Goodbye 2004 ....

Wow. Can you believe it? The last day of 2004!

I am finding it hard to believe that it's going to be
2 0 0 5!!!!!

Hopefully 2005 is a happy & healthy year for everyone.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve already! Hard to believe there's just a week left of 2004.

Family will be coming over tonight to exchange gifts, eat and spend time together. Have quite awhile to wait for the festivities to start -- it's not even 9am yet - and the guests won't be here until a little after 6.

I wish the kids had slept in later this morning.

At any rate - Merry Christmas everyone!

Extended Family

Last night was my company Christmas party.

It was held at Sal & Carvao, a Brazilian churrascaria. These men just walk around with skewers of endless meat. You get this round little disc, one side is green and says "Yes, Please" and the other side is red and says "No, Thank You". If you want them to keep filling your plate - you keep it green. If you have meat coming out your ears, you turn it red.

It was quite an experience. There were 14 - yes FOURTEEN - different types/cuts of meat. Plus we started with a salad bar, and had mashed potatoes and fried bananas for side dishes. The food was AMAZING.

The filet wrapped in bacon, and the chicken wrapped in bacon was my first favorite. Until the top sirloin arrived. It was UNBELIEVABLE. And then there was this garlic sirloin that just melted in your mouth. It was SO GOOD.

We all had quite a few cocktails. This was the most alcohol our group has ever put away. We were all feeling quite good at the end of the night. I had a couple strawberry daquiris and an appletini. Yum.

During the course of the meal, we were all eating off each other's plates, trying each other's drinks and cracking jokes. It was on the drive home that Mike said my company isn't a group of people working together - it's more like an extended family. And it really is. When there are only 6 employees and 2 bosses, you tend to be a close knit group. Plus, all aside from 1 of the employees have all been working together for approximately 6 years now.

It was a really nice night and my Christmas bonus was a nice plus, too. :)

Pet Peeve

When you buy a brand new string of Christmas lights and there are already burnt out bulbs.

Is there something missing???

If you're noticing that something is missing, you're right. I had to delete a few posts (nothing of importance, really) because they had my blog all of of alignment. I don't like my blog being all out of whack, so I had to fix it. Call it a pet peeve. I have alot of pet peeves. I have another - but that will be another post.

Who woulda thunk it?

You Are a Liberal Republican

When you tell people that you're Republican, they rarely believe you. That's because you're socially liberal - likely pro-choice and pro-gay rights. You're also not so afraid of big goverment, as long as it benefits people and not politicians. You are the most likely of any Republican type to swing over to the Democrat side sometimes.

What political persuasion are you?

I come from a Democratic family, and up until now, thought I followed more the Democratic party.

Out of town

As soon as Mike gets off work today we're taking the kids and heading up to Minnesota for the weekend. Figured it would be a nice getaway for us. And The Boy will probably love Camp Snoopy at Mall of America. Plus we're staying in a hotel that has an indoor pool/kiddie waterpark.

It might be a little crazy that we're going to take a 6 hour drive there, only to come back home tomorrow, but it'll make for a great memory.

Behind

I realized I haven't posted in a couple weeks. Shame on me.

Lots of new happenings to report.

We're in the midst of potty training The Boy. Yes, we're finishing up Week 2. He's grasped the idea nicely, and is making progress. But - we do have some poop issues. The other night I thought we were making some progress. I got home with the kids, The Boy made a peepee on the potty as soon as we walked through the door and a few minutes later he's talking about poop - so we took him back into the bathroom. Well, he wanted the door closed, and told Mike to leave. So he did, and we closed the door. Next thing we know, we hear "POOPOO!!!" So we head in there, and peer into the toilet. AND. THERE. IT. WAS. Poop!

I could feel tears come to my eyes. Now, only a mother can truly get emotional over a gigantic turd.

It wasn't just the potty training that go me all emotional. We also bought The Boy a twin sized bed last Sunday. He's officially in a real BIG BOY bed.

In less than a month my baby boy will be THREE.

Let's see ... what else has been going on. Oh yes! Our adorable twin neices! "B" came home last week, so we got to "meet" her last Friday (we had seen her before, but never got to hold her). I held the little peanut for a long while. She was blissfully sleeping in my arms, and passing gas like YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE. The girl could beat out any big, burly man in a farting contest if you were judging on rankness. That girl stinks. And I don't mean just a little stink. I'm talking the kind of stink that would PEEL OFF WALLPAPER. P. U.

Her sister, "A" followed home shortly. But we just got news yesterday that she was back in the hospital. She stopped breathing the night before. I guess they just think it was a reflex and that she was sent home too early. Hopefully she'll be home for good soon.

The girls will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. Their 2 month birthday is in 6 days. It's hard to believe they're already almost 2 months old, and we're not even to their due date yet.

How time is flying.

Not even close

What will your kids be named? by failed_x_senses
Name
Son	Donald
Sons middle name	Oliver
Daughter	Mary
Daughters middle name	Summer
Quiz created with MemeGen!

I think our choices of Braeden Michael and Kaelynn Michele fit so much better. :)

Politics

I can't believe I'm even writing about politics. Many of the blogs I read frequently have been talking about the upcoming election. Some are tactful, and others are downright shoving their choice down your throat.

I will admit - I don't follow politics as closely as I probably should. And this year was the very first year I've registered to vote. And I registered with the expectation of stepping foot in that polling place and entering my choices for the election.

But, honestly, even though I'm registered - I don't think I'm going to vote. I am having a hard time even choosing who to elect for President, let alone do I even KNOW everyone running for all other offices I'd need to vote for as well. I come from a Democratic family. And normally Democrat is what I'd label myself. When I registered, I even registered as Dem.

I am feeling very torn down the middle with this election. And even more so now than in the past, this election seems more like a giant pissing contest between these guys than it does a Presidential race. Frankly, it's possibly a little disturbing that one of these guys will lead our country for the next 4 years.

Since having such a hard time "picking sides" with this one .... I found an online quiz of sorts through AOL to see who I should vote for. With my choices, it told me that I should follow the "plan" of Kerry. According to this quiz (found below), I should vote for Bush.

I'm even hearing it from other people as to who I should vote for. My dad, the normal Democrat, is actually standing behind Bush with this election. Isn't that something? Someone that CAN choose the party they have otherwise fought against in the past. And then there's my coworker - Democrat through and through, standing firm on getting Bush OUT of office.

I haven't made a final decision as to whether or not I'll hit the polls on November 2nd or not. But I better hurry and decide. Time is ticking down.

Election 2004

You Should Vote For Bush

(You May Want to Hide This From Your Left-y Blogger Friends)

Which presidential candidate should you vote for?

From the look on The Boy's face, The Girl is whispering something 'up-to-no-good' in his ear! 

My 2 precious children .... this was the beginning of September, but I had to share it. It's not often the 2 of them pose together for a picture. 

A sigh of relief

Everything went well with my dad's angiogram. There is no blockage, thank God. We're all very relieved about that.

And things are going well with the twins, so I'm starting to feel better about that situation. It's a good sign that the nurses allowed BIL and Jamie to hold them. And that the girls are eating, and were putting weight back on.

So, things are starting to look up again.

Mike and I also came across another bit of exciting news. While we were out, we drove past an area that looked like it was being zoned for construction. So, I did some searching and found out that a builder is going to be putting in a new subdivision. Supposedly it's going to be about 2,400 homes. Funny thing is, the town they are building in has a population of 150. That is SUCH a TINY town. The town we are in now is HUGE ..... off the top of my head, I think the population is like 80,000! Crazy. But, even with it being such a small town, it's only about 10-15 minutes past where we are at now. So we still wouldn't be far from all the grocery stores, etc. But it would definitely be more "countryish". At least for the time being. The area seems like it's preparing for a big boom in regards to new housing, so I'm sure as the new homes come in, stores will want to go in the area as well, which in the long run is great for the price of your home.

So, anyway ..... the sales are supposed to start in January. We're definitely going to look into it, and I'm praying that we'll be able to do it. Hopefully we'll have a good amount of equity in our place now and be able to put down a good downpayment towards the new place. But the homes are starting in the 200K's. So who knows what the total would be when it's all said and done and we pick all the options we'd want. While I know we don't have to pick the top of the line, most expensive cabinets, I also don't want to just "settle" for something because this would probably be the last home we'd live in until the kids are grown.

I'm very excited about it all and am crossing my fingers and praying that we drove past that area for a reason. Like God was trying to show us that there was a great opportunity out there for us. Plus, they are also building attached homes in the area as well, and my parents are going to be looking into those. It would be wonderful for us all to live in the same community. And one of the major perks, aside from the miles of walking paths that will be in the community, is the fact that there will be an onsite elementary school. That just screams family-orientated community to me, and it will be nice to raise our family in a place like that.

So, any thoughts and prayers you all could offer would be appreciated. This seems like a GREAT opportunity for us, and I'm hoping it all works out for us.

Massage anyone?

I desperately could use a massage. A nice back/neck rub. Or even have my feet rubbed. I just feel so tense. I know it's because of all that is going on.

My dad has to be at the hospital at 8 tomorrow morning. Which means I have to be up bright and early, so I can get to their house by 7:30. So ..... I'll be up before 7. I hate early mornings. I don't get up til 7:10 when I work. I probably won't sleep well anyway, though. I am going to be worried. I know my dad is nervous - and that makes me even more nervous.

I'm trying to just relax and take it all in stride. But worrying is one thing I do best.

On a happy note; I got an update on the twins. Danny and Jamie got to hold the girls for the first time yesterday. I also got some new pictures of them. So I updated the girl's website. It's good to know they are doing well. Eases my mind a little bit.

So - I'm off to try to get some rest now. If anyone can spare a few extra thoughts or prayers, I'd appreciate it.

When it rains, it pours

I don't even know where to begin.

Frankly, life can be pretty shitty sometimes.

Saying goodbye to Mike's grandmother was harder than I thought it would be. I think mostly because it was a grim reality for me; that this is going to be something that will happen frequently in the future. How can I expect to get older, and have everyone else around me NOT age? They are all getting older with me, and some of them are reaching the end of their path of life. And I don't do well with funerals and services anyway. Once the pastor started talking, I couldn't hold back the tears. And then filing past the casket......it was almost too much. I didn't full out lose it, but Mike's entire family saw me crying.

And, Mike's mom was there (of course). I haven't seen her since our wedding 4 years ago. I didn't recognize her at first. I've only seen her twice anyway, but it didn't even LOOK like her. Maybe the fact that she now has a wig because of the therapy she's getting for her cancer. It's sad. She's going to die. There's nothing they can do to remove her masses. One is at the base of her spine, the other around her coratid artery.

Now shall I go on? You'd think .... well, that is enough for one family to try to digest at once! But, on no!!!

Of course, the twins arrived 11 weeks early. We have been trying to get updates on them as often as possible, but, it's hard. Between everyone's work schedules, and Danny and Jamie going to visit the babies, the communication lines aren't open that much. But the last we found out, a cardiologist had been in to see "B" because her blood pressure was up higher than what a baby's should be, and a kidney specialist was supposed to come in as well because her white blood cells were high. Being a mother, and being that these two tiny girls are also my neices - my family - I worry for them. I know in today's society, we are very medically advanced and that these babies have an AWESOME survival rate. But, still, I cannot help but worry about what the future holds for them.

And then there's the biggest thing hitting home right now. My dad. His heartrate was up while he was in the hospital for the meckles -- so they monitored it, and started him on medication. After he was released from the hospital, he was still seeing a doctor for his heart, and having stress tests done, etc. On Friday he went in for a stress test, and they also looked at some pictures they had taken of his heart. The doctor did NOT like what he saw. He started talking about my dad being referred to a cardiologist and couldn't believe that my dad was not having any sort of pains. They believe there is some blockage. So - my dad saw the cardiologist yesterday. He'll be going in Thursday for an angiogram. And if they find there is blockage, they'll go in right away and put in a stent. I know it's only a "minor" operation if they do need to do that, but I'm still worried out of my mind. And I'm trying NOT to show it because I don't want to get my mom all upset (even moreso than she probably already is). I decided that I NEEDED to take Thursday off. I can't just go in to work like nothing is going on - and then what if something DID happen? I'd feel horrible the rest of my life.

I just want to cry. I want to cry for the life we lost, the life that is slowly slipping away, the 2 lives that rest in the hands of the NICU doctors and nurses, and the life of MY DAD.

I had been starting to feel MUCH better than I had been in a long time. It seemed like finally my body was leveling itself out, and that the Zoloft was really helping - and then - wham! Now I'm trying to keep it together.

I just feel so heavy. My heart aches. My stomach hurts. I want to sleep.

Tiny Beautiful Girls

The twins are tiny. So small I just stared at them in awe. I couldn't believe my eyes. I've seen plenty of preemie on Discovery Health, so I'm quite aware just how small babies can be. But seeing one in person - it's something you almost cannot comprehend. There are these two tiny lives .... such small little bodies, and you can only imagine just how small their organs are. They are beautiful though. Beautiful little girls. Welcome to the world, "A" & "B".

New life and passing on

This morning around 11am, I received an instant message from my father-in-law. I am an aunt! The twins arrived at 10:39 this morning via csection. We're still waiting to hear all the rest of the details. They are quite early, I think about 8 weeks.

So, I called Mike to tell him the news. And he had news for me. His grandmother passed away at midnight last night. It wasn't a surprise. We all knew she was sick (cancer) and that this time was coming.

So, as 2 new lives were coming into this world, another one left.

Christening, Birthdays and other things

I have been busying myself thinking about all the events that will be taking place in the next few months.

I already called the church and set up The Girl's christening. She'll be christened October 24th. And today I just ordered her christening dress. It's just stunning. I can't wait to see her in it. I also bought everything for The Boy's 3rd birthday party. He's going to have a Hulk party. I found all the supplies at the $1 store - so how could I pass it up? They had Spiderman as well, so I called him (he was at home with daddy) and asked him which kind of party he'd like to have. He's very excited about the whole thing. I've already had all the supplies for The Girl's christening party. There was a party store near our house going out of business, so I got great deals on all that, too. I love bargains. LOL

Precious memories

I was worried about not getting in to get The Girl's 2-month photos done in time. The clock was ticking and 3-months is approaching rather quickly.

But - she was wonderful when I attempted (on my own, I might add) to take her to get them done on Saturday.

I packed up the diaper bag, called ahead and made an appointment for the soonest they could fit us in - and rushed around the house getting myself and 2 kids ready before hauling ass out the door and over to the mall.

Despite having an 11:50 appointment, they still ran a little bit behind, but it wasn't too bad. We were out of there by 12:30. And at 1:30, they presented me with 5 different pictures to choose from (the hardest part!). They had taken 1 pose with me and The Girl (The Boy sat in the stroller saying "Me piture taking" (meaning he wanted his picture taken), but when we gave him the opportunity to have his picture taken, he decided against it (stubborn almost 3-year old) - so it was easy for me to nix the one with me in the shot. But the others - there was my beautiful baby girl - who even smiled for some of the pictures - staring back at me from the photo paper.

I left with 3 different poses and a smile on my face.

Going by the book, or not

It's kind of funny. When my son was born nearly 3 years ago, I wanted to do everything by the book. I felt like if I didn't do it *exactly* like the books or doctor suggested, then it wasn't right. I sterilized his bottles, I forced him to sleep on his back or side, and I washed his clothes in baby detergent religiously.

And now today I have my second child. And boy how some things change. While I did sterilize her bottles, and I have been washing her clothes in baby detergent - I am much more laid back about doing things.

It was a long couple of months before we started letting my son sleep on his tummy. Belly sleeping is heavily frowned upon, and you are the world's worst mother if you let your child sleep on his/her belly. I worried SO MUCH about it - but he slept so much better that way. Granted, if he hadn't had such a strong neck and the ability to lift and turn his head, I probably wouldn't have put him to sleep that way.

So, it wasn't surprising that at just 2 weeks old our daughter slept better that way, and we started putting her to sleep like that more often.

And, I've already decided that once the baby detergent is gone, I probably won't be buying anymore. I think I'll just start washing her clothes along with the rest of the family's.

I just never would have thought that someone could change their parenting even when going from having just 1 child to 2. I imagine even more changes as you have more and more kids. Maybe it's just the fact that there isn't time to sort out a million different loads of laundry, remembering to use the Superdooper Stain Knocker-Outer Detergent for the kids baseball uniforms, the Sudsy Wash with Bleach Alternative Detergent for the white clothes, and the Oh So Soft and Delicate Baby Detergent for all the littlest clothes. And I imagine when you have a bunch of kids to get to bed - the main goal is making sure they are all comfortable and asleep in whatever position that works best for each individual.

It all really just comes down to the fact that books can be used as a guideline and nothing more than that. Everyone needs to find their own parenting style, and see how each child responds to things. Some babies DO need special laundry detergent because their skin is more delicate and they may have reactions (then again, most laundry detergents also come in Free & Clear, and are much cheaper than the baby versions). And some babies probably aren't strong enough to be able to sleep on their tummy without possibly suffocating in the mattress.

So, it's all about trial and error. But it still amazes me that I am a slightly different mother now than when my son was born.

Gloomy

I'm pretty bummed out at the moment. Just upset at the fact that we can't do things together like normal families do. I feel like such a single mom.

I think part of the reason I'm pretty down in the dumps is because I didn't attempt to get over to the mall to have The Girl's pictures taken. She didn't nap very well, and when it was time for her feeding, she fought me and only took 2 ounces. And that took over an hour to get in her. I wasn't about to make the trip only to have her screaming her head off while we were there. There's no telling how B would have been behaving either. And on my own it's tough to handle both of them when tantrums and crab-fests start.

Maybe I'll try tomorrow .... but being the weekend and all, it might be crowded. At this rate I'm never going to be able to get her pictures done. And it's a huge bummer because by the time we get it done, and I get it hung up on our photo wall, it'll be time to replace it with the next month's shot. And I am NOT changing my plans and skipping this month. She will have her pictures taken every month, just like we did for her brother. I cherish those photos. It's one of the greatest things we did ...... seeing how much he changed over the course of his first year, and even now we still periodically take him for pictures, as well as birthday pictures each year.

And I am absolutely starving. I haven't actually made the time to get myself something for dinner. And yes, it's after 9pm, I realize that. I should have eaten hours ago, but I was taking care of the kids, doing laundry and handling some ebay auctions.

So, I think I'll head downstairs and drown my sorrows in a big bowl of Frosted Flakes.

One of those days

It's been one of those days. You know the kind. The type that makes you want to run away from home or jump off a bridge.

It actually wasn't bad until I walked through the front door tonight. I'm greeted by my son (who decided he didn't want to go to Grandma's house this morning and stayed home with daddy instead) who has pen marks all over his hands and arms. Upon further inspection, I see pen marks all over the wall. :sigh: Leave it up to his father to allow things like this to happen.

So, we decide we're going to take The Girl to the mall and have her 2-month photos taken. We get there, and there is a 30-minute wait, so we head over to the toy store. She starts crying, so I head out and park myself on a bench right outside the store. I get her calmed down and changed into her outfit for pictures, and she's smiling at me and looking around. And then, she starts again - full force. Screaming. Mike took her from me, and walked around with her, but it wasn't working.

Finally it was time for her photo shoot. We had managed to calm her down and they snapped 1 picture. While trying to get her set up for the next shot, she started again. We just gave up. I guess we'll try it again some other time.

She has been a super beast all night long now. It's 10pm and she's STILL awake in her crib. And when she pops her pacifier out of her mouth, she starts yelling because she wants it back.

This is definitely one of those "run away from home" days.

Husband for Sale

*** HUSBAND FOR SALE ***

Age: 27 years
Condition: Good (decent body/slightly graying)

Details: Employed, non-smoking, occassional social drinker, handsome, very good father (has two children), enjoys video/computer games, watching television/movies, golf, or just relaxing at home. Prefers country music, but will listen to other genres. Can be very level-headed, or not. Does have slight drawbacks; has slight hearing problem when tv is turned on, does not cook, clean, do laundry or grocery shop. Has a habit of starting, but not finishing, a project. Will only help out when asked a million times first, and not before he accuses you of acting like his mother. Leaves toothpaste residue & beard hair in the sink, blows his nose in the shower, and often emits rank gas. Has locational difficulties - if it's not right in front of his face, it must not exist. Clothes hamper is just merely something for wife's dirty clothing to go in - his are much better tossed on the floor in random places such as: in the bathroom, next to the bed, or under the living room coffee table. Difficulty in telling time - a few minutes can mean anything from half hour to an hour. Has a lead foot and needs to be reminded often to slow down. Has had several speeding tickets and any more may result in heavy fines and/or suspension of his drivers license. Feels that greeting cards are a waste, so don't expect any unless you hint around for weeks in advance, and even then it'll be a miracle for him to step foot in a Hallmark store. Isn't much of a shopper, so when the holidays come, don't worry if your gift comes flat and in an envelope; he'd much rather you pick out/buy your own gifts. Is a typical man when it comes to sex; enjoys receiving more than giving, but you may be able to work out a barter system to get a foot or back rub. Is good for some laughs and good times, as long as you can tolerate the drawbacks.

Price Negotiable - Please Make Me An Offer

Time for a new week

It's Sunday already. I survived my first week back to work, and now here it is the end of the weekend already.

One thing, though, is that I have something to look forward to this week. My family from CT is coming into town on Saturday and will be here through the weekend and most of next week. It'll be nice to see them, and they'll get to meet Kaelynn for the first time. So, that'll be nice. We are planning on going out to dinner, and going to the zoo. Should be fun.

My dad finally got out of the hospital on Thursday. He was so glad to go home. I don't blame him. I wanted out of the hospital as soon as I could after having my babies. He is doing well. Still tired and sore. His incision is right down the middle of his belly, right through his belly button. They took the staples out before he was discharged, and put in "regular" stitches so he doesn't have to worry about going back in to have anything removed. I'm just glad he's "fixed" and is on the road to feeling better.

Right now the kids are both behaving - somewhat. The Girl is asleep, and The Boy is playing in his room (or should I say destroying it?). I swear, I can't keep up. I clean and straighten his room, and not 30 minutes later it looks as if Hurricane Charley flew through. I guess I'll have to clean it AGAIN. And I have so much laundry to do as well. It seems like I can't get caught up no matter how much I try. I do a couple loads, get it put away, and look in the hamper and there's another couple loads that need to be done. And now Kaelynn's hamper is overflowing, so I'll need to do her laundry as well. I HATE laundry!

So, Mike is closing a store tonight. Doing it as a favor to someone that is on vacation. So I don't expect him home til 7:30-8pm. It's 5 now, so I have a few more hours. But, the kids will be eating in about an hour, and then I'll get The Boy ready for bed. I also need to give The Girl a bath and take a shower myself. So .... I'm off to surf the web a bit before I need to feed, bathe and tuck my kiddos in for the night.

Hospital, Work, Kids

My dad is still in the hospital. It's almost been a week since his surgery. He finally got the tube out of his nose yesterday. They are supposed to be starting him on either a liquid or soft diet. He hasn't eaten in over a week, poor thing. Hopefully he'll be home soon.

I am back to work. Today was my 3rd day back. It hasn't been bad. I've been keeping busy, and the days have been going by rather quickly.

The kids are doing well. They both seem to be over their colds now. I started feeling like I was catching it, too, but I am feeling a bit better now, so it didn't last very long.

It's after 8pm now, though, and I haven't even eaten dinner yet - so I'm off to get some grub and then relax for the night. The kids are both in the process of falling asleep/going to bed (we have a 2.5 year old demon that won't lay down). I need some relaxation time!!

My Dad

He ended up having surgery yesterday. Before they took him in, they still didn't know what the exact problem was, other than there being some sort of blockage.

He was only in surgery 45 minutes and they found the problem and got him all fixed up. It's meckels diverticulum (Meckel's diverticulum is one of the most common congenital abnormalities. It occurs when the connection between the intestine and the umbilical cord doesn't completely close off during fetal development. This results in a small outpouching of the small intestine, know as a Meckel's diverticulum. In most cases, Meckel's diverticula do not cause any problems. In a small number of patients however, these diverticula can become infected (diverticulitis) cause an obstruction of the intestine, or cause bleeding from the intestine. The most common symptom of Meckel's diverticulitis is painless bleeding from the rectum. The stools may contain fresh blood or may look black and tarry. Diverticulitis, or infection, of a Meckels diverticulum is often mistaken for appendicitis.).

So what they did was remove the diverticulum and repair the intestine. It caused his intestines/bowel to start twisting (also causing blockage), which is why he had so much pain.

He's in the hospital and probably will be for about a week to recover. I'm just glad it's all done with now. When he was in pre-op, I started to get so worried. I couldn't stand seeing him like that.

Thankfully it's over now, and he's on the mend to feeling better.

Hospital & a New Gadget

My dad is in the hospital. He came home from work on Monday complaining that he had a "stabbing" pain in his stomach that was coming and going all day. They ended up going to the 24-hour treatment center at 11:30 that night. From there they were sent to the ER at the hospital. He had a cat scan, an ultrasound, the works. They thought it was his gallbladder. Now they think it's a bowel obstruction. He was admitted and stayed overnight, with the expectation of going home today. But as of this morning, they still don't know exactly what it is, but need to figure it out soon because if it's a big obstruction, they need to get in to operate. I'm a bit worried about all this. Especially if he needs to undergo surgery.

Anyway .... in the midst of all that, Mike and I went out and bought a laptop. He's really going to need a computer while he's out traveling to different areas/stores. Plus, if he's working from home, he can do that and I can still use the home PC as well, or vice verse. It was neat sitting on the couch last night surfing ebay. :)

Well, I better run. The Girl has her well baby visit at 10:15 this morning, and I have to swing by and pick up my mom on the way so she can keep an eye on The Boy. Then I'm going to take her over to the hospital so she can spend time with my dad. I'll head over there later tonight when Mike is home to stay with the kids, so that I can pick her up, and visit dad a bit myself.

Poor thing

No wonder my little girl was so cranky. Her nose is all stuffed up and she's got a cold. It made eating difficult, which is why we were having such issues getting her to eat. The doctor told us to put saline drops in her nose, which seems to be helping a bit. At least she's eating a lot better and is almost back to being her piggish self. I am the mother of a pet pig. :) Normally she eats every 4 hours, but this morning she gobbled down 6oz and 3 hours later wanted more. I tried to hold her off, but after 3 hours, 20 minutes, she ate another 2oz. I'm interested to see what she'll be weighing at her checkup next week.

Family Time

I think we are going to take advantage of Mike's day off today and head up to Wisconsin Dells for the day. Even if we just visit the stores and eat while we're there - it'll be nice to getaway. Though I'm wondering if I should pack bathing suits, just in case. I can't imagine having time to go to a waterpark, though. I think we'll just have to go up there another time soon, and stay overnight one night. Maybe when it's "off-season" and room rates are cheaper.

Anyway, I have to finish getting ready and the princess needs to eat. I hear her stirring in her crib.

New Job Details

Hooray!

Mike had the meeting in regards to the new position. He won't be working in just 1 store anymore - he'll be dealing with the marketing for 14 stores in the area. He also will be the fill in if needed at a store (when there is a staff shortage, etc) and he will be the one handling any PC problems the stores may run into (which he has already been doing). So, unless he's needed somewhere else, he won't be in a store all day long. And best of all -- his hours will pretty much be standard Monday thru Friday hours, so he'll be home evenings and weekends with us!!! I'm so excited about it. The only downfall is that one of the stores is in Indianapolis, which is like a 2.5-3 hour commute. Not too bad, I guess. And - you take the good with the bad. If this is what it takes to get him home with us more - then so be it!

Wondering

Mike had the meeting about the new job opportunity this morning at 10:30.  It's 12:30 now and he's still not home.  I'm wondering what all the details all and I'm anxious to know.  I hope he gets home soon.

My back is still bothering me.  It's not as bad as it was, but it still hurts nonetheless.  I think it may be a pinched nerve.  I swear, you'd think I wouldn't have so many back problems being only 24 years old.  I think I am just doomed to have a bad back all my life.

So, that's about all for now.  I'll write again when I know all the details about the job.

A new opportunity

Yesterday Mike got a call from one of the "higher ups" in the company.  He was pretty much offering Mike a new position in the company.  Area Marketing Director.  We're wondering what it is all going to entail, but are hopeful and excited at the prospect of him excelling and moving forward in the company.  I believe Mike is supposed to have a meeting about all of it tomorrow.  I have a million questions - and dreams.  With this new position, Mike would be responsible for coming up with new ideas on how to get more business into the stores.  By going out to schools and setting up fundraisers with them (like hot lunch day, etc) and working with other events.  We're thinking that it wouldn't require him to be working in a store - which means, possibly - he could be working from home.  Maybe.  At this point, that could just be us dreaming that is what would happen.  So, we'll see.  I'm crossing my fingers.  And I'm praying that a nice raise comes into play as well.

Precious little girl .... with milk dribbles on her face. 

He looks so much like his daddy here! 

Pink!

We just found out that my brother in law and his girlfriend are expecting twin girls.  It was about a month ago that we found out they were expecting twins, and we've been anxious to know what the genders were.  So, the family is awaiting 2 baby girls.  I have to say, I'm a bit excited.  This gives me an excuse to go out baby shopping.  I love buying baby gifts, and my little girl doesn't need anything, but I'm always tempted because there is so much cute girl stuff.  LOL  Anyway, I'm so thankful I have my little girl now, too.  I think it would have killed me to find out they were having 2 girls if we didn't end up with our little princess.  I'm so thankful for her.  For my entire family.  I have a wonderful husband, and 2 beautiful children.  So, I think in just a bit I'm going to pack up my princess and we're going to head to the store.  The Boy is with his Grandma & Grandpa today, so I only have 1 monkey to tote around.  And she's blissfully sleeping right now, and shouldn't want to eat again for another 1.5-2 hours.  If I pack her up and hurry, we might be able to get back home for her feeding.

Where do the days go?

Boy time sure does fly.  In just 1 week my baby girl will be a month old.  It's sad.  I only have a few more weeks of maternity leave and I'll be going back to work.  I wish we could afford for me to cut my hours.  Actually, I was thinking about it - and we probably could swing it financially for me to cut back, even if it's just a few hours a week.  It's something that I'll have to think about, and of course I'll need to talk to work about it as well.  We'll see.

The Boy and his new 'do! Looks like he's ready for boot camp! 

The Girl - 7/21/04 3 weeks, 2 days old 

Mommy time

It's time for some very much needed me time.  The Boy is in his room, watching Pete's Dragon, and The Girl is in her crib; hopefully going to sleep.  We had been in the house all day, so around 6:30 we ventured out to Super Target.  Of course, on the way there Ms. Fussbutton decides she's going to start screaming her head off.  I had my arm twisted around behind my seat while I was driving, so I could hold the pacifer and try to calm her down.  Finally she calmed down, we get into the store and she's peaceful for awhile.  Since it was getting close to being her feeding time, I knew she wouldn't be quiet much longer.  So when she started to fuss again, I made her bottle.  It ended up being a battle - she wanted to be held, then she wanted to eat, then she just wanted the pacifer, then she wanted to sleep, then she wanted to be eat, then she wanted to be held.  And so on.  Thankfully The Boy sat nice for me for once, but he tested me by taking off his shoe, spitting, and kicking the cart.  Finally I made my way to the checkout.  I was standing in the line, and an employee comes over to me and asks me to step over to another register.  They opened a register just to check me out!  LOL  Apparently there are perks to having 2 children with you in the store.

Quiet Time

The kids are both asleep.  They have been for awhile now.  Considering the time, I know The Boy should be up soon, otherwise he'll never go to bed for the night.  We have been lucky and The Girl has been sleeping 7.5 hour stretches at night.  We're still not getting as much sleep because we stay up later and by the time we've gone to bed, she's already been asleep for a few hours.  Oh well.  We're all doing just fine.

Something new ...

I actually just read about blogger.com in a magazine, so I figured I'd check it out. :)