Merry Christmas!

What a fun Christmas week this has been! I've really loved spending time with my boys. Although Daniel is just 2 years old, this was his 3 Christmas, and I have to say that each year has been more fun than the last! I kind of feel the "magic" of Christmas returning. You know. That exciting feeling you had as a kid? That's how I felt!

Christmas Eve was pretty much perfect. Jacob and I even talked about how sometime it feels like Christmas Eve is more exciting than Christmas because there's so much anticipation!

I had to work in the morning, but when I got off, Daniel and I went home and picked up Jacob for a last minute crazy trip to WalMart. It was just about as crowded as I had anticipated, but we had a good time none the less.

We made our traditional junk food. I got Daniel down for a nap. Then Jacob and I popped in Home Alone. Daniel woke up about half way through which was odd for him. He was crying, so I went in and he ended up snuggling with me during almost the rest of the movie. He had a bit of a tummy ache.

Then we watched A Muppet Christmas Carol...one of Jacob's Christmas favorites!

After that we took a break so that I could finish cleaning up the kitchen, get the breakfast casserole ready and get the roast in the crockpot so I wouldn't have to worry about anything in the morning.

Next we went to look at the lights at Christmas in the Park. They had some really cool displays!

Then back home to let Daniel open his Christmas Eve gifts. He got jammies (a new tradition I started last year) and a new book.

This was followed by, A Christmas Story, The Night Before Christmas, read by Daddy, leaving out milk and cookies for Santa (or HoHo) as Daniel calls him. Bedtime for the little guy. And last but not least, the movie that makes it OFFICIALLY Christmas....National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!

We didn't get to bed until midnight and I was awake by 7:00. I was giddy, but the boys were still asleep. We were finally up and ready to roll by 8.We decided to let Daniel open all of his stuff first, eat breakfast and then open our things. My mom had mailed their gifts to us, so we had a lot to open!

 











It was just so much fun watching him open things. He would pick up each gift and say, "What's this? Ooooh!!!" I think each of his gifts was a hit. He played with everything yesterday.

Jacob and I had fun opening our's too, but I think we'd both agree that watch Daniel was the best! We got some great things from each other and from my parents. I feel pretty blessed to have 2 wonderful sets of parents and a wonderful husband!

The rest of the day was filled with talking to family and playing, playing, playing! I'm very proud to say that Daniel knew that yesterday was Jesus' birthday as well. Very exciting to teach these things to him!

Today I had to work again. I'm glad I took Daniel because it was just me and him. No other kiddos showed up, so we called it a day a half an hour early. Actually, before we even got in the building I discovered my tire was flat, so I called the local place and had them tow it and repair it for me. Thankfully it happened on Jacob's break, because I was able to just take the car seat out and then have him come get us when I was done!

We stopped to pick up my car, dropped it at home and headed on our adventure to Springfield. We hit up Best Buy, Olive Garden for lunch, Target and WalMart. Daniel was so so good. We were really proud of him. I didn't know how he would be without a  nap. He did have a meltdown just before we came home, so I assumed he'd nap on the way back. Nope. He stayed awake. He fell asleep at 7:45 tonight. He was a tired little guy, and I'm a tired Momma, but had a great day!

Tomorrow I work and then we're heading to Villa Grove. We planned to go Saturday but decided today to see if we could come a day early. So, we'll be spending tomorrow night and Saturday night there. Can't wait to celebrate Christmas with Jacob's parents and watch Daniel get excited about his new things again!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

The Boy

I realized that I haven't made a post about Daniel lately. Well, of course he's in all of my posts, but I always like to write about the things that he does and brag on him a little.

I mentioned in a previous post that he had his 2 year check up. He weighed in at 29 pounds and 36 inches! He's a very tall boy. I finally got on the ball and ordered him a new car seat. He had pretty much outgrown his rear facing (and we all know where I stand on that!). It finally arrived the other day, and he couldn't wait to try it out! He kept climbing into it while I was trying to figure everything out. I think I should get at least another year of rear facing now!

That child never ceases to amaze us. He can count from 1-10 and knows what each number is. He knows all the letters of the alphabet, although not in order. He knows the words to songs that we sing. He can recognize shapes and name some of them. He also knows almost all of his colors. Again, he can identify them, but can't say a few of them.

He insists on calling himself "Baby". I am 100% convinced that he could say it, but now he thinks it's a joke. He'll just giggle and give a big cheesy grin when we say, "What's your REAL name?!"

He likes routine. (Wonder who he got that from? :)) He also puts all of his toys away where they belong. If you put something in the wrong spot he will pick it up and move it to where it goes.

He still loves to read. We read countless numbers of books during the day...but I'm thankful he enjoys it.

He is very good at saying, "Please" and "Thanks", although sometimes he doesn't use them quite right he really tries.

He understands plurals. I mean, what 2 year gets that so well?

We've been working on potty training, but I'm still not hardcore into it. Exciting news though! He pooped on the potty for the first time the other night! Now he talks about how it "plops" all the time. Haha!

He is a total spit fire. His favorite word is, "NO!!!" Sigh. This too shall pass.

He has a memory that is a million times better than mine. He pulls things out of the air that happened several months ago and starts talking about them!

Sometimes I enjoy trying to figure out how his little mind works.

One of my favorite parts of the day is bedtime. Not because I'm ready for some quiet time (although that's a huge perk), but because I love our routine (once I get him settled down). I like reading him stories and then rocking with him. He wasn't a super snuggly baby,  but he's coming around, and I LOVE when he snuggles with me each night! We pray and sing songs before going to bed.

Yeah. He's pretty much the best kiddo I could ever ask for!

Christmas Is in the Air!

We got home from Iowa on Sunday afternoon. It was a pretty uneventful drive. Oh yeah. Except the part when Jacob looked into the backseat to discover Daniel brushing his teeth! What a hilarious kid! He got into his suitcase and took it out of the plastic bag it was in without us even noticing. That's what you get where you're belting out Christmas songs!

Monday I decided to get out the Christmas tree. I was feeling kind of bummed because I don't like when Thanksgiving is so late. Everyone was posting pictures of their trees and I wanted mine up! I decided that it wasn't in my best interest to carry the tree up the stairs, but Jacob wasn't home. I sort of though maybe I could do it without killing my back, so I dragged the box across the basement. I then decided I was not getting up the stairs with that thing. Last year the box fell apart so I duct taped it back together...but it all fell apart again. Finally, common sense took over and I realized I could carry it up one piece at a time. Duh!

Amazingly, it only took me maybe 15 minutes to get it up this year. I'm pretty sure it took WAY longer last year because I had never done it before. I was pretty proud. I even managed to get it decorated before Daniel woke up.

He was very excited about the "Big-a tree!" (He likes to add A's to the end of words lately).









I waited until yesterday to put up my other decorations. I carried them up in small loads in a laundry basket. I didn't put everything out, but I like how everything turned out.

Today, I dropped Lola off at the mechanic. The day we were leaving for Iowa, she decided to start making a weird humming sound, so we decided to take Jacob's car. I'm glad we did. It turned out to be the alternator going bad. Got that all fixed up and kissed a little more money farewell. I really like the place we take our cars though. They are so friendly, and pretty fast too.

I'm feeling some relief as I think I've finally picked a new insurance plan for Daniel and I. It'll cost more, but it's going to cost more no matter what. I feel pretty at peace with it though. I've researched the heck out of stuff and talked to 3 different companies today. This new stuff really sucks, but I'm pretty excited that as of January 1st I will officially have maternity insurance again! :)

We've got snow on the way. 60 degrees today. 30 degrees tomorrow and snow tomorrow night and Friday. Bah Humbug. Guess I'll suck it up and enjoy some Christmas music and maybe even bake something.

Cheating

I have 9 minutes until midnight and I almost forgot to blog! So that's it. It was a fun day and I shall share all about it later.
We head home tomorrow, so please pray for safe travels!

Black (and Gold) Friday!

No shopping for this girl today. I did a lot of browsing online for deals, but there was nothing amazing. I'm really just looking for a car seat. Plus I always key in the camera I want. There are some okay deals, but I just can't justify it I don't think. I'll keep dreaming.

It was just a day of relaxing, family, football and basketball! Dad, Jacob and I watched the Iowa/Nebraska game. Man, was that a fun game to watch! Lots of yelling and cheering...although mine mostly came out in squeaks since I've only had half a voice for the past couple of days. It was worth it though. Iowa won! Maybe we'll get a great bowl game this year!

Daniel played with Mimi and Nenny while we watched. Since I really wanted to finish the game, I put Daniel down for a late nap, and then went to to get him around 4:30. He was sitting up, but not quite awake. Once upstairs he spiraled into an epic meltdown which lasted for a half an hour! Lots and lots of emotions from that little guy!

After we ate supper, Dad, Jacob and I headed back downstairs to watch the Iowa basketball game. It was fun, but a total blowout! Iowa won by a landslide. It's a great day to be a Hawkeye!

Now, I'm hanging out with Mom and Kendra watching HGTV.

Tomorrow I'm finally venturing out. Jacob and I get to go see Catching Fire! I'm SO excited! I've heard it's amazing. I can't wait!

Happy Turkey Day!

After a rough night, Daniel thankfully had a decent day today. He had a meltdown at bedtime, and Daddy had to help calm him down. Then he woke up sobbing around 2:00 this morning. We rocked. He fell asleep, but as soon as I moved he woke up. I brought him into bed with us for awhile, but instead of falling asleep, he woke up more. Then we moved to the couch and I turned on Daniel Tiger. It was a last resort because I really just needed to lay down and rest. After one episode he was wiggly and wanting to play so I turned the TV off and the lights off and told him he had to either lay with me or go back into his bed. He laid for awhile longer and then let me lay him back down at 3:30. I couldn't help but have flashbacks though. 2 years ago on Thanksgiving I was up at the same time with him...only he was just 8 hours old. :)

Anyway, I ended up waking up at 7:30, but stayed in bed for another 45 minutes until Daniel woke up. We came up, had breakfast and just hung out for the morning. Daniel's new favorite word is, "No." Sigh. He's been very emotional these past few days. Understandably so in some ways, but in other ways I know it's the "Terrible Two's" starting up more. I will say, they way he says no is hilarious though. He says it in the sweetest little voice. No anger, so a sweet little, "no."

Mom went to pick Grandma up and then we had Thanksgiving Dinner at noon. It's still weird without Grandpa. This was the 2nd Thanksgiving that he's been gone...but he was remembered. When we were little it was just us and Grandma and Grandpa. Then the Gray's moved back and Thanksgiving got even bigger. The last year we were a big group, Erica was gone, but Jacob and Jeff joined us too. Now it's a small group again. Weird how times changes things.

Lunch was yummy. I love a good turkey dinner! I won't lie though...I LOVE the dessert the best. Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream. It's the best!

Next came nap time for all the boys and relaxing for all the girls. I actually had to wake Daniel up at 4:15! He was none too happy about that! He snuggled with Pa and didn't even want to open his presents at first! We finally got him to open them, although he had a few meltdowns while opening and then he opened a Magna Doodle. That kid would NOT put it down! He had 2 presents left and he refused to open them. It took a good half an hour before he did. I have pictures from the day, but I haven't loaded them yet. Maybe tomorrow!

The evening was filled with pizza, football, Iowa basketball (who came back from behind to win in overtime!), playing, bath time, and talking to Erica.

All in all, a great day with family!

Here It Is

The lamest post ever because I'm tired but feel that I've made it this far that I'm not going to miss a day now.

*Worked

*Packed

*Drove to Iowa

*Chilled with the family.

*Have a headache.

*Hope I can sleep.

Also, please pray for Daniel. He's in a lot of pain from something he had done at the doctor yesterday. He just cries and cries. Poor little baby. :(

My Day in Bullets

Today was exhausting! I shall recap it in a bullet post.

*Woke up several times in the night with a sore throat (again) and a barking seal cough.

*Heard Daniel coughing a lot and he kept whimpering in his sleep.

*After getting up, showered, dressed and getting Daniel dressed I started calling doctor's.

*Called to get Daniel in to be seen, but they only had an 8:30 appt. and I would've been late for work. So, they said they'd call back.

*Called my doctor's office to see if she would re-prescribe the Z-Pack for me without coming in. Receptionist said she probably would and would call back.

*Ate breakfast.

*Daniel's doctor's office called back to say that they could "squeeze him in" with the nurse practitioner at 2:15. Nap time. But I said I'd make it work.

*Went to work and the time flew by!

*Got off and had a message from my doctor's office. "She said she really wants to see you, so give me a call and I'll get you in today." Ugh.

*Called and the only time open was 2. That wasn't going to work. Then she said, "Could you come right now?" Yup.

*Drove over and let her look at my throat. I don't think she's even going to charge me, she just wanted to look because she said normally she won't do a 2nd round, but I look to have a 2nd virus, so she wrote me a prescription.

*Went home and fed myself and the boy lunch. I planned to try to put him down early for nap, but with getting home a little later than I thought with making an extra stop it wasn't going to be worth it.

*Had our daily afternoon chat with Daddy on the phone!

*Headed to Daniel's appointment. Let me remind you...the time was 2:15 and we arrived 5 minutes early.

*Daniel entertained the waiting room, by running around, and yelling "Jump!" while attempting to jump. Our favorite receptionist gave him a little puppy dog beanie, and he befriended an older lady who he made play catch with him using his new puppy!

*Got called back by our favorite nurse! Thankfully they let me roll this appointment in with his 2 year appointment so I don't have to come back for that (and the well check appointments are fully covered by insurance!) Little man weighed in at 29 lbs and is 36 inches! So in the past 6 months he's only gained 1 pound, but grew 2 inches!

*Then we waited. And waited. And waited. And....well you get the picture. We read every book in the room, Daniel played peek a boo with a curtain. Played with the exam table. Rolled the stool all over the room crashing it into things (and by that point I honestly didn't care.). Then he would open the door, sit on the floor and slowly scoot into the hallway like he thought I wouldn't notice. Haha! I got the nurse to give him a sucker so that bought me a few minutes of him sitting down!

*FINALLY the nurse practitioner came in and was very apologetic. (Still frustrating, but glad for an apology) She looked Daniel over and decided that it was just a virus and that he didn't need a prescription. At that point I'm thinking, "I'm glad you're doing the well check too because if I had sat for that long for nothing I would have been SO mad!" 

*He had to get his Hep A vaccine and I went ahead and got him a flu shot too. He was not happy...until he got snuggles and another sucker.

*Left at 4:00. :/

*Still had to go to WalMart. Somehow managed to spend less than 25 minutes in the store!

*Drove to Walgreens to pick up a prescription and finally dropped off my ZPack one. Said I'd come back later but I'm just going tomorrow.

*Came home and had supper. Daniel had a meltdown for no reason (other than obviously he was tired)

*Had to give him a bath because he rubbed ketchup in his hair. Noticed he was having a reaction to his shots. Thought it was hives, but after a bit looked like a slight rash. Phew. He also had another epic meltdown, so we snuggled on the couch and watched Daniel Tiger.

*6:30 brushed teeth, read stories, said prayers and halfway through the second song that boy was OUT. Hopefully he gets a good night of sleep.

*Folded laundry and watched TV with Jacob!

Didn't get things accomplished that I wanted to today, and tomorrow I won't have a lot of time, but I'll get it done. Heading to Iowa a little after Jacob gets home tomorrow afternoon !

This, That and the Other.

Not much to write about today.

It's cold. Too cold for my liking. I hate that Fall always gets the short end of the stick. Stupid Winter just butts in a month early like he owns the place. I seriously hate the cold. Hate. It.
I also hate when it gets dark so early. I'm almost certain I have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) each year around this time. It's just depressing. I get tired by 3:00 in the afternoon and by 5 I just want to curl up and go to bed. Of course, by about 7 my body kinda wakes back up and I get a second wind though.

Daniel was highly disappointed this morning and almost threw a fit when I told him he couldn't wear his Daniel Tiger shirt again today because it was dirty. I'm very glad that he likes it!

My Amazon shipment finally came today. It had 2 birthday presents and 2 Christmas presents in it for Daniel, but I'm making one of the birthday gifts into a Christmas gift instead. I just gave him the other thing when he woke up without even wrapping it. He got, "Happy Birthday, Little Pookie!" Now he only needs one more book to complete his Pookie series.

My cold has been hanging on and feels like it's getting worse again so I chugged some Nyquil. I might call tomorrow to see if I can get another round of the ZPack. If not, oh well. I'm not paying for another appointment, but if she'll just prescribe it then I'll take it again. I'm also debating calling about Daniel because his cold isn't getting better either, and I don't want him to all of a sudden get really sick when we're in Iowa.

I'll leave you with your laugh for the day. Possible slight TMI,  but this would only happen to me, I swear.

I was giving Daniel and bath and changed into my pajamas since the bedroom connects to the bathroom and I can still see him. I'm always cold at night so I wear hoodies to bed. Well, apparently there was a sock stuck inside the shirt that I didn't know about. I needed to go to the bathroom, so I went about my business and then I realize there's a sock...in the TOILET. Yeah. I peed on a sock. I'm just glad I saw it before I flushed!

Birthday Fun Continued!

This morning Daniel came in bed to snuggle with us for awhile. He always starts out all sweet and then gets silly and crazy, but it's so much fun!

 I had his Daniel Tiger shirt on the dresser and part of it was hanging over the edge. He immediately saw it and said, "Tiger!?" I told him to go get it and he brought it back into the bed with a big smile on his face! Even if I smeared the transfer a little, it didn't matter to him and that made me so happy!

The funny thing was his presents were also on the dresser and he totally ignored those!

Later when I brought the presents out though, he knew exactly what to do! He was much faster at unwrapping this year too! From Mommy and Daddy he got, "Mr. Brown Can Moo. Can You?", A VTech App toy, a tent and a doctor's kit. He also got word puzzles and, "Let's Dance Little Pookie" from Aunt Rachel and Uncle Micah!

He hasn't even gotten presents from the grandparents yet, but this boy was in heaven.









The doctor's kit and V-Tech toys are big hits. He loves his books too! He walked around all day giving anything and everything a shot. Listened to our heartbeats and checked his blood pressure!  The little tablet kept him entertained for long periods of time too. Always nice to have some new toys to play with!

I decided we should go out for a meal today, so we went to Krieger's for supper. I mean...we go out for our birthdays, so it just makes sense to take the kiddo out for his too...right? Haha!
The food was yummy and Daniel did such a nice job. Not so much with eating, but he was a good boy. He ate a little bit, but I wasn't too upset because he ate a TON at breakfast and lunch.
Our waitress came over and handed us our bill when we were about halfway done with the meal. Then a little bit later she came over and asked if Daniel could have a sundae? How sweet of her! It was totally free of charge...and of course he ate almost all of that! (Although I did polish off the last few bites!)

In the meantime, there was a man sitting in the booth behind us who had been there before we arrived. He was eating alone and when he finished he stopped at our table and complimented us on how well behaved Daniel was. It made both of our nights! Of course, he isn't always that good, but we try to teach him how to behave when we go out, and it was just nice to hear a stranger say we were doing a good job. :)

The only bummer of the night was realizing I left my leftovers on the table! Dang! So much for lunch tomorrow.

We came home and played more with his new toys and then got ready for bed. He actually got a little upset when I took his "Tiger" shirt off!

Only 3 days of work this week! Wednesday when Jacob gets home from school we're off to Iowa!

Happy Birthday, Bubby!

Daniel is getting his birthday spread out over the next couple of weeks. Lucky kid!

He slept in until almost 8:00, and then I went in to get him. Jacob had a music event that he had to be at today, so it was just Daniel and I. I started the morning by walking in and singing "Happy Birthday"! He loved it.

Then he came out and noticed he had a birthday sign in the living room!



I couldn't believe he hadn't noticed the balloon I had tied to his high chair. Boy was he excited when he discovered it. I thought he might like it, but I had no idea that he would love it as much as he does. He played with it for 20 minutes straight and has played with it on and off all day. He even said goodnight to it before bed!





I made cinnamon rolls the night before. And by made, I mean I opened a tube, put them in a pan and baked them. I'm pretty talented I tell ya.

Although Daniel insists that he loves cake, he rarely eats it. I thought we try these instead.





He actually liked it once he tried it and ended up eating about half of it.

I wanted to get us out of the house, so I told him we would go to WalMart. He hasn't been warped yet. He loves going there! We were there a long time. I picked up a few stocking stuffers for him and another birthday present, since a couple of the things I ordered haven't arrived yet. Actually they have...they're just sitting at the post office all lonely until the mailman brings them on Monday. Plus I grabbed some storage bins that I needed too so I could organize some of his toys and put some things away. Oh...and the things that were supposed to be for his birthday will become Christmas gifts.

We came home and called Mimi (Brenda) to wish her a Happy Birthday and so she could do the same for Daniel .

At nap time I had a bunch I needed to accomplish. I folded laundry, and washed more. I sorted out toys. I wrapped presents and I attempted an iron on transfer that I bought with Daniel Tiger...only I semi ruined it. I'm still going to let him wear it because I spent money on it, but oh so frustrating. The iron touched the transfer and smeared the number 2. I'm not gonna lie. I was pretty sad about it. I still kind of am, but he won't know the difference.

After nap we called my mom and Mimi and Pa wished Daniel a Happy Birthday too!

We relaxed the rest of the night. I over did it today and twisted something in my back. I knew I needed to slow down, but I had so much I wanted to do. I must learn to pace myself. I lifted correctly, but I think between getting Daniel in and out of the car and cart, and carrying a box of toys down the stairs it did me in.

Jacob got home around 8 and got to see the birthday boy before bed. We decided to wait and to open presents tomorrow so he wouldn't get all riled up just to be told it was bedtime.

All in all I'd say he had a great day...and apparently all he really needed was a $1 helium balloon!

2 Years Ago Today

2 years ago today, I went to my final OB appointment. I remember fully expecting to not be induced until the following week even though I was really going to be disappointed that my family might not get to meet him when they came for Thanksgiving. I was only a day or two past my due date, and my doctor said, "I can induce you tomorrow or you can come in Saturday!"

Of course I picked the next day! Plus, the added bonus was that my own doctor was going to be on call the whole day, so as long as Daniel decided to make his appearance that day, she would be the one to deliver him!

I walked out of her office shaking with excitement. As soon as I got in my car I called Jacob and told him he wasn't going to work in the morning because we were going to have a baby! He was really excited, but not thrilled with the part where we had to be there at 6:30am! :) Then I called both grandmas to be to tell them the news and they were thrilled! Brenda was excited that she would have a birthday buddy and my mom was excited since they were coming the day after on Thanksgiving!

I got home and of course announced to the world on Facebook that Daniel would be arriving soon.

That day we had gotten a new mattress for our futon...which Ashley was awesome enough to go to WalMart, pick it up for me, bring it to my house AND drag it inside for me. Jacob and I decided to swap it out with the old mattress, which wasn't easy...and being 9 months pregnant didn't make it any easier. Then we lifted the futon to move it and I sat it down on my toe. It hurt like crazy, and hormones just added to that. I ended up sobbing!

Since we hadn't eaten supper and there was no way I was cooking we decided to get Wendy's. Man, that Frosty tasted mighty good!

That night before we went to bed, we talked about how excited and yet scared we were. Then I sobbed again. Reality hit. How was I going to do this? Labor seemed scary and intimidating. There was going to be a baby in our house all the time. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. Of course, I was so excited, but there's something scary about the unknown. I also remember feeling sad. In general I had a great pregnancy (minus the fact that I had wicked  24 hour a day heartburn that no antacid could touch from the 2nd trimester on!). I was going to miss those kicks. That boy almost never stopped kicking! Oh, and those hiccups he got every day? SO annoying and yet so darn sweet. I would never feel those on the inside from him again. Then I imagined holding him in my arms and it brought the biggest smile to my face. I slept well that night and couldn't wait to meet our son!

Quiet House

It's  a little after 6, and it's silent in my house. This is weird! Jacob had a gift card he wanted to go use at WalMart, so I asked if Daniel could tag along? Now he and Daddy are out on an adventure together. I'd say in the past 2 years I've only been in the house alone maybe 5 or 6 times. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really loving it! Sometimes it's nice to have some quiet time at home.

Today was my second day back at the Y. Both days have gone really well. The worst part almost is just getting Daniel to the car and then into the building. I used to lift him into the car, but now I make him climb in. He takes his sweet time, and it's always cold out! How do little kids never seem to notice the temperature!?

I've had my group of regular kiddos and it's been nice being back with them. I love the days when I just have a handful or kids and not 15! :) I think Daniel likes being back into his routine too, although yesterday he shed a lot of tears. I think he just got used to being home and wasn't quite back into the groove of hanging out with other kids.

That poor kid has a cold that's been hanging on for awhile too. Not only does he have a cough and runny nose, now he has goopy eyes too. It's not pink eye, thankfully! He's been cracking me up though. I'll look over and he'll have his finger up his nose and then he'll say to me, "Booger?? Nose!" Looks like he'll have a cold for the second year in a row on his birthday.

Speaking of his birthday...a couple of the presents I ordered him aren't even going to make it in time for his birthday like they were supposed to. They just finally shipped today. I know he won't know the difference though, but it's still a bummer. Jacob will be gone all day on Saturday for a music event for school, so it's just me and the kiddo. We'll celebrate with my family next week and then with Jacob's parents when we get home because it just didn't work out to celebrate early.

Now, I shall just bask in the silence until the rest of my family comes home. If I had a nice bathtub, now would be the perfect time for a nice long bubble bath...but alas, our bathtub takes forever to fill up, so I'll just keep dreaming. :)

Tis Better to Give than to Receive.

I enjoy reading blog. Sometimes I'll stumble upon one that really intrigues me. As I was reading one of the blogs I subscribe to she posted a link to this: Light 'Em Up!

While I don't really have a group, I'm going to participate in my own way. If you didn't click the link, it's basically a challenge to do random acts of kindness.

The interesting this is that after the incident at JCPenny yesterday with the angry customer, it made me think later on that I should have done something nice for the photographer! I did give her a great review on Facebook, but I just really felt for her. Then when I got home I read about "Light 'Em Up" and I've felt compelled ever since.

So...from now until Christmas I'm going to work hard at lighting up the days of other people with kindness and love. It's all too easy to get mad and frustrated. Especially at this time of year...when it's supposed to be the happiest time!

The author of the blog has a huge list of ideas of things that you can do and even fun tags you can print out and attach!  I sat down and wrote out part of a list today and I'm pretty excited!

I know that I worry about money a lot, and I know I don't have to spend a lot, but I realize how much I waste on buying junk food for myself during the week. If I just cut some of that out, it'll give me the extra cash I need to brighten other's days!

Daniel is still too young to get the concept, but I still want to get him involved. Maybe this could even turn into a family tradition.

Sometimes I lose focus of the important things in life. What better way to remember Jesus' and honor him than by showing other people his love?

Picture Day

Today I took Daniel to get his one year pictures taken. We had a 10:00 appointment, which is their first appointment of the day. We got there a couple minutes after the store opened and as we walked back to the studio I could see a few other people back there as well.

There was a lady there wanting to get pictures taken of her paintings. There was only one lady working so she was going to do that quickly, which was fine. There was also a guy who was probably in his late 30's and another man that I assume was his dad. This younger guy was holding a picture and told her that he tried to scan it at CVS and they wouldn't let him because he needed permission because of the copyright. The lady explained that she couldn't do that because he did not own the rights to the picture. Then he asked if she could just order him a copy? She told him they only save pictures for 90 days and then asked when the picture was taken. He replied that it was 2 years ago and then demanded that she order a copy for him! Duh. She JUST said they only keep copies for 90 days. She was being so nice to him and he got irate! Yelling and swearing and calling her fat and ugly. It was sick. His dad kept trying to get him to walk away while she was trying to call security. He finally left before security came back, but was still yelling obscenities all through the store!

I was seriously just standing there with my jaw hanging open. The other lady who was getting the pictures of her photos and I were just looking at the photographer in disbelief. She was shaken, but kept apologizing to us for having to witness that. We assured her that she was in the right! She was so nice and she waived the sitting fees for both of us because of it! (Of course...I ended up buying a collage that made up for the cost,  but oh well!) I just thought it was nice of her.

The pictures went well. I mean as well as they can with Daniel. He did what I predicted and booked it out of there a couple times. He just won't sit. We had to do a lot of distracting and bribing with fruit snacks, but she got some really cute shots.

They have the full CD's on sale right now so I got that plus the collage picture. Because I bought the CD, I WILL own the copyright, unlike Mr. Temper.

Once we were done there I went down to the kids section in search of a plain white long sleeved shirt for Daniel. That's harder than you would think! They didn't have one so we headed to one of my happy places. Target! I got lucky and found a shirt there. Woohoo! Plus I got a few more things as well.

By the time we left my back was aching pretty bad, so it was time to go home! Daniel fell asleep 15 minutes from home, which resulted in no nap when we got home...but he did play in bed for a long time so I could have a break!

Tomorrow I'm heading back to the Y. Hopefully it goes well and I don't come home in pain!

Oh Monday

Today turned out to be a pretty good day. Daniel came in our room again this morning and hung out for awhile. He's such a goofball in the mornings. Then he kept climbing off the bed and running around the room like a crazy person. Where does that kid get all of his energy!?

I got all call from my doctor's office telling me that they had an opening today, so I jumped on it because Jacob was home. I went in and she went over my MRI results with me again. The nurse had gone over it with me on the phone last week. As it turns out, although I do not have any slipped discs or other major problems (thank God!), I do have a very inflamed nerve. She thinks my best route right now is physical therapy and she truly believes that this is going to make me better. She said it with such confidence that I just have to believe it.

Now, I just have to work on getting an appointment set up. The therapist only works Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. He has no openings tomorrow. Only an appointment time that won't work on Thursday, and Saturday Jacob is gone all day so that's out too. Hopefully I can get in next Tuesday for at least one session before Thanksgiving. Plus, they have to get all the pre-approval junk from my joke of insurance.

Here goes my rant....

I hate that we pay premiums every month and on top of that have to pay out of pocket until we reach our high deducible. No co-pays either. Full price for everything. It. Sucks.
It also sucks that Daniel and I can't afford to be on Jacob's insurance. 1/3 of Jacob's pay each month would go to our premium alone. I really ticks me off that a school district can't offer better insurance to teachers with families. But because technically we COULD get insurance through Jacob's school that screws us out of any discounted plans through The Marketplace (which is a joke anyway). Everything I read says that you should at least fill things out on the site and find out, but I can't get past a certain spot and their online "help" chat is anything but.

I have no idea how much our rates will go up this next year. I called to find  a few weeks ago and they told me they  didn't know and they would send me information within the next 60 days. Thanks a heap. That really helps to send it out RIGHT before January begins. Have I mentioned that as I'm attempting to search for other plans they all say you need to sign up by December 15th? Not knowing what my premium will be is causing much frustration.

I've only been able to find one plan that looks doable...but none of our doctors accept it, which means I'd have to find new doctors and I don't want to! *Stomps feet and bangs fists on ground*. So much for "Affordable Healthcare". Sometimes this country blows.

End rant.

I know that doesn't solve anything, but it sure feels good to get off my chest.

I ventured to WalMart this afternoon for the first time in almost 2 weeks. It was kinda nice to have an hour of me time outside of the house. The rest of the night we all just hung out.

Tomorrow I'm taking Daniel to get 2 year pictures taken. Wish me luck. I hope he sits still and smiles....but knowing my kid he'll take off and run halfway across the store before I can catch him.

Crazy Day!

What a crazy day this has been!

I slept in this morning because Daniel also decided to sleep in. When he finally woke up, Jacob went in to get him. He brought him into our bed and we had some fun family time. I love moments like that!

Jacob left at 9:30 to head back to the school to get things ready for the 2nd performance of "Aladdin" and Daniel and I just hung out and played. It was still super windy, but also bright and sunny. I read that we were at a high level risk for tornados and bad weather, but for once didn't really feel too nervous about it.

Around 11 it started to get pretty cloudy and dark. I heard some thunder and my weather app was going nuts on my phone with watches and advisories. Around 11:30 the sirens started blaring. I flipped to a local channel to see what was up. The warning was for the northern part of the county, so I decided we were okay. It was only sprinkling anyway.

About 10 minutes later it started to torrentially rain. I couldn't see past our front porch! The winds picked up so fast that our whole house was rattling. I decided that was it for me. I grabbed Daniel and my phone and headed for the basement. Better safe than sorry. We have tons of windows and I sure didn't want to be upstairs if one of them shattered! Daniel enjoyed checking out the basement, and within another 10 minutes our part of the county was in a warning as well.

It calmed down outside and although the warning wasn't over I felt the storm had passed enough to head upstairs. Not even kidding, within 5 minutes the sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was very weird.

Jacob called to see if we were okay. Assumption was just getting hit with what we had, only they got the added bonus of golf ball sized hail. Yikes!

Thankfully there were no actual tornado touch downs around here that I know of, but my heart goes out to the people who lost their homes and lives today. There was a big tornado about an hour and a half away from us. Lots of devastation.

This is why I insisted on moving into a house with a basement...and any other house I move into will also have a basement! I don't mess with tornados!

Daniel and I ate lunch and then Mimi and Pa got here (after having to drive through the storm and detour around a downed power line!). They came to babysit Daniel while I went to see Aladdin!
Since Daniel slept in, I didn't put him down for a nap. He was very excited to play though...and Pa brought Daniel a surprise. Wooden letter and number blocks that he made. They are awesome! I'll have to post pictures, but I'm pretty excited about them. Daniel now calls them, "Pa blocks".

Aladdin was awesome. The kids all did an amazing job! Jacob did a great job directing the musical! This was his first time directing and it couldn't have been any better. I'm really proud of him and all of the hard work that he put into it. He also had a couple of really great helpers too! Jacob reserved a chair for me and even gave me a cushioned one for my back. So much better than bleachers or a hard chair. Plus I wore a thermal wrap on my back. It was like having a built in heating pad. So nice!

Headed home to see my boy. He played hard. They all went outside for awhile and Daniel gave them a run for their money. Before they left Brenda helped give Daniel a bath for me. I sure love her!

Jacob was able to get home a lot earlier than he expected to because so many parents stayed and helped with the clean up! We got to have family time, which was so nice! I put Daniel to bed early because I knew he had to be exhausted. He was asleep in my arms within 5 minutes!

Tomorrow we're all home. Yay for a family day!

Nostalgia

Next Saturday our sweet little boy will turn 2 years old! Sometimes I just shake my head in disbelief. Time really does fly!

2 years ago at this time, this was me!



We were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our son. I couldn't wait to meet that little boy! Then just a few days later we met at last! It was love at first sight.





Then somehow between the constant feedings, sleepless nights, first smile, laugh and steps, that little baby turned into a 1 year old!







Now, yet another year has passed. One in which a certain little boy decided to finally let his Momma sleep all night again (at 16 months), has made me laugh, cry, and brings joy to my life each day!

Only 7 day separates this little guy from turning another year old!





Times needs to slow down!!! I don't want my little boy to grow up too quickly!

Crazy Emotions!

Well, the results of my MRI came back fine. I cannot express the level of frustration I was feeling when the nurse told me and even the level of frustration that I feel still. I go back Tuesday to meet with my doctor and discuss what to do next. Everyone means well and keeps suggesting things to me, but I just wish I knew what the exact answer was. I think physical therapy might help, but who knows?

Today my mom had to go home. I felt sad as soon as I woke up. When I went in to take a shower, I cried. Let me tell you...it felt good to cry. I hadn't cried in over 2 months and I usually cry every week or two. I calmed myself down and got dressed, and then Mom ran to Walgreens to grab me a couple of things before she left. She got her hugs and kisses from Daniel and then went to hug me and she was already welling up with tears, which got me going again. Daniel and I waved goodbye as she drove away, and the tears just kept flowing. I told Daniel I was said. He came up on the couch and laid his head next to me and said, "Mommy, sad. Mimi, sad. Baby, sad." Aww. I love that he was feeling compassion.

I was still feeling really down for awhile and was texting Kendra. She called me since she was off work at 11 and we talked for a half an hour. That did wonders for me. I felt so much better after talking to her and having some good laughs. I totally needed that.

You would think over time homesickness would fade away. In some ways it has, and in other ways it hasn't. I cried A LOT in the first year of our marriage because I missed home so badly. Now it comes in waves. Usually around my family comes here or when I leave to come back home from visiting. I'm still feeling a little sad tonight, but it helps knowing that in less than 2 weeks we'll be on our way to Iowa for Thanksgiving.

I spent the afternoon trying to figure out Christmas ideas...and didn't get too far. Daniel took at good nap, and was a happy boy when he got up. Jacob has dress rehearsal tonight, so he hasn't been home since this morning. *Cute side story* He told me this morning before he left he went into Daniel's room and gave Daniel a kiss. Daniel stirred, didn't actually wake up, but whispered, "Daddy." So sweet.

Anyway, I decided to rent a movie, so I got Daniel in the car and went to the Redbox at Walgreens and of course the movie I wanted wasn't in. Thankfully, there's another box at the gas station almost right across the street and they had it. I rented "The Heat". It's probably dumb, but I love Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.

Daniel and I have hung out and watched Daniel Tiger tonight while he snuggled with me.



Now it's just about time for the little guy to head to bed!

But before I end, I must wish a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to my amazingly beautiful, hilarious, "fastest pooper ever", best friend, Ashley!
I love you lots and I am thankful every single day to have you in my life!

Escape!

We got out of the house today!

We decided to check out our new department store, Goody's. Today was the Grand Opening and it was pretty packed. There's a lot of merchandise so not a ton of space to maneuver with a cart. Also...they only have 6 carts! Luckily an older lady was done with hers and have it to us so we could put Daniel in it.

We did a full circle of the store. I found a shirt I loved...but the sleeves were too short on me. Darn you long arms! Mom got Daniel a couple of outfits and a shirt for herself. Plus I picked up a couple of small gifts. I did pretty good for awhile, but by the end my back was really starting to hurt. I ended up going out to the car with Daniel while mom checked out so I could sit down.

Poor Daniel was getting hungry and I had no food, but we stopped and picked up McDonalds on the way back to the house. He was excited about his french fries! That boy scarfed down his lunch!

After lunch it was nap time, but Mimi wanted to let Daniel play outside and that was fine with me. I grabbed the camera and went out too. My back only started aching while we were walking down the street and back.





We only stayed out about 30 minutes and then came in for nap. As you can see, he was SUPER thrilled with that plan.



He was rather naughty when we were trying to get him pottied and changed...so he lost his books before nap time. He was very sad about that, but I threaten too much without acting on it, and it's time to get serious with him with some follow through. He fell asleep though and has been out for 2 hours. Gotta get him up soon.

Mom cleaned the bathroom and did Daniel's laundry. I folded while she cleaned. Then she did a quick WalMart run for me.

Haven't heard from the doctor yet. Sigh.

Tonight is my last night with Mom here. She's going home tomorrow. Boo! I'm going to miss all of her help! Thank you, Mom!

Feeling Spoiled

It's really tiring to not do much! The good thing is, my back isn't hurting as badly as it was last Friday and over the weekend. I know the only reason is because I've rested and only picked Daniel up a handful of times. Don't get me wrong. The pain is still there, but I'm not walking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame anymore either.

It's been great having my mom here and I'm so thankful for all of her help. I'll be sad when she goes home on Friday! She's made meals, fed Daniel, changed diapers, gotten him dressed, given him a bath, mopped the kitchen and cleaned out the fridge and freezer. Not to mention she dusted and vacuumed for me too!

This afternoon has been nice. Daniel fell asleep pretty quickly and mom and I sat and watched a couple of episodes of Income Property and then watched Ellen. Brenda also called me this afternoon, so we had a nice chat too! Always so nice to talk with her. I'm a pretty lucky girl. I have two great moms (and dads too)!

No call yet on MRI results today. I'm guessing I'll get a call tomorrow.

Daniel has been a bit ornery again today, but the kid has been stuck in the house since Friday afternoon. Plus his routine is different with Mimi here. He's been cute though, too! He sure is a talking machine. We're hearing more 3 and 4 word sentences! So crazy. It's fun to watch him learn and grow!

If I'm feeling okay tomorrow I think we might try to venture to the new store in town. Goody's is opening tomorrow. It would at least get us out of the house for a little bit. I want to check out their prices and see what they're like. Always fun to get a new place to go!

Time to go hang out with the kiddo again. He just got up from nap. Mimi had to wake him up. He was really tired!

I get to watch Survivor with my mom tonight in real life instead of having a text date. Woohoo!

Hoping For Answers

I escaped the house twice today without a little one! I had to go to my doctor's office this morning. I was amazed. My appointment was at 9:20 and I was back home by 9:45. It's always amazing when you hardly have to wait. She rechecked my throat and that looked all clear. Then we discussed my back again and she thankfully agreed to referring me for an MRI.

I had heard of a place in Springfield on the radio that does x-rays/MRI's and CT scans. They claim to be cheaper than going to a hospital or bigger office. I asked my own doctor if she knew anything about it and if it was a legitimate place. She said it definitely was a good place to go and that prices are lower. The only reason is they have slightly older machines, but that's it!

I was hoping to go this week. At 10:30 my doctor's office called and let me know that I had an appointment scheduled for TODAY at 1:30! Mom was planning to grocery shop during Daniel's nap, but left after my phone call to go grab some stuff.

I was out the door at 12:45 and got there just before 1:30. I seriously had the best experience! Everyone there was so friendly. They have free snacks and drinks in the waiting area. Plus they were so kind when I asked if they have payment plans. I would definitely make the drive back there for other things if it's ever needed.

The MRI itself was fine. I can now see why people who are claustrophobic freak out. Thankfully I'm only claustrophobic when I'm stuck in an area with crowds of people. I was fine being stuck in a tube. I had no clue how loud the machine is though! She gave me earplugs, but they barely muffled it. I did feel a little agitated and almost dizzy a few times when it was making weird noises, but nothing bad. I was also off balance for a few minutes when I got out.

They'll have the results to my doctor within 24-48 hours. I hope they could see something. I need this fixed!

I came home and we had a yummy supper. Jacob was gone until around 7 tonight, so it was just Mom, Daniel and I. Daniel chowed down on one of his favorite things, "wice!" (rice). He was an ornery little booger tonight though. Hopefully he'll be better tomorrow!

Short and Sweet

I don't feel like typing a big long blog tonight, nor do I have much to actually write about. Turns out when you don't leave the house for 3 days life isn't very exciting.

The good thing is, my mom got here this afternoon! It's already been great. Daniel had fun playing with Mimi, showing off and reading books. He even peed on the potty like a big boy for her!
Plus mom made a yummy chicken supper. It was nice having her cook for us.

Tomorrow I go back to my own doctor and will hopefully get referred for an MRI. I'm hoping that it can be scheduled for either Wednesday or Thursday while my mom is still here. I hate knowing that even after that I'll still have to wait for answers, but at least I'm getting somewhere. I sure hope I get answers because if not I may have a meltdown!

Then we'll just have a hang out day. I'm sure we'll watch a million of Daniel's favorite shows once again. Mom is going to go pick up some groceries during Daniel's nap.

Was this super exciting or what?

Mom can't blog while she's here because she can't remember her login info. Haha! I shouldn't laugh. I forget my login info for just about everything.

The Word of the Day is: BLAH

I've had this blank page staring at me for an hour. Okay...not staring at me. I just started a new tab and browsed the internet hoping something interesting would pop into my head, but it didn't.

Since I've basically done nothing today, I don't have much to write about.

Jacob and I rented the Hangover 3 last night and watched it after Daniel went to bed. I love Redbox! I find codes a lot, which means we end up renting movies for free! It was just as stupid and funny as I thought it would be.

I slept good last night and even though I woke up around 8, I stayed in bed until 10. Daniel was up and playing in bed at 8 and was content. I figured Jacob hadn't heard him since we was out playing video games so I texted him. Haha! He was kind enough to get Daniel up, diapered and dressed and fed for me! Awhile later, they both came in and joined me on the bed for awhile. It's been my favorite part of the day.

We had McDonald's for lunch because when you feel like crap, you might as well eat crap too. I saved my frappe until Daniel went down for a nap because that kid always wants a drink and ends up drinking half of it!

That pretty much sums it up.

My mom is coming tomorrow to help me out around the house and with Daniel this week. I'm quite relieved. I feel guilty not doing much with Daniel and now he'll have Mimi to play with too! I'm so thankful that she's willing to come. It's driving me nuts though because I want to clean everything before she comes and I know I can't. She told me I had better not clean and that she and Daniel would help clean. Still hard though!

Almost time for the little guy to wake up. Only 13 days until I have a 2 year old. Crazy!

A Forced Day of Laziness

Not a lot to say today.

Jacob had to leave really early this morning for musical practice and won't be home for another hour or so still. It's just been Daniel and I hanging out today. I woke up at 5:00 and never fell back to sleep, but I didn't get out of bed until 8! I'm not in pain when I'm sitting or laying down, and Daniel slept in so I just relaxed.

Got him up, pottied and changed and then got breakfast ready. All that moving around hand me gimping along. It is not fun having pain shooting down into your thigh! It's hard to reach up for things too. If I stand up too much I get a searing pain...but if I walk around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame I seem to be okay.

I left Daniel in the highchair and turned on Netflix on the computer so I could take a shower. The shower didn't last long. I got out fast because it just hurts to stand. I tried to straighten my hair and had to sit down 3 times before I decided I didn't care. I wasn't going anywhere anyway!

Then we hung out and watched more Netflix. I was able to play with him some though, but I was just trying to keep him contained so I could relax.

We had lunch and then I got the little dude down for his nap. I got his laundry folded that has been in his basket since yesterday, and then just laid on the couch and watched TV.

I am thankful that my mom is willing to make the drive over here and help me this week if I need her. I'm not one to really ask for help often, but this morning I after my shower I just kept thinking, "How am I going to do it this week!?" I'm off work this week for sure. Jacob is the director of the musical and the performance is next weekend, so he's under a lot of stress and exhausted when he's home. When I'm just sitting or laying I feel fine and think I won't need help. But, at some point we'll need groceries and I don't think I can carry the bags and milk jugs! We'll see though. Maybe I'll be feeling a little better tomorrow!

I have potato soup in the crock pot that smells so yummy. And we're renting a movie for after Daniel goes to bed. Maybe we can even throw some ice cream in the mix. Who knows?

Pain Is My Middle Name

I thought I was getting better yesterday, but I thought wrong apparently.

It wasn't even an hour after I posted my blog yesterday that my neck/jaw/throat/ ear started to hurt.
This morning it still hurt, but that in itself didn't seem doctor worthy.

This was after I had already gotten out of bed and could hardly walk right because my back hurt so much. As I was making the bed I was going through my thought process about whether or not this was doctor worthy. I tend to dwell on those things, because I'd rather have that money to spend on Daniel when he is hurt or sick. Then I decided to send up a quick prayer, because I tend to forget that God just might have an answer for me. As soon as I prayed I had an immediate calm wash over me. I needed to go to the doctor and get this taken care of.

I called when they opened to see if I could get in, and thankfully I could! I just needed to survive work because I didn't really want to call in and leave them in a bind today.

It wasn't a great idea. I ended up with 14 kids, which required me to be constantly moving. Ow! I called down to see if anyone could help, but no one was around today. The front desk lady took pity though and had the girl who was cleaning come and help me for awhile. I don't think she knew what hit her!

I headed to my appointment after that and got right in. Sometimes miracles happen.

My doctor looked in my ears and said they were clear. I knew where this was headed. The same place it always heads. I was waiting for that, "It's just a cold or virus. Let it run its course!". Instead she looks at my throat and exclaims, "Wow! It's nasty back there!" I seriously didn't expect it to be anything, but instead find out I have strep. Like I said, if it were that alone bothering me I probably wouldn't have even gone in!

Then we talked about my back. I described the newest pain. It's shooting from my back into my thigh anytime I stand or walk. She's having me wait until Tuesday, but is probably referring me to get an MRI. She thinks it's a slipped disc. All I know is that I've been in pain for 10 months now and if I don't find something out I just might cry. It's already depressing know this is going to cost an arm and a leg. I'll probably meet our deducible just in time to start over again. Insurance blows.

After my appointment we went to Walgreens to get my prescription filled and that was even very fast. That never happens!

This afternoon was filled with relaxing and talking to my mom.

Daniel had fun playing and peed on the potty 4 times today! He even told me he had to go before we left the Y! They have a toddler sized toilet, so it was perfect...and not only did he go, his diaper was dry! It was also dry before nap and he went again. Woohoo!

At least some good things happened in the midst of being in pain!

A Perfect Fall Day!

First of all, I'm thankful that my cold is getting better. Usually they stick around forever. It helped being able to use whatever cold medicine I wanted though. For the past almost 3 years I couldn't due to being pregnant and nursing when I had colds.

Today was a lot calmer at the Y. Yesterday I had 13 kiddos! Today I only had 6 and they were all gone a half an hour early. Daniel helped himself to another piece of candy this morning. He picked a lemon flavored Tootsie Roll and he was not a fan! Haha!

I was excited when I got a text from Ashley to tell me that she was getting a break today and could meet me for lunch! We hardly ever get to hang out, so when we do it's always nice to catch up over Mexican food. Yum! Daniel flirted with Ashley, called her "Ash" and even held her hand when we headed out to the parking lot. He loves her...but really, who doesn't? She got him to try some guacamole on a chip. His face was priceless! He sticks it in, cringes, says, "Mmm!", then sticks his tongue out like he was trying to get it off!

We got home at 1 and I was planning to bring him in for nap since that's his normal nap time and I do like my quiet time, but it was just too beautiful outside! He wanted to play, so I ran in and grabbed my camera and we played for an hour! I was happy with several of the pictures I got. Here are some of my favorites!















We came in at 2, and he had an epic meltdown. He pinched his finger and then he was sad he had to take a nap. I knew he had to be exhausted though. It was the cutest/saddest cry. He was out in 10 minutes!

Now, I'd better go get him up, or I'll never get him to bed tonight...and I have Parenthood to watch at 9!

Decisions, Decisions

So many decisions to make.

First of all, I need to work on deciding what we're getting Daniel for his birthday and for Christmas. I've already started shopping for him, so I do have a couple of gifts for each bought already. I also have to decide what else to put on his wish list for the grandparents. Then I have to decide what the heck I want for Christmas. I am eternally grateful for both sets of parents and how generous they are with gift giving each year. It's sometimes hard coming up with ideas! Sometimes I think I should ask for one big thing and other times I think of other small things I want or could use. I was really hoping for a good deal on a camera that I want, but so far the "leaked" Black Friday ads aren't showing me the amazing deals I was hoping for!

I also am trying to decide if I want to just take Daniel to JC Penny to get his 2 year pictures taken. I will probably end up doing that. I wish that I were more capable. I do love some of the pictures that I got of him this past month, but I've grown to have a critical eye and I just cannot nail my focus points. In some ways I hate to take him to a studio, because I've grown very fond of natural light photography. It's just too expensive for me to pay for true professional photography more often. They are expensive for a reason though. It's because they're awesome and spend a lot of time perfecting the photos! Ultimately, it'll come down to money. I just hope he'll sit still and smile. That booger always wants to take off on me!

The most important decision that I need to make in the near future is about Daniel's car seat. I know. I am like the queen of car seat safety, and I'm sure some people get tired of me posting about it, but it's just something I'm really really passionate about.

He's just about ready to outgrow his car seat rear facing. What I need to decide is if we should turn him forward facing or if I should buy a new seat and continue to rear face him. The thing is, cars made before 2000 don't have top tether anchors for car seats...and almost all car seats require the seat to be top tethered now when forward facing. Technically a GM dealership should be able to retrofit one to my car at no charge for the first one. First I'd have to find a dealership. Then I'd have to explain what I needed, and from what I've read from other people it's usually hard to even get them to understand what you want done and they don't even know where to order the parts. So...either I'd have to get that all figured out or start using Jacob's car (and I don't think he'd want to trade cars. LOL!)

OR, I continue to do extended rear facing and buy a new car seat. The biggest problem with that is finding a seat that he will be able to continue to use for awhile AND that fits into my smaller car. They make tons of seats now that allow for extended rear facing, but a lot are huge and bulky and wouldn't fit in my car.

The hope is for me to get a bigger vehicle in the next year or so, but there's no way of knowing right now if that will happen or not.

I think if I go with my gut though, I will choose to buy a new seat and continue to rear face. I know some people think I'm weird or crazy and don't know how their own kids survived. The thing is, I've read the facts and facts are that kids are safest rear facing for as long as possible. Some kids seriously rear face until they're 5 or 6. Not even kidding. I almost think I'd like to keep Daniel that way until he's 3. He doesn't mind in the least that he's backward. He can still see out the windows. He points things out all the time. He never fusses about wanting to be turned. He doesn't even know the difference. Yeah...his legs are getting longer, but that doesn't bother him. Most extended rear facing kids just cross their legs or dangle them over the sides. The biggest myth is that kids legs will break in an accident if they're still rear facing and have longer legs. That is totally false. There are nearly no incidents where I child has suffered a broken leg while rear facing, but an alarming number of broken legs and other bones while forward facing.


Off to ponder all of my options...or more likely rot my brain on Facebook and then fall asleep.

Exhuasted

I'm so worn out today. Having a cold can suck the life out of me. Not to mention it's rainy and dreary today, and that never helps. I figured I should write now because I have a date with my old love Nyquil tonight. I seriously can't wait to knock myself out. I figure I'll be out pretty fast since I haven't had it in almost 3 years!

This morning we ate breakfast and then headed to the Y. Daniel has a whole routine down when we get there. We ride the elevator up instead of taking the stairs. He knows to push the 1 to go up and the B to come back down. Then he charms the front desk ladies and asks for the keys to the nursery. Before we can go down to our room, he has to stop in the director's office to say hi to him too! I'm very glad that Daniel is so well loved there. He discovered Chris' candy jar the other day, so he decided he would just help himself this morning! I was proud he only took one, but also explained that he has to ask if it's okay first! Chris thought it was hilarious though, and Daniel made off with a Twix.



After work, it was off to WalMart to get new tires put on Jacob's car and get an oil change. This has been one of those years where everything expensive has happened. But, now at least both of our cars have new tires on them!

I knew it was going to take awhile. When we did my car Jacob was home for the summer, so he just followed me and I went home until it was done. No such luck with being able to do that today. We were at WalMart for almost 2 hours when it was all said and done.

Thankfully they have a Subway inside, so Daniel and I ate there first to kill some time. He did a very good job and did great sitting at the table. He only tried to get down and couple of times. They only had one highchair and it was in use, so that was our only option.



Then we did some shopping and wandered the whole store. We looked at the Christmas stuff. Then stopped to look at the fish, which he loves! Then we looked at the toys and he wanted me to grab a certain toy for him. He played with it for 20 minutes...so I bought it for his birthday. I love this age. I can just buy stuff with him right there and it doesn't matter!

When we got home I realized that I left a card that I needed to mail sitting on the chair. The mail had just come, but our mailman parks in front of our house, so we just waited for him to come back and then took it out to him. He loves Daniel and it was so cute today because Daniel just learned to say the name Mike the other day...and that just so happens to be our mailman's name too! We get outside and he's saying, "Hi Mike! Hi Mike!" I think it totally made Mike's day!

Then I got the little dude down for a nap. An hour late, but at least he went down easily!

My back is starting to hurt really bad today...and I'm afraid that at anytime I'm going to wake up again and not be able to move. My body seriously hates me. I'm off to go lay down and rest before the little guy is back up again!

An Uneventful Day

Today wasn't a very exciting day, so I've been procrastinating on blogging tonight.

I woke up with a full blown cold this morning. I had no cold meds in the house, so I made due with Advil.

My morning went fast the Y. Some days the time drags on, but the kids were all so good today and made it fun to be there! Today marked my one year anniversary at the Y! While it was an adjustment when I first started, I'm glad that I've stayed because as Daniel gets older it's nice to have somewhere for him to play each morning. He knows who all of the kids are, but he finally called one of the little girls by name the other day. I also love that he'll hug his friends goodbye!

We made a trip to the library after we were done at the Y to return books and check out new ones. He found one of the books that we had checked out before that he loved and insisted we read it right then and also take it home with us. He's quite the little bookworm.

I did a little cleaning this afternoon while Daniel was napping, but collapsed on the couch for about an hour and just relaxed. Colds can really suck the life out of you.

I also discovered that the only Nyquil we had was a still sealed bottle...that expired one year ago. I did contemplate taking it, but decided to stick with Tylenol PM. I had no desire to go to the store to get anything tonight.

Tomorrow will be interesting. After work, I have to take Jacob's car to WalMart to get new tires put on and get an oil change. We'll be stuck there for probably an hour and a half to two hours. Hopefully Daniel behaves himself. I'll have to get extra snacks or something. Maybe I'll be able to find some birthday presents for him while we wait.

Speaking of WalMart, I was trying to decide if we were going to go tomorrow or Wednesday, so of course I asked Daniel. He looks at me at says, "WalMart!" Hahaha! Yep, won't say his own name, but he'll say WalMart. Go figure.

And speaking of Daniel....he peed on the potty 4 times today. Heck yeah!

I can't focus anymore, so time for bed!

A Perfect Family Day

Today turned out to be a great day!

It started with the fact that Daniel slept in until 7:30...which was really 8:30 because of the time change. We did keep him up an extra hour last night in hopes that it would work, but I fully expected it to backfire on me. Too bad I decided to stay up late though, because of course my own body woke me up at 6:30. At least I got to snuggle under the covers for awhile!

I was even able to get Daniel down for an early nap today without a fight! Mimi and Pa were coming over this afternoon, so I wanted him to have a decent nap, but also wanted to wake him up early to play. He knew that they were coming, so when I woke him up he got really excited! Usually it takes him awhile to wake up and get used to the fact that they're here. Not today! He walked right out and started talking to Pa and even went over to Mimi and gave her a big hug!

Daniel enjoyed playing with blocks and then he, Pa and Jacob went outside to play. Brenda and I stayed in a talked. It's nice being able to actually talk without a little person to keep an eye on!

Once they came in, the playing continued until it was time for them to head home. Might I just add that it's rather depressing that the sun was going down at 4:45. I had my pajamas on within the next hour. No shame.

Daniel ate all of his supper, and was happily rewarded with his new love...the "Bix" bar. Also known as a Twix bar. He'll be really bummed that it was the last one in his treat bucket.

That kid was SO amped up tonight...but in a good way! We had fun playing and being silly as a family. I love moments like that!

He also had 2 successful potties today, so yay for that!

Getting him down for bed took just a little bit longer tonight. Partly because the little guy just wouldn't stop talking, but partly because I was having so much fun with him tonight, that I just wanted to snuggle and hang out!

Hopefully the rest of the week goes just like today!

My Growing Boy

Let's a pause a moment to let it sink in that my little boy is going to be 2 years old in 21 days! I seriously can't believe it!

From this:



To this:



Words cannot even express how much I love this child. He exasperates me daily, but fills my heart with joy each day too.

He knows all the letters of the alphabet by recognition, and can name 23 out of 26 letters. He's even recognizing a lot of the lowercase letters as well!

He can also identify and name each number from 1-10! My favorite is when we're at a store and it points out numbers or spells something out and someone hears him. They're like, "How old is he!?" I must say, I'm rather impressed and proud of him for picking it all up so quickly!

He's obsessed with: fire trucks, stop signs (yep), basically anything with wheels (which he pronounces "wee-hulls" and it's freaking adorable.), Super Why (PBS show), throwing things in the trash and fruit snacks (or meena mes as he calls them. Why? We have NO clue).

He loves reading books, and although it gets tiring reading the same ones over and over again, I'm thrilled that he loves books. I started taking him to the library every few weeks and we check out some books each time. He loves going. In fact, the last time we went I was just going to drop the books outside in the book drop. I did, and then got back in the car. Apparently Daniel knew exactly where we were and freaked the heck out. We ended up going in because that boy was not leaving until he had new reading material!

I *guess* we're potty training! He's peed on the potty a few times over the past few months, but I haven't pushed it. This week he's been showing more interest and has gone once or twice each day! Today he went when he woke up. Tried before we left to go to the middle school. Then when we got home he was dry and went again! I'm excited, but I'm not forcing anything on him. If he doesn't want to try, I don't make him. He gets so excited and says, "Pee?! Potty"!? after he goes. Then he has to flush and collect his 2 "M's" (M&M's).

We're working on his eating now too. I've been way too lenient with him and Jacob and I had a discussion this week about him needing to eat more of what we're eating. I fell into the habit of just handing him dessert and a cup of crackers later even if he didn't eat well. He's been doing better, but I have to keep on him and remind him he doesn't get a snack if he doesn't eat what we ask him to eat.

Last night Jacob had to go to the school to help with the musical set, so I decided to try to watch an actual movie with Daniel. We watched, "Over the Hedge". He was into it for awhile. He even snuggled on the couch with me. Then he played. Then he watched. Then he played again. Yeah. Not quite ready for a full length movie, but I needed something relaxing to do!

Had to post these for my mom. One of the new pairs of jammies we got him last weekend!

Today we went to musical practice so I could take some pictures of the kids rehearsing for Jacob. Daniel enjoyed running around, but wanted Mommy and Daddy the whole time. We stayed for lunch and then came home.

 



And now the little dude is awake in his bed, so I'd better go get him!

Fall Fun From October!

I haven't been good at keeping up with my blog this year, but every November I try to blog every day for National Blog month...so here goes nothin'.

Since we all know that I love fall, let's check out some of my favorite fall festivities from the month of October!

I let Daniel paint for the first time! I'm not a good pumpkin carver, so we went the painting route this year. I'd say it was a hit!







We got invited over to Mimi and Pa's house to make apple cider! Daniel had lots of fun helping Pa (and being ornery and NOT helpful at other times!) It was a really special day though, and Daniel still talks about Pa and apples!





Plus he got to have fun with Mimi when she got home from work too!



We took him to a Trunk or Treat at a church in Cedar Rapids this past weekend. He had so much fun, and I was very proud of him for telling everyone, "Sanks!" when they gave him candy.





They even had a little photo booth set up. :)



We also went to a small pumpkin patch down the road from my parent's house. It was freezing cold and Daniel was not being a willing participant in most things, so it was a short lived trip, but I still ended up with a few good pictures.





And of course, last but not least...HALLOWEEN!!!

I was kind of bummed out because Jacob's school had parent teacher conference scheduled last night. I mean, really!? On Halloween? So, out of all the fall things we did, he didn't get to do any of it with us. I'm really glad that we got to take a trip to the St. Louis Zoo as a family though!

I was really up in the air about taking Daniel out. We did buy some treats to pass out to the kiddos at the Y though! It was rainy and dreary for most of the day, but the temperature was so perfect. It was over 60 degrees! I put Daniel down for his nap and as the afternoon went on, I knew that I REALLY wanted to take him out. I am apparently a 5 year old at heart and eventually started feeling giddy! The rain had even pretty much stopped! I remember as a kid coming home from school and being so antsy to get out and trick or treat. I'm not gonna lie. I totally felt that way last night! I got Daniel all dressed up to head to a trunk or treat and it started raining as soon as we got outside, so only indoor pics!





I remembered from last year that the line to get in was really long, so we left early to get there. I put Daniel in the stroller to save some sanity. We had to wait awhile, but they did let people in about 5 minutes early. I had the canopy over Daniel and an umbrella over me and the rest of him while we waited.

I was really impressed this year. Last year's seemed a little smaller. This year felt like there were more cars and people were in such a good mood despite the rain! I didn't encounter one grumpy person. The church was handing out umbrellas to those who needed one. People were bumping into each other with umbrellas and would just smile and say, "No worries!" if they got bumped into. Daniel got lots of candy and compliments. We didn't get any questionable tracts in his bucket this year, but 2 very nice ones. (Seriously...last year he got a comic tract about a little kid in hell and he was like, "Grandpa! What are YOU doing here?" Umm...) It was just all in all a very fun experience, even though we were very wet!

Even as I walked across the road to get to the car I encountered kindness. The car was in a  gravel lot clear towards the back. I was only about 6 cars away and the stroller just kept getting stuck and sinking into the mud and rocks. There was another set of mom's with their kids and one ran over to  help me. She picked up the other end of the stroller and helped me carry it/Daniel to my car. It's good to know there are still good people in this world!

We got home and he enjoyed a sucker and we examined all of his candy. I love his crazed look in the second one!





Farewell October! Thanks for being my favorite month. 11 months until we meet again. I look forward to it.