keep in mind this is around 10:00pm). Not my finest moment. But, hey you do what you gotta do. So he's running around naked and we are trying to get him into his pajamas. Jeff followed him into the kitchen where Adam was looking longingly at the cake sitting on the counter. Adam was saying that he wanted his piece of cake. Jeff was so frustrated and said: "If you get your pajamas on you can have the whole d--n thing." So, of course Adam puts his pajamas right on. Then he comes back into the kitchen and says "I want the whole d--n thing." It was so funny! I had to leave the room.

Wow - Where has the time gone

2009-06-18T22:51:00.005-05:00

Since my last post, so much has happened! I can't even believe how much stuff has changed. Jacob turned 4 months yesterday. He is the happiest baby ever. He just smiles all of the time and is truly a joy to be around. Adam is doing so wonderful with him also. He just loves him to death. There are still some moments of jealousy, but I would say that Adam has adjusted so well - a lot better than we thought he would.

Jeff is doing great with them during the week. He thought it was going to be extremely difficult, but he is a superdad and does wonderful. Often, Jeff is with the kids more often than I am. I must say that I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband who loves to be with his family. Work is also going well for Jeff. Still on weekends (of course) so that stinks, but we are managing.

I have had a change at work and while I still have the same position within the hospital, I now work with a different division. It is a big change and will be a challenge. In the end though, it is going to be just fine. In fact, I kind of like it so far. I have also started personal training with 3 other friends. I will just say that the first 2 sessions have nearly killed me. I am so out of shape. After the first session, I could barely walk. Jeff teased me saying that I was walking like a 90 year old woman. It wasn't pretty.

Here are some new(er) pictures:

Jacob at 3 months

So wrong, but funny

2009-04-22T11:13:00.002-05:00

Here is a really funny song that my boss introduced to me when I first found out I was pregnant. If you do not like Bob and Tom, you probably will not like this song. I, on the otherhand, love Bob and Tom and while this song is mean - it is funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAP3TEE2MDs

2 Month Pictures

2009-04-19T23:05:00.007-05:00

Here are some 2 month pictures of Jacob and a couple with his big brother. I can't believe it has been 2 months! So much has changed. I can't imagine life now without this little guy. He has been such a blessing.

Sorry for the rant

2009-04-17T12:17:00.002-05:00

Apparently last night I should have just gone to bed instead of ranting about that book. Maybe I was a little too critical.

I will suggest a great book that I currently reading with a couple of friends. The book is Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas. It is wonderful and gives a great perspective to raising children. Not an instruction manual, more like a "bring you back to what is really important" type of book. Check it out.

Baby-Wise? I don't think so...

2009-04-16T23:06:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have read the book On Becoming Baby Wise by Ezzo and Bucknam, I hope you understand what I am about to say. If you haven't read the book, I would suggest reading it, however be prepared to feel offended. I must say that I read this book feeling like a failure as a mother and a wife. I basically should never nurse or rock my baby to sleep or sleep in the same bed as my baby. Now, I understand this. I know it is not a good habit to nurse or rock a baby to sleep, but I also do not feel that doing this is going to cause them to have behavioral problems when they get older as the authors would have you to believe. Of course I understand the risks of sleeping in the same bed as my baby. I am not an idiot. In my defense, he always starts the night in his bassinet, but sometime in the middle of the night he ends up in bed with us. To tell you the truth I am on auto-pilot in the middle of the night and often do not even remember picking him up and putting him in bed with us. I'm on survival mode.

Now, this book says that sleep is such a natural thing and that by 9 weeks a baby should be sleeping through the night. I would love this, but because I am such a loser and have basically done everything wrong according to the authors, Jacob will probably not be sleeping through the night until he is 2. There are some good points to the book, but I would suggest that a sleep-deprived new mother NOT read this book. Trust me, you won't like it. Read it while you are still pregnant for some good tips, or after your baby turns two - you will at least get a good laugh out of it.

New Pictures

2009-04-14T20:14:00.001-05:00

Check out the link to Memories By Brandi on the side of my page to see awesome pictures that Brandi took of Jacob. She is so talented! Thank you Brandi. They are great. Jeff liked the picture of Jacob in the hat even though he thought it was silly looking!

A Fun Vacation

2009-04-12T20:43:00.008-05:00

We just returned home on Friday from a vacation. We traveled to Florida for some fun in the sun. It was a very interesting trip. It didn't start out too well with Jeff and I forgetting to put Jacob into the car. We got out to the garage and realized we left him in his car seat on the living room floor! Thank goodness we didn't actually leave. Talk about a real life "Home Alone" movie. Then I left my purse on the plane when we got to Florida. Jeff and I were running back through the airport. Thank goodness I got it back.

Monday we went to Gatorland and saw a bunch of alligators. It was fun. Tuesday we went to Sea World. The weather was chilly and very windy. Then Tuesday evening we ended up taking Jacob to an urgent care clinic because he would not stop crying and we knew something was wrong. He had ear infection in both ears. I felt so bad for him. They drew some blood and gave him an injection of an antibiotic. We were going to leave the next morning for Tampa but the doctor wanted us to come back to the clinic the next day and they do not open until 5:00pm. So we hung out in Orlando for another day and visited the "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" museum and went to a park to enjoy the beautiful weather. It was a relaxing day. We took Jacob back to the clinic and they gave him another injection and gave us a prescription for an oral antibiotic. We left for Tampa after that. So we didn't get there until around 9:00pm or so. Thursday we went to Clearwater Beach. It was crazy with people. We were in traffic for probably an hour and only stayed at the beach for about 30 minutes. The water was freezing! Adam loved the beach though. Friday was pretty much spent traveling back to Orlando to catch the plane.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

One Month and Beyond

2009-04-02T14:48:00.014-05:00

Here are some new pictures of the bambino. I can't believe that time has gone by so fast! Jacob is now 6 weeks old and he has changed so much!

Here are some one month pictures:

He's so smily!

Adam was showing Jacob all of his cars.

Jacob sleeping today with daddy:

Here is Adam assuming his normal picture-taking stance:

Here I am pretending that I haven't lost my mind...One more picture I forgot to post before. Here is Jeff after a long, hard evening of delivering a baby. Don't you just feel so sorry for him? It must be tough...

2 weeks and he's growing

2009-03-05T10:45:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday, Jacob had his 2 week checkup. Everything is going fine. He is about 1 lb. more than his birth weight weighing in at 8lb. 11 oz. I can't believe how much he has changed just in the last 2 weeks. Nights are not too bad, but I do miss the nights of sleeping solid without interruptions. I hope he starts sleeping at least 6 straight hours very soon. Jeff goes back to work tomorrow, and I am a little worried about how this is going to go. It has been so nice having both of us home to entertain Adam and take care of Jacob. For the most part, Adam has been pretty receptive of Jacob. He gets really jealous if Jeff is holding Jacob, but doesn't care so much if I am. So the harder part will be for Jeff when I go back to work.

Here are things that I really love about having a baby:

1) Cuddle time
2) Watching him develop and grow
3) Watching him sleep - LOVE IT!
4) Little outfits
5) Smelling him (without a dirty diaper)
6) Having him cry and then picking him up and he stops because he knows he is with mommy
7) When he looks at me cross-eyed
8) When he pees on Dad
9) His perfect ears
10) Little toes

He is FINALLY Here

2009-02-21T17:17:00.007-06:00

Well, after much anticipation our new baby has arrived. It is a boy, contrary to what most people thought it was going to be. His name is Jacob Matthew and he is just adorable. We feel so lucky to have a new healthy little boy to join our family. Big brother Adam is adjusting well. In fact he is doing better than I expected. I will post more later in regards to his arrival, but I wanted to get some pictures on here.

Today has come and gone

2009-02-11T22:36:00.003-06:00

So today was my official due date. Apparently we forgot to tell the baby this, because he or she is still nice and cozy in my stomach. I had a doctor's appointment today and she checked me. No real progress. She had originally said that they would induce me on Monday Feb. 16th but now because of my lack of progress, she is saying that she will wait until Wednesday Feb. 18th to induce. I go back on Monday and will be checked again. There is a possibility that she could induce me that day, only if I have started to dilate then. That could mean that I have a whole week left! Unbelievable. So, back to work for me tomorrow.

Today was a nice day off. I have just been so tired lately so this afternoon when Adam took a nap, so did I. In fact, I took about a 2 1/2 hour nap. It was wonderful. I am thinking that naps will be limited very soon, so we better take advantage of it while we can.

It's gotta happen soon

2009-02-08T15:36:00.002-06:00

So, now I am officially on the days countdown. I had an appointment on Thursday. It was uneventful. Just a weight and measurement check. I lost 2 pounds since the week before but my measurement was up. After the appointment, I started talking to Kelly about everything. Then I realized that I remember very little about what I am supposed to do when things start. With Adam, Jeff and I had went to classes and I felt prepared. Well, that was 3 years ago. When should I call the doctor? When do I go to the hospital? Do I call the doctors office or just go to the hospital? So, I had to call my midwife and ask all of the questions that I had forgotten. I go back to the doctor's on Wednesday. So we will see what happens then. Wednesday is my official due date. Jeff and I still do not have names settled. We are so indecisive.

On another note, things have been pretty uneventful. Jeff and I went to a movie last night thinking that it might be one of the last times for awhile. We went and saw "He Just Not That Into You." It was cute. I would recommend it.

Not much else to post. Next time I post, I could be the mother of 2 instead of 1. Scary!!

2 Weeks and on strict orders

2009-01-29T21:57:00.002-06:00

Today I had my 38 week visit. No news really. My measurement was back up so she was happy about that. I did lose a half a pound, which she wasn't happy about. But considering how crappy I felt this weekend and how little I ate, I am really surprised it wasn't more than that. She said that normal weight gain is 25-35 pounds. So far, I have gained almost 23 pounds. She gave me orders to eat Dairy Queen. Something I will be happy to do. I am thinking that tomorrow will be the perfect night to pick up a nice blizzard. She said that if I do not go into labor by the 16th, that they could induce me that day. So at the very latest I will be having this baby on the 16th. I guess it is really time to get serious about names, picking up supplies, and packing a bag for the hospital. Where in the world did the time go???

3 Weeks to go

2009-01-23T20:42:00.002-06:00

So, I am on the countdown for weeks now. Pretty soon, I will be on the countdown with days. Scary to think about. Everybody keeps asking me if I am ready. Honestly, I don't feel ready and I don't think that Jeff does either. Time has gone by so fast. I don't know how anyone could really be READY for a new baby. Physically - yes, I am ready. Mentally - not so much. How is this new baby going to change our lives? How can we possibly love another child as much as we love our first. I know that we will, but it is hard to imagine.

My appointment this week was a little scary. When the midwife measured me, she seemed concerned that I was measuring small for how far along that I am. Last week, I measured at 36, this week I measured at 33 and should be at 37. So, she hustled me a long for an ultrasound right away to check my fluid. It was a little scary, but everything is fine. The fluid is low, but still within the normal range. I just have instructions to get plenty of fluids. She just said that it is probably because I have been sick and taking Benadryl. So, no worries.

Hopefully, next week's visit will be uneventful. I will keep you posted.

4 Weeks to go

2009-01-14T21:38:00.002-06:00

Today I had my 36 week check-up with the doctor. Unfortunately, there really is no news to share. Basically, nothing is happening. She said I probably will not be going early, so looks like I have a few more weeks to go. I feel really good. I am tired most of the time and would give anything to have a solid 8 hours of sleep - but I guess it is just getting me ready for after the baby is born. Jeff and I are growing increasingly excited to meet this little guy or girl. Sitting in the doctors office this afternoon made me feel nervous for the arrival. What if we don't remember what we are supposed to do? I just hope it all comes back to us.

Big brother and I went to a sibling class this past weekend. He didn't really pay that much attention. He liked the cookies that he got, and that was about it. I just wonder what he will think of a new baby in the family. I hope he adjusts well and loves it with all of this heart.

My predictions: I think it is going to be a girl. She is going to be born 3 days late on Saturday February 14th (all of my mom's grandkids have been born on Saturday). She is going to be around 9 pounds (God help me now!!). I also predict a long labor. I am not sure what Jeff's predictions are. I will have to get them and put them on here. It will be fun to see how everything really happens. Oh one more thing that I predict - I predict a really nice epidural.

God bless you!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-12-30T19:59:00.007-06:00

While I might be a little late in posting a "Merry Christmas" post, I still wanted to send our wishes for a wonderful season. Our family had a wonderful Christmas. We feel very blessed during this time for what we have and the people we have surrounding us.

This last week or two has been busy (to say the least). Adam has been a very good boy through all of the excitment of Christmas. Here are some pictures from our time with family.

Here is Adam "cheesing" it up. He was so happy with everything he received.

This was a fun present that cousin Jack received. Adam loved wearing it.

Here is what Adam looked like after a long day of presents and playing:

Jeff and I could have crashed like this also, but instead we took this oppoutunity to "retire" some old toys so we could make room for the new toys.

Jeff and I hope that everyone is doing well and that everyone had a great Christmas. Again, we are so grateful that you are in our life. Please keep our family in your prayers as we head down the final few weeks of being a family of 3. We are very excited, nervous, and maybe a little scared about what lies ahead of us. We are confident that with God, our family and our friends that we will survive!

Birthday Pictures

2008-12-20T22:39:00.007-06:00

I know it is a little late, but here are some pictures from Adam's 3rd birthday party.

Adam had a great time. Thank you to all of our friends and family for making his 3rd birthday really special.

One Sunny Morning

2008-12-05T22:13:00.002-06:00

The other day, Adam wanted to read a book. It just so happened that the book he picked was a cookbook. So, he started flipping through the pages. He read "One sunny morning, they all had sandwiches." It was so cute. It is amazing how just within the last couple of months, Jeff and I have seen his imagination and cognitive thinking skills grow. He is getting to be such a smart little guy.

3 Fast Years

2008-11-25T22:45:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is Adam's third birthday. While it seems like it was just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital, it also seems like ages. He is excited for his birthday. Me on the other hand just think about how time is getting away from us. Everyone always says that you have to enjoy this time. I understand that, but am sure I will have a better appreciation for that advice as Adam gets older. It is hard for me to think about how else to enjoy this time. What will I wish that I would have done differently when I look back 5, 10, or 20 years from now? Will I wish that we would have gone on more vacations? Maybe it will be that we should have taken those swimming lessons or gone to story time more. I don't know. I have a feeling it will be the things like turning off the tv and playing games together, or sitting at the dinner table having silly conversations or playing at the park at every opportunity (even if I have a million other things that I need to get done around the house).

I think I am enjoying everything now, but I know there will be things when I look back and wish I would have appreciated them more. If anyone has any great advice - please share.

When you have a second, you should check out this song by Mark Harris called "Find Your Wings". I love it. It really talks about how I feel right now. It is great. I hope you enjoy it also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnA1XhEcROA

In the mean time, while I am trying to enjoy Adam - I also have what feels like an alien in my stomach! We are reaching the time that when it moves around, my stomach moves around and it feels like it's about to reach through my stomach. This is my favorite thing about being pregnant. I love feeling the baby move and watch it move around in my stomach. It cracks me up. Jeff loves it to. It just kind of blows our minds.

I will post more with birthday pictures.

Check out our pictures

2008-11-12T22:50:00.002-06:00

Check out www.memoriesbybrandi.blogspot.com to view some of the recent family pictures that Brandi took. She does an awesome job! If you ever want pictures done, she's your girl. She always has a way with getting the kids in their most natural ways. She is wonderful.

Thank you so much Brandi! Can't wait to see the rest.

While you are there check out the other pictures that she has done. She is so creative. There is also a link on the side of my blog called "Memories by Brandi."

Guess what we're doing

2008-11-12T22:37:00.005-06:00

I'll show you 3 pictures. Guess what we are doing:

This evening, Jeff and I were upstairs putting stuff away and Adam was downstairs. He started laughing and talking but we couldn't really make out what he was saying. Next thing we know he is upstairs with no clothes on. He proceeded to tell us that there was a mess downstairs and that there was water on the floor. He wanted me to go look at it. I said to Jeff "I am afraid to go down there." When I walked into the bathroom, I found water everywhere and the toilet was overflowing. Apparently, Adam had to go to the bathroom and decided to stuff the remaining toilet paper into the toilet. I do not know how much toilet paper was on the roll, but it was obviously too much to go down the toilet. So, along with of the other mess we had going on in our house with the carpet getting installed, we had toilet water everywhere. It has been great.

Oh, one other thing. Adam was playing with the doorbell and now it will just start buzzing for no reason. Probably going to have to get a new one of those also. Like I said before - It never ends!

What a day

2008-11-12T22:14:00.003-06:00

Today has been an interesting day. It started that I woke up and felt really crappy. Had a sore throat and a big headache. I had a doctor's appointment scheduled for 8:30 (OB appointment) and was planning on going to work before my appointment. When I woke up and felt bad, I called work to tell them that I would just be in after my doctor's appointment. Then I slept for about another 45 minutes. That helped a little, but still have the sore throat. I am sure it is just sinus stuff. No big deal.

Anyway, I went to my normal checkup. It was my 28 week appointment where I had to drink that yummy (not really), sweet, sugary, orange drink and then get my blood drawn (after waiting one hour). Hopefully that all comes back ok. Everything is going well. The baby is very active and while the nurse was trying to hear the heart beat, the baby was moving all around like it wanted to be left alone. It was kind of funny.

Then we got new carpet installed today in our 2 upstairs bedrooms. It looks really nice and I really like it. The bad thing is now the other carpet in our house looks old and bad. I swear it never ends. Our house is a mess. We had to empty out everything from upstairs. We have put a lot of the stuff back, and I just want to burn everything else. I do not even want to sort through it. We have so many clothes, it makes me sick. I am just going to bag it all up and take it to a church or something. I need to declutter.

So, I think that this is the first time that I have sat down all night. We have been moving stuff, Jeff had to trim the doors to the bedrooms and closets so they would close, and I have been trying to pick up the house a little and set back up the desktop computer - which is a pain in itself. After our desktop computer dies, we will never own anything other than a laptop.

If you have made it to the end of reading this post, thanks for caring. It makes me tired to go back and re-read it for proof-reading so I apologize if there are a ton of mistakes. I need to go to bed now. I am hoping that when I wake up in the morning, I will have found that the "house-cleaning/organizing fairy" came overnight and my house will be all organized and clutter-free.

Halloween Treats

2008-11-03T21:38:00.005-06:00

Adam is finally over his little "cold" or whatever it was he had. So let me just say that he is a totally different little boy when he doesn't feel well. After my last post, you probably are thinking that he is a little terror. So, I will just say that I am so glad that he is feeling better. He is so much more fun to be around when he feels well.

Here are some pictures from Halloween.

A Royal Melt-down

2008-10-30T22:41:00.002-05:00

Adam will be 3 next month. I have always heard of the "terrible twos" and have thought that maybe we just got really lucky because Adam has never been terrible - that is until tonight. Now I know that he doesn't feel good because he has a cold, and he didn't get a nap - so I know that is probably why we had a melt-down this evening. Oh my goodness. I have never heard or seen him act out the way he did tonight. He was hitting, talking back, and flailing all around.

It started at Lowes. We tried to look at carpet. He was good at first until we had to leave. He was pretty much on the ground in the parking lot screaming that he didn't want to leave. Then we got home. Things calmed down for a little bit. Then I wanted to put his Halloween costume on him so I could see where I needed to pin it. That was the worst decision I made all night, in fact it could possibly be the worst decision I have made this year. He did not want to take it off. Screaming and crying I had to peel it off of him. Let me just say that I have never felt so frustrated in my entire life. I had to tell Jeff that if I EVER say that I want more kids after this next one - that he is supposed to remind me of this night. I can't even re-live tonight anymore. I can feel my blood pressure rising just typing this. So, hopefully tomorrow will be a better night. If it isn't - I might be admitting myself into the Psych ward at the hospital tomorrow.

I hope everyone else is doing well and that there have been no major melt-downs in your life.

Happy Halloween!

Disney Fun

2008-10-12T21:05:00.009-05:00

On Friday, Adam and I, along with Kelly and her kids attended Playhouse Disney Live! On Tour in Moline at the I Wireless Center. I think everyone had a really good time. At first, Adam was kind of in a bad mood because we woke him up from his nap, but that quickly changed. Here are a few pictures.

Here is a picture of the Handy Manny hard hat that came with cotton candy. Was it worth $10? Probably not, but Adam has barely taken it off since we got home.

Handy Manny is Adam's FAVORITE. He loves all of the tools.

After the show, we took the kids to Chucky Cheese for pizza and games.

I think that everyone had a good time. All of the kids were so well behaved.

They were very fun.

Daycare germs

2008-09-28T15:26:00.003-05:00

So, one the joys of taking your child to day care is that they are exposed to a variety of different germs. Well, Friday was no exception at Adam's day care. He started sneezing yesterday and in the late evening he started acting like he didn't feel well. Last night in the middle of the night, he woke up to go to the bathroom and I went up to help him. He was burning up with a fever of 101.9. Poor little guy. I gave him Tylenol and he went back to sleep. This morning he seemed to feel good and was running around playing. Then around noon, he crashed on my lap and started running another fever. Thank goodness Grandma was able to drop off some more Tylenol. Right now, he is sleeping in my bed. I hope he feels better soon. I will say that this is probably the quietest afternoon I have had for a long time. It's kind of strange. Keep Adam in your prayers. We want him to get well soon.

A Big Day

2008-09-26T18:20:00.003-05:00

Today was Adam's first full day of going to day care. Jeff has taken him a few days last week and stayed with him to play - hoping he wouldn't be so bad when we left him for the first time. But today I had to leave him for the whole day. It was a sad morning. We got there and went to the cafeteria and I sat there and ate with him, then I took him to his room where things went down hill. He knew I was leaving and clung to my legs. Then he started whimpering quietly with big crocodile tears going down his cheek. I reassured him (which didn't really help) and then left. I was so sad thinking about him in there crying. Then I got some good reports at a couple of different times during the day from other parents that were dropping and picking up kids. I also couldn't resist sneaking over there with Brandi to see if he was outside. Brandi was so nice to walk all of the way over to the day care center to look at thim playing outside. She reassured me that he was fine. That made me feel much better. I can't thank Brandi and Kelly enough for the support they gave me today and also during this whole thing. They have given me reassurance that it WILL BE OK! Christy and Cara have also been wonderful with their advice. It is so great to have good friends to work with.

When I went to pick him up, I tried to sneak in hoping that I would be able to spy on him for a few minutes, but that didn't work. He spotted me right away and came over to me with a sad look on his face. When he got to me, he started telling me all of the fun stuff he did during the day. He colored me a picture and went potty on the red potty. He was pretty proud and had to show me the potty. He said he had a lot of fun and that he made friends. And while his cheeks are stained with tears, I think that he had a fun day and that we will try it again next week.

Why I love fall

2008-09-22T21:32:00.002-05:00

I know this really has nothing to do with what is going on in our life, but I found this picture online earlier and fell in love with it. When I get rich, this is where I want to live in the fall. It will just be a vacation home. Isn't this picture the ultimate of what fall is? This is a picture taken in Southwestern Vermont. One of these days, Jeff and I will take a vacation and just drive all over Vermont and look at the fall colors. I only wish I was good at photography and could make a living doing it. I guess I will have to settle for Iowa falls for awhile. It's not so bad either.

My Favorite Cowboy

2008-09-08T21:46:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we went to the rodeo in Ft. Madison. First we went to the parade and Adam loved watching the horses, tractors, and trucks. Then that evening we went to the rodeo. It was Adam's first trip to the rodeo, and although it rained, I think he really liked it. He even got his own cowboy hat. It's pretty cute.

Other than that, we have just been busy working on the potty training thing and playing outside. Things are starting up for the year. We start KinderMusik tomorrow night and then start Bible study back up on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I have to miss the first night of Bible study because I have a massage scheduled. I know, poor me! I can't wait for the massage, it will be wonderful. It is just scary to think that Christmas will be here soon. It seems like this time of year just flys by. Before we know it, Jeff and I will be bringing a new baby home from the hospital. Which reminds me - I felt the baby move for the first time last Thursday evening. Now everything seems so real. I always knew that it was real - but now it's REALLY REAL. It was my favorite part of being pregnant with Adam. I love feeling it move. When you think about it though, it is so weird. There is literally a human being in my stomach moving around and pushing on my stomach. It blows my mind. There is no real way to describe it, it's just awesome. I will admit though, when it moves around when it is about 8-9 months - things do get a little uncomfortable.

The potty-training extravaganza

2008-08-26T22:30:00.002-05:00

So, we are on approximately day 5 of the potty training experience. We started last week around Wednesday or Thursday putting Adam in training pants and no diapers. He has had one accident at Aunt Mandi's on Friday, but other than that - no accidents. He doesn't like the feel of pee on his legs, so I think he is going down the right path. It is so true that they just have to be ready and there really is no use in trying to make it happen any sooner. I also must admit, there is nothing cuter than seeing his skinny little butt in real underwear. He is just getting to be so big and independent. It's good, but sad for mom and dad. He also enjoys going to the bathroom outside. With the weather being so nice, we have been outside every night. There is no time to run inside to go to the bathroom, so he has found a nice big bush to pee on. The joys of being a boy, I guess. Us girls will never understand.

On another note, I had a doctor's appointment last week. Everything is going fine. The heartbeat was 156. It is so amazing to hear the heartbeat. So far, my pants are tight but other than that I haven't felt any movement or anything yet. I've gained a little over 2 pounds, but it feels like 20. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that I actually am pregnant, so it's nice to hear the heartbeat. According to Becky (my midwife) I should be feeling movement by my next appointment. That's my favorite part!!

A mommy moment

2008-08-17T22:26:00.002-05:00

I do not know who it was that told me, or where I heard it from, but there is one piece of advice that I have received as a mom that I think is probably the best advice that any parent could ever receive. The advice - Always take the time to watch your child sleep. Out of all of the advice that I have gotten (which has been A LOT), I think that is possibly the best.

Yesterday afternoon, I layed Adam down for a nap and decided to lay with him for a little bit. He did his usual - singing, talking, rolling around - but then he got quiet and drifted off to sleep. Next thing I know I am laying there next to him just watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful. I just think that at the moments when I want to pull my hair out and scream, I just need to remember how he looks when he sleeps. All of the smiles, frowns, sounds, and movements that he makes is just priceless. I probably could have watched him for hours.

So this is my advice (well not really MY advice) that I am passing on. No matter what age your child is, I truly believe that you should take time to watch them sleep. It will be well worth your time.

It's starting to "pop"

2008-08-13T21:55:00.002-05:00

First thing this morning I had 2 people say to me - You're really starting to pop. Not that I was offended or anything. It's not a bad thing. The only bad thing about this morning - I was just about to stand up in front of 12 people to do an orientation at work. All I could think about was "Oh my gosh. My stomach is sticking out. Everyone is looking at it. They all think I'm fat. Maybe I should somehow bring up that I am pregnant." Now, obviously the fact that I am pregnant would not come up in a new hire orientation so I basically had to suck it up and just let them think that I was fat. I hate this stage where things are getting a little too tight, but yet it's way too early to wear maternity clothes. Oh well, I guess I better enjoy it while I can.

Scavenger Hunt

2008-08-08T22:22:00.006-05:00

This evening we met with a group of friends and had a scavenger hunt. We had an awesome time! We had to go around town and do silly things. It was hysterical. My ultimate fave was watching Mike be a greeter at Wal-Mart. We got in trouble from the "real" greeter for taking pictures, but we were in and out so fast that she couldn't do too much. Here are a couple of pictures from our night.

This is Jeff washing the windshield of a stranger at Casey's gas station. The lady was very thankful!

Here is the group on the carousel in front of KMart.

Connie in front of the "Flavor of the Day" sign at Culver's

Brandi did a great job of putting it all together. We really had a lot of fun.

Fun with the cousins

2008-08-07T22:35:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures from the other day when Caitlyn and Jack came over and played.

Jack was more willing to pose for a picture than Adam.

They had a lot of fun. Thanks for coming over! We love you Jack and Caity!

Baby Poll

2008-08-07T22:27:00.002-05:00

I have placed a poll on this blog where you can say what you are predicting our baby to be. Place your prediction and see where other people voted! Notice that I did not put the option of twins on there. If that ends up being the case, I will likely shoot myself.

Oh the joys of prenancy

2008-08-05T22:06:00.002-05:00

There are lots of good things about being pregnant. I must admit that I liked being pregnant with Adam (until the end - then it was no fun). Anyway, it's funny how soon a person forgets all of the other little things about being pregnant. While I haven't had tons of changes and symptoms yet, there is one thing that is rearing it's little head. For those of you who have had kids - you will totally understand. Basically, I would give anything just to sleep through the night without having to make a middle-of-the-night trip to the bathroom. Last night I had to make 2 trips! Oh it just drives me crazy. I just want to sleep the whole night through. I guess maybe it's just your body's way of preparing you for when you actually have the baby and have to get up all night. Other than that, things are pretty good. My pants are getting tighter and my stomach is getting rounder and harder. Jeff says that it's getting harder because of all of the sit-ups I have been doing. I don't know what he's thinking. I hate to say it but I haven't done a sit-up for a LONG time. I think it's his way of trying to make me feel better.

Jeff is teaching Adam to "talk" to the baby now. It is so funny. Adam will only talk into my belly button (because otherwise the baby couldn't hear him - ha, ha). He says "Hi Baby" in a really high-pitched voice. On Saturday I was sitting on the couch and Adam came up to my belly and said (into my belly button of course) "Hi Baby, I love you." It was adorable. I wish I would have caught it on video.

Brandi and I checked the Chinese birth chart today. According to it, we will be having a boy. Although it has been accurate for almost everyone in our office and was accurate when I had Adam, I'm not placing any bets on it. Brandi is convinced it is wrong and we are having a girl. Guess we will just have to wait and see!

I will kick your A--

2008-07-31T22:30:00.002-05:00

Today at dinner, Adam dropped the A-bomb. It was not appropriate at all, however I had to giggle a little to myself. It's so funny to hear a 30 pound 2 year old tell you that he is going to kick your butt. I'm thinking we need to start being careful of what is on the tv. However it is very hard when there is such horrible language on primetime, network television.

It's crazy how things have changed. Even cartoons are getting bad. We had Sponge Bob on the other day. That was a mistake. That cartoon is horrible. First of all, it is annoying. Secondly, they are so mean to each other on that show. On that particular episode, one of the characters said "Stupid, dumb animal." After that Adam started saying "Stupid Animal" and he says it still today. Drives me crazy. The other thing that annoys me about Sponge Bob is that it is on ALL OF THE TIME! Oh, and another thing is that it makes no sense. You are telling me that there is some sponge that lives in the ocean and has a creepy pink friend (Patrick, I think?). What in the world is Patrick anyway? Uugh. I would rather watch Caillou for 10 hours straight than watch Sponge Bob for 5 minutes. And for those of you who know how I feel about Caillou understand how huge of a statement that is. Ok, I'm done.

Right now it is 10:35 and Adam is upstairs in bed singing Old McDonald. It doesn't sound like he is going to fall asleep anytime soon...

Our News

2008-07-26T22:02:00.004-05:00

So, as some of you might know - Jeff and I are expecting child number 2. We are excited, but a little nervous. I hope that we can handle 2. Honestly, I don't know how have we handled one but - we have. I am due in February, so I really am not very far along. Just about 12 weeks. We had our first doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago, but it was too early and we could not hear the heartbeat. We went back this week and was able to hear it. It is so neat to hear it for the first time. We will not be finding out if we are having a boy or a girl. We didn't know with Adam, and it was a lot of fun. However, it would be very nice to know because if we are going to have a girl - I have a TON of boys stuff to get rid of. We will just have to wait until spring. So, my due date is February 11. I will probably write a lot about it in this blog, so hopefully you won't mind. Maybe this will help me journal things about my pregnancy that I didn't do very well with Adam. Anyway, keep our family in your prayers. We are doing well so far, but a little extra faith never hurt anyone.

Class Reunion Photos

2008-07-23T21:44:00.006-05:00

Here are a few of pictures from my class reunion this past weekend:

Me and Jennifer - one of my oldest friends

Me and Mindy - oh what fun we used to have!!

The planning committee - Thank goodness this night was here!

Jeff and I - Aren't we cute?

It's 9:30 and all is calm

2008-07-23T21:32:00.002-05:00

For the first time in a LONG time, it is 9:30 and I am in bed ready to go to sleep. If you were to ask me when the last time I was ready for bed at this time, my best guess would be that it was before Adam was born. Today Adam and Dad had a busy day. It was so nice out that they pretty much stayed outside all afternoon and played. So busy in fact, that there was no time for a nap. Now every once and awhile, we skip naps and Adam still goes to bed around his normal time (which I hate to admit is around 10:00pm - maybe 9:30 if we're lucky). Anyway, Adam must have been so worn out that at 7:30 tonight, he was sitting quietly on Jeff's lap just zoning out. By 8:00, he was out. Jeff got a little snuggle time in with him and we put him to bed at 8:30. Jeff and I were so excited that we didn't know what to do. So what would any normal married couple do with this quiet, alone time?? DAIRY QUEEN, OF COURSE!! I enjoyed myself a mint oreo blizzard that I didn't have to share with anyone. Jeff got a peanut buster parfait which he normally doesn't get to enjoy because of Adam's allergy to peanuts. Oh, what a wonderful evening it was. As long as Adam doesn't wake up at 11:00 tonight thinking that he was just taking a nap, we will be in good shape.

Well, off to bed I go. Sweet dreams.

You have to be patient

2008-07-20T22:26:00.003-05:00

Earlier today, we were sitting around the table for lunch. Out of no where, Adam says "You have to be patient." Where do you think he has heard that before? I'm thinking he has heard me saying it to myself. It was so funny to hear a 2 year old talk about being patient. I'm thinking that most 2 year olds are the polar opposite of patient. Of all people to be saying that you need to be patient. Give me a break.

A Quick Update

2008-07-13T22:27:00.002-05:00

Peace and quiet at last - or at least, that's what I thought. Adam is on this kick where he wants daddy and only daddy to lay with him at night before he goes to sleep. Mom just isn't cutting it anymore - or at least isn't for this month. Anyway, Jeff and Adam were laying down upstairs, so I decide (after a little encouragement from Connie) to do some writing. Notice, I said "were laying down upstairs." Jeff is now downstairs in the living room and Adam is upstairs yelling "Mommy, Mommy." All of a sudden, at the exact moment I start to type, Mom is the person he wants, not daddy. Whatever.

Anyway, real quickly. Not much happening on our home front. We went to the balloon glow in Ft. Madison last night. I must say that it was pretty pathetic. At least, I wasn't impressed. Then they had fireworks after the glow. Adam is so cute. He calls fireworks - thunderworks. It is darling.

(Oh, if you are wondering - Adam is quiet right now. Maybe he has gone to sleep...)

Other than the balloon glow, we haven't been up to very much. Just playing outside and going to the park. My 10 year class reunion is this weekend. I am excited to see friends that I haven't seen for years. This past Saturday a few of us got together to print the memory books. It is so neat to look through the information that people submitted. We've still got some work to do this week, but things are falling into place. Now if I could just figure out what to wear. Jeff says that he is going out and buying a new tuxedo t-shirt to wear. Can you imagine him showing up wearing that? I would honestly probably have to ditch him at the door. Hopefully I will have some fun pics to post after the reunion. There will be NO pictures of Jeff in a tuxedo t-shirt, however there might be some pictures of me dancing on the tables. Oh wait, did I say dancing on the tables? What I really meant was napping on the tables. These days, I would rather nap than dance.

Fun in the Sun

2008-07-05T17:07:00.005-05:00

Today Adam got to go and play with his buddy Hunter. They had fun playing on Hunter's slip n' slide. Although the water was pretty cold, it didn't slow either of them down.
Adam had a great time. Thank you Hunter and Christy for letting us come over and play!

What does a 2-year old eat?

2008-06-26T22:30:00.002-05:00

Lately, Adam has become much more picky about what he will eat. He used to be great about eating his vegetables and fruits. He would pretty much eat anything we gave him. Now, for some reason eating is becoming much more of a challenge. His menu is limited. He pretty much wants to go to McDonald's and eat chicken nuggets and french fries. We are trying to limit the fast food, so McDonald's usually isn't an option. Other that that, he would love to eat cookies, cake, and Curious George snacks (gummy fruit snacks) for every meal. Oh wait, he also eats pancakes. How could I forget about that?

So last night, we all went to the store. I was in the cat food aisle and spotted some cat treats. I thought - Well, I don't treat the cat the nicest, maybe I should get him some treats. I asked Adam if we should get the cat some treats. That was my first mistake. I said the word "treat". All through the rest of the store Adam kept saying that he wanted a kitty treat. I thought that he would forget about it by the time that we got home, but I wasn't so lucky. When we got home, we had all of the bags sitting on the floor and he started looking through them trying to find these treats. So I think - Well he thinks he wants a treat. Maybe I should let him have one. So I open the bag and hand one to Adam. (Second mistake) I told him to smell it thinking that there is no way he will stick it in his mouth after he smells it. Wrong again. He put it in his mouth, chewed it and the swallowed it. He actually ate the treat and wanted another one because it was "yummy". Of course I didn't give him another one. So apparently Adam likes Salmon and Tuna flavored cat treats. Who would've guessed?

Oh, where has the time gone?

2008-06-22T22:06:00.005-05:00

I wish I had more to update you on, but so far life is just going by one day at a time. I remember when I was in school how it just seemed like the days and weeks dragged on and on. Now, time just flys by so fast. I cannot believe that June is almost half over AND the year is half over.

I have my 10 year class reunion next month. While so much has changed over the last 10 years, it seems like it was just yesterday. When I think of some of the major changes and accomplishments that I have had during this time after high school, it makes me wonder what will happen in the next 10 years. By far, the thing I am most proud of is my family. Although Adam is pushing me to my limits lately, he and Jeff make me so happy. (I will save my frustrations with the "terrible twos" for another post - trust me I have plenty!)

This past weekend, we had our "girl's night (day) out." We went to the Medium downtown and painted pottery. It was a lot of fun. I painted a "birthday plate" that you get to eat your cake off of when it is your birthday. Check out my masterpiece:Here is a group picture:

We had a lot of fun. I can't wait to go back and do another piece. I think I need to do a bowl for the ice cream!

PS - We missed you Shawna!

This is my life

2008-06-09T21:28:00.006-05:00

I know, I know it has been a few days (ok, maybe more than a few) since I have posted. I have a valid excuse, although maybe it is not the greatest. Ever since Adam got his big boy bed, either Jeff or I have had to lay with him when we lay him down. So, during my normal time when I can get on the Internet, I have probably been laying in bed with Adam. The good news is though, that for the last 4 nights, he has slept all night without getting out of bed. We normally lay with him until he falls asleep, and then around 3-4:00 am, we hear his feet hit the floor and then the stairs start creaking. However, the last 4 nights have been good. No middle-of-the-night carrying him back up to bed. Right now, Jeff is upstairs laying with him. So, here I am. I am also enjoying Nashville Star. By the way - where is Tony Marques??? http://www.tonymarques.com/ He should totally be on here. He would win - right Kelly?? Love it.

So, what has been going on in our life you ask - not a whole lot. Just work and home. Jeff is working really long hours on the weekends, so Adam and I just hang out. I am starting to teach a Sunday School class at church for the summer. Last Sunday was my first day, but next Sunday will be my official first day when I will be on my own. It will be a great experience and I am really looking forward to it. So that's my news. Jeff has just been working hard and lovin every minute of it (not really). I would love for him to get a new job. These long days are not good on him. He gets little sleep, but he is always a good sport about it.

Adam is being a little (a lot) ornery. Jeff swears he doesn't act like this when I am not around. So apparently, I bring it out in him. For the life of me, I cannot get him to listen. He constantly plays with things that we ask him not to. I think I had a small breakthrough this evening though. He thought it would be funny to throw all of his Alphabet magnet pieces on the floor. Then he started banging the cabinet doors. He sat in time out, and then I asked him if he would pick up the magnets - and he actually did it! I about fell over I was so surprised.

If you don't believe me that he is being a little stinker. Check out this picture. Earlier this evening, I was in the other room and walked into the living room and found Adam there holding this:Yes - that's sunblock. All over our carpet. If you look really closely, you will see the smile on his face. He thought it was pretty funny. Jeff and I didn't agree. I guess that you live and you learn. Don't leave a bottle of sunblock within a 2 year old's grasp.

Other than the sunblock incident, we did have one other funny thing happen. We had a little visitor to the neighborhood this evening.

There was a little deer that just walked through our yard and then through all of the neighbor's yards. He enjoyed a little taste of the neighbor's rhubarb and the corn she has sitting out the squirrels.

So that brings you up to date. Hopefully the next time I post will be before Adam graduates high school!! :)

Someone give me some Tums, please!

2008-05-30T21:38:00.003-05:00

Holy cow! Tonight has been one of the most annoying, frustrating nights EVER. I do not know what Grandma gave Adam today, but I do know that it must have included sugar, caffeine, and more sugar. Adam was so wound up this evening, I wanted to pull my hair out. It started about 15 minutes after we got home. All he did was run around, mess with things that he shouldn't and not listen. First, he had his normal 2 minute time out. Then there was another 2 minute time out - followed by another. Finally I got so frustrated, I made him sit in time out for 5 minutes which ended up being about 10 because he wouldn't sit still and be quiet. I was so happy to see Jeff when he got home.

After a little bit, Adam got distracted (for only about 5 minutes) and I was just sitting on the floor - not knowing if I should cry, laugh, or scream. Then I realized that my stomach was in knots. I was so stressed that my nerves were shot. I was finished. Then Adam got bored with whatever it was he was doing and he started climbing on me. I decided at that point that I might as well give up. There really is no hope anymore. Adam is 2 1/2 now and I think that it is only going to get worse.

Like Father, Like Son

2008-05-25T22:29:00.005-05:00

I just wanted to post a couple of pictures. Adam LOVES to help mom and dad! Whenever I get out the vacuum, he always gets his toy vacuum out and helps me. Jeff was mowing the lawn this evening and Adam wanted to help. These pictures were just too cute!

No success yet

2008-05-21T22:14:00.003-05:00

Things on the bed front are not going so well. Adam has slept in his bed a couple of nights, but the past couple of nights, he has not even wanted to try to sleep there. We still have his crib up in his bedroom (this could be the problem) and he wants to sleep there. He has told me the last couple of nights that he wants to sleep in his "baby bed." If anyone has any advice - we would love to get it. It's just that he just sleeps so good when he is in his crib. He normally sleeps all through the night, where when he slept in his bed those couple of nights, he wakes up at every little sound. Who knows, maybe he will be sleeping there until he turns 16.

Other than that, things have been pretty quiet around here. No major stories to tell. The weather has been nice, so we have just been outside playing and having fun. Adam says something new everyday. We are just amazed at what he picks up (and a little worried). We are trying to work on "Please and Thank you" because he is BOSSY and DEMANDING! "Mommy come here now. Daddy pick me up. Kitty get down. I NEED a cookie!!" He is also now able to tell you what the difference between a boy and a girl is - and it's NOT that boys have short hair and girls have long hair - if you know what I mean.

Big Boy Bed

2008-05-18T23:01:00.003-05:00

Adam got his first "big boy bed" last Thursday. So far he has only slept it in one night. The other 2 nights he has opted to sleep in his crib. Tonight is going to be the second night that he has slept in his big boy bed - or at least that is where he is now as of 11:00pm. We will see if he stays there the whole night. It is quite a transition and I imagine that it is kind of scary for him.

It is kind of hard to see in the picture, but we bought him some car sheets with the hope that it will entice him to sleep there. They are, however, probably the ugliest sheets ever made.

Wish us luck!

Our Family Trip

2008-05-13T22:19:00.006-05:00

Jeff, Adam and I just got back this afternoon from a little trip. We went for an overnight stay up in the Quad Cities. We didn't have huge plans, but we did get to do plenty. I thought that I would share some pictures that chronicles our trip.

First we went to the Family Museum. Adam mainly liked to sit on the car, fire truck, tractor, and truck that they had on display.

After we left the museum, we went out for dinner and then Adam and Jeff went swimming.

After we got Adam out of the pool (which he wasn't very happy about), we went back to our room and tried to go to sleep. This was Adam's first night in a hotel so it was interesting.

Today we went to Niabi Zoo. It is a nice little zoo. Adam liked it, but was more interested in the train that they have that you can take a trip on. Although you cannot tell by this picture, the train was probably his favorite part of the zoo.

For our first family trip, I would say it was successful. Adam has talked about going to the zeeum (a.k.a. Museum) and riding the train all afternoon today. While I would not pick the same hotel, we will probably plan something like this again next year. The travel time was perfect and the places that we visited were not too big and not too small. It was just right for a family traveling with a toddler.

However, I couldn't be happier to be home. There is some great truth to the saying "Home Sweet Home."

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T22:48:00.003-05:00

Today was Mother's Day. Adam and I hung out all day together while Daddy was at work. We didn't do too much. We did get to visit Grandma Karen, Grandpa JC, Aunt Steph, Grandma Pam and Grandpa Greg so that was nice. Then we just came home and played and ordered pizza. There was no way that I was cooking on Mother's Day.

It is so hard to believe that I am actually a mother. I am responsible for another human being. As mind blowing as that is, I love it and can't imagine our life any different. Adam has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. God has truly blessed Jeff and I with a happy, healthy little boy. We are so thankful.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Nudd the Stud

2008-05-08T22:34:00.003-05:00

Jeff has this memory from school of this older kid, who for some reason, chose to pick on him. Jeff swears that this kid just had something against him for no reason, but he would kind of pick on him. I know, I know ... poor Jeff. I think he got over it and has had no permanent issues from this experience. Anyway, to this day Jeff will still talk about this guy and how much of a jerk he is and how he cannot stand him. No matter what this guy is like today, Jeff will always think of him like he was in high school. I can't blame him. I would probably do the same. Anyway, the one thing Jeff remembers about this kid was that he would always call him "Nudd the Stud." I think it is hysterical - mainly because I bet that Jeff really did think that he was a stud back then.

Anyway, so tonight Adam has really been on this kick of repeating everything we say. He has been repeating us for quite awhile, but tonight we could pretty much get him to say anything we told him to. So, first I asked him to say this full name. Adam has never done this before. If we have asked him what his name is he will just say "Adam." Tonight I asked him if he could say his whole name, then I said it and had him repeat me. He said his whole name and hearing him say it was just adorable. Then we asked him to say "Nudd the Stud" and he said it, and said it again, and again, and again. It was awesome. I think Jeff might develop a complex hearing this again, and from his own son! So next time you see Jeff, be sure to call him "Nudd the Stud" - I am sure he will just love it.

The Wheels on the Bus

2008-05-02T21:47:00.004-05:00

The other day I was driving to work grooving to the tunes that were playing on the cd player. (Picture me grooving - it was awesome!) Anyway, I got about half way to work when I suddenly realized that I was "grooving" to Adam's KinderMusik cd. This cd consists of songs like "The Wheels on the Bus" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad."

This has got to be a sure sign that I have officially become the mother of a toddler. The saddest part of the whole thing was how long it took for me to realize what I was listening to. I was actually enjoying singing along to these songs. Now don't get me wrong, Adam and I love to sing these songs together. I even turn the wipers on when we sing about the wipers going wash, wash, wash and I honk the horn when we sing about the horn going beep, beep, beep (which I am sure everyone we are going past just loves). It's just that things are a little different when your 2 year old is not with you and you are singing those songs. I quickly turned the cd off and put the Bob and Tom Show on. I needed something totally opposite of KinderMusik and you can't get much more opposite than the Bob and Tom Show.

So, if you ever pull up beside me while I am driving and you see me singing, I will probably be singing about the Wheels on the Bus. If you can see in the backseat and see that Adam is not there, please try to get my attention and bring me back to reality. If Adam is in the backseat, feel free to honk your horn and turn on your wipers, and join in. Trust me - it's a great time!

P.S. - I have a feeling that there are other moms and dads out there reading this that have done the same thing - Admit it!

It's been one of those days

2008-04-24T22:27:00.002-05:00

Maybe it's the fact that it is Thursday and the week is almost over. Maybe it's the fact that the weather is crappy out. Maybe it's the fact that I am tired and just wanting to relax. More likely - God is testing my patience. Adam is usually a very well behaved little boy. Sure he has his moments, but normally he is a joy to be around with very little problems.

Tonight has been something else. We have KinderMusik every week. Usually it is on Tuesdays but this week it was moved to Thursday. We thought that it would be fun for Grandma and Grandpa attend KinderMusik with us tonight. That didn't work out as well as expected. While it was very nice to have them watch, that is all Adam could concentrate on. They ended up leaving after it got started. I felt really bad, but they were understanding. Jeff's mom is probably the most compassionate person I have ever met and his dad probably takes the award for the most patient person on the face of the planet. However, no offense to them or anyone else - we will probably not be inviting anyone else to KinderMusik again.

The evening just went downhill from there. At least it seemed like it at the time. Honestly as I sit here typing this tonight - I realize that Adam didn't really act up the rest of the night. I feel bad now thinking that he was being bad. He was just being 2. He wanted to jump, run, climb, and play. I wanted to relax, relax, relax, and relax. Unfortunately for me, that wasn't going to happen. The more I think about it, the more I think that I really need to cherish this time when he wants me to play with him. One of these days before I know it, he will want to go to his room, shut the door and have nothing to do with Jeff or me. Those will be the days that I get to relax. At least, that is what I am hoping.

March of Dimes

2008-04-18T22:24:00.002-05:00

I am going to participate in the March of Dimes walk the first weekend in May. If you are interested in sponsoring me, you can click on the link on my blog and donate. I am sure that the babies would appreciate it. There are so many great causes out there, but this is something that I feel strongly about. Also, if you are interested in joining our team, let me know. It will be a fun morning plus it will be great exercise - all while raising money for a worthy cause!

Dead raccoon - A lesson in life

2008-04-15T22:36:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Adam and Jeff went on a walk around the neighborhood. During their walk, Adam discovered a dead raccoon laying along the curb. He asked daddy if he could "Pet the kitty?" How do you explain this to a 2 year old?

Thank goodness for girlfriends

2008-04-12T22:37:00.004-05:00

Tonight was our monthly "girls night out" night. We visited a wine tasting shop in downtown Ft. Madison. It was a very quaint setting with hardwood floors, brick walls and dark red-painted tin ceilings. They feature wines from local vineyards. It is called Meier's Den. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I am usually not a wine type of person, but did find a couple that I really did enjoy. In fact, I bought 2 bottles to bring home. Now, those same 2 bottles will probably be here next year at this same time - but that's ok.

The best part of the evening was spending a couple of hours with friends. I love spending time with Jeff and Adam, but there is nothing like spending time with other "girls". We just get to laugh and be silly. A few of us do not know each other as well so it is great getting to know them. It is also awesome to get to keep in touch with others who you know pretty well but do not get to talk to as much as you would like. We had a great time and I can't wait until next month.

When I got home, Adam and Jeff were looking out the bathroom window on the second floor. Adam was yelling out the window to me that he went poopy. What a wonderful thing to come home to. Now if he had only meant that he went poopy in the big boy potty - THAT would have been something to be yelling from the window. One of these days it will happen, we just don't know when.

Next time won't you sing with me

2008-04-08T22:31:00.005-05:00

Adam loves to sing. I was able to catch him singing his ABCs on camera.

Second Chance

2008-04-08T22:25:00.005-05:00

He's still available...

You better act quick!

Side note: picture.girl if you read this - I miss you and hope you feel better soon!

Fun Day

2008-04-05T15:42:00.009-05:00

Today Adam and I went to the park with a friend. We had fun running around, climbing, swinging, and sliding. It is such a beautiful day! I am so excited that it finally feels like spring is here and winter is OVER! After the park, Adam and I went to Dairy Queen. Adam got his own ice cream cone and he ate the whole thing! He loved it.

After our fun afternoon, he crashed.

HAPPY SPRING!

The Verdict

2008-04-02T21:51:00.003-05:00

Adam has double ear infection. He has stopped running the fever and is acting better. This has got to be the last of being sick. I don't think we can take much more. His poor little body has been on medicine for a month straight now. Something's gotta give. The weather is going to be nice this weekend and I am determined to get outside and enjoy it! Enough of winter and cold weather.

Happy April Fool's Day to me

2008-04-01T22:17:00.003-05:00

A person would think that this is a joke, but it's not. Poor little Adam is sick again. After he woke up from his nap this afternoon, he wasn't acting quite like himself at first. Then he kind of perked up, but by 8:00pm, he was just laying around and acting sick. He has a temperature - again! I was hoping that April would be a better month for sickness in our household, but with this being the first day of the month - we're not off to a good start. Last month, he started with influenza. Then it started to turn into pneumonia. Then he had an ear infection and both eyes were infected. Now who knows what he has.

Jeff is just getting over being sick. He had a sinus infection. He had a terrible sore throat. I think he is starting to feel better though. Sunday night was a horrible night for sleeping - for me anyway. Jeff was snoring very loudly and it kept waking me up. Last night I told him that if he started snoring I was kicking him out of bed. (I was so tired last night because I didn't sleep well the night before, so I really do not think that much would have woken me up but I didn't want to risk it.) This morning I woke up and realized that Jeff was not in bed. I didn't remember kicking him out of bed, so I was confused about what day it was. I almost thought it was Saturday and that Jeff was at work. Apparently Jeff started coughing really bad last night around midnight and he voluntarily got out of bed and went and slept in our chair. What a wonderful husband! He is so thoughtful.

Oh, and how I realized that it wasn't Saturday - I could hear Jeff snoring from the other room. I knew he was here and not at work.

Why, Why, Why?

2008-03-30T21:44:00.002-05:00

It seems that we have officially reached the stage of Adam's life where he asks "Why?" every time we tell him something.

For example:
Mom: "Adam, Mom needs to change your diaper."
Adam: "Why?"
Mom: "Because it is wet."
Adam: "Why?"
Mom: "Because you have drank a lot."
Adam: "Why?"
Mom: "Because you were thirsty."
Adam: "Why?"
Mom: "I don't know."
Adam: "Why?"
Mom: "Because I don't know anything. Go ask your Dad."

I am sure this is just the beginning...

I Like to Move It, Move It

2008-03-29T22:53:00.002-05:00

Earlier this evening Adam was running around our living room and all of a sudden he started singing a song. At first I really could not figure out what he was singing. Then it hit me. He was singing: "I like to Move it, Move it." If you have never heard that song before, you can click here to listen to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_r2psdrQkM

It is just amazing to me what kids can pick up! I am sure that Jeff or I have said that before, but it's not like we say that all of the time. Nothing is more hysterical than seeing a 2 year old run around your living room singing "I like to move it, move it." If only I would have gotten that on video. It was priceless.

Cooking Fun

2008-03-27T20:00:00.004-05:00

Here are pictures from Adam and I attempting to make apple crisp. Adam insisted on helping! As you can see, he was a great big help.

Nothing like an old friend

2008-03-26T22:22:00.002-05:00

Many of you that would be reading this know that I had a little "party" tonight. This was one of those parties that you host where someone demonstrates and shows a product. I am normally not a person who hosts these parties, however this stuff is really awesome and I thought that some of my friends and family members would enjoy it. So, I had a party. There were about 12 people that came over. Among those people that came over, was an old friend of mine named Sarah. After the party I started thinking about old friends. It is amazing to me how many friends that I have lost contact with. Because Jeff and Adam were not home yet and the house was quiet, I just took some time to think about those people and wonder what they are doing. Thankfully, Sarah is one of those friends who I had lost contact with but have recently been reacquainted with.

The history: Sarah and I used to work together during high school. She was a grade a head of me. We probably never would have become friends had we not worked together. We became really good friends at work and soon started hanging out with each other outside of work. We got together almost every weekend. Our supervisors and co-workers would always say that we looked like sisters and they would always get our names mixed up. I was Sarah and Sarah was Carrie. We had lots of fun during those late nights at work when the store was empty and no supervisors were around. I can recall one evening during the holiday season. The store stayed open late and there were no customers anywhere. The holiday season was the only time that the store would play music overhead, and of course it was Christmas music. So the only thing that Sarah and I could think to do to have fun was to dance to Mariah Carey's Christmas song "All I Want For Christmas." I am sure that we looked like the biggest dorks if anyone saw us, but we didn't really care that much. Anyway, we became good friends. But then life happened and some how Sarah and I lost touch. We would occasionally bump into each other at a restaurant or something, but we never really became "friends" again.

A couple of years ago, I started working at the place where I am now and through a business connection with Sarah's work place, we saw each other one day. We exchanged email addresses, phone numbers, etc. I never called her and she never called me. We would see each other very occasionally through our work places and it was always the same thing: "We should get together." "We should do lunch someday." So, over the next few years, we emailed back and forth a few times. Again, we would always end the email with the "lunch someday," "call me when you are free," "we really need to get together" stuff. Finally a few months ago, one of us (I really can't remember if it was her or me) said in an email that we just had to pick a date to get together because if we never pick a date it will never happen. We picked a date for the next Saturday for lunch. I will admit that at first, I was a little hesitant. I wondered "Will this be weird? We haven't seen/talked to each other for so long. What will we talk about?". I must say that I could not have been more wrong about the whole awkwardness thing. Sarah and I had so much to talk about. After lunch we even went shopping together. We had such a wonderful time. We decided at that point to schedule another lunch for the next month. So this last weekend, we went to lunch and then went to a movie. Next month we have plans to get together with our kids. Hopefully the weather will be nice and we can go to the park and have a picnic.

Basically, what I want to say is that an old friend is probably the best gift that can be given to you. If there is that one friend who you always think about, but never call or contact - call them and schedule something! If you do not actually schedule a lunch or meeting, you will not do it. It took Sarah and me 2 years of going back and forth about saying we need to get together before we actually did it. It just makes me sad to think that I had this great friend out there that I let just slip away. I would have loved for her to be involved in my life in the past few years. She didn't come to my wedding, my baby shower, or visit me in the hospital when I had Adam. How I would have loved to have her with me during these times. And I would have loved to have been with her during her special times. What I know now though is that because Sarah is back in my life as a friend, I plan to keep it that way. I hope everyone who reads this has their "Sarah" who they can become friends with again.

Anyone want a cat?

2008-03-22T22:15:00.003-05:00

I really do love animals. I have pretty much always had a pet my whole life. Let me just get that out of the way. I really do not want to come across as an animal-hater.

However, lately I have become less fond of our cat. I think it all started back about 2 1/2 years ago when we brought Adam home from the hospital. Prior to this day, our cat had always been our baby. He would lay on us on the couch, sleep with us at night, and was always around. He loved both me and Jeff. Now things are different.

From the minute we walked in the door with a new baby, things haven't been the same. When we first got home from the hospital, we set Adam down in his carrier on the floor and the cat walked up to the carrier, sniffed Adam and then threw up on the floor. Jeff and I didn't know what to think. The cat did that about 2 other times over the next few days and then after that, he just stayed away from Adam. Now, that seems to be the goal of the cat - stay away from the kid.

For those of you who know our cat, you know he is not the friendliest cat in the world. In fact, he is kind of mean to strangers (but always nice to us). Jeff and I were genuinely worried about how the cat would react to a new baby. Other than the puking, the cat hasn't bothered Adam at all - even after Adam chases him all around the house. The cat also doesn't really seem to care for me either. I think he associates me with that thing that makes him puke. He seems to only like Jeff anymore.

The cat is just getting on my nerves now. I guess I never thought of myself as a clean freak, but I just cannot stand the cat hair anymore. I try to keep our house clean, but no matter how hard I try there is always going to be cat hair. The other thing that is frustrating is that I have a good friend and a brother who is allergic to cats. It is hard for them to come over to our house because they start sneezing.

So, if you or someone you know would like to adopt a cat - please let me know. I can't bring myself to take him to the pound, so his fate is in your hands.
Did I mention he is really friendly and loving?

The Pressue's On

2008-03-21T22:06:00.002-05:00

I have had this blog for almost 2 weeks and really haven't told anybody, except for a couple of people, about it. My goal of this is just to journal different events in our life and thoughts that I have. No big deal. But tonight I decided to bite the bullet and send it out to a bunch of people so they could read it, if they wanted. Now if no one reads it, I will try not to take it personally but it might be hard. Be kind to me. I think though that due to the fact the Jeff has not even read it once, maybe my expectations of who will read this are too high. If I can't even get my own husband to read this, then why would anyone else want to?

Now the pressue is on for me to keep this up. If I don't keep updating it, I am sure that at least one person (Brandi?) will be asking me about it. I promise to keep updating it, as long as I have something to say and people seem to care. So add our site to your favorites and visit often. Once I get better, I will update with pictures and videos. I'm taking baby steps.

You Hide My Stuff...

2008-03-19T22:23:00.003-05:00

I know that everyone has their own parenting style. Jeff and I are pretty similar, but there are differences. First of all, let me start by saying that when I was younger, I was convinced that I would be the "cool" parent. I was going to be lenient and just have fun with my kids. Now that I am older and hopefully wiser, I understand that some of the best gifts that you can give to your child are structure, constructive discipline, and unconditional love. Jeff thought that he would be the more strict parent.

Wow - how things change! I think Jeff is a great dad. He loves Adam so much and is very attentive to his needs. He can often obsess too much about some things, but he is always looking out for the best for Adam. I, on the other hand, have taken the role of the more strict parent. It's not to say that Jeff doesn't do any disciplining and that I am perfect at it because neither is the case in any way.

Nothing makes our different parenting "strictness" (is that a word?) more apparent than when Adam goes up to Jeff and wants him to pick him up. If we are in the kitchen, Adam will want Jeff to pick him up and put him on the counter. I can honestly say that Adam has probably asked me that question once - my answer was "No." I haven't been asked since. But for some reason, Adam continually asks Jeff to put him up there. Makes a person wonder - Does Adam stand up there when Mom isn't around? My guess would be yes.

So this past weekend, Adam finds my mascara and wants to continually unscrew the lid, take out the wand, and put the lid back on. Over and over again. I let him do it a couple of times and then he stopped and I put it away. Tuesday morning, I go to find my mascara to get ready for work and it is gone. Now I know that Jeff often hides things from Adam so he will not ask to play with it. My first instinct is that Jeff has hidden my mascara. So I ask Jeff where it is and he tells me that it is in the cabinet. Finally I find it thrown behind a bunch of other stuff. Let me just tell you that digging through your bathroom cabinet at 7:30 in the morning is not enjoyable. Then Wednesday morning, I go to put my mascara on again - and it is gone - again! Now I am completely annoyed. I asked Jeff where it was again and he gets up to find it for me (on the top shelf behind Kleenex boxes). Instead of getting mad at him, I think that maybe a way to get my point across to him about how annoying hiding my stuff is to me, maybe I should hide something of his. I decide to hide his razor. I almost went for the deodorant or toothbrush but then I figured he would use mine and that just grosses me out. He didn't think it was too funny later when I talked to him. He just called me a dork. NOTHING gets to this man! Maybe next time I will hide the remote.

Spring is coming...I think

2008-03-16T22:25:00.003-05:00

This has been the weirdest weekend for weather. I woke up on Saturday morning and looked outside at it was snowing! The ground was completely covered. Then by the afternoon, it was pretty much all gone. Thank goodness because I do not think that I can handle any more snow this year. I thought that I would officially say "Good-bye" to winter this weekend by putting away all of my winter decorations. It's kind of sad because now my house looks bare. I love winter/Christmas decorations. I look forward to putting them out each year and hate putting them away. Not because I want winter to stay any longer, I just think the decorations are so cute. With the first official day of Spring coming on Thursday, I thought it would be best to put the snowmen away. Now, the only thing I have left to do to prepare myself for spring would be a nice shopping trip. Nothing brings in a new season better than new clothes.

Independent 2-year old

2008-03-14T22:31:00.003-05:00

Why is it that when you ask a 2-year old to do something, he instantly says "no!"? But when it's him suggesting the same exact thing 30 seconds later, he is all about doing it. One example - We ask him if he wants to get dressed to go outside and play" (which he LOVES to do), he says "no." Wait 5 seconds and now all of a sudden, he is telling us that he wants to get dressed so he go can outside and play. It's almost like it has to be his idea. If it's not his idea, then he doesn't want to do it. He has been saying this a lot lately and it is driving me and Jeff crazy. At first it was pretty cute, now it's just annoying. I guess he is just showing his independence. Is this the beginning of something bigger? I have a feeling that Jeff and I better just get over this because there is worse to come - at least that is what I am sure my mom wished upon me!

What a beautiful day

2008-03-13T22:17:00.002-05:00

It's days like today that make me want spring even more! I hope everyone was able to enjoy the nice weather. Unfortunately Adam is still getting over being sick, but is doing much better. Thank goodness for medicine!

While watching my fave show tonight, (I won't say what that show is but the main people are Pat Sayjack and Vanna White) Vanna shared something at the end of the show that I thought was interesting. She said that when she gives her kids pancakes or waffles, she takes raspberries and smashes them up, then mixes them with a little bit of apple sauce and puts that on top of the pancakes. What a great idea! I hate putting sugary syrup on pancakes and waffles. Normally I just do butter. This would be a great alternative - very healthy! I thought this idea was worth sharing. I'm all about trying to sneak in as much fruit and vegetables as I can for Adam. Now, if I only felt that way about the way I eat...

My Inspiration

2008-03-12T21:40:00.002-05:00

My inspiration for "blogging" comes from a few friends. First of all, Brandi and Kelly got me hooked on Rockstarmommy.com. Awesome blog - I read it almost every night. Then one day a couple of weeks ago, I go to that website and IT'S OVER! It's completely over. She is saying good-bye. There will be no more rockstarmommy for me. I cried for a little bit, but then got over it. However, I do still admit that I have checked back a few times just in case she has changed her mind. No luck - yet. My other inspiration has come from again - Brandi and Kelly. Brandi has a blog where she showcases her photography and Kelly has a blog where she documents things going on in her life. I really enjoy reading them, so I thought that I would give it a try.

Ok, enough about me and my blog-fever.

Poor little Adam is still sick. This is day number 6. We had visited the doctor on Monday, only to have him tell us to just continue with the Tylenol. We were instructed to bring him back in 2 days if his fever came back or if he wasn't getting any better. So, his fever went away on Monday, stayed away on Tuesday, but came back this afternoon. So, back to the doctor we went. This time the doctor ordered a chest x-ray. All I have to say about this is that I am glad that Jeff was there. He was able to go back with Adam and watch him sit in this little "torture chamber-looking" contraption. The x-ray tech ensured Jeff that it looks worse than it really is. The result: Adam has pnemonia. Now at least we have some medicine to give him and hopefully he will be feeling better very soon. It's sad to see him not act like his normal, happy, energetic self.

What I really want to share with you tonight though is how God can work in such interesting ways. I subscribe to a daily devotion email list. Everyday, I receive a devotion. (check out the link to Proverbs31 on my website) I want to share with you part of the email that I received today:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

God Can Handle Even My Greatest Fears, Part One
Lysa TerKeurst

Devotion (only a small section):
Do you ever fear something happening to one of your children? For most moms, this is their greatest fear. You see your teenage son drive away from your home and fear grabs your heart. You hear of another child getting diagnosed with cancer and you start asking the “what if” questions. You watch the news reports on a child that has been abducted and you hold yours just a little tighter that night. You know that children die every day from drowning, accidents, and choking and it can make you feel helpless and overly controlling all at the same time.

This section of her devotion really hits me hard. Not only with Adam being sick today, but with what everything the future holds. It is so scary to see everything going on in the world and in my very own community. I hope that God helps me find this strength and power to overcome the fear that I have. It does make a person want to hold their child so close and never let them go. I never could have imagined what it was like to be a mother until I actually became one. I remember when I was pregnant thinking what my life was going to be like. Everyone says "It will change your life." Boy, that was an understatment. Not only does it change your life, having a child takes your life, puts it in barrell, rolls the barrell down a really large hill, flips it around, turns it upside down, and then just when you think you got to the bottom of the hill, you realize that your heart has jumped out of your body and is continuing down the next hill. It is in search of that one more thing that you can do to make your child be happy, healthy and loved more than anything you have ever loved before. So what do you do when you are faced with this immense fear that something out of your control might happen to your child? How do you let go of control? I have come to realize that God does have control as long as I let him, and that is all that matters.

Ok, this is probably the longest post that I will ever do. I hope I haven't been too boring. I will be back soon with something probably way-less intense. Until then, thanks for reading. I need to sleep.

My First Entry

2008-03-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

Ok, so maybe I will not be the best blogger that has ever lived - but I will try. This is my attempt, although it might be small, at documenting things in our family's lives. I hope to have this be a means of communicating information to friends and family who we may not talk to as often as we should. I intend to protect my family as much as possible to the weirdos who might be out there lurking on this thing we call the internet.

As for the title of the blog - I truly believe that we have a sweet life. Of course we have our problems (as every family does), but I feel really blessed with a loving family, good friends, and good health. I will attempt to share some stories, thoughts, frustrations, and questions on this blog. Feel free to visit often and leave a comment if you want. If you do not want to visit often, that is fine too. I will be here blogging away in my little world - my little world that I think is pretty sweet.