It's that time of year again!

I'm a few days late on posting this....as always LOL. I can't seem to keep up with the blog lately....I'm lucky I get to get on the computer at all most days!

One of my favorite things about this time of year here in Milwaukee.....the Channel 10 (PBS) Auction!! It's a huge fundraiser for PBS that lasts a week where viewers can bid on various items and services donated by companies/people. I absolutely love watching it every year...and most years I bid on things and win. Though this year I haven't had a whole lot of time to watch, so we'll see if I get anything or not!

My trip to the ER

I haven't posted in a while....and here's why!! As you can tell from the subject, I had to make a trip to the ER. Not for myself, but with Kyle.

My mom had the kids on Sunday and kept them overnight and I picked them up on Monday. (a whole different post....Bob and I actually had a date night!!). My mom said Kyle slept for 8 hours that night (highly unusual...he's done 6 before, but never more). Also all day on Monday he was really fussy....the only time he wasn't crying was when he was sleeping, and the only time he slept was in someone's arms. He was just not a happy camper.
My first instinct is to take his temp. Go figure, this was the one time I didn't pack it in the bag (normally I pack 50 bazillion things so I end up taking way too much stuff and about 10 trips from the car to the house). My mom had an old fashioned one that I didn't even know how to read. According to that one, his temp was 100.2. Not quite high enough to call the dr, but enough of a concern for me.

I ran out to the store to buy Tylenol (yes, because silly me didn't pack that this one time either!). About a half hour later he settled down and was somewhat happy.

After dinner I packed up the kids (and stuff) and headed home. I told Bob all about Kyle's fussiness and symptoms. Then I had to run out since I had my MOPS meeting (mommy time!!!!). Normally I take Kyle with me (a room full of ladies...oh yeah, Kyle gets lots of attention!) but with the fussiness and fever, I didn't want to take him out.

I came home at 9:30pm and Bob was feeding Kyle. He told me to take over because he wanted to call the nurse hotline. He had been sleeping the whole time I was gone, and his temp was 101.3.

The nurse said to take him to the hospital. So there I go, at 10pm, taking Kyle to the ER. Bob stayed home with Ryan since Ryan was sleeping and I didn't want to wake him up unless it was absolutely necessarily. (Ryan with little sleep is a nightmare to deal with).

What did I do at the ER? Mainly.......wait. A whole lot of waiting. Go to triage. Go back out to waiting room. Wait. Talk to nurse. Wait for about 45 minutes for the doctor. Talk to dr. Wait. Run tests. Wait. Talk to dr again. Wait. More tests. Wait. Finally get released.
I was in the stinkin' ER until 2:30am! For what? For them to tell me it's "just a virus". ggggrrr. Grant it, I'm very very happy and relieved there is nothing wrong with my baby. However, to spend 4 hours in the middle of the night in the ER for them to tell me it's just a virus and they can't do anything, it really ticked me off. I finally went to bed at 3:30am and was up again at 7am. blah.

They did an RSV and flu test, they did chest x-rays, and a urine sample. All negative. They gave him Tylenol and waited to see if his temp went down. It did. Thankfully. They said to just give him Tylenol and watch him closely for a few days. And call my ped and make a follow up appt.

Then go figure, Kyle's fever has broken since Tuesday. Tuesday the highest his temp was 99.6. The last two days it's been normal. And he's been less fussy and back to his normal self....besides a few sneezes or coughs here and there. So the dr said it wasn't necessary to come in right away....we have an appt for Monday.

I think my kids are competing to see who can be in the ER the longest before they hit 3 months. Ryan still wins that one....unless Kyle opts to make me run to the ER again before Tuesday. (another post sometime but basically Ryan had emergency surgery when he was 9 weeks old).

Never boring with boys!!

Friday questions

These are from Friday Fun.

1. Do you believe net friends can be as close as real life friends?
You bet. I'm very close to some of my online friends. In fact, I think I may be closer to some of them than I am to my friends IRL. I'm actually going to meet up with one of my online friends this week!

2. Do you have a best friend? Or several?
I guess technically I have several best friends. I have my best friend from childhood...we aren't really "best" friends anymore but we are still close. I have my best friend from high school, and my best friend from college.

3. Are you still close to those you went to high school with?
Just a few people. Not very many.

4. Do you believe a man and a woman can truly be just friends?
yes I do. I have a few friends that are male and I have no inclination of wanting more. I don't feel it's a problem at all.

Why I became a mom

I think this picture says it all.

The smiles I get when he looks at me, the sparkle in his eyes when I call him by name, the laugh I get when I tickle him, the quiet when I hold him to calm him down, the cute little toes and fingers, the sweet sounds of his coos. All reasons I became a mom.

Inquiring Minds want to know....

A few days ago I offered to answer any question anyone was dying to know about me. Thank you to the few that responded! So here are the answers to your questions!

Cindy asked: If you could be an animal, what kind would you be?

I would be a cat. I think cats have a great life....sleeping most of the day, not a care in the world, bathe themselves wherever the mood strikes them, play a bit. Plus, I would get 9 lives. :)

and rudeness asked: I had a post back last year about "My Only Regret" and of course it was about a boy... you responded that you understood what I meant.Who was he? And why do you feel like "he got away?"

I honestly think that everyone has a "one that got away." Though I am happily married, I do feel that I have a love that got away, that I also do regret letting go of. I often wonder what he's doing now, if he's married, has a family, if he thinks of me, if he thinks I'm the one that got away for him.
His name is Mark, and I met him my freshman year in high school. He not only was cute, but funny. He used to make me laugh so hard I would have tears streaking down my cheeks. We started off as friends. We were in a few classes together (I remember being in Science class with him and competing with him to get the highest grade in the class. Which, btw, I won 3 out of the 4 times, but I digress) and we also sat at the same table for lunch with a whole bunch of other kids I got to know very well. (most of the girls).
By Jan. of my freshman year I was starting to get a crush on him, but didn't know how or what to do. I was terribly shy back in high school. Scary I know. You'd never know it now. It came time for the winter dance and I was hoping he would ask me. Instead he asked one of my friends and she said yes. They ended up dating for over a year.
During that year I got to know both of them very well, and I knew I was crushing on him, and everyone else knew it too. But I'm not that kinda girl that does that. So I remained friends and denied any "feelings" I may have had.
After they broke up, he never asked me out...which was fine because I would have had to decline since it was still fresh for my friend.
A few years passed and though we remained friends, we drifted apart slightly. Then during my junior year he moved away to Virginia. I thought I'd never see him again and I just moved on.
My senior year during Christmas break I got a phone call from him. He was in town for break for a few days and wanted to get together. I was shocked and happy, not to mention I wanted a distraction since my first boyfriend ever had just dumped me 2 weeks prior.
Anyway, we spent 3 absolutely wonderful days together. The first day we spent together, I immediately got those feelings back for him. Unfortunately he was "with" someone back inVirginia. There never really was a "right" time for us.
After we came back from the mall that first night, he dropped me off at my house and ended up giving me the most beautiful, wonderful kiss I ever had. To this day it still is the best kiss I've ever had.
Anyway, without going into details, it was a great 3 days and though we both agreed we loved each other, we also agreed it wouldn't work out as he had a girlfriend and lived in Virginia, and I wasn't fond of long distance relationships. So on New Years Eve we had to say goodbye and I wasn't sure if I'd ever see him again.
A year later when I was in college, he surprised me and came up to my college for a day. We had a long talk and he told me moved back to Wisconsin and that he wanted to settle down and get married and have a family. He was tired of dating and just wanted to settle down. He told me he loved me. Yikes. That freaked me out. I was only 18 years old, on my own for the first time, and was so not ready to settle down. I told him that I just wanted to remain friends. He understood and we left it at that. I never saw or heard from him again.
That is what I regret. I regret saying no to him....I wish I had given him a chance. We never really had a chance to be together, and when we finally did I opted to throw it away instead. I often wonder what would have happened if I had said yes. I have a spot in my heart for him...not sure if it's because he's my first love or because I have a fantasy of would it would have been like, but I have always felt since that he's the one that got away. I have no idea where he is or what he's doing now. I don't even know what state he's in. But I do know that I don't want to actively go out looking for him. I love my husband and family and life. But there's always that little part of me though that will always love him.

So sorry that was a longwinded story! But I just wanted to give you the full story since you asked. LOL

Keep the questions coming!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!!

It sure doesn't feel like Easter....it's so cold out. Definitely doesn't feel like Spring weather.

Anyway, He is Risen!! Amen!!

Happy Easter!

questions

I got this idea from Temporarily Me and thought it was cute. Here is the concept.

You can reply to this post or email me any question you want. I will be more than happy to answer any questions you have been dying to ask and just haven't had the opportunity. Anything you want to know? Any big secrets you've been dying to know? I will do my best to answer them!

So go on, ask some questions!

Kyle's 2 month appt

Kyle is now 2 months old! Hard to believe. Time is a going fast!





He is doing great! He is now 9 lbs 11 oz!! My little chunker!! LOL He eats so well....4 oz every 3-4 hours! He is officially in size 1 diapers now and wearing 0-3 months size clothes. I know that sounds small....but when he started off in preemie diapers and clothes, this is a step up! He is just over the 5th percentile, which is great! He started off in the 3rd...so he is growing!





He got 4 shots, so he's been pretty fussy the last few days. Poor thing. And he gets more in 2 more months.

He smiles now and sometimes coos. He LOVES laying on the floor...probably because he can kick and move freely.

Here is a pic of him at 2 months!

5 things I have never revealed....

So technically I have not been tagged with this meme, but I was challenged to attempt it. So here is 5 things I have never revealed on this site.

1. My 4.5 year old son is not fully potty trained. As embarrassing as it is to admit it. He is pee trained and night time trained...but just refuses to do #2 in the potty. He is extremely stubborn....nothing I try has worked.

2. I have a hard time getting up in the mornings. My husband usually has to coax me out of bed in the morning...mainly by offering me sex. Either I give it up or I get up. blah. Guess what I normally choose?

3. I'm having lack of motivation to blog lately. I know I have lots of readers but lately I just feel like nothing I say is really of interest. I'm attempting to get my confidence and esteem, along with motivation back.

4. I never thought things would be different with a second child than with the first. I always thought I'd still take as many pics and video and talk about him as much. Not so. Not as many pics have been taken and absolutely no video. It's so bad.

5. I love doing laundry. It's my favorite chore to do...in fact, it's not really a chore for me because I actually enjoy doing it.

So there are some things I have never revealed before (at least, I don't think I have).

If you don't like the weather, wait 2 minutes!

What is up with this weather we are having? I think the world is going to come to an end.

So on Sunday it was in the 70's and Monday it got up to 80. Tuesday it started out at 65 and then in 5 minutes time it plummeted to 42!!! A 40 degree difference in 2 days! I had left the house on Tuesday and didn't even bring a coat or anything, thinking it was pretty warm out. Silly me should have realized I live in Wisconsin....if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change.

But I took advantage of the great weather. Sunday as a family we went for a walk and went to the park. It was great to get out and I know Ryan had a blast at the park. It was great to get his energy out in the outdoors, and boy did he sleep good that night too! When we got back home I took an extra walk with the stroller so that I could get some extra excercise.

Monday the kids and I spent almost all day outside. Another walk, the park, and lots of time just playing in the yard. It felt so good to be in the sunshine and fresh air....it felt like summer. I really can't wait for the nice weather to stick around. It did wonders for my mood!

And now we are back to cold weather and lots of rain again. ick. At least we had fun while it lasted.

I'm back

For now anyway.

I'm finally starting to feel more like myself again. My meds are finally kicking in and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Let there be light!!!

Kyle is doing great. He is growing so much!! It's hard to believe he's already 7 weeks old. The time really has flown by. He has gained tons of weight and eats like a champ. The kid will eat me out of house and home I swear! He's also finally starting to sleep longer stretches at night. I will post some updated pics in the next few days. Because I've been pretty "out of it" the last few weeks I haven't kept updated on much....so I'm trying to catch up on everything computer related as well as home related. (I haven't cleaned my house in weeks).

Ryan is doing well. He has been loving spending tons of time with grandma and grandpa lately while I've been trying to deal with my own issues. I think he's gotten a bit spoiled by them. He's also looking forward to the weather turning warmer.

Spring is almost here!!! woo hoo!! Well, technically spring IS here....now only if it would stop raining long enough for us to go outside for a bit! I could use a good walk. Or a trip to the park. Something to get the kids outside and active.

So anyway, I hope to be able to be back to my normal posting schedule again. I hope to post a few times a week--at least if I can come up with interesting things to talk about.

MIA

Yes, I have been MIA as of recent. I hope to be back posting on a regular basis very soon.

To let you know what I've been up to...besides taking care of a very active preschooler and a newborn....

I have been experiencing postpartum depression. I was hoping to avoid it this time around...and thought I may have been in the clear as the first 3 weeks were great. But no such luck. Around the 3rd week I started to feel depressed, anxious, sad, lonely, scared. I was hoping it would pass, but it continued to get worse.
So I started medication last week and unfortunately, had to discontinue nursing. I truly miss it, but it was the best decision for me...I had to do it for my own emotional well being.

Now I'm starting to feel better. Not 100% yet mind you, but enough that I'm able to cope with things much better. I'm starting to enjoy being a mom again.

I had severe PPD when I had Ryan. It was a horrible horrible experience and I never wanted to be in the dark place again. Luckily I caught it early enough this time that I didn't get that bad.

So that's what's been going on with me.

I hope to be back to my normal happy posting self shortly!

Writing

Remember the book I was once writing? I'm still attempting to write it. I WANT to write it. Unfortunately I haven't had any time as of recent to write.
Which is sad since I'm almost done with the first draft. I only have a few more chapters left to write and I'm done with the whole first draft.

I really miss writing. It is my outlet. It is my "me" time. It's my escape from reality. I actually ache to write again. It's like this need I have that I can't meet.

I know eventually I will get time to get back to it again. Right now since I'm up several times a night I'd much rather sleep when I can. Give it about another month or two and things hopefully will settle down a bit so I can get my "me" time again. I want to get back to my characters and try to publish this thing. I have ideas for more books too.

Just wanted to let you know how the progress of my book is coming along. Obviously not very. LOL But I will get back to it...I promise!!

To answer some questions....

Apparently there are quite a few people out there that are looking up my blog wanting to find out what happened to simplymoms. Almost every day there seems to be at least one person who happened upon my blog looking for it. I hadn't realized SM was really that popular.

Anyway, for those that are nosy and want to know, here's the scoop.

I'm not going into any major details or anything, but basically what happened was creative differences between the staff and the admin. When some drama went down on the board itself, the admin decided she didn't want to deal with all the stuff anymore and opted to shut down the board and spend more time with her family. That was back in Dec and it has been down since. I don't see it coming back anytime soon. Tha'ts all that needs to be said.

But for those that are looking for a new parenting message board, I am a moderator at a really cool one called "The Mommy Lobby". Check it out. If you are looking for someone in particular that used to be on SM, you may find them here. Many of the former members went on to this board.

Simplymoms was great for the 5 years it was in existence. But things change and life goes on. Hope to see you at TML!

Some new pics!

Yes I know. I'm not here very often. Honestly, I'm trying to post more frequently. It's hard getting time for the computer these days. But I should get more time soon as we start getting into more of a routine and I'm not as tired.

Anyway, here are some new pics of the wee little ones!

Here is Ryan playing with Kyle. He just loves his little brother. It is so adorable!

Here is Ryan feeding Kyle a bottle. I am mainly breastfeeding, but we are working on doing a bottle a day or every other day. Ryan has wanted to feed Kyle a bottle since the day he first found out we were having a baby! He's such a proud big brother!

And here is Kyle at 1 month old. We have yet to see a smile, but I know it's coming soon.

27 secrets about me

1.WHAT IS YOUR DISPLAY NAME ABOUT?
the pet name Bob has for me
2. WHERE WAS YOUR DEFAULT PICTURE TAKEN?
in my living room.
3. WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME?
Jean
4. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT RELATIONSHIP STATUS?
Married
5. HONESTLY, IF SOMEONE WERE TO TELL YOU HOW THEY FELT, WOULD YOU LISTEN?
Yes
6. WHATS YOUR CURRENT MOOD?
Tired!! A bit stressed but happy.
7. WHATS YOUR MOST VALUED POSSESSION?
my wedding ring.
8. HOW ARE THINGS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP?
Very good.
10. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, AND CHANGE SOMETHING WOULD YOU?
Not really. I believe everything happens for a reason, even the bad. Many of the bad things have led to the good things. all experiences have shaped who I am.
11. IF YOU MUST BE AN ANIMAL FOR ONE DAY- WHAT WOULD YOU BE?
a cat so I could sleep all day!!
12. EVER HAD A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE?
no
14. WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE SONG THAT'S STUCK IN YOUR HEAD?
I really don't have one stuck in my head at the moment. But if I had to pick one, it would be Hip to be Square by Huey Lewis and the News. Ryan and I were dancing to that song earlier and he calls it Hip to be a square. LOL
15. WHO DID YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS FROM?
Thelma
16. NAME SOMEONE WITH THE SAME B-DAY AS YOU?
My good friend Ernie. He is exactly 2 years younger than me. We met in college and we became good friends. He was Bob's best man and our wedding and Bob was his best man at his wedding. We called ourselves twins back in college days.
17. HAVE YOU EVER SANG IN FRONT OF A LARGE AUDIENCE?
Not really. Not professionally! Not unless you count back in elementary school for school musicals and such.
18. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
The hair. I'm a hair gal I guess.
19. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY ORDER FROM STARBUCKS?
Nothing. I don't go there.
20. HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DRUNKEN NIGHT?
Yes. twice. I will NEVER do it again!! LOL It was horrible.
21. DO YOU STILL WATCH KIDDY MOVIES OR TV SHOWS?
uumm...yep. That's mainly what I watch during the day. My favorite is the Upside Down show and Blues Clues.
22. DO YOU HAVE BRACES?
no
23. NAME SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU TODAY.
fed Kyle about 6 times, took a small nap, played with Ryan.
24. DO YOU SPEAK ANY OTHER LANGUAGE?
I know a few words in spanish and I know about 50 words in ASL (american sign language). I want to teach Ryan and Kyle sign language.
25. IS THERE SOMEONE ON YOUR MIND NOW?
Yes. Many people. I miss many of my online friends as I don't get much computer time anymore.
26. WHAT HURTS YOU AT THE MOMENT?
not realizing how difficult it would be to have a newborn and a preschooler. I feel guilty for feeling stressed.
27. WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR?
sleep!! LOL j/k I wish for healthy, happy marriage and children. I wish for my children to grow up happy and know they are always loved.
REPOST THIS AS...
27 SECRETS BOUT ME!!!

As promised....

Now that I finally have a few minutes....I can update on the happenings of a few weeks ago when Kyle was born.

What a week it was. Murphy's law....what CAN go wrong, WILL go wrong...and ALL at once.

So first was Kyle's birth. Obviously that didn't go wrong, but the birth of a baby does tend to be stressful.

Once we got home, that's when everything went crazy.

We got home on Sat. Our first issue came on Sunday. Our furnace (and yes, during the coldest week in WI history in the last 20 years...when it was -5 degrees with a wind chill of -30) decided it needed to scare the crap out of us. No, it didn't break down (this time), but it decided it didn't like being nice and quiet and cooperative. Instead it decided it wanted to have little explosions everytime it went on. Yes, that's right. Every time it started (which was constantly in that weather) it would have a build up of gas and when the lighter ignited it would give a small explosion. Yeah. That was lovely. Had me freaked out that our house was going to blow up. So needless to say, we had to get that fixed. Lovely.
The next day (Monday) I went to take a shower and guess what? Our pipes in our bathroom tub kicked the bucket. No big mess or anything. We just couldn't use the shower because it wasn't working. *cry*

Now Bob is pretty handy at fixing things. He did most of the work in the nursery with the exception of the dry wall. He does tons of home improvement projects and can fix darn near anything. But this he couldn't. He would have to literally put a hole in the wall in order to get to the pipes. Yeah. So we opted to call a really expensive plumber to fix it. And yes, he did put a hole in the wall, but we have working pipes!! And the hole we just covered with plastic for the time being as we are now sucked dry of our finances thanks to the lovely plumber and terrific furnace. *sigh*

So on Tuesday the furnace guy came to assess our furnace and what we can do about it. And of course, the whole darn thing had to be replaced (or risk an explosion). So Wed. I took the kids to my parents house while the furnace guys spent 5 hours replacing the furnace in -degree weather. Oh what joy to have all this happen with a barely week old baby!

Oh, and in the midst of all this, I also had to take Kyle to the hospital on Monday for his 4 day check up, Tuesday again for a blood test (for jaundice) and again on Wed for another blood test. All while it was flipping cold out!

So that was what I was up to the first week of Kyle's life. Nothing is ever boring around here!! Thank goodness taxes are coming up....we better get a good refund!

Grieving

So now that things have calmed down a bit (for the moment) I now have some time to reflect on the events of the past 2 weeks. Not just the birth of my miracle baby, but on other things that have happened. Because I was so involved with Kyle's birth and trying to get used to the long nights and days again, I haven't had time to really grieve over the losses I have had these past 2 weeks.

5 days before I was to be induced, my mom told me that my Great Aunt died. The funeral was 2 days before I had to be induced. Being 38 weeks pg, I wouldn't be able to go. (honestly, not that I would have....I have a thing about funerals. I only go to them if I absolutely HAVE to. I'm rather sensitive and tend to get nightmares from looking at a dead body. I know..I'm weird. But dead bodies freak me out.) Anyway, the funeral was 2-3 hours away so I wouldn't be able to travel that far. The news of her passing didn't surprise me as she was sick for quite some time.

The day after my Great Aunt's passing, I learned that my paternal grandmother passed away. Also not surprising, as she also was sick for a while (she was 95!). But it just had to happen the WEEK I was being induced! I also could not go to the funeral, since it not only was 2-3 hours away (in Appleton), but it was onThursday...the DAY I was being induced! I had to be at the hospital by 5pm and wouldn't have made it in time. What was difficult though, not only did I not go, but my parents went, and they were the ones that were supposed to watch Ryan! So with some debating and figuring out what to do with Ryan when I go to the hospital, we got all that figured out.

Now with the birth of Kyle, I barely had time to really grieve over those 2 deaths.

They say death comes in 3's. Or is that plane crashes?? Well, either way, just when I thought I could be incredibly happy over the events in my life, I learn of yet another death.

This one has affected me the most. I've never had a friend of mine pass away before. I've had animals that I was close to die, my maternal grandma I was close to passed away almost 7 years ago, but never any friends. I'm way too young for that. Or so I thought.

I didn't get the news until a few days after Kyle's birth, once I was settled in at home and in good spirits. Bob learned about this a few days before me, but he kept it from me until he knew I wasn't going to lose it.

My good friend Valerie passed away Jan 31...the day before I was induced. My mom heard the news about it while I was in the hospital, and told Bob when he called to let them know Kyle was born. Talk about a shocker!! Bob had the smart sense to not tell me at that point though.

A little background about Val.

She was not a friend in the sense of "peer". She actually was my next door neighbor when I was growing up. She was about 20 years older than me, and her husband 20 years older than her. They had a Great Dane named Ginger whom I absolutely loved. In fact, Ginger was the main reason we were friends to begin with. I had never seen such a huge dog before! They used to let me come over and pet her and feed her hot dogs, and soon it became a good friendship. I would go over to their house everyday after school, play with Ginger and talk with Valerie about boys and school and all sorts of things. She was sort of like my big sister. Then Carl (her husband) would come home from work and he would tell me silly jokes. He had always loved me like a second father. Very sweet man. Then I would go home for dinner. This happend this way everyday for years...all throughout most of my school days.

In May 1989 Ginger passed away. I was so devastated at losing that dog. I never had pets of my own, but it was like I had lost my best friend. I grieved with Val and Carl. They ended up getting another Great Dane and I continued to go over everyday.

I really don't remember what year it was, but as I got older and later in high school, when I got boyfriends and best friends and an active social life, I stopped going over as much. They were still my friends and I still saw them, but not nearly as much. Then one day they decided to move way up in northern Wisconsin, in Lac du Flambeau. Being that it was 8 hours away, obviously I didn't see them anymore. We wrote letters back and forth for many years.

Once Bob and I took a trip up there and stayed there for a weekend. It was absolutely beautiful and I cherish those pictures I have.

A few years later they decided to move to Tennessee. They continued to have their Great Danes and continued to be my close friends, but I never got to see them again. It's just too hard to make the trip there, especially once I got married and started a family. I had always planned on making a trip down to TN eventually, but there never was a good time.

My letters to them became less and less as my life got busier. With the internet and email so convenient, I lost the desire to write snail mail letters. (they didn't have a computer). I regret that. The last few years I only sent them a Christmas letter and birthday cards. How did I go from seeing them every single day to barely speaking? Somethings in life we tend to regret after the fact. If only I had written more often. Not that they evef disowned me or anything. In fact, the last letters I got they talked about old times and how much they miss me. It just breaks my heart.

So hearing the news of Valerie's passing just brings me to tears. I never expected it. She was only in her 50's. Way too young. She really wasn't even sick. I don't know a whole lot of details on her death, but it's just so tragic. What poor Carl must be going through now. I sent him a sympathy card, but I'm thinking of sending a letter too.

When I first heard the news a few days after Kyle's birth, I didn't shed any tears. I didn't really know what to think or say. I was in shock. It was the kind of news that had to sink in for me to really fully understand it. I had so much going on in my head already...the new baby and various other things going on in the house (that's a whole other post) and trying desperately to avoid PPD, that I just couldn't process it. I didn't have any time to grieve.

Now that things have calmed down, I have time to breathe and think, I'm grieving, crying. Is this what it's like to lose someone you were close to? The what if's and regrets? I regret not writing as much, not calling, not making an effort to visit. I feel guilt and just plan sad. She was such a good friend of mine. And though I didn't speak to her much over the last few years, she was still very dear in my heart.

I miss you my friend Valerie. May you rest in God's peace.

From your "dear girl" with so much love.

This was taken up in Lac du Flambeau somewhere in 1996 or 97. Valerie is on the left, I'm in the middle, Carl on the right, and Roxy in front.

Kyle's 2 week appt

It went great! He is doing wonderful!He weighed in at 5 lbs 15 1/2 ounces...just shy of 6 lbs!!! God is so great!! I think he's going to do great with weight gain. He eats so well and the dr said that I'm obviously doing something right if he's gained so much weight! His jaundice is completely gone and he's right on target for everything. He was alert during the appt too. (and hungry! LOL I fed him in the exam room after the appt)He asked how Ryan is doing and told me to expect regression. Which I have partially seen....he's very clingy and can't play on his own anymore. It's going to be rough next week I think.He also asked how I'm doing....and said if I start feeling the affects of PPD to call him and let him know if I need meds. But I'm doing ok right now. So all is good! His next appt is at one month (which is only 2 weeks away LOL)

Construction!

Please excuse the mess....or the unfinished blog. I'm experimenting with different templates and of course it deletes all the fun stuff I had on here. So I am in the process of reconstruction!! Please be patient!!

Kyle's birth story

Kyle’s Birth Story

I was set to be induced at 5pm on Thursday, Feb 1, 2007. Previously I had been having marginal NSTs and he was only measuring the 3rd percentile in growth in u/s. So my dr advised on inducing.

On Thursday, Feb 1, I had spent the morning at my Bible study. I had debated on going as it was my last morning alone with my first son, Ryan, but I was getting nervous and anxious and really needed some prayer time. So I went. After I came home I had just enough time to give Ryan lunch and get him down for his nap. I had just started to pack my bags and get lunch for myself when I received a phone call from the nurse at my dr’s office. (this was around noon). She told me my dr. had to go out of town on an emergency and wouldn’t be there for the induction. She said I could go ahead and be induced as scheduled with a different dr or wait until the following Monday when my dr. was back. I opted to go ahead right away as scheduled as I was ready for it and personally didn’t want to go in labor on my own. I liked the idea of having it planned!

About a half hour later the nurse calls again and says the dr. that is taking over wants me to come in to do another NST. He was looking over my chart and realized I’m considered “high risk” and wanted me to come in to do a few tests. I was slightly upset as I only had a few hours before induction anyway, but I also understand that this dr. didn’t know my history or pregnancy and was just getting involved with no knowledge. So I headed off to the hospital without anything with me (and Ryan’s carseat in my car).

I spent 45 minutes doing the NST, which came back as marginal. Kyle wasn’t moving around as much as they would like. So they had me do an u/s. The u/s came back as fine and he was weighing as 5 lbs 3 oz according to the u/s. After the u/s the nurses had to talk to the dr…which took 45 minutes. By this time it was 3:30pm and I was getting very upset. I hadn’t finished packing yet, I had laundry in the washer and dryer, and Ryan’s carseat in MY car, plus I hadn’t even said goodbye to Ryan. I wanted to go home for just an hour.
Unfortunately the dr. wouldn’t let me leave. I was told I was required to stay and they were inducing me. So I had to make about 15 phone calls to figure out how to get the carseat from my car to home so that my parents would have it when they came to get Ryan (btw- my parents were also out of town at my grandma’s funeral and were on their way home…they were supposed to be back by 6pm but luckily made it back in town at 4pm and met Bob at our house..they were just waiting for the carseat!!). I called a friend of mine that lives near the hospital if she could pick up my car and take it to my house and Bob would then take her home on his way to the hospital. It was a huge mess of calling so many people and trying to figure out who was doing what and when.
But we finally got it worked out and Ryan went to my parents house and Bob made it to the hospital at 5:30pm….only a half hour after they started the pitocin on me.
Yes, they had me there from 3:30pm until 5pm…just hooked up to the monitor but no induction until the scheduled 5pm. It was very frustrating and upsetting, but I managed to get through it.

As soon as they started the pitocin I was already having contractions 2 minutes apart. They weren’t real strong yet but could definitely feel them. I started out as 3cm already and 50% effaced. The dr. checked me and figured I would deliver sometime in the middle of the night.
He came and checked me again at 6pm and decided to break my water. It took 3 tries (with the crochet hook!!) but got it. He also put on the fetal monitors on Kyle’s head because they were worried about distress. Once my water was broke, I dilated to 5cm in about 2 minutes and my contractions got very strong. The dr. took back his words and said he figured by 10pm! I asked if I could have my epidural now. He agreed. J

I got my epidural at 7pm (thank goodness!) and it was really nice. I didn’t feel any contractions and didn’t lose complete feeling in my legs this time. It was perfect. I sat back and relaxed for a while.

At 8pm I had a talking to with the dr., nurse, and Kyle and said I’m going to watch Grey’s Anatomy now and you are not allowed to be born until AFTER Grey’s!! Yes, I know I’m seriously addicted! In fact, the last 5 minutes of the show, not only did I feel “different” (as in possibly the urge to push) but the dr. happened to be standing in my view of the tv. I even asked the dr to please move so I could finish the show! Sad I know.

At 9pm the nurse checked me and I was completely dilated. She started getting things ready for the delivery and called the dr’s. (the OB and the pediatrition- he was already at the hospital so he stuck around for my delivery). While waiting for the dr’s, the nurse asked me to do some practice pushes. A few pushes later and she told me to stop. A few moments later the dr’s came in and the look on their faces was priceless. The were expecting to be there a while for the pushing, and they came in and looked and said “wow! A head!” They got ready real quickly! I don’t think they expected there to be a head there already!

Once the OB was ready I had 2 good pushes and Kyle was born at 9:29pm. He had a nice set of lungs and was crying up a storm! He weighed 5 lbs 5 oz, and 19 inches long. I did tear a bit along the old episotomy (the one I had with Ryan), but it was a minor tear. Nothing too bad.

So a 4 ½ hour labor from start to finish. I think he was pretty anxious to get into this world!

I had forgotten...

I had forgotten how very time consuming a newborn is!! I haven't been able to get on the computer, even to check my email, in 2 days! Yikes!! I REALLY miss my computer time!!

Anyway, things are going great! Kyle is doing great! He's a very good baby. Cries a bit more than Ryan did, but usually has a reason (hunger, diaper change, etc). He is getting better at night too. I try to keep him up longer during the day and that seems to help him during the night. Since I'm breastfeeding I'm the only one that can feed him, which can make for a very long night! But he does really well.

We were afraid he would have jaundice really bad since he is diagnosed as cumbs positive, but luckily he didn't need any intervention! He also eats like a champ...the kid is going to eat me out of house and home I garentee it!! LOL

I'm doing very well. I was so worried I'd have PPD, but thankfully this time around I'm doing very well. I think it helps knowing what I'm doing, plus having Ryan and more help this time makes a difference. Of course, it can still come, but I feel really good these days.

Here are some pictures! This was the first time I held him. He was about a half hour old. I got to hold him for about a minute or so because he's so small they couldn't regulate his body temp, so he had to be in the warmer for a while.

This was the first time Ryan saw Kyle and got to hold him. He came to see us in the hospital the next day. He loves his new baby brother. In fact, sometimes he's a bit too affectionate!

My 3 boys!! Daddy, Ryan, and Kyle

Baby Kyle is here!

My little miracle was born on Thursday, Feb 1, 2007 at 9:29pm. He is 5 lbs 5 oz and 19 inches long! :)

He is healthy and happy. He cried like crazy when he was first born, but after that he seems to be a laid back baby...so far! He sleeps a lot...I had forgotten how much they sleep!

I will eventually post my birth story....hopefully soon. I've been rather busy so I am finding it hard to get on the computer. But will hopefully write that up since it's pretty interesting!

I am so in love with this little guy. He is adorable! Will post pics too when I get a chance.

I'm nursing and am having a much easier time with it this time. With Ryan I couldn't nurse, so this is a new and wonderful experience. The only thing I'm not liking is having to feed him every 3 hours and being the only one that can do it! I'm extremely tired.

Ryan has been at grandma and grandpas since Thursday. He is coming home in about an hour so I'm really looking forward to seeing him and how he reacts with Kyle. I really miss my boy. :)

Will update more when I have a chance! Right now I'm taking care of this little guy and trying to rest when I can.

More to come!!

a survey!

1. When was the last time you saw your best friend?this past Friday
2. What were you doing this morning at 8am?getting ready to leave for my NST.
3. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?watching my soap and surfing the net
4. Are you any good at math?sometimes
7. Are you mad at anyone right now?no
8. Do you know the words to the song on your MySpace profile?not by heart yet LOL
9. Last thing received in the mail?a check from my mom, a tax form, and diaper coupons
10. How many different drinks have you had today?water, grape juice, cranberry juice, more water
12. Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machine?yes
13. If you could travel anywhere where would you go?California, Canada, Europe
14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?no
16. What's outside your front door?umm, the sidewalk and the road and snow!
17. Do you have plans for Saturday night?yes...will have a new baby! :)
18. Do you like the ocean?never seen the ocean before
19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different kinds of Popcorn? yes
20. Have you ever been to a planetarium?no
22. Something you are excited about?Having my baby on Thursday!
23. Are you happy with life right now?yes!
26. Where do you keep your change?in my wallet and/or a cup on a drawer and/or Ryan's piggy bank
27. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?depends on what you consider large. My MOPS group last Monday...about 15 people.
28. Do you like anyone right now?sure, I like a lot of people.
29. What was the weather like on your birthday?can't remember...that was last May!
30. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?open so I can hear Ryan if he happens to wake up.

Flashback Friday

Finally a flashback pic of me! Figured you've seen plenty of Ryan...not that he's not cute or anything, but I suppose once in a while I should post something of myself! Anyway, this is my favorite picture of myself as a child. I was 2 years old, and my godmother made that dress for me of Raggedy Ann and Andy. I still have that dress....hoping to save it for when I have a little girl.....if I ever do. LOL

Myspace

So I've done something I swore I'd never do.

I have joined myspace.

I know I know. I've always said I hated myspace and would never go there. I'm very happy with my blog here and didn't want to transition. And I'm not. But I do have a page at myspace and am finding it pretty interesting actually.

It's taking me some time to figure it all out and make it all fancy....so please ignore the fact that it's very plain. But it's something I'm learning and tweaking.

So if you are on myspace also, come say hello! My addy is:
http://www.myspace.com/pookeybear2823

Don't worry. I am not getting rid of this blog. This is my main blog, my main spot. I spent way too much time developing this one to let it go! I like my blogger. :) I just need to find more interesting things to blog about! LOL

Flashback Friday

Ok...I haven't done this in ages. Of course, I start this up again when soon I may not be able to blog as much. Go figure. LOL



Anyway, Here is a pic of Ryan when he was 6 months old. Notice the whole Packer theme! LOL Yes, since he was born and raised in Wisconsin, he is required to be a cheesehead! And since we are raising him correctly, he still is a Packer fan! heehee
Sometimes it's hard to believe he was once that small.

Another one bites the dust

Yep, that's right. Another fish. Gone. Dead. Sitting on the bottom of the fish tank. I haven't even taken it out yet. I'm letting daddy handle it this time.

Ryan knows it croaked...though because we didn't do the whole flush-it-down-the-toilet thing, he was sad but seemed to recover quickly.
I think we still have 1 day left to take it back to get a refund.

I'm really wondering if our tank is rejecting any and all new fish that come within a 5 foot radius of it. Out of the 5 fish we got 2 weeks ago, only 1 currently is surviving.

Either that or the 3 remaining original fish that are in there are attack fish. They seem docile, but maybe when the lights are off they are actually bullies. Maybe they are killer fish. *singing jaws theme*

So now we need to figure out what's wrong with our water and tank before we get more fish. It's literally like throwing money down the drain.

Welcome back GW!

My favorite band of all time, Great White, is back together! They are celebrating their 25th anniversary (isn't that frightening...guess I'm showing my age) this year with a tour and new album. Their first date together again (with all almost original members...including my Michael) *as I sigh pathetically* is Jan 27 in L.A. Unfortunately I cannot make it. CA is way too far for me to travel when 38 weeks pg, and way too expensive. But I sure will be there in spirit...and hope they come my way sometime soon!! How awesome it would be to see them all together again! They broke up in 2002, but Jack and Mark continued on with the name Great White with a bunch of other guys.
Not sure what the other members went on to do, but Michael joined Night Ranger. I'm guessing he is taking a hiatus from NR to join GW again for a while.

Anyway, if they happen to be in your neighborhood, you should check them out. They are an awesome rock band, and well, Michael rocks :)

My song

Just when I thought all hope was lost about my song, my contact called me today! Woo hoo! I haven't talked to him in months and honestly thought he had either forgotten about it or totally blew me off.
Turns out that his computer crashed and he can't get back on the net, (at least not at a decent speed) and that's why I haven't been able to contact him.

He is still working on the song! He ran into some complications for a while since he broke up with his former band and now has a new band he's working with and the singer he plans on using for my song is available after Feb 1, so he will continue working on it and send me some CD's when he's done!!

Woo hoo!!! Now if that hasn't motivated me to finish this book, I don't know what will!! Very exciting!

It's beginning to look a lot like...winter!

You wouldn't believe what I saw when I woke up this morning. That's right...SNOW! I just about forgot what it looks like. We haven't had any snow since that huge snowstorm we had back in early Dec. All that melted within two weeks and we haven't had any since.

So this morning I look and we have about 2 inches on the ground! woo hoo! Not really that I'm all that excited, but I know Ryan is. Now I'll have to muster up the energy to actually go outside to play in it. Debating on it.

So now that it's halfway through Jan. we are finally starting to look like winter.

Finally!

A new episode of Grey's Anatomy tonight!!!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!! So who will be watching?? I will be!!! I can't wait!!

In fact, this week now starts all my shows I will be watching. I think I will only be allowed to have this baby on a weekend, since I have shows to watch almost every single night!! LOL I know, I'm pathetic. Ah well.

I will be glued in front of the tv tonight though, watching my Grey's!! :)

What's your religious philosophy?

You are a Believer

You believe in God and your chosen religion.Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu..Your convictions are strong and unwavering.You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone.

What's" Your Religious Philosophy?

Of course, I don't need a quiz to tell me this. :) I already have a strong faith in God.

And so it goes...

We had another casaulty in our house.

3 of our 5 new fish died. Just 3 days after we got them.

I didn't tell Ryan about it this time. I wanted to avoid another horrible crying fit...and I didn't want him thinking that when something new comes to live with us it dies. After all, he's getting a baby brother....coming sometime in the next 5 weeks or so. Don't want him thinking it will happen to him!

So I quietly took the fish out while he was napping (I'm so sneaky) and hid it in a plastic cup on the counter until daddy got home. After Ryan went to bed daddy went back to the pet store and returned the fish. (they are garenteed for 15 days after purchase). They tested our water and it turns out we have a high something or other in our tank that kills off tetras. Our other fish are fine because they aren't tetras. So we need to fix that if we want any other kinds.

I haven't told Ryan the fish are gone. He fed them this morning and hasn't noticed that 3 of them are gone. Go figure. If he does notice I will tell him of course, but for now I'm leaving well enough alone! LOL I don't want to give him a complex that everything dies right away!

Check this out!

Here is another blog for you to check out! She's a friend of mine I met at a now defunct message board. She has some great posts and two beautiful children. Go over and check it out! Leave her a message and tell her hello!

There's something about Mary!

gone with the old, in with the new

Sat. morning I went to go feed our fish (technically Ryan's fish) and discovered the last orange one upside down, stuck in one of the fake plants. oh oh. Not good. Though I knew it was coming. He was looking rather sickly for a while. It was only a matter of time. Usually I would just scoop him out and take care of it before Ryan saw it and hope he doesn't notice they are gone. Ah, the innocence of 4 yr olds....(well, 3 at the time) as we once had a total of 9 fish, and now we are down to 3. All of them I just got rid of them and he never really even noticed they were gone.

This time though he's much more observant, so I figured it was time for the "death" talk. oh boy. Trying to figure out a way to talk to him about death was not easy. Especially since I have it all worked out for if a PERSON dies, but not animals. (the whole heaven thing...since animals don't go to heaven..it was hard to explain it.)

So anyway, I ended up waiting until almost bedtime (bad move on my part) since we were busy during the day and Uncle Darrell ended up coming over and stayed all afternoon and part of the evening.

So he went to feed the fish and I showed him what happened to the orange one. I got a cup and net and showed him how we scoop him up. He wanted to help. He hadn't realized at this point what "dead" really means. He must have thought we were just moving him somwhere else. He even put the fish out of the net into the cup, then from the cup to the toilet. He was even fine with the fish sitting in the toilet. It was when we flushed the toilet and said bye bye fishy that he lost it. That's when it kicked in that the fish isn't coming back. He literally flipped out, started bawling and in between sobs saying "I don't want the fishy to go!!" oh poor thing. I almost started crying! I have never heard him cry like that before.

So I just held him and talked to him about it, being careful not to mention that we will someday die too (as my lovely dear husband had to say when we got back upstairs....thankfully he didn't seem to notice as we haven't gotten the "mommy and daddy die fear" yet). Once he was ok we told him we'd go to the store the next day and get more fish, since we were reduced to just 2 normal fish and 1 bottom feeder.

So now we have a clean tank (thanks to daddy for finally cleaning it!) and some new fish. We got two "mickey mouse" ones....on their tails they have little mickey heads, and 3 neon fish. I think he's officially over the one that died, though he did tell me he hopes these fish don't die.

Ah, the joys and wonders of growing up.

So much to do....

So little time.

I have tons to do to get ready for this baby, and starting to feel like time is running short! I want to clean up my bedroom (it has become the "junk" room at the moment...if I don't know what to do with something...it ends up thrown in there), organize the baby's room so that a baby can actually live in it, wash all the clothes, pack my hospital bag, go shopping, etc, etc, etc. The list is never ending I tell ya.

And to top it off, I feel so tired. I'm just way too tired to do all of this...in fact, just thinking about it makes me want to take a nap.

I'm thinking of cleaning up the bedroom today...if I can muster up the energy. Wish me luck. If I'm not back in a few hours, you may want to call for some help. You never know what's going to attack me in there.

My book

I haven't blogged about my book in a while. It's been kinda touch and go thing for the last few months. It's difficult for me these days to stay up to write or have the energy, or the concentration! Not to mention since it's winter time I don't like coming downstairs at night on the computer since it's COLD down here. I like to write on dh's laptop...but now that I'm in the middle of the 3rd trimester....the laptop doesn't really "fit" on my lap so much. haha

Anyway, I have been slowly trucking away at it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!! I am almost done with it! I am in the process of writing the climax! After that I just have the resolution and the epilogue to write and that's it!! Then the first draft will be done! Which was my goal by the time the baby gets here. Now I just need to keep at it until I finish the draft. Just a few more weeks left!

Just wanted to update on my progress. :)

Happy New Year!

A day late I know.

It's not what you think either. I did not need a full day to recover. We were actually busy yesterday doing things around the house and taking down Christmas decorations.

My New Years eve was spent sitting or laying down on the couch watching the Packer game. The last game of the season. It was against the Chicago Bears....HUGE rivarly in these parts. And go figure, the ONE game that does NOT mean anything (it was pretty much a fluff game) since the Bears are a shoe in for the playoffs and the Pack had NO chance, it would figure that the Packers actually won this game, and rather easily. Ah, well, it made for good tv watching.

It was the late game, so it didn't end until a little after 10pm. Guess what I did afterwards? Yep, you guessed it, I went to bed! I was actually falling asleep on the couch and missed a good portion of the 4th quarter of the game. Must have been that darn non-alchoholic sparkling grape juice that did it to me. haha

Dh ended up staying up until 11:30pm playing his video game I got him for Christmas.

Just another day to us.

Hope your New Years was fun and safe! Happy New Year!

Christmas Day

Thought I'd share some pics from our Christmas Day. Santa came while Ryan was sleeping (heehee). Here you see the excitement on his face...he wanted to open them right away. We had to wake daddy up first. LOL

Here he is opening the big gift that "santa" brought him. It's a dinosaur robot...called a roborapter. He wanted a robot and loves dinosaurs so we thought this would be perfect for him. Go figure though...he only liked it the first day. Now he seems afraid of it. *sigh*

The surprise hit this Christmas? A little laptop he got from me. It comes complete with a mouse. It has lots of learning activities on it, such as learning the difference from captial letters and lowercase, phonics, numbers, spelling, and some fun learning games. I got it thinking how much he loves daddy's laptop, so possibly this might be good. I really didn't think he'd like it that much. Surprise!! It's become one of his current favs. Go figure.

Daddy got socks and a Good Eats DVD, and I got socks and Grey's Anatomy Season 1 DVD. I have pics, but figured you didn't want to see us still in our jammies. LOL

It was a very nice Christmas. Poor Ryan had so much stuff, he kept going back and forth, from toy to toy, not knowing what to play with. Like a friend of mine (thanks Sam!) said, it looks like a toy store threw up in my living room! I'm still trying to put stuff away.

A good Christmas!

We had a wonderful, yet busy Christmas! Not many pictures were taken during our Christmas Eve celebration with my family since we took video, but there are a few shots. Every year we take a family photo in front of my mom's Christmas tree. This year Ryan was playing "shy" and didn't want his pic taken. Highly unusual for him since he LOVES to have his pic taken..he's a ham. I think he was tired since he didn't take a nap that day. And me...I know I don't look 32 weeks pg there. LOL You can't tell from the front. LOL But that is a maternity dress! Got a good deal on it from Motherhood. Oh...and don't mind the pagers that daddy is wearing. He was on call during Christmas. Luckily he didn't get any pages!

You can also see in the background all the presents there. As usual, every year there are TONS of presents. It's a running joke in our family--every year my mom says she's cutting back on gifts, and every year there seems to be more instead of less! LOL But you have to figure, there are 8 of us, so that would equal a lot of gifts.

Here's Ryan anxiously awaiting to open the gifts. My mom usually has a big spread of food beforehand...mainly snacks and appetizers, so we usually eat first and then open. We try to do it as early as we can since it makes it for a long night for Ryan...it takes us about 3 hours to open gifts, then we clean up and head off to my parent's friend's house for their Christmas party.

Here is Ryan and Uncle Darrell (my brother) goofing around. It was Darrell's turn this year to hand out the gifts, so Ryan was a big help in handing them out.

Here is Ryan and daddy. He is helping daddy videotape the events. After a while Ryan became overstimulated and rather unruly, so to try to calm him down we had him "help" daddy with the video camera. It worked for a while!

It was a wonderful Christmas. Ryan's favorite gift from grandma and grandpa was an Imaginext Castle. Mine was a gold cross necklace. And daddy's I think was a ladder.

Everything turned out nicely and it was another good Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Hard to believe it's that time of year already. It sure has gone fast this year.

We are doing the typical, traditional Christmas thing this year. Going to my parents after Ryan (hopefully) takes a nap, opening gifts there (which takes aobut 3-4 hours!), then going to a friend's house for their annual Christmas party. It will be a long day for Ryan so I'm hoping he naps!!

Tomorrow we will open gifts here, head to church, then nap for Ryan, then back to my parents house for dinner.

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!

Rejoice! Our Savior is Born! :)

pictures from the snow

These are late I know. Here are the pics I promised. Ryan playing in the 14 inches of snow we got a while back.

Here is Ryan on the deck....to show how deep the snow was, he could barely walk through it! Here is the snowman Ryan and daddy made together. It had already lost part of it's mouth by the time I took the picture! It was Ryan's very first snowman and he was so proud of it!

And now, 2 weeks later, this is all that's left of our 14 inches of snow! All that's left in the wake of the snowman is the stick arms and the coal. It's really sad. And the pile of snow you see here is left from the huge mountain of snow daddy made for Ryan so he could climb and slide down it. If daddy hadn't done that, we wouldn't have any snow left at all. So much for a white Christmas this year!

Christmas GTKY

1. Eggnog or Hot chocolate?currently, hot chocolate, but normally eggnog!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? wrap presents
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
colored
]4. Do you hang mistletoe? no
5. When do you decorate for Christmas? Day after Thanksgiving
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? (Excluding desserts!) shrimp, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child. going for a drive on Christmas Eve after dark to look at the Christmas lights on the houses in the neighborhood.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I really don’t remember.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? YES! My family opens ALL their gifts on Christmas Eve. It’s our tradition. We have our Christmas on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day.
10. Do you bake cookies every year? no. Some years I do, some years I don’t. My mom does most of the cooking/baking.
11. Snow? Love it or dread it? snow only until Christmas! After the New Year I wouldn’t mind it melting!
12. Can you ice skate? yes but haven’t gone in years.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?. I loved the Cabbage Patch kids I got when they were “in” back in the 80’s.
14. What's your favorite thing about the holidays? What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?. spending time with family, spending time in glorifying Christ.
15. Favorite holiday dessert? cookies, Angel food candy
16. What is your favorite Holiday tradition? opening gifts on Christmas eve with my family
17. What is your tree topper like? an angel
18. Do you like to give or receive? I love to give!
19. What is your favorite Christmas carol? Carol of the Bells
20. Candy canes? Yuck or Yum? yuck. I don’t like peppermint.
21. What was the one gift you always wanted for Christmas but never got? I have no idea.
22. Do you buy a gift for yourself when shopping? Usually. I have to open something on Christmas too.
23. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story; How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated version)
24. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? with lights and ornaments.
25. What do you do on Christmas morning? open gifts with dh and Ryan after Santa has arrived. Go to Christmas service at church.

I'm here I swear!!!!

I need to apologize to my whole 7 readers (haha).....it seems I haven't updated in ages. I mean to just about everyday...I think about it. But I never get a chance to or I find something else that needs my attention.
Especially recently with the holidays. Between my Bible study I'm working on (which takes up a lot of time), various social things (MOPS for one), taking Ryan to Awana, Christmas parties, Christmas shopping (which I'm only about half done and haven't wrapped anything), and trying to spend time with family (mainly dh and Ryan) and friends...it's been difficult to find time to breath much less write my blog!!

Coming up.....I will post some pics of Ryan playing in the 14 inches of snow we got. I also came home from the store today to see a big snowman in our backyard! Dh and Ryan were out this afternoon (since it actually warmed up a bit...40 degrees!!) and they made a snowman. It's so cute.

Anyway, I do have plans to update more often...I swear!!!! I used to update just about every day....lately though it's just been hard as I haven't had the time or the energy. Check back often though as I might surprise you!! LOL

The Christmas Story

By Cherri Fisher


'Twas the time of the census, and all through the land
The folks mounted their donkeys and traversed the sand.

Mary and Joseph of this law did obey;
Mary rode the donkey, Joe led the way.

A baby was due to arrive very soon -
On and on they marched by the light of the moon.

Joseph worried about the health of poor Mary;
They had to make time for they mustn't tarry.

At last they arrived in the populous city;
The folks they encountered gave nothing but pity.

Where could they go? Who would give them a room?
She was feeling the stirrings inside of her womb.

"Please," cried Joseph, "can we stay in your inn?'
The innkeeper said, "No." with a face of chagrin.

"Everywhere you go, every room has been taken."
Their faith ever strong, they would not be forsaken.

An innkeeper offered the use of his stable.
"So sorry," said he, "It's all I am able."

"We're happy to have a roof over our head,
We'll be comfy and cozy," was all Joseph said.

They'd no more than settled themselves down for a rest
When a baby was borne and the world was now blessed.

Mary laid the sweet babe in a little manger.
She and Joseph just smiled at their tiny stranger.

Their world was now different, everything had been changed;
According to God's plan it had all be arranged.

They named him Jesus, just as God had directed.
They would keep him warm, nurtured, safe and protected.

The sheep crowded in close, the cattle did too.
This child was God's gift, even the animals knew.

To the shepherds in their fields the angels came;
"A wondrous King has been borne, this we proclaim."

"Go now to Bethlehem and worship this child."
The angels now gone, the shepherds trekked through the wild.

A star they relied on to lead the way;
It shone on the baby asleep in the hay.

The wise men were told of this miraculous birth;
Gifts were packed on their camels - gold, frankincense, myrrh.

He was given by God to all of mankind
To save us from sin which we all are inclined.

So shout from the rooftops and trumpet your horn;
Merry Christmas to all, Jesus Christ has been born.

How California are you?

I got this from Shawna, who lives in CA. Just thought this was interesting to see how Californian I am, considering I've never been there!! haha They were dead on too..made me laugh!

You're totally like 18% California!

Keep saving up your pocket change and someday maybe you'll be able to fly out and visit. Until then, go shovel the snow off the driveway.

How California are You?

Winter Wonderland

Look what I found when I woke up this morning?


Yes, a winter wonderland. National Weather Service is calling it a full blown blizzard, even telling people NOT to leave the house. That if they go out driving they are risking their lives. First time NWS has ever stated that for this area!

Ryan of course is loving this. He was so excited when he saw the snow this morning (it's the first snow fall of the season). He wanted to go out right away, but I told him to wait until it stops snowing at least!




Here we have about 5 inches already, and we are expecting about 10 inches total today. Our Christmas decorations have blown down--hopefully it's not broken as we just replaced it from our incident the other day!



More pictures to come as we play outside! Welcome to winter!

new blog!

Here is a new blog you need to check out! I've known her for quite some time; we met at simplymoms. I just recently heard about her blog. Check it out! :)

Christmas decorations

This weekend we put up our Christmas decorations. On Saturday we did the inside of the house (the tree and other decorations). Yesterday we did the outside of the house.

Here's my pet peeve.

We worked hard to make the yard look nice. We don't go overboard, but we have some nice things: a neon Christmas tree, lit candy canes, a wreath on the door, a lit wreath on the deck, and garland around the deck. Nothing too fancy, but still nice.

So why does someone have to come and wreck it? It really irks me.

Last year we had a nice lit reindeer that moved it's head up and down and it's feet so it had an appearance like it was flying. Some vandals knocked it over and destroyed it.

Now our lit tree was only up for LESS than 24 hours and this morning we found it laying on the ground, broken.

It really irks me that other people feel that have to destroy other's property just to get a kick out of things. I know we live on a corner, but still, what's wrong with the world today that people can't leave other's things alone?

So anyway, I'm going to the store to see if I can find something else to put up. If that gets destroyed, we'll just have to end putting up nice things for now. How sad is that.

Ah well, Christmas shall still live on...with our without our outside decorations!

After Thanksgiving Sales

Yes, I was one of the crazy ones that got up early and ran out to the stores at 6am to get the good deals!
I don't always go. I didn't go last year. But this year there were some good deals I couldn't pass up, so I got up at 5am and was out the door by 6am. My first stop was Linens and Things, and amazingly got in and out of there in ten minutes!! They really weren't that busy, and what I was looking for was not something they normally sell, so not an in demand item.
My second stop on the list was Kohl's. That one took longer. I was going mainly for clothes (they had maternity clothes 50% off!). There's something hiliarous though about seeing the checkout line backed up all the way to the back of the store, yet going in to an empty dressing room to try clothes on. It was rather amusing. Anyway, got some good deals there too. It took 45 minutes of standing in line to check out, but that doesn't bother me.
I was planning on stopping at more places, but by that time I was getting tired, hungry, and just needed to sit down for a few minutes. I stopped back at home for breakfast.
After an hour break, I roped dh and son out too! We stopped at a few stores where it wasn't quite as busy since it was a bit later on.

All in all it was a good shopping experience and I got some good deals! Yay Black Friday!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming up in a few days. It's the time of year where we reflect on all our blessings and give thanks to the One who made it all possible. Though praise shouldn't be limited to just one day a year, but rather everyday all year round.

I'm am so so thankful to my Lord for all my blessings. I have my health, my husband, my son, a nice house, family, all the things I have. I'm thankful that I live in the USA and have food, clothing, shelter, etc. I'm also incredibly grateful for the new life I am carrying. I am truly blessed beyond my wildest imagination. It's all because of my Lord! Praise His holy name!

Here is the lyrics to one of my favorite praise songs. Make sure you reflect this Thanksgiving on all the blessings that Jesus has given to you. Even if your life seems bleak, there is always something to be thankful for. Jesus loves us, and all praise and glory go to Him!

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

Artist - Don Moen
Album - Various Songs
Lyrics - Thank You Lord

I come before you today
And there's just one thing that I want to say
Thank you lord
Thank you lord
For all you've given to me
For all the blessings that I cannot see
Thank you lord
Thank you lord

**With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretch arm
I will bless your name
Thank you lord
I just wanna thank you lord
Thank you lord
I just wanna thank you lord
Thank you lord

For all you've done in my life
You took my darkness and gave me your light
Thank you lord
Thank you lord
You took my sin and my shame
You took my sickness and healed all my pain
Thank you lord
Thank you lord

Bible study

I have been meaning to write about this and I just haven't gotten around to it.

My Thursday Bible study has started up again. We are doing another of Beth Moore's studies, this one titled "Believing God".

Beth Moore has incredible studies, and this one is no exception. A very in depth study on how not just to believe in God, but to BELIEVE HIM. To believe He is who he says he is, and what he says he can do. I have been enjoying it immensely. Her DVD lectures are amazing as always. She has a way of not just capturing an audience and preaching, but greatly inspiring. And the workbook and homework, though at times overwhelming since it's a lot of work (5 days of homework each week) but is very rewarding.

I've done a few of her studies in the past (studies on John, David, and the Patriarchs), but this one so far has proved to be the best I think. Not just learning the history of our Lord and diving into the Word, but this one really makes us look into ourselves and how and why we do or do not believe God. It gives us ways to increase our faith and belief and use it in everyday life. We are only on week 3, but it has been amazing so far. I can't wait to continue this journey!

If you are not involved in a Bible study, I suggest finding one and delving into the Word of God. I also highly recommend a Beth Moore study. I think you would admire her love for our Lord as much as I do.

Go Packers!

This weekend was the Viking/Packer game. Oh what a game it was! The two have always been big rivals, being the state next door. I was a little worried at first, since the Pack hasn't been doing well this season and we were playing at the Superdome...which is known for it's extreme loudness.
But they didn't let me down! It looked like my old Packer team again! They were awesome! Favre was playing almost at his best, and Driver made an incredible 82 yard run for a touchdown! What a game!

Green Bay Packers- 23
Minnesota Vikings- 17

Now if only we can play like that every week! :)

Has it really been this long?

Wow....Has it really been that long since I last posted?

Sorry for ignoring my blog!! I just haven't been in a writing mood lately. It's getting harder to come up with stuff lately. I just feel that sometimes I don't have anything worth reading to say!

Not a whole lot going on here. I will try to come up with something soon so I can keep this thing going! :)

I'm back!

It was an absolutely wonderful weekend....besides missing dh and Ryan!

Thursday we drove, and drove, and drove! Being women and taking many stops, we dragged out a 6 hour drive in to 11 hours! LOL But we stopped several times for potty breaks, stopped for lunch, stopped at Devil's Lake, WI for 2 hours, stopped for dinner, and finally made it to the hotel by 10:30pm! Unfortunately we ran into a problem there. They gave away our rooms! I don't know the details on it...but we ended up having to go to a different hotel about 15 minutes away! At least we got rooms.

Friday was a busy day of shopping! We went to the Mall of America! What an amazing place...so huge! I ended up buying some stuff too! I got a nice maternity dress for the holidays (I have nothing for Thanksgiving or Christmas!), some postcards for my best friend, some legos from the really cool Lego store for Ryan. I wanted to get dh something too but I couldn't find anything at a decent price that he would like. Then we stopped at Bubba Gumps Shrimp Co for lunch/dinner. It was good, but I was slightly disappointed. Everyone was really talking it up and I expected more than what I got. Ah well. It was fun anyway!
Then we headed off to the conference. It was 7-10pm that night. It was pretty interesting. They introduced all the speakers that would be speaking, they had a comedian (who is hilarious btw), and of course praise and worship songs. We all got a packet of brochures and things.

Saturday we were at the conference all day, 9-5. It was incredible! Absolutely amazing! I'd have to say the best experience I've had! Praise and worhsip songs (the worship team is incredible), speakers who moved me, it was all incredible. It's something about worshipping and praising our Lord with 18,000 other women! Truly incredible! I took so much knowledge and God's power and strength with me!
After the conference we went out to eat at Applebee's. Good food, good fun. After coming back, I called dh and talked with him for a bit. That's when it really hit me how much I missed my family. He talked all about what him and Ryan did that day and I felt like I really missed out. I wanted to go back home.

Sunday was the long drive home, though it didn't take nearly as long this time since we only stopped for potty breaks and lunch. We did run into some horrible traffic but we managed to get through it ok. I got home by 6pm.

When I got home, Dh had flowers waiting for me, some candy, dinner on the table. It was the sweetest thing! Ryan made me a card. And they even videotaped Ryan and daddy carving the pumpkin so I could see! So sweet!

It was a great trip and so glad I did it. It was just so hard being away from my family though. But I feel so much closer to God now. God is good all the time; all the time He is good!

Women of Faith

This Thursday I am leaving to go to St. Paul MN to attend the Women of Faith conference! I'm so excited about this! It will be my first time attending and I just can't wait!

I'm going with a group of women from church. We are taking two vans and driving up there, stopping at Devil's Lake, WI on the way there. On Friday we will be shopping at Mall of America (yay!), eating at Bubba Gumps, (which I watched Forrest Gump on Sunday to freshen up on that) then the conference starts Friday evening. Back to the hotel to relax a bit, then attend the conference all day Sat. Sunday we head home.

I have been truly blessed to be able to go. All my expenses have been paid for by a scholorship at church! All I have to pay for is my meals and anything extra I want to buy. Plus my pg is going so well I have been cleared by my dr to go!

I'm really looking forward to this. I need some time away and some time to just renew my faith and love for Christ.

The only thing that worries me is I have never been away from Ryan for longer than 24 hours! I think by the end of the 4 days I will go crazy! Daddy will be watching him, though I'm trying to convince him to let grandma and grandpa watch him for a day. We shall see. Hubby can be kinda stubborn sometimes!

I will post all about it when I get back!

Ryan's birthday

So Ryan's birthday was last week (yikes, I'm far behind on blogging). He had a blast! We gave him a present in the morning, and then spent all morning playing with it! It is his prized possession.....a play chainsaw! yep, that's right. He wanted it because he sees daddy using his to cut down branches from our millions of trees in our yard. My brothers (as lovely as they are *said sarcastically*) has made several references to "Texas Chainsaw Masacre" and thinks Ryan should see it. yeah. Great uncles.

In the afternoon I gave him another present...since he took a nap like a good little boy! LOL I told him if he took a nap he could have another present. Yes, I'm bad. So when he got up (after he actually did sleep!) he opened his next present, which was a book. He didn't seem too thrilled at the time...put it away. But we have read it every night since. It's a book about having a new baby in the house. He also got a card in the mail from Toys R Us, since he's in the birthday club. It came with a gift certificate to get something "special" from the store, along with a $3 gift card. So he wanted to go to the toy store. So off we went!

When we got there he handed in the gift certificate and he got a birthday crown he got to wear, a helium balloon he got to carry around the store (technically mommy got to carry the balloon around) and a cart that says Happy Birthday on it. So off shopping we went. We let him pick a few things out he liked around the store (he only picked 3 things! This child doesn't usually ask for much). At the end we told him he could pick one thing out of the three that he wanted and we would buy it for him. He picked a big tub of legos, which made daddy happy because that's one of daddy's favorite toys. (but guess who gets to play it with him since daddy is usually at work!!)

Afterwards we went out for dinner to Qdoba (yum!) and for dessert to the "ice cream store", or Cold Stone. (mind you, I would much prefer Kopp's, the best frozen custard EVER, but that's a half hour drive to Milwaukee for it, so we just went to the next best thing). After we got home I gave him a bath, got ready for bed, and let him stay up a half hour past bedtime to watch the beginning of the Packer game.

I'd say he had a great time....and sure was spoiled!! But hey, it was his birthday. He really enjoyed it. At the end of the day when I was tucking him into bed, he said to me "Mommy, thank you for the great birthday and for singing the birthday song to me." How sweet! From no prodding from me! :)

I'm glad he had a great time. I can't believe my baby is 4!

Crazy week!

Well, it's just been a crazy week. Ryan's birthday was Monday so we spent the day as a family doing whatever Ryan wanted. More on that later.
Tuesday was my advanced u/s with a perinatologist (check my pg blog for details on that).
Wed was Awana night.
Thursday was Ryan's dr appt....he is a very healthy 4 yr old! Will post more on that later too.
Today I have spent all day cleaning and preparing as we have Ryan's birthday party tomorrow. I'm exhausted and wondering why I'm doing all this!! LOL

I will post updates hopefully when things settle down a bit. Hopefully Sunday or Monday. I should have pics too of Ryan's birthday.

My baby's birthday!!

I'm posting a bit early, but I will be busy tomorrow. Oct 2 (tomorrow) is Ryan's birthday! He is 4!! Hard to believe. He's growing up so fast.

I remember when he was born like it was yesterday. Yet here he is, 4 years later, running, counting, talking up a storm (can you say NEVER is quiet?). He has come so far from that tiny little peemie he was when he was born. A time when we thought he wasn't going to ever get big. Grant it, he's still smaller than most kids his age, but he sure has come a long way!

He is really excited about his birthday. I sure hope he sleeps tonight. Not sure exactly what we are doing tomorrow....but dh took the day off and we will spend it together as a family. His party is this coming Sat (Oct 7) where he will be getting most of his presents, but he will certainly get one tomorrow. There is a play chainsaw (made by Home Depot) that he has been asking for about a zillion times a day! So he will be getting that tomorrow. The kid is spoiled. :)

So I'm taking a moment to celebrate the life and my love for my precious little sweet pea.

Happy Birthday Ryan!! Mommy loves you! :)