Couple of Thoughts for the Day

Last night I had a dream about having a foreign exchange student - thanks Merritt!
I also had a dream where I really questioned if Ryan loved me or someone else - thanks to name discussions with Ryan and my co-worker.

My kid is hilarious. Honestly, I didn't know it would be such a joy! In the few short hours we were home last night, several things he did made me laugh out loud:
- He yelled at the dog and told him to come and eat (after I'd done so several times).
- He was at the table playing with his magnetic drawing toy (brain fart... what is that toy called?). I look over and not only does he have the little magnet animal shapes on the screen, but also several slices of potatoes that I was making homemade chips with.
- Next time I look over, he's eating a raw slice. Only, he's not eating it, he's taking a bite, turning his head and spitting it out over his shoulder. I watched him do this 4 times. And after laughing, I scolded him and he responded with "DJ, eat". Not sure if he was still nagging the dog to eat or trying to give him another food option.
- He loves this old farm book that was his dad's as a child. It's falling apart and each time he insists we read it, something else tears out, falls out, etc. Last night, he pried the chicken off but continued to lift the flap and say "chicken" and then "egg" when he could see the egg.
- Bath time was hilarious. Let me preface this by sharing that he likes to throw his arms in the air and say "where did it go" any time something gets out of site. He was playing along with a shallow little bowl. And sitting in the tub, he looked down, said "peepee", covered himself with the bowl and said "where did peepee go". He did this multiple times and I died laughing!

So, my kid was fun last night. His dad stopped at the house for a quick minute to drop off the dog and grab a to-go bite before heading to his next call. His dad got home just as we finished in the bath and were getting ready for bed. So, Ryan snuggled the kiddo for a few minutes in his "big bed" while I went downstairs to fry us some pork fritters for a late supper. I came back up and the kiddo was still awake but definitely tired. Ryan got up and small fry just stayed there. He asked to go to "mommy's bed" and when I said no and asked if he wanted to go to his crib, he said "no". So, I asked if he wanted to stay in his "big bed" and he said yes. We grabbed his bed time pals (music toy, elmo and pacifier) and lifted up the rail and headed to bed. I was sure that it would be an all night issue to get him to sleep. But, he was fine. He slept right through the roaring thunder, hail, winds, etc. What a champ! My kid slept in his big bed on the first try (although he napped in there with Ryan on Sunday). It was awesome. Of course, we got up 3 different times to cover him back up and check on him like worried parents but he was fine!!!!

Weekend Up North

I left work 45 minutes early on Friday to start the weekend. I was hoping to leave at noon but because I was swamped at work, I considered 45 minutes being lucky. Rushed right home and didn't even stop at my mom's to see my kiddo. I got home in time to question why in the world did I hurry... hubby was standing in front of the TV playing xbox!
Now, I hadn't communicated that I wanted to leave at any certain time but I did mention that I would plan to get home early. I was dissapointed that hubby was still in work clothes (not that he ever cares to change), had yet to pack (or do anything else around the house on his half day off) and was playing video games. Now, let me state that I struggle so much with keeping up with the household chores while working full time. And that's before I added a child to the house and am pregnant with #2. I was so frustrated that hubby had provided NO help to me that afternoon! Okay, now that I vented about my frustration, I'll share about our weekend.

I was ready for a quiet and cozy weekend without the phone, TV or friends. We got close! Friday on our way up to the house, we stopped in at wallyworld. Before we even parked, we saw a friend (and past co-worker) of Ryan's. After visiting for 15 minutes, we parked and headed inside for a quick shopping trip. After gathering some needed items for home (might as well when you're actually near a place to shop) and some food for the weekend, we headed out.

No big plans, just some quality time together... we had frito boats for supper, I ate some "fresh" (so they say) strawberries and we watched the Pursuit of Happyness (which I did not like). After a long week of work, I was more than ready for bed when the movie finished. Saturday we headed to town for brunch. I took Ryan to Ruby's - a local place with a good chicken fried steak. Afterwards, we walked around town, poked our head in the different shops, spent too much money (I bought an old egg basket, a old bat for kiddo's room while hubby found an old thing that had DX logos on it). We made a quick stop at the local coffee house but when I didn't know what anything on the menu was (I'm limited to experiencing a caramel frapp at Starbucks), we ordered a hot chocolate and sat and played Battleship for a while. It was a well needed break for my tired feet and body. We managed to avoid the short rain showers all except once and even then stayed fairly dry. Of course, we couldn't go home without another trip to Walmart, another DVD purchase (with 500 other things) and a stop at Culvers for lunch (as if I was hungry).

I tried my best to be content. But honestly, I didn't know what to do with myself having "free time". It was crazy and I was bored! In between movies and games, I swept up a few asian beetles, wandered around outside, etc. I never have that kind of time at home. There's always laundry to do, a kid to chase, plants to water, etc. Not only was I bored but I missed my son!

Saturday night we had some wild thunderstorms with lots of rain and wind and tornado warnings. I slept wonderfully (thank you Tylenol PM) that night. Sunday morning I lounged around and finished a book while Ryan ran to town once more. I showered and wasn't quite finished packing when Ryan came back. We were at mom's picking up our son by noon. It was a nice weekend and good to spend time with just my hubby. But it was also good to be back home!

Thanks for a slow weekend...here comes another whirlwind week of events!

me = grumpy pregnant lady

Got a call from the doc. I failed my 1-hour blood sugar challenge thinger-ma-bob. Now, I have to do a fasting, 3 hour test. My first thoughts were of sitting at the doctor's office for 3 hours. Grr. But, it gets worse. I have to fast for 12 hours (I got them to agree to 6 since that's what the nurse originally said). Then I really have to sit there for 3 hours. Here's the schedule:

2am - while up for potty break #2, EAT something.
815am, they take a "fasting" blood sample
Drink the orange crap (10 oz of liquid similar to orange soda but it has 50 grams of sugar and a bad after taste).
915am - take hour #1 sample
1015am - take hour #2 sample
1115am - take hour #3 sample

Okay, so maybe that doesn't sound so bad to you, but let's think about this. I'm PREGNANT and like to eat OFTEN. Usually by 11am, I've had a slim fast, a nutri-grain bar and a bagel with cream cheese. Even then, I usually have lunch by 1230. And they think I won't be hungry. Let's add to my grumpy attitude by having to sit at the doctor's office for 3 hours. I don't sit still well at all (I would have flunked that class and been called ADHD). They said to bring a good book. Who cares about the book, I just don't want to SIT anywhere for 3 hours. I don't even sit for the 3 hour drive to DesMoines right now - I make a pit stop half way at Target. And in not-comfy chairs... sitting... for 3 hours. Do they not understand that my back already hurts and I don't like this idea at all. Grr. I can tell that I'm getting more emotional than usual (which is bad because I already cry easy) . I wanted to cry when I got off the phone with them. I'm so frustrated. Grr!

High/Low

Every week at bible study, we start with our "high" of the week and our "low". I always forget by time I get there and listen to everyone else so I thought I'd share it here:

High
So I walked into the local bakery the other day (which BTW has no comparison to the little mexican bakery back home) to buy a few things for the office. I asked for a half dozen "long johns" (aka maple bars) from the lady but was completely eyeing the muffins. She mentioned that she had a special for a dozen long johns and answered my question about the muffins. Smart-alek me popped back at her "oh, you're only telling me to buy more because you know I'm big and pregnant and want to eat everything in sight". Her response was to die for. She made my day, and possibly my week by saying "oh honey, but you are a beautiful pregnant!"
Okay, that lady rocks! Sure, my hubby thinks to tell me on occassion that I'm beautiful but isn't he supposed to? Duh, he married me, I hope he doesn't think he married some dog-faced nasty person! It was quite refreshing to hear some complete stranger tell me I'm beautiful!

Low
The next morning after rushing out of the house without a shower (okay I wasn't at all dirty or sweaty or anything but I feel like I HAVE to have a morning shower to freshen up), I was working at my desk. At one of my many potty breaks during the morning (the baby has shifted and is using my bladder as a pillow), I looked in the bathroom mirror. My only thought was: "yeah, today I'm definitely NOT a beautiful pregnant woman!!!" Today was much the same only I had my shower. The not beautiful part: letting my naturally nasty hair air dry, no make-up, nothing!

drama of the week

Okay, its actually a daily drama... my kiddo hates to have his teeth brushed. Its cool when he does it himself and he mocks me standing at the sink but when I go to finish up for him, its an all out war! I have to hold the child down and constantly ask him to open his mouth as he wiggles, bites the toothbrush, holds his mouth closed and gets swatted. I hate it! This usually happens right before bed time and it makes me so irritated because I'm already beyond the tired stage.

As if that's not enough, his dad has been gone a TON lately. He's either been running calls or working on taxes at the office the past 5 nights. I missed my hubby so yesterday I called and left a voice mail saying that I missed him, love him and want to run away with him! He so needs a break and so we are going to take a short but relaxing and inexpensive weekend get-away.

Picture Update

(if you're blind or have tired eyes like me, click on the picture for a larger image)


The kid loves to play the piano (November 2006). I wish I could download the video of my little mozart playing the piano with his great grandma last week.





The kiddo sledding with his dad. It was definitely not a normal experience for the little guy, especially when his dad let him sled down the hill by himself and he crashed. (January 2007). Another moment with some cute video.


I tried to push him back up the hill instead of carrying him but I think I kicked more snow on the kid than it was worth!

It was first thing in the morning for both of them (February 2007). This kid loves "dj dog" but its not a love returned by the dog. The dog could really care less - unless he can sneak a lick off the kids pizza covered hands.

He definitely knows that there is a baby in his mom's belly. He likes to show us too and give it hugs (which means he puts his face against something like you see in the picture on the right). Picture taken February 27th - when I was ~22 weeks.



The kid is an absolute ham! These are two of his favorite toys right now. The cow and the horse from when his dad was a kid. He knows they go behind the fence and he pushes their heads down so they can eat.


Yes, my child always has red eyes. Here he is having a blast playing piano with his great grandma last week (post seizure).



We took this after the EEG. It looks like we jacked up his hair on purpose but it was from the things being glued to his head. What you can't see is the gobs of glue and the red marks that were drawn everywhere a probe thingy went. It looked like someone did a bad job highlighting his hair and then put way too much product in it.



Happy St. Patrick's Day! This kid is a teency bit Irish so we had to celebrate with a new tshirt of course. This time we jacked up his hair on purpose. Yup, he's a doll

Okay, that's it for now.

update

1. still no prego pics. I've got them on my palm pilot but not on my flash drive (hopefully hubby accomplishes that today for me)
2. Happy Birthday Hubby. You are getting "old"
3. No MRI appt as of yet. Hopefully we'll know more tomorrow. Our home docs think that he may not need an MRI and suggested he might see the pediatric neurologist up here (almost a 2 hour drive)
4. I'm not motivated to work today. I am motivated to eat :)
5. I'm making hubby almond crusted salmon, garlic mashed potatoes and vegies for his bday supper. If only I could add to that a quiet, romantic candle lit evening and some virgin daqueries. Instead, we'll have juice or pop and entertainment from our wild child :)

New things for Small Fry

A few new things about the small fry (besides the seizure):
- He likes to say LOTS of things. A few favorites are "come in grandpa" in the sweetest little voice ever; "where fill in the blank go" with arms spread wide open.
- He loves stairs and thinks he needs to go down them too often now (thanks to LC who's been watching him and teaching him to do the steps outside).
- He didn't want to nap the other day so I tried to snuggle with him. Instead of sleeping, he spent at least 20 minutes "playing" with my hair. He'd move it out of my face and back, etc. Yes, he's my son and doesn't take after his father on that one!
- He likes his potty chair but only because its a chair his height, not because he associates it with pottying.
- He still has a fettish with shoes and phones (another sign that he takes after me). The kid thinks that mornings and toast are related some how.

We visisted an older couple from our church last night. By time we left, he was calling Gladys "grandma". I wonder if any older person will now be grandma or grandpa. He's an absolute blast to be around but has a definite strong will to him. It's frustrating but funny when he gets mad and throws this very short but obvious fit. The kid loves cookies, counts to 3 or from 6-10 and knows some ABC's. He's growing so fast. His vocabulary is amazing which makes me wonder if he'll be slow in another area such as potty training.

Small-fry had a Seizure

I could write you a long drawn out email with all the details of the last few days but will hold off on that. My small-fry had a seizure Sunday night at 130am. Praise God that I heard the "scream" and went to him right away. He was having what we commonly know as a "grand mal"
seizure. He was shaking, gagging, frothing and not alert at all. Thanks to the 911 operator, I was able to do the right things, get him breathing again and the seizure stopped. It was a very scary experience, especially when I realized that I was holding my child who wasn't breathing. I was comforted by the EMT's who arrived. They took us by ambulance to Blanks Children's Hospital in Des Moines. Hubby's grandparents (who I was staying with for a few days while I worked near Des Moines) followed us there. Things checked out great at the emergency room - his temperature was back to normal, he was alert and doing his typical things albeit very tired. By 630am, we were safely back at the Grandparents! I spent Monday on the phone with nurses, hospital staff, etc trying to figure out the next steps, learning what to do in case of another seizure, etc.

We were able to get an appointment with a pediatric neurologist on Tuesday following the EEG appointment. And when the nurse called to tell me the details, she said "this is nothing short of a miracle, but you have an appointment..." (it usually takes two weeks to get into to see a pediatric neurologist). Praise God for having His hand on the situation. Hubby drove down Monday after work and arrived in time to go to bed. The three of us spent most the day Tuesday at Blanks Childrens. The EEG was clear, and they still don't know the cause of the seizure. So, we'll continue to hope and pray that it was a "fluke" thing and be thankful that God intervened in numerous ways.

We still have an MRI to schedule (which I hope to do today) and a follow up with our doctor here. Small-fry is his normal active self and is thrilled to see people and as energetic as ever. There is a 50/50 chance that this could happen again so we'll have to keep that in the back of our mind as well as carry around the medication that will stop another seizure should he have one.

Meanwhile, we are trying to get back to the swing of things here at home, catch up on some sleep and enjoy the "normal" life!

Welcome Sage

I have a new nephew! Sage was born to my brother and his wife yesterday afternoon. I'm eager to see him but they are 2200 miles from here so I'll keep enjoying the pictures that others send me.





Weighing in at 5lbs, 5 oz and 19" long, here's Sage:

His mom and dad look pretty proud in the pictures I've seen, as does his grammy who was able to travel the 2200 miles to see him!

Kid Update - 2 stories

So, I get this email from Amy yesterday while she's watching my son. And she just wants to compliment me on how good he is and how much she misses that in her two children. Let me tell you what, it so made my day yesterday. And he is a good kid. But last night, I'm not sure what his deal was. His typical communication skills were a bit off-balanced. He was whiny and wanted me to read to him while I was trying to take 10 minutes to myself to read. He was also throwing these mini-fits. Not sure if he experienced those at Amy's or if he was just experiencing a new attitude that he found in the back of his little brain. He wanted in his high chair, then wouldn't drink his juice, wanted down and then back up - all within a minute. I had a major back ache and wasn't wanting to be very patient. So I fed him the apple sauce that he dug out of his diaper bag. Instead of his usual "all gone", he kept saying "apple sauce" as if he wanted more. Okay, 90 minutes before this he'd eaten roast and carrots at Amy's. I made the fair assumption that he had two straight days of playing with others all days and was just over tired. The kid proceeds with his attitude but keeps saying "meat, mommy". So, I get some ham out of the fridge, put it in a bowl in front of him and he goes to town. After that, he drank his juice right up and was the perfect little boy that I love having around! By now, Ryan and I had finished our healthy meal of home-made potato chips and taquitos (which the little one also had to share). We headed to the living room where I asked hubby to put his new notebook toy away and spend some time playing with his son. It was fun, I was tired and shortly after, we headed to bed where I took some Tylenol PM and was out.

So, then this morning, is day #2 of non-Grammy daycare. Take the little guy to the C's for the day. He loves it there. And LC has something going on right away so she bags up some dried cereal, pack his to-go fruit, fill his cup with juice and head back out the door. Leo shows up a few minutes later to pick them up as planned. Only, it didn't go as planned. LC made sure that he knew to bring the van since she had my kiddo and would need room for his carseat. He walks in and says "I brought my truck. You'll just have to hold him in your lap from here to town". Knowing that Leo is always saying something to get-my-goat, I blow it off with a reply in which I said "Right, Leo. You know you can't do that. He has to be in a carseat." Okay, up to this point, I was sure Leo was just kidding but I quickly found out that he was serious. I was floored and didn't know what to say or do next. LC told Leo that she'd have to take her van to town and we headed out to the garage to install the carseat into her van. I still can't believe that the man wanted her to hold him in his lap from her house to town. Let's think about this a little... LC lives out in the country. The closest route to town is down the gravel. Now, I was just on 1/4 mile of that gravel and it was still snow covered and a bit icy. The remainder of the way to town is twisty and curvy, etc. We've had bad roads with cold weather which means the snow and ice hasn't had a chance to melt. And he wanted to take my kid without a carseat??? I know he's 60+ years old and his kids didn't use carseats BUT today is different. There are laws that say we are required to use carseats. And we have the safety equipment available today so why not use it??? All because the man didn't drive his van out.

I was so irritated. And 6 hours later, I'm still ticked about it. I considered writing him a note that said something along the lines of "I love you guys and would trust my child in your care at any time. However, I do not appreciate your plan to have him sitting in LC's lap this morning and will not allow such behavior in the future". I wonder what his reasoning was for not bringing the van.

Yes, I finally remembered my stinkin' password and am able to post.

Real quick (as if that is possible with me):
1. Took belly pictures but still haven't downloaded them (sorry Cori).
2. SIL is getting induced tomorrow AM so we hope to welcome my brother's first baby tomorrow or the next day.
3. Mom went to CA to help brother and SIL out which means the kiddo is in the hands of others for the next 3 weeks.
4. Kiddo likes to eat A LOT!
5. I've had girl scout cookies on my desk all day and haven't touched them - AMAZING!
6. We have 4' drifts on our driveway.
7. Hubby and I were both snowed in from work on Friday. He was too tired to do anything around the house after shoveling for 90 minutes to dig his truck out.
8. I got a 1.7% cost of living raise in January. Thank you taxpayers!
9. I'm loving my Keens and want to get another pair for my black clothes.
10. I need to be a good aunt and go home to see this new baby in the next few months but don't think it will happen based on ticket prices and pregnancy!
11. I'm liking Jody's new toy and think that I'll have to send her some of my scrapping stuff to cut for me :)
12. Baby 2 B is a mover and a shaker. I'm loving feeling good!
13. I sledded down the hill twice yesterday with some young friends and small fry. I'm old, pregnant and out of shape!

FINALLY

After not being able to access blogger for a week, here I am!!!!!!!!!!!

Some of you have already heard the news, but for the rest of you....we have the results of our ultrasound. It was a great Valentine's present at 7:30am!!!

What are we having?
A thumb-sucker
A yawner
One with cute feet
A bashful baby

Yup, that's it. That's all the news we got too. Because the baby is in breech position, the tech couldn't determine the sex. He tried, he really did. But, no news on the sex of the baby.

I was kinda heart-broken at first. I even told the tech "dude, this is Valentine's Day, you're killing me!" The baby must not realize how much I'd like to plan and prepare for his/her special arrival. Seriously, I wanna buy clothes and other fun baby stuff but can't (as the baby is kicking and seemingly throwing a fit this very moment). Now, a week later, I'm getting used to not knowing. I had my monthly check up today and Dr. Ryan said that we'll just have to wait and be surprised. So, in the mean time, I have to start thinking about baby names - one for a boy and one for a girl. Any ideas?

In other news, my small fry is quite the hyper child. He's wired ALL the time. I had Monday off and was able to do a little shopping with my mom. And since I couldn't buy for my baby, I bought lots of clothes for my nephew who will arrive in the next few weeks. Yesterday was my 27th birthday. I opted to have supper at my folks and celebrate with my mom (her birthday is tomorrow). Mom made an awesome meal at my request. I got a new pair of Keen shoes from hubby as well as a very cute card. Mom made me a very cute wall hanging which she'll frame for me and made me cookies. I had several fun messages on my answering machine when I got home: my Nanny who sang "happy birthday" on my answering machine, Mike (long lost friend #2) and my father-in-law who left a lovely message. It was a great day!

My belly is growing rapidly. I have yet to take pictures and hope to do that soon!

24 More Hours

Within 24 hours, we should know if we're having a boy or a girl!!!! Let's hope this baby cooperates and lets the tech take a peak :)

I was in Wallyworld on Sunday doing some shopping and it was killing me to not be able to buy baby stuff. I so wanted to buy girl clothes even though I have no clue if I'm having a girl or not. I think I just wanted to BUY and know that I don't need any boy stuff at this point!

Diapers, Cold Temps and Late for Work

This has been an interesting week. February 6th marked 11 years since my dear friend, Scott, died after a woodshop injury when we were sophomores in high school. The first part of February is usually busy but my heart is typically quieted around this time.
This year I was home with my sick kid who has croup. I was so busy caring for and chasing after him that I never even realized the date until it had past. It was the second day I stayed home with the kiddo and although I greatly needed my own rest, I knew that I also needed to get things done since I was actually home. Thanks to mom who came over again to help out. She was great and helped deep clean the kitchen counters, stove, etc. It was fantastic!

Mid-Night
I was up at 1am with small fry last night. He was coughing constantly so I got up to put some Vix on his chest and snuggle him back under the covers. Only, the wise mom that I am, I also decided to change his diaper since he was awake. Little did I know that as soon as I pulled the diaper away, he started to pee. I tried to cover him back up but he managed to get a few drops on his onesie. I was tempted to be a bad mom (who isn't at 1am) and finish the diaper change and put him back in bed since it was just a few drops. Instead, I removed his pj's and changed his onesie. The whole time he's whining "night-night, mommy, night-night". Poor kid.

Fresh morning
After only being awake once during the night and not having any coughing episodes myself, I was quite refreshed this morning. The kiddo was awake at 620am (eventually he'll realize that sleeping in is a good thing, right?). I showered quick and headed outside to feed the animals in the frigid morning air. Poor William Edward Goat was shaking and cold. I felt bad for him and through an extra flake of hay in his Goat-house.

Late for Work
As usual, I was going to be about 15 minutes late to work (they might as well change my work schedule). But this morning I was glad to be late. At 8am my cell phone rang. I assumed it was mom and was quite surprised to hear Nick's voice. Nick is a long lost but precious friend of mine from "back home". I graduated college and moved to Iowa at the same time he was assigned to his first duty location as a police officer for the US Navy. We remained friends after going our seperate ways but it had been 2 years (so we estimate) since we've talked. We had a short conversation which allowed us to catch up on each others lives which was great. He's been back from Iraq (thank you for volunteering so a guy with a family could stay home) for 4 months and still stationed in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor (must be rough). It was a great chat and was definitely worth being late for work!

How I knew He was "the one" for me

A few weeks back, on the morning show that I listen to while driving to work, they were asking people when they knew their spouse was the right person (of course I’m sure they worded it better than I am right now but I’m tired and can’t remember exactly what they said). Anyway, for several days they took callers and each day I thought that it would be fun to call. One morning my husband must have caught part of the show and mentioned it to me. He thought he had a great story to share too. So, today, I’m sharing his version and my own and maybe this will prompt you to think of why you chose your mate.

His Story (as shared with me that morning)
Ryan wanted to call in to share with the listeners exactly when he knew I was “the one” for him. It was the first night we met. There were numerous people our age at the gathering. And several hours into the evening, Ryan got an emergency veterinary call. Being the farm kid that I learned to be, I was sure he’d be pulling a calf and I nudged B to ask him if we could ride along. Little did I know until after I got out of my seat, that it wasn’t a cow having problems birthing but rather a dog with maggots. (I’m not sure if I knew exactly that maggots were involved, I can’t remember today). Anyway, I figured I was already up and ready to go, I should just go. And although this was the first night we met, Ryan knew I was “the one” after the events that followed:
We get to the vet clinic and it was this medium length haired dog with maggots, yes maggots. She was being cared for by a family member and they noticed the problem and called the veterinary clinic. This dog had maggots crawling out of its rectal and vaginal areas! So, the self-proclaimed farm kid that I am, I offered my assistance while B waited in the hall. After washing and shaving the area to remove the external maggots, they kept coming. As I stood across the table from Ryan, I held the speculum (which is the tool that holds specific orifices open) while the doc picked out maggots out that were crawling out the insides of this dog. And it was at this moment that Ryan knew I was perfect for him!

I must say that we both have fairly interesting stories and I should have emailed the morning show so he could read both.

My Story
Now that we were beyond formal introductions, maggot experiences and several meals later, Ryan and I continued to enjoy each other’s company. It had been fun getting to know each other and pursuing a relationship even though I had lots of insecurities brought on by a previous relationship. Ryan, though, was great at bringing up important issues and really getting to know each other outside of meals and fun outings. We took the time to communicate via phone, snail mail, etc about various issues that were important to each of us. And the story that follows is how I knew Ryan was the gentlest, understanding, loving and perfect mate for me:
I was at home reading at the kitchen table and remember being surprised that I had yet to hear from Ryan. A few minutes later there was a knock at the door and there stood Ryan with a bag of groceries. He’d brought over all the items needed to cook a meal. Not only had he made the 30 minute drive to surprise me but he also planned a meal and purchased the items necessary to prepare it. I could almost stop here with the story – I greatly appreciate my husbands wonderful cooking talents. But, there’s more…
We proceed to make supper together. After a few minutes, I went into the living room to turn the radio on for some background noise (no, it wasn’t anything romantic). And as I walked back into the kitchen, I noticed a bright bouquet of roses. While I was in the living room, he grabbed them from outside where he left them when he knocked at the door. Wow, I was surprised. But keep reading, there’s still more…
We finish the meal and eat together at the table before relaxing to the living room. Ryan was sitting on the couch when I walked in the room to see him pulling a letter out of his pocket. He kindly mentioned that he’d like to discuss the questions I had in the letter I had written him earlier. I was flattered that he wanted to specifically address those questions. And then all of a sudden, it hit me. I was mortified as I watched him flip through the multiple pages of the letter. I could see through the last page to the, oh my gosh, I forgot to delete the last page. I had started what is commonly referred to now as “the list”. It was a list of positives and negatives about Ryan. And let me just say that the list of negatives had received more attention than the other column. I was picking him apart with “the list”. I had shared the list with a friend who let me know that I was being ridiculous and if I was looking for an excuse to not pursue a relationship than I could keep picking at him but if I was serious about him, she wanted me to know how ridiculous I was being.

It was at this moment that I knew that I knew that he was perfect for me. That God made him with enough understanding and love to deal with me, my insecurities and my many needs. I later mentioned to Ryan that I was surprised to get the roses after he got “the list”. And his response was that he’d already purchased the roses and had no one else to give them too. And by the way, the roses were perfect. Not your typical red roses. They were multi-colored and had a letter that compared the roses to his view of me. It was so thoughtful and awesome. Several years later, my husband is obviously not perfect but still perfect for me!

Cold and Cute

Brr, it's cold out this morning. I left the house and it was zero outside which wouldn't be too bad except the wind was blowing. With the windchill it was between 15 and 20 below. And crazy me, I had to stop and get gas. My hands were FREEZING!

Here's a picture of my cute kid. More to come later, I'm sure:

Sunday Fun Day

Sunday started out not so fun at our house. We should have been up by 730am and at 8am when the phone rang, we were still in bed. Mom was way too chipper in her message about the big snow flakes falling and enjoying the day. That phone call was followed by 4 more - none of which left messages. I assumed it was mom and was annoyed. After finally rolling out of bed and calling mom back, I learned that it was M calling to say that church was cancelled because of snow covered roads, etc. The weather indicated the Highway was 100% covered and it was advised not to drive on the highway. So, we enjoyed a slow and mostly quiet morning at home.

Mid morning, hubby and I ventured outside while T (one of the junior high kids who stayed at our house the night before) watched small fry. The neighbor was out plowing our shared driveway so I started in on the sidewalk. Hubby took the truck out to see what the driveway/hill and roads were like. Hubby then headed to the vet clinic to play with the snow blower while I rushed for a quick shower.

We had an awesome lunch at mom's. Fresh blue-gill that my cousin caught ice fishing - mom breaded and fried it. Plus, mom made mashed potatoes, green beans and corn bread. It was awesome. Afterwards we played skip-bo while a few of the guys watched the Bears game and when the clock was still running but the game was OVER, we headed outside to sled.

I had a blast. It was a short hill that provided just enough fun without a huge walk back up. Small fry didn't know what to think about it. He went down with each of us before I sent him laying down on the disk by himself. He didn't think much of it until everyone cheared. Then hubby sent him down by himself sitting up. Of course, he ate it half way down and cried. Then he tried to wipe the snow out of his face and made it worse and cried more. It was cute and fun. He was ready to go home after that. He made a quick snow angel in his grammy's lawn before we wiped him off and jumped in the car.

It was a good and fun day. We also stopped by Sharon's "snowboard park" to watch the guys for a bit before going home to finish watching the end of the Colts game. It was a fun and relaxing day for us.

Winter Is Here
Yes, it's the middle of January and winter finally made its way to our area. It has been cold the last few weeks but now it's truly cold, in my opinion. Sunday night it snowed about 6 inches of light fluffy stuff. And this morning when I left, it was -6 and we expected a high in the low teens. It's great until the wind blows and then its FREEZING!

Church Nursery Update
I didn't talk to the lady I had the issue with. It was a crazy Sunday at our church with lots going on. However, I was in the nursery for Sunday School waiting like a heathen who doesn't go to Sunday School but has to wait for other activities. One of the ladies brought problem-girl in. I offerred to keep her since I was planning on being there anyway. The lady stayed. I was glad. Problem-girl through a mini-fit every time my kid tried to play with her and she was trying to do something else.

Buddha Belly and Excercise
Have I mentioned that my belly is sticking out? I've been wearing loose fitted shirts to hide the fact. But Sunday I wore a fitted shirt and my mom really noticed my belly. Problem is that it's not the baby sticking out, just the extra padding over the baby. I have yet to gain any weight which was the same with baby #1. But, I have my appetite back and know the pounds are coming. With baby #1, I said I was going to exercise and gained 45 lbs while sitting on my butt. So, this time, I thought to put it to practice. I got on the treadmill for 40 minutes on Saturday. It was a good, fast walk. The next day the sides of my calves were sore. And my feet still are sore. My poor body, I haven't worked out for several months.

Read Through the Bible
In 2005, I started to read through the bible and did well for the first 6 months and miserably failed after that. I thought I might try again. And knowing that I'll be overwhelmed with baby #2, I'm trying to get a head start. So, while on the treadmill, I listened to the first 14 chapters of Genesis. Then later, I sat down and read in Matthew. I figure if I mix the Old and New Testament readings, I'll maybe be able to get more accomplished. Happy reading.

Big Fat Headache
I've had a big fat headache for days now. I hate taking medicine. And now that I'm pregnant, I have some excuse! I think part of it is lack of sleep and part of it is a need to visit the chiropractor! All I know is that I desperately need my kiddo to sleep through the night again and not wake every 1-2 hours scared (or whatever his deal is).

Church Nursery

I think I just earned "worst nusery worker of the year award". It was sunday school time and I had one little girl left in nursery. She doesn't listen, doesn't behave and I don't enjoy keeping her. But, that's life and I deal with it. But, it couldn't be that simple:
Here we sit in nursery while girl's mother stands outside the nursery door chit-chatting. I didn't even notice, really. But then, I opened the door to air out the room after changing my own child's stinky diaper. And the door got shut. I opened it again to see girl's mother. Hmm. I was a bit irritated at this point for several reasons:
1. I'm watching bad girl while mom chit-chats.
2. I wanna chit-chat with my own friends standing right down the hall.
3. She asks me to give girl her milk cup and says she doesn't want girl to see her. SHE'S HIDING FROM HER OWN CHILD.
4. She closes the door to hide from her child when I'm trying to air out the room a little.

So, nice and wonderful person that I am... I take the milk cup but don't let it stop there. I totally interrupt and start asking the mom questions. I asked if she was going to sunday school. She asked if there were new classes. Hold on now, like she really cared about the classes she was chatting, I could hear the conversation. So, I kindly told her that if she was just going to chit-chat that I would let her take her own daughter so I could go home and get lunch. She offerred to take her daughter. I tried to be nice and keep the daughter IF she was going to sunday school.

As hubby says it, I kicked the kid out of sunday school! I felt bad but don't think it's my responsibility to watch someone's kid while they socialize. And maybe I think that because I make sure that someone goes to get my kid as soon as church is done so that others don't have to wait. Hubby disagrees. He thinks I should keep the kid while socializing happens. This girl and her mom are "newer" in church and I really hope that I didn't make them mad or scare them away with my evil selfishness. I hope to talk to her Sunday about it.

Daycare

When your daycare is not available, who do you call on? I'd call grandparents. Unfortunately, the only grandparents nearby are also the daycare providers. Mom called yesterday at noon-ish to ask if I could find someone to keep Scott so they could go out of town. I figured it would be no problem. Yeah, well, it was. At 6pm, I had someone who'd keep him from lunch till I got off work. But I needed someone in the morning desperately because I had appointments at work. Fortunately, one of the girls from bible study offerred to add him to her list of kids to watch that morning (she was already watching her niece and nephew). So, I get all that settled around 9:45 when I return mom's phone call. She had called earlier to say that they weren't going out of town because of the weather and she could keep SCott.

Scott so needs more grandparents nearby on days like this!

Best Husband Ever

So last night I got home at 6pm, about 1.5 hours later than planned. Bible study was starting at our house at 6:30 and I still hadn't cleaned a thing. I'd spent the previous two nights snuggled up on the couch feeling crappy. I walk in the door after a busy and more-than-hectic afternoon at the office to find my house clean. Well, clean enough. Hubby had picked up the living room, put stuff away and did ALL the dishes that had piled up. I was so ecstatic that he had done so much that I no longer cared about the Christmas decorations that are still up. I quickly swept the floors and vacuumed, finishing just as our first guests arrived.

Unfortunately I didn't eat supper before hand. So, it was night #3 of feeling crappy. If I don't eat enough food often enough, I feel very faint and puky. Grr. But, who cares, my house was clean. When the night was over and I had dealt with a few other hectic issues, including a last minute babysitter, I toasted a bagel and headed to bed.

excert from email

The following is an excerpt from an email that I sent to my good friend over at Obsessive Compulsive Bride:

You made my day today. A day when I've done nothing all day but work on maps for a guy's contract, I needed a little something fun to read. I know you updated yesterday but I just had to check today, just in case. And I died laughing. I read the title and laughed. Then the first few lines... And before scrolling down to the next paragraph, I thought "wait, do I wanna pray for someone humping her computer???" And then voila, right there in the next paragraph you asked if it negated any prayer. Cracked me up! That's why we're friends and that's what I miss so much about seeing you more often!!!!

Things here are well. I'm feeling good again for the most part. My stomach hurt last night but it was just gassy, I think. I couldn't help but eat supper at mom's last night: fried potatoes, boiled pinto beans and cornbread. So plain but so perfect. I think the beans did it :)

I'm so glad to be off next Monday. I have so much to do around the house. I haven't even put away Christmas décor yet. I must do that tonight since we have bible study at our house on Thursday. So next Monday while I should be deep cleaning, I plan to take small fry for his 18 month pictures and then hopefully head to Waterloo for some maternity clothes shopping.

My belly is starting to stick out just enough that fitted shirts are no longer appealing to me. But not enough that I dare take out the maternity clothes. It's drama. On the upside, Saturday was a good day. For the first time in a long time, I took a long shower and then took time to do my hair and a little make up. It's amazing how different my "naturally nasty" hair looks if I put some effort into it. However, it also made me realize that I look like poop every other day that I come to work with my crappy hair, no make up, etc.

Tomorrow is my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday JJ!

Ah, I can almost breathe again

Okay, things have been a bit crazy around here lately. We had a whirlwind Christmas and New Year's Holiday Season. We did the B family Christmas down South, came home for the Christmas Cantata at church for hubby's part as the narrator, spent Christmas Eve with my mom and family. Christmas Day we had everyone to our house including both families. It went well until 5pm in which we skipped "seasons". We went straight from the holidays to "sick" season. Small fry was puking in the car that night which made for lots of fun, especially for me as I'm a nauseaus pregnant person anyway. That continued for a week. At the same time, the B's got sick, my dad, sister and her kids arrived in time to also get sick, neice spent a night in the hospital and there was lots of family time at the toilet for multiple issues.
New Year's was quiet for the most part. No big party with the sick folks! We did get together with some friends who all thought something was wrong. Nothing except being sick and tired of being sick and tired. My kid is totally out of his schedule and a pain in the butt about sleeping. I did manage to stay up to bring in the New Year without a nap! We also got our 2nd measurable snow of the year - not that it was much but at least we got snow.
The next day we had 12 hours of football on TV. Yeah, way too much for me but I entertained myself with little family members. My sisters kids are quite difficult and I would so discipline them differently!!!
Today was a back to work day after 5 days of being off. It sure made working difficult today. My in-laws are back today and gone tomorrow, I think. My dad, sister and family also leave tomorrow. So, we should be getting back to normal. Now, if only I can get my kid to go to bed without crying "mommy, mommy" for 45 minutes before I put him in bed with me to get him to sleep!

I've missed my world of posts and am eager to get back to normal and stop at the grocery store. Thanks to President Ford, I was able to stay home and watch his funeral on TV. It was quite the history lesson!

Heartbeat and Cramps

We heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time last night. It was exciting but also scary to know that there were concerns. Now that I'm into my 2nd trimester and they have a heartbeat, I think the concerns are limited if not gone. I do have these cramps though that are killer. Sharp pains on both sides, right where my ovaries would be. Based on my two previous ultrasounds, the doc thinks the sharp pains are caused by the cysts that are developing on my ovaries. Sounds bad but its really not. They kinda grow and dissapear and then grow again. Its fairly common. Last night's appointment was fun and as always, it was good to see the clinic staff again and watch them "ooh and awe" over small fy who is quite the little flirt!

We leave today for the B family Christmas. It will be fun and I'm glad to see the in-laws again but I'm not looking forward to a 3.5 hour drive. Thankfully, I'm not one of those stuck in an airport right now!

I'm tired today. Yesterday was a good time hanging out with some of the college kids who are home. Last night hubby had guy time. They ended up at our house playing xbox in the basement and yelling their heads off. A few of the college girls also came over and I tried to stay awake while we watched a movie and they were there until after midnight. I was feeling crappy on the couch from not eating enough supper. No fun. It was good to visit with the girls although I didn't get my dishes finished, my laundry finished or any packing done. Oops :)

Wishing you a Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our savior!

Never Boring at our House

The weekend started out okay. I had a good week at work and felt good most the week too. Friday night, I worked late until our work Christmas gathering. It was the first time we’d done so and it was good to get together. We all met for a meal and it was fun to talk to spouses, etc but I wish we’d had it at someone’s home so we could more comfortably sit around and chat. My fish was super salty and hubby’s steak was gross. That was the normal part of our weekend.

Saturday morning, I took small fry for a hair cut and then we rushed to get the kitchen clean after ignoring the dishes all week. K was coming over after lunch to bake with hubby. Shortly after noon, I called K to see what time she was coming. She wasn’t. Good reasoning though. K had a friend show up on her door step from many miles away and she was now busy. I was glad that K could see Danny but bummed because I knew that hubby was looking forward to the baking. That, and he doesn’t do well when plans change last minute. Of course, hubby was disappointed. He kinda moped around a little bit and I was irritated with him. I tried to be understanding and supportive. Then mom called and invited us to supper. Hubby didn’t want to go. Now, normally I would be okay with that and just stay home with him. This time, I wanted to go for supper and so I planned to do so. I called mom back and told papa that hubby was staying home but that small fry and I would be there. I failed to mention those details to hubby. Our trip to Walmart got set aside and he eventually went upstairs and napped and I kinda sat around in a daze – not wanting to put up with a prune for a hubby. Hubby awoke and after discussions of schedules and the need to go to wally world, he decided he wanted to go – at 330. By now, I really needed to tell hubby of MY dinner plans. I took a quick shower and by 4pm, we were on the road. A quick call to mom and I understood that she wouldn’t wait on me for supper. So, we did the run to Aldi’s and wallyworld. My scheming at this point was to have hubby drop me off at mom’s and she could later take me back home. He still didn’t want to eat supper there. When I asked about the situation, he was going to go home and bake. I asked him not to do so without me and he agreed to wait, which then led in agreement to go to mom’s with me. We got there at 7pm, chatted a while, ate wonderful chicken enchiladas and started to play cards. We hardly finished the first hand when hubby said “we need to go home now”. Not much down the road, I was pulled over on the side and he was puking.

That was the start of our fun. Shortly after midnight, hubby said he needed to go to the emergency room. I jumped up grabbed some stuff for the diaper bag, woke up the kiddo and we headed out the door. In a short period of time, things had gotten worse. I’ll spare the details – he was sick. And his blood pressure was something like 80 over 50. I think that was as he passed out! They of course admitted him some time later and I headed home with the kiddo. By 3am I was back in bed, after starting a load of puky laundry! Sunday was a hectic day. I was lacking sleep, small fry needed a nap, we had a meeting at church and hubby was lying in a crappy hospital bed! I made several trips to the hospital that day. I did go home for a break. The nap never happened but I did chat with Ben and Preston who were there playing xbox. And because I couldn’t get my headache to be any worse, I decided to go out and shoot clay pigeons. Yes, me. I had never even shot a shotgun before. I quickly learned how to load it, aim and shoot. I did good too! After that I sent the boys home, ate a quick bite, went to pick up the kiddo from his grammy’s and headed back to the hospital. It was a long day. The next morning my plans were to be at the hospital by 630. At 620, hubby called and woke me. I hit snooze on the alarm so many times that it quit going off! Later that morning hubby was released from the hospital. I picked him up, dropped him off at home and headed to work.

I was at my desk by 1045am – a wee bit late! Headed to a luncheon and was gone from that early not feeling well. Snuck over to the chiropractor for a quick adjustment and was home and asleep on the couch by 3pm! Yeah, long day at the office. All of this to say that I’m tired and in need of sleep yet I have so much to do. Add to all that that I’m 11 weeks pregnant and tired anyway and puky anyway and these past few days have been loads of fun! Yes, I said it. I’m pregnant. Baby #2 is due July 1st.

This was happy baby before he got within arms reach of Santa

Small fry was scared of Ben, I mean, Santa. Ben had just held and played with the kiddo during church nursery earlier that morning. He didn't care if the voice was familiar so Dad sat on Santa's knee and gave his own Christmas wish.

Myspace

Received an email today from a kinda-sorta co-worker out in DC. We work for the same agency which is all over the nation. His email said "do you have a myspace?" What? Why, does he want to know if I have a myspace? Weird.

Blaze Orange

It’s that time of year around here. Nope, I’m not talking about Christmas. It’s shotgun season for deer hunting around here. And because where I live is so rural, beautiful and full of wildlife, it also becomes hunter’s heaven this time of year. Deer hunting has been happening for quite some time with a bow and arrow but Saturday was the start of shotgun season. On the 6 mile drive from my house to town, there were vehicles parked in every farm-field driveway. Everywhere you looked there were groups of guys wearing their camoflauge with their blaze orange vests. It becomes slightly uncomfortable when everywhere you drive you seen guys carrying shotguns, walking through fields aiming guns or dressing deer. I was glad to be safe and WARM inside my car as we traveled down the roads this weekend.

Not everyone is so fortunate though. My coworker, Dwight, and his wife, Kristie, had a very close call. They live on a farm several miles out of town. Kristie was just about to the house when she saw a group “driving” the deer. She got in the house and debated on moving their horses to the barn when her phone rang. She stood in the door looking out for the hunters while talking to her sister. Just as she stepped away, a deer slug came flying into that exact door! It hit at the top where it protruded through ¾” of steel. Had the shot been 6 inches lower, it could have been deadly as that was exactly where Kristie was standing. It’s against the law to be shooting towards the highway, which the hunters did, and to be within 200 yards, which may have also happened. When the sheriff and DNR guys arrived to question the hunters, they denied everything. Of course, Dwight has a door with a massive dent and a deer slug to prove otherwise. Fortunately nobody was hurt.

Its interesting how some people, not everyone, can be so careless with a gun just for the sake of shooting a stupid deer. I’m debating on putting an orange vest on my goat for the next two weeks!

Already Done

I've been a bit of a slacker lately and haven't been online much to write. But today, today was the day. I finished up my Christmas letter and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Whew, what a task!

I know its almost Thanksgiving but when its 54 degrees outside, it sure doesn't seem like we're about to eat turkey! I'm enjoying the warmth while it lasts. In the mean time, I did start parking in the garage again. There have been mornings of frost and I don't like to scrape my windshield. Fortunately my hubby is a stud and cleaned out the garage for my car even though its the vet truck that has to be kept warm all winter long. I love my hubby!

Small fry is unstoppable now. He's thinks walking is so fun that he's walking in circles and wouldn't even stop last night to have a full meal. What a cutie!

More from me another day. I'm tired of being at the computer and ready to play with my kiddo and visit my hubby.

Yes, I'm alive

Time flies when you’re swamped! I can’t believe it’s been a few weeks since I’ve written anything down. Honestly, life has been a whirlwind – no, more like a tornado for me. Here’s a quick recap:

- Annual girly exam was as good as can be expected. I chose a new person and she’s wonderful. I really liked her and won’t have any problems going back.

- Same day did the 2 year follow up eye exam. Haven’t worn my glasses for over a year so it was time to go back and get things straightened out. About $350 later and another trip to D town, I have cute new glasses that I hate! I despise having to look through them rather than peeking down underneath the lenses.

- A few minor health issues kept me at the doctor on a regular basis for a bit. Good thing for insurance!

- Kiddo is still getting his molars. I love Orajel!

- Swamped once again at work. Some people call it overwhelming, I’m trying to think of it as job security.

- Last week I was scheduled to be in DM for a day of meetings on Thursday. On Tuesday my grammy-daycare got a cold and small fry started with it too. I stayed home with small fry on Wednesday and Thursday and missed my civil rights meeting in the big city.

- Friday was a day to celebrate our Veteran’s. And thanks to their dedication, I enjoyed a day off – making it a 5 day weekend for me! A long break like that was great considering we started our swamped schedule on Monday! With that said, I have a better appreciation for Stay at home moms. Having my kid for 5 days straight was quite the experience.

- Sunday, one of my buddies gave birth to their first son. What an experience for her! Their little guy is so precious. I ran up to the hospital last night with one of the girls to check out the new baby. It was fun to hold him and watch him. My kid doesn’t let me do that anymore.

- Small fry decided to walk last week. The look of accomplishment on his face was priceless. He’s such a doll. He has reverted back to crawling the last two days so that’s okay with me.

- Small fry cried this morning when I left. Sunday night he was up every hour till 4am. Grr, no fun! So Monday morning, Grammy came out to the house to stay while he slept. When he woke, Grammy took him to her house for their usual day. Then last night I left him there while I visited the baby at the hospital. So this morning when I stopped in on my way to work, he played hard to get. The minute I walked out the door, he cried “mommy, mommy”. And 5 minutes down the road, mom called me so that I could hear him in the background still whining for his mommy. Too cute! My mom has also taught him to say “don’t work”. It’s fun at this point and I don’t feel bad leaving him at his Grammy & papa’s everyday.

- My in-laws own a home in the town to the North. I’m excited to have them closer. They’re not moving back to the Midwest as of right now. In the mean time, this will provide them with a place of their own. I hope this will allow them to come for a month or so at a time. I love having them but having guests in your home for long periods can get tiring. I’m sure they’ll like me better too when I’m not a grumpy, whiny daughter-in-law that I quickly become after a week of company. Hubby thinks that for now we also have a summer home or something like that. Only its not very far from our home and is a place in the country similar to ours so who knows what he’s thinking.

- Speaking of a stellar hubby. He’s lost over 40 pounds in the last few months. What a stud!!!

- I don't think I'll make the June wedding in CA for my buddy, Cori. However, I hope to be out to CA this spring to meet my new nephew who's do on St. Pats Day.

Halloween

Hubby sent a few great pictures of small fry in his MOO-COW outfit. Unfortunately, the size is to big too load. Here are a few others from my folks:


Here's a few of my thoughts about Halloween:
I don't like Beggars Night. I try not to support Beggars Night. Forget Halloween, I like to think we should be celebrating Harvest Time instead. But, being the good mom that I am, I found a costume for the kiddo. Only, I tweaked the idea a bit to fit my preferences. Kiddo dressed up as a cow, a very cute one I might add. Of course, we snapped some cute pictures before leaving. We purchased candy and walked around town with him stopping only at certain houses, most of which had no outside light on. Instead of asking for candy, we handed out candy. It was fun. We stopped at several of the old folks in our church, some of the younger folks (our friends) and the mom&pops grocery store where small fry shared candy with the ladies working. We handed out candy to the adults and coloring books to a few kiddos. It was fun. So, in a way, I got my way: I got pictures of my cute kid and showed him off to people as well as visited a few of the older folks. And at the same time, we weren't out begging for candy that my 15 month old child will never eat!!!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

my scatter brained thoughts of the day

What in the world have I been up to lately? Well, it would be easy to say that baseball has consumed our life. Honestly though, hubby has been great at making sure that there’s more to his life than baseball – even if his favorite team, the Cardinals, are in the World Series right now. It’s been a quick week although not dramatic, which is good. Here’s the details:
For all of you women considering children, here’s a bit of birth control for you. Small fry is getting his molars. He’s been awake and fussing 5 of 6 nights. Needless to say I’m tired and grumpy which also means my house is a mess and I’m not motivated to work. It’s been a good week though. For a few days now, I’ve tried to remember what I did Monday night. Still can’t recall. Tuesday morning I couldn’t force myself to work and stayed home only to realize mid morning that I had a few afternoon appointments. I went to a new girly doctor. She was fantastic and I loved her – as much as you can love a gyno. I also had my check up at the eye doctor. Yup, I’ll be putting the glasses back on – yes, the ones that sat on my office desk, under a pile of papers, with a broken hinge, the last 18 months! The news ones will be cute I think but they surely came with a price. Darn insurance. I had my typical Wednesday and Thursday schedule. Was super tempted to not go to small group last night but as usual, I was glad to be there and I didn’t even need tooth picks to hold my eyes open. Today the best man in our wedding comes to town. He’s been serving in Iraq for the last year and we’re glad to have him home before he heads back to his duty station in Germany. The only bad part about him coming is that my house is not ready for company.
I know, you guys all think that it’s no big deal and he’s coming to see us not a scrubbed toilet. Honestly though, I really wish I had the house clean. Remember, I’m a neat freak. And the house needs more than “picked up”. Like the kitchen floors that have been swept but not mopped in a few weeks really need some attention. I think they’re choking from the layer of filth on them. The cow hide, even though I vacuumed it on Monday, now needs vacuumed again thanks to small fry and his love for finding dried leaves and crumbling them. And the spare bedroom. We’ve had 3 different sets of visitors in there in 3 weeks, tonight will make four sets. Since the first set, I haven’t swept or swiffered the wood floors. And more recently, there’s a pile of clothes on the floor that our company didn’t take with them AND the sheets need washed. Yeah, I have other clean and awesome sheets but the ones that are on the bed match the best so I wanted to use those. The recycles really need taken out from the back porch and in the mean time there’s a pile of recycle stuff by the back door which looks SUPER tacky. I have scrapbooking stuff on the dining table too. I could survive if those things were done. And I’d be most happy with myself if I had meals planned, snacks put together and other fun stuff like that. But no, I went to work today like a good girl.
Ah yes, work. I felt like crap today, just the achy tired feeling. I have problems with my legs and feet bothering me. So what did I do today at work? I headed to the field to lay out conservation practices. Yup, you know it, this prissy girl can stunt double as a farm girl. Four hours of walking in a rough, cornstalk infested field before I gave my little legs a rest.
Oh, and speaking of farm girl… we stopped on our way home last night at the local college dairy where my buddy L was working. It was super special and she greatly appreciated seeing the 6 of us standing in the window when she looked up after prepping a cow. It was well worth the time! Oh and another random thought to share is about my friend N. She’s one of my closest buds from my CA days. She currently works at the famous coffee shop that is way too expensive. Anyway, I call up the expensive shop yesterday (after a little investigating to get the phone #) and she answers the phone. It was perfect! I asked if I could order a coffee to go. She said yes. I proceeded to ask if she could send it to Iowa. And then it clicked with her, it was me. Her response was worth recording. I quickly told her I missed her and loved her before I once again requested the coffee. She warned me that it would no longer be fresh, we said good bye and I went on with my day. I love little surprises like that.

And one more thought. I'm so sick of people who make committments and don't follow through with them. I've been mean lately and have emailed those folks and basically told them what I think and what I expect. No more Mrs. Nice Gal for me this week. Jerks. Okay, that’s it from me. I so need to get to my small fry and then on home to my company.

Neat freak?

Have I ever mentioned before that I’m a neat freak? Okay, well I am but lately I’ve learned that I can’t be. Marriage has taught me that I can’t be the neat freak that I’d like to be. Now, I’m not blaming hubby 100% because he lets me do what I want for the most part. I just don’t have the time or energy or help to keep the house in perfect order, I’d also like to do more around the house – cooking fun meals, sewing more, keep up with my scrap booking, etc. Yesterday, M was busy trying to get a few things done and asked me how I’m able to get everything done while maintaining a career and having a child. Easy answer: I DON’T! I’m not able to get everything done. No doubt, my house is in some sort of order when I have guests but on a daily basis, NO WAY. Like right now, I have these little dead asian beetles and dead leaves that are scattered in a corner in the room. Ryan brought my plants in last week and I have yet to clean up around them.

I do, however, make an honest effort to keep things done around my house. I try to do the dishes at least daily which is sometimes difficult when I’m gone 3-4 nights a week. I try to vacuum at least once a week, do laundry throughout the week, etc. But lately, I’ve really wanted to stay home and “play”. And by that I mean that I’d like to work on my quilt I started a LONG time ago with my MIL. I like to work on the new wall hanging I got, scrapbook, cook fun foods and lounge around the house. I’d love to be able to spend a few hours each week stopping by to visit folks. For instance, B had a baby a few months ago and I still haven’t stopped there. Dr. H’s wife had a baby 2 weeks ago and I haven’t stopped there or sent a card. I so don’t have it all planned out, seriously, why do people think I do?

UPDATE
Fantastagirl mentioned me have a calming sense around me. Calming sense... what is that? I so don't have anything calming about me except for the few minutes I spend in the shower. Okay, wait, calming the other day when Ryan twirled my hair in the car for one minute before arriving at our destination. I'm swamped, honestly. But, I enjoy life that way, I don't want to be a couch potato.
Last night for example, I got home in time to feed SCott a quick meal while doing dishes. We then ran downstairs for youth group. That was over and we headed back upstairs. I pawned the kid off on Ryan and made this quick shrimp dip for supper. Sat down for umm, about 2 minutes, didn't like the dip so I crawled down in the floor and played with the kiddo for a few minutes. From there, we headed upstairs, gave the kiddo a bath, put him in bed. Cut my nails quick, washed up the dishes from the dip stuff and headed upstairs to bed. It was 10pm. Yeah, did you read about anything calming??? Maybe while the kiddo was playing in the bath but it didn't take him long to start putting his face in the water and sucking it up his mouth and nose. Next he wanted to stand in the bath and play along the edge. So my "sit back and relax while Scott plays" attitude was quickly changed by "policing" hiim instead.

Weekend in the Twin Cities

Dare2Share
Okay, I’m awake this morning. After a long weekend in the twin cities, we’re home and tired. I wish I could say that I was there for some fun – a little shopping, walking in the city, hanging out with friends, maybe even hanging out with the H’s. But, that wasn’t the case this weekend. Friday we took 20 people to the Dare 2 Share conference. As the junior high youth group leader, hubby spear-headed the trip. After lots of planning, D-day (aka drive day) arrived. We met at the church, made a few quick pit stops on the way and finally arrived at the convention center for the conference. I spent Friday evening volunteering for the D2S staff. They needed help and I filled in, which was a blessing for both of us I’m sure – they got their help and I learned some more about the D2S organization. Towards the end of the night, I slipped into the conference to hang out with our group.

Lauren
As I sat in with my group, I heard a bit of the speaker and then caught the drama. It was an amazing presentation of the judgement seat of Christ. It was a great way to let people know that being a part of God’s family is much more than saying “I’m a Christian” or that you’ve done good things. It hit home with Lauren, I suppose. At the end of the night, she gave her life over to Christ. I was so excited – I still am so excited! Giving your life to Christ doesn’t mean that life will be easy or super fun. It is an acknowledgement of the TRUTH that we all so desperately need. Way to go Lauren!

Hotel
We arrived at our hotel right around midnight. Okay, I was beat tired but was still excited and emotional for my little sister. Finally around 1230pm, I hit the sack. I was so tired that I didn’t even brush my teeth or take a potty break or wash my face. After watching the clock throughout the night and not getting much sleep, I got up at 545 to start the day.

Volunteer
Three of us from our group headed back the convention center for the 7am-noon volunteer shift. It was a great time hanging out and doing odd jobs. I made myself available for whatever needed to be done and so I got pulled in multiple directions throughout the morning. Fortunately I was helping out in the leaders meeting – which was where I needed to be as a youth leader. Things rolled pretty smoothly throughout the morning. I was asked to hand out glow sticks right before the lunch break. It was amazing how the JHi kids RAN to the table for something “FREE”.

Post Lunch
We had another session and some more music before heading out. Several hours in the afternoon were spent collecting can foods for the mission which was a great way to also give the kids an opportunity to put into practice what they’d been learning. I had 3 students join me – 2 were in Jhi, one of which had never really heard “BIBLE” stuff before. The other was Lauren. They were scared and nervous to share the GOSPEL with folks. It an interesting experience. Of the many doors we knocked on, they were lots of people gone and/or not answering. Most of those who answered would give a few cans but weren’t willing to let the kids PRACTICE sharing. The final house was perfect. One of my Jhi kids walked her through the GOSPEL acronym and she was good to encourage him afterwards. It was a huge step.

Superchic[k]
Eventually we made it back to the convention center for one more session and the Superchic[k] concert. This was a “different” band than my style but many people like them. I did recognize two of their songs. But, by this point, I was pooping out. I was lacking sleep, tired of sitting and not enjoying the music. After the concert, autographs and planning our drive home, we jumped back in our vehicles. This was not fun – people were not doing things the way I THOUGHT they should be done. None-the-less, we headed home. We got home around 230am on Sunday and headed to bed for a few hours before I got up for church.

Pastor's Business Card

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door.
When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10" Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter.
Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."
Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked"

More from me later. I do plan to post today. lots going on!

ho hum

Okay, so the sunshine is gone today and it's supposed to get back to our "real" weather around here. I must say that 80+ weather was nice for a few days. I think I even got a little color on my arms yesterday. I went to the field yesterday [gasp] during the morning and "played" in the "dirt". Best thing about it was that I got paid. Yup, it's my job. Tomorrow the HS kids will come out for a soil judging contest. Sounds like fun doesn't it? It is actually very neat to see how the soil is really a community of bugs, etc. Yes, I can be a science nerd sometimes.

Peach cobbler update: sounded good. easy recipe. no cobbler though. yeah, we didn't have enough milk and I really wanted hubby to stay home and hang out instead of going back to town. mom made peach cobbler and I ate some at her house.

Fall leaves are here and it's quite the sight. I love the changing leaves, cool crisp air and hot chocolate. I hope our nearby family and friends can make a trip up here to check things out. We spent a few hours on Saturday up near Decorah. Scott played in the leaves while I searched for acorns and Ryan piddled around in the trees. It was really a good time of fun and relaxing. Of course, Small fry had his first "owie". He did a face plant on the cement from his little rider-thingy and scraped around his eye and on his forehead. Poor guy scared himself so bad and just screamed for a bit. Fortunately the screaming lasted VERY briefly and I held him close for a while and put him back on his rider-thingy for some more fun.

I am not pregnant, however, lots of my friends just had or will be having a baby soon. I guess I'm of that age now. It's really neat to hear about although I'm horrible at remembering who's pregnant and when they're due.

Small group has been good lately. I'm glad to see it more organized. N&R have been great so far at providing something good to start our evenings. Our group has expanded and that's been fun too. Lately we've been sending out prayer requests and I've made cards out of them. It's a great way for me, a visual person, to remember to pray for those in the group. I've had a blast designing cards, finding good picstures and info to go with the actual prayer requests. I know that I'm by no means a graphic designer but they've been a fun task for me.

Unfortunately I don't have enough time in my day to get everything done that I'd like to do. I'm working out again but missed Tuesday - oops. Last night I took small fry to the doc then a quick trip to walmart before heading to K's house. I watched Gilmore Girls for the first time ever. Talked the whole way home to my SIL which was a blessing. Got home, put the kiddo in bed and made wild rice soup for tonights supper. Of course, I had to sample it before I went to bed at 1045 last night. Umm, makes me hungry!!!

Quick update

- shopped last weekend. bought scrap book and quilting supplies.
- Need to stop at grocery store
- Worked out for the 1st time in 5 weeks
- Went for a walk last night
- Talked to Tebbe - yay!
- Miss Lauren
- Wanna hang out w/ CA friends
- Need to see the optometrist
- Made appt for oil change
- Need to order pictures... right now
- Fresh peaches = peach cobbler... think I can do it???
- Love, love, love my kiddo
- Hubby is great too
- Got an email from Toby, in Germany
- Need to go home to see family.
Ciao

Scott's first haircut

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Small fry likes to play with the chickens at Grammy's house. He loved it when she sat him on the stool to play.

Finally got a chance to load some pictures of small fry's first haircut. He is so cute!

I'm good

I had a great weekend. Friday night, hubby and I headed to the local football game where we joined the regulars. Only, not all the regulars were there but that was okay. We watched a little football while our kiddo entertained everyone around us. We usually sit in front on Lon and he plays with small fry from a distance. When Lon has snacks, small fry goes right to him. I think Lon will be his buddy by time the season is over. K met us there and then hung out at our house after the game. It was good to chat but I was so tired!

The next morning hubby ran out to get some awesome pecan rolls from the Mennonite bakery. Eventually we ended up at a friends house to cheer on the Cyclones even though the majority of people are Hawkeye fans. It was good to lounge around, eat some good food and watch football. We went home and I took a 2 hour nap – it was amazing! That evening, hubby and I headed to town for supper with the kiddo followed by a visit to Grammy’s house.

Sunday was another sleep in morning. I woke early but kept falling back asleep knowing that I didn’t NEED to be up so early. We skipped church and headed to hubby’s cousin’s house for the day. We celebrated 3 birthdays in one meal which works out well. Cousin T, has a baby (see picture in previous post) that is 8 weeks old. It was fun to see the great grandparents holding the kiddos. Best of all was watching small fry kiss his cousin over and over on the forehead.

It wasn’t a busy weekend at all which was just what I needed. I did very little laundry, dishes once and watered my plants. The rest of the time I spent hanging out with friends, pushing my kiddo in the swing and napping. It was very restful. Of course, I hear today that even though Jake was pulled out of the rotation, he unexpectedly pitched 6 innings on Friday night. Go figure!

I stepped on the scale the other day and had apparently lost 1.5 pounds. I better not get back on the scale or it will tell me that it was wrong before! I just want to fit in my old clothes and get rid of my gut. I so need to be out running but alas, I’m lazy and prioritize everything else.

Still no pictures of the haircut – mine or small fry’s. Maybe tomorrow.

Blah Day

Things are finally slowing down at the office. I'm thankful for that but then it's hard to be motivated to be here when I'm tired or have a head ache or I'm having a blah day. Today is one of those days where I just feel blah!

Small fry got his first hair cut today. It's cute but nothing fantastic. I'm not sure if we'll go back to that lady or not. If we do, I will definitely inform her that his hairline is farther down the back of his head!

Off to a work meeting tonight. I so don't want to go. I'd much rather go to my small group but I've kinda been running the show for this program so I should probably be there.

No baseball this weekend. Jake got pulled from the starting rotation. I'm ticked that we can't get a full refund on our room reservations either! Grr!!!!

signing off-
GRUMPY

Okay, this is a nasty picture of me but my mom thought it was cute. Small fry and I were napping together on the way home from breakfast.

This is Scott's only cousin on hubby's side. He's two months old now. We love him - even if he is an iowa fan!

Thoughts vs. Actions

I’ve thought about posting now for several days. In fact, I’ve thought about it so much that I was surprised to see that I hadn’t really posted. Yes, my mind has been busy with other thoughts lately…
It was a good and quiet weekend. My hubby headed on a road trip to see his Uncle in Ames and then went from there to Promise Keepers in WI for the weekend. So, it was quiet at home. Mom kept the kiddo on Thursday so I spent the evening helping a friend clean her house. There was a few of us girls and although we were cleaning, I had a great time chatting and the time passed quickly. Before I knew it, it was nearing 11pm and I had a 20 minute drive home, a house to clean and a shower to remove the manure from my hair from chores. Friday morning came way to early but I was satisfied with my accomplishments at home even though I didn’t get the kitchen mopped and the dishes put away. I figured my guest, Uncle Paul, would survive the messy kitchen. Uncle Paul was in Ames speaking at a conference (where hubby went on Thurs) so he drove up Friday afternoon to spend the night with us. I was prepared to cook a meal for him knowing that I like a home cooked meal after being on travel. Fortunately, he understood of my crazy life and we headed out for a Gunder Burger. It was a nice quiet evening at home watching my precious son play on the floor with his great uncle. I rose early Saturday morning when I heard my guest stirring even though my tired body longed to lay in bed. I spent a short time on the couch reading Blue Like Jazz before UP came downstairs. He stayed briefly in the morning before he had to hit the road to catch his flight. I was previously unsure of what my weekend had in store and had several things tentatively planned. That all went out the window though with the weather which was gloomy, wet and sprinkling out. I had a nice morning with my folks on a quick trip to the North for breakfast and a bit of shopping. That afternoon, Scott and I napped together. Only he didn’t nap and neither did I, instead we played on the bed. He has become so interactive lately and is so much fun! He was constantly climbing all over me, calling the dog and playing “boo”. That evening Lauren came over so we could head to the football game. Except, I was enjoying having nothing to do so she agreed to lounge around the house with me which sure beats the cold windy and rainy weather with a kid who hadn’t napped! I fixed a quick supper and we sat down to watch Robots together. It was good to be a home-body. Ryan came home early that night – about 5 hours earlier than I thought so I was glad that I stayed home. Sunday was a bit more running around. I stayed after church for the potluck before heading to Ray and Donna’s to help clean their house. R&D are an older couple in the church with a list of things that prevents them from daily chores. It was fun to do for them and thankfully Beth joined me to lighten the load. Afterwards I jogged back to my mom’s to get my car before heading home. [Now let me just assure you that my “jogging” was no real exercise. They live a block and a half from my folks. And this is the rural Midwest so a block is about 5 houses or so and I was able to cut through a neighbor ladies yard along her sidewalk to R&D’s. In all, I jogged maybe 100 yards!] Anyway, that evening I hung out with the family which was nice. I so haven’t been motivated to work. Last night however, I did the dishes, a bit of laundry, bathed and fed the kiddo, moved the goat and played with the dog all before I sat down. [Now that’s something for this lazy bum to brag about!]

So, that’s my mundane recap of the weekend. I struggle to write recap’s now that I know Cori thinks they’re horrible and boring. But, it’s all I have I guess. Other thoughts…
- I’m on page 60ish of Blue Like Jazz – Non Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality and I’m not sure if I like it yet. I love to write and read (although I don’t do much of either these days) and his style is a bit different than I’m used. I’m also not sure that I appreciate how he approaches some of his stuff. It’s become a popular book and I’m reading so that I converse with people when they bring it up. We’ll see if reading it helps
- I like being a farm girl. Chores are fun when you don’t have to do them lately. I didn’t grow up on a farm but I’ve been involved somewhat since high school. Whether it be showing livestock, riding horses, living on a acreage, etc. But I love feeding the beef cows out in the pasture. And, even though I get the “crappy” 4-wheeler, I love riding the 4W around from farm to farm!
- I appreciate “earning” a living but some days I wish I could continue to get paid my salary to stay home and hang out with others.
- I miss my friends. I told hubby this morning that I was going home to CA when his buddy comes out in October. Now, that really won’t happen but I do miss my friends. I do plan to see one of them this weekend – Go Mariners!!!
- Do you complain about your job? I’m sure I do. Imagine if your income was based solely on your performance. It’s interesting to look at pro sports a little differently when you know someone. Jake is pitching in the starting rotation but in a sense, he’s “trying out” for a starting spot for the 2007 season. How stressful! Not all pro athletes are the stereotypical jocks who make too much money. They have to “earn” their living by performing in front of big crowds in stressful situations.

Life at a Glance

Notice my lack of writing? My time has definitely been used up lately. Some time ago I heard a message about serving others even when you don’t have the time. That really hit home with me because I do feel like I don’t have the time to do the things that I’d like to do for others. In the last several weeks I’ve been trying hard to appropriately juggle my time at work, home and else where. Here’s what’s been going on lately:
- skipping work outs in the morning so my son can get some much needed rest (and me too)
- Stir crazy at work with 2 huge programs. One is overly detailed and can require lots of time for each contract holder. I’ve been averaging 3.5 to 4 hours each week in over time.
- Head to a friends house to help with chores a couple days each week. Now, this is not hard work, it’s actually fun and gives me some time alone and outside on our gorgeous landscape. My buddy’s mom is sick and in the hospital so I’m trying to help pick up some of the kids’ burden. I don’t know if I’m much help but I enjoy shoveling ear corn and riding the 4-wheeler to feed cows. Visiting with my pal is definitely an added bonus, she’s such a sweetie.
- rush home to do the family thing. Now this is definitely one of my favorite parts of the day but it’s also when I’m the most tired. My kiddo loves his swing in the tree so we spend a while outside most nights. Supper is served – thanks to my wonderful hubby and the evening is spent folding laundry, dishes, playing with the kiddo or sewing on a cute little thing that I’m making for baby Elizabeth.

Monday was Labor Day which also means it was a free vacation day for me. That was much needed and greatly appreciated. I had spent Sunday in the metropolis TRYING not to spend any money and visiting a friend.

[Let’s not forget the kiddo]

Small fry is growing rapidly and he’s doing so much more as a big boy. He’s quite the mocking bird and I’m waiting for the first cuss word. Now, we don’t cuss in our house but others do and I’m sure it’s bound to be said since he’s repeating everything right now. He also sat in a big boy booster seat last weekend at Taco Bell. That was cool to see him sit so nicely and shovel food into his mouth. Poor thing is teething right now. He’s getting 4 teeth at once. It’s nice to get that over with but it’s been a rough time for him. He also had this mystery spot on his leg. I thought it was just diaper rash that was irritated by the edge of his diaper in the crease of his leg. It didn’t go away though and so grammy & papa took him to the doctor for me. It was infected and he started antibiotic. That night, after a warm compress, we got the area to drain quite a bit. We still don’t know what caused it for sure. The next day the kid still has a fever but now he’s really warm. Because he was teething, I knew a little temperature was okay. But now, I had to check it, he was so warm. His temp was 101.2. I called the doc and quickly put a cool wash cloth on the back of his neck. It dropped some and the doc said to watch him. If the temp spiked, I would need to take him in. That was Saturday. Sunday morning he stayed with g&p during church. That noon he was fine but didn’t eat much. Things have been progressively worse. Not horrible at all, but not normal. He’s still happy but isn’t eating really. Last night he had a bit of a rash that I thought it was just his shirt. It’s worse today and has spread. Grr. I called the doc and we’ll see what he says. Hubby thought that if it was the antibiotic causing a reaction that he would have been much worse and it would’ve been earlier on. He’s been clingy and crying. Last night he was up for over an hour during the night crying. I tried everything – Tylenol, gas drops, clean diaper, bottle – and nothing worked. Finally I put him in bed with me and he held tight to my shirt as he tossed and turned until I finally put him back in his own bed. All that to say that I’m eager for the teeth to come through and things to be “normal” again.