Hot Rods & Hasselblads

A few blog posts on parenting that I'm finding helpful

2011-07-27T05:00:00.001-05:00

I've never heard of the HALT method, but apparently it's something addicts use to help themselves avoid the temptation to use. What does this have to do with parenting? Well, this post from Simple Mom applies the principles of the HALT method to becoming more proactive at setting your child up for successful behavior & avoiding common triggers for bad behavior (i.e. Hunger, Anger, Loneliness & Tiredness). It's not rocket science, but it is a good reminder to be mindful of how you plan your child's day.

I'm not proud to admit that I lose it & yell at my kids sometimes (I don't yell ugly things at them at the top of my lungs, more like using a too-loud voice & a harsh tone when they've pushed me too far). Anyhow, it's something I regret doing the second after I'm done & something I have tried to work on for years. I have gotten better. But, this post by Kate, from the Picklebums blog, does a nice job of helping with strategies to avoid the yelling.

Parenting In This Day and Age

2011-05-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

I told you I was thinking a lot lately about my role as a mother. I didn't say I had any original ideas on the subject, but I've certainly been reading lots of blog posts, etc. that I want to share. Here's another...

From Kevin DeYoung on The Gospel Coalition:
an excerpt from the beginning of his post Parenting 001...
"Does it seem like parenting has gotten more complicated? I mean, as far as I can tell, back in the day parents basically tried to feed their kids, clothe them, and keep them away from explosives. Now our kids have to sleep on their backs (no wait, their tummies; no never mind, their backs), while listening to Baby Mozart surrounded by scenes of Starry, Starry Night. They have to be in piano lessons before they are five and can’t leave the car seat until their about five foot six."

and one from the end...
"I just know that the longer I parent the more I want to focus on doing a few things really well, and not get too passionate about all the rest. I want to spend time with my kids, teach them the Bible, take them to church, laugh with them, cry with them, discipline them when they disobey, say sorry when I mess up, and pray like crazy. I want them to look back and think, “I’m not sure what my parents were doing or if they even knew what they’re were doing. But I always knew my parents loved me and I knew they loved Jesus.” Maybe it’s not that complicated after all."

Click the link above for the full article.

Since I realize it's easy to 'talk' on a blog or wherever & come across like I've got it all together or that I'm being this wonderful, multi-tasking mom, I feel like I should confess that I don't and I'm not (never have, really). My house is a wreck & has been for months (I blame nursing school). We've eaten way too many fast-food meals & the kids have spent way too many hours on the weekend zoned out watching cartoons while I try to catch up on laundry before the week hits us square between the eyes again. We haven't been to church on a regular basis in a long time (that one really bothers me the most). I could keep going on, but you get the picture. I try to do better every day (even if only by a teeny, tiny bit) & do my best to let go of the things that won't matter in the long run (like whether the kids have wrinkled clothes or cute lil' heart-shaped PB&J sandwiches). And, I hope once this season of our life is past (in less than a year - YAY!), I can get my act together a bit more.

"To A Child Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E"

2011-05-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

I happened upon this blog post with a list of 40 ways to show your child love. I wanted to share her intro & a few from the list that I want to do with Ella & Wesley in the next month.

"Displayed on a shelf in the entry way of my mother’s home is a book entitled To A Child Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E. I have often thought about that statement and how much truth it holds. It’s easy for us to say “I love you” but those three words, devoid of action and the gift of our quality time, are simply that—just words." -- Candace from The Mother Huddle blog

Send them a handmade card in the mail with a coupon to go get ice cream with you.
Play a game with them.
Let them win.
Kidnap them from school and take them out for lunch.
Go to the store and let them pick out all the ingredients to make banana splits. Make and eat them together.
Read “I love you” books together.

Just a thought on motherhood

2011-05-09T15:17:00.005-05:00

I LOOKED ON CHILD REARING NOT ONLY AS A WORK OF LOVE AND DUTY BUT AS A PROFESSION THAT DEMANDED THE BEST THAT I COULD BRING TO IT. -- ROSE KENNEDY

Just a reminder to myself that my 'job' as a mother is every bit as important (& even more so than) my paid job (& really, has much more long-term rewards & responsibilities to go along with it). Been thinking a lot lately about my role as mother, wife, homemaker (& how to keep those roles balanced with my other ones without losing my mind). I half-jokingly told Anthony the other day that I was going to run off & join the circus. He told me I was too hot & had too many teeth to join the circus. I love it when he makes me laugh (when I'm about to cry).

Found the quote here: Motherhood Matters

Just a quote...

2011-01-10T10:10:00.003-06:00

(quote by brene, design/script by ali)

Credit: found here on Kelly Rae Roberts' blog.

Just a Quick Photo Share...

2010-10-25T14:43:00.003-05:00

I'll spare you the apologies for not posting in a while. Suffice it to say nursing school is going well, but trying to balance work, school & family is difficult, to say the least.

Anyhow, I just wanted to share this photo of Ella that has had Anthony & I laughing every time we see it. I'm considering buying the print just for future blackmail material.

It was taken by a photographer that comes to her daycare every fall/spring (like regular school photos). I rarely buy them because I don't like the photos with the fake backgrounds & usually forget to even dress her in non-play clothes (hence the purple crocs that don't match the shirt that isn't even hers - one of her teachers must have felt sorry for her & switcher her shirt with someone else's because she was wearing a tinkerbell shirt that day :)

Her expression is hilarious! This is not a normal 'Ella' expression unless she is being a little toot & is annoyed with us. She looks like she's thinking, "Okay, let's get this photo business done with so I can get back to playing. I'm going to stand her her like you want me to, but you can forget about me smiling."

Too Many Irons in the Fire

2010-06-22T21:48:00.003-05:00

Or rather too many craft projects in progress. How do you know if you have too many projects in progress?

Well, when you have two quilt tops spread out on your pool table (which hasn't been used as an actual pool table in years) waiting to be quilted, a 'found' pallet in the back of your car that needs to be torn apart to use the 2x4's to build closet shelves, a coffee table you built (plans from here) waiting in your husband's shop to be stained (just need some electricity & a little cooler weather for that one - the power has been out since a storm about a month ago knocked down the building next door to the shop we rent), and you've started filling one of your precious few laundry baskets with sewing projects (cloth diapers ready to sew in the replacement elastic & aplix, my sister's quilt that I mentioned here, a few clothes that need to be patched up, etc.) just so you have some room to work. Add to that all the ideas for furniture, baby gifts & Christmas gifts that I have swirling around in my head. In case you can't tell, I skipped right through the decluttering part of my plan to the finishing projects part. Only I've done very little to complete projects I already had going & have started about five extra ones. Help me, Rhonda! How am I ever going to finish all these before Aug. 28th?

Tales From Toddlerhood

2010-05-06T23:58:00.002-05:00

I picked the kids up from daycare this afternoon & was trying to sit Ella in her car seat when she did what I call her 'stiff as a board' trick. Anyone with small children knows what I'm talking about. She will straighten her body out & I cannot wrestle her into a sitting position no matter how hard I try. Usually she does it so I can't buckle her in. This time she wiggled out of my grasp into the floor of the car, said something about 'up', crawled up in the seat all by herself, turned around, sat down & just looked at me like, 'now you can buckle me in.' Obviously she is getting to the 'I can do it all by myself' stage. I alternate between feeling frustrated (b/c of impatience), tickled at how funny it is, downright proud about her learning to do so many things without my help, and sad that she doesn't need/want my help as much anymore. How's that for an emotional rollercoaster? Hee, hee.

Then there are the really adorable things that go along with having a toddler. Like yesterday in the car on the way home hearing her 'read' The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss. It went something like this... "[indecipherable jibberish] baseball, baseball, baseball, [flip page], bye-bye [jibberish], [flip page], Mommy, Daddy, Wesley, Pops, [more jibberish]. I wish I could catch her doing it at home so I could record it - it's adorable.

Or there's tonight when she took two of her finger puppets in the living room & gave one to Anthony. He put it on his finger and said, "Hi, Ella," and she said, "Hi, Daddy."

Then there's her vocabulary that is growing so fast it's unbelievable. Up until yesterday she would almost always say "uh-huh" for yes & only occasionally repeat us and say "yes," which came out sounding like 'sess.' Suddenly she doesn't say "uh-huh" anymore. Now it's "yeah" every time. She almost sounds Canadian the way she says it.

I could go on with more little stories about the joys & trials of having a toddler, but it's midnight & my eyelids are getting pretty heavy so I'll have to save them for another day.

On Household Matters...

2010-04-26T05:00:00.002-05:00

I’m on a mission to get our household running like a well-oiled machine before nursing classes start at the end of August. It seems like every time I go through a season of life when I am overwhelmed, the state of our house reflects that & looks like a tornado hit it. I am not embarrassed to admit that I’m not the best housekeeper to begin with (okay, maybe I’m a little embarrassed to admit that). My house is not one that you can just drop by unannounced & expect it to be presentable enough for company. Though I have the best intentions, I fail in execution. But, when I am overwhelmed, the house looks even worse than normal, with piles everywhere and everyone playing a sort of Russian roulette every day with whether they will have clean clothes to wear or dishes to eat on or food to eat for that matter. Sad, isn’t it? Granted this sad state of affairs has only happened a few times. One that comes to mind is the weeks that I was plagued with all-day nausea in the first part of my pregnancy with Ella (before I gave in to my doctor & starting taking anti-nausea medicine). I am determined to not let that happen again. One of the ways I’m heading off that situation now is by implementing some checklists & chore charts for all of us (except Ella – although I'm teaching her to clean up after herself & help with simple tasks, I think it’s a little early for a checklist for her).

Anyhow, the point of this post is to share some of things I’m using/planning on using in the hopes they might help someone else and also in the hopes that I’ll follow through since I’ve written it down & put it out there.

Household Chores: Motivated Moms has several different versions of planners. I’m using the full page per week one (the first one on the list).

Wesley’s checklists: This is something we tried for a bit right after Ella was born. It seemed to work okay then. Amazingly Wesley actually requested that I make these for him again the other day. I thought it was both funny & endearing that he wanted a checklist – evidence that he must be my child after all. If you are interested in my template just email me.

Meal Planner: E-Mealz. I used this for about 6 months when Ella was an infant & liked it overall. Some of the meals were a little unusual for our tastes (and I would say we’re not picky eaters), but I loved not having to think up meals & already having a shopping list made out for me. I’m planning on using this in conjunction with some of our family favorites that I can make in batches & freeze (things like PW’s Chicken Spaghetti) or that can be made in the crockpot without too much work (like this recipe for a whole chicken that we can make into two meals by having taco soup the next day).

And, lastly, printing out my calendar from Entourage (the version of Outlook for Mac) each month to post at home so it will have game schedules, my classes, birthdays, etc. already on it & all I will have to fill in is the day to day things that come up.

I also have big plans to go through every nook & cranny of our house during the break between my spring classes (last final is May 12^th) & my summer class (starts July 13^th) and get rid of a bunch of junk + get the rest of the stuff organized. I’ve already gone through one desk, one dresser, part of one storage closet & started on my scrapbooking closet/area. Then, during the two week break I’ll have between the end of my summer class & the start of nursing school I’m planning on getting some projects I’ve been working on for a loonngg time wrapped up – namely Wesley’s baby book (almost ten years in the making & I’ve completely started over twice) & finishing a quilt that I started in a quilting class I took in the summer of 2003 that I ‘gave’ to my sister, Megan, for Christmas that year in pieces (I had all the blocks made & some of the quilting done) – she has been reminding me to finish it for her almost every time I see her. I think I might have good excuses for not getting it done yet. Some of the big ones are moving twice, getting engaged/planning a wedding/getting married, buying a house, finishing two degrees + starting another, starting a new job, remodeling our one bathroom, having a baby (all in the last seven years, but not necessarily in that order).

Credit for finding the meal planner & household chores list goes to Susan Wyatt. I found both those from her sharing them on her blog.

4 people 12 times

2010-04-15T05:00:00.001-05:00

I love Tara Whitney's photography. I visit her site & her blog on occasion for inspiration. She is doing something so neat with her family of six. Once a month she's taking a group shot & jotting down some things about her family from that month - what they've been doing, listening to, favorite dinner of the month, etc.

I have not had much time in the past year or two (let's be honest, I haven't had time since little miss Ella came along) to do much in the way of scrapbooking. And, in the last year since I started back to school I haven't done much in the way of blogging either. So, my solution is to copy Tara's idea for my little family of four. Anthony, consider yourself warned.

With any luck I'll be able to keep up with it for the next year then print it out into a little coffee table book, sort of like a yearbook for our family.

And, because I think posts look funny without a picture, here's one I took of Ella & I a couple weeks ago with my iPhone.

Ella & the train

2010-04-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

Ella LOVES trains. It started with her receiving "The Little Engine That Could" book from the Reading Railroad program they have here in Tennessee (she gets a free book each month until she turns five). That book became her favorite, and she carried it around with her everywhere.
We live near a train track & now every time one goes by she runs to the storm door to watch it. Anthony sometimes shows her train videos on youtube to keep her entertained. It works magically until he tells her they're all done watching them.
We just happened to be outside playing a week or so ago & one came by. You can see in the first few seconds of the video how excited she gets about them.

McSweeney's Lists

2010-03-19T05:00:00.003-05:00

I'll spare you the 'it's been a while since I posted' stuff & just get to the very important, random bit of internet gold I found. I'm using 'important' rather loosely here, and while we're being perfectly honest, I really didn't find it myself either. I saw it linked from a post on Cathy Zielske's blog.

I love lists. I make lists for the usual things like grocery shopping or to-do lists and also for more unneccessary things like movies I want to see, things I want for my kitchen (springform pan, anyone?... no, just me?... okay then), or crafty things I want to make (like a doll for Ella similar to one I had as a child with the buttons, zipper and snaps for her to learn to dress herself). Anyways, because I love lists, I love this site/blog - McSweeney's Lists. Here's some examples of some of the lists: Common Sense Problems to Alt-Pop Song Problems, How to Put on a Sports Bra (I was laughing so hard at this one I was in tears. Sorry, men, but you probably won't get it), My Personal Netflix Recommendation Categories or Toddler Super Powers (one especially applicable to my life right now). So, if you need a good laugh, take a look around. Oh, and tell 'em I sent you. On second thought, don't. They might not let you in if you do.

P.S. Happy Birthday shout-out to my sister, Megan, who is back in the Middle East for her second tour of duty (for the next 12 months) & to one of my oldest friends (not in age, just in how long we've been friends), Justin. Hope you two have a good birthday.

Meet the newest member of our family

2010-01-29T18:32:00.001-06:00

Introducing Buddy, a 7 month old dachshund and the newest member of our family. We're doing a trial run with him for a couple weeks to make sure he's a good fit for us and vice versa. The kids are loving him. We just picked him up today and so far he's been very well-behaved. He likes to cuddle - my kind of dog.

A Fitting Final Resting Place

2010-01-08T17:18:00.000-06:00

This little exchange happened between Anthony & I the other day while watching the Fiesta Bowl on tv. First, a little background. Anyone who has been around Anthony for any significant amount of time knows how much he is into cars, trucks, motorcycles, really anything that has the possibility of going fast since his interest crosses over into boats and airplanes on occasion. I don't know if there is a proper adjective to describe his interest in vehicles. He's more than enthusiastic, some days I might call it obsessed (depends on what mood I'm in). He can explain in detail how some part will increase the horse power of a motor (or gas mileage - his go-to choice of results for swaying me on the advantages of purchasing said component). I usually lose him about halfway into the very technical explanation & just have to nod along.
Anyhow, for those who know him, this conversation will not sound the least bit odd, but for those who don't, I had to preface it with that explanation or you would think my husband was a bit nutso.
He's relaxing in the recliner, flipping through a Moon Eyes catalog. Some people read the paper or a novel for bedtime reading. My husband 'reads' automotive parts catalogs.
Anthony: When I die, I want to be cremated & put in this.
He leans over & points to something on the page that looks like a big metal container of some kind.
Me: Huh?
Anthony: It's a limited edition Moon Eyes fuel tank. Look it has a spinner cap.
Me: You want to be put in that?!
Anthony: Yeah, it would be cool.
Me: Uh, what if I just take you to Bonneville and spread your ashes there?

(aside: the Bonneville Salt Flats are the site of Speed Week & other car enthusiast related events. Apparently every serious hot rodder must make a pilgrimage there at least once in their life & respectable drag racers will eventually become a member of the 200 mph club)
Anthony: That would be good, but you would have to take me in this fuel tank. C'mon, it doesn't cost that much.
I glance at the the price. His 'not that much' & my 'not that much' are not the same.
Anthony: Okay, so it's not cheap, but it's less than the cost of a casket.
Me: True...

Happy Holidays

2009-12-27T22:23:00.004-06:00

Sorry to leave you with such a depressing post for so long. I meant to post this one on Christmas, but alas, one sugar-hyped toddler & not enough time to cook, pack & get ready to go pick up Wesley before heading to my parents' house interfered. So, my holiday wishes to blogland are late just like the Christmas cards I mailed two days before Christmas. Better late than never, right?

I hope you and yours had a very Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.
Anthony & I saw a little decade in review on the news tonight. They started with the ball dropping at midnight marking the beginning of 2000, & I said to him, "I remember where I was that night." I can figure out what I was likely doing on most new year's eve's in the last fifteen years or so based on what year it was, but I actually remember December 31, 1999, where I was, who was there, what movie we were watching & the games we were playing, who I was there with. I remember how excited I was about 2000. After all, I was a high school senior & would be starting college somewhere that fall. My, how things change in ten year's time. I was so young then, still very naive and innocent, & on my way out of the angst-filled teenage years. The last ten years have flown by. It seems like I just blinked and went from that young girl to being the wife & mother of two.

Sorry, didn't mean to ramble on like that. Here's the picture we sent out in our Christmas cards this year (it's not the best one we've taken, but not the worst either).

Reminiscing

2009-12-21T22:10:00.000-06:00

I was working on my list for Christmas cards this weekend, going through my address spreadsheet and deleting the names of former boyfriends or spouses, adding names of new babies and spouses. It struck me how much my family has changed over the last year. I don't mean to sound crude or to talk about personal business, but several couples have split up in our family, and it breaks my heart to see them going through what they are going through. It makes me wish I could take some superglue & glue all the broken pieces back together, then throw some pixie dust on them to make things all better. How naive we were as little kids, thinking the prince always finds his princess, and they live happily ever after. How simple & easy that was, huh? I wish it were that way.

Sorry for such a downer of a post, but am I the only one who longs for those simpler times?

I guess if there's anything positive that comes out of all that brokenness, it's that it makes me hold on to what I've got even tighter. It makes me realize how fragile those threads that bind us together really are.

Kelly Corrigan video

2009-12-18T22:37:00.001-06:00

I saw this video linked from Cathy Zielske's blog. If you are a woman (or even if you're not)
you should take 5 minutes to watch this video. It is beyond touching.

Edited to add: (12/27) I read Kelly's book, "The Middle Place" over the last three days. There are not many books that can make me both laugh out loud & cry big crocodile tears & still feel good about at the end. It is most definitely a good book.

Loads of videos to share...

2009-12-14T21:35:00.002-06:00

Thanks to my very kind father-in-law, Greg, we have a new Flip video camera. I love it. Although I'm sure we will still use our more hefty Sony handycam, this little baby is so simple & compact & still gives what I think is a great picture (for our use at least, which is basically just watching the videos at home or loading them on here for friends & family to see). Okay, end of commercial, now to the videos.

I know I owe you since it's been more than a month (don't say I didn't warn you that posts would be scarce with me being back in school), so I have several videos to share from the last week or so since I tore into my Christmas present a little prematurely. For the record, Greg, Anthony made me do it.

This is what happens when Daddy supervises snack time. Ella loves pretzels, but she loves pretzels dipped in Nutella even more.

Ella playing around with her clothes basket. She was walking all over the house with it on her head. Of course when I tried to record it she wouldn't put it back on for me.

Ella & I going down the big slide at Santa's Village, an annual event that our city's Parks & Recreation dept. puts on. The admission is either toys or canned food, which they then give out to needy families for Christmas. We don't have any pictures/video of the decorations, but they always have this enormous Christmas tree & an 'enchanted forest' that the kids enjoy, too. Wesley didn't get to go with us this year because he was gone to his dad's all weekend, so that's why he's missing from all the videos.

This video is a little loud so you might want to turn down your speakers a little before you hit play. You can't hear her over the noise, but Ella kept saying, "Wee," as we were coming down the slide. You can see her pull back when we get to the gate because she wanted to go again.

Ella LOVES trains.

Ella doing some crazy dancing.

Wesley is also missing from most of these because he's camera shy. You can see his reaction when he sees the camera in this one. We were trying to get Ella to say all the words she knows. I forgot to ask several of them, like fish ("pish") and more ("moe").

You can see more videos from Santa's Village & around the house if you go to my youtube page (it should link to it at the end of any of the above videos).

Melissa & Doug toys

2009-11-09T10:51:00.002-06:00

If you have small children you have probably seen or heard of Melissa & Doug toys. (Shameless plug alert)... My friend, Sunny, carries some in her store. Most of the things I've suggested to family for Ella this year have been Melissa & Doug toys. As I was adding things on her Amazon wish list, I saw this kitchen. Oh, the hours of fun I had playing with the pretend kitchen my sister, Megan, & I had. I want one for Ella. Of course, she's still a little small for it this year. That didn't stop me from adding it to her list. I have a feeling I've got her Christmas present next year all wrapped up (no pun intended). Anyways, I clicked over to the Melissa & Doug website to see more detailed pictures & what do you know, they are giving away one of the play kitchens on their blog this month. How awesome would it be to win one for Ella?! They have several ways to enter & blogging about the giveaway earns me 5 entries. So, this post just got me a little closer to possibly winning it. If you have a little budding chef, head on over to their blog & enter, too. If you don't, still have a look at their toys. They're high quality, well-designed & inspire lots of imaginative play.

What a pair...

2009-11-06T20:41:00.003-06:00

We had a cute, cuddly elephant & a very scary grim reaper on our hands for Halloween last weekend.

I feel like Wesley's costume deserves an explanation. Most everyone that reads our blog knows that Wesley visits his dad every other weekend. It just so happened that Halloween fell on his dad's weekend this year, so he had the pleasure/responsibility of costume hunting. And, hunt he did. Wesley's first pick was Iron Man. I'm not sure how many stores were visited in search of said costume, but there were none to be found in Wesley's size. So, they moved on to a G.I. Joe costume. Same song, different verse. I never asked for details, but I assume they were to the point that they just had to take what was left. Anyhow, an hour or so of hair & makeup & my sweet, wholesome boy was transformed into a grim reaper. Anthony, Ella & I stopped in Dover to see him & take these pictures. We were there for a good 30 minutes, and I honestly don't think Ella ever recognized it was Wesley. She kept giving him the funniest look. I'm surprised she sat next to him long enough to get a picture of them together.

Dancing Baby

2009-10-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

This video is so cute!

Rug photos

2009-10-14T20:46:00.000-05:00

I got behind last year posting Ella's rug pictures from each month & just gave up. I was recently working on a photo book to give one of my parents for their birthday & this is one of the pages I put in there. It's crazy how fast they grow that first year, huh?

Warning: Long Post Ahead

2009-10-07T22:07:00.006-05:00

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I mentioned a while back that we were making some changes at our house. I have been thinking about this post for a while & what I want to say, as much for the benefit of you guys reading and for myself, so I can flesh out what I am feeling and thinking about all of this. As much as I’m building this up, you’re going to think it’s something monumental or something. I guess for me it kind of is.

To start off, a little history. Most of you know that growing up I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was set on it & didn’t waiver until after I applied to vet school in my Junior year of undergraduate school. I got on the waiting list that year, but didn’t get in. I was heartbroken for a while. Of course, my college advisor at that time (I got a different one later) didn’t necessarily tell me in plain English that getting accepted on the 3-year program was rare. It just so happened that one of my friends & classmates actually did get in that year. I was not a very good friend when I found out he had gotten in because I was jealous that it was him & not me and kept thinking, what does he have that I don’t? Aside from me bumbling through my interview, we were largely on the same playing field as far as grades & such. I don’t think I ever said anything to him that let on to what I was feeling, but I still remember sitting in Biochemistry waiting for class to start and praying I didn’t burst into tears if the teacher called on me after I found out he had gotten in. If he’s reading I want to apologize for not being happier and more excited for him.

Anyways, I continued through my senior year of undergraduate, feeling more and more like God was telling me vet school wasn’t what he wanted for me to do. I was mostly okay with that. The only problem was I didn’t know what I should be doing if I wasn’t going to go to vet school. I still applied that fall - mostly just because I wanted to prove to myself that I could get accepted & also because I still wasn’t sure what I needed to be doing & didn’t want my parents panicking about my lack of direction just yet. In hindsight I should have at least hinted to them that I was leaning toward not going. I talked to my advisor a few times about what I wanted to do and made a half-hearted attempt at applying to grad schools (found out later that summer that I didn’t get accepted to either of the ones I applied to). I was invited to interview for vet school in the spring & went, knowing that I was 98% sure I was going to turn it down if I got accepted.

I got accepted & rejected the offer from the UT vet school. My parents were devastated that I wasn’t going. I should mention that between the fall when I applied & the spring when I interviewed I had met Anthony & fallen head over heels in love. I’m quite sure my parents blamed my decision to not go to vet school totally on him. The thing is he and I had several conversations about me thinking I shouldn’t be going but not really knowing what I should be doing. He was willing to move to Knoxville for me to go to vet school if that’s what I wanted. So, fast forward several months of inner turmoil for me, planning a wedding, graduating with my B.S. in Animal Science, buying a house, working part-time, etc. We got married and moved to a small town nearby, and I started looking for a ‘real’ job to use my Animal Science degree. I tried to get on in management at a local Tyson plant, checked around at a few other places, but again, not very enthusiastically because I really wasn’t sure about anything career-wise. I substitute taught in the local school system for a few months while I was looking for a job.

I was starting to get desperate when my old advisor called me up & said they needed some secretarial help in the office where I had been a student worker for three years & asked if I might be interested since he knew I was still looking for a job. I took the job. Ironically, not even a month later the guy I had been talking to at Tyson called and said they had an opening now & asked if I still wanted to interview for the position. I knew my boss had pulled a few strings to get my position to full-time to help me out & we had already had conversations about the possibility of me working my way up to a better paying position, so I turned down the Tyson interview. Fast forward a few months and my boss has convinced me that I should take advantage of the free tuition (up to 9 hours/semester) offered to full-time employees of the university and go to graduate school to get my Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). I figure ‘why not’ - I don’t want to be a secretary for the rest of my life & this is a surefire way to qualify me for better positions if we ever move to a bigger city.

By the time I finish the program two years later (I had to take a couple undergrad prerequisites & the GRE before I could start the grad program) I’m what you would call ‘baby-crazy’ in a bad way, and we get pregnant my last semester before graduating. In that two years my boss goes to bat for me to get a promotion because I have taken on so much more responsibility after the person above me in the office transferred to another department & there was some shuffling of duties in the office. So, I have Ella in February of 2008, about six months after grad school graduation. We spent a week in Centennial Women’s Hospital for preterm labor hoping & praying she wouldn’t come too early, then three weeks at home on bedrest, still hoping & praying, before my water broke at 36 weeks (technically it broke at 35 weeks, 5 days, but anyways) and she was born 4 weeks early. She spent a few nerve-wracking days in the neonatal ICU (NICU) before coming home on a billi blanket for jaundice. In the two months that followed her birth Anthony’s mom went downhill pretty fast. We spent about a week living in the hospital thinking she was going to pass away any minute (I’m sorry I don’t know a nicer way of saying that). Fast forward over the next several months which are bittersweet for Anthony & I, mourning the loss of his mother while being simultaneously overjoyed about Ella being in our family.

Then, in January, seemingly out of the blue I got the bright idea to go back to school again. I say seemingly out of the blue, because Anthony has never heard me say a thing about wanting to completely change careers. I think he had to realize that I wasn’t satisfied with my current job, but thought I might just change jobs to find something I liked better. My job is definitely challenging so I really don’t have time to get bored, but I also don’t have time to ever feel like I’m caught up. I always wanted to be able to stay home more with my kids. Even when I wanted to be a vet, I hoped I could live in a big enough city that I could just work part-time. Especially after I got married I realized more and more that being a stay-at-home mom would make me so much happier than having a big title at work or a corner office with a view.

Over the last year in particular God has been really working on my heart. I can feel Him slowly but surely shaping me and molding my desires (when I allow Him) to what He wants out of me. So, what seemed to be out of the blue to Anthony (and probably the rest of my family and the few friends I’ve told so far) was not for me. You see, I haven’t ever felt satisfied with working 40 hours a week (or more) at a desk job that when I leave at night I have a million things hanging over me that, yes, are important for me to get done if I want to keep my job & thereby keep the roof over our head, but that if I think about them in the long run, really have no lasting significance. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think what I do is useless. I just feel like I’m constantly pushing paperwork and getting way too anxious over things which are not that important in the larger scheme of things. God has been showing me that nothing I could do out in the world could be as important as the job I do at home as a wife and mother – that is what is going to have a lasting impact. As one blogger puts it, He’s been ‘turning my heart towards home.’

So, I have always loved science, especially in the area of reproduction. When I was pregnant with Ella in particular I read several books about the process of giving birth, lots of research based articles about birthing in the U.S., etc. I liked learning about what was going on with my body physiologically as it underwent so many important changes to nurture her and help bring her into the world.

So, enough (probably way more than enough) background. I am back in school & am pursuing a second B.S., in nursing. I am going to become an RN (registered nurse) and plan on working in labor & delivery. I have held off telling people outside my parents & close friends because I wanted to be double & triple sure of my decision before announcing to the world that I’m a crazy lifelong student who can’t make up her mind what she wants to do for a career (or at least I think that’s the way other people see it). I spent the summer taking psychology classes online & am currently taking the first of two semesters of Anatomy & Physiology that are required before I can start the nursing program next fall. The program here is 6 semesters long (fall & spring), so I will graduate in the spring of 2013 (that seems so far away right now, but I know I’m going to be so busy that it will fly by). Ironically, my youngest sister who is in her sophomore year of college right now, will graduate a year before me (and she’s 7 years younger than me). I’m not quitting my job (we kinda need health insurance and to be able to pay our bills). My boss has agreed to work around the nursing school schedule & let me stay on here full-time until I’m done. The days leading up to that conversation with my boss were nerve-wracking, let me tell you. That whole thing is a story in itself. Let’s just say it was obvious to me that God was at work there.

Anyhow, it’s going to be a long, challenging road to completing the program, but I’m up for the challenge. I have talked to several nurses and feel like I know as well as I can what I’m getting myself into. I job shadowed an L&D nurse at a local hospital for a 12 hour shift a couple weekends ago to make double sure I really wanted to do this nursing thing. It only made me more sure that I could be an L&D nurse and more than that, that I would enjoy being one. I’m okay with the long shifts, with the possibility of working nights, with the schedule (certain other people are not okay with it, but I’m hoping they come around). For me, the chance to work less hours and still make what I’m making now means I’ll be able to spend that time with my family. If we ever move to a bigger city where there are more scheduling options for nurses it’s completely feasible that I could work one or two night shifts a week and never have to put my kids in daycare (no offense meant to daycare – I just hate having to leave them with someone other than me or Anthony). I know it’s a little ironic that I’m taking time away from my family to go to nursing school, but I believe it will be worth it in the long run. I’m excited about the possibility of working at a job that I’m passionate about & that I know (even if I won’t get recognition or even a lot of thanks) is going to make a difference in people’s lives. I still remember the way the nurses took care of me & Wesley, then me & Ella the three different times I’ve been in the hospital. I may not remember many of their names or even some of their faces, but I remember how they treated me with kindness and respect and helped us tremendously during some difficult times (pre-term labor scare, NICU and Anthony’s mom). I want to be one of those people for other women. I want to be there to help them bring their babies into the world. I’m certainly not naïve – I know it’s not always a joyous occasion, but I still think it’s a job worth spending my time doing.

So, that’s my big news & also the reason I haven’t had time to post here lately. Family, school & work take precedence over blogging time, so you probably won’t hear a whole lot out of me except during breaks & when I get a second to post a short & sweet story or something.

Wow, if you made it all the way to the end of this, I owe you one.

The price you pay for having a daddy's girl

2009-08-24T22:28:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty sure it's worth it to him. And, I have a feeling he'll be joining many a tea party in the future. But, shhh, don't tell him I posted these on here.

I used to feel a little bad that Ella favored me over Anthony. She wanted me when she was hurt or tired. She only gave me kisses. She wouldn't go to sleep for him. But then... then I weaned her & it's been all down hill for me since then. She did a 360 is all about daddy all the time now. Except, if you listened to the video of her talking, she doesn't call him daddy. She calls him momma. When I tell her no & she pitches a fit, guess who she goes running to? And when she's exhausted and weepy about everything, guess who can get her to stop crying? Not me. She would stand at the window & watch him mow the yard for hours (if it actually took that long to mow it). Is it wrong that I'm a little jealous of how much she adores him now?

She's becoming a talker

2009-08-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

Ella has a few words in her repertoire now.

She's been saying these for at least a month or two:
Ball - "bahl"
Uh-oh - "huh-hoh"
Momma
Bye-bye
(She was saying "da-da" for a long time, but she stopped a few months ago & has taken to calling Anthony & pretty much any other caregiver as well as Wesley by "ma-ma")

Just in the last couple weeks she's added:
Kitty - "ki-ki"
Shoes - "dues"
Ow - "ohww"
Thank you - "de-de"
No - "nahh"

I got her to say most of them in these videos. Warning: she bumps her head on the desk in the first one, but she's okay. Oh, and we let her play with the (non-toxic) highlighter because she likes taking the top off & putting it back on, but we don't let her put it in her mouth.

The many faces of Ella

2009-08-05T05:00:00.001-05:00

I was sorting through some older pictures tonight (trying to get caught up with uploading some to flickr from last November until now) and found a sequence of pictures from Ella's monthly photo shoot at the end of November. She has some of the cutest & funniest faces.

So serious.

Dancing Queen and other videos...

2009-08-03T18:31:00.003-05:00

Ella loves to dance. She cracks us up every time she does it, too. I think Anthony & I could be entertained all night just watching her boogie down in the living room. Here are a couple videos of her doing her thing to Dave Matthews Band and to some bluegrass music (Anthony even joined in for that one - shh, don't tell him there are videos of him dancing posted on the internet).

Here's one just for Sunny. She sent these squeaker shoes for Ella to wear. They're still a little bit big, but Ella loves shoes so I put them on her one day. This was her reaction...

I don't think I'll be sending her to daycare in those any time soon. Her teachers might want to kill me if I did.

Like I said, the girl loves shoes. We had to go shoe shopping for shoes for Anthony a few weeks ago. We didn't find any for him, but we left with a pair for her. We found out that you don't 'try' shoes on Ella unless you intend for her to wear them out of the store. She usually has to ride in a buggy in stores so she was really happy that she got to walk around all over the store in her new (slightly too big) shoes.

Disclaimer: that fall at the end of the video looks way worse than it was. This one was a few seconds later...

And, a couple from when Anthony's dad was visiting last month & the kids were playing in their new pool and on the slip n' slide.

Sorry about the video overload. I had a lot that I needed to upload and post.
I'm hoping to get a new video camera for Christmas so I won't have to use my dinky cell phone one anymore.

One Year Ago

2009-07-18T22:47:00.004-05:00

Do you ever look through your digital pictures from exactly a year ago? I do sometimes to see what we were doing on that day a year, two years, three years ago (my digital pictures only go back to 2006). I was recently looking through them to find a picture I had taken of my father-in-law and Ella when he was here last year to compare to one I took of them together when he was here a few weeks ago. What a difference a little more than a year makes, huh?

Ella and Grandpa G - April 2008

Ella and Grandpa G - June 2009
She was too busy playing to want to take a picture -
about a second after this she was running around again.

And, a couple pictures of her from exactly a year ago (at least exactly a year from the day I started writing this post about a week ago). She was just about rolling over and was all chubby cheeks and chubby legs. Now she's all over the place and into everything and (sadly) losing her baby chubbiness (if that's even a word).

Link Love

2009-07-10T05:00:00.002-05:00

I think I may post a collection of links every now and then that have been inspiring me, challenging me or that have just made me laugh. Here goes…

Back to the Basics series starting on Simple Mom (first post in the series here)– I have a post that I’ve been ruminating on (sorry, my Animal Science background bubbles up into my speech every now & then) that sort of addresses this in my own life and talks about some changes I’ve been making ‘round these parts.
Heroe’s salute – I have a sister in the Army, a brother-in-law in the Marines and a good friend who served a term in the Air National Guard. All three have been deployed at least once in the past eight or so years. I also have a grandfather who served in World War II and both Anthony’s father & paternal grandfather served in the military. Needless to say, we are mindful of the sacrifices our military make/have made for our freedom & our protection. But, the video that Karen Russell links to in this post is still a good reminder that “freedom don’t come free.” Her post is also worthy of your time to read it – her husband has a very good point (no disrespect to Michael Jackson or his family).
On a lighter note (unless you’re talking about caloric weight), I happened upon an older recipe post on Pioneer Woman’s blog for blackberry cobbler that I will be making very soon. I rarely see recipes online where I think, “I have to make this NOW!” but this is one of those. I love, love, love my mom’s blackberry cobbler, but bless her heart, she’s just not good at handing down recipes. It would probably go something like this…
Her: Well, you need a good bit of blackberries
Me: How much is a good bit?
Her: Oh, about two cups, I think. Then, you’ll need some flour and sugar.
Me: Um, how much?
Her: Hmm… Maybe a cup of flour and ¾ cup of sugar. I don’t really know. I just put more in the bowl until it looks like enough.
Me: Well, okay then.
Could you put all the states in the right place on a U.S. map? Here’s a neat little game where you can test your knowledge of U.S. Geography. The best I could do was 96% right & an average of 5 miles off. It’s also a good way to goof off when you’re procrastinating at doing something (I won’t tell you how many times I played it before I got that score). If you play it, come back & tell me your top score (unless you stomp mine & then, well, spare me the humiliation).

And, a picture just because I've been posting too much lately without one...

She was 'helping' plant some flowers.

In Case You Need a Baby Fix

2009-07-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

One of the blogs I follow is Grimsaburger. Her baby girl, Nuala, is 6 weeks old and completely adorable. She posted a video today of her 'talking' during a diaper change. If you need a baby fix, you should definitely watch the video. If you are dead set on not having any more children, you should stay far, far away. I'm serious, folks. This video could potentially change your mind & make you want to have a baby right now. Or.... maybe it just has that affect on me.

Either way, click here to see it.

PS22 chorus

2009-06-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen any of the youtube videos of the PS22 chorus (PS22 is a public school in NYC) you are really missing out. Here is my favorite that I've seen so far...

They've been featured on several shows - The Bonnie Hunt show, Nightline (last night), and others.

If watching these videos doesn't fill you up with emotions & give you chills, I think you might want to check your pulse :)

Cloth Diaper Related

2009-06-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Simple Mom has been doing a series this week on cloth diapering, including some of the basics, videos on how to put them on & wash them, and much more. Even for someone who has been doing the cloth diapering thing for over a year, I learned a thing or two.

If you are curious about cloth diapering or have looked into it but been overwhelmed by the overload of information on the internet, I highly recommend taking a look at her posts.

Also, for this weekend only, she's giving away some sweet prizes. So, go throw your name in the hat & maybe you'll win some of the cute diapers she's giving away.

I'm a Messy Cook

2009-06-02T22:27:00.000-05:00

I am definitely NOT one of those cooks who can whip up something delicious and leave the kitchen sparkling clean. Nope, not me. This is a lot closer to what my kitchen looks like every time I bake...

Notice the weird shape of the powdered sugar on the flour?
This is where the rest of it was...

Someone has to lick the icing bowl clean...

The finished product...
(lighting is a little off - the icing was actually white)

This was by far the best from scratch cake I've ever made. Of course, I've only made two (that I can remember). One when I was a preteen (chocolate w/ chocolate icing) that was absolutely horrible. And, one for Anthony's birthday the year before last (red velvet at his request) that was probably just as bad as the first one. I think we may have just eaten one piece each & thrown the rest away.

The recipe for this cake is from Pioneer Woman. It's called a Strawberry Shortcake Cake. Anthony & I practically polished the whole thing off ourselves within a few days (I think Wesley & my father-in-law had one piece each). Yum!

Anyhow, just tryin' to keep it real around her.

Uh-oh Someone Got In Trouble

2009-06-01T21:54:00.006-05:00

Look what came home with Ella's gram (a daily sheet from daycare where they record what she eats, when she sleeps, etc.) today...

Yes, our sweet, chubby cheeked little girlie actually bit one of her "friends" today. I was a little shocked when they told me this afternoon. She's never bit any of us at home, except for once when I was fishing around in her mouth for new teeth - couldn't blame her for that one, though.

Wesley went through the biting stage quickly & with very few incidents. Let's hope it's the same for Ella.

Edited to Add: I talked to her teacher the next day and found out the poor little girl that Ella bit had just moved up to that class. It was her first day. What a horrible initiation! I saw the bruise on her tiny little arm. Yes, a bruise! I almost starting crying for her.

Don't Trust A Girl Left Alone With A Package of Oreos

2009-05-28T20:25:00.024-05:00

Earlier this evening I was on the phone with my sister-in-law while finishing up dinner. Ella was in the living room playing with a nearly empty package of Oreos. She was shaking it like a maraca, making lots of noise. It got quiet for a minute, so I went in to check on her. When I saw her I started laughing so hard I couldn't even explain to Lynsey what she had done.

Luckily there were only two in the package. She had already eaten one when I got in there. She quickly stuffed the second in her mouth & devoured it, too. Then, she tried to wash it down with some milk (her momma taught her well). Alas, the glass was empty (thank goodness for that). That next to last picture is her excited face. She scrunches up her nose when she's really happy or excited - so cute!

After cleaning her up & eating dinner she went straight into the pack 'n' play so she didn't create any more mischief.

In my defense, I usually don't leave packages of food lying around in her reach. She's getting in three teeth at the same time. We had a rough night last night. She woke up after being in bed for maybe 45 minutes and thought it was party time. I think we both passed out on the couch around 11:30.

Conversations in the Car, Chapter Two

2009-05-22T22:57:00.003-05:00

This was a conversation between Wesley & I had one afternoon a few weeks ago. We were leaving Rural King & saw the store owners (I'm assuming) walking out to a helicopter parked (do helicopters park?) beside the store. It looked like they were getting ready to leave so we waited for what seemed like forever for them to start it & take off. It was pretty cool. As we were leaving...

Wesley: That was so cool!
W: You know, you can't roll down the windows on a helicopter

Me: No, you can't.

W: So if you puke, you have to puke in a bag.

M: You are correct. *laughing*
W: But I wouldn't puke.
M: You wouldn't?
W: No, cause I'm not afraid of heights.

I thought it was so funny (& kind of gross) that I made a scrapbook page about it...

that diagonal line on the layout isn't there IRL (in real life)
it's just from having to scan it in two separate parts since the layout is 12x12 & my scanner is not

Spring Cleaning for Normal People

2009-05-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos

So, if you've visited our blog in the last couple weeks you've noticed the button over to the right about the spring cleaning party at simple mom. Well, I need to make a confession...

I haven't made it past day two. I'm thinking I should start a spring cleaning for full-time-outside-the-home-working-moms-in-the-middle-of-baseball-season-and-the-busiest-time-of-the-year-at-work party. How's that for a catchy title?

Anyhoo, if you're interested in following along with my progress or *gasp* want to join in, I'm still going to follow simple mom's lead with the areas & process, just at a much (MUCH) slower pace. Call me a snail spring cleaner. Ha, ha, get it? Snail's pace, spring cleaning. Ho, ho, he, he - okay, no one else is laughing. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

I'll be linking to her day-by-day process with some before & after pics as I move through the house. If you want to join me, post on today's post & just say, "Hey, count me in," or "My house is filthy, too" (just to make me feel better) or "I like the color blue" - I'm not picky about blog comments (or the lack thereof - hint, hint for you lovely people who drop by & leave no evidence you've visited :)

The older I get the less I like clutter & general schtuff in my house so this should be fun. I've never done an overall cleaning out in a (relatively) short period of time. It's usually more of a can't-close-the-closet-door induced purging or (more often) an oh-no-our-parents-are-coming-to-visit-in-two-days cleaning of the house from top to bottom (which equals not a very thorough job - think surface clean). Mom, Dad, if you are reading, just forget you read that last sentence. I promise my house stays that clean 365 days a year.

Worn-Out Woman Syndrome

2009-05-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you noticed, but I recently changed up the blog links in my sidebar, not only to include a blogroll, but also to add some new blogs, like Crystal Paine's Biblical Womanhood, Money Saving Mom and Mom of Littles. I have been so blessed over the last few weeks since I found her from Simple Mom (who I found from Ali Edwards). Not only have I become an avid coupon clipper, but I've also begun examining a lot of the things in my life which are unneccessary distractions from my main purpose in life - to live a life that glorifies God. In this season of my life (as Crystal puts it), that means pouring my energy into being my best as a wife, mother, homemaker and employee.

I've been slowly reading through some of her older posts on Biblical Womanhood and have been soaking up her Godly advice on a number of subjects. One of her series, From Exhaustion to Rejuvenation, Overcoming the Worn-Out Woman Syndrome, (four different links to the four posts) is something I have found to be especially helpful. I don't know about you ladies, but I never realized how very much there is to do as a mother and/or wife until I became one. Ever since then I have felt (to varying degrees) like I'm burning the candle at both ends just trying to take care of children and husband while attempting to keep a spotless, well-organized home (emphasis on the attempting). Throw on top of that trying to be a dedicated full-time employee, a good friend, sister, daughter and church member.

Anyhoo, I just thought I would share links to that series so it might help someone else who has felt the way I do. I'm quite sure I'm not alone in feeling overwhelmed with the day-to-day of being a wife/mother. I'm sure if you are neither a wife, mother or homemaker that you can still glean some helpful information from her posts.

Her name...

2009-05-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

I saved this post as a draft a couple months before Ella was born last year since we were keeping her name a secret. I just saw it the other day & realized I had never posted it.

Made this with a neat little site called Spell with Flickr. It uses images from Flickr to spell your word. Pretty cool.

mine...

Anthony's...

and, Wesley's...

just a cute picture

2009-05-15T23:03:00.002-05:00

Try to look at this picture & not smile. Just try.

I bet you can't. At least, I know I can't.

Document your weekend

2009-05-15T07:02:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Ali Edwards' blog this morning. I took a class she taught a couple years ago at CKU Nashville called A Week In the Life where you document your everyday life in pictures & by recording the little details like what you ate that day, what you worked on, etc. Even just two years out it's neat to look at the album & see what our life was like pre-Ella. I would encourage you to try her challenge for the weekend even if you're not a 'scrapbooker' - you can post the pictures on your blog or just stick the prints in a picture album & add some little 3x5 cards behind them recording the details of your weekend.

If you do participate, come back here & post a link to your blog/flickr account/etc. & share your 'Weekend in the Life' (I just made that up) with me. I'd love to learn more about you.

As for me, I will start this afternoon after I get off work because that's when our weekend rituals usually begin. I will at least post my pictures to flickr for you to see - maybe even post the pages/mini scrapbook I make from them here as well.

Conversations in the Car, chapter one

2009-05-08T22:17:00.001-05:00

Riding around in the car on a Friday night back in March waiting on our pizza order to be ready...

Anthony sees an old sign that he thinks is neat & wants for his shop. We stop & he loads it in the back of the vehicle (which, by the way, reminds me of my childhood when my mom would see something on the side of the road & stop to load it up - I would always have a strong urge to duck down in my seat lest anyone I knew see me & cause me to die from embarassment - my mom is one of those people who doesn't EVER throw away anything that is still remotely useful - she even made us wash out ziploc bags to reuse them - oh, the childhood memories). Got a little sidetracked there; back to the story...

The sign had letters that you could change around - sort of like those blinking arrow signs

Anthony: What should I put on it?

Mindy: Pistons

(For those that are automobile illiterate, pistons are a vital component of the engine)

A: Yeah, that's good.

Wesley: How about DANGER!

We all crack up.

Click here to listen to Wesley's recounting of the special way he said DANGER!

Follow up to 'I love texting'

2009-05-07T18:00:00.002-05:00

If you watched that video I posted about texting, this story will illustrate one of the things he talked about...

Yesterday one of my sisters sent this text: I need new pics of Wesley and Ella!

Me: I’ll upload some newer ribs of the kids to Wal-Mart & send you a link.

Her: Haha. ribs? I do that all the time.

I was thoroughly confused for a few seconds because right before the text about pictures of the kids, we were texting about sauces to put on meatloaf. I was thinking, "Does she put ketchup on her ribs, too?" and "Why would that be funny?" Then, it dawned on me that I might have messed up my text, so I looked in the sent box & sure enough, it said ribs instead of pics. So, tell me, why does my phone think that I would be texting about ribs more frequently than pics?

Anyways, I got a good chuckle out of my mistake & the quick mental picture it conjured.

Videos as promised...

2009-04-23T22:16:00.003-05:00

Well, I thought I had some video of both kids on my phone, but it looks like I only have Ella in these (Wesley is taping the last one, at least).

I don't know what it is with children & appliances, but Ella loves messing with the dishwasher. Just the other day she figured out how to crawl up on the door, stand up & hold onto the top basket.

Anthony insists that Ella hasn't really said her first word yet, but I'm convinced her first word was 'bye' followed very closely by 'dada' as evidenced below. She had woken up from her nap & he was gone so she went to the door & was looking for him. I was trying to keep her from seeing me so it's kind of dark, but you can hear her calling for him loud & clear.

Swinging in the backyard swing. This swing has had lots of love because it was Wesley's when he was a toddler. She gets so excited when we walk around to it & will just laugh & laugh sometimes when she's swinging. The girl loves being outside & loves to swing.

All these are from March. I guess I need to get the video camera out a little more. Wesley's playing baseball again so I'll try to remember to get some of him to post here. He's doing so well & has become so much more coordinated just in the last year.

My stint as a model...

2009-04-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

Did you know I was once a model? No? Here I am on a billboard ad.

Oh, you don’t believe me? How about this…

Here I am in a gallery display.

Still don’t believe me?

Here I am again…

And, finally, I present to you proof that it was not really Thomas Jefferson in Mount Rushmore, but me. :)

The above photo fun is brought to you by Photofunia. Check it out for a little time-wasting amusement.

And, along the same lines…

Have you ever had people tell you that you look like so and so? For instance, in high school I was told a LOT that I looked like Alanis Morrisette. Must have been the crazy long, wavy hair.

In college it was Ashley Judd. Maybe it was the chubby cheeks?

In the last few years it has been Katherine Heigl. Chubby cheeks, again? Well, I never really saw the resemblance with any of them until I saw Ms. Heigl in 27 Dresses as a curly-headed brunette. I present exhibit A (a shot of her at one point during the movie where I paused it & went, "Oh, now I see it.")

...and exhibit B (a similar photo of yours truly from photobooth tonight).

Well, hot diggity dog, sign me up for my next job as a movie star look-a-like!

Disclaimer: I’m really not a shallow person – I just think it’s funny when I’m told I look “just like” someone, because I usually go, “Huh?” and have no idea what they’re talking about.

Come back tomorrow for a slew of videos of the kids.

I love texting...

2009-03-24T17:15:00.001-05:00

Because I have no time lately to upload pictures & form coherent sentences to entertain you with the goings-on of our clan, I bring you a brief video from Comedy Central (which amazingly is perfectly safe for innocent lil' ears save for a quick comparison to being like an 'attentive lover'). I confess I don't ever watch Comedy Central & found this on someone else's blog. Even if I currently had that channel in our vast repretoire of 2 1/2 channels (another very boring story for another day), I couldn't watch it for fear that Ella's first word would be of the cursing variety.

Comedy Central Presents

Friday 10pm / 9c

Paul F. Tompkins: Text Messaging

Guess who took her first step(s) yesterday?

2009-03-10T21:15:00.004-05:00

I'll give you two guesses, but I bet you only need one.

Yay for Ella! And Yay that Daddy & Mommy (& Wesley) got to see her take her first step(s) (she took several towards her daddy in the backyard)!

She also got in her sixth tooth, visited the doctor to find out she has bronchitis & an eye infection and got to swing in her toddler swing that Daddy put up for her (which she loves). It was a big day for Ella.

Sorry, no pictures with this post. The little toot decided to revolt against bedtime, so I'm trying to wrangle her and get her to settle down and get this posted at the same time.

As promised...

2009-03-09T06:50:00.005-05:00

Pictures of Ella's birthday party...

Some of the decorations - this was after the party. Wesley was in such a rush to get things cleaned up (can't remember now why) that I didn't get a picture with all of it up.

She opened presents first (in her pretty party dress). Don't mind the red mark on Ella's cheek - she had a run-in with a shelf at daycare the day before & the shelf won (perfect timing for her party).
Of course we had to play with some of her new presents for a few minutes...

Wesley was doing more playing with them here than Ella - for some reason she wanted to sit on my father-in-law's feet & posing for the many cameras pointed at her.

Her cake *before*

Ella *before*

During... She wouldn't grab a handful (only little ladylike pinches of the frosting) so I helped a little. She thought it was some good stuff. (Click to see larger)

Ella *after* - She had a little cake facial going on.

A few seconds after this shot she wiped her eyes with her hands like she does when she's tired & got icing in her eyes & started crying so cake time was over.

The cake *after*

Many thanks to my sister, Megan, for taking these photos & Sunny for shooting the video so Anthony & I could focus on Ella.

Pearl off a string...

2009-02-24T22:44:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite quotes (which I have posted over to the right & keep forgetting to update to a new one) speaks to how life is lived best in the small, everyday moments. This video is one of those moments that makes life so enjoyable - a moment in my day that most people wouldn't think all that spectacular but to me is precious & fleeting. It is so worth being captured & treasured.

She just figured out how to rock on her own this weekend. She also just figured out how to 'click' her tongue (she does it around 15 seconds into the clip).

P.S. Don't mind the mis-matched shoes with her pj's. I was checking to see which pair fit her to go with her party dress for this weekend.

EDITED: I know some people were having problems with the video playing. It should be fixed now.

It's all happening way too fast...

2009-02-19T22:01:00.004-06:00

I cannot believe Ella will be one year old one week from today. I just can't wrap my brain around it. Every time I think about it I feel like I'm on a runaway horse & I just want to pull back on the reins to slow it down. Like it or not, ready for it or not, she'll be a toddler in just a few days. So, we're having a party for her. I made some cute lil' invites to send to our family (I erased our address & my phone number - don't want the whole internet to see that info.). I made the mistake with Wesley's first birthday of inviting too many people & stressing myself out with all the preparations. This time around we're just having a simple gathering of the people who love her most so she (and I) don't get overwhelmed. I promise at least pictures of her with the cake.

Ella's spot...

2009-02-13T15:41:00.010-06:00

One thing I didn't know when I became a mother was that I was essentially giving up bathroom time alone. You can't just leave a baby alone so you can go take care of business. So, they come with you & you try to occupy them while you use the facilities. Well, Ella has her spot in the bathroom now where she plays. It's just perfect for a little person like her.

And, here's a little video of her playing there - she likes to practice standing on her own.

A message from Ella...

2009-02-01T15:53:00.005-06:00

Dear Grandpa G,
I'm sorry, but Mama & I are rooting for the Arizona Cardinals today.

I know you really like that other team, the Steelers, but I just don't look good in yellow. Oh, and I really like Kurt Warner, too - he's awesome. But, don't worry, Wesley & Daddy will be cheering for the Steelers.
Love,
Ella
Edited to add: Oh so close

Missing in action...

2009-01-29T22:54:00.004-06:00

If you have ever wondered why Wesley seems horribly under-represented in the 5,372,804 pictures I have taken over the past year, this is why...

La, la, la - Just taking some everyday pictures of Ella - nothing going on here.

Hmm... Wesley's watching her, maybe I can sneak in a picture of him.

Okay, that first one wasn't so great, but maybe I can get another without him noticing. (#1 & 2 below - click to see it larger).
Well, stink! I'm caught.
And, this is what ensues from that point on - an elaborate attempt to escape without being photographed successfully.

He did give up this one, and it would have been pretty good if it hadn't turned out blurry.

Oh, well, the mamarazzi lives to stalk her son another day. At least now you know what I'm up against.

Three Reasons...

2009-01-27T18:02:00.000-06:00

Three Reasons
1. You need to have a reason to get up in the morning.
2. You need to have a reason to be proud of what you do each day.
3. You need to have a reason to go home at night.

What are your reasons?

I saw this on Carrie Colbert’s blog (something one of her professors said in class) & it got me thinking. I’ve been considering my future a lot lately – looking at some possible changes to be made & praying God would show me His will & guide my decisions. Just wanted to share this little tidbit & ask you – What are your reasons? You don’t have to tell me, just think about them.

A very obvious one for me is no. 3. I have three very good reasons to go home at night (a place I love to be, in spite of its tendency to look like a tornado has ravaged it) – they are a boy, a girl & a man – three people that I love more than I could have ever imagined possible. Three people who I strive to love more fully & unselfishly each day for the rest of my life.

Crawling queen...

2009-01-22T19:59:00.002-06:00

This first video is from Dec. 4th (she had been crawling for exactly a week)

And, this one is from Tuesday.

She can really cover some ground these days. Oh, and that slapping noise, that's her hands hitting the floor. It sounds like a duck walking through our house when she's crawling around. Anthony thinks it's so funny that she does that.

Baby picture comparison...

2009-01-19T22:48:00.003-06:00

I get asked a lot who I think Ella looks more like, me or Anthony. I don't have any pictures handy of Anthony when he was a baby - I think he's about two or so in this one. The back of mine has my age as one in this pic. The picture of Ella was taken this past fall at seven months. Sorry for the bad scan - I was too tired to find a dust rag to clean the scanner (shhh... don't tell anyone or I might lose my good housekeeping award). Anyways, the point to this is - you decide who she looks more like (as always, click on the picture to see it larger). Feel free to leave a comment & let me know what you think.

Photo shoot progression...

2009-01-14T21:35:00.007-06:00

Sometimes people ask me how I get such good pictures of Ella (not trying to brag on myself) & I have to tell them the truth...I take a Lahaaaattt (translation: LOT) of photos to get one good one. Case in point: I wanted a picture of her in her ultra-cute Christmas dress that my sweet friend, Sunny, sent for her, so I started shooting (click on the pictures to see my little comments)

Awww....now that's the smile & the well-behaved girl I'm looking for. Then...

It can take lots more shots than just ten to get a good one, but I thought you might enjoy the progression of a typical shoot with Ella.

What cha' up to?

2008-12-11T18:39:00.007-06:00

That's what a friend of mine always asks me when he calls.

Me, I'm sitting at my desk at home reading blogs (a rare occurrence these days - the sitting while at home part & the personal computer time part) & helping Wesley review his spelling words. I just finished feeding Ella so she is in my lap taking turns prying open the desk drawer & dragging out some object she shouldn't be playing with (she just started wailing because I took away the screwdriver that she was about to stick in her mouth) & grabbing Wesley's weekly newsletter with his words on it & crumpling it up so she can stick it in her mouth. She LOVES paper & plastic - I think it's the sounds they make. I have to wrestle the now soggy & crumpled paper from her hands each time he needs the next word. He came up with the idea last week that instead of just writing the words as I call them out that he will write sentences with them. My favorite one from last week was, "My sister is pretty." This weeks it's, "My mom is strict." (I had to explain the meaning of strict) Yes, buddy, she is.

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted. The very night that I posted last I discovered Ella's first tooth (one of the bottom front ones). She now has the two top front ones as well as both the bottom ones. She crawled for the first time & pulled herself to standing on her own the day before Thanksgiving & has been becoming more & more mischievous ever since :) With your first you are so excited about them getting more & more mobile. I have discovered with the second while you are excited at their accomplishments, it is tempered with the knowledge that there's no going back (& that you haven't yet 'baby-proofed' a single room in your house) - no more plopping them down in the middle of the room with a few toys & looking back to find them in the same spot. So, it's a little sad - she's much more a toddler who wants to get down on the floor than a helpless infant who likes nothing more than cuddling with momma for hours.

So, anyways, that's what I'm up to at the moment.

A little note about Christmas cards - if you usually receive one with our yearly newsletter & a picture, you won't this year. The downturn in the economy can be blamed for that. I have most of my regular card recipients' email addresses & will email it instead. If you're not a regular card recipient & would like to see our family's smiling faces & hear a little about our past year, feel free to leave a comment with your email address & I'll make sure to send it to you as well.

You can see E.G.'s two bottom teeth in this picture from last Saturday
(click on it to see it much larger)
(her daddy is fond of calling her by her initials)

Tag Game...

2008-11-19T18:10:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged, again. This time by Haley. Here's what I had to do:

Pick the 4th picture folder on your computer.

Pick the 4th picture in that folder.

Explain what the picture is about.

Tag 4 blogging friends to do the same.

Here's my photo:

And, an explanation...

This is a picture I took in April for a scrapbook page that has yet to be created. It will be titled, "Ode to Coffee." Just kidding - or maybe I'm not. The idea was to journal about how I owe pretty much any productivity I had for the first four months of Ella's life to caffeine, because I felt like a walking zombie until she started sleeping through the night (translation - for longer than 3 or 4 hours at a time).

Seriously though - I never liked coffee all that much until I discovered mocha lattes (Yum!) when I was pregnant with Ella & I had to choose between horrendous nausea all day, every day or taking phenagran & having to prop my eyelids open to maintain conciousness. My favorite coffee treat is the mocha java chiller at Sonic (pretty much a coffee milkshake). If they didn't cost so much & I didn't care about the size of my backside, I'd have one every day :)

And, I'm tagging Sunny, April, Laura & Karen - I know most of you don't have time to do this - my feelings won't be hurt if you don't :)

This one's for Grandpa G...

2008-11-11T19:44:00.002-06:00

From Sunday night...

Wesley can always make Ella laugh easier & louder than either of us can. He entertains her on a regular basis & she LOVES it. This is just a snippet of normal everday life in our home (and a hello to Grandpa G. who lives all the way down on the Mexico border in Texas).

And a few things I don't want to forget about Ella...
-She holds her tongue between her lips all the time (must get a picture of this)
-She stops what she's doing to watch intently when I eat (following the fork with her eyes back & forth from my plate to my mouth)
-Her favorite new toy at the moment is one of her big brother's mini-basketballs (he's not too happy about that - keeps trying to re-claim it)
-Her bottom two teeth are almost poking through (her brother didn't get his first tooth until he was a full 9 mos. old - looks like she's following suit [should that be suite? I don't know])
-She is becoming oh-so-wiggly & is this close *picture my thumb & forefinger just a hair apart* to crawling. Her very protective brother is constantly saying, "She's about to fall off the [insert piece of furniture I've sat her on for a few seconds]." I have to remind him that he's still alive & intact so I might be able to handle it.
-She loves being gently tossed in the air.
-She didn't inherit her mamas genes in some areas, because she is very much a morning baby - generally wakes up smiling & kicks her little legs & giggles on the way to daycare in the mornings.
-She has recently developed separation anxiety (normal for her age) & I usually have to sneak out of daycare quickly so she doesn't realize I'm leaving her. She's fine if she doesn't see me go. I remember bringing Wesley back to daycare at 8 mos. old after being home for the summer where my mom had kept him while I was in school/at work & having to hear him cry as I walked away from him to go to class each day - tears this mama's heart up just remembering it.

Loads of Ella videos...

2008-11-04T18:49:00.004-06:00

In an effort to make myself feel better for neglecting our blog, here are a few videos from the past few months...

Me tickling her. She wouldn't laugh for me like she usually does.

Aug. 23rd

Ella 'talking' to her favorite toy - Bessie, the cow, hangs over her changing table.

Sept. 4th

Eating green beans for the first time (which you can see she likes)

Sept. 4th

Eating applesauce tonight for about the 20th time (which you can see she dislikes)

This is the reaction we used to get when we tried to feed her anything remotely sweet (applesauce, peaches, sweet potatoes...) She has started accepting peaches mixed in her cereal, but as you can see she acts like you have placed some awful, foul substance in her mouth instead of yummy applesauce. She will NOT close her mouth with it in there either. She'll stick her tongue out until it finally slides out of her mouth, or she has started spitting it out by blowing raspberries. This is a little foreign to me since Wesley gobbled up pretty much anything you put in his mouth at that age, but it's pretty funny to see her doing it.

I've been tagged...

2008-10-17T22:30:00.002-05:00

My friend, Laura, tagged me, so now I have to post 6 facts about myself, then tag 6 other people.

Here's my six:

1) If I eat ice cream too fast it makes me cough (still one of my very favorite foods).

2) I was the first person in my fourth grade class to learn the multiplication tables.

3) I make the best 'shark fin pie' - according to my hubby.

4) My middle name (Rose) is after my dad's name (Ross).

5) I love the smell of fresh, clean laundry straight from the dryer but hate putting it away.

6) I kill plants - the only plant that has survived in my house for more than a few weeks is one little flowering plant that Wesley gave me in a hand-painted flower pot for Mother's Day (from daycare) 3 or 4 years ago (outside plants are okay as long as they can rough it on their own).

So here are the rules if I tag you...
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random facts about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up. I am tagging...

Sunny, Haley, April, hmmm, I'll have to come back & add three more later, I'm drawing a blank on friends that blog...

All things boy...

2008-10-06T21:32:00.003-05:00

You know you have a boy when you look in his backpack & find a couple rocks he has brought home to add to his collection. Or, when he sticks his head out his bedroom door to show you his two rubber snakes (when he's supposed to be in bed asleep). Or, when you get two (yes, two) calls within one month from the school nurse saying he has hit his head on the playground, but "don't worry, he's fine. We put some ice on it. He didn't even cry." Oh, I could keep going... But, I love 'the boy' (as Anthony & I affectionately refer to him) & wouldn't trade all his boyness for anything in this world.

He's not too fond of having his photo taken by the mamarazzi (me) these days, but here's a few from last week...

Time lapse...

2008-09-05T13:17:00.005-05:00

I love time lapse photos (a pic taken of the same person in the same place over a period of time - or something like that). Ella recently outgrew her infant car seat because she surpassed the weight limit for it (20 lbs). I was so sad about it because that thing is really handy. It's so much harder to go grocery shopping, eat out, etc. because she's not yet steady enough sitting up on her own for the restaurant highchairs/buggy seats.

Anyways, here are a couple pics of her in the beloved seat. One from the day we brought her home & one from the last time she rode in it (about a month ago).

Happy Half-Birthday to E!

2008-08-26T07:54:00.002-05:00

Today is Ella's half-birthday. These first six months have FLOWN by. I'm already sad that her first birthday is so close. Sometimes I wish life had a pause button.

To celebrate this momentous occasion :) here are some pics showing how far she's come...

In the NICU on the day she was born (I only have one picture of her not in the NICU with all those tubes & wires from the day she was born & it would probably gross too many people out, so I won't post it)

Still in the hospital a couple days later...

Today (with a lot less hair)...

And a couple from yesterday just cause she's so cute. :)

Videos of Ella...finally

2008-08-18T21:52:00.002-05:00

We have a video camera, but for the life of us cannot figure out how to upload videos to post on here (it's a digital one - doesn't have a USB cable & our Mac won't accept the small DVD's it records on), but I now have a phone with video capabilities. So, I'll just have to settle for the lesser quality videos so Ella's Grandpa G (A's dad) can see her antics.

This is her FAVORITE thing to do after her bath...chew on her toes. As soon as her diaper comes off, the toes go in the mouth. Wesley cracks up every time she does it. I told him her feet were MUCH cleaner than his are so it's okay for her to chew on hers :)

And, here's one of her playing with her rattle. She's just figured out how to work the rattles. It's so cute when she does it because she blinks her eyes everytime it makes noise & bops herself in the head constantly. She's in her stroller in the video (was going to post pics of why, but blogger isn't letting me upload them - will have to try again another day).

Four & Five Month Pictures...

2008-07-29T20:01:00.008-05:00

Man, I have really not been good about posting here. Sorry bout' that.

Here are Ella's 'rug' pictures (and some others from those shoots) from the last couple months...

Four months

And, Five months (this past Saturday)

"Is that ol' Daddy tickling you?"

And, my favorite, "Momma, it is SO not cool to show a girl's booty on the internet."

Two & Three Month Pics...

2008-06-15T16:07:00.005-05:00

A little behind on posting her monthly photos, but here you go...

Two Months...

Three Months...

Roll Call...

2008-06-14T15:40:00.001-05:00

Saw this on someone else's blog & thought, "I really need to do that on ours."

I would really like to know who all reads our blog. I know who some of you are because you leave comments every now and then, but I'm wondering just how many 'readers' we actually have.

So, please leave your name and where you're from in the comments. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your name, at least put where you live (no need to be real specific - you can just put the state you live in if you want).

Look forward to hearing from you!

Must be something in the water...

2008-06-12T14:54:00.004-05:00

I keep a list of links to friends' blogs (mostly college friends, so I can keep up with what's happening in their lives) that I don't necessarily get to check every day. I've been pretty bad about checking some of them since lil' Miss Ella came along. So, today I thought I would get all caught up on the happenins' that I've missed out on. I check a couple and find out my neighbor from when Wesley was born is expecting her fourth (Yay for her!), check a few more and find out a friend from the BSU at UT Martin (or BCM for the younger folks) & his wife are expecting their third & FOURTH (double Yay for them!), then check a few more & find out a college friend that I've known since going to church together back in high school & his wife are expecting their first (Yay for them, too!).

It's a little overwhelming, I tell you. Of course, my brother & his wife are also expecting. I'm thinking I really need to master the art of knitting so I can get to work on some lil' pink & blue booties (I started trying to learn when I was pregnant with Ella, but gave up because I couldn't figure it out from the written instructions - I'm much more of a visual learner - guess I'll have to find someone who can teach me).

Almost forgot to add a picture...

This is at our friends' house after Wesley played in the mud with their

kids (I don't think he's ever been that dirty before :) - don't know if you

can tell from the picture, but his shorts were completely caked with mud)

Funny conversation...

2008-06-11T10:51:00.002-05:00

Read this on Tara Whitney's blog & laughed out loud. Anyone who is married will certainly identify with this.

Edited to add: forgot to add a picture - can't have a blog post without a picture :)

My mom was holding Ella & talking to her. Her eyes have gotten stronger since this picture was taken, because I think this is the last time I saw her go cross-eyed trying to look at someone/something.

Our lil' family

2008-06-10T10:28:00.002-05:00

found this little doo-dad from someone else's blog - you can create a family 'sticker' - thought it was cute, so I had to have one for myself...

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Lil' Slugger...

2008-06-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Wesley hit his first home run a week or so ago. I think he might have gotten a 'home run' in t-ball, but I don't think it really counts unless you're hitting a moving ball. He was bursting with pride because all the parents were hollering for him when he was running the bases & a bunch of them said something after the game. Of course, Anthony & I have worked it into the conversation with practically everyone we've talked to over the past week.

Here's a shot of right after he hit it...

As he's rounding third...

and one of him playing center field...

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice...

2008-05-30T10:59:00.005-05:00

My brother & sister-in-law (Eric & Tiffany) had their ultrasound today to find out what they're having. My mom just called to tell me that it's a GIRL! She's due at the end of October, which means Ella will have two cousins within a year of her age (one on both sides of the family). Poor Wesley doesn't have any cousins on mine or Anthony's side of the family within three years of him since he was the first grandchild & only has one on his dad's side within two years of him. Lucky for Ella, she'll always have someone to play with at family gatherings & I'll have someone to pass down all the pretty little outfits that she outgrows way too fast (she just turned 3 months old and is already out-growing some of her 3-6 months clothes).

So, congratulations, Eric & Tiffany. Can't wait to spoil her!

And, what's a post without a picture...

Ella & her daddy - watching Wesley's baseball game last week

A great big brother...

2008-05-29T10:44:00.001-05:00

Wesley has impressed me with how he has moved easily into the role of big brother. He really loves Ella - as evidenced by:

He hates to hear her fuss or cry & will make sure Anthony or I do something to make her happy when she starts - I think this is partly because he doesn't like the sound of her cry since he covers his ears when she really gets upset.

He's interested in her daily routine - "Is it time for her to eat?" "Is it time for her bath?" "Are you changing her diaper?"
He likes playing with her & her toys - or maybe he just likes playing with her toys : )
His car seat is in the back seat with hers & he'll move her sunshade on her car seat to make sure the sun isn't in her face (without me even asking him to) & he'll put her pacifier back in her mouth when she spits it out.
He gets her things when he's gone to his dad's - he got her some baby sunglasses with a strap that holds them on (she did not care for those much when I put them on) & asked his granny (Jody's mom) to make her a baby blanket when she was making one for Jody's brother & sister-in-law.
He asks to hold her (usually when we're visiting people & someone other than me or Anthony is holding her).
When he gets to daycare in the afternoons he goes to her room to "check" on her (which I think is oh so sweet).
He has dealt with not being the center of attention like he used to be fairly well and he seems to have matured since she was born.
And, he gives her kisses & hugs before he goes to bed at night.

By popular demand...

2008-05-28T10:14:00.003-05:00

Our first family photo as a quartet (from this past Sunday) (click on it to see full-size)...

Our kitty doesn't know he's a cat...

2008-05-24T15:00:00.001-05:00

Top five characteristics of Ace's that indicate he's confused about his species:

1. He growls when he hears someone come to the door.

2. He sits in chairs like a human, not curled up like a normal cat. (see picture below)

3. He likes for us to play fetch with him with his toys (which consist of rubber bands or those rubber bracelets like the yellow "Live Strong" ones). He will usually bring it back to us each time so we'll throw it again. (I really need to get a picture of him doing this - only have it on video & am clueless as to how to post video on here)

4. He gets lonely & whines if our other cat goes outside & he's left inside, which is not a normal cat trait (she likes to escape when the door is open, but he is afraid of the outside).

5. He prefers the water out of the faucets in the kitchen & bathroom rather than from their water bowl (even though they get clean water each day).

Adventures in Sports Related Injuries...

2008-05-22T08:02:00.005-05:00

Wesley moved up from t-ball this year to the 7-8 yr. old machine pitch league. The machine they use is different from the ones you typically see in batting cages & doesn't have a motor or need electricity. It will throw strikes as well as balls so they have to learn to judge where the ball is going. Wesley has been adjusting from hitting a ball off the tee to hitting a moving ball pretty well. That is, until a few weeks ago (the day my mother-in-law passed away to be precise) at one of his practices. My mom was watching him for us & had taken him to his practice. I had just gotten home & was about to step in the shower & then take a nap, because I had been up since about 5 am with no shower. I had gotten my clean clothes together & was on my way to the bathroom & the phone rang. It was our friend Chris (who has a son on Wesley's team & was the one who graciously let Wesley stay with them the week that we were at the hospital 24/7 with Anthony's mom). He said, "Hey. I know you're having a rough day, but I've got some more bad news." I was thinking, "Oh, no. I'm not sure how much more I can take." Me: "What is it?" Chris: "Wesley got hit in the nose with the baseball & we think he may have broken it. Your mom is going to take him to the ER." So, I gathered Ella up & raced back out the door (sans makeup & still not having taken a shower).

When I got to the ER a few minutes after them Wesley was still pretty tore up (I've heard having a broken nose is one of the most painful bones to break). They had filled a plastic (lunchlady) glove with ice at the ballpark & put it on his nose & paper towels to soak up the blood. He moved the ice bag so I could see & I couldn't keep myself from gasping in shock. It looked really bad (it was already starting to swell up) & just continued to get worse over the next few hours. We didn't have to spend more than an hour or two in the ER. They did x-rays that confirmed that it was broken, gave us a perscription for tylenol with codeine and told us to keep icing it every hour or two for the next 24 hours then follow up with his pediatrician the next day (this happened on a Sunday). At first he was crying pretty hard, but by the time they did the x-rays and we sat waiting for the doctor to come in he had calmed down & it wasn't hurting much unless he touched it. Then he started asking all about what they would do, if he would need a cast (on his nose, mind you), etc. He was pretty dissapointed that he wouldn't get a cast if it indeed was broken (I remember it being pretty special to have a cast for everyone to sign when I was a kid, so I understood). After he found out he wouldn't get one he said, "Well, I wish I had broken my arm instead so I could have a cast."

When I asked him later what had happened he said, "The ball went all crazy & hit me in the nose."

And, what's a post without pictures...

From the side...

These are about 24 hours later (his dad drove up the night it happened & took Wesley home with him so he could take care of him because he knew we had a lot to deal with at the time). According to Jody, this was much better than the way he looked Sunday night.

From the front...

This one was 5 days after it happened - he still had just a little swelling & the black eyes were turning yellow.
And for reference, this is what he normally looks like...

On a brighter note...

2008-05-15T21:05:00.003-05:00

I felt bad burdening you with that last post, so I thought I would put up something a little happier. Ella started smiling over a month ago, but until last night I wasn't able to get a picture of her while she was smiling. EVERY time she would start smiling & I would ask Anthony to go get the camera, by the time he got it she would stop. We would try & try to get her to smile again, but she wouldn't do it. It got pretty funny after a while. I had to get Wesley to run & get the camera last night & take a picture really quickly - it's not the best picture, but we finally caught it on film (or disc as it may be).

thank you

2008-05-15T09:52:00.003-05:00

Thank you for any thoughts and prayers you have sent our way.

Anthony's mom passed away a few days after my last post, on Sunday, May 4th and her memorial service was a week ago yesterday.

People keep asking how I'm doing, how Anthony is doing, how Randall (A's step-dad) is doing. All I can tell them is we're making it. I think for Randall his loss is very real since he has to go home to an empty house every night, but for the rest of us, it hasn't quite sunk in & sort of hits us in waves. The other day I was in the drive thru at McDonald's and the thought of chicken tenders almost made me burst into tears (she worked at Tyson - which is the supplier for all of McDonald's chicken items). Or, when they play the song on the radio that the preacher read at her memorial service (usually on my way to work) & I have to fight back the tears so I can see the road. I've never lost anyone so close to me. Right now I feel sort of numb, like I've got to keep fighting back the emotion or it will overtake me. I think we're all using the same strategy of trying to keep ourselves busy.

You know how when you or someone you know is expecting a child & even though you see her belly growing & you look at ultrasound pictures (and as a mom you dream about your child), it just isn't real until you see the baby for the first time, hold her in your arms, hear her little noises & smell that sweet new baby smell. Well, this is sort of the opposite. One day you're cooking dinner & running around your house trying to straighten up before your in-laws get there & life is very real & a little tedious. You're chatting with your mother-in-law while she holds her granddaughter (but you don't realize it's the last time she'll ever hold her). Then, just two weeks later you wake up to the news that she has passed on. And you feel like you're reaching out into an empty space trying to find her again, trying to recount & store up every memory you have of her, afraid you'll lose them, afraid you'll lose her. And you begin to realize how precious time is, how you took her for granted a little bit and how much you long for your children to have her in their lives. And it's all so very unreal.

in case you were wondering...

2008-05-01T13:26:00.002-05:00

where we've been & why we haven't posted...
besides the normal busyness of having an infant, returning to work, baseball season starting, etc. Anthony's mother, Shanda, has been fighting cancer for about six years now & her body is tired of fighting. She has been going downhill very fast over the last few weeks & we've been spending as much time as we can with her. We (her immediate family) have all been at the hospital since Monday evening when her doctor said he thought she only had about 24 hours to live. She's been hanging on. Needless to say, your prayers would be appreciated right now as the family prepares to let her go & for her to be as comfortable as possible at this time.

One month pics...

2008-04-10T10:33:00.005-05:00

I'm going to try really hard to take pictures of Ella each month to document her growth. It's something I wish I would have done with Wesley. I've seen lots of ideas of how to do this, but the two I like best are photographing her on a rug & with the same stuffed animal each month. So, here are her one month photos from a couple weeks ago...

My sister had her R & R leave from her tour of duty in Iraq recently & was home for 18 days. She & my mom came down & spent a couple days with us. It was so good to see my sister, to be able to hug her & know that for the next few days she wouldn't be in harms way (at least not anymore than what is normal). She met Ella. Here's a picture of her making faces at Ella (she'll probably kill me for posting this picture, but I don't care. I think it's cute) & one of her & my mom talking to Ella & Ella just looking at them like she totally understands what they're saying.

Granola momma

2008-04-04T17:19:00.006-05:00

I am a babywearing, breastfeeding, cloth diapering momma, effectively earning me the title of being a 'granola momma.' In case you're not familiar with that term, wikipedia says granola is used as slang "describing a person who is hippie-like."

The babywearing is mostly out of necessity. When she gets bored or is fighting sleep I can put her in one of the carriers (usually the wrap because it's more stretchy & comfortable for us both) and do some housework, which usually lulls her to sleep.

The breastfeeding is because...

It's the best thing for her nutritionally
It's cheaper than formula
It's more convenient (mostly) than formula - I say mostly because while I don't have to worry about bottles for now, when I go back to work I will be pumping & sending bottles with her to daycare - wish I didn't have to go back.
I enjoy being able to do it - it means I get an 'excuse' to stop, sit down & cuddle her multiple times a day
And, I almost forgot...makes it really easy to lose that pregnancy weight (at least for me it has both times)

The cloth diapering is because...

It's better for the environment
It's better for my wallet (besides how much I'll save with just Ella, if I have another child I can diaper him/her for free {except for the cost of washing them}. If I don't have another one, I can re-sell the diapers I have and probably recover at least half what I have spent on them)
They're almost as easy as disposables - the laundering, figuring out how they work, etc. wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be
My friend Sunny was instrumental in bringing me over to the dark side of CDing (short for cloth diapering). If you are at all interested in what 'modern' cloth diapers look like, how they work, etc., I encourage you to click here & take a look at her online store.
And, if those aren't reason enough, they are way cuter than disposables - I can match her diaper to her outfit :)

And, what's a blog post without pictures...

Ella in her first cloth diaper (a Bum genius 3.0 pocket diaper in Blossom - these are one size, meaning they adjust from newborn size up to toddler)

Ella in a prefold & Thirsties cover in Celery

And, Ella in a Swaddlebees - which she has already outgrown (her little buddha belly won't squeeze into it anymore) (don't have a link to these in Sunny's store), sporting an expression that makes her look very much like her Daddy :)

Edited to add: I don't believe parenting is a 'one-size-fits-all' type of thing & I hope this post didn't come off that way. I think all parents should make the choices they believe are the best ones for their family.

"Enough equipment for two babies..."

2008-04-02T17:30:00.005-05:00

That's what Anthony says about all the baby 'stuff,' but if it helps keep her happy & occupied so I can say, take a shower or cook a meal then it's worth it.
What it takes to keep Ella happy...

The swing...The bouncy seat...

The play gym...

And, you've already seen the babyhawk (see post below). We also have an exersaucer in storage that she can use once she's able to kind of sit up on her own.

Snow day

2008-04-01T22:08:00.005-05:00

We had a nice snowstorm here a few weekends ago that the three of us took advantage of and went outside to play in. We put the baby monitor to good use & left Ella asleep in the bassinet for a few minutes.

Our pitiful snowman (can you see the eyes, nose & mouth that we poked in his face? :)

Wesley's snow angel

Anything to keep a fussy girl happy

2008-03-31T14:45:00.005-05:00

My one splurge as far as baby equipment goes was this Babyhawk Mei Tai that I bought used off Ebay. She'll usually calm down after I put her in this & start bouncing up & down while I do housework. (More Ella pictures to follow in the next couple days - I was reminded by a friend that I have a blog that needs to be updated :) I added a link to her babysite over to the right.

She's Here!

2008-02-28T22:13:00.005-06:00

Introducing...[drumroll please]

Ella Grace M.

She was born Tuesday, February 26th at 3:10 P.M. She weighed 8 lbs. 0 ozs. & was 20 1/4" long.

Mom is doing fine, Ella had some trouble breathing at first but seems to be doing fine now. Hopefully they will get to come home Saturday.

Enter Our Baby Pool

2008-02-25T09:51:00.000-06:00

Click here to play!
You don't have to create an account to play, but if you want to be eligible for a prize if you are the winner, you need to at least enter your first & last name in the name field & put your email address in under the 'How you know the parents' field (you can still add how you know us, too) unless you're certain we already have your email address.

Her room...

2008-02-21T20:49:00.008-06:00

Clockwise from walking in the door of her room (what used to be our dining room - it has french doors on the north & south end, a door on the west side that opens into the room we have our pool table in and a door on the east side that opens into our room)...

On the west wall, the changing table &...

the guest bed (with our packed bags, diaper bag & car set ready to be taken to the hospital).
On the north wall, one set of french doors (with almost-finished curtains that my mom helped me alter - to block out all the light).
These are two prints I'm going to hang above her crib on the east wall.
Her crib.
Also on the east wall, her swing & bouncy seat.
On the south wall, the armoire, her toy basket & the other set of french doors.
What's in the armoire... lots of pink!And, back to the west wall where we started, the glider rocker & boppy pillow.It's quite cozy in there (read: cramped) with all the furniture & equipment, but it's pretty much ready for her to make her appearance.

35 weeks...

2008-02-21T16:08:00.004-06:00

From the newsletter: "Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight."

I was supposed to have an appointment yesterday, but they had to re-schedule me until Friday because my doctor has been out (she's two weeks behind me & has been having pre-term labor, too - I heard she got sent to Nashville last week & then was back in Martin at the hospital yesterday, so she might have had her baby by now) & my midwife was going to be tied up at the hospital all day. So, I don't have an update on that front, but I'm still working from home & trying to stay off my feet as much as possible. I'm ready to be able to go back to work next week. I really need to get some things wrapped up before I'm off for my maternity leave. Hoping I can make it another week & a half before she makes her entrance.

Edited to add 35 week belly pic...

Wesley story as promised...

2008-02-16T11:32:00.004-06:00

I wanted to post pictures with the story so I had to wait until I found a USB cord to upload them from my camera. So, here's the story...

I think all the excitement of me going into labor & spending the week in Nashville left Wesley feeling a little deprived of attention. Saturday evening he came out of his room, where he had been watching a movie, and something looked different about him. I looked close & realized he had cut a chunk out of his hair in the front. Needless to say, I wasn't happy with him. Anthony & I decided his punishment would be that he would have to pay for his next haircut (he had just had one maybe two weeks ago) & he would have to wear it to school like that for the next week. Case closed.... or not. Sunday afternoon I woke up from my nap on the couch & looked up to see that he had chopped off all his bangs to within 1/4 inch of his scalp. I was irrate! I was like, "Didn't you learn your lesson yesterday? WHAT were you thinking?!" He said, "I was trying to fix it." So, his punishment remained the same & in addition, he is no longer allowed to use scissors & he got a little something else for his antics.

Since I know that this whole fiasco would be hilarious to me if it were anyone else's child, I decided to share. Enjoy...

I didn't get a shot of when he had just cut a chunk out of his hair, but here's what it looked like after the second round of hair cutting (you can see from that little piece on the right how long his bangs used to be before he scalped himself)...

And what he looked like after I buzzed his hair off Tuesday night (because they had picture day Wednesday - if only he had waited a week to chop off his hair)...

34 weeks & an update...

2008-02-13T11:20:00.009-06:00

From my newsletter: "Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well."

I had a doctor's appointment today. The ultrasound showed that my cervix was still a good length, although it has shortened like a millimeter and a half in the last ten days. She is allowing me off strict bedrest. Now, I'm up to 'restricted activity.' I can do light-duty housework, go to a movie or make a quick trip to Wal-Mart, but no lifting anything remotely heavy or being on my feet for more than an hour or two at a time. If I make it to 36 weeks I'll be released back to normal activity. I asked if they would try to stop my labor if I went into labor today & she said they would try to stop it with the Brethane shots (which they tried before & all they did was slow it down a little), but wouldn't put me back on the magnesium (thank goodness!).

Edited to add 34 week belly pic...

Update IV...

2008-02-11T12:45:00.001-06:00

I was released from Centennial on Friday night and came home Saturday afternoon after spending the night at my dad's in Clarksville. I'm on bedrest at least until I see my doctor on Wednesday. I don't know if she'll want me to stay on bedrest after that or not. I'll be 34 weeks then. So, baby & I are doing well. I'm still on an oral medicine to keep me from having too many contractions (Nifedipine - brand name Procardia). I still have 3 to 4 each hour, but as long as I behave myself & don't try to do too much, I don't start having too many more. Poor Anthony has had to take over all the household chores & drop off & pick up Wesley each day. Ironically, it's good preparation for when she gets here & I'm out of commission for a while :)

Funny Wesley story to come later tonight...

Update III...

2008-02-07T18:58:00.001-06:00

They took me completely off the mag today. I feel so much better - no double vision or trouble breathing. I had some mild contractions, but they weren't too concerned with them. I'll have another ultrasound in the morning to see if there has been any change in my cervix. If there hasn't been, they're going to discharge me to go home to be on bedrest for at least another week. The doctor here seems to think that if my doctor at home sees me in another week & there still hasn't been any changes that she might let me resume normal activities. After 34 weeks they probably wouldn't try to stop labor, they would let her be born. I'm 33 weeks one day today, so that's only six more days. I'd rather her stay in there until 37 weeks so she's not born premature.

Another update...

2008-02-05T20:01:00.001-06:00

Baby & I are still doing fine. They have me on a magnesium sulfate drip as well as oral procardia medicine to keep me from contracting too much. I still have some contractions, but not enough to be worrisome as far as throwing me into full-blown labor. They have started decreasing the magnesium sulfate (thankfully) & I'm beginning to feel more like myself. If you don't know anything about 'mag' (as it's called), it relaxes your muscles (the uterus is one big muscle), so you can't breathe as deep, can't focus your eyes (I was seeing three of everything on Sat. morning when they had me on 3 grams/hour - I'm now down to 2 grams/hour & can focus as long as I don't move my head around), can't walk (my legs felt like jello when they let me get up to go to the bathroom the first time yesterday); it's even hard to chew.

They gave me steriod shots Friday & Saturday night to help the baby's lungs develop in case they can't stop my contractions & she comes early. They did an ultrasound on Sunday (TMI warning: if you can't deal with childbirth talk you might want to skip to the next paragraph) to check my cervix & it had closed back up (was 2 cm dialated Friday night & Sat. morning) & was a good length. The doctor thinks that is an excellent indication that as long as we keep the contractions under control I will make it to 34 weeks or later & will likely be able to get moved back to Martin after next week.

They also looked at the baby on the ultrasound - all her organs, measurements, fluid levels, etc. & everything looked good. The tech estimated her weight at 5 lbs. 9 ozs. (I've read that ultrasounds can be off by as much as 1 lb., but if the tech was right, she would be in the 76th percentile for her gestational age.) Translation: I grow big babies :) Wesley was 8 lbs. 9 ozs. at full-term. If I were to carry her to term (40 weeks) and she gained the 1/2 lb. per week that they estimate, she could be around 9 lbs. The tech went on about her chubby cheeks & even printed out a couple pictures of her face for us.

Looks like it's going to be an exciting night here in Tennessee with some severe weather rolling through. Hope you and yours are safe and sound.

UPDATE

2008-02-03T19:07:00.001-06:00

This is Anthony, posting for Mindy. She wanted to let anyone that didn't know already what is going on with us. She went to the hospital Friday night to be monitored for contractions. They tried everything they could to get them to stop and decided Saturday morning to transport her to Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, TN. Centennial has tertiary care neonatal ICU that is equipped to handle a 32 week baby where as Martin cannot. They have her contractions stabilized and are hoping to hold off the delivery for at least two more weeks, at which point she might be able to go back to Martin to have the baby. Other than the pre-term labor, Baby and Mindy are doing fine. The doctors do not know what caused the pre-term labor. We'll try to post an update every couple of days.

Pregnancy Complaint 112

2008-01-24T15:58:00.001-06:00

I should start a series of these since it seems there are so many. One thing you get a lot more of when you are pregnant is attention. For the most part it's not a bad thing. A lot of people you barely now all of a sudden ask you all kinds of things about the baby & how much longer you have, etc. Of course, strangers do double takes when they see your belly. And, It is really funny to watch people I don't see very often at work checking out my belly discreetly, trying to figure out if I'm pregnant or not (this doesn't happen much anymore because it's obvious now) before they ask.

But the subject of this particular rant (which I feel entitled to since I've made it seven whole months without ingesting someone's head in a hormonal rage) is the never-ending "How are you doing/feeling?" questions. I know most people are just being nice/making conversation. Some are genuinely interested in how I am & how the pregnancy is going & others really do want to hear that I'm uncomfortable as all get out most of the time (those people enjoy others' pain/difficulties). But, when you get asked at least twenty times a day (I promise I'm not exaggerating) "How are you feeling?" "How much longer do you have?" "Are you to the uncomfortable stage yet?" "How's the pregnancy going?" it gets old pretty fast. The biggest reason this starts to grate on my nerves is because I know most of them don't really want to hear my litany of complaints - they just want to hear that I'm doing fine.

Still, I'm sometimes tempted to give them an honest rundown of all the miraculous changes my body is going through making this baby. "Well, actually I can't sleep very well because it feels like I have someone sitting on my lungs, another person using my bladder as a stress ball and a very heavy bowling ball strapped to my abdomen which crushes me if lay on my back or causes me roll over on it if I try to lay on my side. When I do finally get some sleep I wake up to leg & foot cramps every time I try to stretch. Oh, and the very fun kicks/punches in the ribs & feeling like an alien is doing gymnastics in your stomach while you're trying to eat are loads of fun, too. Or, one of my favorites, the sensation that you've just consumed the biggest Thanksgiving meal ever & the skin on your belly is at its absolute breaking point & if you take one more teeny bite you will simply explode - except you have this sensation for hours on end - not just when you eat." I could keep going, but I'll stop there before I get into some of the more gruesome & unpleasant gems of pregnancy.

So, the next time you see a pregnant acquaintance, instead of asking her a pregnancy/baby related question, assume she's already been asked 10 times that day & just tell her she's the most beautiful pregnant woman you've ever seen. :) If you're related to said pregnant lady or she is a close friend, feel free to ask genuine questions of her condition... but only if you want the ugly truth. Rant over with... :)

In other news, Anthony survived our second and final childbirth class this last week & actually said he learned some useful information. As of today, I have only two months left until my due date - hard to believe she's going to be here soon.

Lil' sack of navel oranges...

2008-01-24T15:45:00.001-06:00

From my 31 week newsletter: "This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out..."

From 30 weeks (because I forgot to take a picture & post last week - sorry bout' that): "Your baby's having a ball in there! Now that her senses are fully developed, she can taste, touch, hear, see, and smell everything that's going on around her. She continues to practice breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which may mean she gets the hiccups more frequently now -- sending your uterus into funny, twitchy spasms!"

She certainly does get the hiccups a lot - at least two or three times a day. I can also start making out body parts that are poking me & play with her feet sometimes when she pushes them outward.

31 week belly pic

Totally hosed...

2008-01-18T08:42:00.001-06:00

Anthony has sort of left the baby item shopping/baby room preparation up to me & hasn't wanted to be real involved - which I totally understand. It's a woman's thing to get all excited about teeny lil' socks and sleepers. I do occasionally subject him to the "Isn't this soooo cute!?" comments (while holding up a little flowered dress). He obliges and says, "Sure," but to him I could just as well be holding up a plain paper towel. Again, I understand that all things baby just doesn't float his boat like it does mine. Anyways, there is a point to all this chatter. One of the blogs I check out daily is a mainly scrapbooking one by Erin Lincoln (who works for Creating Keepsakes - which if you don't know anything scrapbooking won't really matter to you). But, she is also expecting, and get this, she is also due on March 26th. So, occasionally she posts about baby-related topics. Well, she posted the video below of her & her husband shopping for baby stuff - had me totally cracking up (mostly because I can see Anthony feeling the same way as her husband about all these gadgets that you 'need' for baby). So, I thought I would share... (can't get the video to embed in my post right, so click here to watch it on YouTube).

We had our first of two (3 hour) childbirth classes last night. I went to them when I was expecting Wesley & certainly haven't forgotten what labor is like, but a lot of things have changed at the hospital I'm going to deliver in over the last seven years so I thought I should take it as a refresher & Anthony should have to go with me as a beginner. Good news! He survived the first one (graphic photographs & all) - although he (jokingly - or at least I hope so) tried to get one of his buddies to go in his place as we were driving there. During one of our breaks he said, "I know what I'm doing when I get home. I'm playing a ball game." Me: "On the playstation?" Him: "Yes!" Me: (laughing) "Why?" Him: "Because I need to do something manly." He cracks me up.

She's Here!

2008-01-16T08:06:00.009-06:00

Introducing...[drumroll please]

Ella Grace M.

She was born Tuesday, February 26th at 3:10 P.M. She weighed 8 lbs. 0 ozs. & was 20 1/4" long.

Mom is doing fine, Ella had some trouble breathing at first but seems to be doing fine now. Hopefully they will get to come home tomorrow.