Veritable Life

Abigail Kaydence, the life of a 5 year old

2011-02-08T00:11:00.000-05:00

Being 5 is so totally cool! Here is what you are up to.

You still talk like a New Yorker, your volume levels are Loud and Louder. The passion in your words, and the expressions of what you are needing to say, make it all worth every decibel above normal. You smile with your whole face. You love being talked to on your level, and when you talk...you expect the person/people you are talking to, to be paying attention. You eat slower than a turtle and are distracted by every moving thing at dinner. You take your time with things and don't like to be rushed. You are very particular about how things are placed, how clothes fit you, where Mommy puts things and what touches them.

You love to build things, you can build a tower out of cups, you can build a house out of marshmallows, you even built a building out of snow balls outside the other day. You enjoy putting puzzles together, playing Memory, PayDay, Monopoly. You are very creative and love making something out of nothing. You are an excellent student. You love K, and the different activities you do each day. I especially love when you come home and have a new song to sing with a cute little dance to go along with it (Hello Neighbor, Snowball fight, that silly Penguin one) It makes my day to see you so happy and excited to share with me.

Scooter is your Buddy, he is your little baby that you will try to carry around with you. You are protective of him and worry anytime something is wrong with him, or he gets loose (which is often) and hyperventilate until Mommy chases him down. You will then not let him out of your sight for the next 24 hrs, and put him in a choke hold when anyone goes near a door.

You really make Mommy and Daddy appreciate the little things with you. You do not show outward emotions, you are very stoic and strong like that. To get you to say I love you back to Mommy or Daddy is a very rare occasion. When you do say it, it is an amazing feeling. Not because you are repeating back words out of habit, but because for you to say it, you can tell you are really thinking about Loving us. I can almost see it in your eyes. You are very matter of fact with your words, you tell it like it is.

We were at the dentist last Friday and on our way home you and Bella were talking about the importance of flossing. Bella said it is SOOOO important to floss, and then you said very matter of fact "Well flossing's not more important than not killing someone" What? Where did that come from? You just had to "one up" Bella and let her know that there are more important things to worry about besides flossing.

Abigail you are such a sweet girl, you care so much about other people and will often worry about the ones you cannot help. You weigh 50lbs and love to show how strong you are. You make Mommy and Daddy stop and listen, you make us slow down, if even to just give you comfort in chaos. You my little lady, are one Incredible girl!

Sophia Rielle, life of a 2 year old

2011-02-07T00:43:00.000-05:00

Being 2 is tough! Here's what you are up to.

Potty training, which you have started on your own. Although Daddy thinks you're ready, Mommy does not. I think you are interested in parts of it, like how fast you can unravel a roll of toilet paper, and how many times you can flush the toilet before I catch you, or how quickly you can strip off all your clothes and diaper to proclaim to me (in the sweetest voice) that you want to pee on the potty! So there we sit, and wait...and wait. You have gone twice so far, but I think that was by coincidence. Yesterday, you stripped down, broke through the gate and went upstairs. You came back down a few minutes later and told Daddy that you pooped in Abby's room (Dayeee I poop Abby room) See Nick I told you she wasn't ready!

You will repeat almost anything, unless of course you are mad at someone asking you to say something. You will get on the phone and say "What up Dude" You sing songs, mainly lolli-lolli-lolli-POP, and Jingle Bells. You LOVE Go Diego Go, and Dora. The other night at dinner we were trying to get you to take a bite of the Homemade Chicken potpie, you kept pushing your bowl away saying "Yucky". I thought I would point out that Bella and Abby were eating like big girls, and you look at Daddy and say "Dayee eat big gurl"? We were all laughing so hard, which just made you say it even more. Now when you ask how Daddy eats, Sophie yells "like big Gurl"

Girlfriend, you have a Temper! When you are hurt, you don't just cry. You are MAD, only the person you go to for comfort can touch you. If anyone else even gets close, you growl and scream, and then start swinging, pinching, hitting, till they go away. Hard to believe that sweet little face can get so angry.

You love to climb on things. I have to flip our kitchen chairs onto the table everyday just so you won't drag them across the floor to whatever it is you want to get into. Some days it has been a drawer, one day it was the counter, one day it was the actual table where I found you trying to hang onto the light fixture above and swing. Yeah, they get put up now. Thank you very much!

You sleep with your bibi every night and for naps. You also now require 3 blankets to go to sleep. You have a favorite blankie, but really any 3 will do. For about 3 months now when you are laid down, you point to the back of your crib and say these 3 letters "a-b-a" Daddy and I tried to figure out what you were pointing to and thus figure out what you were saying, but we can't. We have no clue. We just decided to repeat the letters back to you a-b-a and that seems to suffice. We do however LOVE it, and it has become quite the routine to lay you down and make sure you say it before we walk out.

   Sophia's words.
   Dook = Drink
   Yaya = Phone
   Buddy = Scooter
   Bibi = Pacifier
   Iggies = Toes
   JeeJoo = Julie E.

You weigh 24lbs, you love to be the center of attention. You have the most Beautiful Brown eyes, reminds me of my little sis (so does your temper) You are animated, enthusiastic, and full of energy. You gasp when you are trying hard to tell us something. You say Ahh or Uhh before you say anyones name "uhh mommy" We love everyday with you and what you will amaze us with. You are worth a million nights of going to bed exhausted. I love you sweet girl.

Big Girls

2011-02-01T14:34:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I have a 9 year old, a 5 year old, and a 2 year old.

To get all the 3 girls in one location, all somewhat looking at the camera, no one crying...was HARD! I think I have about 65 others that were lacking one of the requirements above.

I need to be better

2011-02-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

It is so easy to log on here and type out the things I want to remember, but I don't. Why? So many things going on, not enough time, I would rather read the few blogs of others that I follow, I have 3 busy little girls, Sophia bangs on my computer if I even try to get on here during her waking hours, I need to wash my hair...see I am busy!
But, I have decided now that I will make a better effort, and because I just typed that out, it's official. :)

And the party pictures.

2010-06-27T21:55:00.000-04:00

Abby chose to have her Birthday party at a water park. We decided that was a GREAT idea, since last years party was a pool party at our house...whew that was some work.
What was really cool was that you could rent the water park after they closed and the only people there were the ones you invited, plus 2 lifeguards on duty to watch the kids.

Abby on the slide when we first got there.

We were all forced under the pavilion for the Thunder and Lightning to pass so we opened gifts and had our cupcakes while the storm passed. I love Abby's face here, I wish I knew what she was opening...but Nick had the camera and didn't catch that part.

Ok, Bella's gift to Abby was complete with an empty water bottle that Bella had drank earlier than day, not sure why that was so funny, but it was. Don't believe me...check out Bellas face in the background, that was the beginning of a full on laugh attack.

This picture is interesting to me cause 1: I look really tan. 2: I look really skinny. 3: My boobs look huge. and I can put this here cause Nick and my BFF Heather are the only ones who see this blog. Ha.

Just a silly Bella smile.

And I can't leave out a typical Sophia face.

Then me and this girl, may have gone down the *kiddie* water slide together and had a little crash at the bottom and we may or may not have both lost our bottoms a little bit.

But that's just a maybe, so we will assume that we didn't do such a thing!

Abigail's 5th Birthday

2010-06-14T15:49:00.000-04:00

Ok I think I finally have caught up on Birthday's...this is actually from this year :)

For my Abby girl,

The days pass before us and seem to go by so quickly, yet each day you make me find the time to see the beauty in who you are. When you were a baby I would imagine what you would look like, what you would act like, the personality you would have, who would you favor, would you be social, or would you be shy.

You are a beautiful little lady of which I could never imagine life without. You take a little bit to warm up to people you are not familiar with but once you do...watch out! You are full of life and OH SO LOUD, you make sure you have the attention of the person you are speaking to or showing something to. You have a very strong Jersey accent when you are passionate about what you are saying. You will break out in uncontrollable belly laughs that will have those around you laughing too. You love to cook, clean and help Mommy do things around the house. You love playing with your sisters and giving Bella and Sophia hugs. You love your Scoota boy and will carry him around the house sometimes (to his dislike) like he is your baby. You are a Daddy's girl for sure, when he walks in the door you are his from that moment till bed time. You ask me 1,356 times a day what time he will be home from work. You often ask (every night) why we have to have to go sleep every single day, but truth be told you would never make it all night even if you tried.

Happy 5th Birthday to my sweet, zesty little girl.

Love, Mom

Family

2010-06-14T15:30:00.000-04:00

2009 was a year of many trials, many tears, many laughs and sweet cuddles, lots of emotions, plenty of illnesses, hospital stays, sleepless nights, an abundance of giggles and laughs, and always the comfort of each other which I am MOST thankful for.

I was looking forward to a year of less of a few of those and that has been true so far. It has made us stronger as a family and made us appreciate one another, made us grow together, made us depend on the other for support, for love, and assurance.

Nick was my rock this past year and I am so Thankful we had the chance to grow together and connect in a way we never have before. I am Thankful he is my husband, Thankful he is my confidant, he can make me laugh, he is patient, he can put a smile on my face just by looking at me, Thankful he is the most wonderful father to our beautiful daughters, Thankful he understands me, is a hard worker, dedicated and driven, Thankful for who he is, and Thankful he completes who I am.

Our girls are growing into beautiful little ladies, and maturing in ways that amaze me. They make me laugh each day and my heart grows with love in amounts I could have never imagined.

I am so blessed to have my family.

Happy 1st Birthday Sophia

2010-06-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

Such a joy to be around, a love bug...not a cuddle bug, but definitely a love bug. Just the best little girl, so laid back, calm, peaceful. You have given us the easiest year. We kept thinking at some point you would certainly start to give us trouble, but nope. You are wonderful Sophia Rielle. You brought in your 1 year at 21lbs, a head full of bright red hair, beautiful brown eyes, and the biggest smile that could make your heart melt in a second.

You started walking at 9months and haven't stopped since. You are a go, go , go girl like her mama. Anytime you are on the phone you automatically say "yaya" since your yaya gave you a little phone and taught you to say "hewoooo" over the Thanksgiving holiday.

We are so thankful that you are ours.

Isabella 8th Birthday

2010-01-30T02:06:00.001-05:00

So apparently you can't have started a post last year and forgotten (slacker) to publish it and have it be dumped into that days post. This was actually started in Isabella's 8th Birthday last year on December 19th.

I can't believe I just put 8 on there. I really feel like I am getting a little scared of this whole getting older thing, and I am not talking about me. I mean, each year there are more challenges, things that get easier, harder, make me pick and choose my battles, make me stop and think...wait, where did she hear THAT from, dig deeper...back off. So many choices.
My straight A student, little girl of so many words and questions, so much love and attitude all given in the same day. The one who can still crawl in my lap and know I will hold her till she wants down. At 58lbs and coming to my shoulders you sure are growing sweet Angel.

For your Birthday you wanted a Rockstar Runway fashion show with a Sleepover. 5 of your friends came and were packing their best "Rockstar" outfits for the show. I did hair, makeup and nails. Bella and her wanting straight hair is going to be the end of my patience. It hurtse, it takes FOREVER, it does not last long, and she cries the entire time I do it...really she does, why do I agree. I told her this was the last time I was doing it.

Liv Doll

More presents

Rockin out after the fashion show, which was great and on video, but I have no idea how to load on here and then they danced and sang. Here is where I also started talking under my breath, and saying prayers to get me through the night...

Oh what it's bedtime already

Goodnight.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-30T01:32:00.001-05:00

Every year we have a little tradition we do. We let the girls open 1 gift on Christmas Eve, but the gift is always the same, pj's. They get to wear them to bed and wake up in the morning to open presents in them.

h

I guess the slacker in me is getting what I deserve, cause I thought by starting a post on the same day I wanted that post to be would be sufficient, even though I never actually ever published it...or finished it either, but that doesn't matter. Just knowing I could start it, come back to it later and finish it would work good, but not so much. The Mocha post was started in Sept of last year :)

Ok, so on to Christmas. We had snow on Christmas, which I know alot of people wish for. It wasn't much, but enough to make it beautiful and white outside. The girls were really into it this year. I think this will be the last year Bella believes in Santa. We had a whole discussion a few months ago when we were busted with the Tooth Fairy and bella said "hmmmm what else can I ask you about that's not real" then came the Santa question, we were honest, told her the whole Santa/Saint Nick story and explained everything. Sometime between then and Christmas she forgot all about it. I told Nick at one point I thought she was trying to trick us. It was like we never had "the talk", just vanished.

Bella says these are her Lucky jammers, cause she always gets what she wanted when she wears them. I need to make a mental note to tell her NO the next time she wears them and asks for something.

Opening the Race Track from Pawpaw and Meemaw. Check out Abby's face.

Opening presents.

Sophia was so freaked out by that little Pluto dog thingy. It has a remote and walks and barks and wags his tail and she ran screaming stomping her feet to get away. I had a little fun chasing her a few times and then it was back to the twist ties and opening of packages.

Mocha, Moocha, Muucka...and Isabella

2010-01-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, Isabella wanted a Mocha from McDonald's so bad. I mean really, really really wanted a coffee from there. She came up with so many different ways to say Mocha, always got it wrong, would come out one way and she would try to correct herself with another way. Her friend Claira has had a few and raved to her about how good it is, and how adults have coffee, and how she gets it sometimes on the days when it is free.
We tried to talk her out of it... for weeks. Every week on Mocha Monday Bella would beg, plead, cry, whine, get on her knees and say how much she would love it and how good it must be. How she would drink the whole thing and how happy it would make her...sooooo we caved. Nick and knew she would not like it, we tried telling her that...she does not exactly have a taste for things new should I say, she likes what she is used to and not really willing to try different.
The drink was bought, (not on a Monday) and she HATED it. Nick said she had to drink the whole thing since she begged so hard for it for so long, the look on her face said it all. She was not impressed and then questioned why people drink that stuff.

So here is my tribute to Mocha Monday!!

Halloween 09

2009-11-02T11:41:00.003-05:00

It was such a perfect night, clear, beautiful, crisp weather. Sophia was not at all up to going out, so Soph stayed home with Nick and passed out candy to all the polite, kind, sweet children.

My sweet little Fairies.

Freezing in October

2009-10-14T10:48:00.003-04:00

Oh, it is so cold here right now. The high today is 49. This is so weird to me to be cold at this time of year. I knew it was going to be getting cold soon, but I feel like we totally skipped the fall weather, or maybe this is fall weather :) not sure about that one. I have been reading that this will be a very cold and snowy winter. The girls will love that for sure. I got out all the scarves, gloves, hats, snow boots etc. from last year. Unfortunately, they no longer fit who they are supposed to fit, so a winter shopping trip is in our very near future.

I had the craziest, busiest day yesterday and had some thoughts that totally caught me off guard. I was non stop yesterday from the time my feet hit the floor. I was hope for maybe 30min total the entire day till 8pm and when I laid down last night thinking of how tired I was, I missed Sophia like crazy. I didn't get to hold her but for a few min, in between passing her off to other people (Mops, mimi, laying her down for a nap so I could run back out the door to take Abby to the doctor) and I was so sad that I didn't play with her at all yesterday, didn't get to see if she could take 5 steps instead of 4, didn't get to kiss her as much as usual, didn't cuddle with her, didn't lay on the floor while she climbed all over me. I know this is not the normal day for us, so not like it will be happening again soon, but still. I really truly missed her. SO much so, that I got my tired, exhausted, aching body out of bed and walked into her room so I could see her sleeping so peacefully one last time before I closed my own eyes. I was really surprised I felt this way after only a day of crazy chaos. I did vow to really and truly revel in her squishy, sweet babyness since this will be our last baby, so maybe missing a day of her set that off.

I have been busy making the girls Halloween costumes and they will be ready soon. I am so excited to have accomplished this and before the deadline.

Bella is doing so awesome in school and I am so proud of her, she is working so hard and it is showing in all her work. Our parent/teacher conference was awesome and she has all A's and 1 B. She loves Math, and Reading the most. She loves going to school and really looks up to the Teachers and staff there. I could not be more proud or happy for her. I think how fortunate we are to not be dealing with any issues with school work right now, or her hating to go to school, or just not applying herself how she should. I know there are many children who struggle with this and for that I am thankful.

Abby is still Abby. She has good days, bad days. She is my little strong minded, my way or no way child. She likes to put together puzzles, play hide and seek, her favorite number is 4 cause that's how old she is and will tell you in a minute, she also thinks she needs 4 of everything. Abby showed her very strong willed self off at the bust stop this morning. 30 something degrees outside 7am standing on the street corner with neighbors, Abby decides to take off the white jacket I gave her, throw it on the wet ground and proceed to stand there and scream about how cold she is while wearing a Miami Dolphins cheerleading outfit (and not the Midwest possibly warm version) I am talking the tank top/skirt version, while holding an umbrella and refusing to put the jacket back on. How hard is it to behave for 4min while we walk Bella to the bus stop. We have been talking and praying for the homeless adults and children lately at night and Abby is especially concerned for them. Asking how they eat, where they sleep, why they don't have a house, etc. So yesterday Abby decides she will ask Santa to bring her a Dora tent, with a blanket and pillow and she will give it to the kids who sleep outside so they can have a house. Then she goes "dat work mama right? Dose kids will weally like that huh?" She is so sweet and caring, when you catch her at the right time :)

Sophia is taking steps, and she has 2 teeth that are starting to come in...finally. Bella and Abby both got their first teeth at 6m and Soph just wants to take it at her own pace. She is all over the place, crawling, pulling up, taking a few steps before falling back, or sometimes forward. I was hoping she would not walk for a while longer and would stay little forever and ever, but I know that is not happening, plus with her bug sisters walking all around her, I knew it would be no time before she figured it out. Still taking 2 naps for the most part of a normal day. Sleeping through the night most of the time. Eating like crazy and just being happy and smiley and giving lots of kisses and raspberries to most people.

Family...

2009-09-21T09:14:00.003-04:00

It is so hard to find any pictures of us all together.

The days pass quickly, the months fly by and the years seem to pass with the blink of an eye.

I know all too soon, our girls will be young ladies, they will be independent and on their own and Nick and I will look back and wonder where the time went.

They will be strong women, who stand up for who and what they believe in.

We will give them every bit of knowledge we have and teach them to learn from every mistake made.

They will have learned to love each other and will have close relationships with one another.

They will not be afraid to love and be loved.

Best of all, Nick and I will have taught them, raised them, loved them.

Abby and the great Soccer adventure.

2009-09-07T11:43:00.006-04:00

Seeing Abby play soccer is so fun for Nick and I. The best part is she is wearing shorts and a shirt, which never...and I mean never happens. She looks so freakin cute in her shorts and shin guards and her hair pulled back. She plays her little heart out. She runs after the ball and focuses so hard on getting it through the goal.

Can't you just see the determination in her eyes.

The focus of this girl, I tell ya!

Abby wants to be a chicken, Abby wants to be a duck...quack, quack, quack...

Ok, now were getting there baby. Go Abby go!!

You amaze us everyday Abby, and we could not be more proud of you.

She takes many breaks for a drink, but she needs the sugar while she is running for 1 hour non stop, so we don't say anything about that to her, and her coach understands she needs it.

Now I would not say she is without her moments of not paying attention, because clearly she is, but at 4, I think she has done incredible.

Isabella at 3 years old

2009-09-06T23:14:00.004-04:00

Having a moment of looking back at when you were 3. So cute and fun.

Sophia 8 months

2009-08-28T09:43:00.005-04:00

What a sweet baby you are. 20lbs 27in long and the fattest little thighs I have seen. You have started to army crawl, you are hesitant to go from sitting to crawling as I think you feel you will tip over and face plant on the rug...which has happened so the feeling is valid. You say "daddadadadadadada" but no sign of mama yet. You babble and squeal. You love peek a boo, patty cake, and "Sophie come out and play with me" You will flail those little arms at any sign of that song.

You are sleeping through the night and have been for some time now. You take 2 naps, one about 2 to 3 hours after you wake up and then another in the later afternoon for about 45min. You are a creature of comfort and love routine. You will only sleep in your crib and on 2 occasions have you fallen asleep elsewhere. Daddy says you fell asleep on his chest once a few months ago, but until I see proof we will count the 2 times you slept on the floor in the middle of playing. You have not been much of a sleeper on other people. You like and want your own space when sleeping and I can't blame you *ahem bella and abby, you hear that...mommy want her own space*

You smile at everyone especially men. You have a thing for their voices I would like to believe. You are so much fun and I am thankful everyday to have you as our daughter, to be blessed with such an easy going little girl, that just loves to have someone look at her and smile.

I love you soph, pebbles, nana, fifi.

Happy Birthday yaya!!

2009-08-28T09:23:00.003-04:00

I wish I was there to wish you a Happy Birthday in person, to give you a card and gift with my hands, to hug you super tight...cause I know you like that best haha. Being far away is so hard when Birthday's and Holidays come around. I would want nothing more than to be there with you today to celebratate your 28th.

I love you Yaya.

Abby

2009-08-21T10:41:00.006-04:00

Oh the dealings with Abby just don't seem to get any easier.

Woke up on August 1st and was sick, throwing up and blood sugar dropping quickly. I called the Doctor and they said to head to the hospital. We got there and started her on IV fluids and gave her sugars. Her Ketones were high and sugar was low. Her heart rate was fast and her body was done fighting. They decided to admit us and watch her over night, which seems to be what always happens. She is not stable enough to bring home. We stayed for 2 days and during that time she had an X-ray, lots of blood drawn to try to pinpoint the reason it keeps happening. No luck on any test results. She had some rather frightening rectal bleeding while we were there that no one could find a reason for. A week later, all blood results are within normal ranges for the most part.

Then on August 19th, Abby came downstairs and collapsed on the kitchen floor. She was not responding to me and when she would try to open her eyes, they would roll back in her head. I took her blood sugar and it was 38. I moved her to the couch and immediately went into the kitchen to find anything with sugar in it. Abby was awake but not moving or talking to me at this point, so I gave her a Popsicle and a piece of candy to suck on and a glass of Gatorade. I put a call in to the Doctor in which they called back within minutes. The Doctor expressed her concerns with this happening so closely and seems to be getting worse. She wanted to call some Endo docs and see what they wanted to do and call me back. While I was waiting, I got her blood sugar up to 50. At this point she began to throw up. In between throwing up I was still giving sugars to try to maintain her.

The Doctor called back again and said a team of Endocrinologist were waiting for her at the Children's hospital and to head there.

The Endo docs basically said our best chance at treating this is to do preventative measures. I got 2 machines to test her with at home. Her blood ketones, and her blood sugars. We also have to give her 5Tbs or raw corn starch at night before bed. We found the best way to do this is to mix it with Chocolate milk. We have narrowed it down to the part of her body failing her. While she is sleeping her body tries to maintain her blood sugars by grabbing onto her stored sugars and carbs from previous meals. Well Abby's body does not store any...so it starts breaking down other things it is not supposed to. Which in turn makes her body produce Ketones, after so many produce her body goes into ketoacidosis. Well the Ketoacidosis makes her throw up. So all this time we were thinking she was getting a virus and it was making her throw up and drop her blood sugars, when actually she is dropping those sugars at night and by the time she is waking up she is already in the Ketoacidosis phase and that is making her throw up. So we had it all backwards.

Now that we better understand what her body is doing, we are doing our best to prevent it from happening. The Raw corn starch releases slow amounts of carbs into her body through the night and allows her to maintain a semi steady stream of blood sugar. This has proven to be effective so far. We have had only 2 days of low blood sugar and 2 days of Ketones in her blood in the last 11 days or so.

For me though, I don't feel like it is good enough. I want to know what is causing it, and what long term effects it will have, and how long it will last. The Endo docs said there is 500 metabolic disorders it can be and testing can for all these can be exhausting. Their biggest concern is Abby slipping into a coma while she is sleeping from low blood sugar and us not knowing.

Abby has since started losing her hair, she has 3 balding spots on the top of her head and no one can tell us why. I just feel in my heart there is something more that is being over looked or missed.

I just wish we had a better answer.

My Best Friend...

2009-08-16T08:20:00.003-04:00

Is getting married!!!!

I am beyond thrilled for her, maybe even a little too much so. She asked me to be her Maid of honor and I am so excited. I am sad I am so far away from her right now though, I want to be there for all the little events, trying on dresses, looking at venues etc. I wish I could be there to see her beautiful face when she finds the perfect dress and just knows it, that moment will stay with you forever, I want to calm her through the frustrating things that will pop up throughout this planning period (that you are dreading). I would want nothing more than to be right next to her and support her and give her everything she needs.

What an exciting time this is.

Most importantly I would tell her all the details will fall into place and although it may seem like forever away it will be here before she knows it and , the most important part of this whole thing is marrying the man of your dreams. Going to bed every night and knowing you are with your Best Friend (I know I am not numero uno anymore and that is ok with me), sharing your day, your dreams, and knowing he will be there and do anything for you. Spending your days forever with the one you love is a feeling that can never be taken from you.

The path to a dream is paved with sacrifices and lined with determination, and although it has many stumbling blocks along the way and, may go in more than one direction, it is marked with Faith. It is traveled by belief and courage, persistence and hard work. It is conquered with a willingness to face challenges and take chances, to fail and try again, and again. Along the way, you may have to confront doubts, setbacks, and unfairness. But when the path comes to an end, you will find that there is no greater joy than making your dreams comes true.

Heather, My heart is filled with such love for you and David it is crazy. He treats you like I would wish he would, he gives you what I would hope and pray for you to have, he loves you like I would want you to be loved. You have changed so much since being with David and I can honestly say it is all good changes. My eyes fill with tears even as I write this cause I am so incredibly happy and proud of you (and cause I'm emotional). I love you so much, and wish nothing but wonderful things for you. You have been there for me for everything, and I know I could call you at anytime and say I needed you and you would be there, even from far away. I know you also know I would do the same for you.

I miss you!!

Another trip

2009-07-15T23:03:00.003-04:00

I just returned from a very long and much needed trip to FL. The girls and I packed up the car and just left...all decided within a couple hours.

Our life has been anything BUT normal since moving here. Starting with my pregnancy, moving at 32 weeks. The complications that arose from that, starting with Sophia's NICU, trouble breathing, blood sugars, high CBC, 2 days of antibiotics, heart murmur. Then on to me, stroke in my eye, incision coming open. After returning home being very ill, having to go back in for IV fluids, then being dropped off on Christmas day alone at an ER while Nick came home with the 3 girls, blood pressure sky high, I was given pain med after pain med, my sister talking me though everything they were doing and ordering. Then being given a combination of meds to take the next week together, only to find out later (after not waking for 2 days) that those 2 meds should never be taken together and could be lethal.

April this year Abby got sick and had to be hospitalized and was diagnosed recently with Ketotic hypoglycemia, I am thankful it was not some of the more permanent things they were discussing, but none the less something that still needs to be monitored carefully, and could potentially be very dangerous.

Bella has had some very private things happen and she is now in counseling. Things that have rocked our family so hard we are unsure some days how to cope.

Sophia needs her eye surgery, which hopefully will be simple.

2 Fridays ago our dog scooter got sick, he was acting all funny and crying and not eating. I took him to the vet and they did some x-rays and see all these masses in his intestines that she believed to be cloth. He needed emergency surgery now and would not live 12 to 24 more hours. She gave us the option to put him to sleep, heavily sedate him and let him die at home or do this surgery. They surgery quote went up to 1900.00 dollars. Then he needed after care at an Animal Hospital which was going to be anywhere from 600 to 900 dollars. Just insane. We obviously did the surgery, we had the money and Scooter is not just a dog to us, but a family member. The girls would be devastated if anything happened to him. So they do they surgery and he ate a freakin bib...a whole bib...he chewed it and everything. Guess I now know where that one went. The cloth was acting as a barrier in his intestines not letting anything pass. He only weighs 7lbs so there was no way that thing was going anywhere. The worse part was she saved it for me to see...puke.

Nick goes to work the next Monday and was fired. Need I even say more. We uplifted our whole family for this company, the hell we have been through since living here. Nick had given every ounce of his being to this company. He on several occasions put this company ahead of our own family. He gave his heart and soul into everything he did. Our family and this Company Nick protected, their best interest was always put ahead and thought of before decisions were made. Then to fire him? Going on 9 years. Moving our family here, the sacrifices, personal and financial we made. The stress and pressure our marriage has endured since moving here are insurmountable. What our little girls have been through is not even fair. How could anyone treat someone like this. Seriously? I would not wish what we have been dealt on my worse enemy. The things we have been tested with.

SO I left, I packed up the girls and started driving on Tuesday June 30th and got to FL on Wed July 1st. I just had to get out of this house, out of this city.

Nick stayed behind with his mom. He had lots of things to take care of, and running away is not really his forte like mine is apparently :) While we were gone his mom fell in our laundry room and broke her wrist in 2 places I guess and needs surgery...tomorrow actually. Will this end.

I got back this Sunday July 12th in the wee house of the morning.

The girls were incredible on our little journey, they really were the best little travelers I could have ever asked for.

Now I am home and trying to get back to our new normal. Whatever that may be, I guess we will figure it out. We are going to be OK and we are not moving back to FL, we are holding on tight and trying our best to hold it together.

Sophias eye surgery scheduled.

2009-06-25T23:17:00.002-04:00

For July 17th, it should be a simple procedure. They are probing her eye and cutting away scar tissue and cartlidge. If there is a problem and it is still not draining properly they will put a little tube in place that will run through her and eye and out her nose allowing drainage for 6 weeks to 6 months. I hope and pray she will have the simpler part of this procedure, for all things in my life right now that need to be normal I need this to go smoothly. For her own recovery she needs this.

Happy 4th Birthday Abby

2009-06-22T09:59:00.003-04:00

Oh sweet Abby girl. I can't believe how the time has flown since the day you were born. What a little lady you have become, and such a sparkly one too. The things you say and do every day are so entertaining. Your sense of humor, your jokes, and that contagious laugh you have...oh how I love that laugh, so hearty and deep.

You amaze me and daddy everyday.

We love you sweet baby!

Happy Fathers Day!!

2009-06-21T18:41:00.004-04:00

To the most amazing, dedicated, loving, caring father anyone could ask for.

You amaze me every day. The girls have your heart and their hearts are yours. I can't wait to see how your relationships strengthen as you grow together with our daughters. I know they will run to you when Mommy says no, kinda like they do now. I know they will want your protection at times and at other times I am sure they will think you are too strict and need to lighten up. They will probably not like either of us at some point in teen hood, but will always remember when you used to fly them to bed, the tickle monster, the synopsis on sports for each season, the never ending hugs and kisses, the little jokes we have, and the dates every month with special one on one daddy time. These are memories you are instilling in them, memories they will always have, moments of happiness.

Thank you, for being the father you are, the daddy-o, the play time super-hero. We love you.

Memorial weekend trip to Atlanta...

2009-06-20T22:53:00.008-04:00

Oh what fun we had.

It started out with an 8hr and 45 min car ride by myself to get there. It was pure bliss, seriously just me, Nicks car and an ipod. Wonderful. I have never taken off on my own this far and was a little apprehensive at first. This was a huge deal for me to do, it took alot of talking myself in to. Nick and I have always been together when we have traveled, and he has always been the one behind the wheel. I hate driving in unfamiliar places, and navigating my way around traffic in places I am not confident, now I am so confident, knowing I could drive a long distance by myself and actually find my way and not be scared.

Ok, so my actual purpose of driving to Atlanta was my cousin Patrick's wedding. My little sis Cris, and my BFF Heather were also meeting me there. They were driving up from FL and I was driving down from MO. Talk about excited, I was like a little kid in a candy store.

We all woke up very tired Saturday morning...not naming any names...but some of us didn't want to wake up at all *ahem*

We had breakfast and IHOP, which was not the easiest to find. We had the best server that any of us admittedly have ever had, he was so much fun, and I even asked if he could come home with me...jokingly of course, and he responded maybe a little to seriously with a yeah.

After breakfast we took a ride over to Urgent care, and deciding heather was in fact going to live, so we continued our day.

Saturday night we planned for dinner and drinks at Bahama Breeze, where I ate way too much. So yummy. My cousins met up with us and had some drinks and talked.

There was this *older* lady that was hilarious. She had no reservations about getting out on the dance floor. She was a little tipsy. She was very energetic. She was a little annoying to other guests, and was the topic of quite a few laughs...except Heather, she felt sorry for her. Anyway, here she is in the pink. At some point she got a hold of someones Boa and was wrapping it around random peoples necks and doing a semi dance for them...picture that.

Sunday was the wedding. It was in the afternoon and was a tad bit hot, reception following. The people making/preparing the food were a tidge questionable, so Heather, Cris and I skipped on that one, with a long ride of travel ahead of us for the next day, a stomach bug was the last thing we needed.

All in all a fantastic trip. I miss my BFF Heather, that was the first time we have seen each other in 8 months. Hopefully with her Brothers wedding and our trip were planning for Thanksgiving we will get together sooner.

For my dadddy...

2009-05-18T09:33:00.004-04:00

I am such a slacker. I have been meaning to give you these pics, and kept forgetting. Grandpa and Grandma and Aunt Denise and Uncle Todd and Kimberly all came for a visit while Yaya and the girls were here and these are the pics I got.

Nick is such a dork, look in the background you can see him slouching down to get in the pic and have no one notice. Camera hog!

Uncle Todd and the girls.

Aunt Denise and the girls.

Grandpa and Sophia.

Anna and Grandpa. I love this picture, the way he is looking at her and how she is looking up at him.

Get away

2009-05-18T08:57:00.003-04:00

With all that we have had going in the last few weeks we needed to get away. We have close friends that are like family in Cincinnati and decided to head out for a visit.
It was about a 6 hour drive on Mothers Day weekend, and it was the best drive ever. Sophia slept most of the way and was a dream baby. Bella and Abby were wonderful and so good. They watched movies and talked and relaxed. Seriously.the.best.drive. Nick and I talked and enjoyed each others company. We have had little to none alone time together since we moved here and it was almost like a date and we got a few hours in the car to talk and actually not be interrupted. We laughed, made jokes, and just enjoyed the peace and quiet.
The weekend was so nice as well. Even though the house was full, it reminded me of being home and having everyone around. The noise from all the kids was actually relaxing to me, I miss all the noise of my nieces and nephews, my sisters and brother in laws, my mom and dad. Every weekend in FL we had a BBQ and my house was filled with hustle and bustle, laughter, noise, children running and playing. I miss that and we got a small glimpse of what it used to be.
Dorothy and Blue were the best hosts and made us feel comfortable and at home. Being in their company is always fun, and full of good conversations. It was a long awaited visit coming, they have come to our house in FL a few times, we have met for vacations in Orlando for Disney, a cabin in the Smokey Mountains in TN, and we have yet to drive to Ohio to them. I loved seeing where they live and the area they are in.
I am so thankful to have real friends that are true to you and love you for who you are. There are few people like that and they are.

Abby girl...

2009-05-18T08:45:00.003-04:00

Abby's Doctors and a few specialists all agree that Abby has what is called "Glycolic synthetase deficiency" also known as Glycolic storage disease. There is not a whole lot of information out there on this, especially in terms regular people can understand. The Doctor explained it to me like this. She is missing an enzyme in her body that should be allowing her to store carbs, energy from food, because it is missing when Abby has any period of fasting ie. sickness, picky eating etc. she deteriorates quickly with no stores of energy. It affects her liver through the processing stage and that is what makes it enlarged. When her body returns to normal eating, she regains her strength and her liver decreases to normal size.
SO...the main concerns here are slipping into a coma in her sleep from no carb storage, and when she gets ill, she gets sick quickly. Liver damage can occur overtime and that is something we need to monitor closely.
Moving forward we are to head to the ER when she has thrown up more than 3x, and we have an appt. with a genetic Doctor on May 28th at 1pm to figure out what we need to do in long term care for this disease. There is no cure, or special pill that will make it go away. It is something we will have to work with. From what I understand it can me maintained through diet. We can prolong the liver disease process through the diet also. I am hoping we can gain more information from this specialist and feel more comfortable moving forward.

My sweet girl...

2009-05-01T10:20:00.002-04:00

We are waiting on some test results for Abby. The Doctor called last night and said some preliminary results were concerning and the Lab Physician wanted to add some more tests onto what was already ordered.

We will now have to wait till Monday to get all the results back.

I am praying for total healing of her liver and body, and anything that may be attacking her organs. I am praying for knowledge as Nick and I choose Doctors and specialist. I am praying for a steady head to remain focused and positive.

The visit with my sister...

2009-04-29T12:40:00.004-04:00

Isabella with straight hair and Anna bear.

Anna and Abby, they are so cute.

Isabella, Hailey and Anna. We are missing 2 in this one :)

The magic House construction crew.

This so so funny. Poor Sophia being squished.

Hailey look so happy to be holding her...sweet stuff.

Sick Abby

2009-04-28T12:26:00.002-04:00

My poor, poor baby.

It started out with stomach pain early Sunday morning and progressed to vomiting around 10 or 11am. We gave her 2 phenergan suppositories that did not work, around 7:30 I called the exchange at her pediatricians office and he advised us to take her to the ER. We got there at 8 and Abby was a big floppy mess. She was not talking, still dry heaving even though there was nothing left, slightly feverish, and non responsive. They started an IV right away and drew some blood. It took 3 times for the IV and she did not even cry, complain, fight back. They filled one of her hands with fluid by accident cause the IV didn't take. Finally once in she was receiving fluids. Some labs came back with some pretty awful numbers. Her white cells were 27,000. Her sugars were in the 20's and her bicarbonate and electrolyte's were at 7. They paused the IV and started pushing glucose to bring her sugar up and re started the IV after that was done. They decided to admit her at 10pm.
Once up on the pediatric floor they did the blood sugar again and it was still low so they did the glucose again.
Monday morning they drew all the labs again and her white cell was still the same and her bicarbonate and electrolyte went to 9 which was not a huge improvement nor within normal ranges. The doctor said she would not be leaving till they figure out what was going on.
Roto virus came back negative, along with strep, UTI, and bladder.
Nick stayed with her Monday night cause she wanted her daddy. Nick said the ER pediatric Doc came and visited and expressed her concern to Nick that she was worried about how quickly she got so sick. She mentioned things like autoimmune disorders, blood disorders, and metabolic disorders and wanted to make sure Nick discussed this with the regular ped in the morning. She said a normal child should not have had these types of blood results from less than 12 hours of vomiting. She said in the future if Abby is throwing up for more than half a day we are to go to the ER for hydration and that her body just couldn't tolerate any longer than that.
During the night I get these texts that make me laugh. from Nick

1:41am
"Play by play, Abby's asleep, she starts to wake up doing the pee pee dance in bed, tries to get up...but oh wait it's to late! Pee all over the bed and the kicker all over daddy too. Dad half asleep tries to untangle the cords like an immunity challenge on Survivor and wins! Gets Abby to bathroom just in time before round 2. Nurses rush in to change bedding like a pit stop at a Nascar race. Dad digs through bag packed by mom, scores with an extra panty for Abby. Abby cries for princess pj's but settle for hospital garb."

3:48am
"And were back. daddy begins to cuddle with Abby and oh wait...that's not Gatorade he feels, that's another round of pee all over bed and Daddy. Nothing left funny to say, I'm too tired, no boxers left, no panties for Abby. Now the nurse mentions pull ups."

5:25am
"3rd times a charm. Wake up, warning, pee pee dance, made it to the potty. Thank goodness, because there are no clothes left for either of us. As for me freeballin"

I was humored and thankful it was him and not me.

Ok so the Doctor comes in the morning and said her Liver is enlarged and she could feel it through her stomach. She ordered an xray and some liver tests. She said the liver tests take about 2 days and that is her White cell count was down we could come home this afternoon. Now we are waiting for the xray results and the CBC results. Abby is gaining her strength back and eating and peeing again so there is no reason to hold us for some blood results. We are going to follow up with the ped in a few days and are also being referred to a Endocrinologist for further testing to find why the liver is so enlarged.

My sister is on her way...

2009-04-03T14:29:00.003-04:00

with 2 girls in tow and I am sure she looks something like this right about now.

Now me on the other hand look something more like this.

I seriously can't wait and even offered to meet here somewhere in KY or TN to ease the burden of her drive...I am still waiting on this offer to be accepted or denied.

We decided to tell the girls that she was too sick to come and would not be able to make it, so they will be so shocked when she pulls up.

Some extras...

2009-03-29T19:38:00.003-04:00

I got the cutest little cards made with these 3 pictures in them, they turned out so nice.

Cute smile when Daddy walked in the room and started singing his song to her. This girl will be a sucker for her daddy.

Family pics 2009

2009-03-28T13:50:00.002-04:00

Now that our family is complete we needed pictures for proof :)

Scooters nightmare at the groomers

2009-03-20T22:08:00.003-04:00

Poor guy! Alls he wanted was to be able to see again. Typically he is trimmed on the body, eyes, and hygiene parts, the rest is left alone ie. tail and ears. He had the softest ears...I miss those long ears. I took him to a new place here and this is the scooter I picked up. Ears totally shaved and tail left long, his body hair is as short as it could be without being shaved.

I know he feels naked, insecure, ashamed, embarrassed that I took these pics and am now posting them on the Internet. Crystal, he is crying out for you to still love him, take him as he is, love him for what he was...not what he has become. Please don't leave him over one bad haircut, please.

The smell of a baby sister

2009-03-20T17:55:00.002-04:00

When we brought Sophia home from the hospital Abby was not at all interested in her. She could take her or leave her. She could sit right next to her and not even look over, she would walk right by and never notice her. She could care less.

I wanted pictures of all the girls together and Abby would always say Sophia stinks. I asked her what Sophia smelled like and she said "her smell wike a snunk" (skunk). I said Abby have you ever even smelled a skunk and she would say "uh huh I smell it on Sophia".

Abby is nicer now and Sophia no longer smells like a "snunk" according to Abby.

My bow baby!

2009-03-20T17:50:00.003-04:00

I have always wanted a baby who would keep a good big bow in. Isabella?...not so much, Abby?...are you kidding me. Sophia will be my bow baby...I just know it.

Or maybe not...

A dedication to my BFF's

2009-03-18T14:07:00.001-04:00

No words needed!!

A teaser for Crystal and Heather

2009-03-18T13:58:00.002-04:00

If you want to see more of this outdated beauty you must come VISIT!!!!

The pool in the backyard :)

The kitchen :)

NICU baby

2009-03-17T16:19:00.004-04:00

Nick got to go do feedings and diaper changes while she was hooked up to all the monitors and IV's. He would take pics and bring them back to me in my room. He had the nurse take these.

Snow day!

2009-03-17T16:11:00.003-04:00

The kids loved the snow. This was the first real snow we had since we moved here. The girls would have stayed out there all day if we let them.

Bella is rolling up a snow ball here to throw at me.

Some more from February

2009-03-17T15:59:00.003-04:00

First smiles

Abby's face is always dirty in every picture I take~!

So precious!!

Growing

2009-03-17T15:52:00.001-04:00

She has the cutest cheeks ever, I just wanna squeeze them.

These are from Feb/2008

Sweet feet

2009-03-17T15:45:00.004-04:00

I think baby feet are the sweetest things ever.

Sophia is such a good baby and I am so fortunate to have her.

This is from 12/30/2008 so she was about 2 weeks old.

Birth Story

2009-01-12T22:36:00.004-05:00

It has taken so long to get this out here. I want to remember in a few years so I figure I better get it done before too much more time passes.

I started out wanting to have a VBAC. It was all in order as long as my body would cooperate. Those chances were slightly squashed when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in my 28th week. Diabetic mothers typically have larger babies therefore making delivery harder.

Then came our big move to MO. I found a Doctor who was willing to still give VBAC a chance as long as everything still fell into place. Around 37 weeks we did an US and he had Sophia weighing in at 8lbs. He said at this point he would still attend a VBAC, but highly suggested against it. He said the risk of complication was so high it was not worth it. My diabetes was out of control and I was on maximum doses of glyburide at this point.

We agreed to a C-section, so my Doctor scheduled it for December 15th at 1:30pm. This was 3 days before my due date so 39 weeks 4 days. I was so hoping I would go into labor on my own and still get the chance to feel what it was like. That did not happen :)

On December 15th, 2008 I was wheeled into the OR and given my spinal. I was so miserable for about 20min after that feeling sick, my blood pressure kept falling and I was having to receive meds through my IV to bring it back up. I was dry heaving, feeling completely numb like I couldn't breathe. Then at 2:10 pm you were born and made every bit of it worth it for me. You were 9lbs 13oz and had a head of red hair.

In the recovery room I still had not gotten to hold you yet cause you were having trouble breathing. The NICU team came in and took you away to check you out. Isabella and Abigail came up just long enough to see them wheeling you out of the room in a hurry. Once in the NICU they found you were not breathing well enough on your own and wanted to make sure there was no infection. The did a CBC and found your blood count levels to be very high so they started IV antibiotics. Then they found a heart murmur and needed to do an US of your heart. Then your blood sugars dropped to 7 and they needed to give you sugar water and formula. I still had not seen you and it was our second day in the hospital. The NICU doctors were keeping us informed every step of the way, but it was still the hardest thing I have done not being able to see you for 2 days. I was not able to walk yet and my bed could not fit in the room. The Doctors decided to do a spinal tap to rule out meningitis. Finally I was able to get in a wheelchair and come to you.

While I was in your room, I started having vision loss in the left eye. I got back to my room and told the nurse and then a whole slew of people started rushing in. The neurologist, a vision specialist, an on call OB/GYN. They ordered a CT scan, an MRI, US of my corroted artery, US of my heart, blood work. The determined by their best guesses that I had a stroke of the eye caused by a blood clot that was traveling and it dissipated in my eye causing the temporary blindness.

The next day on December 18th my incision came open and the Doctor tried taping it. The tape did not hold and he had to stick some tweezers inside the incision to open it back up to try to get more skin. He then decided it needed to heal as an open wound. Poor Nick had to irrigate it every day and pack it with gauze. I can only imagine how nasty that was. Nick took pictures of it each day to see how it was healing.

We finally got to go home on Friday December 20th and it was wonderful. My mom was still here with the girls and she would get one more day to visit with Sophia before she had to go back home to FL. I only got to see my mom for a short time and it was so hard seeing her leave.

I got sick a few days after my mom left and had to go back to the hospital for IV fluids. My Aunt drove down to help us out and be with the girls while Nick took care of me. I really did not feel like I was going to survive. On December 25th, Christmas day I woke up with the worse throbbing pain in my neck and head. It was beating with my heart and the most pain I have ever been in. After Nick cooked Christmas dinner and I had endured a day of this pain, I had Nick drop me off at the ER and he went home with the girls. The doctor gave me lots of pain meds and said I was having a really bad migraine (which I have never experienced) and said it was normal after a baby to start having migraines. Nick came back and got me and it has yet to return again.

Sophia's blood sugars have been good, the heart murmur has diminished, and her CBC is normal. She still has a blocked tear duct, but of all the things that could have happened with my baby girl that day this is the least to be concerned about.

Introducing...

2008-12-29T16:36:00.004-05:00

Sophia Rielle

Born December 15th at 2:10pm

Weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 13oz.

21 and 3/4 inches long.

I really could not be more blessed, she is an amazing baby and is so calm and sweet.

Big sisters are thrilled and excited to finally have her home with us.

Magic House

2008-12-01T04:26:00.004-05:00

This is the coolest place we have been to in a long time. Everything was for kids and right at their level and interactive. The kids had a great time shopping at the Market, making Pizza at the Restaurant, there were pulleys, fishing, a Bank with vaults, a Post Office complete with proper mailing. So much to do.

I will let the pictures do the talking.

Fall

2008-11-22T17:20:00.003-05:00

This is one sight I could sure get used to. The fall leaves here are beautiful. We were clearly not dressed for the chilly weather this very cold morning.

I am pretty sure you can see the cold in Isabella's face.

And some funnies...

Abby decorated Sophia with stickers while we were at the park.

Just for Nick...

2008-11-22T17:17:00.002-05:00

You said you would never forget these words. So I took a picture to remind you that we will never pull a trailer of any sort again :) I am glad you don't have dreams of owning a boat.

So many changes!!

2008-11-16T20:49:00.004-05:00

I am not even certain where I left off. I feel like my life has been put on hold, and when it resumes I will feel better.

We have moved from Fl to MO. That in itself at a then 32 weeks pregnant was lots of fun. We spread the drive out into 3 days. Woohooooo. 2 kids, a dog, Nick and myself...plus a very honery U-haul that we apparently didn't pack right. It was heavy at the tail, which is not a good thing at all. At one point during our trip I think the U-haul may have pulled up beside us...I began hyperventilating. The Tahoe was literally rocking from side to side. I don't think all 4 wheels were on the ground together. We were rocking so hard Bella hit her head on the window. The next 2 days of driving with this were nerve wrecking. I was a complete mess. I told Nick if it did it again...we were done. I was fully prepared to un-hitch it and leave it somewhere in another state and arrange some other form of transport. It was only carrying essentials that could not be shipped and stored and it could not have all possibly fit in the Tahoe.

Here we are safe and sound and totally cramped. We should be moving into our house December 1st, and I for one can't wait.

It is freezing cold here.
It is very windy, which makes the cold worse.
I do believe the sky is lower...I really do!
There are lots of corn fields (which I am learning to appreciate)
Wheat fields are in plenty also.
We have already had some light snow.
People don't come out when the weather is cold (except us)
I have yet to meet anyone (see above)
I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable (36 weeks now)
I can't wait to drive to Kansas City and spend Thanksgiving with my Grandparents and Aunt and cousins.
I am scared to drive to KC at 37 weeks.

I am sure there is more, maybe later.

Kicked out...

2008-10-06T11:48:00.003-04:00

Of dance class that is. Abigail was kicked out of dance for disrupting the class. She would not stop screaming and crying and kicking her feet. They escorted her out of the classroom and said she could rejoin after she calmed down.

Me...trying to be firm, decided that she would still sit in the waiting room and watch the class on the TV screen (they show live feed from inside the class) She wanted to leave so badly, but I made her stick with it and stay in there...I was feeling pretty darn good, Until she started asking questions.

The first question..."Hey mom do all those girls have Gina's?"

This is when I could feel the heat coming off of my face, my heart sped up and palms got sweaty and I could feel the stares upon me. That is when I decided I could totally play this off.

I reply with "Yes Abby, the Olympics were in China" I then decided staying any longer could further cause embarrassment on my behalf and we needed to go.

Abby has since been pulled out of dance class. I still had to pay for 2 months though.

The day Abigail trumped Bella

2008-10-01T11:41:00.003-04:00

Isabella has always been fascinated by earrings. She longs for the day she is brave enough to do it.

Well that day came. She woke up one beautiful weekend morning and had decided that today was the day to get her ears pierced. Abby of course wanted to do it also. I warned Abby that it would be painful and it was a little needle gun that did the job. She did not understand, but still wanted it done.

Nick and I talked and decided that she did in fact seem sure she would do it (cause there was a false alarm trip in our past) and that today would be the day for her. We called our family and told them about it and they all cheered her on.

We get to the store and Isabella and Abigail pick out their earrings. Nick and I are certain at this point that when Abby see's Bella do it, she will no longer want to. We didn't put much in the fact Abby would.

So Isabella gets up there in the chair...they clean her ears...mark the spot, load the gun...wait did she just say load the gun?!? OK, MOM, DAD...never mind I don't want to do this anymore...I am thinking maybe when I am like 37 I will get my ears pierced. Yes, she actually said that.

Abigail is ready in line for her turn. Nick and I tell her it will hurt, there will be owies, a hole etc. She didn't care. She climbed in that chair so proudly. She smiled at Bella and said "wook Bewwa...I det my ears pierced" Sure enough she did it, and they had to do one at a time and she actually sat there for the second ear. So the outcome is this.

Abigail was so proud of herself. She has not stopped talking about her earrings. She compliments everyone that wears them on how beautiful theirs are. She never misses a pair of earrings in a store, person, my jewelry box. She picks out which earrings I will wear which day. The little peanut is in love with her earrings. She has taken care of them wonderfully, she cleans them, turns them, and tells me if her hair is stuck in them so I can carefully get it out.

Bella loves the fact that Abby did it, but is till set on 37 herself.

Character Counts

2008-09-28T18:50:00.007-04:00

Isabella won an award at school. They are doing a different theme each week for Character Counts. The month of September was Fairness and she won. She was chosen by her Classmates and Teacher to receive this award. She was chosen based on her display of fairness to her classmates while at school.

I am beyond thrilled for her...wanna know why? This means no more of her saying "That's not fair" at home when I ask her to clean her room, and when she does I can gently remind her that she won an award for fairness so she must know that I am being fair.

It also means when she is mean or doesn't want to play with her sister, or passes off the "bad toy" to get Abby to leave her alone I can also gently remind her that she must know that is not "Fair". The Fairness award will go a long way in this house.

Congratulations Isabella.

May this award last you a lifetime of fairness lessons :)

My cheerleader

2008-09-14T09:02:00.005-04:00

Isabella started Cheerleading yesterday and it was nice and HOT!! Our practices are an hour before the games and it made for a long morning sitting in the sun.

She looks so cute.

The team name leaves a little to be desired. "The barbie Girls" but I didn't choose it sooooo..we are stuck. Isabella wanted the Butterflys or Lollipops.

The Conversation

2008-09-11T20:13:00.004-04:00

Abigail is such a sneaky little thing. She holds onto information that you don't think she ever listened to and uses it at such a strange time.

This is our conversation last week while sitting in the Parent pick up line at Isabella's school.

Abby: Mom, I talk to Gina!! (pronounces like China, but no C or H)

Me: Who is that?

Abby: Gina mommy, I talk to her!!

Me: Abby I have no idea who that is, where is she from?

Abby: Bewwa talk to her Gina!!

Me: Oh Bella knows her too...hmmmm, I still don't know who that is.

Abby: Mom...you talk you Gina.

Me: Huh? Who is that?

Abby: (spreading her legs open) right her siwwy mommy...theres Gina.

Me: (mouth open...shocked) Oh, well lets talk about that later K...OK

For the record we don't talk to Gina's around here.

So, I have always heard you should teach your children the proper names for their private parts. I have read it on various sites, stating it will teach them not to be ashamed and to protect their bodies better. Well who wouldn't want that right...hello. Anyway, Abby had not reached the status of proper names yet...but Bella already had. We were driving in the car about 2 months ago and Bella was talking about the private parts and using proper names and I was none that wiser that Abby the little "ear hustler" that she is was soaking it all in, just waiting to catch me off guard...shock me...leave me wordless...laugh at my look of horror as I finally realized who or...WHAT Gina was. She wins. I am now wiser in the conversations and realize that *maybe* she is saving something real good for later.

1st day of 1st grade!

2008-08-30T07:36:00.005-04:00

I never thought of the day I would say that. I still have reservations about whether or not I really have an almost 7 year old. She started school a day late this year due to Fay, but I must say she has adjusted just fine coming back from Summer vacation. She loves her new Teacher Mrs. Bowling. She likes to come home and tell me who got in trouble or had to move their clips.

I think she also likes to torture me though. She will get in the car and I start in with the questions right away...like normal and she will only give me pieces here and there. It is like she knows, and plans ahead for it :) She did the same thing in Kindergarten.

I went to dinner with a good friend last night and we ended up at a table with 7 other people (Japanese) and there was a little girl probably 8 months old and the family was saying how it was their first child, and grandchild, great grandchild. My friend told her to enjoy it while she is little cause they grow up so fast. I have never really understood that comment till most recently. I had strangers tell me that all the time when Isabella was little and most recently with Abigail. I understand it now, it is clear that my kids will grow up all too fast, way before I am ready, and I am going to enjoy them now.

Before we lose power again!!

2008-08-21T20:05:00.004-04:00

It is actually getting really nasty outside now. Our power is surging like crazy, we have unplugged all the TV's and the desktop.

Here is a pregnant womans guide to getting through a Tropical storm/Hurricane. I am actually not a fan of M&M's, but the kids are.

This is the backyard, before the fence blew away.

This is the front garden, my poor plants were getting pretty beaten up.

I was trying to get a picture of the Palm trees, they were bending over blowing.

The rain is like a steady sheet across the window. The wind was blowing it all directions.

The kids were literally climbing the windows, looking for something to do.

Then they were both like..."Oh my goodness, look at this rain, it is like so big, it is out there"

Fay, Fay...Go away!!!

2008-08-21T19:43:00.007-04:00

I don't like to be hovered over. Get moving girl!!

I also don't like that when you were teased about being weak, you took out our 6 foot privacy fence and blew it in my neighbors yard. Geez don't you know I like my privacy, hence the big wooden fence.

Upon further teasing of your stationary position, you decided to knock out our power. Next time, take it like a man. My girls are not big fans of getting heated...even though we live in Florida.

But alas the power failure lasted about 4 hours and FPL was on the ball. Now we shall wait for the "2nd half" of the storm which is expected to get "bad after the 8 o'clock hour"

I would also like to Thank my husband for throwing away all my candles that were in the hurricane bag in the garage.

You sure were proud that you cleaned our garage though weren't you.

And yes, I know there were leopard print candles in there, I have not displayed them since I was 19 and living in my own apartment. They were there for Emergency purposes only.

I am now thinking though, that I should buy one and display it on your night stand...for belly laughs only.

Pictures to come.

I am a very smart girl...

2008-07-23T10:16:00.002-04:00

My "save the Isabella journal posts" were for a good cause. You see, I know when my kids start showing an interest in something that will not be satisfied with a simple "that's not yours" or "please don't touch my stuff" and anything short of putting it away and forgetting myself where I put it, there is no solution to be found. (I know I am such the disciplinarian)

OK so it has been raining every day for about a week now. I look outside to see how the grass is loving the rain and over in the corner on a grilling table I see...."The Journal" I had already got my entries out and put them here, so no big deal really. Isabella had her own pages and pages of entries in there also. I have no idea when it made it's way out of the house and into the backyard, but I am so glad I got what I wanted out of it.

I had to laugh. There was nothing else to do.

You can still see my writing, but it is blurred and wet, and the pages are stuck together.

January 4th, 2007

2008-07-14T09:30:00.003-04:00

*Save the Isabella Journal post*

You have been telling lies lately about things...some serious and some not so serious, but still lying to Daddy and I none the less. I got very frustrated and asked Daddy to have a firm conversation with you when he got home from work. So...he comes home and takes you right into your room, and I sit back and relax...and think for a moment... "he is in there setting you straight and I will not have to deal with the lies anymore cause he is solving that problem, Yeah baby I say to myself. Problemo solved, I should just call daddy at work more often and he can settle things when gets home"

SO, you come out of your room, and very seriously say to me "Mama...The truth with set me free" I immediately shoot the evil eye over to Nick and he has turned away cause he is laughing so hard. I could not help but to laugh also.
You have not lied again though, and I have also not called Nick at work and asked him to discipline when he gets home.

JJ

October 14th, 2006

2008-07-14T09:23:00.003-04:00

*Save the Isabella Journal*

Tonight we are all sitting down at the table and you strike up a very funny conversation.

You start telling Daddy that you have a boyfriend. Daddy asks, who it is and you say "sire", then you tell daddy that Sire takes you to dinner and shopping at Target (that's my girl) and how much you like your boyfriend. Daddy then asks you if you have kissed him (cause he might just have to go find sire) You got the most serious look on you face and say. "No daddy, because if I kiss him I will fall in love with him, then you have to get married and have babies, and I don't want babies" That's my girl.
Nick and I had a good laugh.

JJ

September 29th, 2006

2008-07-12T22:59:00.003-04:00

*Saving the Isabella Journal post*

You asked me a very funny question today Isabella and here is our conversation:

Isabella: Mom, I am going to be 5 on December the 19 and I was wondering...Do 5 years olds still jump on the bed, or do they help their moms with the laundry?

Me: (holding back the laughter and thinking precisely how to answer so we can both benefit, I have alot of laundry you know) *In my best valley girl voice I say* They help their moms with the laundry.

You see we both won there, she laughed cause of how I talked when I answered the question, and I won cause she can help with laundry.

But really, you can jump on your bed till your heart is content.
I love you Angel baby.

JJ

September 6th 2006

2008-07-12T22:50:00.004-04:00

*Saving the Isabella Journal post*

So apparently I am not so good at keeping this journal. Isabella you are such an incredible person. I fall in love with you over and over again each day. Your love for you sister is amazing.
You wake up every morning and just wait for her to start talking in the monitor so you can be the first to rush in to her and say " Good Morning beautiful Abba Dabba"

Abby was really fussy tonight and you were trying to console her, she was crying while I was trying to fix dinner and instead of getting aggravated with her, you told her how much you loved her and wanted a kiss, which she ever so generously gave you...snot, tears and all.

You also get your new teeth next week. Yippeeeee. I forget what you used to look like with teeth.

Love you baby.

JJ

September 19th 2005

2008-07-12T22:30:00.006-04:00

I had originally started a journal that was hand written back in 05. I was really terrible at it, although I did get a few funny stories here and there. I had one for each of the girls.
A few *kids* in my house have decided to take Isabella's for their own and I need to save my funny stories from quick demise. I found a page in here that has a list of things we need to get done, or want done in our house. I will just say...it was not in Isabella's handwriting. The whole back of the book is filled with colorful drawings, and little notes from a budding writer.
This is what happened on this day.

We pulled out of our sub-division today, only to realize there was a PGA (that does not sound right, almost like golf or something, but it is what I wrote so we'll stick with it) Bicycle tour race in progress. I had to drive around them a few times (2 lane road with no bike lane). This is our conversation.

Isabella: Why do you keep doing that?
Me: They are racing and I have to go around them.
Isabella: I think we should just run them over.
Me: *gasp* NO Isabella , they could die.
Isabella: Well they can just get new batteries after they die.
Me: Humans don't have batteries that can be replaced when they die honey.
Isabella: My toys do.
Me: Yes, Yes they do.

Kids think of the most simple things.

JJ

Let the fun begin!

2008-07-11T18:29:00.007-04:00

Tonight, J and I will get a preview of life with 3 kids + 1 extra. Our nieces are here and they are having a sleepover with Isabella and Abigail. If bedtime hasn't been difficult enough with my girls lately, tonight should be quite interesting. This adventure better known as the Isabella, Hailey, Anna, and Abigail experiment has been conducted once before and the results were inconclusive as Hailey and Anna didn't make it through the night and thus were picked up by their mom and dad. Presently J is preparing all 4 girls + dog for a walk around the block, I am unable to attend due to prior teeth flossing scheduled for the exact time as their walk is set to begin, oh well maybe next time.

I think J is getting the blogging bug back now as she "claims" she will be updating later tonight. You know what they say, actions speak louder than words. Well, it's off to cleaning the kitchen, doing the dishes, scrubbing the toilets, whatever else needs to be done until I get the all clear that all 4 kids + dog have gone night night. Until next time...

Put Me In Coach, I'm Ready to Play

2008-07-10T13:01:00.002-04:00

Lately, if you haven't noticed my wife has been slacking on updating her blog. There seem to be numerous excuses "oops I mean reasons" as to why. I constantly tell J she needs to update her blog, not only because it allows us the ability to look back at events and situations that occur during our life, but I love looking at and reading her updates because the main characters are my family and what better read can that be. The other day J came up with the idea of giving me the title of "Co-blogger" so I can assist in filling in materal during her "busy" time when she is unable to update. Therefore, moving forward I will from time to time help fill the daily or weekly gaps my lovely wife sometimes leaves behind. For now, I must get back to making "bookie," otherwise known as money to those who don't know Abigail. Until next time...

Angry Dwarf mode...ON

2008-06-24T18:13:00.003-04:00

Abigail was high maintenance tonight. She took the dogs food and threw it all over my bedroom floor while I am trying to cook dinner. Isabella comes and tells me so I go in there and she is hiding. I tell her to pick it up, and she stays in there and just sits.

Nick came home from work to a war zone...for real. Food all over the floor, then he finds Abby in her bedroom (I am still cooking) she must have snuck out of the cleaning process in my bedroom, and she has put Balmex all over her dolls hair, her clothes are all over the floor from her dresser. She literally went from room to room and destroyed things.

Nick takes on the battle with Abby so I can finish cooking and I am so thankful for him. He had "little mommy" following him around, Abby giving him all she's got, the dog wanting his attention, and me telling him *maybe why* she is behaving the way she is.

Here's to better nights Nick

They have to fall asleep some time...right?

Happy Birthday Abigail

2008-06-23T21:02:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday my sweet baby. You are not so much a baby anymore, but that is still what I say to you at night when I lay you down.

You love your BFF, or as you say it...your P-O-P.

Your favorite Princess right now.

You were so funny singing yourself Happy Birthday.

Bella helping out.

Taking a rest after everyone left. I think it so funny how their feet are the same and they are both zoning out on the TV with their chips. They had an exhausting day. You can also see a peak at our littlest baby behind the girls chairs. :)

Happy Birthday my love.

2008-05-27T18:36:00.004-04:00

All About...

I have been tagged by Kristi. To make things fair, I decided to do both girls.

1.) My name is: Isabella Ansley
2.) My first word was: Da-da
3.) My favorite food right now is: Spaghetti, cheez it's, Mac and Cheese, Chocolate chip cookies
4.) My favorite song is: Anything Hannah Montana
5.) My car seat color is: Pink and purple
6.) My room color is: Pink and Black
7.) I love to use this kind of shampoo: Pantene Pro-V...because it limits my knots
8.) The thing that can make me the maddest is: Calling me a "baby"...Abby loves to push this button.
9.) My favorite person right now is: Mommy, Daddy or Mimi
10.) I like to read this book over and over and over: Fancy Nancy
11.) My brand of diapers is: No diapers here
12.) The cutest thing I say is: "Can I have a pretty sun" ("capri sun" it is the only wrong word she is holding on to)
13.) My favorite fruit is: Grapes, and apples
14.) When I get hurt I want: A tight squeeze from someone I love and a bandaid.
15.) I mostly ride around in a: Chevrolet Tahoe
16.) I go to bed at: 7:30pm
17.) I wake up at: 6:30am
18.)My naptime during the day is: Haha
19.) My most favorite thing to do is: Ride my bike and play in the water
20.) My favorite show/movie is: Hannah Montana

1.) My name is: Abigail Kaydence
2.) My first word was: da-da
3.) My favorite food right now is: Cheese sticks, popsicles, yogurt, honeydew melon.
4.) My favorite song is: The soundtrack of Little Mermaid
5.) My car seat color is: black and grey
6.) My room color is: Pink and Green
7.) I love to use this kind of shampoo: Anything that makes "bubbles" is good
8.) The thing that can make me the maddest is: Not acknowledging my every noise
9.) My favorite person right now is: Mommy, Daddy, Paw paw, and Mee Maw
10.) I like to read this book over and over and over: Dora Fairytale Adventures
11.) My brand of diapers is: None here
12.) The cutest thing I say is: "Will you Wee wock me"
13.) My favorite fruit is: Honey dew, grapes, apples, watermelon
14.) When I get hurt I want: A bandaid and love
15.) I mostly ride around in a: Chevrolet Tahoe
16.) I go to bed at: 7pm
17.) I wake up at: 7:30am
18.)My naptime during the day is: Mommy wishes
19.) My most favorite thing to do is: Make trouble
20.) My favorite show/movie is: Little Mermaid

Ahhhh it is bedtime now.

I will tag anyone who wants to do it.

All day sickness...

2008-05-23T19:45:00.005-04:00

Healing Properties: Aids conception and pregnancy. Supports pregnancy, giving birth, and the new infant; eases morning sickness, eases fear of becoming a mother and fear of delivery.

Sickness has become a daily thing for me. I have tried it all too. I have done the crackers before you get our of bed, frozen Gatorade (which is good no matter what), phenergan, ginger snaps, real ginger, frequent small meals. Nothing gives. I am so nauseous I could get sick at any moment if I allowed myself to. I hope the second trimester brings an ease to these ailments. I wonder if these bracelets really work?

Which leads me to believe it is a boy...I have so many symptoms with this pregnancy that I never had with the girls. We have decided to NOT find out what we are having this time, Nick and I both know this will be our last pregnancy and we want to have the surprise of our lives. We would be happy either way, boy or girl it would not make a difference. We will do a gender neutral room and accessories and add detailed stuff once he or she arrives.

The girls are really excited. Isabella often says how she will rock him, and hold him, and change diapers (and Que laughing by her) and she says how she will do whatever the baby wants her to do. Abigail on the other hand does not remember I'm pregnant unless someone reminds her, which is fine by me.

I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of this child, it is such a blessing for Nick and I and we are beyond thrilled...even in between the sickness and aches and pains.

Happy Mothers Day!!!!

2008-05-11T20:11:00.002-04:00

I had the best home made breakfast made by my two lovely ladies this morning, french toast, with bacon and a big glass of fresh sweet tea. Nothing like sweet tea in the morning (must be a FL thing). Then we headed over to my Mother in Laws house and visited, and then we were off to my parents house where we had Fajitas...that were delish. Then back home it was, where we relaxed the day away. Nick did make an awesome dinner of steak and asparagus with fresh rolls.
I am so thankful for my girls that I can even have a Mothers Day. They make my life what it is today and I would not trade a single thing for the world (even though they were not so well behaved today). Good days and bad days are sure to come in the future, but a life without them I would not want to imagine.
So a big Thank you to Isabella and Abigail for making me the Mother I am today.

Pandora

2008-05-07T18:44:00.007-04:00

I originally heard about this over Here. I didn't check it out right away though till today and boy have I been missing out. It is like your own personal radio station. It is free, easy, and lots of fun if you have time to play. You just type in a artist or song you like and it will play songs that resemble what you put in. If you don't like a song that is played you click a button that says don't play this again and walla you will never hear it again on Pandora.

Check it out http://www.pandora.com/ I am listening to Norah Jones type music right now as I type this.
:) Happy listening

Going Good.

2008-04-22T14:13:00.002-04:00

We are in the recovery room now and Nick is getting Antsy. The Biopsy went well and he is now laying on his right side for 2 hours and then he will lay on his back for 2 hours and hopefully we will go home. We were playing thumb wars (remember that game) before his procedure and he kept winning. During his biopsy he was given a sedative and some percocet afterwards and I keep trying to get him to play with me now and he just keeps laughing at me. I am trying to take advantage of his sedated state of thumb strength. I know I can win.

You know, you would think that hospital food would have improved...what with everyone complaining about it for years and all. There is this Bistro here aside from the cafeteria and I thought I would give it a try. I got tabouli and is was n.a.s.t.a.y. I got a Turkey burger and it was n.a.s.t.a.y too. There were other funky things on the menu, like a tuna filet (like a whole tuna fish) sandwich...who is brave enough to try that at a hospital. Not I. These poor nurses and doctors have to eat this...yuck.
I am so bored

BIG NEWS!!!

2008-04-22T11:39:00.003-04:00

Yes, I have been holding off. Mainly because I am a slacker though.
I am PREGNANT. Nick and I are beyond thrilled. This will be our last child and we are anticipating enjoying this pregnancy just as that :) We both have always wanted 3 children and knew our desires would lead us to that. After trying for the last year we are finally pregnant. More to come on Baby later. I have an US on Monday and I can't wait to see that little heartbeat.

Here I sit...

2008-04-22T11:29:00.002-04:00

In the hospital waiting room. Nick is having a Liver Biopsy done right now. We have been here since about 8:30am and will be here till around 4:30 if everything goes well, which I am sure it will.
Nick's liver enzymes have been elevated for about 6 years now, and they are going to find out why. It has gottten progressively worse and worse the past few years and he finally saw a specialist and they did more tests and then wanted to do this.
The hospital's WIFI is not cooperating and Blogger is really they only web site I can get on. It will not load anything else. I brought the laptop in hopes of keeping myself busy surfing the WWW. That is certainly not the case. I have lots to update so maybe this is my time.

Four Random Facts about my kids.

2008-03-31T08:35:00.002-04:00

I have been tagged by Jess

1) Isabella is incredibly sensitive. You have to be very careful when talking about things in front of her. We have to watch our choice of words when speaking to her. She is so concerned for everyone around her, constantly thinking about someone else. She has a heart of gold.

2) Abigail is Independent. She likes her space, and don't you dare come into it. There is only one exception to this that we have discovered and that is my Grandpa. My Dad's dad. Abigail does not leave him alone. She will NOT leave his side. I am not sure what the attraction is to him but she is enthralled and completely satisfied to follow him around all day. She just jabs the whole time too. She calls him "Gan-pa"

3) Isabella loves the outdoors. Riding her bike, scooter, playing in the sprinkler, drawing on the driveway with chalk, as long as it is outside she is happy. She also loves to set up lemonade stands. Which we only let her do once a year and that is at our community garage sale in April, and yes she is already planning how much to charge.

4) Abigail makes up her own names for things and although she knows the real names she still uses the ones she made up. For instance: Abby calls money "Bookie" When Abby wants you to rock her in her chair in her room she says "mom will you wee wock me" She is such a silly girl.

I am going to tag Kristi

Pure Wedded Bliss :)

2008-03-30T18:32:00.004-04:00

Happy Anniversary My Love. I could not have asked for a better 5 years.

True love never lives happily ever after - true love has no ending.
K. Knight

It's a BOY!!!

2008-03-11T08:26:00.005-04:00

We got the cutest most lovable puppy in the whole world, he is so sweet. He has had about 10 names including but not limited to...Billy Ray Cyrus, Rico, puppy, Juno, Scooter, Gizmo, Dribbles. I am sure I am forgetting a few. The girls are in love with him. Abigail is actually chasing him around right now...that's right SHE is chasing him. We have yet have a name stick. My vote is Juno, Nicks vote is Scooter, Isabella's vote is Billy Ray Cyrus, and Abby...well Abby doesn't care. Nick is away on business and when he returns we will decide as a family what to name him. Nick has not met our little handsome guy yet. I know he will fall in love with him. We got him on Sunday.

Potty training is going well. He has had a few accidents which I expect. For the most part he is really good about going outside, of course I am taking him out every hour. He slept in his little kennel last night and did not have an accident. From 11pm to 7am. I would say that is pretty darn good.

Welcome to our family little guy.

Happy Birthday My Love!!

2008-03-03T21:20:00.004-05:00

To the Man who has made my life complete. I adore you more every day, and love you more with every breath I take. I am so grateful to have spent another year by your side, another year in your arms. Your compassion and love for me is truly one to admire. Your strength and wisdom are set far apart from others.

You leave me breathless at times when I see you with the girls, with just the simplest of things. The way you read to them, snuggle them, play games with them. When they fight for your attention your solution is to open yourself up until they each find a comfortable resting place on your body, cause you know that's all they really want...is to be close to you. Your compassion and love for them is insurmountable. Here is to 50 more Birthday's just like this one. I love knowing I will spend the rest of my life with you.

Happy Birthday baby. I love you more than all the stars in the sky!

Allergies

2008-02-08T08:33:00.000-05:00

The conversation between Isabella and I on Tuesday when I picked her up from school.

Me: How was your day, did you do anything fun?

Isabella: Well we had P.E. and I decided I have a new allergy.

Me: Oh yeah, what might that be?

Isabella: I am allergic to running.

Me: (I am trying not to laugh cause she is so sensitive, but it was so cute cause she was so serious)

Me: Well how in the world did you figure that allergy out.

Isabella: Well, when me and and my friend Sarah were running we both noticed our faces were turning red and that's how we know we are allergic to running. We told the teacher too.

It was so cute, and sweet. She loves running, but now she thinks she shouldn't do it.

Potty Training

2008-02-08T08:12:00.000-05:00

WooHoo for Abby. She has been amazing the last 2 weeks potty training. She came to me and told me she went in the potty and the rest is history. I was starting to get a bit nervous for her lack of desire to use the toilet, but she showed me. Now she says " Diapers are for babies" she is so funny.
At first she would only use the her little potty. She kept saying she was going to fall in the big toilet. Then we were in Target shopping and I ventured out with her panty's on. I took her into their bathroom as soon as we got there and she went. I almost screamed with excitement.

My little baby is growing up.

North Carolina

2008-01-26T21:25:00.000-05:00

Nick and I made a pact with each other that we would take the kids to see snow this year. We have done this in all the years previous and some how Disney World seemed to suffice each time. This year *I* was more adamant about wanting to go too. I really wanted to go tubing and just be in cold weather in general. We usually take a yearly trip up to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, but this year decided to do something different.

My parents made the trip with us in a separate vehicle. They were making a stop in VA first to drop off some stuff at their vacation house. We split our drive on the way there so it wasn't so hard on the kids. We made it to Asheville, NC and stayed in a Hotel. We woke up leisurely on Friday morning and made our 2 hour trek to the cabin. I have to say splitting it up was nice, but getting back on the road for 2 more hours sucked. For me and the girls. Isabella's famous lines were of course " are we there yet...how much longer...this is taking forever". Over all the girls were really good. They watched movies, we danced, sang songs.

We arrived at the cabin and it was beautiful, up a steep mountain (which is my least favorite about getting there). The first thing we did was get into the Jacuzzi. My parents were about 4 hours behind us and we just lounged around and waited for them.

Me and the girls went out on the back porch for a quick swing. It was so cold, and we were all sharing a Dora blanket.

The master bedroom had a HUGE bathtub in it, like for 6 people. I swear the water runs different in NC than in FL cause Abby was enamored with the flow. Excuse the messy face.

We headed up to Hawksnest Mountain and went tubing. It was so much fun. Isabella loved the snow.

The "Angry Dwarf" was not so much impressed. She kept saying "I go in my carseat"

The many faces of Bella. She may or may not have just eaten some snow here :)

Abby was trying to hide her smile here...haha. She did refuse to wear a jacket for a little bit. She had on 3 shirts though so she was OK for a while.

Abby did warm up to the snow the next morning....briefly looked at it, touched it and went back inside.

I am not for certain who that is on that little tube down there, but I am sure it is someone from my family. Abby was not allowed on the tubes cause she was not 3. I really thought they were OVER priced too. It was $75.00 for 3 of us and we had a time frame that lasted for 1 hour and 45 min. Kinda silly huh.

The next morning we went for a hike up to Linville falls and it was breathtakingly beautiful. Poor Nick had to carry Abby the whole way up and down. She was being very cantankerous.

The loves of my life.

This is Randall and McNally. The *earned* these names too. Even with the help of a map and GPS they still managed to get us lost.

Our cabin. It was 3 stories and so comfortable. There was so much room for everyone and we never got in eachothers way . We will be back.

A post for Susan and her battle with IBC.

2008-01-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

Thank You Lisa for posting about Susan.

When another woman suffers, I feel like I suffer from not being informed. I like to know what other woman's battles are. I do this so I can offer support, love, prayers, hope. What everyone needs when fighting for their life. They need a line of women surrounding them, pushing them, when each one differently can offer some words to get her through the day. Knowing the signs and symptoms could save your own life, or that of a loved one. We have the power as women to make a change, a difference.

Susan at Toddler Planet. Susan is a mom like all of us. She has two little guys that keep her busy and a husband she loves. Unfortunately Susan also has inflamatory breast cancer, an aggressive and often deadly breast cancer, and just underwent a double masectomy. Susan is a brave, brave woman who has so much to fight for, and a wonderful outlook on her battle. Do I know Susan personally? No. But I think we all know Susan in a sense. We know what it's like to be a Mommy and to love our kids like nothing in the world. To cherish all of those moments we have with them. We know that we want to watch our babies go to kindergarten, we want to help them recover from their first broken heart, watch them walk down the aisle, and watch them welcome their own babies into the world.
If you go to Susan's blog she has a link to Team WhyMommy. There she shares her story. She also asks for people to post it. To spread the word. If you are so inclined, "steal" Susan's post and help share her story. Please read on and learn more about the disease. And please pray for Susan.

We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn’t clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.

P.S. Feel free to steal this post too. I’d be happy for anyone in the blogosphere to take it and put it on their site, no questions asked. Dress it up, dress it down, let it run around the place barefoot. I don’t care. But I want the word to get out. I don’t want another young mom — or old man — or anyone in between — to have to stare at this thing on their chest and wonder, is it mastitis? Is it a rash? Am I overreacting? This cancer moves FAST, and early detection and treatment is critical for survival.Thank you.

Go ask your dad...

2008-01-20T21:06:00.001-05:00

I swear I have said this a million times this weekend. When Nick is home I just love to send the girls to him with their silly questions. Ones that I answer 100x a day. I just need to not think sometimes and veg out. This weekend was one of them. I think Nick caught on today.

Isabella: Mom, can I please go to Libby Lu's and get a Hannah Montana make-over again? I promise to take care of the wig this time.
Me: Go ask your dad.

Abigail: Mommy, where my shooooes at?
Me: Go ask your dad

Isabella: Mom, can I have a sleep over? I wanna invite 4 girls from school, well actually I already invited them. They said to give them an invitation, and were gonna have pizza, and ice cream, and were going to have a girls club that is only for girls, and watch Hannah Montana, and dance in my room. NO adults will be invited to my sleep over.
Me: Go ask your dad? Is this really a question. I mean it sounds as though she has it all planned out.

Abigail: Mommy, I hunggggyyyyyy.....
Me: Go TELL your dad.

You get the point. So this all comes back on me.

Isabella comes to me and says...

Isabella: Mom, Dad said I can go to Libby Lu's this week.
Me: OH really is he gonna take you?
Isabella: No, he said you would.
Me: Oh he did huh.

Abigail: Mom, daayeeee say shooess in car, go outthide.
Me: OK Abigail lets get your shoes.

Isabella: Mom, Dad said I can have a sleep over.
Me: Really Isabella? With all 4 girls?
Isabella: Yeah mom, he said anytime I wanted to do it.
Me: Wow that was awfully nice of him. Remind me when it is again, so I can make sure to have a girls night out... all night :)
I mean 5 girls (total) that is alot of little 5/6 year olds running around my house. See ya!

Smart man he is.

You have to dance...

2008-01-16T21:33:00.000-05:00

So for New Years I decided to have our annual party again. This time I made a "rule". You had to choreograph a dance, dress the part, and perform at the party. I was very excited about this cause Nick and I were going to go "old school" (for us anyway). Well my parents were on board right away. They thought it would be fun. My older sister Lindsay was prepared to do it too. Then came my younger sister...she was not for it at all. I was trying to be tough and tell her she can't come if she didn't do a dance and she said "fine I guess I am not coming". She can dance really well too, so I thought that was odd. Turns out Danny, my brother in law was the one who didn't want to do it. So I was thinking, OK well one is not bad. Then Nick said "I think you need to drop this whole dance thing" He wanted to invite his boss and his wife and said that no one was going to dance in front of people they didn't know. Well they are like family to us, but not to my sisters...so I dropped it. I told my parents we're not doing it and I am not certain they heard me...LOL

They came early and called for us to come outside as they were pulling up. They circled the block to wait for us to come outside, and came back down blaring their music to some rap. My dad was driving and my mom in the passenger seat and then my grandma in the backseat.

Yes, that is braids in my moms hair. My Grandma braided her hair in like 20 braids. Honestly it looked like dreads from afar. I was cracking up.

My sweet innocent Grandma, being transformed into a rapper...it was the funniest thing I have ever seen.

My Dad, Mom, and Grandma throwing up "signs" They each have some chains. My dad's says "Mac Daddy", my mom's says "Mac Mama", and my grandma's says "Mac Granny". My dad has a Mercedes symbol cut out of the top of a coffee can *I think*. My mom has a cross with bling. My parents are seriously the best. They made my night. They even did a choreographed dance. I do have pics of that also, but I may save them for my vault. Nah, who am I kidding :)

OK just a sneak peak. Ignore the Tupperware containers to the left, I was slacking on Christmas decorations.

Mac Granny...she rocked the house. She moves like she is 30.

The girls got into the spirit of dancing too.

We had a great night, good food, perfect company and wonderful wine :) Happy New Year.

Catchin' up...

2008-01-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

The time has flown and Nick is reminding me to blog.

Our Christmas was wonderful. I think the kids really understood it more this year. I was excited cause Isabella was at an age that she took everything in and wanted to give more than receive. Here are a few shots.

So cute

That pink Teddy Abigail is holding Isabella bought for her at the school Christmas gift shop. Abby is in LOVE with this thing. She has to have it for bed, when she is hurt, sleepy...etc. She has never gotten attached to more than a blanket and every day she says "where my teddy?". I think it is so cute and it thrills Isabella to no end that Abby's favorite toy is what she bought her with her own money.

We stayed home this year for the first time and cooked. We usually go between Mimi's and my parents house. I have to say it was a bit boring and mundane staying at home. I just love the noise and tons of family around and the movement of houses. I actually missed that. Nick I am sure will disagree with me on this. We still had my parents and sisters and their children over our house to open gifts and have a small lunch, but it was just not the same for me.

Here is a shot of all the kids. There are 7 total. You see Abby trying to bail out of the picture. They are in order of oldest to youngest. There is Christian who is 12, Isabella 6, Gabriel 5, Hailey 4, Grace 3, Anna 2 and a half, and Abby 2 and a half...but 5 weeks younger than Anna.

All in all it was a nice relaxing day, I think I even got a nap in...which has never happened before.

Sickness x 4

2008-01-03T23:11:00.001-05:00

Isabella started the whole thing :) She got sick with this yucky virus and was vomiting for 2 days. It was mainly at night and she spiked a fever at the end. She was pretty easy to take care of. She made it to the bathroom, layed down when I told her to rest. When I would say no food or drink she understood. Pretty easy.

Three days later Abigail started vomiting. Hers started in the afternoon, but then quickly got on track to nights only. Like midnight only. Nick and I were getting up at midnight for 2 nights and giving her baths, washing her hair, blow drying it (can't go to bed sick with wet hair to boot), changing sheets. Well as you can imagine, at that point she was wide awake. Not happy by any means, but definitely not tired. Nick would decide each night that he would take this chance to cuddle our other wise independent non cuddly child. So off he went for 2 nights into the guest bedroom to sleep with her. I have to say that is the first time in that child's 2 and a half years of life that she has slept with anyone. Fine with me though, I get enough demands from her saying "hole choooo meeeee" (I think she is trying to say "Hold you me?") all day to last for a while. I would mosey back to bed and go to sleep.

So New Years Day Nick had a headache, which is not unusual for him. We went to Breakfast, took the girls to the park, then headed back home. He layed down and there he stayed. He was feeling nauseous, headache, just needed to sleep. The girls and I headed off to my sisters to dinner (black eyes peas, collard greens, ribs and chicken), we left Nick at home to rest. My Brother in Law Danny asked me when we got there where Nick was. I said at home, he is not feeling well, he may be getting what the girls had. I then proceeded to say " I never get sick, I haven't had a fever in years, haven't thrown up in years, everyone always gets it but me". When we got home I got the girls in bed. Nick was looking worse and worse as time went on. I decided it would be best that I take up camp in the guest room for the night. There was no way I could sleep in our room with him if he had something contagious. Into the night I kept periodically getting up to check on Nick, get him water, phenergan, washcloth, whatever he needed as he rid this virus from his body. Around 4 am, as I lay back down I get this queasy feeling...I think to myself "please NO, I never get sick" sure enough the vomiting bug has found it's way into my body. I say screw it, if I am going to be sick...I am going to lay in a bed I am comfortable in and be sick.
Nick and I woke up in the morning and thought...how in the world are we going to take care of these girls like this. I mean I could not even hardly move, Nick was slightly more agile than me but not by much. Isabella was of course understanding. Abigail on the other hand... not so much, it was just another day in her life. I called around a little and no one could help out. Isabella kept calling her Mimi (my mother in law) on her new phone and giving updates. I am sure they went something like this " Hey Mimi...whatcha doin? Mom just threw up again...can you come get me? Guess what phone I'm callin ya from? Yep Hannah Montana...Okay Bye" next call "Hey Mimi...Whatcha doin? Dad is throwing up too. Abby really wants you mimi...when do you get off...I am so bored and I wanna get outta this house mimi, I don't wanna be sick again...Please Mimi. Guess what phone I'm callin ya from? Yep, Hannah Montana. Bye Mimi." I guess at some point Mimi started feeling really bad and got off work around noon and came and got the girls. She kept them both till around 6:30 and I swear Nick and I slept the entire time. Matter of fact Nick started feeling a bit better and got up to get them ready for bed and I stayed in bed. I started running a fever of 102 and did not move till about 7am this morning.
What a weird virus that was. Nick and I have never been sick like that at the same time as each other, and we never want to be again.
I think it was the inevitable, we were going to get it no matter what and it just so happened to be on the same night. I was just about 6 hours behind Nick.

We had a wonderful Christmas...and an incredible New Years. I have the funniest pics from New Years. Tomorrow hopefully :)

Birthday Pics

2007-12-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday My sweet Princess.

Isabella's Birthday was so much fun. We went to Libby Lu's and they really made it special.

Such a big girl she is now, I can't believe it. She had 7 girls come, and this was the first year she invited actual friends. Previous years it was cousins and more co-ed friendly. We have had parties at Adventure Landing, parties involving Clowns (and not good ones either), we have had parties all over the place. But this was different than any other. It was girls only, and custom planned for the Birthday Girl.

They did hair and make-up. They painted the girls nails and then sprayed it with glitter. They got to choose a dress up outfit. When choosing your hairstyle it also came with a hair accessory. Too cute.

This is Grace Olivia, my sisters daughter, and she is super saucy :) Love her

A girl and her Daddy!

After getting all dolled up, they put on a lip singing concert to none other than Hannah Montana. The girls took turns dancing in the middle and everyone else had to copy them.

Afterwards it was on to to dinner, we had Pizza and soda, and of course cake. Actually it was cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Angel baby!

Six years ago...

2007-12-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

At 7:30 pm today my Isabella will be officially 6 years old.

What an exciting time this was for Nick and I. Nerve wrecking also.

I was 1 week over-due. My original due date was 12/12. My doctor and I decided to induce on the 19th. I had an UN-favorable cervix...which basically meant I was close up like Fort Knox. It was scheduled to begin around 7am. Here is Isabella's birth story. The day my life changed forever.

I got up at 5am to call the hospital to make sure they had room for me and then did...Yeah. I already had my bags packed and her bags packed to bring her home (weeks before).
We arrived at the hospital at 7am and they started cervadil so I was bed bound for several hours. Nick was hungry and my Best Friend Heather brought up some breakfast for her and him. I was very hungry also, but they insisted the ice chips would eventually fill me up...as they taunted me with their biscuits.
Nick got out the video camera and annoyed the heck out of us for a bit. He comes up with the craziest questions sometimes. Guests came in and out throughout the first few hours. Everyone eagerly anticipating the first girl grandchild. I was not opposed to having anyone come, all were welcome (I had no idea what was to come, especially not having experienced one single contraction my whole pregnancy).
The nurses came to check me and I was 1cm dilated, they gave me another cervadil...and there I lay for a few more hours. My parents came up, my sisters came up, my friend from GA drove down. I really had a plethora of people come to visit.
Heather braided my hair in piggy tails, we talked laughed, Nick videotaped, it was very relaxing.
At 11am they checked me again and I was a 2, so they decided to start the pitocin. I was on a slow drip to start out and it was no problem. Around 1:30 I started experiencing bad contractions. I had more company in the room, this time it was some I was not comfortable being in that much pain around. My friend Andrew and his brother (who flew in from Seattle and I did not know *that* well). I was trying so hard to still be polite through these contractions. I think they began to see I was uncomfortable and left. I asked for an epidural at this point, but it was still early. After about 2 hours of these contractions I asked to be checked again and I was a 4, so they said I could have an epidural. It is around 5pm when they get everything in and working properly with they epi and I am good to go for a while. They sent everyone home and said at best I would dilate 1cm per hour, so we were looking at about 11pm that night, and said I needed my rest. I had planned for Nick and Heather to be in the room during the pushing/birth. Heather wanted to go home and take a nap (cause she likes her sleep and had got up really early) and I was fine with that seeing how they just said it would be 11pm before I was complete. I tried to sleep, but i was so darn excited I could not close my eyes. Nick however had no problems.
My friend Linda who had drove down from GA was still there and she could not stay for too long. She kept me company. It was about 7pm and and Linda and Nick and I were all talking (Nick was pacing if I remember correctly) and I started to feel major pressure and was adamant that she was coming out at the very second. Nick pressed the call button and went out in the hall, while we were waiting for someone I had Linda (who had 2 children already) look to see if her head was already out. I was crazy! I started to have BAD back labor...I mean worst pain in my life. The contractions were back full force and I was in pain. The nurse came in and checked me and I was a 10 fully effaced and ready to push right then. She then told me that my epidural had fallen out and I could not have it fixed as I was ready to push. To top it off she said I also had to wait to push till the Doc got in there.
Nick took this opportunity to call my parents and his mom and of course Heather who was off in dream land.
The Doc came in and Linda was trying to leave and the Doc said...sorry this room is sterile and she is ready to push...you are stuck in here now. Linda was a good sport and grabbed a leg, and Nick grabbed the other leg. I was in an insurmountable amount of pain, I cannot even begin to describe it.
At 7:30 pm Isabella came FLYING out sunny side up. I had a 4Th degree tear as a result, but she was beautiful, and a healthy 7lbs 1 oz. The nurses spiked her hair with KY jelly cause she already had a curl in it. Nick was in awe of the moment, he adored her from the second she was born. That girl had some lungs on her too.
Our family arrived during my pushing and greeted her when she was taken to the nursery.
I had a long recovery. Nick was wonderful taking care of me. He really nursed me back to health.

That is it in a nutshell.

Dear Santa

2007-12-12T19:13:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor has, and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my daughter's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year, I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your sister," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the neighbors dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my daughter saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think she wants her crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch a cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,
A MOM

Seasons

2007-12-08T21:57:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite time of year. The hustle and bustle, the smells, the feelings in my heart of the people around me. I LOVE my family and friends. The season of giving is upon us and that is what I love the most. Finding that perfect gift for that special person is so thrilling to me.
Isabella was also born on December 19th so that may add into my emotions. What a beautiful, vocal baby she was.
Our tree is up and trimmed with all the most wonderful ornaments. Our star was placed this year by Isabella, and she was elated to do the honors.
I took the girls to see Santa this year and Isabella was so ready (and nervous). Abigail was was so excited to see "HoHo" she could hardly contain herself. Calling out "HO HO" the whole time we were waiting in line. So imagine my surprise when it is our turn and she completely freaks out. I am standing there wrestling her around, all the while trying to tell the girl..."just get it with Isabella...this one's not going to do it" amongst the screams Abby was letting out thinking I was going to make her sit there, the girl did not hear me. So Santa scoots over and pats his hand down in the chair...beckoning me over to him. Abigail looked to be open to the idea, after she was done pretending I was wrestling an alligator. So I sit down on the chair and Abby barely looks up from my chest to force out a smile, her head facing away from Santa. Isabella had her apprehensive smile on. I have my frustrated I am ready to go smile. I get the pictures ($20.00 later) and my forehead is shining like the sun. I was such a mess from that 10 min of her freaking out, that I sat down on Santa's chair and could not even wipe the sparkle off my head. Needless to say, those are not going to be framed.
This is the most wonderful time of the year...

Three

2007-12-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

You know that saying "bad things always happen in 3's". This is especially true for me yesterday.
Number 1: I am woken up around 6am to Isabella talking to Nick on his side of the bed, now normally I would be ear hustling, but at 6am that was not happening.. I am so not a morning person and I could care less what she woke HIM up for...right? WRONG. He starts to get upset so I, being the caring wife I am...ask him (halfway still sleeping) what's wrong? He says Isabella just told me she peed in our bed hours ago and was too afraid to wake one of us to tell us. WHAT...WHERE...Oh wait nevermind I know EXACTLY where. On my side of the bed. My hair was wet with urine, my top was wet with urine, the back of my panties were wet with urine...you get the point. I apparently sleep like the dead and never even knew she was in our bed previously. I jump up in a fury and strip down. So she proceeds to tell me...she didn't get up to go pee, cause if I felt her move I would tell her to go back to her bed...YA THINK? So after she peed in my bed, and I rolled around in it for a few hours...she decided it was gross and she wanted to go sleep in her own bed. Furious would not even describe how I was feeling (aside from the obvious...stinky, wet, dirty, grossed out). I am now stripping down the bed, scrubbing the mattress, getting ready for a shower. I made Bella take one with me too, and we talked and she knew there would be consequences for her bad decision. Nick takes the sheets and changes the laundry around...which meant he put Bella's clothes from the washer into the dryer, and then the sheets in the washer. He handed Isabella a bottle of gain to throw away cause it was empty. (now starts the do what I say and do it now)

Her punishment was to clean her room, clean the playroom, and sweep.

Number 2: Isabella comes to me crying that all her clothes are black, she looked in the dryer and all her clothes are black(she is freaking out). I go to the dryer and sure enough...all her clothes are covered in some sort of black marker, pen, oil...not sure what? I mean everything, there was not even a sock that was salvageable. I carefully pulled out everything and expected with every ounce of my being to find a sharpie black marker that exploded. Much to my surprise, there was nothing. I could not find the culprit. I re-washed her clothes and still nothing came out. I get on the phone with my dad of course and he says maybe it is the motor blowing out oil or something, and he wants me to put a wet towel in there and see if it picks up anything. OK done.

Number 3: My dad calls about 20 min after he told me to put in the wet towel, and asks me to check on it. I start my walk through the hallway in front of the playroom (on wood floors) to get to another hallway where the washer and dryer are. I am on my last 3 steps on the wood floors and my foot lands in some slime, wet, slick substance and up in the air my body goes, my phone goes (in which my dad is still on the other end), I let out a obvious "I am falling scream", and boom with a loud thud I fall, and the phone falls. I hit my back on the wall and it was hurting badly...but more importantly...WHAT did I just fall on. I see a little peek out of the corner of the hallway and that Afro hair of hers gave it away. I said Isabella...get in here NOW. I said "What in the world is on my floors?" She says "Remember that laundry detergent Daddy gave me earlier?...well Mom it wasn't empty, and I thought I would clean the floors" "Daddy made me his maid today, so I am cleaning everything". I started laughing...cause what else could I do...right? If I didn't laugh I would cry.
BTW. The towel came out fine, my dad came out and took my dryer apart and there was nothing wrong. Fluke? Probably not, the marker more than likely disappeared. That sounds much better.

First Concert.

2007-11-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

Isabella loved the concert. She said when the Jonas Brothers came out she "boo'd them, and was chanting Hannah, hannah" Of course she was probably the only one who boo'd the Jonas Brothers. Nick did not lose his mind driving that far and back in one night. He said Isabella was asleep about 3 min after they got in the car.

Nick said she really put on a great show, and the Jonas brothers also. Yea, so all in all, it was worth it.

She was belting it out with the best of em.

Hannah Montana

Miley Cyrus

Hannah Montana Concert

2007-11-19T00:11:00.001-05:00

The hit Disney Channel show -- which stars 14-year-old Miley Cyrus and her country singer dad, Billy Ray Cyrus -- is about a teenage girl who's a typical high-schooler by day but has a secret pop-star alter ego by night.

The Jonas Brother will be opening for her.

Isabella could not be more excited about this concert. She fell asleep tonight so anxious for tomorrow night. Well actually it is tonight since it is after midnight here. Nick is taking her and he is just as excited I think. I gave my ticket up so another "Hannah fan" can enjoy it also. We were going to all go together but...after seeing how these tickets were sold out in about 3 min. I figured let another kid go and "Get the Best Of Both Worlds" (a song of hers).

I am still un-sure as to what the big deal is. For tickets to be sold for thousands of dollars is just in sane, and unfortunately it is at the kids expense. I know there are lots of parents who tried to get their children tickets and were unsuccessful. So of course they look at places like e-bay or Stub Hub and there lies that $65.00 Ticketmaster ticket...asking $4,000.00 for it. I just don't get it. Anyway, so I saw no sense in 2 adults taking 1 almost 6 year old to a kids concert. Have fun Nick. Now you will have 2 kids and probably singing on your way home "Everybody makes mistakes" haha (another Hannah song). Love ya babe. Not many men will take their little girls to a teeny bopper concert.

The Zoo...

2007-11-18T23:27:00.000-05:00

We have been to the zoo too many times to count, buy yet it still seems so new to the kids. They look at the animals, and play areas like they are all new things they are seeing for the first time. I love it. A beautiful day was a bonus.

Plus having some special one on one time with Meemaw is always a good thing. Isabella adores her Meemaw, Abby does also, but truth be told she is a Pawpaw's girl.

Isabella was tickled pink when I told her Meemaw was coming along on her day off.

You can get so close to the Giraffe's it is amazing. If you come during feeding time, they will let you hold your hand out with their favorite leaf branches, and eat right out of your hand. They will just mosey over and visit without food also. One downfall to being this close is the smell, Isabella's face pretty much says it all.

You can see the branch being held, and the giraffe eating it.

Isabella and I having a snuggle .

Here we were watching this cat pace back and forth very aggressively. I believe it was close to lunch time. Isabella kept asking about the safety of the fence, and if we could move on now.

Abby, the little stinker is such a fast mover. I can take 58 photos and expect for 3 of those to be decent. She was well on her way down in this one and you can see Isabella...the diva...still trying to hold her own pose, and hold onto Abby, and still all the while keep that "fake hurry the heck up" smile. Gotta love it.

They have the cutest carousel at the zoo and you of course choose an animal and get on.

Here is another classic example of Abby on the move, she was sitting next to Meemaw and when I was snapping away she ended up there.

A smile is all I ask for and she had that mastered.

On edge.

2007-11-12T09:05:00.000-05:00

Boy oh Boy am I losing it...slowly. After some complications from my surgery last week I have been put on hormones. Massive doses. I am having some fierce mood swings. I am getting really bad headaches daily. I can't wait till this is over with. Just 2 more weeks I keep telling myself. We have had such a rough go at things lately with the girls and then Nick and I. Here is a list for memory purposes.

Abby had her fingers slammed in a door, her nail JUST fell off and I do not hear then end of it.
I have surgery on October 19
Very scary hemorrhaging from the surgery on Tuesday Nov. 6th I think.
The next day on the 7th Nick ends up in the ER with Kidney stones.
Abby gets Pink eye 2 days ago.
Isabella is congested and coughing this morning.

I just have to think how trivial our problems are compared to others. I need to constantly remind myself to stay calm and ask myself "will this matter in 10 years?" If the answer is No, well then I am choosing my battles carefully.
The girls are giving me "the business" lately and I am afraid I am not handling it how I normally would. I need a step back...or 10 steps back. I need a break. It is not their fault my body is jacked up on estrogen and progesterone, and my moods and being affected by it. I am normally so calm and give about 864 second chances, but not right now. Isabella notices the most. Of course Nick does too.
Nick and I had planned on a nice evening last night of just relaxing and talking after the kids went down to bed. Well I walked in the bedroom after the kids were knocked out to find Nick also knocked out. So what does a wife do when she sees this...well what any other normal, sane person would do. I painted his toenails bright pink. :) Fall asleep when we have plans again...? I think not.

Late Halloween

2007-11-07T20:10:00.001-05:00

Boy am I a slacker lately. OK so Isabella was of course none other than "THE" Hannah Montana. Abigail was Minnie Mouse. Unfortunately I did not get any pics of Abby on my camera, as she was a very unruly mouse. I do believe my camera happy MIL has some though.

I will show her this pic when she is older and wants to dye her hair and straighten it. She refused to put her hair up underneath that wig. So her blonde locks were hanging out the whole time.

She of course ditched the wig about half way down the street. It was itching.

Now for the Grand Finale. Me and my sister dressed up as Red Necks... I had tattoo's drawn on and the "3" had to be one of them. On my other arm was a heart and a strip through it that said "I love Billy Joe". We both rocked the Mullets. "Business in the front and a party in the back." Canned beer was a must...and I have to admit that was not on hand and a friendly neighbor brought it out to us as a finishing touch. She ducked down in this pic, cause she said you always see pics where the husband is shorter than the wife. So here we are **Maxine & Billy Joe 4 eva baby**. Don't hate.

A small disclaimer: I meant in no way for this to offend anyone who naturally rocks the Mullet, drinks canned Miller Lite, wears overalls, no shoes, or who is named Maxine nor Billy Joe, has a "Dale Earnhardt Senior" tattoo permanently marking their body, or a heart with a loved ones name on it. Thankyouhaveaniceday.

Bait

2007-10-27T08:26:00.000-04:00

I lured my 2 year old out of the bathtub with Cheetos. Pretty sad when she puts some pep in her step for food, but won't budge when I tell her nicely "It's time to get out". I am picking my battles while recovering, but when I feel better....it's on.

Pumpkins....

2007-10-21T15:33:00.000-04:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch this morning. I wish it was more Fall like here so they could dress in cute little warm outfits. No such luck though.

We decided this year we are not going to do carving, it is tedious and just a pain in the booty. We found the cutest Mr. Potato head pieces for pumpkins at Target this year and decided to use those. Isabella (rightfully so) got the Diva pumpkin. Abby (also very perfect) got the Clown pumpkin. It was really fitting for both of their personalities. They actually got to do more this way then they would have if we decided to carve them.

So handsome :) He has hats galore. A good friend of ours is in the NFL and every time he goes to another team, well of course Nick gets gear for said team. The Bengals it is right now, hence his trip to Cincinnati a few posts back. I am also loving the new growth he is sporting :)

I could not resist letting Abby still wear her boots, even though it was in the high 80's today. She has a touch of fall. Bella on the other hand wanted to wear a dress and flip flops, I can't blame her.

I think they turned out so cute. They will also last longer than if we carved them. They should last well past Halloween. The only bad thing is we can't light them, but if I remember correctly, we didn't light them last year but maybe one time. They turn to goo so fast when you light them. Plus the bugs, ooohhhhh the bugs.

The girls kissing their pumpkins. The lips on them were HUGE.

The finishing touches, I have to say the Diva needed some blush, she was looking a bit pale. Some mascara and drawn in eye brows and she is good to go.

It went well

2007-10-21T14:14:00.000-04:00

Everything went well, I am home and recovering.
I ended up in recovery for about 4 hours cause I could not meet all the requirements IE. go pee. I think it may have something to do with the fact that the nurses insisted on being inside the bathroom with me. My blood pressure was very low and they didn't want to leave me in there alone. I am not a public bathroom goer though. At one point I insisted I was not leaving the bathroom till I went and she (the nurse) had to go check on someone else so Nick came in and then I was able to go....just like that. The nurse came back in and joked that Nick went for me, but I assure you he did not. Although he did offer :)
I do not remember much before and after, funny how everything sort of erases from your mind. I have no recollection of speaking to the doctor in recovery. I was really counting on Nick to tell me everything he said to him, BUT he does not remember everything. He did say he found some lesions or adhesion's and removed them. He found something growing on my pelvic bone and said that could be the source of alot of my pain, and he removed that also. My tubes are all clear and that is all he remembers. He said the Doctor showed him some before and after pictures from the surgery and it was a little much for him to see. I thought that was funny.
He ended up making 3 incisions and the one on my left side is larger than my right side. I am not sure why this is?
My pain is pretty much under control. The hardest is for me to get up and down, and of course out of bed. I cannot lift anything over 10lbs for 2 weeks, so I am worried about how I am going to get Abby in and out of the car to pick Bella up from school. Nick said he would "train" her to get in the car and into her seat by Monday. I really did laugh at that. We drive a Tahoe and *I* have to use the step bar to get in. Amazingly so, she did it. She climbed in the car and into to her car seat, and I just had to buckle her. Pretty neato. Nick said I will just have to lure her to the car with food :) Sounds good to me.