Wednesday, January 30, 2008

A Movie and a Life Lesson

A couple of weekends ago, Netfilx sent us We Are Marshall. I have been wanting to see it for some time. From all the previews on TV, it looked like it would be very good. Sad, but very good. For those of you who haven't heard of the movie, it is about a tragic plane crash that took the lives of most of the Marshall University Football team. There were fans, coaching staff, and the team on the plane. It showed the struggle of the family, friends, and town during the time right after the crash. The school decided to go ahead and play football to honor those who were lost. The rest of the movie goes on to show the struggle of the team, coaches, and the town dealing with starting the team back up.

All this said, when the movie came out, my husband thought that it was about his university, Wichita State. It said on the previews that it was based on true events, and he thought that they had made up a school and used the story of the Wichita State Football team. You see in the same year there was a crash with this team too. There were more than one plane so not everyone was lost, but a tragedy none the less. I did a little Google search and found two different stories. One about Marshall University and one about Wichita State University. As you can see from the articles, these crashes happened within about a month of each other.

I really loved this movie. I was shown once again by example about how to deal with things with grace, dignity, and to never give up. It is inspiring to know that a University, a Town, and Families can come back from something so horrible and do it the way they did. Did they struggle? Heck YES they did! Who wouldn't? Did they think they wouldn't be able to get through it? Again a big YES. However, in the end you see that they do. They talk about where some of the people from the movie are today and what they have done. It is amazing to see how they came up from a place so low and still went on to do such great things.

My prayer for all of you as you read this is to know that if they can do it, you can to. If you are at a place that you don't think you can get past, you can. It will take time, love, crying, a swift kick, and a whole lot more, but you can and will come out on the other side, and you will be that much stronger when you do. It's not something that is overnight, but it does happen if you want it to. I hope if you haven't seen the movie that you do. Even if you don't like the movie, the message is great.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Best Buds


One of the things that I worried about so much when I was pregnant was if Genevieve would get along in our new family. She was a very independent, only child. She just KNEW she was the princess of the house, and not much would change that. When we were around other kids, you could tell she wanted to always be the focus. She was very attached to me, and I worried how it would play out when the new baby would need to eat, comfort, etc. What would my little princess do?

Well, I am happy to report that this is mostly was my fear only. It seems like she wants to take care of her new brother more than anything. You can tell there are times when she wants undivided attention, and when those times do come, I try and accommodate it. Samuel does pretty good in the swing so we usually sit on the couch and "play" whatever she wants to.

Dealing with her and him on a daily basis usually works out okay because they are both okay with a little down time. It wasn't to surprising when I left them on the sofa to do a few dishes. I can see them from the kitchen, and knew that they were both doing okay. I just thought it was cute to walk in and see them on the sofa together. It's moments like these that make the crazy times seem okay.

The Crib Crew part 2


So, here it is. The pictures I promised. This is the "crew" that is in Genevieve's bed every night. This picture to the left is the crew where they woke up after a nap, and the one to the right is them all lined up so you can see them all. As you can see there is an array of them, and I guess they all have a purpose or she wouldn't have them there.

Monday, January 28, 2008

The Crib Crew

Have you ever just seen something really bizarre that you wonder what that person is thinking? Well I have been wondering about Genevieve's "Crib Crew" for awhile now. I would simply ask her, but I would either get an answer I couldn't understand (It would be in Genevieve gibberish) or none at all. Her "crew" consists of the following: Lovey, Pablo, Uniqua, Tasha, Austin, Tyrone, Diego, Dora, and a pink beany bear. There is also a little pillow and a blanket.

This whole obsession with the crew started about 3 weeks ago. She always wanted Lovey and Pablo with her. I have never been surprised when she goes to gather them up for bed time. However, 3 weeks ago Uniqua joined the group of animals. After Uniqua was there for a night or two, the rest of the Backyardagins joined them (that is Tasha, Austin, and Tyrone for those who don't watch). About a week after that, my mom had come down and bought her the Diego and Dora dolls. Those went in the night she got them. About a week after that, the pink bear was sent to her by my cousin and his wife. That is 9 animals/stuffed toys total.

Now, I slept with a bear when I was little. I also had a dog at one point in time. I think the most I ever had at one time was 2. So why does she need 9 stuffed things in her bed? I don't have a clue. I have learned to pick my battles, and this is not one of them. If she were younger and wasn't able to move as well as she does, I would worry because of the amount of stuff and suffocation. However, most nights they end up around the edge of the bed. She is in the middle with Lovey under her. Again I don't know why she sleeps on Lovey, but I am convinced it is because she knows I could come in at night and take Lovey so I can wash it.

Needless to say, I may never know the reason. Every night all that come out, go back in. She will run around the house and gather them up, and throw them in. Maybe she needs someone to talk to when she wakes up. Who knows?! (I will get a picture of the "crew" tomorrow, and put it on so you can see the whole bunch.)

Friday, January 25, 2008

Good Luck Is GONE

Yesterday I posted about how wonderful my luck with getting appointments was. I usually am horrible with my luck that way. Well that luck has run out. It's been kind of ongoing since last night at about 9. My lucky streaks are short lived usually and most always followed with something (we all know what) hitting the fan. These past hours have been a wonderful example.

It all started last night with my husband coming home from work. He usually goes up to the city, but because of late communication and the such, he just decided to stay home. Fine with me. It's nice to have him here. I did miss my weekly viewing with no comments of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, but it is on a lot. However, when he came home, he informed me that his leave for TDY/PCS was not approved. He had asked for 34 days off. We were going to drive out for my sister's wedding because of how much plane tickets were. So, I got looking online and found a great deal of 99 dollars one way. I told him that it would be great because he could just show up, take nothing, and I'd pick him up on the other side. We talked about if it was possible for him to find someone to take him to the airport so we wouldn't leave a car and all that. Finally it dawned on me that because of all the stuff going on in the world, it would be best if he took at least a carry on bag. I don't need him being picked up by security or something because someone dropped him off, and he had no bags.

Anyway, he told me to book in the flight that night because of the rate. I told him I wanted to wait until at least 10 when I could visit with Mom about plans and such. I talked to Mom at 10, and decided it would be best to wait until today to book the ticket because we only got to talk for about 2.5 seconds. My husband was unaware of anything due to being asleep.

SO, he calls about an hour ago and said that he actually would be able to get a day off earlier than we had thought, and was asking about the ticket I "bought" last night. I was thinking how lucky it was I didn't book the ticket because things changed. I told him that I hadn't got it, and I'd go back and look. He asked that I give him today to see if he could get a confirmation back. I told him I would and hung up. That's when the luck somewhat went away. Tickets were up to over 150 one way. I was upset, but it was still a better deal than before. I did look on my travel webpage and sure enough, they are cheaper there. So, I thought...maybe I still have a bit of luck left.

Then the phone call I have been waiting for for about 3 days came. We are waiting for our orders to Germany because of our EFMP (It's a medical screening for family) to come back. They had faxed the info to the people in Germany to look at. On Wednesday I got a call from the EFMP person here in Oklahoma. The people in Germany had sent her an email asking questions about Genevieve. They wanted to know if she had surgery already, what the outcome was, and what needed to happen from there. I called her urologist office, and I got a really nice nurse. She said that the computers were down, but as soon as they came up, she'd call me. Today I got that call.

Genevieve still has between stage 2 to 3 reflux on one side, and it will require further visits. I don't know if surgery is an option anymore or if it is just meds from now on. We won't see the doctor until Feb 1st. The nurse did say she would need to be seen in 3 to 6 months though and remain on the meds. However, I am guessing that the EFMP people sent the email in the first place because it is an issue with us being over there. So that may mean no Germany for us. Although it would really be sad for us to not get over there, the health of my daughter is at the number one priority and will remain that way. We have always not gone where they said we were going (why I thought this was different...I don't know), and we have always thought that there are reasons for us to end up where we are. It has proved itself both times we have made military moves.

Anyway, it may look like we won't be setting out on the great adventure of overseas living. We will just have to see what the people in Germany say. So, I think my luck officially has started the downward decent, and I'm sure something will hit the fan soon. I just hope it is a little something :p I will just ask that if you pray, please pray for my little girl. Pray that everything with her will work out and she isn't on these crazy meds forever. I am still in hopes that there is another option that we can try so she can get it fixed once and for all.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Samuel Just Turned a Month Old



How time flies! It just seems like yesterday my husband and I came home from the hospital after having Samuel. In the last month life has gone back to its new normal, people have gone home from visiting, and I have successfully taken both kids out at the same time and not died. (One of my biggest fears)

Samuel has grown from 8 lb 12 oz to 9 lb 15 oz at his 2 week appointment. I am sure he is about 12 by now. He has gotten use to the new sounds around the house, and besides having his nights and days half mixed up, is doing well. As I type he is trying to roll from his stomach to his back (he's about half way there).

As you can see from his pictures, he's getting big. Him and Genevieve are still working on the brother and sister thing, but as you can see, they get along most of the time. We just have to work on Genevieve being calm, slow, and gentle with him. All things that she is not. We have pulled out her baby doll, and I try to get her to do things with her doll and to help her understand gentle. I realized it would take awhile when I asked her to go gently put her doll in the swing. She just threw the doll on the sofa :p I guess she will learn soon. She is a big help, and she does a good job at being a big sis.

One month down, 18 years still to go :)

Must Be My Lucky Day

I usually have no luck. As you have been able to tell with a couple of posts about computers and such. I always count on something going wrong and not being able to get things done or scheduled when I need them to be. For example, I called once 3 months early to get an appointment to get my dogs groomed. I don't remember what was going on, but I really needed to get them groomed. You would think that 3 months would be long enough out...WRONG! They were full for the next 4 1/2 months. I guess there just happened to be a LOT of dogs that needed groomed at that time. I have learned to always be put on a wait list if someone cancels. They said there was a pretty long list, but oddly enough they got in before the date I needed them. But life would have been much easier if I could have just made an appointment. The point of that ramble...It's hard for me to get things scheduled when I have a set schedule I need to follow. That takes us to this morning.

So, I need to get my dogs groomed again. I also need to get my hair cut bad. My sister is getting married March 1st, and I want to cut my hair. My hair has one of those rules (esp if I am going to need it to look good for an event) that I have to cut it at LEAST 2 weeks early. My hair grows so slow, so it isn't a big deal that I get it cut so early. My husband and I had this talk. He said I should just get it done the week of the wedding because if I don't, it will grow out before we get there. I kindly reminded him that HIS hair does that. His is so thick and grows like crazy. He has to get a hair cut just about every week to week and a half or it looks really shaggy. Being in the Army, he has to keep it looking good, and so he has to go in that often. Also as I was talking to my husband about this, I told him I would go home to get this done. Besides being extremely picky about who cuts my hair, I haven't found anyone I trust here. My hair grows so slow that I don't make a ton of trips for my hair anyway. I think I have got maybe 4 haircuts in the past year. Not too bad.

I called down this morning just knowing that not only would the lady who cuts my hair be full, but the groomer would be too (I often still use our old groomer up there. She does a great job, and she is very well priced). Well, when I called, BOTH places had appointments in my 2 days that I would be there. I am going to get a hair cut, the dogs will get groomed, and the grandparents will get to see their grandkids :) Sounds like a lucky day to me.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

You Know You Grew Up in the 80s or 90s if...

I know some of you have seen this one. I love this email that goes around, so I'm going to post it. I find myself shaking my head and nodding at more than one of these. My favorite has to be the Bon Jovi ones. Funny thing about that...My husband and I just downloaded the song, and played it a few times this weekend. I have had it in my head for weeks now. :) Enjoy!

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.

2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton

3. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom

4. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"

5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.

7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

9. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)

10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

11. You know the profound meaning of " WAX ON , WAX OFF"

12. You wanted to be a Goonie.

13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe)

14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.

15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.

17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.

18. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.

19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.

22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"

23. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"

24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.

26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.

27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.

28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"

31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.

32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

33. You just sang those words to yourself.

34. You still sing "We are the World"

35. You tight rolled your jeans.

36. You owned a bannana clip.

37. You remember "Where's the Beef?"

38. You used to (and probably still do)
say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"

39. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Yeppie! Whoo Hoo! Alright!

So if you can't tell from my lame attempt at a title, I now am excited. I have been waiting since Dec 21 for my son to grow into the cloth diaper stash, get rid of the nasty newborn poo, and for everything to heal up. The last two happened pretty quick. However, I decided to forgo the extra small sized diapers because Genevieve was big and grew fast, and I thought that the same may be true for Samuel. I didn't want to buy a stash of diapers that I could only use for a couple or a few weeks. I thought that I would ask a friend if I could barrow them, but I didn't do this. So, I have been waiting for almost a month now for him to grow into what I already had.

I washed all his small Fuzzi Bunz that I had and got them ready to go last weekend. The day before yesterday I was running out of diapers, and I realized I needed to get to the store and buy some more. I decided to give my Fuzzi Bunz a try and see if they would fit yet. They are still a little big, but they fit and hold everything in. So I am able to use them now. I am so excited.

Now one might ask and have asked, "You are excited about cloth diapers? Don't they poo on them?" And I will say now, YES! I am excited about cloth. I don't use them for the environment really. Although this is a plus to using them, it is not my motivation like a lot of people I know. It comes down to one thing...MONEY. I use cloth because I am cheap, and I'd rather have diapers that I can reuse and save money than to buy disposables all the time. As they always say about things like food savers, veggie keepers, etc, disposable diapers are cash in the trash.

Now if you go look at the going rate for these diapers you might wonder how you can actually save money because of the cost of these things. If you buy smart, you can actually save a ton of money. All the diapers I have bought total for both kids has cost us around 300. That may sound like a lot, but that would only be about 30 bags of diapers at 10 each (I do use Pampers or Huggies when I buy diapers). How long does it take to go through 30 bags? Well if you use 5 diapers a day that's 6 days a bag. So if you use a little less, call that about a bag a week. So 4 to 5 bags a month. At that rate you are looking at about 6 months. So I have spent money for about 6 months worth of diapers. I had Genevieve in cloth for 9 months, and Samuel has a long time to go.

Anyway, I won't go on, but if you do it right, you can save a TON of money. And on the plus side, if they are in great shape, you can then resale them for about 80% to 90% of what you bought them for. Oh, and if you haven't seen cloth diapers these days, go take a look. They have a wonderful thing called pocket diapers. No folding, pinning, etc required.

I guess I'm a nerd, but this is my way to save money around our home. It saves me from having to pay for all those bags of diapers. That and I really hate it when you don't realize it, and in the middle of the night...oops we are very low on diapers :) I will now step off my soap box and move on to a new topic tomorrow.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

I Didn't Do IT!!

I'm really bad with electronics, computers, and anything like that. My husband always tells me to NEVER touch anything without him being there at least the first few times. He says I have a curse (or just some electrical magnetism) with all the above things. It seems like if something is going to stop working, die, or just get really messed up, it is while or just after I use it. I don't know why, but this is what usually happens.

Anyway, we have been toying with the idea of a new laptop because of our upcoming move to Germany. We don't want to have a lot of bulky things there (like a desktop computer, big furniture that doesn't really get used, etc). We have heard the rooms are a lot smaller, and we comfortably fill up our 1500 plus square foot home now. So, we have been trying to downsize, organize, etc. We haven't really been actively been looking. Every now and then when I hears shouts of frustration from the office, I'd mention that he should get his computer upgraded. However, it has not gone any further than that.

Not this past weekend, but the one before, his computer was really giving him a hard time. Another guy in his office had just got a new Dell. He was telling me about it. Well on Sunday, we looked it up online. It looked like a pretty good deal, so he decided to do some research. For anyone that knows my husband and how he does with buying electronics, you'd know that he researches things like that for at LEAST 2 to 4 weeks before seriously looking at anything. After that, it could take between 2 to 4 week for the verdict to come if he wants to buy it or not. After that comes a couple of trips to the store to "play" with that item and check it out. Usually we leave the stores empty handed at least once or twice. I guess a lot of people don't do this anymore because a guy at Best Buy once asked why we were having such a hard time picking something. My husband went on to tell him that he won't just buy anything, and that he wanted to be sure what he was buying was what he wanted. Where I'm going with this...He started to look up the computer online and start the "process" for really looking.

Well, after a couple of trips to the store on his part and a lot of online hours looking up info, he decided that he wanted this Dell. He did it in record time (1 week), and a lot of it had to do with it being on sale...and a pretty good one. So we came home with a new laptop this weekend.

He spent Sunday getting it all set up, and the wireless set up. Before I went to bed, I noticed that our phone modem was down (we use Vonage). I asked him to look at it, and fix it before bed. He said he would, and I went on to sleep. When he woke up for work, I asked if he had fixed the phone. He said no, and went to look at it. He ran out of time. So, I woke up and began the task of trying to figure out what was wrong. Lets just say I spent about 2 hours on the phone. Nothing worked. He came home at lunch and messed with it too. He couldn't get it to work. He said it's happened before. He was on the phone with a tech guy and they couldn't figure it out. They were boggled and just sitting there. All of a sudden it just fixed itself. The tech guy said he'd never seen it before. Well after he messed with it at lunch, he said he'd just have to mess with it after work. I resolved to a day without phone or internet, and got busy.

After about 2 hours, I was on my way back to the back of the house. Lo and behold it was online again. Just like that. I don't know how, why, or when, but it just fixed itself again. It made life a lot easier for it to just fix itself. I guess the whole point of this post is...I DIDN'T DO IT!! I didn't touch the computer or stuff until AFTER it was broken. So you can't blame me for the tech issues yesterday :)

Thursday, January 10, 2008

He's How Big?!

A little back story first before I go into his 2 week appointment. Right before he was born, everyone was taking bets about if the baby I would soon be pushing out was a boy or girl and how much the weight would be. I think my husband said around 8lb 6oz, and he didn't care on the sex (his way of saying he didn't want to be wrong so he wouldn't feel bad if he was). I can't remember what my Dad said. I told everyone I thought I was having a girl and she would be 8lb 8oz. Then my Mom announced that I would be having a boy and he would be 8lb 12oz. Fast forward about 15 mins and a couple of pushes, and it was announced that we in fact did have a boy. They handed him to me and started the process of getting him a big cleaned up and everything. Then the time came for him to be put on the scale. When they announced that he was 8lb 12oz, I thought everyone in the room was going to die. Everyone was amazed that Mom had guessed right on with everything. I was amazed because I couldn't believe I just pushed out a 8lb 12oz baby in 2 contractions. My husband kept telling my mom she needed to go play the lottery or hit the casino when they headed home.

Fast Forward again to this past week. We go in for his 2 week appointment. My Mom made the trip down from Kansas to go with me. I haven't got the hang of both kids totally yet, and I needed to find a dress for my sister's wedding too. So, the night before the appointment we were all sitting around just talking, and somehow it came up with how much everyone thought that Samuel would weigh. I don't really remember many of the answers, but my husband informed me that he won this time when I called in to tell him that 2 weeks after birth his new son now weighs 9lb 15oz. He said he guess right at or just about 10lbs.

His doctor was amazed and wondered what I had put in my milk to make him grow from 8lbs 8oz to the now 9lbs 15oz he was now. The nurse was so sure she was wrong, she weighed and measured him a couple of times. I guess he's gone from 20 inches to 21 inches in just the short time around too. What I find funny about it all...When Genevieve was his age, she was in the 95% in both weight and length. He is a bit bigger than her at this age, and he is only in the 75%. I know they use different scales for boys and girls, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it.

Anyway, he's a big boy, and he's healthy. He goes back in Feb to get his first round of shots. I hate shots time. It makes me so sad to see them scream the way they do. We also have to check with Genevieve's urologist to see if and what kinds of things we need to do with Samuel because bladder reflux is one of those things that if one have it, most likely all your kids will have it. At least with him being a boy, it would be harder for him to get a UTI. Maybe that means they don't need to put him on the antibiotics. I don't know. Keep your fingers crossed that they just want us to know it is an issue and let it play out.

Prayer

So, this Sunday at church the pastor's sermon was about praying. The title was "Pray Big Time!" He talked about how we shouldn't just pray for the ordinary things in life. "Lord help me find my keys," "Lord I need help to pass a test," etc. He talked about how we need to pray for the things that without God would not happen. Sometimes it is hard not to though...at least for me. I have issues with just praying for everyday ordinary things.

He also talked about how if we don't get an answer for our prayers we should keep praying no matter how many times we have done so. He used the example of the man who went to a friend's door in the middle of the night. He wanted bread for a visitor. The man in the home told him to go away because he was in bed. He kept knocking, and because he was persistent, he got up and gave him the bread. He talked about how we need to do the same.

I guess it really made an impact on me because I have been bad at both. I have been praying for little things and haven't really been persistent. It is something I want to work on that's for sure. I guess that is one thing I will have as a resolution. I will pray often, and I will pray big.

Getting To Know You 2008

I got this off my cousin's blog. I couldn't resist taking it and posting :)

1. What is your occupation? I am a proud Domestic Engineer

2. What color are your socks right now? White

3. What was the last thing that you ate? Crackers and Peanut Butter

4. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes

5. If you were a crayon, what color would you be and why? Light Brown because it seems all I do at the moment is change a bunch of poopy diapers :p

6. The last person spoke to on the phone? My Mom

7. Who is the person who sent this to you? I stole it off my cousin's blog

8. Favorite drink? Coke (Sonic preferred)

9. What is your favorite sport to watch? I like to watch Nascar (what other sport can you watch the first bit, take a good 2 hour nap, and then see the end as if you didn't miss a thing), and I like to watch the dog agility completions. Does that count?

10. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, many times

11. Pets? 2 dogs

12. Favorite food? At the moment...I love Buffalo Wing

13. What was the last movie you watched? The new Bourne movie

14. What do you do to vent anger? Depends on what I'm angry about. Sometimes I argue with myself like I'm fighting with whoever I'm mad at.

15. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies and Baby Dolls

16. What is your favorite season fall or spring? Spring

17. Cherries or Blueberries? I don't really care for either

18. When was the last time you cried? Last week. I was worried about some test results my mom was waiting for.

19. What did you do last night? Took my kids to a couple of bridal stores to find a dress for my sister's wedding. When we finally made it home, I crashed hard.

20. Favorite smells? Lavender, Lemon, Burts Bees Diaper Cream

21. What inspires you? Hearing other's stories of their lives and how the overcame things that have happened in their lives.

22. What are you afraid of? That I'm a bad mom.

23. Favorite dog breed? I don't think I have a favorite. I like dogs that I could control if I needed to. If it's too big, I'd not want to have it in my home.

24. Number of keys on your key ring? 3 on my key ring (home, mail box, parent's house) and then 1 on my car key ring.

25. Favorite day of the week? Any day my husband is off

26. How many states have you lived in? 4 states

27. Favorite holiday? Christmas

28. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? nope

29. Ever left the country? Yeah, I have been to Mexico, Singapore, and Malaysia

30. Favorite kind of music? Too many different types to really name just one.

31. Last book you read? The new Harry Potter book.

Friday, January 4, 2008

So, Shopping...Did It Go Good or Bad?

Inquiring minds want to know I'm sure :p We went out yesterday to the grocery store. I found out the day before that if I put Samuel in the Snugli, after the shock wore off he did well. So, I loaded up the van, drove to the store, put Samuel in the Snugli, and got Genevieve in and up in the cart. That is not as easy as it sounds with a newborn on your belly. After we got going in the store, Samuel knocked out and slept the whole time. We got going too fast and forgot a couple of things, but overall the trip went really well.

Today we headed out to WalMart. I didn't really need much, so I just left Samuel in the carrier and put him in the cart. Genevieve always LOVED her car seat. She never had an issue with going in it or staying in it. Samuel on the other hand hates it. I don't know if it is because of the different harness system in the two seats or if he just does not like being bound in anyway (he hates being swaddled too). Much to my surprise, after we got on the move, he calmed down and slept most of the time.

So, I guess the big question now...Will it continue? Only time will tell.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Debbie!?

I think my little girl named herself. The past few days we have worked on words I get a surprise when I ask a certain question of Genevieve...

She now says Gammy, Pappy, Momma, Daddy, Sammy, Annabelle, Samuel, Sponge Bob, all the names of the Backyardigans crew, and so much more. When I ask her what her name is or who she is, she replies, "Debbie." I don't know if she is trying to say Genevieve and it sounds like Debbie, or if she really just thinks her name is Debbie. I guess I will never know.

I Learned Something New Today

So, today I learned something that is good to know for the future. I learned with two kids that I cannot do things in the same time I use to. Allow me to explain a little.

Today was my first day with both kids alone. I worried that I would have issues, but I really did fine. I ended up on the sofa in the early morning hours because Samuel didn't want to sleep quietly. With his Daddy going back to work today, I didn't want to risk the chance of waking him up. So, I took Samuel and headed to the sofa.

This morning my hubby headed off to work. He stopped by the sofa on the way out the door and kissed us goodbye. I got a couple of phone calls but nothing that woke me up totally. About 40 mins later Genevieve woke up. I went in, got her changed and dressed for the day. I got her some breakfast, and we found Dora on TV. The morning went surprisingly well.

Nap time came and went. Both kids slept well for about the same amount of time. I used that time to catch up on some email and to put my feet up. I learned now that I need to use that time to get things done. My mistake, but now I know.

At 3:00 I gave Genevieve a snack, nursed Samuel, and I started on my quest to clean up the kitchen and dining room. It was a big feat for one day. We have had company the last 15 days and the bar had become cluttered with "stuff." The table was covered with odds and ends due to my hubby and I going through a lot of stuff in Genevieve's room and in the living room. Needless to say the job that should have taken about an hour to complete right took me about 5 hours.

It would start with Samuel. He would start crying soon after being put in the swing or chair. I know it is because he is use to being held all the time with having grandparents here. He would want that or to nurse again. Genevieve would want to sit by me during that time and want me to put her arm around her. If I could get Samuel to sit alone, Genevieve would want me to play with her, or she would get under my feet. It went on and on until I gave up. Before I did I got all of the kitchen done. I just had to pick up toys and the table after Genevieve went to bed.

One useful thing I learned today was that Samuel does not mind the Snugli after he gets into it. He fussed for the first little bit, but he soon fell asleep and rested well while in it. Good to know because that means that I can use that when we go out for groceries and for stuff we need. I am still worried about going out with two little ones, but at least I know that he can get use to the Snugli. Wish me luck because tomorrow I have to go out to get a few things. It should make for a great blog. :p Make sure and check back tomorrow sometime to find out if the kids ate my lunch at the store :)

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

I Think I'm Back

So, it's been about 11 days since I had Samuel. I have been home from the hospital for a little over a week. I have spent this said week sleeping, nursing, changing diapers, and convincing Genevieve that her new little brother can stay. She has honestly done better than I ever thought she would with a new baby in the home. Today she had a major meltdown, but 1 in 11 days is fine by me.

So, being back from my short sabbatical, I can't promise I will be blogging everyday yet. I'm just getting use to having two little ones, much less getting on with "normal" life. I have to say that my mother-in-law has saved me this week. They were down visiting for when the baby was born. They told me they would stay over at our home and take care of Genevieve for us. I was worried about how they would do. I know they raised my husband, but that was quiet awhile ago. My fears were put to rest after the first day. They did so well with her. When we got home, she continued to help out by cooking, helping with cleaning, and getting Genevieve up in the morning so I could sleep in and recover. It was the best gift I ever got. They left today, and will go about their normal lives starting tomorrow.

Also going back to normal is my husband. He will be headed back to work as well. I think the thing that scares me the most is getting out of the house with two babies and how to go about it. I mean, how am I going to go shopping to get the things I need? Genevieve rides in the part where kids sit. If I put the infant seat in the basket, I have no room for what I'd need. So, what to do? Also, Genevieve is very good about holding my hand in the parking lot and such, but now with another one, will it work as well? I can honestly say I haven't been so nervous about shopping in a long time. How silly is this?!

Anyway, life is good (except this horrible knot on my shoulder blade). Lets just hope it stays that way. I guess if you don't see me post a blog for a week, call the cops. I probably will need it :) I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. I am working on a blog about our Christmas, but I want to add pictures, and that is on my other computer. Maybe another night.