Just My Boys and Me

Back on the Gluten Free Lifestyle

2012-01-13T21:49:00.003-05:00

Let me tell you, this gluten free thing can be tricky at times. I was having a lot of knee pain again, so I started doing even more research on the foods I was eating. I found a few things that were questionable and I cut those out. Things got better again and I was so happy. Then on Thursday, the knee pain returned. I was really frustrated at this point. Well, Wednesday night I had two pieces of Hershey's miniature dark chocolate. I guess Hershey is very good at hiding their gluten and not telling people. I found out that their products are a big no-no. I was happy to find this out though....at least it wasn't the other stuff I was eating! I can live without their chocolate :)

Last night, I was talking to my super bestest friend from back home and she asked if I cook gluten free when people come over. We really haven't had anyone over for dinner, except my sister and brother-in-law. But, the answer is yes. When I cook meals for us, they are GF. I am not going to take away mac and cheese from the little ones, but I do want to limit their gluten intake. Eventually I would like the boys to eat GF cereal. Their fruit snacks are GF. I am planning on making my own bread, so they would eat that also. I'm curious to see if it will help Jamie with his eczema. He only has problems during the winter. This winter has been so crazy, weather wise, that he hasn't really had any issues. Well, that is my update. I have to work at 8am....I know, not early for most people, but for me it is! My boys sleep til at least 9, and I love that :) Anyway, time for bed!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-08T16:56:00.007-05:00

I love Christmas! I have always loved it. I love picking out a tree...yes, I real one! I love cluttering my house with totes, upon totes so I can decorate (I don't like taking everything done which is why I haven't done it yet...haha...this week though!). I think I love Christmas even more now that I have kids. Jamie is at the age where he understands it more. To see his excitement is great. I can't wait til next Christmas with Oliver and Jamie freaking out!

The boys got some fun little things in their stockings. We decided that we will open stockings on Christmas Eve and do presents on Christmas day. We also thought it would be fun to get Christmas PJs in their stockings to wear the next morning.

Yes, Jamie has a belt on with his pajamas...haha...he got it in his stocking and just loves it. Let me tell you, it was not easy finding a belt for his age! He really, really needed one :)

I love decorating! Even when the lights are being a pain and not working! I absolutely love big trees. I even told the hubby that our next house needs to be bigger and have taller ceilings (ours are 8 feet now and that is a good size) because I want a bigger tree :)

We put up our tree and decorations the day after Thanksgiving and keep it til about the second week in January. The boys love all the stuff in the house. It is going to look so boring after it is all down. I do have some plans for the living room though, just to make it pop more :)

The boys really liked their presents. They both got Cozy Coupe cars which was their "big" present. I was happy with the deal I got on these. Every place that I saw them, they were $60, but I got them for $40 :) I think the best deal I got though, was the dancing/rocker Mickey they got. I got for $21 instead of $50! There were a lot of gifts for them, but a lot of little things. I love finding deals :)

This was the best picture of the boys together that I could get...haha...it is not easy! I have no idea what Jamie was saying or pointing at, but it is great. I hope you all had a great Christmas and have a great 2012!

What to write?

2012-01-03T21:24:00.003-05:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about what to write. I think about it everyday, but then I get tired, or just don't feel like it. This is sad to me, I really want to write on here more. I have so much on my mind, so many things going on. I think tonight I will just do a quick recap and work on a Christmas post.

I finally quit my job that absoutly hated! I got a job at Panera Bread (the reason for quitting the other job) which is a perfect place for a gluten free person...haha! I am really liking this job. It gets stressful at times and there is still drama, but nothing like my old job. Plus, I get to work with my sister....which has been a good thing so far! I'm still doing the GF thing, although my knee pain has come back, but I still have lots to learn about this. I have been doing more and more research and I'm hoping that after being GF for a few months....without messing up....things will be better. I did have a follow-up with the rhuematoidologist the other day and he told me the gluten free thing makes sense because of my blood work. I guess they tested my wheat tolerance...or something...and he said it was a 9.5 out of 10 meaning I definately have an issue with it. The thing that gets me, is that when they called with my test results a couple of months ago, they said nothing about the wheat thing, only that I was a little low on vitamin D. Why wouldn't they tell me about the wheat thing!

The hubby had surgery in the beginning of December. It was nothing serious, but was home from work for a week. It was a long week...haha! It was good having him home for a bit, but that messes with our schedule. Plus, he wasn't allowed to lift the boys for that week so that made things a little harder on mommy :)

Jamie is a very active 3 year old! I wish he could give me some of that energy once and a while. This child is so incredibly smart! I know parents say that all the time, but really, this kid is amazing. I can't believe that he will be 4 this fall and will be going to preschool....I know, I know, I still have 9 months, but I have a feeling that it will fly by! He is such a good big brother. He may get irratated with Oliver, but come on, it is what brothers do! In Jamie's defense, it is Oliver that starts it :) Jamie is also growing so fast. I look at his 2 year pics and get sad because he actually looked like a little kid! He has grown up so much in the past year. He is wearing all 4T and 5T things and his shoe size is 11! I bought him winter boots the other day (we just got snow that actually stuck around yesterday) and got size 1. I want them to fit next winter also. Winter boots are crazy though. Size 1 is huge, but they have so much padding inside that I'm sure when he gets to size 1, they probably won't fit. Jamie has thick feet also.

Oliver, well, he is my little man. He has one of the best smiles ever. He is definately stubborn and has a temper. When he gets mad, he will let you know! We keep telling him to be nice and not to hit, but he is only 15 months old. I am hoping it will settle in soon. He is growing like a weed, he is 32 1/2 inches tall! I think it is so amazing to watch kids learn new things. The smile on Oliver's face when he does something new....oh man, I love it! He knows that he did something new and he is so proud.

Ok, so I'm addicted to the show on Lifetime called One Born Every Minute. It is on right now and I love it. The one bad thing, it makes me want another baby. Jamie keeps telling me that he wants a pink baby!

Gluten Free

2011-11-16T23:14:00.002-05:00

I am officially gluten free and have been for 2 weeks or so. Within the first few days, my knee pain was almost completely gone! I was a little sore at the end of the day, but nothing like it used to be. I am a little sad now because my knees have been hurting the past few days. Although it hasn't been as bad as in the past, but still. I'm hoping my knee pain is because of my back pain...haha, man, how old am I?! My tailbone got messed up during delivery with Oliver and every couple of months, it bothers me and for a week or so at a time. It has been getting better, but I think I was walking differently because of how bad it was hurting. I was talking to someone tonight and she said to just keep it up because it can take a while before everything is gone, even though I was feeling good for almost 2 weeks.

So, how is going otherwise? It hasn't been that bad actually. Most of the foods we eat are already gluten free and other things I just have to tweak a bit. I like that almost anything dairy is GF, but I am lactose intolerant....great....I have been taking the lactose pills again, trying to get that under control again. A few years ago I said "screw it" to taking those pills. I had a stomach ache everyday but I didn't care. I mean come on, I am from Wisconsin and I am lactose intolerant?! What kind of cruel and unusual punishment is that!? One of the biggest challenges is finding GF free in the grocery store. There is a lot out there, but it is located all over the store! I have been getting lots of advice from people and that has been amazing. I didn't like the noodles I bought, but heard of a different kind to try. I also heard of a website that sells food pretty cheap and I ordered some GF stuff. I just wish this stuff wasn't so expensive :( My biggest test will be next week. We are going to my parent's house in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving which shouldn't be too bad (food wise), but then the hubby's parents all taking all of us to Great Wolf Lodge in the WI Dells for our Christmas present, this will be the real challenge. We will be eating out for supper every night. Luckily more and more places offer GF foods, but this is a challenge I am up for! It just means I have to eat healthier and there isn't anything wrong with that! I'm having a hard time thinking of foods to bring for me for lunch and snack....I don't want to eat the same thing all day. I did get some good ideas for that tonight though.

I do like that this is making us eat healthier. I not making the boys go gluten free, but when I make a meal, obviously it is GF and they eat it. I am not taking away their noodles or mac and cheese. My goodness, if I did that Oliver wouldn't have anything to eat :) I guess the boys are half gluten free! I'm hoping to add a recipe tab to my blog so I can put up some yummy foods that I have been making. All in all, things are going pretty good!

Am I Crazy....

2011-10-28T22:50:00.002-04:00

A couple things have been going through my head this week....asking the question Am I crazy? Example one: I want more kids! We have 2 now, but I want more, like 3 or 4 more! But, there are days that I can barely handle the two I have :) I came from a family of five and I loved it...for the most part! My parents come from big Polish/German families with at least 10 kids. The boys may drive me crazy, but there are so many things that make up for it! They may pick on each other (crazy how they know how to do that at such a young age), but Jamie is such a good big brother. He is very protective of Oliver and loves to help with him. I did decide that a new sibling would have to wait until next year though :) Hopefully it will be a girl, Jamie keeps asking for a sister....such a hard thing to explain to a three year old.

Example two: I am going to try being gluten free for a few weeks. Maybe not that crazy though. I have been having knee pain for like 12 years now and finally had some blood work done to try and figure it out. It came back saying that I had some sort of auto-immune problem...which could be my asthma....so more tests were done, looking at thyroid problems, food issues and they all came back clear. I guess that is good, but I was hoping for something, at least to answer all the questions. I do know that people can be tested for gluten issues and have them come back clear. My doctor did say that food issues like gluten, wheat, lactose intolerance...can cause arthitis problems. I am lactose intolerant. I used to take pills for that but they got to be expensive and a pain in the butt. Now, I'm going try the gluten free thing and work on my lactose intolerance thing and hope that things get better. I am hoping that it won't be that hard to do. I was looking at the foods we eat and a lot of them are gluten free, so that is good. I'm going to start slow so I don't go crazy with too many changes at once! I will defintately keep you all updated. Right now though, time for bed soon. We all have this nasty cold that is going around :(

Happy Birthday!

2011-10-06T21:38:00.006-04:00

Well, it is birthday season in our house.....the boys' birthdays are 11 days apart and then mine in 10 days after Jamie's. I can't believe that this handsome little man is 3 already! He sure does keep us on our feet. Things aren't always easy, but we do have a lot of fun. I just love his smile, it just lights up the room...just like his brother.

He is all boy! He loves tractors, playing outside, getting dirty, being a total daredevil, being loud, and moving all the time! He loves music....playing (he has a bunch of instruments), singing and dancing. He is very musical. He is always tapping along with the beat. We listen to country music and Jamie knows at least 10 different singers and knows most of the songs before the person starts singing.

He is all about the Disney movies, especially the toy story movies. He is also into superheroes...Batman, Superman, Ironman, Spiderman....he loves them all.

His birth was not easy at all....not that having a baby is easy, but some are worse than others! I went in for a non-stress test on a Monday, one day after his due date. His movement was slowing down and they wanted to watch it. You see, this child never, never stopped moving! On this Monday, things were taking a little longer. My doctor came in and said that we would have to induce labor. He said his heart rate was dropping and that he wasn't in danger but if we would wait until my next test on Friday, then he would be in danger and I would probably need a c-section. This news made me cry....I went in for a test, not to have a baby! Being induced is not fun, it takes forever! The medicine was started around 11am on Monday and he was born at 7:30 Tuesday morning. I got an epidural and after awhile it started to ware off and then the new stuff was different and didn't really work and I was not happy! I was so tired and then the pain, I could barely push. And then I had to push for 2 1/2 hours. Then the doc came in and said he needed to come out. He had to use the forceps which is pretty painful! But, I got my precious little man! I had some issues after also. I think about that stuff a lot and as much as it sucked at the time, I did get a handsome little boy! And when you ask him how old he is, he will show you.....

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-26T22:01:00.005-04:00

Ok, so I'm a little late here...sorry! Our precious Oliver Presley turned one last week! I cannot believe how fast this past year has gone by. All that day I was thinking about the day he was born. You see, his birth was sooo much better than Jamie's. The night before Oliver was born, we went to Chuck E. Cheese for a little fun time for Jamie's birthday which was in 12 days. I had been feeling different that day, but didn't think much about it. I didn't go into labor with Jamie on my own so I had no idea what to expect. So, after our fun time, we went to the grocery store because I was hungry but didn't know for what! We were planning on going to the baptism for my bestie's little girl on Sunday. I really couldn't sleep much when we got home. The contractions started around 3:15am and by 3:30 they were a minute apart. I was trying to stay calm, but man, those contractions came on so fast and so hard!

We got to the hospital at 4 (luckily it is only a few minutes from our house) and I was having a hard time dealing with those pains! I was happy to get some medicine to help relax while I waited for the epidural. I got that lovely medicine at 5am and was a 10 and ready to go (I was a 7 when I got to the hospital). The nurse said to just let Oliver come down the rest of the way on his own instead of pushing right away. I was fine with that. I could get some rest and let Oliver do his own thing and not have to push for so long. After a nice nap, the nurse came back in at 8 and said it was time to push. I was so relaxed this time around. We were watching CMT and music videos. I did 3 or 4 rounds of pushing and my little man made his entrance at 8:30. I felt so good, minus the horrible tailbone pain. I also looked good....please don't think that I full of myself, but I looked like poo after Jamie and had a hard time just moving....with Oliver, I was moving and just looked much better, and I felt better.

It is kind of ironic that Oliver's delivery was so fast because he is so laid back and kind of lazy :) I have a blast with him and get such a kick out of him. He has the best smile, his whole face lights up. He is definately a momma's boy, big time, but I'm not complaining! He loves to play, pick on his brother, dance, music, snuggle and has a temper. Oh my, when he wants something he will let you know. He doesn't like the word "no" and throws a fit everytime we tell him no. Like I said, he loves to pick on Jamie and Oliver starts the fighting most of the time. But then he flashes that smile like in the picture below and you just melt!

Wow

2011-09-14T23:41:00.005-04:00

It has been a while...wow. I have started writing a post a few times and then deleted it, I have a ton going on. I really should blog more, it would help. I have been dealing with a lot of things lately, or at least trying to deal with things. I'm sick of my job and sick of having such a hard time finding one. I mean, I have a degree and can't find a decent job. I hate all the stresses that comes with my job. I hate being crabby all the time. I have been wondering a lot lately what the big man upstairs has in mind for me. I feel like nothing ever works out. Does he want me to be miserable, because it is working. Then I see people around me and things always work out for them. I know I shouldn't worry about that, but I have a hard time not doing that. I am also having issues with our church. There are a couple of things, but the only one that I will talk about on here. I have been feeling for a while that I just don't fit in. My church has lots of classes and things, but those seem too pushy to me. Why do I have to do all these classes in order to make friends? There are nice people at church, but I feel so alone most of the time. But, there is nothing I can do. I'm not going to make my family go somewhere else because the hubby plays in the band and he loves that, I can't take him away from that. I just feel stuck. I try so hard to do things with people and things never work out. But, then I see all these people hanging out together. I feel like I am back in high school and there are these cliques everywhere. Someone even said that I need to try to do things instead of sitting around, that made me mad. I just don't know what to think or do anymore. Ok, so this post might be a whiny one, but please bare with me. Jamie is such a good little boy, but his learning style is touching things. He likes to touch everything, cuddle, hold hands. But, I am having a hard time when I put him in nursery on Sundays and some of the kids are always saying "no Jamie, don't touch" or are mean to him. How do you explain to young kids that he is not being mean, that he will just grab your hand and say hi? The kids don't get it and I don't think all the parents get it. I really don't want to put him in there because it kills me to see him playing alone and these kids telling him no all the time. He only has a couple of weeks left in nursery and then he will be able to go to walk out worship during church, so hopefully that will be better. Anyway, I think I will end this now and post later this week. I just have so many feelings and thoughts right now and I don't know what to do anymore. Now, onto more cheery things.... :)

Father's Day/Anniversary Weekend

2011-07-11T23:53:00.016-04:00

So, it may have taken me a few days to actually do a post :) I wanted to put something on my photos....thanks Erin!

This is the wonderful cottage we stayed at. It belongs to Eric's grandparents and we just love it there. We were able to stay there for 4 days. We did a whole lot of nothing! It was great :) We went Father's Day weekend which also happend to be our anniversary weekend.

I took a lot of picutes while we were there. The boys had a good time also. Jamie loved being outside, playing on the swingset, going in the canoe with daddy, playing in the lake, playing with toys, it was great.

Look at that handsome little man! It was a nice break for all of us.

But, let me tell you....trying to get pictures of the boys together, looking at you at the same time, not easy!

Oliver is such a momma's boy :) But, so is his brother! It was really nice to not have to worry about work or anything else, just hanging out. Jamie slept in a room by himself and in a full sized bed, without falling out! I still can't believe how fast they are growing.

Jamie was all about the water, he loves the water!

And I love these little piggies :)

S'mores...you can't have a campfire without them!

Yes, I have matching outfits for the boys :) Haha....they may hate me later, but they are just so darn cute!

I asked Jamie to give me the "look" isn't it great!

I adore this picture of Jamie :)

Jamie also got a kick out of helping daddy drive the boat. I am hoping that we can go up to the cottage more often. I am also very glad that we took the boys. Sure, they still had their tantrums...aparently they didn't get the memo that we were on vacation and that tantrums were not allowed....but, we loved it!

MIA

2011-07-01T23:58:00.001-04:00

I know I have been MIA lately, but we are still here! I thought I would post a little something so you all know I haven't forgot about you. We have been super busy the past few weeks. I really need to work harder on posting, my goodness. Anyway, I will be back tomorrow for an update about our anniversary/Father's Day weekend getaway.

Tulip Time

2011-06-03T23:38:00.017-04:00

So, I've been missing for a bit, sorry about that. I have been dealing with some things and always think about blogging and then it never happens. I'm going to work on blogging more. I feel better when I do, so I just need to keep it up. This post has lots of pictures! A couple of weeks ago, we had our annual Tulip Time festival. The boys were in their Dutch outfits and that makes for great pictures....when you can get them to look at you at the same time :)

I love taking pictures of flowers. I'm not sure what these are, but I love the way the picture turned out.

It was pretty hot the day we went to Windmil Island. Luckily, we found this cool fountain and Jamie took full advantage of it and played for a while. All during this, Oliver was sound asleep.

Oh man, I love flowers...haha :)

Such handsome men!

This is probably my favorite picture of Oliver. It was hard to get decent pics of the boys, especially together. I'm thinking of putting their outfits back on and going to the park again. There aren't any tulips, but there are still pretty flowers out. Maybe I can get some better pics.

The picture above is the best one of the boys together.

Oh, look at that, more flowers :)

We had a good time. But, I do want more pictures in those Dutch costumes!

Failure

2011-05-15T22:55:00.002-04:00

This might be a little depressing at times, or annoying, but I just need to type. Lately, I have been feeling like a failure. I have friends that in the same time it has taken me to get my 4-year degree, have gone onto graduate school and beyond! I know I shouldn't let it bother me. I have my own little family, two perfect little boys. But, I just can't get past it. I have a job, but it has nothing to do with my degree. I want a new job, I need one. I feel like I'm being pulled in so many directions and I can't do it anymore. I have a cleaning job....not always fun, but hey, it needs to be done.....but, I have so much stress from this job. I shouldn't have this much stress from a cleaning job! Then I come home and feel like I need to do everything around the house. I know some moms/wives don't mind doing the "woman's" jobs at home, it works for them. It doesn't work for me. I just don't have enough energy and time to get everything done that needs to be done. I can get the house nice and clean and two days later, it is a mess again. I know, I have kids, it is going to happen. It isn't like my house is gross or anything, but it doesn't look the way I want it to. I feel like I am going to be judged by most people that come to my house. Maybe I just need to suck it up and get over it. When I go to bed at night, I think about the things I didn't get done and how much it bothers me, or what the hubby will think when he gets home. I shouldn't be thinking about that stuff when I'm going to sleep. I almost feel guilty for going to bed. The boys want me all the time. I can't leave the room without one or both of them freaking out. But, I love my boys and I'm glad they want me around, but I also need breaks. I get so overwhelmed when I think about the things that need to be cleaned, having to do everything for the boys, the fact that I didn't go grocery shopping for this week and will now have to go with both boys by myself. I need a new plan. A better plan. Ok, I'm going to stop complaining now. I've just hit a hard patch. Let the thinking begin.

Spring Flowers

2011-05-01T22:18:00.014-04:00

Ok, so I have over 200 bulbs planted in front of house, between tulips and daffodils. I am obsessed with taking pictures of them! I have plans of making some canvases and doing some other fun things with the pictures. Anyway, these are some that I have taken during the past week. Warning....there are a ton! Enjoy :)

This white one is a peony tulip

I'm not sure on all the names and such, but I do love them! We have this event here called Tulip Time and that is where I got the tulips. There are a bunch that you cannot find in a store.

I love these "fringe" tulips!

I took some pictures one day after it rained. I love how the rain drops stay on the flowers.

I hope you enjoyed these photos. There will be many more! Hopefully these flowers mean that it will stay nice out and that it will actually be spring. Enjoy your night :)

I can't do it....

2011-04-28T23:02:00.002-04:00

I can't keep the house super clean at all times

I can't answer my phone every time it rings

I can't call people back when they want me to

I can't keep on top of the ever growing mountains of laundry

I can't promise that the dishes will be done

I can't deny that my house sometimes smells like dirty diapers

I can't dust my house every day

I can't keep every one happy

I can't stop myself from having a bad day

I can't put more focus on my house than my kids

I can't clean all day

I can't do it all alone

Baby Food

2011-04-10T21:46:00.002-04:00

I decided with Oliver that I would make his baby food. I did buy some stuff from the store and he didn't seem to fond of it. I made some foods for Jamie, but wanted to do more this time. I figured, I make food for the rest of us, why not for Oliver? I had a few people ask me why I would do that because they thought it would be harder. It really isn't that bad at all. I got a cool cookbook from Amazon....and just ordered another one :).....and things have been going well. Oliver loves the food I make. He didn't want to eat the carrots from the store, but last week I made some fresh ones for him and he couldn't get enough of them! Things I have made so far are: carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes with peas, and sweet potatoes with broccoli. I will be making some more things later in the week. I got some fruit also so he can get a variety of things. His favorite fruit is mashed bananas. He is just like his brother, can't get enough of them! I'm also hoping to get some foods made with meat in them soon. It is also getting warmer here which means I will be able to get more frutis soon. I wish I had some pictures of my creations! Maybe once I fill the freezer up again, I will take a picture of that. Side note, Oliver got his 6 month pictures and they are adorable!

2 Months

2011-04-05T23:57:00.004-04:00

Ahhh....gotta love babies! Both of my babies are sleeping right now :) I do love that they enjoy their sleep. This precious babe is Oliver. This handsome man is Jamie. Please don't mind the picture. The camera we had at the time had a busted flash and it wouldn't take decent pictures. I love my little men. Even during those moments when they are bugging me like mad :)

1 Month

2011-03-31T23:22:00.003-04:00

1 month....my babes. They are so precious! I can't believe how fast they are growing. The picture below is Oliver. I think they look so much a like in these photos. I had someone tell me the other day that you can definately tell they are brothers and that sometimes they look so much like each other and then other times, they look different. Oliver looks a lot like me when I was a baby and Jamie looks like me when I was a toddler. My mom couldn't get over how much Jamie looked like me....I think it is crazy how much your kids can look like you, or a relative! Anyway..... This picture is of Jamie and it is one of my all time favorites! Even now when I take pictures of him, I love getting the ones when he is just looking at me, in his own world. Right now, my babes are sleeping. Jamie is sound alseep, tucked in his bed and Oliver is sound asleep in bed next to me :)

My Loves

2011-03-29T23:33:00.010-04:00

Ok, so for the past few days I have been trying to do a post. I have trying to put pictures up of the boys, at the same ages, and it was just not working out! So, I will just do one month at time. Since I don't have Oliver's 6 month pictures on the computer yet, I will start with newborn pics.

This picture is of James.

This handsome little man is Oliver. I'm going to get caught up with these pictures and then do it once a month. It is fun looking back at pictures of the first baby. Their births were completely different! After all the issues with Jamie's birth, I am so glad that Oliver's was different. Isn't it crazy that no matter how much pain you are in, you will do it again?!

A Pain in my...

2011-03-20T22:37:00.003-04:00

You know what is a real pain in the butt.....having a messed up tailbone. I hurt it during delivery with Oliver. It was feeling better and then about a month ago, it started hurting even worse than before. I had an appointment with my doctor the other day and I brought it up. It had gotten to the point that it hurts to sit, lay down, just about do anything. She ordered an X-Ray to see what was going on because it should have been better by now. Well, I didn't break it, but it is bent! Hahaha...bent! I just have to laugh saying that. The thing that really stinks is that there is nothing that can be done. I guess the pain should start to go away but we will see. My doc did say that having another baby would probably fix the problem. Yeah, I will get right on that! Actually, they shouldn't tempt me! Oh well, I'm hoping it will start to feel better soon.

I finally got a call from the place that we can take Jamie to see a child psychologist. This place is local, only about 20 minutes away. I called them back last week and I'm hoping to hear from them tomorrow. I'm anxious to get things going.

So, this is kind of a random post! It is the first day of spring here in lovely Michigan and it has been raining most of the day. There is thunder and lightening now. I don't really even care about the rain though. It isn't snow! I am definitely ready for spring and warm weather. I can't wait to get outside with the boys. We all have the spring sniffles here also. We all have allergies and then the sinuses' start to act up. Luckily, knock on wood, this is as sick as we have been this winter. We all had some allergy issues earlier in the season. Other than some runny noses, things are going well here. I will make sure to do a post tomorrow with some pictures, but now, I'm going to bed :)

I'm not superman

2011-03-04T22:54:00.002-05:00

This title has a few different meanings. There is a song that we sing in Fireflies (at church), called Superman. There has been one part that I keep singing to myself, and have been for the past couple of weeks...."I'm not superman, Lord you made me the kid that I am. Thank you Lord for who I am, I don't have to be a superman." I have been learning that I cannot be superman, I cannot fix everything and I don't have to fix everything. I let something go this week that I didn't think I could do. It scared me, but then I said to the man upstairs that I am letting go. He obviously has his own plans and I have to trust that He knows best. I kept telling myself that all day and I felt a weight lifted off. I don't know how things are going to turn out, but I know He is there to keep us safe and He knows what He is doing. That is a hard thing to do. Superman is also becoming Jamie's new nickname. Like I said last time, he did something that really scared us the other week, and well, Superman is a fitting nickname. Jamie and I had an appointment with his doctor today to talk about his possible ADHD. By the way she was talking, I think she believes he has it, but since he is only 2, he won't get diagnosed yet. She is looking for a child psychologist (that is covered by our insurance) and we will set up a "play date." This person will watch Jamie play and really get a feel for what he is doing. They will also look to see if his intelligence is higher than his social age. But, when I was researching ADHD, these kids have higher IQs. Hopefully we can do this soon and get some answers and get an action plan. Anyway, this big lesson learned here this week is that I am not superman.

Lables

2011-02-27T22:57:00.002-05:00

I don't like them, I don't like putting them on people, and I don't want my kids to have to have them. My two year old has an appointment with his doctor this week so we can discuss him possibly having ADHD. I have been ignoring the signs for a while. Well, I have noticed them, but just said it was him being a 2 year old. I have been doing lots of research on the matter and it is like they are talking about my little man! I know, looking on the internet is not always a good idea. I know a lot of what he does is very typical for his age, but not to the magnitude that he does them. When he was one, I noticed that when he got angry or frustrated, he would hit himself. I thought it was a faze, but it hasn't ended. I don't like to yell, but lets face it, it happens sometimes! Anyway, Jamie does not react well to yelling, he seems to get more frustrated. I also noticed that when he was one. We have to talk to him in a calm voice and that seems to calm him down. He is the most active 2 year I have ever seen! And I have been around a lot of kids. The kid never stops! When he does manage to sit, it isn't for very long and he is always moving something. I want to get him help, but at the same time, this is my Jamie! He did something the other week (that I won't go into detail about) that scared us half to death. That was about all we could take. I know that the doctors won't make a formal diagnosis since he is only 2, but we needs tools on how to make things easier for all of us. I want to jump on this before he starts school. I would like to keep him off of medication.....of course, when he gets to school and absolutely needs it, then that is a different story. I posted something on BlogFrog asking for advice and I was surprised at how many parents are going through the same thing, and with their 2 and 3 year olds. I was happy to see that, but at the same time not happy just because that meas there are a lot of kids out there with this problem. But....I feel silly for talking about this or worrying about it because there are so many kids out there facing things that are much more serious than ADHD. Anyway, I am hoping to get some answers on Friday. I can see that Jamie is frustrated also, as are we.

Marriage

2011-02-21T23:00:00.002-05:00

First, I want to start off by saying that I don't want to offend anyone with this post. I just want to talk about what works for us. I'm not here to criticize others. We have just been talking about marriage in bible study and it got me thinking. As I was sitting in bible study the other week, I just sat back and listened to what the other ladies were saying. I did realize that I do not share the same thoughts and feelings as these ladies....about some things. So, I thought I would write a post about it. Like I said, this is what we do and it seems to work for us :)

I am a pretty modern girl. I don't really believe in gender roles....as in like I am the only one that cooks because I am a girl. I really like that my husband and I share the roles/duties. If something needs to be cleaned, Eric will do it. He won't wait for me because it is "my job." I love to cook, so I do the majority of that. But, when I was growing up, my dad did almost all of the cooking. Some wives enjoy cleaning, cooking, and all that because their husband works and they feel they need to do that...which is fine. My husband works very hard and we really appreciate that. I don't ask him to do everything for us, but he helps out with things, especially when I am at work. I think that is setting a good example for our boys, to see mommy and daddy working together on things. My hubby is really good at cleaning the bathroom..haha...and he doesn't mind doing it and it gets so clean :) It usually works out that he does things that I don't like doing and he doesn't mind doing it. Like the bathrooms, or ironing. I am weird and don't mind doing the laundry. I have been known to "yell" at him for helping with the laundry...haha! Anyway, I like that we share the responsibilities.

Working is another huge thing for me. I started babysitting when I was 13 and have always had a job since....well, there were some breaks in there, but I didn't like that! I know that I cannot be a stay at home mom, it just isn't me. I don't want to be working 60 hours a week though. I like that at my current job, I work about 24 hours a week. I get that little break from the boys, even though I miss them like crazy, but then I get to come home and play! My family needs me to work right now. Things are tough here. We are making it and things will work out, but I need to work. In these times, it is hard to stay home. Some people are fortunate enough to have a spouse that can provide for all their needs. However, I see so many families that it just isn't working. Oh well. I like working. I like that I am also providing for my family. I felt so bad when I wasn't working, I didn't think it was fair to put all that stress on Eric. I want our boys to have what they need. I want to do special things with them. I don't want to spoil them rotten though :) We try our hardest to do things as a family, nothing big and expensive, but fun things that hopefully the kids will remember. We go to the zoo, apple picking, parks, I love doing things as a family! We do get our breaks from the kids though and those are nice also. I would rather save some money to have a nice dinner out with the kids every few months than buy myself something foolish.

We don't always agree on things, but we are getting better at talking about things. I am one of those people that will give the silent treatment when I am mad. Eric tries so hard to get me to talk to him and I just won't. I know that is something that I need to work on....believe me, I am trying! We are still growing in our marriage, making it stronger everyday. I could write more, but I won't share everything! I hope this post made sense....haha, it kind of jumps around. Bottom line, we work together, share the duties, talk about what we want, where we want to go, we appreciate each other what what we do for the family. I think my hubby is the best! We get angry at times, annoyed, but then some one does something or says something funny. We laugh a lot in our home. I love you hubby!!

Brothers

2011-02-20T22:30:00.007-05:00

Brothers are a wonderful thing! I think this picture is so funny. I got Jamie as he was moving his hand, but the look on Oliver's face is priceless! Jamie loves being a big brother...and I hope it stays that way! We were lucky enough to not have any jealousy problems after Oliver was born. I cannot wait until Oliver is older and can actaully play with his big brother. Jamie "plays" with him now, but it will be great when Oliver can play back.

Oliver watches Jamie like a hawk which might not be a good thing :) Oliver laughs at things that Jamie does, talks to him, and gives him huge smiles all the time. When Oliver cries, Jamie is right there giving him his blanket, his pacifier, talking to him, or giving him hugs. These things that he does, Oliver loves them and stops crying. Jamie is such a good big brother and is a great example to Oliver....we will just forget about the crazy things Jamie does!

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-11T23:33:00.011-05:00

I am a little slow to post about our big blizzard the day :) I got to enjoy the day home with the boys...snow day for mom! It wasn't fun digging out though. Well, I sat inside and watched! It took a few hours to get everything clear. It was nice snow to play in, so Jamie enjoyed some play time before his nap.

This is the sidewalk leading up to our house. The snow here and in the driveway, were taller than the snow blower. It is crazy because this week the snow has been melting. We don't have near as much as what we did last week. And, with temperatures in the 40's next week I don't think we will have much left.

See what I mean? Taller than the snow blower :)

The snow was fun to play in, but I'm glad spring is on the way. I think I am about done with winter.

Ok, can someone please help with my pictures?! I want to put like 3 of them in a row, but I can't figure out how to do that. Please help!!! I could do a bit, but I see so many blogs that have done cooler things with their pictures.

I got more pics of the boys, so I will be working on a post about them. You know, I should just write them as I think of them and publish later. Man, I'll get this thing figured out! There are a few things that I want to blog about. You might see a few posts from me this weekend :)

Fall

2011-01-28T23:04:00.005-05:00

Ok, I know it is winter here in lovely Michigan, but I am really looking forward to winter being over. I was looking at my pictures and found these that I took on my birthday in October. I just felt like sharing :)

I love the picture below. I don't mind the snow, it is pretty, fun to play in, but it gets difficult with 2 little boys. It makes for a few trips to the car to get everything and everyone in :) I am getting excited about all the things we can do this spring and summer. We have a pool, but are getting rid of it....I know, sad right!? I do love the pool but it takes so much time and money to keep it going. We don't have that big of a back yard either. With the pool gone, we will have a lot more room. And Eric's parents have a pool, so we will be there! I am already thinking of a sand box, a swing set, a garden for me, sleeping in tents, oh the possibilities.

I'm not a fan of winter colds. I had bronchitis the other week and now Oliver has himself a nice little cold. I feel so bad for him. He just looks up at you with sad puppy eyes. He is sleeping a lot and that is fine with me. He seems to be a little better today, so we will let the sleeping continue. I do have more pictures of the boys, but I'm not very good at uploading them to the computer. I really need to get better at that.

I got more hours at work which is nice. The job I have has nothing to do with my degree, but it is a job and my family needs it right now. My job is hard. I found out yesterday that I sprained my chest, yes, you read that right! I didn't know that was possible. But believe me, it is! It is not the most pleasant thing in the world. It will heal on it's own. It makes picking up the boys a little difficult, especially Jamie. Oh, my tailbone still hurts! I am just falling apart :) I plan on relaxing as much as I can this weekend. I am also planning on playing a lot with Jamie!

Go Pack Go!

2011-01-23T21:12:00.002-05:00

I may live in Michigan, but I am from Wisconsin and therefore, I am a huge Packer fan. And, they just happen to be going to the Superbowl!! It is an exciting day for us. Jamie loves to watch football. He kept shouting, go pack go and yay touchdown! Even Oliver likes it. I know, he is only 4 months old but, he watches it and gets all excited....he talks more, kicks his legs :) We are going to have to get some updated Packer gear over here. I said in the beginning of the season that if they went to the superbowl, then I would get an Aaron Rodgers jersey (their QB).

Anyway, things are going well for us.....a little tough, but we will get through it. Eric has been working long hours and I am finally working full weeks. I miss being home with the boys, but my family needs me to work right now. The boys are growing like crazy! Jamie had to go to the ER the other week, poor kid. He tripped on some toys he was playing with and hit his eyebrow on the banister :( I was at work when that happened...I don't think I could have handled that. He didn't need stitches thankfully. They just put some liquid skin stuff on it. He didn't even have a bruise or a bump! Then, last week I took him in to see the doctor about his ear. He had tubes put in last May, but he was pulling at his left ear and saying that it hurt for a few days. I would rather be safe than sorry. His ears were clear and everything looked fine. I just figured it was bugging him because he is getting all 4 of his two year molars right now. This morning that same ear was draining....so, time for some drops and hopefully that clears things up. They weighed him last week and he is an even 35 pounds! I couldn't believe that. At his 2 year check-up which was the beginning of October, he was 32 pounds.....and he had been that weight for a few months. Oliver saw the doctor a couple of weeks ago and was 16 pounds and almost 27 inches. He had been crying hard, like something was hurting him. He had fluid in his ears so I'm thinking that was his issue. The doc suggested that we take a break from the rice cereal. I knew that wasn't the issue, just because the screaming had started before the cereal, but we tried it. Taking the cereal out, added another bottle to his schedule, and even a couple 10 ounce bottles. Then, all of sudden, the screaming stopped. We have been back on the cereal and oatmeal for while now. He loves it! I even gave him some peas the other day. We also started Jamie on food when he was 4 months old. I can't keep up with the formula! I only gave him a little bit and he did fine. He didn't spit anything up and didn't cry anymore than usual. He has his 4 month check-up next week.

I think it is time for a little snack and then bed in a bit. I have bronchitis and really enjoy my extra sleep! I had to see the doc last week also....man, sometimes I feel like we live there! I went on Thursday and she wrote me a note to be excused from work that day and Friday....I didn't even go in there looking for that, I just wanted help with my breathing! I did enjoy the time off and I really needed it. I got some nice naps in and extra sleep at night and that helped. Tomorrow at work will be a little rough, but I'll get by! The more I move, the more my chest hurts and the whole breathing issue comes into play. But, I got some inhalers and those will be close by :) Have a good night all!

Guilt

2011-01-05T21:25:00.002-05:00

I have been feeling a lot of guilt ever since I started my new hours at work and tonight, I felt it even more. I am very thankful that I got more hours, I now get between 20 and 24 hours a week. I work for 2 hours a night, twice a week and then from 11:30 to 3:30 (most of the times, I am home by 3:30)....but, I am gone during lunch now and when Jamie goes down for a nap. I also have something on Wednesday nights at our church....that means 3 days in a row after Jamie wakes up from his nap, it is almost time to leave again. Tonight I got home from church and put him to bed right away....I feel so bad. But why? Our family needs to me work, I want to work, but I am having such a hard time being away from them. I wanted to cry tonight....and still do. I'm not going to quit my job at all, but I just wish it wasn't so hard right now. It is hard not seeing my boys or Eric. Jamie is going through this stage where he calls/whines "mommy" all the time and that breaks my heart when I have to leave. These new hours also just came up one week. So, Jamie went from having me home all day one week, to hardly at all the next. I look forward to the weekends even more now, even though they seem to go by sooo fast. I know things will get better, but when?

Christmas Vacation

2011-01-03T23:48:00.009-05:00

Christmas Vacation....that is what I'm calling my time away from my blog. Things have been so crazy here. I needed time to think. Our family is struggling and that kills me. I know what we are going through will only make us stronger and better, but it sucks right now! I'm hoping that things are finally turning around. I got more hours at work and things are going well at work for Eric. But you know what, I'm not going to dwell on the bad things right now. I will focus on what is most important and that is my boys. I will do a Christmas post soon :)

Oliver is now 3 months old and is growing like a weed! He is 16 pounds....crazy, right?! We have to measure his height again at home. According to the nurse, he hasn't grown in a month...yeah right! He is maxing out his 6 month sleepers. I had to bring out the 9 and 12 month clothes tonight. He is wearing some 12 month shirts, but most of those won't fit for another month. At least I hope he can make it that long!

I love this picture of the boys. Jamie is such a good big brother. He always wants to help. Back to Oliver! He is smiling all the time. He has the biggest smile and the biggest brown eyes I have ever seen! I'm so happy that I got a brown-eyed baby :) He is such a wiggle butt also, a mover and a groover. I can't believe some of the things he is doing already. The other day, I sat him on the couch, kind of half laying down and sitting. I was standing by him and he pulled himself forward and sat there for a few seconds before falling back on the pillow. He has been doing that a lot. He is sleeping through the night and has been for over a month now. He eats around 8 or 9 and then is down until 9 the next morning. Both boys sleep well! He also eats like a little piggy. In the morning, I make him some cereal or oatmeal with about 2 1/2 ounces of apple juice and water (he doesn't like the cereal with formula and neither did Jamie) and then either a 6 or 8 ounce bottle after that. He has 8 ounce bottle during the day and sometimes he throw in a 10 ounce bottle. I can't believe it! I am now charting everything he eats this month and when we go in for his 4 month check-up at the end of this month, I can show the doc and tell her we are starting him on food...haha! We actually started Jamie on food at 4 months also. I know that is super early, but the formula wasn't cutting it anymore. And the doctor said we could.

Jamie is such a precious boy. Don't get me wrong, we do have our issues with him, he is 2! I feel bad for him right now because his 2 year molars are coming in. He has 3 of those babies coming in right now. He does really well when he is teething. He has never gotten one tooth in at a time. I'm happy about that though, get it over with! The molars don't seem to be bothering him that much. He gets a little extra cranky during the day. We are still working on the potty training deal, but not as much as I would like. I think that once he goes potty on his potty chair, he will be so excited and will want to keep doing it. The hard part is getting to that point. I think I'm going to make that one of my new year's resolutions....to work harder and get him potty trained.

My little Packer's fan.....who happen to be in the playoffs!

I love this picture....man, I say that a lot! I have a picture of myself around the same age that is very similar to this one. Jamie is talking up a storm. He is also getting easier to understand. He loves to play music and sing. He really enjoyed watching the marching bands in the Rose Parade and during the Rose Bowl. He then started to play music and told me, "play band mommy." I get such a kick out of him. Oh, we out the boys in their new room. Well, Oliver is still sleeping in our room. Their old room is now the play room. We finally moved Jamie's race car bed over last weekend. He is such a big boy, sleeping in a big boy bed. He has truck sheets and a blanket for it, along with his baby blankets and about a hundred Micky Mouse! Ok, he only has 4 in there right now :)

Look at those chubby cheeks!

How many takes does it take to get a good Christmas picture?! 17! I hear my bed calling my name, so I think I'm going to give in :)

Oh Goodness

2010-11-26T01:36:00.003-05:00

Alright, it has been a while. I had a post typed and had it saved in my documents, but you can't copy and paste. So, I will just shorten that up for you. It has been a crazy couple of weeks here. The other week, Oliver woke up with a cough. It wasn't anything serious, but I was keeping an eye on it. Well, it got really bad by noon. It made me nervous to hear him coughing so hard and so much. It was such a big cough for a 7 week old! I called the nurse and she told me to bring him right away. The PA gave him a breathing treatment which really helped his breathing! They tested him for RSV and whopping cough....thankfully, they both came back clear. We got a nebulizer and had to give him breathing treatments throughout the day. We haven't had to give him a treatment in a few days, so hopefully that nasty cough is gone. During this time, Jamie got a cough and runny nose also. At least with him, I can give him medicine to help him feel better.

How about some other updates on the boys? Oh, sorry I won't have any pictures in this post. I need to upload more to the computer. Jamie is awesome. He is feeling better, but still has a bit of a runny nose. It seems like he is talking more and more every week. He loves to read and the other day he brought the Dr. Seuss book, Hop on Pop to me and started reading it! I know he only memorized it, but still. He was so excited to be telling me the story. We got him a Leap Frog Tag Jr. for Christmas. I'm thinking that he will enjoy that. We have been watching a lot of Toy Story 3 here. "Wee Wee" and "B" as Jamie calls them. He also got a new Christmas suit and I had to return it for a 5T! The shirt and vest fit very nicely now, but the pants will have to be hemmed.

As for Oliver....he is feeling much better. He is smiling all the time. Growing like a weed! He has his 2 month (can you believe it!) check-up next week. I had to get out the 6 month clothes the other day. He can wear some 3 month stuff yet, but any one piece things like sleepers, have to be 6 months. He is starting to follow objects. It is so great to see him do more things.

I can't wait to get the house decorated for Christmas. Our house is so cluttered right now because of all the toys. We are moving the boys to the bigger bedroom and making their current room a play room. I can't wait to get those toys out of my living room :) Eric doesn't have to work tomorrow, so I plan on moving more things and get things situated so I can start decorating this weekend. I am also looking forward to taking our picture for our Christmas card. Both the boys have suits with red shirts and Eric and I both have nice red shirts. I went black Friday shopping today with my sister. Wal-Mart's sale started at midnight so we decided to hit that up. It was a bit crazy, I won't lie! I got everything for the boys. But I feel kind of bad. I got all this stuff for Jamie, but nothing for Oliver. I know he won't care, but I just feel bad. Everything I got though, Oliver will use also when he gets older. There just isn't anything that he needs, except for some more cloth diapers. I just don't know what to do about that feeling. I got home around 1:20AM and decided to write this post and watch Supernanny on DVR. I know I should be in bed! Oh, Oliver slept throught the night last night. He ate around 9:30 and fell alseep around 11 or so and didn't get up til 6! Hopefully now that he is feeling better, he will continue to sleep through the night. I am getting tired so I think I will head off to bed now :)

Happy Halloween

2010-11-06T23:46:00.007-04:00

So, this was the only picture of the two that I got. Oliver was not very happy, as you can see! We had fun though. It was a nice day also, until the sun went down. Jamie was Woody, but that darn hat kept blowing off his head.

What an adorable puppy! I'm happy that this costume of warm! You know, just for kicks, here is a picture of Jamie as that same puppy from his first Halloween:

Wow...there aren't any similarities there! Oliver really enjoys being in the Moby wrap. I'm so glad I have one! It really comes in handy at home when I need to get things done and he just wants to cry. He helped me make lasagna last night!

Jamie really liked his outfit and he had never seen the Toy Story movies, only commercials. I bought the third movie the other night and he loves it! I have never seen him pay so much attention to one thing! I mean, it still isn't super long, but hey! Well, we turned the clocks back and I am very much looking forward to getting that extra hour of sleep!

A New Perspective

2010-11-05T23:28:00.007-04:00

The other day I had a chance to meet up with a friend from church and talk about some things going on in my life. It was nice to hear some different perspectives on things. There are some things going on that have been bugging me off and on for a while now. Every time I think things are getting better, something else happens. It is nice to talk to others and find out that they have similar experiences. Sometimes I feel alone in my thoughts and feelings about things. I try so hard to not let certain things bother me, especially when it happens over and over, but that isn't that easy. It was also nice to have a small break from the boys, I'm not gonna lie. Please, don't get me wrong, I love being home with them, but I need my breaks! I had some other deep thoughts that I was going to write about, but those thoughts have escaped! I think I will add in some pics and of the boys instead!

This little man is so handsome! I just love his smile, his big blue eyes, his dimples, and curly hair! He may drive me crazy most days, but he is so much fun. He is talking more and more now also. This past week or so, he has been putting more and more words together to form sentences. I am excited about this, but at the same time, it is depressing! He is growing up so fast.

This little man has also stolen my heart! He is so much like his big brother. Their baby pictures are almost identical. We also noticed that Oliver has a dimple in the same place and same side as Jamie. He is such a good baby, I really can't complain. The first couple of weeks were a bit rough. Oliver has reflux and is now on medicine for it. That medicine works wonders and I love it! I feel so bad that such a little person has to go through that, but at least he is getting some relief. He has started to pack on the pounds now. He is up to 6 ounce bottles every few hours...and he is only 6 weeks old! He is wearing 3 month clothing, but the shirts and onsie type of shirts are getting a little snug. He has a long torso and long arms (just like his mommy and big brother). He is also starting to smile and that just melts my heart! He "talks" once and a while. He is making the motion with his mouth, I am just waiting for him to figure out that he can makes lots of noise. He is also getting pretty good and holding his head and looking around. Both my boys could hold their heads up the first day they were born. They weren't masters at it, but they were definately holding it pretty well.

What a size difference, huh?! Jamie loves being a big brother. He is so good with Oliver. He loves to help. He always needs to check on him also when he starts to cry. He will say to me, "Ollie, no happy." Jamie tried to share a pop tart with him this morning! Not sure he really understands when I tell him that Oliver can't eat that stuff yet.

He loves giving Oliver hugs!

Jamie also loves our dog, Charlie. Charlie is a big black lab (a little over 100 pounds) and he is the sweetest dog ever! We got him 5 years ago when he was just a small puppy....we apparently do everything big in our house! Anyway, he is such a good dog. He never barks in the house and doesn't even bark outside....only once in a great while will he bark outside. Jamie likes to say hi to him every morning and give him a hug. He even tries to move Charlie out of his way, but that never works! Charlie doesn't move! Hope you all enjoyed the pics. I will do a Halloween post soon....too many pictures to keep moving on here. Have a good night :)

What have we been up to?

2010-10-19T22:33:00.010-04:00

We have been really busy around here. Jamie's birthday was Sept. 30th and we had a blast with that. I still can't believe that he is 2! My birthday was Oct. 10th. We had a nice relaxing day, it was perfect. It was just the 4 of us all day. We went to Applebees for lunch and then went to a park near our house. Then we came home to feed Oliver and then went on a nice long walk, which included a visit to another park. Eric surprised me with Lady Antebellum tickets for my birthday! That was on the 9th and we had floor seats, it was awesome! I don't have those pictures on my computer yet, but I will for sure post some.

This past weekend was Oliver's baptism. My family came into town from Wisconsin. That meant 5 extra people staying in our house! It was a fun weekend. It went by way too fast though. Jamie is definately all boy and loves being around grandpa and his uncles. He has been asking where they are. He went into the spare bedroom today and was saying grandma and grandpa. I told them they had to go home. Then he said "uncle Nick byebye."....he's so smart....but it breaks my heart.

Jamie just loves being a big brother. He is always giving Oliver hugs, kisses, holding his hand, and helping me. We still have to remind him to be gentle at times, but he is wonderful. We try to do things with Jamie alone, like going to parks and such, but he always asks for Oliver to come with and gets mad when he doesn't! He really isn't acting any different either since Oliver came home. He is 2 and is defintaley in his terrible 2's, but he isn't throwing any new fits. He also isn't showing any signs of being jealous, which I'm hoping will continue. I signed Jamie up for a signing class also so he and I will have our time together for the next 5 weeks. I thought this class would be good for him so he can at least communicate in some way the words he can't say. I can tell that he wants to say more and gets frustrated because he can't say everything he wants. He likes the class and is doing well with the signs. He knows some of the words and says them along with the sign. I also make sure to always say the word I am signing. I don't want him to only do signs and not say anything.

amie had his 2 year check-up the other week and is growing and doing well. He is just shy of 32 pounds and is 36 inches tall! He is doing so many things now. He can walk down stairs without holding onto anything, he is putting sentences together, putting puzzles together, telling BIG stories, and tries to say new words all the time. He is also sleeping in his big boy bed. He has been climbing out of his crib a lot lately and we were finding him sleeping on the floor. We figured that was his way of telling us he was done with the crib. We started off with naps and then on the third day, he wanted to sleep in there at night. We usually have to sit with him for a bit and he still gets out at times, but he loves the bed. He started sleeping in there last week and he also asked to go on his potty that same week. He went into the bathroom saying "peepee" and pointing to the potty. I put him on there, he didn't produce anything, but this is a good start. I think he already went to the bathroom when he was telling me he wanted to sit on the potty. He also has been telling us more and more when he goes potty, so we will be working on potty training more now.

Oliver is doing well also. I had to take him back to the doc. because he wasn't back to birth weight at his one week check-up. He was 8lbs, 12oz that first appointment and when we went back the next week, he was 9lbs, 10oz! He is definately growing like a weed. Today I had to take him back to see the doctor. He has been having problems with reflux and they weren't getting any better. Jamie was on medication when he was a baby for relfux and so I didn't want to mess around this time. His doctor suggested that we try a different formula that is suppose to help with spitting up. He spits up a lot and sometimes he spits up so hard that it comes out of his nose as well as his mouth. I feel so bad for him when that happens, you can see that it hurts. He also cries real hard. So far, on this new formula he is still spitting up and is still very cranky. I will see how tomorrow goes and will call the office back on Thursday. If things do not get better, then he will be put on medication. Oh, he now weighs 10lbs and 11oz and is 23 3/4 inches tall!

I love this picture of Eric and Jamie. Jamie had to do what daddy was doing! This was on my birthday. It was such a nice, beautiful day. We couldn't just stay inside.

He is such a ham! He wanted to wear Oliver's shirt.

We celebrated his birthday and Eric's parent's house and they had these super cool monkey masks for Jamie and his cousins to wear. He likes to act like a monkey. It is cute because he doesn't say monkey, he calls them "oohh oohh." I think got everything in this post. Well, I need to head to bed. Goodnight all!

Oh my....

2010-10-18T22:48:00.002-04:00

We have been sooo busy!! I will keep this post short because I'm sure Oliver will be waking up soon to eat. Things are going well here. Oliver is growing and so is Jamie! Jamie loves being a big brother and is very helpful. He isn't showing any signs of being jealous and I hope it stays that way. Ollie is 4 weeks old....wow, time really does fly. I will post again tomorrow when I have more time. After Oliver eats, I am hitting the hay :)

First week alone....

2010-09-30T14:44:00.003-04:00

This was my first week home alone with the boys. My mom was here last week and Eric had the week off of work. Eric works 2nd shift, so my day isn't that long with the boys. Jamie sleeps most of the afternoon. But, of course, this week would be different. Eric had to go in on 1st shift Tuesday and Wednesday for some training....man, that is a long day! We are surviving though. Yesterday we went on a nice walk, the longest I've done in a while! It was probably only a mile or a little more, but I'm happy with that. Our little town is celebrating fall this weekend by having PumpkinFest. They even make pumpkin people...which is a little freaky because they look real! Jamie really liked looking at them yesterday. I will have to take pictures this weekend. Speaking of pictures, I will get more on here of Oliver....and Jamie of course! Eric is actually staying on 1st for the rest of this week. It makes for longer days, but I figured that is better than changing the schedule again. Today is Jamie's 2nd birthday! I can't believe he is 2 already. It makes me sad that he is growing up so fast and doing so many things. He was putting puzzles together yesterday....out of the blue! He would actually look for the right pieces and put in them in the correct spots. And, if they were the wrong way, he knew what I meant when I told him to turn them around. We were reading a book the other night and he told me what the next page said before I turned the page! I'm glad he is doing all this stuff, but still, it makes me sad. This morning I took him to a signing class and again, he blew me away! He was doing some of the signs and some of the alphabet! It was nice to spend the morning with him (Oliver went by grandma's house). Every time I picked Jamie up (which I'm sure I shouldn't be doing that often considering he is like 32 pounds or so) he would give me a big hug. We are going to have a little party for him on Saturday to celebrate. Last year we did a big thing, but this year I just want to do something simple and let him have his special time. There is also a parade and I know Jamie will love that. Whenever I mention his party, he says "hot dog." Now, hot dog means Mickey Mouse. I know it is strange. He can say Mickey, but he loves the hot dog song and just associates that with Mickey. Anyway, I'm making him a Micky Mouse cake and he is so excited for that. I'm a little nervous about it though. I made him a monkey cake last year and that was pretty simple. We'll see what happens. Now, on to Oliver. He is doing great! He had his one week check-up the other day. He grew a half an inch in just one week, but isn't back to his birth weight yet. He only gained 2 ounces. His doctor wants to see him again next week because of that. I was worried at first, but after talking to people, I'm calming down. Jamie packed on the weight and I just thought Oliver was also. He eats a lot! Between 3 and 4 ounces at a time :) I figure that since he grew, that is where the weight went! The kid also loves to sleep, especially at night. Last night, he went to bed around 11 or so and got up at 5:30. The other night he ate around 10 and I woke him up at 6:30 to feed him! I'm not complaining! I'm sure if he ate during the night, he would be gaining weight a little faster also, but I really don't like to wake him, unless it has been a while. Ollie is very much like Jamie when he was a baby. He is content, super good, likes to eat and sleep. He has his crabby moments....he cries more than Jamie did, but it doesn't last for long. I still can't believe that I have 2 little boys now. I'm doing pretty well. I still get sore, but the thing that bothers me the most is my tailbone. I think that is why I walk a lot and do stuff around the house because my tailbone feels better when I'm moving compared to when I'm sitting. But, then I get sore....oh well, the soreness will hopefully be over with soon. The tailbone on the other hand, at least 3 to 4 months :( Well, I think I'm going to get some more cleaning done. I don't have a super messy house, I swear! It seems all I do is clean! I usually work on one thing at a time so I have a few more spots to take of, especially since we have people coming over on Saturday. Hope you all are having a good day :)

Introducing....

2010-09-26T15:24:00.005-04:00

Oliver Presley!! Oliver made his entrance last Sunday, Sept. 19th at 8:45am. He is absolutely perfect. I have to say that this delivery was soooo much better than the first. But, lets start from the beginning. Saturday night we went to Chuck E Chesse with my hubby's brother and his family. I really wasn't feeling any different that day. It was a little harder to walk, but I was used to that. We then went to the grocery store to get a few things and saw so many people that we knew. We got home, put Jamie to bed, I folded some laundry and was getting stuff ready for Sunday. We were suppose to go to a baptism for a friend's baby and then a birthday lunch at the in-laws. I went to bed around 1am....I was watching a movie! I was up at 2 to use the bathroom and then again at 3. I laid back down on the air mattress and started getting these cramps. I didn't think much of it at first. I went back to the bathroom and noticed that I was leaking a bit. I tried to fall back asleep, but that wasn't happening. I went upstairs and started to pack a bag. I woke Eric up a little after 3:30 and told him we needed to leave. He called his mom (they live like 2 minutes from us) and she headed over to stay with Jamie until he woke up. We got to hospital (which is also only a couple minutes away) around 4. By this time, I wanted to die! The contractions were horrible! They were already a minute apart by the time we got to the hospital. There was no easing into this birth....Oliver had a different plan! I, or Eric, asked for the epidural right away....haha. Once I got to the bed, I just stayed on my side and grabbed this cart that was next to me....it had open slots on it to push it and that came in handy during the contractions! They had to call in the epidural guy (sorry, can't spell the correct word) and thankfully it didn't take him long to drive in. They gave me some Stadal in the mean time. It doesn't take away the pain, but just helps to relax you a bit. It was enough to hold me over until I got the epidural. I was already dilated to a 7 and completely thinned out when I got to the hospital. I told you, he wasn't messing around! I got the epidural around 4:45. Then my water broke completely and I was dilated to a 10. Can't complain I guess. Well, I could until I got that nice pain medication! It was crazy how fast and hard those contractions were. My hubby knew it was bad when I started to whimper.....yeah, I didn't know what else to do! Anyway, since I was basically ready to have the baby, they waited for him to move down a bit more on his own. Less pushing for me and I wasn't feeling any pain so I didn't care! I could still feel the pressure of the contractions, but that was nothing! My wonderful nurse had me start pushing at 8:15 and after a couple rounds of pushing, she called the doctor in. I pushed a few more rounds with him and then Oliver was here! I was super calm during it all also. I just felt good and knew I could get it done. I was talking and joking. I think I was in shock a bit at how fast everything happened. I mean, I didn't push for very long. Anyway....Oliver was 9 pounds and 21 1/2 inches long! He was bigger than his brother. And he looks just like his brother, except Oliver has darker hair. Oh, Sunday was also our oldest niece's birthday! She was very excited to get a new cousin for her birthday.

Jamie came to visit before church and was so excited to meet his baby brother. I came in the room saying, "baby Ollie, baby Ollie." He wanted to hold him right away. He got a little too excited a few times, as he still does, and was a little rough with Oliver, but Oliver didn't care. I felt really good, and I looked much better, after this delivery. I really didn't feel like I had a kid. Well, except for my tailbone. That is still killing me and it stinks that there isn't anything you can do about it. Oh well, I will take the tailbone pain over all the stuff that happened with Jamie. I have been moving and doing a lot of stuff since we got home also. Then yesterday my side was hurting. Yep, just did too much and pulled the ligament. As long as I take it easy and don't bend over much, that feels better. I will definately post more pictures later. I still have to upload a bunch. Ok, I need to head off. Jamie has a cold and is possibly getting his 2 year molars.

I want to....

2010-09-13T21:13:00.003-04:00

Do so many things right now. I want to put the dishes in the dishwasher and run that, I want to put the pop cans in a bag, I have little things I want to put away, but I can't. Every time I stand up, I have this pain in an area that I won't name, but I am sure you could probably figure it out :) I don't like the pain and it makes it hard to walk, it really does. Then I feel pretty pathetic for complaining....just keep walking...but it doesn't go away until I sit down. Maybe it is a sign that I need to sit down and just wait until tomorrow, but I don't want to! The hubby has school in the morning so I won't have any time to do anything then, except go crazy with an almost 2 year old! I just want to be done. But like I sad before, I'm not looking forward to the actual delivery. I think maybe it is worse with the second one because you know what you are getting yourself into. I have been praying a lot lately.....for calmness, for things to go well. I know the big man upstairs is there for me and will help me get through, but man, I am really scared! Sometimes I just break down in tears because of the anxiety. I really don't know what to do anymore.

On a happier note...we went to a fair today. Yes, I am due in 7 days...haha, I was hoping the walking would get things moving :) It was dollar day at the fair and we couldn't pass that up. $3 for us to get in and park, instead of $15. I think Jamie enjoyed his mommy/daddy time. He loves animals and tractors and got to see all of those today. He then decided that he would sleep the 30 minutes home and then not take his nap when we got home. This momma was tired and took a nap though! He did stay in his crib for a couple of hours playing with his blankets, stuffed animals, and just chilling. I'm glad he doesn't mind doing that. I do feel bad, but I was just so tired. It did mean an early bedtime tonight so I guess it worked out nice!

Nerves

2010-09-10T23:33:00.002-04:00

I am stressing out like mad here. I am feeling so many different emotions, I don't know what to do! I am super excited to meet our new little guy, but I don't want to go through the whole process. I know, that probably makes me sound like a bad mom, but I didn't have a good experience the first time and I'm so afraid that will happen again. At this point, I'm ready for a C-section....please don't judge. I'm afraid of so many things and I shouldn't be. I guess it is normal to be afraid/nervous/anxious/excited. I just want to meet the little man! I'm a little nervous about how Jamie will react. He LOVES babies, but I know that could change when the baby doesn't leave. I also have to figure out last minute where he will go.....because of plans changing all of a sudden. We have people here that will help, that is not the problem. I would like him to at least sleep at home while I'm in the hospital, just to keep things as normal as possible for him, but I also have to realize that may not be able to happen. I'm trying to keep my mind busy with lots of other things in hopes that I will calm down a little. Ha...good luck, right?! I am due in 10 days and my nerves get worse everyday.

Oh, one more thing. My husband pointed out that in my last post I said I couldn't believe that Jamie was going to be 1....well, duh, he will be 2!!

All about James

2010-09-07T23:26:00.008-04:00

First, I can't believe that my little man will be 1 this month!! And that there will be a second baby before that. I thought it would be fun to a post just for Jamie. It would make a nice birthday post, but I'm thinking I might be a little busy and might forget. Jamie is such a precious boy. He may have his moments and is entering his terrible 2's, but he is such a sweet boy.

He wasn't a planned baby....please don't be offended. We just weren't trying and thought we would wait a little bit yet. I really wanted to finish school. When I found out, I was not very happy. I was just so shocked and couldn't believe it. The first couple of months were hard. When I think about it now, I feel bad for feeling that way, but I don't think I was ready at that moment to be a mom. I then got screwed over at school and wasn't allowed to do my internship for my last year. Of course, they won't admit the reason why, but I know. The pregnancy was also hard on me just because I wasn't expecting it and didn't know what to expect during the whole thing. My current pregnancy is hard also, but I know what to expect, what to do and not to do....you know, things you learn after doing it once! I do want to say that I never hated Jamie while I was pregnant. Once I got further into it, things got better. I just had some internal things to deal with. Jamie was born on September 30, two days after his due date. I went in on Monday for a nonstress test because his activty level was going down. I knew something was up because we were in there longer than we should have been. The doctor came in and said that we needed to induce which is something he doesn't do a lot. He said the baby was ok now, but if we waited til Friday (my next test), he could be in a lot more distress and it could result in a C-Section. I started to cry. I wanted to meet him, but I wasn't planning on hearing that news. I was induced around 11am on Monday and Jamie was born at 7:30am on Tuesday. We didn't know the sex so when they said he was a boy, I didn't even care....I was so wore out. About 15 minutes after he was born and things calmed down a bit, and I had some more energy, I was so excited to see him. He weighed 8lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches. He was such a good baby from the beginning. He didn't cry much and when he did, it was such a big boy cry. He changed our life, definately for the good!

One thing I say all the time, is that I can't believe how fast he has grown! He weighed 18 pounds at only 3 months. After the first few weeks, I didn't feel like I had a baby...haha! Even now, he is wearing 3T and 4T clothes, 31 pounds, and about 36 inches tall (or taller, he is reaching a lot more things now!). He was getting rice cereal in his bottle at one month, eating baby food at four months, and drinking completely from sippy cups at ten months. He is a very independent little boy. He needs to do things on his own. I had to stop cutting his bananas up because he wanted to eat them like a big boy. I like the fact that he is so independent, but it makes me sad at times. He is a jabber mouth! He loves to talk, even though you may not be able to make out everything he says! He likes to sing, dance, listen to grandpa's polkas....yes, my dad has a polka band! He is ALL boy. He loves trucks, tractors, balls, mega blocks, dirt. He has a mechanical mind, like his daddy. He likes to know how things work. He will actually take things apart and put them back together, or watch how things works. He is so smart. I know every parent says that about their kids, but I think he is too smart for his own good right now...haha! Eric and I drink Mountain Dew, but I like Code Red and Jamie knows that. He sees a green can and says "daddy" and then points to the red can and says "momma." Just tonight we were working on colors and said something was blue and then he went and found a few other things that were blue...all on his own! He is also an escape artist. He runs outside or upstairs so quick it is insane.

This is one of his 6 month pics and I just love it. My brother is a Marine so he is sporting his camo. This child also has little fear....something I'm not a huge fan of all the time. We have a huge black lab (like 100 pounds at least!) and he has never been afraid of him. I really like that though. He does things all the time that about give me a heart attack and he doesn't care that he could get hurt....until he does. I know that he is going to be a great big brother. I know we will have our moments with him, but I'm not too worried about it. My sister asked him the other day where Oliver was and he said "in momma".....are you kidding me?!! We put the other carseat in the car and I told him it was for Ollie and he just loved that. He was so well behaved in that car with the other seat next to him...haha! I can't wait to see how he acts with Oliver.

This is one of his 1 year pics and it is so Jamie! He makes such crazy faces. Well, I'll stop bragging.....for now! It is getting late and this momma needs some sleep.

Wow

2010-09-02T22:49:00.006-04:00

I thought I would start out by giving more stats about Eric's 5K because he did awesome! He ran it in 25:37, which is a 8:15 mile. He finished 201 overall (out of 551) and finished 9th out of 18 in his age group. I think it is so cool because I could never, never do that!

As you may remember...or not..haha...I went to Carter's the other day and got some great deals. I get so excited going there and then adding up the total prices compared to what I spent. I only spent $67.49 before taxes and got 16 items. I'm going to go through the numbers because it excites me....haha, yeah a little strange....sorry. I got a lot of stuff that was a part of their warehouse sale and all those items were an additional 20% off. I had a coupon for 25% off if I spent $40 and then a card for another $10 off. And everything that I bought was on sale. I got the boys matching Halloween shirts that were $14 for $4.59 each. Another shirt was $20 and I got it for $6.53. I got Jamie a pair of jeans for $6.53 (originally $24). A shirt for $1.56 (or. $12), a romper for $3.13 (or. $16), a bodysuit for $1.56 (or. $12), a creeper for $2.08 (or. $10), another creeper for $2.08 (or. $10), an outfit for $5.23 (or. $20), shirt for $2.60 (or. 12), shorts for $2.60 (or. $12), bodysuit for $4.17 (or. 20), shirt for $7.19 (or. $22), and two pairs of PJs for $6.53 each (or. $20). The PJs were buy one, get one free so it was like paying $10 for each, but then cheaper! The total price was $258 before taxes!! I know that is a lot of numbers, but I saved so much...I love it!

Jamie's Clothes

Oliver's clothes

Their matching shirts :D

Tonight, Jamie and I had some snuggle time. I love snuggle time! For the past 2 weeks or so, he hasn't been going to bed for me very well, but goes down for Eric just fine. It is super frustrating because I have things I want to get done after he goes to bed. I thought I would just keep him up for a bit tonight. He went down at 10...yeah, a little late. Anyway, he was laying on my tummy and Oliver kicked his head twice. Jamie looked up at me with the funniest look! He looked so confused and a little freaked out. I started to laugh and said, "did Ollie get you!?" Then he laughed and kept saying Ollie, but he didn't lay back on my belly for a bit. It was just so cute :)

Stream of Consciousness

2010-08-30T08:42:00.002-04:00

Eric ran his first 5K on Saturday and did great! He ran it in only 25 min. and 37 seconds! That is the faster than any time while he was training. He is going to keep running and do another 5K in our town on October 2. That day I will be watching the race with 2 little boys....crazy! I had a doc. appointment last week and things are looking good. I asked the doctor if he could guess the weight. He was feeling around and asked if I really wanted to know! Oh man. He asked how big the first one was and I said 8 pounds, 10 ounces and he said if Oliver goes full term he will be at least 9 pounds....holy man! I thought he was going to be smaller because he started off that way...haha! How do you prepare yourself for a monster baby?! I am already scared out of my mind to do the whole thing again and now there is a posibility that he will be even bigger than the first. I keep hoping that he will come early, but with my luck, he will go to the exact due date. It is hot and humid here again. Gotta love 90 degree weather and humidity when you are 9 months pregnant! We will definately be spending some time in the pool. I got a killer cramp in my calf muscle yesterday morning. It was bad! It died down a little bit only to come back again. It is still sore and hard to walk on it. Man, I really hate those cramps. Hopefully being in the pool will help. The tree in front of my house is turning color already! Our road was re-done last summer and new trees were planted. We got a Maple and Flowering Pear tree...which I love! The top half of the maple is a pretty red color right now. A little depressing though. I like having cooler weather, sweat shirt weather, but I do not like really cold weather, or snow...yeah, I'm picky. Jamie was playing last night and I can't believe how fast he is growing :( I'm glad to have a new baby soon, but I know he will grow just as fast as Jamie. Jamie is learning so many new words, making 2 and 3 word sentences, in his terrible 2's for sure, and always keeps us on our toes. It is fun to teach him new words because he really focuses on my mouth and tries his hardest to repeat the word. I went to our local Carter's store over the weekend for their huge sale...I will post more about that later...and got the boys some new clothes. Not like Oliver really needs any because he will be born the same time Jamie was. I got them a few matching shirts...I know, they will hate me, but they will look so adorable :) I got Jamie some 4T things to last throughout the winter and spring, thinking they looked pretty big. I was in for a surprise when I tried them on him! He has some room to grow, but they weren't huge like I thought they would be. I got him some winter pjs and the pants were a bit long. He has a long torsoe (that is totally not the correct spelling, sorry!)...top half...and his legs are a bit short. Well, they really aren't short, they are still long for his age, but his top half is longer....something he gets from me. He will be 2 a month from today and wears 3T and 4T things and his shoe size is 8! He also has long arms and is growing out of some of his long sleeve 3T shirts. I will have to do a post just about him, since I just love talking about him! Well, it is 9:15am and the little man is still sleeping....along with the big man. I need some breakfest...at least a real one! I had some Keebler fudge stripe cookies, but should probably have something healthy...haha!

Full Term!

2010-08-23T15:51:00.002-04:00

I am officially full term and so excited for that! I just really want to meet this little guy. I won't lie though....I am looking forward to these darn pains going away! I had some cramping and those fun pains last night for a few hours. But, I can do this! Haha....think positive right?! I've been getting nervous about things though. I was induced with my first one, so I'm really wondering what will happen with this one. I'm afraid that I will be out grocery shopping with my little man and my water breaks. I'm hoping this one comes on his own. The pains were so bad with being induced. I'm also not looking forward to that whole process. I have to try and not think about it too much!

My sister is coming over today to hang out with Jamie. I'm really hoping to get some stuff done around the house. I just have to remember to pace myself so I'm not paying for it later. It will be nice to have a small break from the little one also. He is hitting his terrible 2's for sure! He has beeen throwing some nice fits and being super attached to us at times. I feel bad for needing a break, but I think it is good for both of us. I think the hardest thing when Oliver is born, is me being away from Jamie. I'm not worried about how he will react to the baby....he loves babies...and I know, we will have our days.

Eric's big 5K is this weekend and I'm getting excited for him. He has been working real hard on his running. It will be a very early day for us, but it will be a fun day. There is another 5K in our town in October that he also wants to do. We talked about gettting some nice, expensive running shoes next year. I want to make sure this is something he really wants to do and with him only doing 2 races this year, it doesn't really make sense to get them now. I think running is something that he will keep doing. It makes me feel like a whimp though because I cannot run! I have such bad knees and asthma that I can't do it. I do like how a lot of the 5K's have walks also, so I will probably do some of those next year. My mother-in-law is also training for a 100 mile bike ride. I'm going to look up different bike rides in Michigan...maybe there are ones that are shorter than 100 miles! I like to ride my bike and it is something that I can do pretty easily with my knee problems. It will be a good way to stay in shape also. Oh, I've also decided to join the Zumba craze after Oliver is born! It looks fun.

Success!!

2010-08-16T15:19:00.002-04:00

I am happy to say that all my jars of tomato sauce have stayed sealed! I am so excited about this! I had exactly enough tomatoes for 6 quarts and 2 pints. I was in the kitchen for a few hours and that took it's toll on me. It was super hot that day and night and so was my kitchen! My feet were so swollen, it was nuts. But, oh well, I got them canned, right!?

On Sunday, my sister had a baby shower for me. I am so thankful for the people that showed up. I wasn't expecting a shower at all since this is my second baby, but my sister thought it would be nice to get some help with the cloth diapers. We got some more to add to our stash, but still need more...haha...that way I don't have to do laundry everday. We aren't starting Oliver on cloth til he is about 1 month anyway, so we have time. I had so much fun at the shower. It was nice to laugh, tell crazy stories, and just hang out for a few hours.

We are finally getting a break from the crazy heat this week. I am so excited about that! It is so nice to turn off the air conditioner and open the windows and feel that nice breeze. Since it is cooler this week, I'm hoping to get more cleaned in the house. It always seems...at least in my house...that things get worse before they get better when it comes to cleaning! I want to get things nice and clean before Oliver comes. Then we just have to keep it that way! We also have some yard work to get done. Nothing major, but stuff that needs to be done before it snows :)

Baby Update

2010-08-13T16:18:00.002-04:00

I had my doc. appoitment yesterday and things are looking good. I am 34 1/2 weeks, but measuring 33 weeks. This is a little strange to me just because I measured so big with my first! I know, don't compare pregnancies because they are different. I also got a note to be off of work, although the doctor wasn't too happy about it. He believes in women working up until their due date. I have no problem with that, but my job is a little different. For one, it is only 4 hours a week, is it really that big of a deal?! I work for a cleaning company and I have to vacuum, sweep, and mop. Not that big a deal to do at home because I don't have a time frame to get it done, I can take breaks at home. At work, I have to have things done in a certain amount of time, it is a lot of twisting, lifting, and bending. I do all that stuff at home, but at my pace. I tried explaining that to my doctor, telling him that I don't sit around....I mean come on, I have an almost 2 year old to chase around! I clean, go grocery shopping, mow the lawn. I also told him how much better I felt last week when I wasn't working, less stress. Oliver's activity has also started to increase....shouldn't that be a reason to stay home?! If I had a desk job, I would most certainly continue working. I then talked to one of the ladies who works in the office and she agreed with me. Everyone is different. Oh well, I'm trying to forget about what he said. He is a good doctor, but lets face it, he is a male! He should also know that I don't just sit around....I am pushing 180 pounds...gasp!!!....but I most certainly do not look like it! I have to stop dwelling on it though, less stress and I need that!

Last Saturday, we went to the farmer's market. I was excited to get 6 huge cumumbers for only $1! I also got two paper shopping bags full of tomatoes to can for only $12. My dad always makes homemade tomato sauce and gives us some, but I wanted to try it on my own also. I did the other year, but didn't have much luck with the jars staying sealed. I'm hoping to have better luck this year. The lady I brought the tomatoes from said I could freeze the sauce it they came unsealed....I did not know that! My sister is coming over to play with Jamie tonight so I can get the tomatoes done. It has been in the 90's and high humidity so I have the tomatoes sitting by the air conditioner...haha!

Finally, I follow this blog and also on Facebook....Mommy and Me Giveways. They are having two sweet giveaways right now that I'm pretty excited about. I'm hoping to win something....I never win anything! Their first one is a Doopsy cloth diaper giveaway. You can check out their website here http://www.doopsy.com/ These diapers are fun, bright colors, have extra absnorbancy, and are a little cheaper than most. We are doing cloth diapering with Oliver and I like trying different kinds. Their second giveaway is for a Little Tikes Spray and Rescue Fire Truck http://www.littletikes.com/toys/spray-rescue-fire-truck.aspx. I need to figure out how to put these links in a post with just one word instead of all this other stuff! Anyway, I love this truck! Jamie loves trucks and loves water so I know he would have a blast with it. So, if you are interested in any of these, check them out http://mommyandmegiveaways.com. Alright, I am off to make spaghetti for dinner.

Positive

2010-08-11T23:16:00.002-04:00

I am trying to stay positive these days, and not just about pregnancy. There are so many things going on and I really don't know what to do, how to handle things. I try to push things aside, but that usually makes things worse. I feel like I'm being judged anytime I complain about being pregnant. I love the end result of pregnancy, but do not enjoy the whole process. It is not easy for me. Last night, I had a breakdown. I just couldn't take the braxton hicks, and then Jamie didn't want to go to bed. He climbed out of bed and proceeded to come downstairs. I think my crying made things worse for him. I called Eric and had him come home from work for a bit just so he could sit with him and put him back to bed. I'm so thankful that his job allows him to do that and that he only works a few miles from home. It kind of irratates me when others talk about how fun their pregnancies are....but then I try to forget about it because it could be worse...I am very thankful that I am able to have children. It really sucks to feel sick all the time, wondering when you are going to throw up, what foods will get you that day. I hate that I don't have much energy these days to play with my little man. I don't even feel like cleaning my house! I know it has to be done, and it is getting there....slowly! People have been on my mind lately....friends, family, why some act the way they do. How much do you try with people before giving up? Like I said, I'm trying to be positive. Things have to get better, right?! It does help to get my feelings out on here...even if it might tick some people off! I plan on posting tomorrow, but with a lighter post, happier! I have a doctor's appoitment in the morning and then we are spending some time in the pool....90 plus weather is not fun! Oh, funny, random fact. We went to see some fireworks on Saturday night and when we got home, my feet were so swollen! My shoes weren't tight and I was sitting most of the time. My socks had circle designs on them and those designs were then on the tops of my feet! Oh, the joys :)

Complain, complain

2010-08-04T22:03:00.003-04:00

That is what I feel like I do all the time now. I don't want this blog to be me only whinning about things, so I will make this one quick!

Being pregnant is hard for me. It is a wonderful thing, don't get me wrong, but I do not enjoy most of it. I have so many pains, I can't walk or even sit for long periods of time because I feel light headed or dizzy. I have been getting itchy also...not really sure what that is all about. There is usually a couple times a day when I feel itchy everywhere, but no rashes or anything, just strange. Ok, done with that!

I stopped at my doctor's office yesterday to get a note to stop work and the doctor wouldn't sign off on it! My doctor wasn't there and they told me I have to wait til next Thursday when I have my appointment. Shouldn't it be my decision about when I want to stop working? The more I think about it and talk with the hubby, I am agreeing with him on the work situation. I have a hard time getting through work and then come home and deal with contractions for most of the night. I'm going to call work in the morning and explain the deal and I'm sure they will tell me to stay home and just bring the note in next week....well, here's hoping!

This morning, Jamie and I went to see a friend and have a play date with her son. Jamie loves playing with anyone, but this little boy takes a while to warm up to Jamie. He is usually afraid, like Jamie is going to beat him up! I am happy to say that they actually played with each other today! It was really cute and they were both sad when we had to leave. I liked catching up with my friend and seeing her new little baby girl. Oh, we also got Dish Network today! Oh, the little things that excite me. We had Charter, but I was sick of getting screwed by them. Goodbye charter!! I'm also thinking that tomorrow will be a pool day. It is going to be hot and humid again (my next pregnancy will be during the winter!). Jamie loves the pool and mamma likes it also :)

This little man makes me smile. Question.....does anyone have an easy way of putting pics on here? I added it and it put it in the beginning and I had to drag it down. Is that the only way of doing it?

Stream of Consciousness

2010-08-02T21:49:00.002-04:00

So, I really need to get back in the swing of blogging and getting on here more. Things have been a little hectic here. I have been having contractions for a couple of weeks now...pretty sure just Braxton Hicks, but they are still annoying. Oliver's activty has been slowing down also. He started off as pretty active and now he is having more and more lazy days. The other night I was up most of the night with lower back pain and contractions and the baby hardly moved at all. I should have called the doctor, but it was like 3AM and the hubby had just gotten home from work and I wanted him to sleep. I did call the office in the morning and had to have a non stress test. Everything was fine....of course! I just have to keep paying attention to things. They also registered some contractions, nothing big and nothing like the night before! I didn't go to work tonight...I only work 4 hours a week...haha! I work for a cleaning company and things have been getting worse for me after work. The hubby doesn't want me to work anymore. I understand where he is coming from, but at the same time I feel lazy and like a baby because I am having such problems. My job isn't hard at all, but I have to do a lot of bending over, twisting....I don't know, it just frustrates me because I don't want people to think I am lazy. I do all that same stuff at home, but I can take breaks and I don't have a time frame to get things done in. I will admit that my cleaning has been slacking here lately! I really am looking forward to being done with this pregnancy. I'm starting to get nervous and scared though. I didn't have a good experience the first time....I will write about that later.....so I'm afraid that the same things will happen again. I'm just not looking forward to the whole process! We still haven't really tried putting Jamie on his potty chair yet. I know we need to, but I never seem to remember. We've been working more with the cloth diapers. EcoBuns, the store we get our lovely stuff from, just moved to an actual store front and had a grand opening the other day and we got 2 more diapers. I still put a disposable diaper on for nap time because he usually wakes up with a dirty diaper and the hubby still hasn't hooked up the sprayer to the toliet...haha. Jamie really enjoys the diapers, he gets mad when I don't put one on him. It is a little more work just because I have to do laundry more, but I think it is totally worth it. Jamie's skin also looks better when he wears the cloth diapers. We are going to wait about a month or so with Oliver before we start him on them, just because of how messy those diapers can be! My sister is throwing me a baby shower. She thought it would be nice since we are switching diapers. I'm hoping it turns out nice and we get some more diapers. I don't want that to sound greedy or anything. The diapers are a little pricey, but you save sooo much. Eric has been working a lot. This is nice, but at the same time really sucks. He works second shift and it gets boring at night after Jamie goes to bed. Maybe that is why I keep him up til 8:30 or 9. Some days, Eric works 3-3. He even worked 7 hours on Saturday. I'm happy for all the overtime, we really need it. I'm still looking for a job, hopefully something that has to do with my major. I would be happy with something part time. I go crazy being home all the time. I love my little man, but I really do need a job and get out for a bit. I just keep praying that something will come up. I am excited because I have some more followers! I found a blog that had a Follow Me Friday. I'm looking forward to going through more of the blogs, including my new followers, and following them! Right now, I need to finish up some laundry and some knitting. I can't wait to post again, I have so many ideas.

I am....

2010-07-19T14:52:00.000-04:00

So many different things. I am 31 weeks pregnant and ready to be done. I know having a child is a blessing, but I am sick of all the pains, feeling like dirt, being tired all the time, not being able to do a whole lot, and being super hot all the time. Just because someone is pregnant, does not mean they have to enjoy every minute! I just want to meet my new little boy. I'm anxious to see who he looks like, how similar/different he will be from my other son, and so many other things. I am happy that Jamie is starting to understand that there is a baby in mommy's belly. He likes to touch my belly, give hugs and kisses and says "hi Ollie." I wish I had another job. I only get about 4 hours a week at my current job and I need more. I'm so tired of worrying about our finances while others seem to be getting everything that they want. I don't want extra money to spend on foolish things, I just want to be able to pay our bills and not worry about it. I feel as though places of employment are holding my pregnancy against me. I know they can't, and they won't say they are, but you know it happens. I'm still very upset with the college I just graduated from for making me change my plans how many times and then didn't even let me graduate in the major that I wanted to. Of course, all the jobs I find right now are for social workers and my new degree is in behavioral science. I can still get counseling jobs, but don't know if people really want that social work degree. I feel like such a failure sometimes because of this. I know I did nothing wrong, but it still feels like I did, like I wasn't good enough. I also feel like I don't fit in to some places here. I try so hard to make new friends, but never get too far. I'm starting to think that it is time to give up, at least for a bit. I just can't do it anymore. I am also sick of most things that start with an "i".....you know, the ipads, iphones. I don't know. I just feel like they are making people lazy and rude. Do people know how to read a map anymore?! I don't need some silly app to tell me how to get somewhere, I can look it up and I can read a map! These things are all so expensive just to get them started. I have an ipod, but I could live without it! As you can see, there are so many things going through my head. I just need to relax and just forget about things. I need to focus more on our new baby coming. I need to get his little clothes washed and put in the bedroom. I also need to rearrange rooms upstairs. I also need to work on potty training the other little man. I know, he is only 21 months, but he tells us when he is poopy, pee pee, and tries to help change his diaper. My goal is to have him at least almost potty trained before the new baby. I think we can do it, we just need to stick with it.

Starting Over

2010-07-13T00:32:00.000-04:00

I have decided to start my blog all over. I want to blog about our crazy life which includes some new adventures in cloth diapering. That is right....cloth diapers! We decided that this would be a good move for our family. I will have lots more to say later. I just wanted to get things going here!