My hungry little caterpillar on his birthday!!

My kids have never been very messy eaters...he was a little green but not bad!

He seemed to enjoy the cake as much as we did!

He really wanted that candle...dangerous stuff!

Mom decided to take some pics of him here at home. To capture his special day. Look at this perfect little foot!

This summarizes exactly how he makes me feel everyday

He leaves me in awe of his cuteness and curiousity!

Little fingers exploring and learning about the world....i created him with God's help!!

What a little miracle my precious boy is!

Nope, not me, Monday!

I definitely did not let my son's #1 extra-large birthday balloon that cost $10.00 fly out of my car. I did not leave the car door wide open on a windy day and totally forget that it was ever even in the car when i was done. Then i did not also look all around the church for at least twenty minutes swearing i must have already brought the balloon in.

I did not forget to read our two new valentine's books to my daughter and finally read them to her a day later and tell her we would pretend today was valentines day..so it was all okay nope not me.

I did not let my daughter watch tv for the entire evening after i told her that from now on weekends would be family time and no tv was allowed for any of us...and i did not sit in front of the tv and do homework...or act like i was doing homework while really watching tv...not me!

I did not let my one year old eat his snack straight off the kitchen floor, that had not been swept, because it was so much easier than letting him continually dump them out of a bowl.

I did not take hundreds of pics of my son yesterday on his birthday with his nose dripping all the way to his mouth and never notice it until i was editing the pictures..nope not me!

I absolutely did not wear a nursing bra today even though my son hasnt nursed since five weeks old and turned one years old yesterday...not me...i would never do that instead of grabbing one of the other hundred normal bras in the drawer.

I definitely did not tell everyone i know that i want another baby badly and have them torture my husband all weekend begging so i could have my third baby. Then i did not feel so overwhelmed last night when my son slept on my chest for the whole night...that i felt like giving him away no not me and i didn't wonder why i wanted two kids...or more for that matter..that would never have happened to me!!

I did not, in no way, go to Mcdonalds today instead of making lunch so that i wouldnt have to lift a finger to cook and in no way wanted to rush the children to nap as soon as i was home so that i could blog about all the things i didnt do, no way, not me!

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Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

My baby hits the BIG "1" in 9 days!!

He is so close to taking those first unassisted steps!

He stood so nicely for the pictures. I was proud!!

I almost see a smile slipping out!

There is my big boy smile!

I love this face. I can't believe how blessed our life has become since Grant was born. He is such a great baby and makes me smile continuously. He is very sweet with a great disposition. He rarely ever cries but is full of mischief. He is always trying to figure out how things work. I have a feeling he will be like his father and will love to take everything apart and change it somehow. Always a new adventure. He lights up my life and has made me realize just how different every single child is. They are all different and special in their own way!

STORM OF THE CENTURY

They say we are in the middle of the storm of the century. We have been without power since wednesday and they say it could be WEEKS before it might be restored. They still have almost 50,000 people here without power and they expect it to get worse today since the trees will start to thaw and snap back. I am worried. I have so much going on and i am lost without my calendar and normal schedule. I can't run the daycare without a house...i dont have a car...i am at my mother-in-laws,,enough said there...and my kids are in a house of glass with little toys and they are getting stir crazy with nothing to do. I can't concentrate enough to do homework and i have twice as much work to do for this week. I am trying to get all of our birthday parties and tajee's abby shower planned but feel lost here. How do i make and print invitations when i am not home to do it! What a mess... This sucks really bad! I am just praying that before the end of the weekend a miracle happens and we have our power restored. Also think about all the people in shelters or trying to brave it at home in the cold. Pray that they are safe and warm in this disaster of a mess! I will write and post pics again as soon as i can. I dont have our good camera so don't expect much!

Brady Samuel Wathen

Brady Samuel Wathen

8 lbs. 5 oz.

21 inches long

January 26, 2009

6:36 p.m.

Congrats B.J. and Tajee! He is an absolute Doll baby!! I love him so much and i am so happy to have this new addition to the family. Their fourth and last baby and my third nephew! Tajee and baby are doing well. Luckily Tajee will get some reast since we are in the middle of a horrible ice/snow storm...but i am sad i won't see him for a couple of more days! I will just have to stare at the beautiful pics and dream of his sweet face!

Hailey says she knows all about SEX!!

We are in so much trouble....I was on myspace this morning updating pics on my new nephew Brady(pics to come) and my profile song came on. She immediately says is that your boyfriend singing this song. I won't try to explain but basically her daddy and me had a conversation and no i don't have a boyfriend!!!!I told her i dont have a boyfriend only daddy is my boyfriend.

I have already forgot exactly how she went from having a boyfreind to sex but she did...She says did you have sex.....i am like what?????????? I about had a cow...my first reaction was how do you know what sex is????? Then again daddy lets her watch family guy....enough said about that!!! She proceeds to tell me that she really does know what it means. As i tell her sex is something kids shouldn't know about and only mommy and daddy's should know about. But then i am curious because obviously we have sex and what if she walked in and we didn't know or maybe she saw something on tv...i wanted to see just what she knew.

She giggles her evil little giggle and gives me the look like really mom i know!! Then she says they bite each other..well not really she says!! Okay that is interesting...tell me more...then she shows me this face immitating a french kiss and says maybe they aren't exactly biting each other...but she is using her whole body to show me....O'boy!!! I figure no more Soap Opera's while she is home and i will be very select on the tv shows/movies she watches....we are in soooo much trouble!!For now we are safe..sex just means a french kiss...i just hope it stays that way for a long, long time!!!

My great grandpa Bill and my great grandma Laura Allen (i see my mom and me looking soooo much like her). I think she is gorgeous...so we must be also. (;
My Grandma Renee Lasse

My great grandma Laura allen and her sister. My very favorite picture of her. She looks absolutely like an angel or something...wow!!

My great grandma Hazel Lasse and my grandma Renee when she was very young.

Me and my great grandma Laura Allen.


Just a bit of my past i found on my families geneology website. It is amazing the things you can find and treasure forever. I am so happy to find some of these tidbits of my past to pass on to my present!! My children will love and treasure them also. I am going to go and get them printed off along with about 50 others...amazing!

Great-grandma Hazel and me..i think!

I saw this picture on my families website and they couldn't think of who the children could be. As soon as i saw it i knew it had to be me, so i had them email it to me. I (think i) was the little girl at the very bottom of the picture with the blonde pigtails and white/blue plaid shirt. It looks identical to other baby pics of me. If anyone has any more info on this picture or knows who the other children are please email me. I was so happy to have this. I have been researching my geneology and every little bit of our past is so precious. I am so grateful to have this picture. I hope you enjoy a bit of my past as much a i do. I will try and get some of my old family pics and post them. I haven't made any of them digital but i would love to so i could post them. Maybe that will be my next project...

Baby, it's cold outside!

Grant's first time playing in the snow!
I guess this isn't so bad!


Hailey and Grant

Ugg...Dogs do what in the snow??

I love this picture

She has been begging to make snow angels all winter..finally the right kind of snow!

They had a blast in the snow. It wasn't record amounts but just right for them to get their fingers in it and really enjoy playing in it. We took a short walk, made snow angels, slid down the slide, threw snowballs, and hailey tried to eat it all...not my favorite choice but it looked clean!

Holiday pics

Isn' t that just the cutest thing ever! Santa took the letter after drinking his milk and cookies and after letting each reindeer eat the carrots!

She is such a perfectionist she had to get every little piece of tape off the boxes.

I love Santa too!

Santa came to our house this year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A couple of pictures from my new camera!

Grant was in love with this dog! Doh is his third word, after mama and dada!
Hailey ice fishing for the first time. She wasn't so happy about the sounds of the ice cracking.

Momma and her baby boy Christmas morning. I love this pic of me i don't look huge! he-he!

Grant at Grandma Cindy's Christmas eve!

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009!

It is going to be a great year! We are following Jesus and trying to be "good people" and i feel like i am slowly figuring out how to make our family better Christians. Hailey is picking up on it and really starting to understand that we should be good people and do good things, not for ourselves, but for Jesus and to please him. We are supposed to be kind, generous, caring people in every aspect of our lives. Someone asked me what my New Year's resolution was and i said i didn't have one(because i never stick to them!)...but then i got thinking and this will be my resolution. Try to bring my family closer to our Lord and be better people! That is what this year is all about. I think this is one resolution i can stick with!!

Lets rewind and see what great things have happened this past year. Well i was pregnant in January, we had my baby shower and it was fabulous. Then Grant Lee Steele was born on February 15, 2008 at 5:05 pm weighing 6 pounds 11oz. March, was Hailey's birthday..."5" years old and sassy as ever. April, i got settled into a routine and back to work. May, i completed another semester of school, it was interesting trying to do it around pregnancy and baby but it all worked out!

June and July we enjoyed our normal summer activities and days of swimming fun. Much different with a newborn and a five year old. August was the beginning of Hailey's school days and Kindergarten with a wonderful teacher who has taught her so much. Also in August both of the kids became baptized at our church and my dad came to visit with Chris and the kids. I love those visits sooo much(and so does Hailey-she loves her papa). Then September i started back to school with five classes(a huge undertaking that i will never try again). In addition, Hailey started Daisy's(Girl Scouts)and seems to be opening up a little but more and starting to enjoy herself.

October, we had wonderful Halloween celebrations and the kids dressed up as a monkey(Grant) and a Christmas bride(Hailey). We always love the end of the year and all the fun activities we attend. Then November, brought Thanksgiving, and all the yummy food and praise we could have. It was delightful to see all of our family and friends. Also Jason and I got to sneak away for a day and go to Indianapolis for a Colt's game-GO COLT'S!! Then December was action packed with lots of birthdays(moms, jasmines, Jason's, Liam's, eds), Hailey's first school Christmas program(she finally sang this year), lots of illnesses, a vacation to Iowa to visit relatives, and an absolutely awesome Christmas.

We also got many new fun gadgets around the house this year. We have our new camcorder, thanks Lee, that has given us so many memories and the chance to relive our babies precious moments over and over again! We have our new TV, while smaller(a 40inch) it is according to the man of the house more superior than the other. I don't see the difference but i am grateful none the less. And last but not least thank you Lord for my laptop. I am so excited to have it even though currently Jason uses it more than i do. Once school starts it will become an invaluable tool to help me succeed in studying and getting things done in the comfort of my own couch, bed, bathtub(kidding)...wherever i want! Oyyyyeahhhh thanks to my mom we also got the all important DVD player for the car. It rocks and kept my daughter silent over the 20ish hours of car time she endured while we traveled over the holidays. Mom you really know what kind of present every family needs! It is perfect!

Then on to Christmas which every year amazes me more and more! Everyone is so generous and we get so many wonderful gifts. I got my own personal camera, nothing crazy but it does its job and it fits in my purse. I love our big fancy Nikon D80 but it is HUGE and expensive and i don't like the idea of taking it with me everywhere when a smaller cheaper version is more suitable. You will just have to be happy with my grainy pics! Also i got perfume, a nice necklace(one each from Hailey and Jason), my colt's sweatshirt, 2 Nike sweatshirts(1 really wanted some cozy clothes), chocolate and more chocolate. Hailey got so much stuff i won't even try to remember it all but she got an MP3 player, a digital camera, an electric guitar, air hockey, laptop, my meebas, a tini puppini, trouble(the game), lots of Polly pockets(and the cruise ship), littlest pet shop, clothes, clothes, and more clothes(including a COLT'S cheerleader outfit), money, so much craft stuff i had to buy a new organizer to hold it all and lots of books now that she is starting to read. Grant was rotten also and got two ride on toys(Santa brought him a big digger), some trucks and tractors, books(lots of books),lots and lots of clothes and some bath toys. Daddy got some movies, Colt's gear, and i was nice enough to get his a beer making kit, mr.beer with lots of refills...so he will never have to leave home again(j/k)!! I am sure i am leaving stuff out but that sums up most of our Christmas. But my best gift of all was when Hailey told me that Christmas was not about the presents but it was about Jesus birthday and continued to tell me and everyone else the story of Christmas. I had been telling it to her for months but i didn't think it really made it through all the gimme gimme gimmes...she was spoiled this year but i think she truly understands the importance of Christmas and i hope we all do also!

It has been a rough holiday with a sick baby!

I am back finally, it seems things have calmed down around the Steele household. December was a really busy and rough month. Grant had two colds, over 1 week of vomiting(starting while 5 hours from home and 4 hours from our destination), and an ear infection that included three rounds of meds(he was allergic to one, found out while on vacation) none that worked and an antibiotic shot. He still has the ear infections but we are hoping the shot works. I am unsure of the next step if they aren't cleared up by the end of the week! Then Jason had a small stomach bug in the middle of the month, i had it on Christmas eve and we all have had some variation of coughs, colds, or runny noses! Also i completed finals, and passed with a 3.0(while taking five classes with two kids), finally something good to end 2008!

We got to go to Iowa to visit my dad's side of the family. It was very nice to have a gathering with all my aunts and uncles and show off the kiddos. I love seeing them. And my brothers and sisters are growing so fast and and soon they will be off and dealing with their own families and i will see them even less than i do now. I wish we lived closer. Also, grant said his third word, Doh(Dog) while up there. He was in love with their pit bull..even though i was a tad scared with it around. Not just because it was a pit bull but because dogs and little kids worry me in general. I am a worry wart!! On the down side, grant vomited most of the trip. First from a high fever from ear infections then from a reaction from one of the meds for the ear infections...and maybe a hint of a stomach bug somewhere in between. It was miserable. He lived on apple juice, pedialite, and fruit loops for three+ days. I was so worried about him. He was very close to dehydration and i was exhausted. It made for a very stressful trip to say the least.

Hailey and Jason got to go Ice fishing and play on the four wheeler which tickled her to death! But the rest of the trip was spent just talking to everyone and relaxing(with a puking baby stuck to my hip). I was happy we went but wish it had been better conditions.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This will probably be my last post for a couple of weeks. We are heading out of town and going North......i am unsure why we picked somewhere colder, it was -17 where we are going with lots of snow, what happened to Christmas in Florida!! Uggg...but family is important and we don't have enough time to enjoy being with them so this is a much needed trip. It will be nice to have a family trip to relax and enjoy each other. We have a big christmas party planned with all my aunts, uncles and cousins! I am very excited.only once every 4 years or so do i get to come up for the winter festivities. My husband hasn't been up there with my for over 6 years..maybe longer! Unfortunately it seems like my latest visits have all been somber and deaths in the family. We all hate to visit for those reasons. My kids are ready for some sledding and ice fishing as am I. My hubby is wanting to go hunting but it seems liek a hunting license is about $160...so he might have to skip that!

We are rounding up the gear and starting to pack today and it is amazing how much stuff we actually need for four people for up to 10 days is sub-arctic weather!! Especially with a baby..pack-n-play, highchair, formula, diapers, wipes, gear, toys...then again a six year old diva isn't much better! Luckily we are taking the 300 with heated seats...ahhhhh!!! And one of our christmas gifts included a portable DVD player that we have been begging for, that should make the 10 hour(in good weather) trip go a little smoother! We had lots of freezing rain, snow/rain mix today but it is supposed to be in the 40's the next couple of days so hopefully we have a safe trip and it doesn't take forever to get there.

Today i had to drive and it wasn't fun. Hailey has her 6 year molars comign in and i was worried it had an absest but luckily it is fine. It is about to erupt to it is sore and she has numerous canker sores/legions around the area. She has been very sick lately so that could be the cause or she said many kids get these when they have teeth coming in. she told us for the next three days to keep her on Motrin, to reduce swelling and gave us a mouth rinse called peroxyl that is more kid friendly(tastier) so her mouth can heal faster. We were very concerned that this would be something yucky and then we would be out of town for the holidays and she would have to see some strange dentist...she just starting liking our new one i dont want he to be scared anymore. So we are lucky it isn't much. She seems to be doing well just has some pain when eating and things like that.

---Another note totally off the subject. I got my 3.0 this semester..woohoo!!! FIVE CLASSES and two kids and i still did it. I am so proud of myself..pat on the back!! I was really concerned because it was a very hard semester(fall seems to be harder with so many holidays) and with the kids doing so much and having all the sicknesses this year but it all worked out! Now i am on to a relaxing break with no worries until school starts back up in the middle of January.

Also update: my litle nephew Brady will be making his arrival known in January most likely within the first couple of weeks. His momma has had gestational diabetes and he is measuring big(she has a small frame but has delivered three already) so they will do an ultrasound and see how he is doign and see if they want to get the ball rolling! They better not even think about it while i am out of town. I have been outside the door for my other neice's and nephew's and i am not missing one now. I will be driving back from our trip early! So baby Brady just hold out for a couple of more weeks..around the 14th of January is great for me..he-he..and your momma would like a little bit longer to prepare!~Pray for their health and a safe delivery!

Merry Christmas everyone and have a joyful holiday season! Hope God blessed you all!

Love Always,

The Steele Family

School is over and vacation has finally begun!

Ahhh...my life has just simplified, for at least three weeks. I am done with school for the semester. It is such a relief. I feel like this huge weight has lifted. I am so excited to have some time with my kiddos and hubby. We need it. I am home everyday but usually busy with housework or homework.

Now i can get Christmas completed and just sit with the kiddos and enjoy seeing them. I know hailey is excited. We already have projects planned for the next couple of days that have to be done for christmas presents. I am very excited to get to watch her read and play games all day in our jammies. No school for her and no school for me!!

I did well so far...three grades are in...an A in my CIS class, a B+ in my Management behavior class, and a C in environmental conservation. My finance and humanities class havent posted grades yet but i am hoping for passing grades. It was a rough semester with two kids, 5 classes, holidays, and trying to keep the house organized, sports/organizations organized, and everyone healthy(hasnt really worked but i have tried)!

I dont have to go back to school until January 12th and i am so grateful that we are going to travel to my daddy's house for the holidays. We are leaving shortly after christmas and coming back right before hailey starts back to school on the 5th. My dad said he was nervous about us coming up. I thought it was really sweet. I miss him so much ...living so far away(over 9 hrs , 11 with kids in car).

We are helping him with our huge family christmas party. All of my aunts and uncles(8-9 present this year) and their spouses and kids. It used to be at my grandpa's and grandma's before they passed away and now it rotates between all my aunts/uncles/dad...the family seems to be separated more since their deaths. It is very sad. I pray that everyone can get along and realize the happiness family brings and that everyone enjoys each others company. Two of my aunts have passed away in the past couple of years both cancer related deaths. Obviously it has hit the family very hard. Sometimes the holidays are spent being sad instead of celebrating life and knowing that all the deceased are in a better place-HEAVEN!! I miss them also but i am not as sad anymore. I know that they are happy and pain free now.

My aunt chrissie especially was so grateful for life. She was happy and put on a happy face until her death. I try to live my life with as much joy as she did. She was happy for every moment and every day that she had with her family. She understood how precious life is. She had the most wonderful outlook and tried to please everyone. She was a role model..just like my grandma....i miss her every day!!..alright enough of the sad stuff...back to talking about vacation.

Snow...Grant will see his first snow up there. But he will also have to deal with very very cold weather. It was 5-10 below zero last time i talked to my dad. UGGG...i complain about our 20-30 degree weather. Why can't he live in Florida again??


After vacation, we might have to come back a little early because hailey has a cheer clinic on Jan.3 and i would love for her to go. I dont know..she is just getting started i dont think she is ready yet! I am loving it, she is so cute practicing. Cheer is very exciting. I never tried it in school but always wanted to...hailey seems to love it and also loves learning the scriptures. I am just happy to have her active and out doing something.

First we must finish our christmas shopping and finish making some presents. We are running out of days for this..i am guessing we will have to do it on monday and tuesday next week. Tomorrow hailey has school then christmas shopping. Might have time tomorrow night for a couple of things. Saturday is christmas at my moms then we want to go to the fantasy of lights. We think the kids will really enjoy all the bright lights then maybe we can drive around and see some houses with lots of lights. We used to do it when i was little and it was so exciting! Sunday is Jason's b-day so the day is for him and whatever he wants to do..except it is also my neice Jasmine's b-day so we have her 8th b-day party sunday afternoon. Then we have monday and tuesday free to do whatever need to be done for christmas. Wednesday is Jason's side of the families christmas parties taking up the whole day and night.

Then christmas is alwasy spent at home. We made this rule when Hailey was born. We never go anywhere and we prefer not to have any visitors unless it is immediate close family members. We make a huge breakfast of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream, sausages, bacon, and whatever else we decide is yummy. Then for lunch we usually have ham and dollar rolls with a couple of easy sides and pie. Simple, giving us time to spend the whole day with the kids watching never-ending episodes of Christmas Vacation or some other cute christmas movie.

I love playing with the kids and seeing their eyes glow as they open each present and see everything they have. One year it took hailey from 8 am to almost 6 pm before she opened her last present. SHe took her time and opened one at a time and played with them before wanting another. It was amazing to see how excited she was with every gift!

With our new camcorder i can't wait to capture all of these wondeful memories. We have went a couple of years without one and i have no record of so many pr4ecious moments that i dont want to miss again!

Saturday night we got to see one of the best, if not the best concert ever. Jason suprised me..well tried to suprise me..with a special night out..possibly even part of christmas or whatever but he took me there none the less. It was fabulous! He was amazing! Jason and Kenny! Jason was sick with a stomach bug so i am unsure of how much he really got to enjoy it but i just took it all in and relaxed and enjoyed the night.

Anytime i get to go out with Jason and not the kids is such a blessing and very very rare. We love it and soak it up! We really miss our one-on-one time we used to get before the kiddos..we get along perfectly..haha...It was very romantic and mind blowing. The music just took you to another place. If you haven't heard kenny's newest CD it is great as well as his christmas CD which is amazing also.

He played all of his early hits and even added in some comedy! I got to meet him twice!!!! Yes, twice!! It was so awesome and he was a very freindly and a relaxed kind of guy. The band was amazing also. The guy kenny has on percussions was exceptional. I have never seen such talent. A couple of hte guys have books or their own CD's out. It was a very nice night on the town. I hope we can do it again soon. I love you honey and thanks for the great night out!

This is absolutely hilarious. But vulgur and bad language is included. It is not my views. I believe in the bible and all of the teachings BUT for comedy this was hilarious. The whole show is even funnier! I loved it.

Coughs and sniffles

Nights in our house over the past couple of weeks havebeen an endless rush of trying to figure out who to help sleep through the night the longest. Everyone has colds but at different stages. Some are starting the stages over again with a new cold. But last night was the last straw Grant is hitting hte doctor today at 4pm. I need over 3 hours of consistent sleep..sleep without a 20 lb. baby flopping around on my chest and/or wheezing and gagging coughs all around me. i was so desperate last night i even used a little vix mixed with vasoline(tomake it not burn so bad) all over his little chest and back...it made him cry but then he slept for about 3-4 more hours.

Two weeks i have been battling his and everyone else's sickness. He had a cough and runny nose last week and lack of appetite. Then over the weekend a low grade fever, very putrid diarrhea/poo newborn stuff(from lack of solid foods i assume), and the inevitable lack of sleep...along with a temper and screams of pain...i assumed he was dying a couple of nights. Then by Monday he seemed to be doing better no more painful cries and his appetite picked up a small bit but the stinky poo seemed to be escalating...uggg. But by sleepy time he was hacking this yucky cough that was so bad he was almost vomiting. I figured since during the day he seemed okay it would pass but now 4 sleepless nights later i have decided enough is enough. I am hoping it is just a cold and they will tell me is fine or even better/worse they will tell me he has something that they can give me some meds for and it will knock him into a beautiful slumber for about 10 hours tonight! I dont know if i can study for finals without sleep!! We will see!

Go to Gymboree and go shopping!! Holy moley...pjs only $11.25!! They have a huge sale right now! It is awesome! Look at how cute the pair i got Grant and Hailey are?? ANd they are soooo soft and cozzy..i want some too.

Hailey had her school Christmas program last night and she rocked the show. My shy child sang every song and was perfect! I was so excited she did it. She told me afterwards, " I was sooo scared but I just did it anyways!" I had threatened her(nicely)with us never coming to another program again..if she sat their looking at her toes like the past 4 years worth of programs we had been too. Obviously she has grown up alot this year! It was fabulous. She looked like a little princess all dressed up in her Christmas colors and singing away! I am overjoyed! My baby is a star! (;

This is our Christmas present from my momma! A family gift that will be fabulous for the family over the holidays especially since we will be traveling to Iowa! A lovely 9+ hour trip with a five year old and a 10 month old. This DVD Player was much needed.It is a Sony DVP-FX820, Black with an 8" screen

Perfect! Thanks momma!!And yes she is still momma even though i am almost 30!

sniffles snuggles, and shopping

Everyone has had the sniffles but everyone but Grant has gotten over it..he just seems to be getting worse. He is still peeing and pooping(sorry for the details) so i am not overly concerned. BUT he is barely eating solids anymore and 1/2 the time no bottles either and has been running a low grade temperature. I haven't slept in two nights as he has been up and down not able to sleep comfortably in any position, except on me for the most part. I have tried Oragel since tooth #9........yes 9, is coming in(Early Bloomer)! And i have tried tylenol but he still acts like he is in horrible pain. Mainly at night! He just arches his back and cries. I am worried it might be something else but during the day he seems like he is okay other than the lack of eating! I am thinking we might make a visit to the doctors on monday if this doesnt get better soon. I really need some sleep..consistent..4-6 hours would be nice!!

Also tonight i got a one-on-one with hailey..it was wonderful. We went out with her and my sister-in-law and her three kiddos to a friends birthday party at Pump it up(which was awesome may i say). It was a great time! I miss spending so much time with my baby girl. She is growing up so fast! She is so much fun and such a little smartie pants. She is getting ready to lose her second tooth and is getting her first permanent front tooth and her 6 year molars. She is starting to really catch on at school also. She is writing alot of sentences and can write alot of words by sounding them out. They arent all spelled properly but for her age she is doing great!! I am really really proud of her. I have been spending alot of time with her on christian teachings and songs and it is really paying off. She is really starting to get it. I think if i try harder it will sink in even more. I am an example for her...i need to do bettter and be better!!

We went shopping at gymboree my favorite place to splurge! They had Jingle deals on pajamas...so cute!! I got hailey a pj dress and grant some rockstar pjs for next year..under $12 a pair..woohoo! Also i got hailey a t-shirt and some bows to match some outfits she already has. Also it is gymbucks time! That alwasy makes it worthwild also. Another savings of around 25% when cashed in! Hailey is set for winter except for shoes..now i am ready for the summer shopping to begin. I think it is time for another girls trip to Nashville or Edinberg in January or February!! Who wants to join me???

Thanksgiving and a Reunion-update

Thanksgiving was wonderful and special just like always. It is one day that i do nothing(no laundry, no dishes, no cleaning) but spend time with all my family and enjoy their company. It was wonderful seeing so many people that i haven't seen since the holidays last year. We need to spend more time with the extended family. My husband's grandma is getting up there in age and we don't visit often, even though she lives relatively close.

I feel sad about how busy life has been and how little time i have had for my family. School has been overwhelming this semester and has taken up so much of my precious time. I have missed so many firsts. Hailey starts her first cheerleading practice tonight and i will be in class instead. This si what i am supposed to be doing...time is just passing me by. I am thanksful for the chance to go to school and pray i am able to finish and help make life better for our family. BUT for now i need more time. I need to manage my time more closely and regulate what is important to me. I need to spend less time on the internet mindlessly browsing and spend more time reading to my kids! My goal for the new year is to turn off the computer and just do...do whatever is needed to give my kids some extra attention. They deserve to have their mom not just in the room but actually there for them. I want to be that mom.

Our class reunion was interesting. Not as good as expected in some ways but better than expected in others. It was alot like high school...no one openly talked to you unless they were friends with you in high school. It wasn't this big freindly gathering like i had prayed for. Most people expected a dinner and instead found some appetizers that were not so appetizing. Drinks were pricey. Also food and drinks were where everyone smoked. So for us non-smokers it sucked to go in there. An in there was where everyone basically stayed all night long.

I found so many people that i had lost touch with and was grateful for that. I missed all these people. I had wanted to reconnect and i did. I hope that i keep in touch with the friends that i saw. Many of them live in Evansville so it should be easy but we will see how it all works out. But then a couple of them live out of town and that might be more difficult but i am going to do my best to not let another ten years pass me by with regrets about what i should have done.

Class Reunion

Well, what a day this has started off to be. I was up off and on all night with Grant who wasn't feeling well..turkey, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn casserole, fruit salad, cranberry salad, pies, pies, and more pies=too much of a good thing...BELLY ACHE!!! He cried himself to sleep on my chest. I gave him tylenol and gas drops because he was in so much pain. It was horrible!

Then Jason let me sleep uninterrupted from 6:30-10:30 this morning. It was so peaceful and wonderful..ahhh refreshed. Grant is feeling well and back to normal so we stuck with some baby food and more simple foods today to help get him back on track.

My mom was supposed to watch the kiddos tonight while Jason and I go to my... GULP... 10 year reunion....BUT she is deadly ill with a 104 temp and Bronchitis. We haven't done the babysitter thing yet so we were concerned about finding a replacement but luckily him mom said she could do it. But because of that i had to clean my house. If it was my mom i wouldn't care but for all of you with a mother-in-law it is different...my house needed cleaned! I have everything put away except dishes...i will get to that soon.

Jason took Hailey shopping so i only have Grant but i am starting to get nervous about tonight. I have put on so much weight since getting pregnant....over 50lbs....i am so ashamed..i feel like the goodyear blimp! I got some new clothes this fall but i just can't decide what looks the best. I narrowed it down to two dresses and a pair of pants and nice shirt but i am pretty sure i like the one dress the best. It is very Thanksgiving-Fall!! I like the shape and i can wear pantyhose to suck in all the belly fat since my spankys are at my moms....i am really upset about that!!

Also, I dyed my hair yesterday expecting meduim BROWN..and got redish black instead....it looks nice but very rockstar. Nothing like i would normally have. It doenst work well but i dont have time to redye it before tonight! Nothing like going with a bang!

I am very thrilled with seeing all my old girlfriends. I really miss them all. I try to remember why we all quit hanging out and nothing comes to me. It has just been to long and for the most part there wasnt any reason other than just drifting apart! I had an older boyfreind in high school and hung out with him and his freinds and we just seperated. It sucks. I dont have many friends that i get together with for dinner and drinks. No one calls me when they come back into town. I had a huge group of friends in high school..but i let them all get away!

I am hoping this can bring some of us back together and reunite. I have been emailing lots of them but i would like more. I would love to get together with them for parties and to take the kids out. I am truly excited to see where life has led everyone.

I will update everyone on how things go. My hubby is going with me. He doesn't want to go but doesn't want to stay home either. Hopefully he will get along with everyone and enjoy the night! It would be great if they have a keg...yeah right more like a cash bar.

It is at rolling hills...where we got married. I am excited to go back. Good memories! I will post picks when we get back. Wish me luck!!

My baby boy is growing up, 9 months and 1 week old!

This sums it all up! I love those eyes and eyelashes. Someone said the other day how sad they were wasted on a boy. I think they are sooo wrong. How fantastic..he is gorgeous/handsome and all mine! I love his fantastic little pudgy fingers and toes and those cheeks everyone says they want to eat(as wierd as that sounds).

We have his 9 month pictures coming soon. We got them taken today and I am very excited to show everyone! They should be adorable. Baby's first Christmas...

This is what he does all day long. Eat everything in sight. Usually it is every little pice of hair or fuzz or string...my cleaning skills need an upgrade to spastic...he has eaten his weight in scraps of paper!! Along with whyo knows what else. I don;t know what else to do. He has gotten sneeky about it also. He is very good at holding his jaws closed so i can't pry whatever it is out of his mouth. It has become a war!! I am the evil mother. Also he has learned to throw a tantrum....loud, very loud tantrums..especially in the car!!









This is the look i get all day long. Durrrr.....But it really cracks me up. Also do you see the abundance of hair. I originally balked at the thought of a haircut.i am still nervous..he is just a baby. But he is getting horrible bed head/hat head. Jasons barber(he did Jason's first haircut) is still cutting hair(at the same place Jason went to) and we decided to get Grant's first haircut there. I think Jason is going to try and have it cut maybe this week soemtime. The guy is close to retirement and only works limited hours so it will be interesting. We are only going to trim the back. I want the front to grow out and it still lays very nicely(most of the time). I am really excited about this. What a big milestone....




His current: Weight 18.12, He went down to the 20th % but they say that is normal for his small birthweight and at the stage he is in. They will watch for a gain next time. His height was 28 1/4, he went up to the 48th %, and his head was 46.

He has mild eczema but it is controlled with mosturizing..the doctor says it will probably get worse as he grows but currently he doesnt have to have any additional medications/creams for it. He is starting to get the whiplashed cheeks from the cold and they said that is one of the other things he will be more prone to in the winter so we have been lathering him with vasoline or A&D ointment as often as possible so it doesn;t get painful. So far it doesn't seem to bother him.

He has been granted unlimited access to adult food(except honey, nuts, etc)..so we are weaning him off many of the baby foods. It was expensive and he didn't like us feeding him any more so we are cleaning out the cabinets of infant food and beefing up his finger food list. I still mash most of it up some but he does well with most foods so everything is fair game. I am watching him with eggs and milk(yogurt) because one of them gave him a rash yesterday..his back and face got little red dots. Luckily they went away and that was the only symptoms.




---------REWIND------

Our precious new baby yawning. He was so scrawny. Here he is only a little over 6 pounds! That is a preemie onesie and it was still a little big. I remember the size 1 diapers were enormous and we had to fold them twice to get them to somewhat fit. We should have gotten preemie diapers. He was 6 lbs. 11 oz at birth but he lost almost a pound in the first two weeks.

He wouldn't breastfeed which was disappointing to me..i wanted to breastfeed so badly. The doctor said he had a slight recessed jaw which could have been part of the problem with latch-on. We continued to try for about 5 weeks but he just wasn't getting it so we ended up switching to formula. It was a blessing!! He has basically slept through the night since birth, 6+ hours then,and now he is sleeping around 10. He became much happier after switching and keeping a schedlue was much easier..but we aren't very strict. I try and let my kids guide when they eat and sleep..to an extent. Grant has put himself on a schedule.

This picture was taken in the hospital when he was born. He was a fresh new baby!

The things people come up with

This is a kids toy. It is $30. What is it you say? Well they call it an open-ended toy that can be anything. Wow...i need to get into this business..i am sure i have some better ideas than this!
But this on the other hand is genius!! I am in love. I only wish i had almost $700 plus shipping to get it! Some day when my kids are grown and i win the lottery, that i don't play, i will have one for my grandbabies. They make so many cute things nowadays..if only we could afford them all! Ahhh...all i want for Christmas is....$$$

I lost many of my blog sites i watch..i am sick about it!!

When i redid my page i thought i had saved everything the same as before....i didnt notice until today that my blog sites i read were gone!! I hadn't saved them on my dashboard because i wasn't a followed just a secret grazer. Such a big mistake. I had some photographers on there that were amazing and now i will probably never find their site again! I found many of them from memory and added them the proper way so i can't lose them again but i want all of them back. I am so sick from this!! How sad!!

Hailey's Christmas outfit

We always get decked out for Christmas and pictures but this year i wanted something more comfortable. Something Hailey could wear over again throughout winter without having to go to a Ball to look like she belonged!! Hailey's dress is adorable and i had a Red bow made up to match and my favorite local store! You can't see the detail very well in this picture but it has snowflakes, hot chocolate, and little mittens and hats. I wasn't sure about the colors because usually i like the traditional red stuff but this was just what i wanted. I think i am going to go get hailey a pair of the suede brown boots to go with it and leggings in red.

Grant is wearing a sweater set my mother-in-law made for him so he is covered..not i just have to find somethign for Jason and I....a great reason to go shopping this weekend. I really need a new red sweater or something!

Busy Schedule-Hailey sports and activities

I am sure that everyone has a crazy schedule and mine is no different. Life is crazy enough with Hailey in school(we take and pick her up) and my daycare and school schedule. We never had Hailey in any organized activities other than library time and zoo camp...until now. When she started Kindergarten this Fall we knew it was time for her to get out and try some new things. We signed her up for Daisy's(Girl Scouts) which just started this month. Also she just signed up over the weekend for Cheerleading through a local church.

The church has what is called Upward cheerleading. Upward emphasizes character and integrity instead of a “win at all costs” mentality associated with today’s sports world. Check it out at http://www.upward.org It is for kids from Kindergarten through 6th grade! I am so happy to have heard about it. The kids also hear a devotional every week and be given the opportunity to learn scripture verses. It is exactly what i wanted hailey to get the opportuntiy to do.

I want her in activities that are going to teach her character and respect. I hope that both of the activities she is currently involved in will foster growth and a challenge for her. It is going to keep us busy with practices and outings but that is what life is all about. What fun is t to sit at home and never experience life. I want her to try out different sports and activities until she finds the ones that she loves the most then she can stick with them.

Upward has numerous other sports that they offer throughout the year so as soon as she is done with cheer then we are going to try something different. We already decided that tee ball is coming up in February-March so that will probably we next, then soccer will be around summer. She should stay active this year.

I am amazed at how much she has thinned out since the start of school and her being able to run in gym! I love it!! She even won a metal for meeting the qualifications for their olympics program. Then she also has entered into something called Reflections, a contest where hse has to make a work of art all about the theme of the year. This year it is "Wow"..i am excited since this is right up her alley. She is my little artist!! It is due Dec. 17th then shortly afte they will announce the winners who will go on to the state competition!

We have Daisy's(Girl Scouts) twice a month, then cheer practice 1 day a week until January then 1 practice a week and 1 game every saturday unti l March.

Some of the upcoming activities/programs:
Nov.18 PTA meeting & Dinner...Grant Dr. Apt. and maybe shots??
Nov.20 Grandparent's day at school
Nov.23, Holiday Parade, Evansville, all Daisy's(girlscouts, ect),
Nov.24 Daisy's meeting
Nov.26 Limo Lunch(She, mom and dad, sold over $250 for school fundraiser)
Thanksgiving and my class reunion
Dec.1 Follow up surgery apt. for hailey's tubes/adnoids
Week of Dec.1 Cheer practices start(weekly)
Dec.6 Pump it up Bday Party friends kids
Dec.7 Church Christmas musical
Dec.8 Hailey's School musical/play(she's in it)
....and the rest is to be continued....i can't imagine what it will be like when both kids are in sports and activites...we are going to be running somewhere every night! The things we do for our kids!! I love you mom!!

Book of the week

This book is amazing. It is full of true miracles and stories of how God is watching over us even during times of tragedy. I cried through most of it and it really made me so thankful for where we live and the life we have. We have never had to suffer through our whole family systematically being killed and the torture these people had to endure. It was heartwrenching to think that people exist with as much cruelty as Hitler and his people. I think everyone intersted in the Holocaust and the miracles and life surrounding it should read this book...you will be thankful you did!

Tooth Fairy

Jason and I got to play tooth fairy monday. It was amazing but unexpected. We didn't even know her tooth was loose until Sunday and by Monday night she pulled it out. I was in class and Jason called me and told me she pulled it out all by herself. I was sad i wasn't there but it was very neat that Jason got to have this special time with her. He finally got to see a first before me.... He misses so much that he wants to see. So hailey has been thrilled about loosing this tooth. She said she thought she had more loose(she doesn't) just because she wanted the tooth fairy to come back again.

We werent prepared for this so we didnt do anything special. I feel guilty now. I was hoping to give her a cutre little box to put the tooth in or at least leave her a little book or note...i was so tired that night i didn't even think creatively. We put the tooth in a ziplock bag and stuck it under her pillow. The tooth fairy left her a $1. We hear that it's the going rate now days..inflation has really pushed up the reward since i was a child, we used to only get a quarter or something. Anyways, we saved the tooth for her memeory box. I think it will be appreciated. I will post pictures soon of her cute littler smile minus one bottom tooth! I always thought i wouldn't like my kids, the way they looked not the kids themselves (; without teeth but now i think it is precious..i mean so sweet. She is very proud an dhas been showing of the fact that her tongue fits in the hole..priceless!

Update-Hailey's surgery

Well surgery is over and she is doing great. She had her adnoids taken out and tubes put in her ears. She was put to sleep and surgery was about 20-30 minutes then about 1 1/2 hours in recovery. She had some minor problems with vomiting but we got Fenegrin and it helped her very quickly. She slept the rest of the4 day friday then was up running for the rest of the weekend. She was a little sleepier than normal but most of the tim ebounced off the walls. She stopped taking pain medicine saturday.

SHe is now one week out and feeling very good. Ocassionally she still has a sore throat, itchyness/coughing, or mild ear discomfort but it is rare. She also might get headaches and neck pain but she hasnt asked for tylenol so i dont think it has bothered her much. If anything she seems back to normal. She isnt very happy about having to stay out of gym for another week but it should keep her from doing anything that could hurt herself. She goes back in two weeks for a checkup and to get some ear plugs or at least discuss getting some. They make molded ones($70)...uggg...straight out of our pocket. I figure we might wait to get those until closer to swimming time. The grows so fast i dont want to get some now then need another pair by summer.

I will keep you updated on how she is doing but they say this should prevent ear infections a nd even possibly colds. It would be great to have her even healthier because of this. But overall i am just hoping for her to not be in pain anymore. I hate to see her wake up in the midlle of the night screaming in agony. It is misserable to know that there is nothing i can do to help her. Just pray that the tubes do their job and keep her healthy!

Obama is our 44th President

I am so excited to finally say "change is in the air". What a wonderful feeling to have our 44th president having so much optimism and truly supporting and working for the middle class. No candidate was perfect..they both had faults...but he is respectful and a hardworker who wants to make this country great again. I believe in him and i believe in our our country. We can come together and raise ourselves back up out of the slump we have been in. I have great expectations for our children and the future and his ideas when implemented should make their life so much greater. We as a country needed this so badly. I am so proud to have Barack Obama as our next president. Congrats!

I am so dissapointed in all the people who supported McCain and have bashed Obama(and vise versa). I understand you are proud of your candidate and want them to win but really you need to get your facts together first. If you have a valid argument it is one thing but so many people have based their thoughts on ideas that are not true at all. My step father was against Obama and was for mcCain because of his military record until my mom laid out Obamas plan and what he really wanted. He had been listening to uneducated people's opinions and hadnt learned the true facts about either candidate. We assumed he had voted McCain since he considers himself republican/conservative/Military..ect...but this morning he told us he didn't he voted for change and for Obama! My mom was in tears and so proud of him for making an educated vote.

I think that if you looked at the issues and still voted for mcCain because you beleived he was the man for the job then good for you..you made the decision you thought was right just like everyone should..an educated vote!! But for the people who voted and just followed what their parents did or because he was black..white...or whatever SHAME ON YOU!!! I am so disappointed...i can't believe all the racial slurs and backlash i have already heard. Some even say that he is a terrorist..give me a break!! I think everyone has a right to an opinion but only if it is educated and correct...all these false ideas are what make so many of the bad things in this world happen. You need to trust your leaders and trust the government...and pray for them to do what is right for the whole United States...especially the poor!! We are known as the wealthiest country in the world but so many of us arent willing to give up just a small bit to help our neighbor....wouldnt this world be a better place if we all just helped each other out! It is not alll abou t being at the top and screw everyone on the bottom. If we didnt have a bottom you couldnt climb to the top!

Everyone whines abou t socialism but they take care of their people. Have you ever researched their healthcare and education??? You should it is amazing!! They take care of everyone so that the bottom people have a chance to survive and make something of themselves. We deserve to give our new president the chance to help the people of our country also. I am not saying socialism is the answer but there are aspects of it that would keep the corrupt(healthcare industry especially) from making the basics needs of our people impossible to have. Dont you think everyone has the right to be healthy??

Graduatation pushed back-2010!! ):

Well y'all it looks like my dream of graduating before i am 30 isn't going to happen! I am very dissappointed. I have been pushing myself very hard even taking 5 classes this semester because i was told i could get done by christmas 2009. I was so happy to have only one more year to go and then i could be a graduate with a four year degree. Well here is what happened and what is going on now. It might be hard to explain so i will give the condensed version.

When you start a degree you start off with a set # of classes and you get a sheet to follow with all the names of these classes and requirements and you stick with those classes until graduation even if requirements change for future students getting the same degree. Well i started my info when at Ivy Tech and i signed up for classes in spring 2007 for USI..we filled out the Business Administration sheet and me and my advisors have been following it ever since.

Unfortunately my advisor is an idiot and hasn't been checking my file for the past 1 1/2 YEARS!!! SO the requirements for the Busienss Administration degree changed in Fall 2007 and that is actually when i declared my Major(before i was undecided) so he should have given me the new form with all my new requirements(I never should have been going by the old sheet since i hadn't declared it my major yet)....but it never happened! Luckily i caught it this semester or i would have been taking a bunch of classes that wouldnt work.

My options after talking with about 10 different people and the Dean became either taking the new Business Administation degree with an emphasis on general business(YUCK more accounting and finance classes) or i would have to switch my degree to Management with an emphasis on Human Resources. I was happy with the second choice except that it now has more courses that i wouldnt have had to take and some of the classes are on the same nights and only offered in the Spring!! SO i am forced to go an extra semester now! So my new degree is actually a Management degree with an emphasis on Human Resource Management!

The good thing is i am not going to be so stressed out because i will only have to take 4 classes this spring..then 1-2 this summer(by choice)..then currently i have 10credit hours(fall 2009) and 6 credit hours(Spring 2010)..and 2 credits from gym that need to go somewhere in between!! This is much better than my current 15 hour schedule. I can breathe.

Also it will make it possible for me to try and get an internship starting this summer or spring that will have me working until graduation where i can start working full-time! I am excited...this will keep me home with the kids and Grant from having to go into daycare while so young. We prefer him being at least 2..but 3 would be ideal!! I hate the thought of him being raised by someone other than his parents! We will figure it out as it comes!

This was a glitch in our plan and was very upsetting at first but when i look at the overall scheme of things...it was meant to be and will actually be better for our family(minus the fact that we still wont have any extra money)!! I am just praying my plan works out the way we have it and life doesn't throw us any more curve balls!