Love You Bunches

Angry Birds Rock

2012-02-16T12:51:00.003-08:00

My family loves Angry Birds, all of us. We have abused the app on my I-Pad, and our poor home computer sings that annoying tune at least once a day.

Do you think I could justify this as teaching my kids geometry and angles, as well as physics (you know - an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by a pig...LOL!)

Hey - learning is fun at our house! :-)

TGIF!

2012-02-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

So Logan has (almost) survived the first week in daycare...just a few hours to go. The daycare posted a couple pictures on Facebook (they have a page) so I got a nice surprise mid-week when I saw a picture of my little shortstop.

Yesterday the kid's school had a 'Family Fun Fitness Day'. Bridget and I went while Todd and Cody went to get Cody's haircut...he looked like an orphan. Anyways - Bridget's friend Hannah was there and the two of them hit the dance floor. Is this what the dances are going to be like in a few years?! (Sorry it's sideways!!)

(Yes - that is my kid doing the robot)
I asked Bridget if it would be okay if I waited outside the gym for her (there were a ton of kids and I was just standing there like a bump on a log). She (very) quickly said yes...and it happened. I was rendered un-necessary. I was nothing more than the 'ride home' because she was fine all by herself. She's such a smart kid..I figured this day was coming. And yesterday was a good trial run of things to come. :-)
Pretty soon I won't even be allowed out of the car when I drop her and her friends off at the movies - in the back of the parking lot, where no one will see me and know that her mom even exists.
Of course, that night she was having a really bad sore throat and all the sudden - I was the hero again. :-)

This weekend we are working around the house and getting some "spring cleaning" done. It's supposed to be really cold so it's nice not to have a lot of running around to do. I need to get the taxes done...that's always a fun weekend activity :-)

Logan's first day....

2012-02-06T06:35:00.000-08:00

My baby started 'school' today.

It's all boys and a set of girl twins that will be moving up in a couple weeks. Gabe, the baby next to him is only 6 weeks old...he makes Logan look HUGE.

I miss him bunches :-)

3 Months Old!!!

2012-02-01T04:09:00.000-08:00

My baby is three months old!

We just started giving him half my milk and half formula to start the change that will likely come as I return to work. Eventually - he'll be entirely on formula, but we'll go as long as possible.

Lately he has decided that napping is for wimps and only gives in to a couple cat naps during the day. The flip side is that he's sleeping like a rock star at night. Sorry mom!

He's such a smiler and is so observant. I thought it was a coincidence the first few times I heard someone mention it, but I really can't go anywhere with him where someone doesn't comment on how alert he is. It's like he's afraid he'll miss something. He really digs the television, especially basketball/football...I think it's the movement he likes watching. He also likes to watch cartoons and we'll pull up Elmo on You Tube and that holds him over for a little while. But it's the sports he really likes.

And I have no idea WHERE he gets the love of the television from...

And he's definitely a Hoelzle. Need proof? He likes the Steelers:

And how about the lounging pose...why do guys have to have a hand there...it's like a built-in security blanket or something...

Oh well - it's probably only a matter of time before he's tracking mud into the house and peeing in the corner...just because. :-)

Love you buddy!

I owe, I owe....so back to work I go!

2012-01-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

So my 12 weeks is up and I headed back to work yesterday. It wasn't so bad - my mom is up for a couple weeks so I know Logan is getting lots of love. (And probably a much better schedule than we had him on!)

But it's hard to leave my buddy....

Christmas...finally!

2012-01-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

Okay -
So I think once I get Christmas covered...I'll be all caught up. Back on Black Friday I finally took the plunge and got a 'big girl camera'. It's a Cannon Ti3...which is camera speak for a freakin awesome camera :-) I stood in line at the local electronic store at an ungodly hour to get the best deal of the season. The main reason I've wanted a new camera is because I am sick and tired of paying some seasonal minimum wage chick at the photo place who doesn't give a crap about my kids or about the fact that the place they work for is trying to rob me blind. Now I can take my own pics and my first try at it yielded our annual Christmas card. And I didn't pay anything for the pictures...they were mine. I love that!

Christmas was awesome. We spent Christmas Eve at Grammy and Papa's house and then had Christmas at home the next day. The unwrapping took no time and in moments my house was covered in clothes, Nerf Darts (thanks Aunt Pam!), and Legos. It was awesome. We also decided no one really needed to cook, so we made reservations for Christmas dinner at a local Hibachi place. We had a great time!

2 Months Old!!!

2012-01-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm a few days late and I haven't gotten the Christmas pictures up yet....but I'm working on it!
Meanwhile...here is Logan at 2 months old:

Coming Home

2011-12-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

So now we're home and Logan is adjusting great. The kids have been a big help and I can't believe we are now out numbered. Friends with more than 2 kids have described it as going from 'man-to-man' to 'zone' defense. :-) We've been to the doctor a few times for check-ups and everything is good:

Birth weight - 8lbs,. 8 ozs
Home from the hospital - 8 lbs even
4 day appt - back up to 8lbs, 8ozs, 21.5 inches

I've had some problems in the past with supply being lower than demand, so we had a check at 1 month and Logan was up to 9lbs, 13 ozs - no problems there!

2 month appt on 12/27/11:
- Weight: 11lbs, 12.5 ozs (50%)
- Height: 23.25 inches (75%)

And one oral medication along with 3 shots....I forgot how much THAT sucked. :-(

My sister sent little decals that we could use to take pictures every month, so in the interest of playing catch up:

"Just Born": (actually - more like 2 weeks):

'One Month':

The Two Month picture will be up tomorrow :-)

Well, I am now being kicked off MY computer to let my middle child play Angry Birds...

Next up - Christmas...

Where the hell have you been?!?_Part 1

2011-12-23T14:37:00.001-08:00

First off - yes, we had a baby. I've just been a slacker in getting it on the web. So I'm using this week to catch up...first off - Logan's birth:

We didn't go early as we thought - the morning of Halloween came and we got the call asking if we could be at the hospital by 7am. Hell yes we could - do people really ever say 'no thanks...I'll just wait until it falls out on the side of the freeway' (?!) Luckily, with my mom up from Florida, we were able to leave and not have to worry about the kids (thanks mom!!!). So we left the house...pregnant for the last time.

When we got to the waiting room, there were two other couples, one in for a C-Section and another that was actually in labor (she seemed pretty calm for being IN labor)! Of course - this being the 3rd induction, I wouldn't know what 'going into labor' actually feels like :-)

We got checked in to our Labor & Delivery room (238) and met with our awesome nurse - LaWanda. She got my IV started and I then remembered that I almost passed out when I got the IV with Cody, all the sudden I was cold and sweaty and really lightheaded. Sweet LaWanda fanned me off until it passed and away we went. I got the pitocin at 9:30, they broke my water shortly thereafter, and then the epidural at 11:30. I mentioned that I had some trouble with a hot spot with the other two (it's a place on my abdomen that did not get numb with the epidural), and awesome nurse L shot me with another drug in the epidural line...and it WORKED. My legs weren't going anywhere, but I also didn't have any hot spots... :-) and so we waited, and waited. Logan was just sitting there...really high up.

After a couple hours, his heartbeat started to decelerate, hopefully a sign that things were moving along, but not something they wanted to see a lot of. So I got on my side and started sucking some oxygen and waited some more. By three o'clock I figured this baby was not coming out anytime soon....and then my water broke....again. Or at least - that's what it felt like. I asked Todd to get the nurse who checked me again at which point she said: "Don't move until I get Dr. Tosky in here." (Really??? I couldn't feel anything - where would I go?)

Of course - Tosky is in with a C-Section and Logan wasn't waiting anymore, so a very winded Dr. Richardson ran over from the practice and delivered him, at 3:24pm. He was 8 lbs, 8 ozs and 21.5 inches long...and perfect.

Dr. Richardson & Logan

Then we got to move up to our room (Room 328) and got ready for the vistors. Everyone was really excited to meet the latest Hoelzle.

Grammy & Papa
Meeting Bridget & Cody

A Family of Five now!!

The next two days were great and Logan did really well with his circumcision. We went home on Wednesday (November 2nd) to introduce Logan to his new place.

Dad's an old pro at this!!!

He's been doing really well. The kids love him and they have been a great help. Luckily, they were tracked out of school for the first three weeks of November and were able to go to trak-out camp and have soemthing to do. And even better - my mom was able to drive them there!
...Up next - Part 2

Did you say MONDAY?!?!?

2011-10-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

So I decided that I was feeling some pressure yesterday and they got me in for an afternoon appointment. I called Todd, and we met at the OB's office. We ran into Dr. Tosky on the stairwell and found out he was on call...we really like him. He was the doctor that delivered Bridget 7+ years ago. So I was pretty psyched to get going on this baby thing.

When Dr. Tosky got back in the office and checked me, ...NOTHING! But he did offer to induce me and called to get an appointment. But since they have my due date as Saturday - they won't induce me until Monday. It's hospital policy to not induce until 41 weeks. In case you don't own a calendar...Monday also happens to be Halloween. Well, I guess birthday parties will be easy to plan :-)

Dr. Tosky did schedule another appointment for Friday morning so at the very least - we'll be able to break up the time between now and Monday with one more check-up. He did say he didn't think I'd make it to Monday...but I've been hearing "I don't think you'll make it to your next appointment..." for the past couple weeks. What can I say - I love the thrill of a challenge.

So I've decided to just make the most of these 'extra' days and get everything wrapped up at work and home. Worst case scenario - we get bumped on Monday and don't deliver until Tuesday - why not? And his birthday would be 11-1-11. :-)

Really?!?!

2011-10-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

So - today is the big DUE DATE!!!

So I'm all psyched to go to my doctor appt yesterday, bag packed, phone charged, ready to go if I need to. I was 2cm 2 weeks ago, then 3cm and 50% effaced last week, so what's the update for this week?....Nada...I haven't changed AT ALL....!!! The only saving grace was that I had Dr. Buckley yesterday and he has big hands and (obviously) no idea what it feels like to be examined down there by someone with larger hands because he is not the gentlest man on the block. But the upside is that maybe it's what I need to get things going :-)

The kids are patiently waiting. They have their last day of school today before being tracked out for a few weeks. At least they will have something to do while I'm home. They are both doing really well in school. We had parent teacher conferences this past week and Bridget isn't really having any problems (Surprise)...and Cody only has trouble with keeping himself, well, to himself. :-) He's very social but also very worried about what everyone else is doing. He likes to help people, whether they need/want it or not. Ms. Arellano also said that he is very fond of the little Hispanic girl that sits next to him....and the one a few rows over too. Apparently, he's got a thing for the Latino women...and tries (a little too hard) to help them out especially, ...too funny. But she also said that he is her biggest helper...if she needs something done - he is her go-to guy. He's doing really well scholastically and the teacher is impressed with his writing skills.

We'll probably just take it easy this weekend and see what happens. Otherwise - my next appt is Wednesday when they'll also hook me up to a fetal monitor and do an U/S to check and see where things are at and go from there. I intend to spend the whole weekend walking/climbing stairs/doing squats...whatever it takes. At this rate - the kids is going to be born in November!!!

Oh well - at least it's Friday...!

Well...?!?!

2011-10-13T10:34:00.001-07:00

Yeah - I'm still pregnant :-)

When I went last week, I was 2cm dilated but the baby was still really high up. So I wasn't anticipating any imminent need to have my bag packed.

This morning, I was 3 cm dilated, 50% effaced and my cervix is showing signs of thinning out, but the kid is STILL really high up. Apparently my kids defy gravity...they don't drop. So by this time next week, I anticipate that I'll be really dilated, but he will still be high up in the womb. My next appt is on my due date next Friday, at which time they can schedule the induction. The doctor said she didn't think I would make it a whole additional week...but I seem to enjoy a challenge - so I'll see what I can do :-)

So this weekend I have to finish the rest of my To-Do list...a couple shelves to put up, some last minute odds and ends, pack a bag, laundry, etc..

I have knocked a couple things off my 'To-Done' list:
* Baby Showers: I have some very generous friends at work who threw me a little shower a couple weeks ago:

* Big Brother/Big Sisters class: The hospital has a class for siblings to show them a little about being good helpers and a tour of the hospital is included so they aren't so overwhelmed when they come in.

Cody refused to hold the doll...I mean we've been telling him dolls are for girls for how long now?!?! That totally backfired...but he helped the nurse take care of the baby - that was apparently acceptable.

So it's pretty much business as usual. We are planning on going to the fair this weekend...maybe one of those bumpy rides will help move things along! How redneck would it be if I went into labor at the state fair...at least it's down the street from the hospital. Bet I'd get free fair passes out of the deal...and maybe some food vouchers...yummy!

It's Friday already?!?

2011-09-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday...we're still here and getting closer to the next birthday in the Hoelzle Family. :-) So I'll start with the little guy first:

35 Weeks Pregnant...35 days to go!!

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

We also had a growth check sonogram on the 6th and we've got the green light until the birth. The sonogram was at 33 weeks and his weight was approximately 5lbs., 9ozs....so that puts us in the 8lbs-something range at birth. He was very stubborn and had his face smooshed up to the front of my placenta so the 3-D pics were not too exciting...but we were able to see that he still has hair...(duh, my indigestion could have told you that), and - he looks exactly like Bridget.

Baby #3 - Fat face, pug nose, pouty lips...sleeping (33 weeks)

Bridget - Fat face, pug nose, pouty lips...(at 28 weeks)

I know the similarities aren't obvious in these pics...but when we were in the office, it was like seeing her in 2004 all over again. :-) Another similarity? - Hiccups....Bridget had them the same time everyday (10:30am)... And THIS kid has them at least 1-2 times every day...so distracting :-)

CODY - Cody is doing good. He's slowly but surely getting used to school although he refuses to wear any shirts with buttons. It doesn't matter if we leave them open or not...he throws a FIT. Do you know how many freakin 3-button shirts I got for him?!?! O..M...G!!! I asked him why and he told me that they are not cool... Really?!?!
He has also lost another tooth. It's been loose for a while, but I came home last night and said "Cody, you lost your tooth!"...and he was like "No I didn't"...but once his tongue did some investigating he realized that he had indeed swallowed his tooth. The tooth fairy came this morning (barely) and he is ready to spend his loot on some new Legos.

BRIDGET - Bridget is doing a great job in school and she seems to like it still. Although, she is such a teenager in the mornings...
She is also into being 'cooler' these days...apparently, I just don't know what is considered acceptable on the 7-year old scene. (Pause for sarcastic eye roll). But considering what a great kid she is...I'll let the inner DIVA have her time every once in a while.

TODD - Todd is doing good. He is getting excited about the baby and a little grossed out at my stomach jumping around all the time. I guess I'm just used to it. He's been working a lot around the house getting ready and doing a little fishing/golfing when he can. NASCAR is entering it's postseason and Football has begun...so he's in heaven right now :-)

ME - I'm doing okay...I should start going to the OB every week after my next appointment...so that's exciting. I don't have to go back to the endocrinologist until 6 weeks after the baby comes...yuck. They will probably decide what they want to do with the nodule on my thyroid at that time. Last time we discussed it - they wanted to take the entire left side of the thyroid out. I'm guessing that will be the plan when I go back as well.

In 'funner' news - my neighbors are throwing me a shower this Sunday. How fun right? Apparently, it's not taboo at the 3rd kid...so I'm pretty excited. With everyone else in the neighborhood already having their babies - I haven't seen some of them for a while...so it will be nice.

OLIVIA - My niece Olivia is still at UNC hospital (and will be there for a while). She is doing awesome in every category except her lungs. They were very underdeveloped (duh) and so she's having to do a lot of work to grow them...and until that happens...all the other good stuff gets slowed down. The trick is that they have to make her lungs work on their own in order for them to develop, but they get tired because they aren't developed enough. It's tricky and it doesn't help that something showed up on the x-rays a few days ago that they (think) was pneumonia. That got her a trip back on all her IVs and full blown ventilator again. But it did make me laugh...I talked to Todd this morning and apparently they had to put an IV in her head. I told Todd that this is normal...sometimes it's the best access, etc. And he said no, the reason they had to put it there was because the child will not hold still and she kicks everything out. Someday that kid is going to start running and not stop... and Scott and Vickie will be in trouble!

Can they put tubes anywhere else?!?!

So we are just settling into the home stretch and counting down the days...only 35 left!!!

TGIF!

2011-08-26T07:55:00.001-07:00

So we're still here...just slackin a bit these days.

Where have we been??? Well we've camping, working, going back to school, visiting little babies...it's been busy around here.

Baby Update: As I mentioned in my last post, Todd's brother Scott & wife Vickie welcomed Olivia into the world on the 13th. She's perfect, just tiny. The doctors told Vickie that the steroids used to help her lungs do great things for about 7-10 days and then the babies kind of hit a plateau and can slide backwards a bit. That's where they're at right now. Olivia was doing great and even came off of the ventilator within a few days of birth. After a while though, her lungs got tired and she had to go back on the vent. Vickie's dad has been updating FB as he is able and sent the following yesterday:

Olivia update: Thursday afternoon. Not such a good day today. Some lung damage from ventilator. Also a blood infection, but not certain how extensive. She's being treated with high powered antibiotics. Prayers appreciated so much! Going to visit her soon.

And then:

Further update. Thursday night. Just returned from the hospital. She seems stable tonight. The new ventilator is working. Hopefully the lung damage will heal w/o scarring. She received blood, antibiotics, and some milk. More tests tomorrow. I put my hand in the incubator and she grabbed my little finger. I told her we were practicing for going on walks together when she's older! Prayers appreciated so much!

So it's going to be a long road and she's probably in for a long stay. They told Vickie not to expect her home before her actual due date. I went to see her last week and she's so feisty...several people have commented on that, it's a good sign and the doctors & nurses are taking really good care of her.

As for our kids:

Bridget and Cody tracked back in this week. Bridget is doing great. Her teacher is really enjoying the class and the class is enjoying her...so it's business as usual in 2nd grade. We are starting to get a glimpse of things to come with her though. Yesterday she wanted me to take her to Justice to get a few things. Justice is geared to Size 7 - 14 girls clothing...and it's pricey. I told Bridget that it didn't make sense to pay more for her little shirts that I do on my own (which also happen to be bigger). To which she replies:
"But mom, my clothes are so much cooler than yours!"
Awesome - thanks Bridget.

Cody is still trying to figure out how to last all day in school. They do have rest time, but once lunch is over, he's getting tired and developing a lack of interest in following the rules. Mornings are great though according to the teacher and he is actually really helpful and cleans up his mess as well as his classmates' - he's a great helper where that is concerned. So we just need to find a way to get him through the afternoons.

We also made a run to Urgent-Care this week. Todd went over to Scott & Vickie's last weekend to do their yard. Obviously - it's not on their priority list right now, so he went over to mow, trim hedges, clean up, etc.. The yard looks AWESOME...but he managed to pick up poison ivy despite being covered from head to toe in clothing. He's highly sensitive and everything starts to blister, so he went in for a cortisone shot. But, before he left, Cody rode his bike into a hot grill in the driveway. He stopped himself by bracing on the grill with his arm. So we were a 2-for-1 that night. Cody got creme and wrapping from hand to elbow and Todd got a shot in the butt...Bridget thought that was hilarious.

I'm doing okay. Most of my stress is work related. I knew it was going to busy...I just keep reminding myself that I'll get a 'break'...eventually. In the meantime we are getting the nursery ready, washing bottles, etc. Fun stuff :-)

As for the little booger...here's the weekly update:

You're 32 Weeks Pregnant - 56 Days to Go!
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb.

I had my third trimester blood draw for thyroid levels and we're good to go until the baby comes. Then we get to talk about removing the nodule attached to the left side that was causing all the drama. Yuck.

I have another ultrasound beginning of September to do a growth check on the baby and make sure there are no problems related to my condition or the medication I'm on for it. Other than that - this pregnancy has been pretty easy. He feels really low and something is tapping on my bladder...so there is a very real possibility that I'll actually go into labor this time, and not be induced. As long as I get the epidural...I don't care :-)

UPDATE...Happy Birthday Baby(ies)

2011-08-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well, despite the best efforts of the UNC doctors and nurses, Ms. Olivia Victoria Hoelzle would not be denied her entrance into this world on her own terms. She was born this morning (I think around 2am) via C-Section. She was very tiny, 1 lb., 5 ozs., but she is a trooper. It's a 'One Day at a Time' type deal...but she is here and we love her SO much!

And then, I found out this morning...not to be outdone, our neighbors Chris and RoseAnn had their baby today as well!!! And now we now know HE is a boy. :-)

Welcome to the world Brandon Christopher Carr!!! a bit bigger at 5lbs., 10 ozs...mom & baby are doing fine.

So here I am...last on the list now. But I'm feeling good and determined to ensure that our baby's birth is normal and uneventful. So lots of prayers to all the new mommies and daddies who certainly need some strength right about now.

Why I'm not going to b^tch today....

2011-08-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Work is beyond ridiculous, my house is constantly getting dirty faster than I can clean it up, I'm tired of taking water up to the kennel to feed the dogs, Todd and I are are both tired and snippy....and I have 10 weeks still to go.

BUT - as of this morning, my sister-in-law is trying very hard to STAY pregnant at UNC hospital right now at 24 weeks. They think she is in preterm labor, and there isn't anything they can do about it but pray and wait. If you could - I'm sure they would appreciate any additional prayers you could throw their way.

So, I'm just going to shut-up and be happy with all the craziness I am lucky enough to have going on in my life right now.

It's still a boy!

2011-08-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

Todd and I had our 2nd growth check ultrasound yesterday so we got to see the little munchkin. I think we have a diver on our hands. He was basically sideways in my belly with his head on my right side, just above the belly button line and he was folded in half (!?!) with his knees at his ears and feet over his head...yeah, I know the visual is painful. The doctor assured us that this was not a problem and that he would eventually straighten out. He has plenty of room in there...in fact there is lots of amniotic fluid all the way around him for spreading out - he just chooses to contort himself. This, along with the fact that I have quite a bit of placenta towards the front of my belly, is the reason he's seemed so quiet. I told the tech that I was glad to see movement and a heartbeat yesterday.

The kid literally moves around a little at night and that's it. He's very stealthy. And even when she started poking him - he just threw his back up at her and went back to sleep. Or, at least we think he was sleeping. In addition to the weird posture - he was facing towards my back and down towards my feet...we got NO good face pictures. She jiggled my belly till I threatened to pee on her and he still wouldn't move. That sucked. Of course - on the good side, due to his choice of position, we saw LOTS of his little boy parts (of course - they didn't look little on the screen). He's definitely NOT shy about that particular piece of anatomy. :-)

He also has long legs, huge feet, and...hair (!?!?!)...seriously - we could see hair on the back of his head - it was so cool! The growth showed absolutely normal and there was no sign of a goiter - which is something that they are concerned about with my hyperthyroidism and meds that I'm taking for them. So that was a relief as well.

And I would be super pissed about not getting that sweet baby face in pictures...but luckily, we have at least one more ultrasound sometime after Labor Day to do another check. So we'll try again then.

TGIF!

2011-07-29T07:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday everyone.

I'm finally recovered from last weekend...why so busy you ask??? I defer to my social butterfly daughter. She was invited to a birthday party for a friend turning 7 from 10 - 12 on Saturday morning. We know the family so they allowed Cody to come hang out as well, it was at one of those 'pay by the hour' drop off places so Todd and I actually got some errands knocked of our list. THEN - another friend (also turning 7), had a roller skating party (!!) from 2 - 5pm...ugh. Cody and Todd stayed home and I took Bridget. Luckily - there was a friend there that had the same skating capabilities that Bridget did - so they hung out and I could sit. She did great and didn't fall at all! (Sorry for the cell phone quality of the picture)

That morning we had gotten a call that family friends were having a party for their 1 year old (seriously?!) at the Little Gym from 5 - 6:30. We really like this family and the kids love the Little Gym, so Bridget and I left roller skating a little early to grab a present and meet the boys at the Little Gym. Needless to say - we all slept really good that night.

Happy Birthday Brenna, Abby, and Cecilia!

We are slowly but surely getting the house ready for another little one. While Bridget and I were at Party # 2, the boys got started on the nursery. It used to be Bridget's room, so it definitely needed to be painted. Unfortunately, the lines Todd painted need to be sanded first. Which basically meant a new tool for Todd and fun for Cody.

Helpin Daddy

We chose a 'Nautical' nursery set from Pottery Barn...too cute!

The kids are tracked out of school after today for 3 weeks, then they'll start the next 9 weeks of being 'tracked in'. Bridget's class got rewarded for good behavior and chose to have a 'PJ Day'. This is how she got on the bus to go to school:

As for the weekly baby update...here you go...

You're 28 Weeks Pregnant - 84 days to go!

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can open and close his eyes, which now sport lashes. This movement is more of a reflexive blink than a deliberate opening and closing, but it won't be long before he's batting those beauties at you.

BTW - where the hell did July go?!?!
:-)

To Regsiter or not to Register....that is the question

2011-07-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

And apparently - the answer is "Yes". We have had several people ask us where we are registered and it's funny - it didn't even dawn on me that this was an option at the 3rd child. But we realized that there were certain things that were long thrown away that we might benefit from having around the house again (like bottles for example). And although we have the big things covered...we found that there were some odds & ends that our awesome friends and neighbors actually WANT to buy for us. So I allowed Todd to run the registry scanner gun one last time at Target last night. He enjoyed himself immensely and we are now on the internet with the rest of the crazy people having babies in this ridiculously hot weather. I love that you can add/subtract/change the registry from the computer at home and things can be shipped right to us...even if it ends up being us that buys them.

So if you want to look - we're on Target.com - just search for the registry under our names and let me know how we did. (Especially if Todd gunned down a girl item by mistake!!)

In other news, Cody has now made it through the first full week of kindergarten and survived. He's not been as successful at keeping himself under control as Bridget did - which is making Todd nuts...but he's trying, and so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. We lucked out in that he got Ms. Arellano for a teacher. She was the teaching assistant for Bridget's kindergarten teacher and her daughter Hannah is in Bridget's class at school...so we know her and like her a lot. It may also save Cody's butt once in awhile when he forgets the rules.

Bridget is doing fine, her spelling and handwriting are a mess...and she rushes through her assignments sometimes (yes - I know - pot calling the kettle black). We will be working on that...but she loves to read and is doing great in math, so we'll just wait for her spelling skills to catch up to her imagination. She likes her classroom and the students in it so I consider that a success.

As for the baby update...here you go:

27 Weeks Pregnant - 91 Days to go!!!

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like the head of a cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Thank goodness it's Friday!

Movin on up...Part 2

2011-07-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

So today it's Cody's turn to start school - he is doing his one day of Kindergarten initiation this week. Next week he goes full time. Today just gives the kids a day to acclimate to the school setting...not all of them have grown up in a structured format, and it also gives the teachers a chance to see what they are getting this year as far as what the students already know.

It's going to be a long day. The temperature is supposed to be 102 today (110 with heat index)...miserable. I feel really bad for Ms. RoseAnn next door - they have 6 weeks left to go and she's getting kind of miserable. You'll notice I didn't mention Jaime....well, that's because she and Brent went and had their baby at 3:30 this morning, so she isn't pregnant anymore!!! :-)

Congrats and welcome to the world Ms. Mackenzie Lina Branham...born 7/12/11 at 3:26am, 6lbs., 5ozs. and 19.5 inches long.

Enjoy this time mommy and daddy, before you know it...they are off to Kindergarten and the pictures look like this:

Good Luck Cody bug...you're going to do great things!

Moving on up....

2011-07-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

So Bridget started 2nd grade today....it was crazy this weekend with the back to school shopping. And although it was a zoo, we managed to get to Target early yesterday morning and get it out of the way. Let me just put it this way, I even napped yesterday. But the kids got some good stuff (supplies and clothes) and we are ready to go this week. Cody goes for one day this week - tomorrow. He'll go for good next Monday.

First the pictures....sorry, I had her looking into the sun so she's a little squinty eyed:

The 2nd grade rooms are actually upstairs so I took her this morning to get all her crap (seriously - it was an entire grocery bag) up to the room. We were also able to meet her teacher. We were supposed to do this last Thursday...but I TOTALLY forgot about it. It worked out well though, because 'Meet the Teacher Night' that we missed is usually REALLY crowded. This morning, we were the only ones there in her room at first so we got to 'meet' Ms. Robertson...turns out that it's no big deal because she was the science teacher last year - so she knows the kids already. Awesome huh? I like her a lot and am very excited to see what this year brings.

Cody is really excited to go to school tomorrow. He really wants to go on the bus, but I noticed an awful lot of parents were bringing their Kindergartners to school for their first day, so I may be escorting him. Either way - it will be nice for him to have Bridget there to help.

So .... more pictures to come tomorrow....

:-)

TGIF!

2011-07-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well - not a lot going on...lots of work. I knew it was going to be a busy July, but that doesn't really lessen the blow once the avalanche hits. I am hoping things will slow down eventually and I can get my head above water again.

Bridget and Cody (!!!) start back to school next week, so I'm pretty excited about that. Cody will go on the 12th for one day next week to get acclimated then full-time starting the next week. Bridget will officially be in 2nd grade...OMG...really?!?

As for the baby...I had an appt yesterday and everything looked good. Heartbeat was loud and the doctor didn't have any concerns.

As for the milestones for this week:

25 Weeks Pregnant - 105 days to go:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Yea...no Monday this week!!!

2011-07-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Okay technically, there was a Monday this week. But I didn't have to spend it at work...so that's awesome. We were super busy this weekend. We had a block party at our house (on the hottest freakin day of the year thus far!). So that meant that the entire street was going to be in our house. Which meant it needed to be clean - that's always fun. But we got the job done and got a BBQ place to cater the food and had a great time Sunday with all our neighbors. I secretly doubled the block party with a request for the neighbors to bring a baby gift for the two 1st time moms on the street. They were both very excited and got some great stuff. Of course, once it got dark, the fireworks came out.

We had one visit from a very cool policeman that was checking to make sure it wasn't our fireworks that were landing in the pool. (It wasn't) He was on his way a few minutes later telling Todd that once he was out of sight, the show could continue. Cody spent the next half an hour asking if his daddy was going to jail. We were one 'Hey ya'll, watch this' away from an episode of COPS. :-)

It was really nice to sleep in yesterday and not really have a lot to do. A key (?!?!) found it's way into my tire and so I got 4 new ones yesterday. Being a grown-up is awesome.

As for the baby I missed last week:

24 Weeks Pregnant - 108 days to go....

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Is it really Friday ALREADY?!?!

2011-06-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by this month...work is busy, family is busy...whew! I'm looking forward to having this baby to 'slow down' a bit. (Yes - I do realize that I will be eating those words in October...)

Anyhow - where do I start?
Family Stuff - We have almost made it through the 'Birthday Season' as I like to call it. Todd's is Feb 23, Mine is Apr 7th, Cody is May 5th, and then Bridget on June 16th. Not to mention the gobs of relatives spread throughout that timeframe. Bridget is having her horseback riding 'No Boys Allowed' party Sunday - so that should be fun. Just a couple of girls from school and myself, Aunt Heidi and Grammy. She wouldn't even let Todd or Cody come. I felt so bad... :-( Oh well, it's only gonna get worse. But she is really looking forward to it.

We also got to take a mini-vacation last week to Yogi Bear Campground. I was skeptical, especially when we had to take some back roads to get to the place...but OMG - it was awesome. The people who run it are great and there is a ton of stuff for the kids to do:

There's a Waterslide and Pool....

Fishing in 1 of 7 stocked ponds - Cody caught this Catfish.

Tie-Dyeing T-Shirts

Gem-Mining

We also were only about 30 minutes North of Myrtle Beach so we took off early Saturday morning and hit the beach for a few hours before it got crowded...the kids loved it!

Dad and his buddies...
Playing in the Sand...

Even mommy and baby brother joined in the fun for a little while...

We stopped for lunch and Bridget got this awesome desert...the staff sang this cute little tune....something like "If you're good you'll get your wishes, If you're bad, you'll do our dishes..." Bridget was cracking up...

Cody has a b-day part to go to tomorrow so Dad is taking both kids and I am going to a baby shower for my neighbor (RoseAnn) - I am really excited to go to a grown-up function!

Sunday is Bridget's party...and then the weekend is gone! Not to worry though...we decided to have a party for the 4th of July. (Did I mention we stopped and got some fireworks while we were in Myrtle Beach?!?!) Should be a good time...and it's good incentive to get our house clean!

Speaking of the house - we have almost everything put back together from the tornado in April...thank goodness. The street behind us still looks like a war zone.

And in Baby News...well, its been interesting. Todd's brother Scott and his wife Vickie came over to see what progress we've made in the nursery...and Bridget comes up all matter-of-fact and tells them that her mommy is pregnant. And I about fell over when he tells her "Well, guess what - so is your Aunt Vickie" OMG!!!! She had no idea and also didn't know how far along she was...she could guess and that was about it. Come to find out that she is only 5 weeks behind me!!! She missed her entire 1st trimester!!! Lucky duck...Needless to say - I am super excited for them...it's their first and I am so glad our baby will have a cousin close to his age! We've known for a couple weeks, but I waited till she went FaceBook with the news...I figured it's safe now :-)

As for our baby - here's the update for this week:

23 Weeks Pregnant - 119 days to go!

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

I'm feeling good and getting bigger...so everything is moving along as it should. Our neighbors are getting closer. Jaime only has 4 more weeks left, and RoseAnn has 8...so it won't be long now. So much fun!

If only the humidity would go away! :-)

TGIF!

2011-06-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

It's Friday...yea!!!

We've gotten the kids school assignments and they are both on Track 3 and will start after the week of July 4th (on July 11th). Cody only has to go once that week as an introduction to Kindergarten, then he'll go for the next two weeks before Track 3 tracks out for 3 weeks. Hopefully that won't mess him up too much! We have an orientation for Cody and 'Meet the teacher' (for Bridget) night on July 7th, so it will be very exciting for everyone. I think Cody is very ready to jump on the big yellow bus with his sister. :-)

Speaking of Bridget - she turns seven this coming Thursday. She wants to have a horseback riding party, luckily there is a place pretty close, so we'll see how that plays out. I'm hoping that a couple of her school friends can come and that should be manageable. The summer is getting really busy really quickly!

As for the littlest Hoelzle, we're both fine. I had another blood draw at the endocrinologist and my levels are perfect. So as long as we aren't affecting anything (or anyone) beyond my thyroid...we're good. I also had a monthly appt at the OB and everything sounded great. 160 beats per minute and the baby is finally starting to move...faintly still, but I can tell.

Stats for this week:

21 Weeks - 133 Days to Go!

Your baby now weighs about three quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

Next appt: July 6th.
Next Ultrasound: August (@ 28 weeks)

Ugh...Monday!

2011-06-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

I'll get to the baby stuff last...in other news:

Todd: Decided a couple months ago that he needed to get into shape. He started on Atkins and promptly shed off 30 lbs., he looks great and is feeling so much better. At the rate we're going, we might just meet in the middle since I'm getting bigger and he's getting smaller!

Cody: Is continuing to enjoy T-Ball. He also had his pre-kindergarten physical and is 46 pounds and 46 3/4 inches tall - he's basically tall and skinny. :-) He did get three shots and he was very brave...of course - the arm hurt for 3 days before he forgot about it. And apparently, shots are very exhausting. I promised to take him straight from the doctor to McDonald's to take the pain away and I pulled into the first one we passed, turned around to ask him what he wanted, and saw this...

Bridget: I can't believe that Bridget is going to be in 2nd grade. The 2nd grader's rooms are upstairs in the school, so she is convinced she is going to spend the entire year being late for the bus. I hope for her sake she isn't right about that!!! I think we are going to utilize the after school care for both kids. It's a program that's at the school where they have a chance to get their homework done and then they can play with their friends...I think both kids would like being able to come home with no homework as we frequently run out of time at nights to squeeze everything in.

Baby: At 20 weeks....137 days to go!

Halfway there! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion.

Oh yeah...and since I forgot to mention it last week....

Yep - It's a BOY!!! We got to see the confirmation VERY clearly. :-) Everything with the Ultrasound looks great and the growth is right on target. I'll have another high level Ultrasound in August to re-measure the growth again. So now I know which side of the baby aisles I can look in. We're pretty fortunate to have most everything we need. (I think if I buy more baby clothes my poor mother may just strangle me - she helped me organize the tons of clothes we already have from Bridget & Cody) :-)

But our stroller/car seat are now out of date and we'll need to get new there. As luck would have it...we were in Walmart for pool toys yesterday and ran into the Clearance stuff in the middle of the aisle. They had just re-done the baby section layout and had to get rid of some overstock...so for about half the normal price we got a (GRACO) stroller, car seat and TWO car bases. Total score!! It's the 'Ashford' pattern...sounds kinda hoity for Wal-mart, but we put it together and it looks awesome.

We still have to paint the nursery, and stock some diapers/wipes, but beyond that...it's just odds & ends from here out. There will probably be more odds & ends than I remember...but at least we aren't freaking out and can concentrate on the stuff we're doing with the house.

Good times...

TGIF!!!

2011-05-20T09:12:00.001-07:00

Baby Update:

18 Weeks Pregnant...154 days to go!

Head to rump, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, although he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Bridget has decided that she wants an all-girl horseback riding party. Should be fun :-) Cody is less than thrilled about the 'all-girl' part, but Bridget may have to make an exception for him for her own sake once she gets home :-)

Cody has two T-Ball games this weekend (one is a make-up) and it's supposed to be 90 degrees...awesome.

And Todd is out all weekend at a fishing tournament so I get to live the life of a single parent until Sunday. We'll have to find some fun (and preferably indoor) activities to keep us busy. I think a movie is totally in order.

OMG - Real A/C!!!

2011-05-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

SO after weeks of haggling...we finally decided on an AC unit to have installed in place of the one that was claimed in the great North Carolina tornado of 2011. It's much much nicer than the one we used to have. And it's SO MUCH QUIETER too! Totally worth whatever part of it insurance ends up not paying for...(THAT saga is another story for another day!)

Yes, I'm a dork for taking this picture.

But, I'm a dork with Air Conditioning!!!

We had Cody's birthday party Sunday...and it was awesome. He had a great time and we got a good turn out of family and friends so he was on cloud nine. I haven't had an opportunity to dump the pics yet...but I promise to do so really soon. BTW - Sarah at the Walmart bakery at Triangle Town Center - you are a serious rockstar!!! She did Cody's cupcake cake for his class on his birthday AND the Ben-10 cake for his party Sunday....and they were perfect!

Bridget has been tracked out of school for the past 3 weeks so she goes back to school tomorrow. At the beginning of July, everyone moves up to the next grade - so she'll be a 2nd grader and Cody will enter Kindergarten!! I'll have to watch BOTH my babies get on the bus!

TGIF!

2011-05-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

17 Weeks Pregnant - 161 Days to go:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Got my AFP test results back - another negative result...yea! Can't wait to go to a Dr. appt that doesn't involve giving blood!

Our AC Unit is being replaced on Monday - we haven't had it since the storm back on the 16th, and it really hasn't been that bad. But I know come July, I would miss it terribly :-). Cody has T-Ball tonight (make-up game) and tomorrow and then his birthday party on the 15th...so it's a busy weekend for us, but it will be fun.

OB Check # 2

2011-05-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

So I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is looking good. I peed in a cup and took my weight...(ugh!). And then I got to hear the heartbeat...149. I also got blood draw for the AFP test for some additional neural defects (i.e. - spina bifida).

Then I got to speak to the insurance lady, who was happy to hear I just wanted to pay whatever I could up front while I was there. And $450 dollars later, we have prenatal care for the remainder of the pregnancy. So now all we have to pay is:

* The Hospital
* The Anesthesiologist (who is worth EVERY penny!)
* Circumcision (if needed)
* Laboratory
* And anyone else who enters my room or touches the baby within 48 hours after birth....LOL :-)

We have the Level 2 Ultrasound on the 23rd. That will be the good appt...can't wait to see the little booger.

TGIF!

2011-05-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

In Baby News:

16 Weeks Pregnant Today - 168 Days to go!

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, hishead is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too.

In other news:

This weekend we'll be doing the T-Ball thing. At least it's early (10am) - so we'll have the rest of the day to ourselves. Todd is planning to begin demolishing what is left of the deck so we can decide what to do with it. There are a lot of options when you have a clean slate and a little money available...so we want to make sure we get it right. The AC people are coming next week to bring us back from the stone age and re-install the AC units. Our electric bill is gonna rock this month :-) We decided to get an ultra efficient unit which means we'll be coming out of pocket for some of the cost. But it will all work out since at least some is covered by insurance...we'll be able to get a much more efficient and well built model to replace the relic that currently stands idle on the side of the house.

Sunday will just be lazy...church, lunch, work around the house...and probably a cookout at Todd's parents in the afternoon. I really should go get the kids pictures taken for their 5/7 year old photos...hmmm...maybe.

Happy Birthday Cody!!!

2011-05-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

My baby turns 5 today....Love you Cody-Bug!

May 5, 2006:

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

We're off to Red Robin this evening for the family birthday dinner. Bridget got Cody a Spiderman web-shooter that we let him open this morning...he was so excited...half our trees are covered in silly string!

We also took cupcakes and treat bags to school this morning and he gets to pass out his party invites to his friends. We're having his party at Monkey Joes...but because of scheduling and Mothers Day, it's not until the 15th. It's going to be the LONGEST 10 days of his life waiting for the party day to roll around :-)

Happy Monday!

2011-05-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

So I missed the Friday Fetal Fun Facts....so here you go:

15 Weeks Pregnant - 175 days to go (well - 172 now)

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam.

Cody played in his first T-Ball game this weekend...the Hoelzle's were out in full force. He definitely had the biggest fan base :-) and he was LOVING every minute of it. He did really well hitting - even making it out to the grass a couple times, which is somewhat of a miracle at this age. And, he was just as impressed with his efforts, every time he hit the ball - he enjoyed standing there and watching it...basically forgetting to run until the the coaches were all yelling : "GO CODY, RUN"...it reminded me of Forest Gump. And of course - after 3rd base instead of running past his dugout to Home Plate - he kept trying to run INTO the dugout straight from third. (He's SO efficient!) Once we straighten him out - he's going to be great!

My mom was here last week, which is always a huge help. And I was glad she got to see Cody's game. It was also nice to have someone who could help manage the steady stream of repair people we had roaming around the house to deal with the storm damage. At this point - we are waiting for the adjuster to make the final call on a couple things and then hand off the final amount to the Insurance Company to cut us a check. In the end, we'll be fixing:

* The Fence
* The Shed
* The Deck
* The AC Unit
* The Siding
* And we'll have to replace the grill, our patio furniture, and the dog kennel, along with some little stuff.

Not bad considering what our neighbors behind us are dealing with:

It could be worse. :-)

Friday Fetal Facts...

2011-04-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

I'm officially into the 2nd trimester!!!

This week's update:

14 Weeks - 182 days to go!!!

Welcome to the second trimester! This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him -- a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches -- about the size of a lemon -- and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces.

In other news:

We're still recovering form the tornado...more pictures to come soon. :-)

Crissie

Friday Fetal Food

2011-04-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

So there are tons of baby websites out there. And I've used Babycenter.com in the past with the other pregnancies...they aren't pushy or laden with what bizarre tragedy could be lurking around the corner if you have a Diet Coke once in a while, so I like them. :-)

Anyhow, every Friday I get an email telling me a little about the baby's development in that week. And it cracks me up because they equate the size of the baby to some type of food. And so I now have something to write about each Friday...

13 Weeks Pregnant - 189 days to go:

Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce. Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head -- which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries.

In other news: Cody's first t-ball game is tomorrow. The town he plays at is actually a bit north of Raleigh (like by 5 minutes). It's a pretty small town, but they really have great programs...and they make a big deal out of 'opening day'. I have to be at the parade (yes, parade) start at 8:45am to help decorate the truck the team will be riding in. Then the town closes down a bunch of side streets and the kids get paraded around waving to what can only assume will be a sea of families and video cameras. Then the games begin...and go ALL DAY LONG. Cody isn't scheduled to play until 3pm. But the bad storms that ripped through the Midwest yesterday are supposed to hit us on Saturday. I'm hoping they can at least get the parade done before it rains.

His team is the 'Padres' and he's got the most adorable uniform...can't wait till Saturday to get him in all his 'minor league' glory. :-)

TGIF!!! :-)

OB visit #1....check

2011-04-12T09:01:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday was the baby-doc appt #1. I met with Dr. Barrett for a quick belly check, and I also got my 1st trimester screening for potential genetic issues like Downs Syndrome, Trisomy-13 and Trisomy-18...which is essentially a bunch of things we don't want to be positive on. Part of the test is bloodwork, but the other is an Ultrasound. That was really fun...the kid was bouncing all over the place. Two legs, two arms, a head, a spine, a stomach, and a really strong heartbeat...all the good stuff to see. More importantly, the size was measuring right on, which is something we are keeping an eye on with the meds I have to be on. The main thing the U/S person was looking for was a measurement of the distance of the space from the skin at the back of the neck to the spine...it's called the NUCHAL TRANSLUCENCY SCREENING - you can see the space of the tube here: (note- this is NOT my ultrasound)

My space looked great - so there's one test down. The blood work will be back in about a week. The combination of both will provide me with a chance of a defect being present (i.e. - 1 in 2000, 1 in 200, etc.) they get worried once the percentage drops below 1 in 260. But based on the U/S - we're okay. Moving on to the thyroid issue...Dr. Barrett and I talked about the plan moving forward and they (OB's office) will be working closely with the endocrine people to monitor both me & the nugget. She also suggested since I was going to Duke for a Level II ultrasound in May, it would be a good idea to see the geneticist while I was there and pick their brain. So the 23rd of May just got a little busier. Hey at this point - the more the merrier....

We are at 12 weeks, 3 days today. Next appt is May 9th. Should just be 'pee in a cup and listen to the heartbeat'. Fun, fun.... :-)

It's my Birthday and I'll post if I want to...

2011-04-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

In honor of my big day...I'd like to share the following:

You Know You're 30ish If...

•You learned to swim about the same time Jaws came out and still carry the emotional scars to this day.

•You could sing "99 Red Balloons" in English and German.

•You're starting to believe that maybe having kids go to school year-round wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

•You did the LeFreak with Chic.

•"All-skate, change directions" means something to you.

•In high school you and all your friends discussed elaborate plans to get together again at the end of the century and play "1999" by Prince over and over again.

•You wore anything Izod, especially collar up, or the windbreakers that folded up into a pouch you could wear around your waist.

•You owned a Jordache anything, or you remember when Jordache jeans were really cool.

•You ever dressed to emulate a person you saw in either a Duran Duran, Madonna, Rick Springfield or Cyndi Lauper video.

•You actually know who Rick Springfield is.

•You rode in the back of the station wagon and faced the cars behind you in the "tail gunner" position.

•Schoolhouse Rock played a HUGE part in how you were educated.

•You ever wanted to be gagged with a spoon.

•You had a poster of Bo, Luke or Daisy Duke.

•There was nothing to question about Bert n' Ernie living together.

•Knickers and leg warmers were cool.

•You ever wanted to learn to play "Stairway to Heaven" on the guitar or you choreographed "Dancing Queen" by yourself in your room.

•The first time you ever kissed someone was at a dance during "Crazy for You" by Madonna.

•You ever used the phrase "kiss mah grits" in conversation.

•You had ringside seats for Luke and Laura's wedding.

•You know who shot J.R.

•This rings a bell: "and my name is Charlie. They work for me."

•You ever had a Dorothy Hammill haircut.

•You sat with your friends on a Friday night and dialed 867-5309" to see if Jenny would answer.

•You owned a pair of Rainbow suspenders just like Mork used to wear.

•You remember when your cable TV box had the three rows of numbers and you had to move the selector switch accordingly.

•Your jaw still aches from those "brick-sized" packages of Bazooka gum.

•The phrase "Where's the beef" still cracks you up.

•Two words: feathered hair

•Toni Home Perms

•Donny and Marie, Love Boat and Fantasy Island were shows to look forward to watching when the weekend rolled 'round.

•Jumpsies, Double Dutch.

•Breakfast in America.

•Watching the Brady Bunch after school (it would highlight your day if it was the Hawaiian episode)

•Six Million Dollars would be a small price to pay today to rebuild a man, or woman.

•You would recognize the plastic insert that fit into a 45 record.

•Ponchos and Gouchos and L'eggs Pantyhose.

•Kissing Potion.

•Macramé Plant Hangers and bean bag chairs.

•Putting straws or playing cards in your spokes.

•Smoking was allowed in the theaters.

•Dixie Riddle Cups.

•Holly Hobbie and Stretch Armstrong.

•Whatever happened to your string art project?

•Don't forget slime (some even had worms in it)

•And after Land of the Lost came Shazam and Isis.

•"I can name that tune in three notes".

•Eight is Enough, Family and Quincy.

•"I'd like to buy the world a coke..."

No, I really AM Pregnant!!!

2011-04-05T10:55:00.001-07:00

Ha ha ha...I guess telling the world about baby #3 on April Fools wasn't such a great idea, I spent the entire day trying to convince people it wasn't a joke :-)

So yes, we are due around Oct. 21st. And although I'm tired...alot...everything was going fairly well, till last week. I had my first pre-natal nurse visit on the 30th and I since I was due for a re-check on my thyroid level (it was a little low in December), I went ahead and knocked that out while I was there. The nurse called me back that afternoon and said the levels were abnormal and they had already set me up for an appt with an endocrinologist for 8:15 the next morning. That was a little concerning... I went in and found out the levels were VERY low...and I have some serious hyperthyroidism going on. My thyroid is on crack and overproducing like crazy. I have no symptoms, except really tired...duh, I'm pregnant. Anyways, the (REALLY nice) endocrinologist did a great job explaining what she thought might be going on, but wanted to do an ultrasound to look around. Sure enough, the ultrasound showed there is a 3-by-2 cm 'nodule' on the left side. Basically - the left side of my thyroid (nodule included) has gotta come out. She's pretty sure it's not malignant (only like 5% are)...I'm confident that's not going to be an issue either, some of the tell-tale characteristics just aren't there... So here are the options:

1) Put me on meds and take it out after I deliver. But then I'm on these screwy meds through 6 months of pregnancy.

2) Surgery during the 2nd trimester - it's the safest time to do surgery when pregnant. I'll still have to go on meds for a little while...I can't go into surgery with my levels so unstable...they have to bring it under control a bit. But once it's out...I shouldn't need any meds.

And the option that the Endocrinologist & OB decided on was #1. I'm not happy about either one really. The PTU that they have me on doesn't have nice things to say about the effects on a fetus, but it's the safest option out of all the meds. Nice...THAT makes me feel SO much better. I'm set to go for the first OB appt on the 11th where I hope to plead my case for surgery. I've already started the PTU and I hate having to take it knowing what it could potentially be doing. The OB assured me when I called yesterday that they have a lot of pregnant women with this condition that have to be on PTU...but they aren't me... so I really don't care.

On a happier note - we've cleaned Bridget's room so it can be a nursery again and Bridget moved into the playroom. The rest of the upstairs is a wreck though. We are literally a few more garbage bags away from auditioning for a spot on TLC's show Hoarder's. Okay - maybe it's not THAT bad...but it's getting there fast :-). So there is a lot to be done...but we're working on it. I just wish I knew what gender of clothing we can get rid of...that would be such a HUGE help. I guess we'll be finding out around mid-May. Todd & I both think it's a girl...my mom is the lone stand out who has publicly admitted to wanting to buy little blue tennis shoes the other day. Of course - with the way things are going...it probably IS a boy.

Either way...I just want healthy...

April 1 - April Fool's Day

2011-04-01T06:16:00.001-07:00

So I did okay on the Blog Challenge until the end...it was hard to keep up while I was out of town!

So in honor of today...I would like to post a picture that, ironically, is not a joke. You can provide the caption....

Have a Great Day!!!

:-)
Crissie

Blog Challenge - Day 25

2011-03-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Day 25 - A picture of your day

Well, first I have to survive the work day. I have a 'pimp your company' meeting in NJ next week and there is tons of prep to do......so I'm stuck to the computer for at least the next 8 hours.

Then when I get home there is the laundry:

And trying to keep our house from turning into this:

I lead such an exciting life.

Blog Challenge - Day 24

2011-03-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change...

I wish I could change the title of today's blog. Wait...I can. Well, there you go...

Day 24 is now - A picture of something you are excited about.

As I have mentioned before...I love my old college teammates, and I hate that we are so far apart. I have been waiting for a reason to see them again. And then I got this email last night:

Ben and I are in Park City Utah for a ski vacation. Blue skies, great snow conditions...and an engagement at the top of the mountain!!! A perfect day.

Wanted to let you know so you can start prepping for a trip to Canada for the wedding!!! (date still TBD)

Xoxo
Lex

I couldn't think of a more deserving person to have such a great thing happen to them. I love you Lex and I can't wait to see you for your big day!!!

Blog Challenge - Day 23

2011-03-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Easy - I could (and have) read and re-read the Twilight series. So much better than the movies...

Blog Challenge - Day 21

2011-03-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Gosh, these things are getting a bit personal huh? Well, chances are if I wish I could forget it...I haven't told a lot of people about 'it' to begin with. And I'm certainly not going to plaster it all over the internet for further scrutiny...really?!?

So how about the fact that my birthday is coming up (really, really fast).

Yeah, that is something I really wish everyone would forget!!!

Blog Challenge - Day 20

2011-03-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Hmmm...anywhere???

I would go somewhere warm and with a beach...but it can't take too long to get there, I hate waiting to get somewhere. Other than that...I'm not picky...

SO, how about Bora Bora...cause the name makes me chuckle...and it looks awesome.

Blog Challenge Day 19

2011-03-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

I don't understand this one. So here's a picture OF a letter...ha ha ha.

"S" is for Sunny Saturday...hooray!!!

Blog Challenge - Day 18

2011-03-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Hmmm...well after a couple kids, my body is a consant place of struggle. I mean, it's not like you can go around with a sign on your head that says: "Give my butt/boobs a break...I have children"

I guess I want to ensure that my kids are happy. I look at all these teenagers that lost their way and they were someone's baby at some point in their lives. I hope that I am not planting any seeds of trauma in their futures. I don't curse in front of them...at least not intentially. Neither of us drink or smoke, and we try to show them that you don't have to be physical to resolve conflicts.

I hope that they grow up to be decent, strong-willed, genuinely good people.

:-)

Blog Challenge - Day 17

2011-03-17T07:03:00.001-07:00

Okay - so I missed yesterday...my bad.

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Hmmmm....something that that made a big impact on my life recently??? Not a whole lot to share there....there are a lot of people around me going through stuff though....

Cody starts Kindergarten in July. So in four months, we will be able to get rid of Daycare payments...that should make a huge impact on us. We've decided to dump the 'Daycare' payments into savings because my car is getting very close to 100K miles and while everything is great so far...(knock on wood)...we would be stupid not to start preparing for the next one eventually.

Of course - there is the new baby in the family for my nephew and his wife. We can't wait to meet her!

Speaking of babies - both neighbors to our right are preggers, Jaime is due in July and RoseAnn in August. This summer should be fun.

My sister got some awesome news ... but I don't know how much I'm allowed to write about it, but I am really excited for her.

So we are enjoying sitting back and watching all the fun!

Blog Challenge - Day 15

2011-03-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

I am TERRIFIED of heights. I have been up in the Space Needle (never again), the St. Louis Arch (the stupid thing sways on a GOOD day), even ski lifts freak me out. But I have one thing that I hope I can pocket my fears for, because I really want to:

ZipLine...

How fun to go from tree to tree through the forest. Most places even let you take kids...so it's something we could all do. Maybe this year....

Blog Challenge - Days 12, 13, & 14

2011-03-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Weekends just don't do it for me...I cannot bear to open my laptop...it was just too nice. So here you go as I play catch-up.

Today - Blog Challenge Day 14

A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without:

This one was easy:

Blog Challenge Day 13

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Yikes - my taste in music is all over the place. I like Eminem and 50 cent, I like Train and Jack Johnson. I like Taylor Swift...

But I guess I should pay homage to the those that were first and hold a special place in my heart.

Yes, ...really.

Blog Challenge Day 12

Day 12 - A picture of something you love...

I love having a close group of neighbors. We are so lucky to have great neighbor-friends, and I feel much better knowing that our kids have 5 houses to go to if they ever need anything.

At Raechel & Andy's baby shower at Khanki:

(Back row L to R: Andrea & Jack, Todd, Rob, RoseAnn & Chris, Jaime & Brent

Front Row: Me, Raechel & Andy)

Blog Challenge - Day 11...sort of

2011-03-11T05:55:00.000-08:00

Well, today was supposed to have been to write about something you hate. However, this is such a wonderful day, I have to deviate...

A while back I wrote about my nephew Jeremy and his wife Karen, who found out that they cannot have children on their own and chose adoption. As I wrote previously - they were chosen to be parents to a baby that was born on Feb. 7th...but I haven't written anything since. That's because things went downhill...fast. The birthmom changed her mind and decided to take the baby home with her. Needless to say Karen & Jeremy were devestated (to put it lightly) and the rest of the famil(ies) were in shock as it seemed like it was going smoothly. Looking back, I suppose there were signs...but how can someone mess with people like that?!? As hard as it was for Karen, Jeremy & family...I fear the one that will pay the most is the baby. But I am hopeful that the birthmom's family will support her.

Which brings me to yesterday. Their caseworker called them yesterday afternoon and basically said, " You've been selected, the baby was born about a week ago, you're picking her up in about 5 hours." HOLY CRAP!!!
The birthmom had already selected them and (more importantly) signed the papers to allow Jeremy & Karen to proceed with taking her home. Her name is Anna Clare Head...and she's beautiful!!!

Here are a few pictures from Karen's blog. It's one of the blogs I follow on the left, if you want to read more.

Jeremy, Karen, and their daughter - Anna

SO Cute!!!

So Congratulations to Jeremy & Karen. Oh, I guess also to my sister (Grandma Pam) and my mom (Great-grandma Joan!!!).

:-)

Blog Challenge - Day 10

2011-03-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with

We'll suffice it to say that I have calmed down quite a bit in my 'old' age. But back in the day, anything I did that would be considered ******up would probably involve:

Sarah...

Lori....

Or Alexis....

or some combination thereof...

:-)

Blog Challenge - Day 9

2011-03-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most:

Duh....

My mom is the best :-)

(Sorry for the picture mom...but you are constantly behind the the camera instead of in front of it!!!)

Blog Challenge - Day 8

2011-03-08T05:55:00.000-08:00

Okay...getting back on track

Day 08 - A picture (or two...) that makes you laugh

Blog Challenge - Day 6

2011-03-07T06:51:00.000-08:00

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Easy...this chick.

Blog Challenge - Day 5

2011-03-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Ugh - this one is tough...I have a lot of good memories. Probably - the best was watching my husband watch my daughter being born.

I labored quickly, getting pitocin at 8:15am. I got my epidural at noon-1pm and told Todd that I was going to rest and he should go eat something. I woke up when the nurse came in to check me and I had gone from 4 to 10...and slept right through it. I called Todd and he raced through the hallways (thinking the baby was going to fall out???) and got there in time for me to start pushing. It didn't take long and I could tell we were getting close when Todd was jumping up and down begging me to push just a little harder...he could see her head.

And when she came out - he cried...and I knew I had lost him. He was already wrapped around that tiny little finger.

I don't have a picture to post, but I will certainly never forget it.

Blog Challenge - Day 4

2011-03-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

A picture of your night.....

Hmmmm....

Ha ha ha....

Blog Challenge - Day 3

2011-03-03T04:39:00.000-08:00

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show:

Hmmm...this is tough. My DVR has everything from 'Bones' to 'House' to Teen Mom 2 (yes - I am that socially warped). But I think the show we don't miss off the old DVR would be Castle. So....here you go:

Challenge - Day 2

2011-03-02T04:38:00.001-08:00

A picture of someone you have been closest with the longest...

When I was in Daycare - I met Jenny. Her mom ran the Daycare and all I knew was that she was Ms. JoAnn's kid. Once I got to know her though - she and I became fast friends. It was funny because our paths were pretty different...I was into athletics, I think Jenny is like 5'4" :-). We didn't really live close to each other, but it didn't really matter.

We went through school stuff, boy stuff - strategically riding our bikes past the latest targets, a fascination with New Kids on the Block, various make-up disasters... First boyfriends, first kisses, first heartbreaks....we were going to marry farm boys and raise our kids on farms across the street from each other.

Her family sort of adopted me from time to time and I was a frequent guest for Wisniewski family fun night every New Year's eve. Her dad's ability to mortify her with his embarrassing "Dad" behavior always fascinated (and amused) me - my parents had long been divorced - so it was something that was entertaining to me...

And her mom would take us shopping...Lord, we spent hours in the dressing room at Maurices looking for the perfect pair of jeans! :-)

And when college came - she stayed in Illinois and I went to Florida. We stayed in touch through college, more boyfriends, engagements, weddings, and kids.

I haven't seen Jenny for years...and it's been forever since we talked - but it doesn't matter. Friends like that are awesome.

Love you Jen!!!

Challenge - Day 1

2011-03-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

Day 1: A picture of yourself with ten facts

Me & my sisters (L to R: Me, Kathy & Pam)

1) I'm the 3rd of three girls, and my mom is the 3rd of three girls. I thought for a long time I'd never have a chance of having a boy. Guess I bucked that trend :-) I was also an accident. My mom tried to sugar coat it with 'pleasant surprise', but even at a young age - I knew what that meant.

2) I was born on my middle sister Pam's 14th birthday.

3) I met my husband at a bar. He came over to talk to me and never left :-)

4) I have never broken a bone. I did dislocate a shoulder and sprained a few ankles. And, I have had to get a bone in my ear replaced with a synthetic one because it basically disintegrated due to multiple ear issues, but nothing broken.

5) I have PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) - this leaves me with no 'girly' cycle each month. Don't get me wrong - that rocks...but I can't get pregnant the old fashion way. Each kid had to be conceived with fertility drugs. But my body responds pretty well to medical intervention. In fact, I've been able to donate my eggs to help other women conceive - twice. One woman had a single child, the other had twins.

6) I attended college on a full ride volleyball scholarship. I had no idea how huge that was at the time, but I am SO grateful. Going to college in Florida was an awesome experience and I love/miss my old teammates. I hate that we are all so spread out.

7) I lived in the same house from the time I was born until I went to college.

8) I have a hard time keeping the house clean...but sometimes you just have to veg on the couch with the family and leave the dishes, laundry, etc...sometimes the chaos of a messy house stresses me out.

9) I've been working in the clinical trials field, for the same company, for almost 12 years now. I kind of fell into it, but it has proved to be both stable and in a market that has a lot of growth opportunity. I got my job offer and my acceptance into nursing school in the same week. I think I chose well...though I think I would have enjoyed nursing.

10) I wish I was more artistic. I love to do crafty things (bake cakes, scrapbook, etc.) but I really suck at coming up with things on my own. My house needs a design overhaul...but I have no idea where to even begin... :-)

30 Day Challenge

2011-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Okay -
So fellow blogger Amanda puts up this challenge thing-y....and I think I'm going to try it...no promises though. Here's how it works:

Beginning March 1 the 30 Day Blog Challenge starts. Anyone want to play along?
The rules are simple; for 30 days you post a blog entry which includes daily pictures that documents the challenge for the day. How easy is that? You barely have to think. Just post the picture and type of a caption of whatever person/picture that pops into your head immediately...because you know your first response is the one that's usually the truest answer.
Here is a list of the 30 Challenges:

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 04 - A picture of your night
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture and a letter
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Starts today....let's see how I do :-)

10 on Tuesday

2011-02-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

I don't know that I have 10 things...but here goes.

1) My nephew and his wife welcomed their son into the world yesterday. They are adopting, so the birthmother has until Thursday to change her mind. So please pray for Karen & Jeremy as well as the birthmom and the baby. This will be the first grandchild on both sides...so I am guessing that kid will never hit the ground!

2) Sunday was brutal in our house watching the Steelers give away the Superbowl. Although, I think Green Bay did what they had to do and they weren't jerks about it...so hats off to them.

3) You know how some people say their kids climb the walls? Mine do...literally, with Dad's help (please excuse the crappy cell phone picture).

4) We are going to the circus Thursday night...the kids don't know it yet...so shhhh...it's a surprise. We've never been, so I 'm looking forward to it.

5) We have back to back birthday party weekends at Jumpin Beans. Chloe's is on the 12th and Lexi's is on the 20th. Cody is VERY excited for both...

6) Speaking of Cody...he has become a very avid reader. Now, don't get too excited...for the most part, he has no idea what the words really say. But, every evening when Todd or I go to pick him up...he's sitting in a chair 'reading' a book to someone. So cute!

7) Todd survived his knee surgery back on the 27th. He's still pretty stiff but able to move around. he got the green light from the doctor to start exercising on the elliptical machine and recumbent bike to get the motion back in his leg. I have some cute post surgery pics that I need to download.

8) Bridget is tracked out one more week this week and she goes back on Valentine's day...so we get to make her class Valentines this weekend. (No - we haven't even started yet!!)

9) Jordan peed on my couch last night...I thought Todd was going to kill him. We've already had to move Kasey to a crate because of her knack for destruction...now I have to watch him too...ugh.

10) The weather people are saying it may snow tomorrow...and then it will be in the 50s. Really???

Really?

2011-01-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

We went to the gym last night and there was this 'Body Flow' class about to start. The instructor said it was a combination of Tai-Chi, Yoga, and Pilates. That sounded good. I hate Yoga, but I could use the assistance in becoming a little more flexible. So I went...and the whole freakin class was Yoga...ugh.

And of course, to add insult to injury...I was trying to balance on one leg and lift the other one to the side in the air (pause for you to insert your own joke here). It wasn't pretty, but I wasn't struggling to stay upright like the girl in front of me - I considered that a victory.

And then I look to the side and there's a girl there who looks like she could shop in the Juniors department anywhere and have no trouble fitting into anything...and she looks like this:

I'll be checking that class off my list. Next up - kickboxing...I'd like to see how little Ms. Size Zero would do with my right hook. :-)

10 on Monday

2011-01-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

1) We went to McDonald's a couple weeks ago and before we even went in, there's this guy outside complaining on his cell phone about the irresponsible mother that brought her child with CHICKEN POX(!?!) to the Playplace. Ugh, great....so we go in and sure enough, there she is...a cute little blond girl with curls, probably about 2-3 years old...scratching away at her face and her tummy. And everything is scabbed....ewwww. Both our kids are vaccinated...but really?!? I decided to let it go and as we were getting ready to leave so was the mother, the 'scabinator', and what looked like a friend and her child. Todd decided to make conversation and said...'Poor thing, at least the worst of it's behind her now she's just at the scabbing stage of the pox, to which the friend smiled and said, she was their neighbor and the girl has really bad eczema.
Oh jeez...that's awful...SO, sorry to the mother who I was cussing out in my mind for bringing (what I thought was) cooties to the playplace. :-)

2) Todd has knee surgery Thursday...he has a torn meniscus (kneecap) and fluid that won't drain behind his knee. His surgery isn't until 3:45pm. OMG - I can't imagine not eating for a whole day...he can't eat anything after midnight the night before and I'm sure he won't feel like it after the surgery. Should be fun trying to get him out of the car Thursday night...luckily, my neighbor has offered to come over and help.

3) Speaking of my husband...he decided he is overweight and so WE need to join a gym. Now we have needed to join a gym before...so we'll see how it goes...but I'm actually liking it so far. The facility has a great child care place and our neighbors go to the same gym...so Cody & Tino get to play...and of course, Bridget NEVER has trouble making a new friend or two.

4) I am SERIOUSLY out of shape.

5) The Bears lost last night...to the Packers...ugh. Well, at least the Steelers won. Todd is beside himself and is counting the days to February 6th. :-)

6) To all of you people who feel that they cannot go for an entire drive without smoking, please don't do it with your freakin kids in the car. I mean really?!?....windows up, smoking with your window cracked (cause God forbid you get cold) does not save your children from having to stink like you, let alone endure the health impact. I think it should be considered child abuse to do that to a kid.

7) We found out that in addition to my neighbors Jaime & Brent - who are now about 13-14 weeks along, the house between us (Chris & RoseAnn) are also expecting!!! They are about 4 weeks behind Brent & Jaime. It is going to be exciting around here in July/August! Both couples are doing really well and the mommies are tired, but hanging in there.

8) We finally put the Christmas decorations in the loft, they've been boxed up since the first week of January...our downstairs looks SO empty!

9) We are planning to paint the playroom. We're thinking that the kids are finally done drawing on the walls in crayon and it's time for it to look like a room again....

10) I have a cold. It's annoying and gross and it makes me tired. I just want to crawl under my nice warm comforter at home, turn on some mindless TV and sleep. Mondays are SO cruel!

Happy 2011

2011-01-03T11:21:00.001-08:00

Crap - I only posted once last month...and that was to post for being behind the previous month!!!

Well...here we go again! In the past month:

We have been dining in fine restaurants with our cousins....

Yes - this is a McDonald's...

We got some snow in early December...which we were excited to go out and play in!

Our neighbors Raechel and Tyler..

We decked the halls....er, the house

We got tired of the cold and headed back to the The Great Wolf Lodge so we could go swimming...

Cody, Bridget & AJ

One more trip to the big guy can't hurt....

We took the grandmas to see the Nutcracker ballet...

Cody, Grammy (Todd's mom), Bridget, & Mee-maw (Crissie's mom)

We got warmed up for Christmas at Grammy's house on Christmas Eve....

We got our house ready for Santa....

Had a great time opening Christmas gifts in the morning with Mee-maw (all my Christmas stuff is video...sorry for the lack of Christmas morning photos!)

We got Mee-maw her own Christmas tree... ;-)

And then Mother Nature had her own plans for Christmas...around 8-10 inches of plans...

My mom was stranded an extra day and so we hung out inside and watched football.

We love NCAA bowl season...watched a ton of it. My niece Amanda is in the flag corp and marched with the TCU band in the RoseBowl parade...and thanks to magic of You Tube...I can show everyone...

The mighty Horned Frogs were victorious and they went unbeaten all season.

What a great year in 2010...Happy 2011 everyone!!

10 on Wednesday...

2010-12-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

How did I miss Tuesday...oh well. So what have we been up to???

1) There have been birthday parties...Cody's buddy Kelvin turned 5. Actually - they refer to eachother as 'their boy'. Cody was so excited because Kelvin's dad dropped off an invitation at school and he was totally grinning when he said, "Mom, I'm going to a birthday party with my boy"...

Todd & Kelvin's dad...I think there might have been some other kids playing too

They were sweet enough to let Bridget come....

Bridget & Lexi

2) We still brave going out in public with a 4 and 6 year old.

SMILE!!!...I said...SMILE!

3) We went to the state fair with our neighbors.

4) A warm-up Thanksgiving at Cody's school.

5) We cleaned up the house a little in preparation of the upcoming decorating season.

6) We chilled with our neighbors...

Bridget with Tyler (6 months)

7) There was Thanksgiving at Grammy & Papa's house. It was totally yummy (as always) with Uncle Scott and Vickie.

8) Then we went to Dylan's birthday party (happy #2!!)

9) I underwent some serious retail therapy on Black Friday. Luckily - I found other crazy people I knew and we followed eachother around from store to store....

Leslie (my co-worker), me, & Leslie's sister Tracy

2am at the Waffle house (after Wal-Mart, before Kohl's)

10) This is my 100th blog entry...I never thought I would stick with it - but I really enjoy going back and looking at where we've been.

11) Yep a bonus!!! My nephew and his wife got to meet their birthmother a couple days ago (See the 'Family of Heads' linked blog to the left). And not only did it seem to work out better than anyone hoped...she is scheduled to have a C-section, right before Christmas. Good luck finding anything better to put under the tree this year Santa!!!
Congrats Jeremy & Karen - super way to begin the new year!!!..Oh, and they found out it's a boy :-)

The Best Christmas Present of All....

2010-11-18T06:24:00.000-08:00

My oldest nephew Jeremy and his wife Karen found out about a year ago that they wouldn't be able to have children. Although this news was disappointing, they picked right up and started the process of becoming adoptive parents. For those of you who didn't know - November is National Adoption Month.

It's a time to reflect and pray for all involved - the waiting adoptive parents, the case workers, the birth moms, and of course - the children whose lives are made better by being offered an incredible opportunity at a loving, stable life.
And for our family - it's a time to celebrate...because Jeremy & Karen have been selected by a birth mother to be adoptive parents to her baby, due January 4th. I can't imagine what they must be feeling. We are so excited for them and I know that they are going to be great parents.

So please pray for them that the remainder of the process goes smoothly and in a couple months, I hope to have another picture to replace this one that has three people in it instead of two:

So congrats to Jeremy & Karen and to my sister Pam (actually - soon that will be Grandma Pam) and her husband (Grandpa Joe) and of course to Uncle Jason and Uncle Joey...and all of Karen's family as I believe this will be the first grandchild on both sides.

A belated Veteran's Day Poem

2010-11-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

A local radio station had put this on the air on Veteran's Day and I wanted to share it....even a few days late....

Thank you to all who served....

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The Marine stood and faced God, Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining, Just as brightly as his brass.
'Step forward now, Marine, How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?'
The soldier squared his shoulders and said, 'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns, Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays, And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent, Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny, That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime, When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place, Among the people here.
They never wanted me around, Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much, But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne, Where the saints had often trod.
As the Marine waited quietly, For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you Marine, You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, You've done your time in Hell.'

Why I usually shop by myself....

2010-11-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

Because this is what I find when I turn the corner looking for my family who has gone ahead of me in the camping section of Wal-Mart:

I'm not sure that you can get kicked out of a Wal-Mart or not...but I have a sneaking suspicion one day I may find out. :-)

A quick recap of where we've been

2010-10-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

When I don't post as often (as I have been guilty of lately) - I run the risk of pictures piling up...and I have to purge every once in a while...so, here you go

1st up - Great Wolf Lodge. We had a great time and the kids LOVED the indoor water park. Unfortunately, when they sent the email that they were excited to see us a week before our trip, they neglected to mention the main play fort in the middle of the freakin place (and the main thing to play on while you are there) was broken. Ugh...really? So we cut our trip short by a day and played on everything else. To their credit, the manager sent us a free upgrade and an additional 30% off our next stay. So, we'll try again in December when we can play in the snow that falls in the lobby...

Goin' to the Lodge....

Hooray for story time in our PJs...

Vacation = eating ice cream in our PJs...

She's such a rebel....

2) We've been camping some more...and we remembered to bring the 4-wheelers...

3) I had a business trip in Washington DC, thankfully, my mom came up and helped out with the kids. I had forgotten how beautiful that place is - but you HAVE to wear tennis shoes, it's quite the hike to see everything.

Dinner with my team the 1st night.

The meeting room was perfect...

Mom even braved the dreaded 'Annual Photography Session' for the kids before I left...so my Christmas pics are DONE!

4) The kids played with some new friends...

Yes, those are slugs. They brought them in the house and nearly gave Grammy a heart attack!

5) Bridget had a field trip to the local Nature Park. She's in the striped sweater...

Lunch

Watching a deer that had come by to say hello....

6) We went camping in the mountains...the place was perfect. Not too big - but we had water, sewer, and electric on site. There were a TON of kids for our kids to play with - which was awesome.

Check out this DOUBLE swing!!!

App State was playing...we were all decked out!

Jordan even got to go...and he approved of the new camper too :-)

Yesterday we went to the State Fair with our neighbors - the fair was great (rides, food, animals, cotton candy, etc.) and we went early enough that it was just getting crowded when we left. There was a lot of napping in our house yesterday afternoon.
:-)

Happy Monday everyone!

Why Men Aren't Allowed to Take Phone Messages

2010-10-13T06:53:00.001-07:00

Ten on Tuesday

2010-09-21T07:43:00.001-07:00

Here's our past few weeks in pictures:

1) Happy (super belated) 2nd birthday to our neighbor Kerrington. Here is Cody and Kerrington riding Mr. Rob's home-made go-cart. (Don't worry - they got helmets if the cart left the driveway).

2. More camping at Falls Lake.

3. The inaugural run to the 'Dump Station'

Ewww...so disgusting, yet so fascinating all at the same time...

Even the Dump Station can function as an impromptu runway if need-be.

4. We went up to Ohio to visit with Todd's aunt Dar and uncle Mick. The truck needed some extra wiring put on so we didn't take the camper...but we had a great time.

Baseball in the front yard.

5. Bridget found a prom dress of Todd's cousin Monica. Did I mention that my kid is kind of a DIVA these days???

Bridget & A.J.

6. We drove past the new High School in town...it is beautiful.

7. And then we saw the old high school.

See the middle column with the 1993 State Boys BBall Champs? - That was Todd's class.

8. They still use the school's 'old' football field. It was completely renovated a few years back...complete with new bleachers and astroturf (yes - astroturf) on the field. Todd asked if we could go in and look around and it turned out that the coaching staff was reviewing film that day...and he went to school with half of them...so that was a nice surprise and we were encouraged to look around as much as we wanted to. The field is absolutely gorgeous....

9. Our timing was perfect as there was also a county fair going on. We parked in this huge field. We were about a mile from the fair...but not to worry, they had a people mover...also known as a tractor ride.

I can't be sure - but I think the driver's name was Bubba.

10. We had a great time and are planning a trip to App State in a few weeks to go visit Todd's sister Heidi. Football, fall, and family....should be lots of fun!

You did what?!?!

2010-09-01T11:35:00.001-07:00

So Todd mentioned the other day that we don't take family vacations. And he's right...we don't. Other than the Great Wolf Lodge excursion we have planed for the 12th - 14th of this month...we don't really go anywhere. I just hate going places and spending hundreds of dollars just to sleep in some hotel where you never really know if the sheets were changed or not. (Yuck!)

So I caved and agreed to go camper hunting with Todd. We had a pop-up camper at one point - but they don't have bathrooms, and that is gross. So it had to have a bathroom. And a place for the kids to sleep, and a place for me to sleep, and a kitchen, and a table to play cards at, and Todd's truck (Frontier) had to be able to pull it. (That's reasonable right???)

And we found this:

Well - this is actually a picture of when we went camping in it - but you get the idea. We are now part of a crazy group of people that in true turtle fashion, carry their houses with them. Here's the inside floor plan:

So as you can see it has everything we need. And it was light enough that Todd's truck could pull it. We tested it out at Falls lake and it's AWESOME. It has Central air that worked great in the 90 degree heat and the kids had a blast. The only problem we encountered was the towing...the truck can definitely pull the trailer, but it's 29 feet long and as soon as a big truck passed us - it didn't feel safe and that was a problem.

So I made a deal with Todd that if he could find a bigger truck that was used and we could pay off in the same amount of time that his 2008 Frontier was going to be paid off - he could upsize. I didn't realize that meant I would be dragged along to multiple car dealerships (I HATE car shopping) so by the time we hit up the Nissan Dealership on Monday, I was less than optimistic. Todd's truck has 52K miles on it...so we wanted something with less mileage. They had 2 used trucks on the lot - and one you had to roll the windows up yourself. BUT - the dealership was one of those franchise dealies where they have other locations that sell Fords, and they had a truck on their lot - A Dodge Ram to be exact. This baby was LOA-DED...and only had 36K miles on it. And they had just reduced it - I mean REALLY reduced it....why so cheap? - It's a 2005. I was convinced it would probably smell like an ashtray...I mean something had to be wrong with it. But we made an offer contingent on it not being crappy when they drove it over from the other dealership. And OMG - we were NOT disappointed. It is is beautiful. And now it's ours. So needless to say - I have a very happy husband who is all of the sudden very willing to help with tasks like laundry and dishes...(this might work out after all!)

We are going up to Ohio this weekend to visit Todd's aunt...she is looking to get rid of a bunch of stuff in her house. She needs a little help with clearing things out and we haven't seen the family for a while now...so we are hooking the camper to the truck and taking off this weekend.

If we weren't a shoo-in for being honorary Griswalds before...now we have an RV too. But I have to be honest - I'm kind of looking forward to it...we want our kids to have good memories of their childhood and places that we are lucky enough now to have the means to take them.

Oh, and for the one question everyone asks and I forgot to mention...yes - there is a toilet - and that is Todd's special job to deal with that. Another condition of mine :-)

My how time flies!!!

2010-08-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

Okay - I give up...if I make it to one post a month - I'll try not to think that I've failed

:-)

But, on the upside - I have pics to share!!! I actually FOUND my old camera (of course - after I bought the new one). So I now have b-day pics from Cody's party:

Cheese!

Bouncin' around at Jumpin Beans...

Bridget did make it to her first day of school - the jury is still out on her teacher. We've already had a conference to discuss Bridget's talking...but since I am willing to work with Ms. Alston and she has seen that I'm not an absentee parent - she's relaxed a bit with Bridget and things are fine now. Luckily - she's got some other kids in class who are needing her attention in the behavior department alot more than we are. :-)

Other than our rocky start - school is good. Bridget is doing well and she has lots of friends...which probably is why the talking thing came about in the first place. She's absolutely amazing with her math skills and her reading and spelling...I don't remember doing all that in first grade!!!

My sisters and I decided to surprise my mom for her birthday and so we flew down to Orlando and drove over to Ocala for an extended weekend. She knew I was coming for a business trip (ha ha ha) and when we drove up - she was surprised to see all of us get out of the car! We had a great time and the weekend flew by. And in usual fashion - everyone's plane was delayed on the way home....with Pam getting in after midnight...

Chef Pam - keeping everyone fed

Yep - Mimosas in the morning

Kathy showing my mom how to work Facebook

Looking through boxes of old pictures

Me, Kathy, & Pam at mom's house

Papa had a birthday this month and so all his grandbabies helped him celebrate...

We've had lots of fun at the pool this year. Now that Cody's ear is completely healed...he's just as much a fish as his sister.

Cody (left) and AJ (right)

Bridget with her classmate from school (and resident hottie) - Gleason

Ok - enough for now...hopefully I can get myself back on track and do some more regular posting...what a slacker!!!

:-)

Crissie

First Day - 1st Grade

2010-07-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

So this past Wednesday we 'Met the Teacher'....along with all the other kids in grades 1 - 5...OMG - what a cluster-you-know-what. Could they not have staggered it a bit?? The parking lot was full...the school was crazy full of parent/kids/staff...ugh.

We managed to make it to Bridget's room and met Ms. Alston. We were super spoiled with Ms. Wilson, her Kindergarten teacher...she was nice, but without giving too much lee-way. With all the craziness of the night - I didn't get a good read of her new teacher...so I'll just say the jury's still out.

All the Year-Round kids start back to school today - yes, on a Friday. It works out okay because they can just use today to get the 4-1-1 on how the new teacher works, what they are expected to know and be responsible for, etc..

Of course - I forgot when I offered to help out with a training trip in Connecticut for work a few weeks back that this was her first day. I tried to get everything ready for Todd as much as possible...but he was on his own this morning. He called to let me know that everyone had survived...he even sent me a picture:

Good Luck Bridget...I Love You.

:-)

What's Up???

2010-06-25T08:23:00.001-07:00

You've probably noticed that I've been a little lacking in my posts lately. It's not for lack of material.

So, what have we been up to???

Well....
We re-vamped the yard. When I say we...I mean my awesome husband. He took our crappy backyard and went from this:

To which we added 18 trees, and a new playset....

And 4500 square feet of sod...which Todd and I laid by ourselves...and presto...awesome backyard.

We did the front too...the curb appeal is really nice and Todd can once again take his position as envy of the neighborhood causing women up and down the street to ask their husbands why their yards can't look like ours...he loves it. We also want to cover our deck, with a possibility of turning it into a 3 or 4 season room. The sun is brutal in the back...so we need some kind of shade over the deck.

(Sigh!) Maybe we'll get to work on some projects INSIDE the house one of these days... :-)

We also hit up some Durham Bulls baseball - which is our local Minor League team.

We picked strawberries....

Cody had his Birthday party at Jumpin Beans...which I took a lot of pictures of. It was nice to just go somewhere and have someone else clean up. I promise to put pics up as soon as I can...Unfortunately - my camera has gone missing. I am still feverishly searching everywhere for it. If it doesn't turn up...then I'm getting another one...I can't handle the withdraw.

We found out in May that Cody had a cholesteotoma, which is essentially a cluster of cells that formed when the eardrum collapsed on itself in a small area. They think he had since birth, but it wasn't visible until he was bigger. So he had surgery the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. It went fantastically. The only crappy part was that he can't get the ear wet...at all. Try explaining to a 4 year old why he can't go swimming. We had another follow-up July 1st and he got the green light to go back to being a part-time fish...thank GOODNESS!

Because of the ear thing we also had to cancel Bridget's luau party at our pool at Granite Falls. She was disappointed, but I let her invite anyone she wanted for a luau at our house. She invited half our street and we had about 40-50 people at our house. It was really fun.

Bridget's Birthday Dinner at Stromboli's...

So now I have to pick up the disposable camera pictures so I can show you the actual party pictures...ugh!

Stay tuned...

Happy Birthday Bridget!!!

2010-06-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

6 Years Old!!!

2004:

2005:

2006:

2007:

2008:

2009:

2010:

I Love you Princess!!!!

A whole month?!?!

2010-05-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yep - I am way behind, work is hectic...blah, blah, blah...

But even a day late - I wanted to wish my guy a Happy Birthday.

Then:

And now...

I love you Cody-bug....Happy 4th Birthday!

Slacker!!!

2010-04-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Yep - that's me.
But it's my birthday today - so you can't yell at me :-)

So what have we been up to???

Mee-maw (my mom) came up to visit in March and the kids had a ball hanging out with her...they really enjoyed going to the park:

Her timing couldn't have been more perfect - Todd started tearing up our yard that weekend and it was helpful to have her there to watch the kids/dogs.

Yes - this is a bobcat - we don't do anything on a small scale around here:

Cody and I went with his class to see "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" at NC State. They had a group of 6 actors sing and dance their way through 6 or 7 kids books. They wouldn't allow photography - so I only got one picture of Cody and Aidan before the show started.

Aidan turned 4 on the 26th. Of course - there was a party....

Stacy, Aidan, Dylan, and Jeff

Yep - he's "this many"

And, the next day - we went to the zoo in Asheboro - it was a lot of fun!

Bridget, Todd, and Cody

L to R: Cody, Aidan, Bridget, Dylan, and Skylar

Cody and a gorilla

We start back up with soccer again after the Easter break...Bridget's practice this weekend is at 8am...ugh!

Cody patienty waiting to turn 5....

GO Strikers!!!

And, last but not least - a belated Easter greeting from the kids....

More pictures to come....Happy Wednesday!

New Artist....

2010-03-29T06:58:00.001-07:00

I was blog hopping and landed on one from Erica (friend of a friend)...there is an artist that she found on U-Tube...love this kind of music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slJuI3xhuwE

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z__-EXOOjHU&feature=related

It's crappy weather here today.
I have lots of pictures to upload for 10 on Tuesday tomorrow ...
:-)

Crissie

Ten on Tuesday

2010-03-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Top 10 reasons why my kids will never date....

1) I have found that 5 and 3 year olds think they know how to dress themselves...yes they can put the clothing on their bodies....they just forget to look at what exactly they are putting on. Style is in the eye of the wardrob-er. :-)

2) Have you ever watched them eat? Is there a reason that they think they can talk AND chew the 'way too big of a bite' they just took?

3) Burping is funny...really, really funny.

4) Farting is even funnier.

5) They let their noses run...until the snot goes too far. Only then do they tend to the cascade of germs running towards their mouth.

6) Only half the time do they use a tissue to take care of the problem.

7) Bridget told me the other day that she doesn't like boys kissing her...and that is why she told Cody to 'Kiss her butt' instead.

8) Speaking of butt... in addition to #4. They also take great pride in their accomplishments with a number two. We are constantly being asked to come and see (and admire) their efforts, in some cases - the aroma alone will knock you down. Occasionally, we are commandeered to 'Wipe My Butt' (imagine that phrase yelled from the bathroom a floor above where I am trying to do the laundry). And I get to experience the sights AND smells all while wiping a child who is convulsing with laughter that I actually fell for it (again).

9) They don't always flush...See #8.

10) And finally - they are my babies...I dare anyone to ever be good enough for them.

Catching up a little more....

2010-03-08T10:13:00.001-08:00

I promise to get through February...
:-)

It snowed in February...

Todd's birthday is in February...so of course - we celebrated.

Angel food Cake with chocolate covered strawberries....yum!

It tried to snow again....

Bridget's school was on a 2 hour delay for this....really?!?

We are anxiously waiting for the weather to be good as we are getting ready to start our backyard landscaping project. We were all set to have the bobcat, 2 dump truck loads of dirt, and 14 trees ready to go this weekend...but I think Mother Nature has other ideas as we are due for rain Wed, Thurs, and Fri...great.

So I think we are going to postpone until the following weekend and try again. The last thing I need is my husband and his buddies on a bobcat on our muddy hill...can you say Homeowners Insurance??? :-)

He also found this awesome gal at Home Depot that did her own irrigation and was able to show Todd how to do what he needs to do for very little $$$ ... I can't remember her name - but I LOVE her.

We had a great weekend this past weekend - but I'll save those updates for the next post...

Happy Monday everyone!

Lots of catching up to do.....Part 1

2010-03-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

Wow - I am neglecting my handful of faithful readers!!!

Okay - so in February - I was able to travel for business in Florida. The best part was that I was able to fly into Tampa (my old college stomping grounds) and the place I was going was in Ocala (about an hour away where my mom lives). So I flew in on a Sunday and spent all day with mom in her 'Active Adult Community' where she moved a few years ago. The area is really nice and I can see why people flock there.

We hung out at the house and watched the SuperBowl that night and I did the site visit the next day. It was over early so I drove to Tampa and went past some of my old stomping grounds:

My old apartment off Bruce B. Downs....

Fontana Hall - I'd write more about this place...but my family reads this blog ;-)

Gribby's townhouse...enough said

I even had time to go on campus - not that it looks like it did when I was there....they have really added a lot of buildings and facilities both academic and athletic.

The new Athletic Offices

Part of the Quad
Outside the Student Union

This is a new ROTC building...it was really impressive.

And of course - the one place that will be standing (along with the cockroaches) after Armageddon: Todd Video. BTW - for all of you that went to USF - yes - this place still looks trashy...and yes - the parking lot was full. :-)

More to post later...I'll be caught up by this weekend!!!

Ten on Tuesday

2010-02-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

1) It snowed...again - last Friday night. So of course we trekked out the next morning and found out that it wasn't sledding snow - it was snowman snow...Cody was pissed. Aidan had spent the night so I think Cody was really bummed he couldn't show Aidan all the awesome-ness that is our huge (perfect for sledding) hill in the back.

2) Probably good that Aidan didn't get to sled - he was outside all of 5 minutes when he fell into one of the steel poles that are installed around our grates...totally punctured his forehead. He was really good about the whole thing and one spider man band-aid later - he was fine.

OUCH!

3) Luckily - we salvaged enough of the day to get a snowman up. No rocks for eyes or carrot nose for us...nope, not when daddy had a can of black spray paint in the garage....

4) The back part of one of my molars fell off last Thursday...that's never a good sign. The dentist was hopeful that we could do what is called an 'onlay' - basically, a super cool ceramic filling. But of course, once he got in there - he discovered I'd been growing a massive cavity UNDER the filling that was currently there. (Probably why it sheared off...) Nice - my little cool onlay turned into another crappy crown.

I went to pick up the kids afterwards and I told them that the dentist gave me a shot in the mouth because I didn't brush well enough and it was STILL hurting...Bridget ran into the bathroom and immediately brushed her teeth. :-)

5) Lent is coming...Todd informed me that WE were giving up sugar and soda. Umm...okay - it's 40 days right? I can try the soda, I'm not hopeful on the sugar part. Of - and of course - there's the 'No meat on Fridays' thing. I'm not Catholic....but Todd's family sticks to this particular tradition - so I guess I do too...

6) Happy early 4th Birthday Caedmon!!! I can't believe the crew is turning 4 this year!

Cody (Brand new) & Caedmon(2.5 months) - May 2006

7) We have a massage therapist that comes to our work the 3rd Tuesday of every month...I am SOOO ready for her today! Tara - I'm waiting for you!!!

8) Our wedding calendar is quickly booking up for the summer...and we are very excited - looks like we'll be doing some traveling this year! I'm also trying to use these events as a really good reason to get the 'Big Girl Camera' that I have been pining over for a couple years now...they are really expensive though...so we'll have to see. :-)

9) Both kids had Valentine's Day parties this year. We had a good time getting all the treats and Valentine's together...and of course - they scored a bunch of candy.

10) Bridget's homework last night was to write a few sentences about a president (past or present). I didn't know that they know this stuff already...so I asked her to tell me about a president. So she goes into the diatribe about Abe Lincoln and how he was president back in the civil war and he helped to free the slaves....

This is KINDERGARTEN work?!?! Really....???

Ten on Tuesday

2010-02-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

1. Bridget's class went to the museum/IMAX place last week. I went too...we had a lot of fun...but they really don't get enough time to play around.

2. Of course the big news around here has been the snow we got last Friday. Before the snow turned to ice ...it was great for snowman making....hey Kathy...does this look familiar?

3. By Saturday morning, it was was coming down as ice...horrible for snowman-making. So we did a lot of sledding.

4. And of course - all the neighbors made their way out too...

Brent & Jamie Chris & RoseAnn

Maggie May

5. By Saturday night...they had the snow/ice packed so tight that the kids were sliding all the way down the hill (a good 150 feet) all the way to the back porches of the houses below...in record time!

6. The kids have been out of school for two days now because of the ice. Thank Goodness Cody's daycare was open today...and we were (eventually) able to get to work...we were all starting to get a little cabin fever!

7. I finished my 2009 montage for our family. It has pics/videos capturing the events of 2009. If you want to see it (and you have the time - it's half an hour long)...just cut and paste the following link:

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=a06f835a8c3b15eadefa7e&skin_id=701

8. I registered Bridget for soccer in the spring. I don't know if she'll get in...apparently I was supposed to be doing this a month ago...but I'm hopeful once they get my registration fees - they'll find a spot for her. :-)

9. I'm addicted to the Twilight series. I've seen Twilight and New Moon...and I think Eclipse comes out in June. That gives me enough time to read the books too...
What a nerd!

10. Dying to find out what happened to Bridget's little snowman??? Guess what I found yesterday?

Yes - that is our freezer....

Ten on Tuesday

2010-01-19T12:28:00.001-08:00

1. Office politics are stupid.

2. There are people in Haiti wishing office politics was the worst of their problems...I shouldn't complain.

3. Todd and the kids were all off yesterday - they rode their little 4-wheelers EVERYWHERE. Todd said he had no problem getting either one to nap. I was so jealous!

4. We have to figure out age appropriate chores for a 3 and 5 year old. Suggestions?

5. I am almost done with the 2009 digital scrapbook. I love doing it every year...going through the pictures, finding the right music for the background, cool stuff like that. It's fun to watch the finished product with everyone.

6. Todd has been going to the gym almost religiously. His new thing?...Spin class. I kid you not. He even has the special 'padded crotch' shorts to protect "him" while he's in class. Next up - special cycling shoes...
I have to admit - he's doing great at it and has already hit the double digit weight loss.

7. My kids love Taylor Swift. Actually...they have no choice. When the morning DJs start cursing - I flip the station to my CD player where Ms. Swift has spent the past couple of months. It's pretty cute to hear them belting out "FIF-TEEN" from the back seat.

8. I took the kids to a place where you paint little ceramic figurines...they really liked it. Of course - Cody had just as much fun painting the paper plate they use as a placemat as he did the pumpkin (??? - I don't know why he chose a pumpkin) he had picked out.

9. Why can't someone make coupons simple...I have them everywhere. And then I have to keep them separated by refrigerator/freezer/pantry, etc.. And don't even get me started about having to keep track of the freakin expiration dates!!! Saving money should not be this stressful!

10. Our W-2s have started to trickle in....I always feel like filing my taxes is like playing the slots in Vegas...especially since I use TurboTax online. I plug something in and hit enter and watch the amount roll up into the green (refund) or red (we owe)....

* Todd's company doesn't withhold enough during the year (red)
* But we have two kids (green)

And on and on....I end up yelling at the computer:
"Come On Baby....Mama needs a new pair of shoes!!!"

Maybe I should get out more :-)

Did anyone happen to catch the Fiesta Bowl???

2010-01-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

So sad that the Frogs Lost....

But - how can you expect them to win when they are playing against opponents with such intellectually challenging majors???

I don't remember that being an option when I was in college....must be something new... ;-)

Man - you gotta love DVR and the ability to reproduce a screen shot for the whole world to see over and over and over again....Ha ha ha!!!

Christmas - The good, the bad, and the sick

2009-12-30T06:41:00.001-08:00

So we spent a lot of time recovering from the 'ick' at our house. Bridget got sick the Monday before Christmas and when I couldn't get her temp to come down on Wednesday - we went to see the doctor...of course - by the time we go to leave - she's walking out singing Christmas carols. (Yes - I SWEAR - she was deathly ill not 4 hours earlier!!!) So she recovered and Cody took over that afternoon...poor little guy. Needless to say - we were 'no shows' at Grammy and Papa's house Christmas Eve...luckily - the kids didn't realize they had missed anything :-)

By Christmas morning - everyone was tired - but the fevers were gone and Santa's magic had revived us. Grammy and Papa brought the Christmas to us - so there was a ton of stuff under the tree when the kids came down....not to mention Santa was in such a hurry - he made yet another mess of the treats we had left out....

The kids made out like bandits with Cody getting his Leapster and Bridget getting her Leapster Princess game. Not to mention a tool set, jewelry, a dinosaur cave, a baking/decorating kit, etc... But just when they thought they were done...Santa had left matching 4-wheelers in the driveway.

So Merry Christmas everyone...here are some holiday pics....

Opening the stockings...

Look out Paula Deen!

Think he's happy with this present???

Dueling Leapsters....

Merry Christmas Dylan!

Christmas wears us out!!!

AND - Of course - this post wouldn't be complete without a picture of McKinley Mill's 2009 Christmas lighting contest winner.... :-)

We hope everyone had a Happy (& Healthy) Christmas and Best Wishes for 2010!

Ten on Tuesday

2009-12-22T06:47:00.001-08:00

1) As promised - pics from Dylan's birthday....

They let me do her cake... :-)

Of course - she got her own...

2) Bridget, Aidan and Dylan were at Grammy & Papa's yesterday and I was on the phone with Grammy when she said that a deer was in the woods behind her house. Thinking that could work to our advantage - I had her tell them that was Santa's scouting deer to make sure everyone was behaving.
...it worked... :-)

3) Disney had a Christmas cartoon called 'Prep & Landing' that was on last week (??) - we DVR'ed it and have watched it CONSTANTLY since. The kids also like 'The Grinch' (cartoon version)...although Bridget doesn't like how mean the Grinch is to Max...that's so funny because that always used to bother me too....

4) I got moved to an office at work since there are things that I talk about on the phone that really shouldn't be made public. Anyways - so I trade in my nice window cube for an interior office. Not sure how I feel about it - but I do share it with one other person - so I try to be focused...sort of ;-)

5) We attended the annual cookie party down the street a couple weeks ago - as usual, it was a blast...

6) We are pretty much done with Christmas shopping...just a gift or two here or there...I think I'm going through withdrawal...once you start - it's tough to stop!

7) Cody told me this morning that he wants to leave out Macaroni and Cheese for Santa this year.

8) After YEARS of trying to get it right...the Hoelzle's pulled in the 1st place trophy for the neighborhood Christmas lighting contest...honestly - they really didn't have a choice - no one came close...here is the excerpt from our neighborhood website:

AND THE WINNERS ARE...
Wow! Some residents really kicked it up a notch this year. The street that stands out this year is definitely Hamilton Mill--check it out to see a variety of lights and displays with almost all residents showing their spirit!

Unfortunately, we can only select three winners. The winners this year are:

3rd Place 3400 Deering Drive; 2nd Place 3508 Hamilton Mill; and 1st Place 3608 Hamilton Mill. Best wishes to all residents for an enjoyable holiday season and a healthy and blessed new year!

Yes I took pictures...and yes, I forgot to download them....

9) I asked Todd what he planned to do with the 50$ giftcard for 1st place...apparently...we need more lights (?!?!)

10) My mom sent the kids a gift for everyday in December this year - just a little something from the dollar aisle. She wrapped EACH gift up - Cody in polka-dot paper and Bridget's in striped paper. OMG - that has been a hit this year...Mee-maw - you do realize you just signed yourself up for buying and wrapping 48 gifts every year right?!? They aren't going to know what to do with themselves on Christmas when we let them open more than just one gift!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Ten on Tuesday

2009-12-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

1) As promised - pics from Scott's birthday. His wife Vickie is taking him to Vegas next year...cool huh?

2) We had Dylan's first b-day party on the 29th... I can't believe she's already a year old...pics to come soon!!

3) This past weekend we were at Lowe's hardware and Bridget informs me that she needs to go to the bathroom. On the way there I asked if she and Daddy were being too silly and it made her have to go...and she responds:

" Yeah mommy, we were laughing our asses off. "

I told her we don't say asses...it's not a nice word...so she says:

" Can I say we were laughing our basses off??? "

Ummm, how about we stick to bums or bottoms?? "Okay mommy." :-)

4) Todd has lost his mind, after being snubbed by the Home Owners association last year during the Christmas lighting contest. He is more determined than ever to deck the halls...you can now land a small aircraft on our street. I'd take a picture - but apparently - he's not done yet.

5) Our cookie exchange is Saturday at the neighbors down the street - it is always SO much fun - and they are so cool about making sure that their kids are available to play with our kids...they always have a great time. Now I just need to bake 5 dozen pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Plus the 2 dozen cookie 'buffer' for all the ones that seem to disappear out of the kitchen.

6) The kids were playing the game 'Perfection' where you have to fit different shapes into the corresponding holes before the board pops up when the timer runs out. Too cute...

7) Tiger Woods is an idiot.

8) I love doing the Angel Tree - every year our work adopts a few families to purchase Christmas wants and needs for. This year we adopted a 23 year old mother and her 8 month son and 2 year old daughter - they are currently living in a battered women's shelter. All I have to bitch about is my husband increasing our energy bill for a month...she doesn't even have a house to heat. I can handle helping make their Christmas a little better.

9) Cody is borderline obsessed with Diego. He sings the theme song, he knows the words to some of the episodes....it's creepy!

10) I got this forward from my friend Sarah a few days back and I thought it was worth passing along:

This morning, I heard a story on the radio about a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children.

After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable and hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be bound, strung up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we've already crucified him."

I thought that was pretty cool.

Only 16 shopping days left!!!
:-)

Recycling

2009-11-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

We had a surprise party for Todd's brother Scott (who turned 30) last weekend. I finally got the pics downloaded (I'll post them later). Anyways, my niece Dylan borrowed some jammies to crash in and I thought they looked familiar....

11/14/09 (Dylan):

11/12/06 (Cody & Bridget):

Props to Children's Place...their stuff really stands the test of time!!!

A letter to Heather....

2009-11-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Heather:
You were the very nice photographer at Sears that dealt with 4 children under the age of 6 - all in the name of the annual Christmas picture with Bridget, Cody, and their cousins - Aidan and Dylan. Every year I buy the kids Christmas PJs and every year we attempt to have a stress free photo session. As a result - I am no longer speaking to the jack-asses who work at the Picture People. Stop sending me coupons....I hate you.

But I digress...not only did you take some wonderful pictures - you were patient and nice and let me do all the yelling at who ever wasn't listening. We were in and out and we weren't rushed when it was time to review the pictures.

So thank you for everything. Because of your pleasant attitude - I spent a lot of money and have absolutely no regret about it. In fact - I bought the CD because it comes with a copyright release meaning I can print what ever the hell I want to wherever I want to without penalty of law. You rock!

Sincerely,
Crissie Hoelzle

:-)

Seriously - thank you Sears portrait studio - our future Christmas PJ picture is in your hands from here on out. And although I can't reveal all the pictures because a couple will be going in our annual Christmas letter - here is a sample...

Next up...family pictures...;-)

Happy Hump Day!

Aidan & Cody

Bridget & Dylan

Ten on Wednesday

2009-11-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

1) Halloween was a lot of fun....the kids remembered the routine very quickly.

Mr. Andy - our first stop.Mr. Motorcross and my beautiful fairy princess

2) We met up with some of the other kids towards the end of the night and they were all so stinkin cute together.

(L to R: Motorcross Cody, little ladybug - Kerrington; big ladybug - Lillie; Dorothy - Taylor; Fairy Bridget; and Tino the clown)

3) Dear Lord - the amount of candy those two pulled in. We are looking for places to stash it....we took some to grammy & papa's, I took some to work, Todd & I are eating it (like either of US need it). There is candy EVERYWHERE!!!

4) We have awesome neighbors...Brent and Jaime had us over for apple cider (with some Captain Morgan's in it) for a Halloween nightcap. Thanks guys!!!

5) I hate that the stores won't let you scan your professional photos in their photo department. Really...who cares?!?!

6) I found the CUTEST pajamas at Carter's for the kids this year. Can't wait to get their pics taken.

7) The kids are getting their flu shots tomorrow. I think they are actually getting the mist (they let me pick this year). Yeah - like that's much of a choice...dead virus in a mercury solution, or live virus up your nose. Sounds like a good time either way.

8) I have discovered that most Mexican restaurants hang their bathroom mirrors REALLY low...I have to bend down to see my face in them.

9) I know that we are no where near dire straits enough for Extreme Home Makeover to come and re-decorate our house...but honestly - how awesome would THAT be?

10) Last Saturday Cody woke us up at 6:30am to help Todd work on the shed (he's re-roofing it). Cody LOVES to help him. So Todd so kindly obliged him and both of them went to Home Depot so Bridget and I could sleep in. So here is a picture of my men at 7am on Halloween...getting ready for a long morning of hard work...doesn't Todd look thrilled?? :-)

Ten on Tuesday

2009-10-27T08:00:00.001-07:00

1) We hit the fair back on the 17th with the family. I love the fair...and my fantastic husband even took all the kids home and let me and my sister-in-law Vickie walk around the exhibit halls ALL BY OURSELVES!!! It was nice to wander around.

Jeff, Aidan & Cody

Grammy & Dylan

Cody & Dylan

The obligatory baby chicken-holding tent.

Cody - passed out!

2) I'm settling into my new job responsibilities - which at the moment are my old job responsibilities plus a bunch of meetings. There are things on the horizon - but until then, I've got one foot in each world. That's how I roll... :-)

3) We bought the kids a playground this past weekend. They are SO full of energy and they need something to climb/swing/play on. We are very excited. We have to prep the play area before it can be built...it probably won't be ready for a few weeks...but I can hardly wait!

4) We also had a birthday party at Jumpin Beans - it's this huge indoor bounce house place. Kelvin's parents were very gracious and let Bridget come too. They had a lot of fun....

Cody & Charlotte

Daddy & Cody

5) I bought (and later that night - stuffed) enough yummies for 24 bags of treats for Bridget's class, got tablecloths and plates for Cody's class, and even remembered to pick up a frozen lunch for today while at Walmart yesterday....I rock.

6) For Halloween - Bridget is going to be a fairy (her costume lights up!) and Cody is going to be a Motorcross guy. They picked, ...maybe someday I can convince them do something themed...not this year though. :-)

7) Halloween last year:

8) Bridget keeps threatening to 'pull my ticket' at home. That's what happens to them at school when they need to be disciplined. She's even said if didn't clean up my act....she'd call my mom. Look out Mee-Maw, and don't answer the phone if the call is from my school. :-)

9) As I mentioned in my last post - two of my neighbors were due on the same day next year. J. texted me yesterday to say that they lost their baby - she was almost 12 weeks.

I cried in the middle of WalMart.

The day before, I had given her a maternity track suit b/c everything was getting tight on her. She wore it that night to walk with her husband...and now she has deal with the fact that her belly won't get any bigger this time. I realize there is some grand plan and I'm not privy to a lot of it. But I don't see what greater good could be served by taking away a baby from two of the most loving people I know. What makes me so lucky that I get to have two happy, healthy babies and there are so many other mommies that struggle?

10) Is it Friday yet???

Ten on Wednesday

2009-10-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

1) Whew! We had a quite a busy weekend! Saturday we went to a surprise party for our friend Bob. Todd was in charge of keeping Bob away from his house until his wife could get the house ready and the people could show up. So he and his brothers took him to a sports bar...where he proceeded to tie one on. Scott & Jeff helped too...before you knew it...Todd had turned into the Designated Driver...

2) Note to self - DO NOT get anyone hammered who is about to walk in on his family (including his parents, who he didn't know had driven in from Pennsylvania). The look on his face was PRICE-LESS! But I have to hand it to him...he got it together!

Bob & his Wife Melissa

3) Surprise Parties rock...we had a lot of fun.

Aidan & Cody

4) Sunday was Grammy's birthday - so Bridget & I took her to the nail salon for mani/pedi's. They even had had pedicure chairs for kids...are you kidding me? They had DVD players at each chair so the kids could watch something while they were pampered.

5) I have created a monster!

6) I made a cake for Grammy's birthday. The kids tell her that she is old as dirt...so I went with that for a theme.

7) Monday was our anniversary. 7 years....God we're old.

8) Monday started out like any other Monday until my boss told me that my promotion had gone through...and even better - the promotion came with a bit of a raise. Cool huh? It definitely didn't suck...

9) To celebrate the Anniversary - Grammy and Papa watched the kids and Todd & I went to a restaurant with cloth napkins and wine. BTW - Michael Dean's is a fabulous place to go on Mondays - dinner for 2 for a great price. Our server was fantastic and the only person's food I had to cut up was my own! :-)

10) Since it's Wednesday - I figured I should post some random pics too...

Bridget's class trip to the pumpkin patch last week. She's laughing at the boy they dressed up like a chicken to teach the kids about farm animals.

The teachers at Bridget's school worked at McDonald's last Thursday - 25% of the proceeds went to Harris Creek. Don't even get me started on how disgusting it is to me that they even HAVE to do stuff like this....but the kids really enjoyed it. This is Bridget's teacher - Ms. Wilson.

Grammy and her grand-crew...

Happy Wednesday!!!

Ten on Tuesday, er...Wednesday

2009-10-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

What a crazy busy last couple of weeks...I started this on Tuesday - so I guess it still counts as a Ten on Tuesday!

1) Last week we had a business meeting in Dallas. Preparation wasn't so bad - I just had to put EVERYTHING else on the back burner. I am SO paying for that now. But - I did get to see my sister who lives in Dallas - and that was awesome.

2) My sister's idea of rest and relaxation.

She rocks huh? (Yes - those are mimosas in a hot tub...)

3) This morning Cody was singing the little prayer they say before lunch at school:
Thank you Jesus (thank you Jesus)
For Our Food (for our food)
And Our Many Blessings (and our many blessings)

then he ended with: "Ah man (ah-man)" - it sounded like he was saying Oh Man!

4) Did anyone see the Packers/Vikings game Monday night....Brett Farve is unbelievable.

5) I met with Bridget's teacher yesterday for parent teacher conferences. She's above all expected developmental milestones at this point. And she talks a lot. (Yeah - no kidding - try driving in a car with her...) It amazes me all the testing and parameters they have in place - even at the Kindergarten level. It used to be - "Do you eat paste?" - No - okay - then off to first grade you go...Now they have letter understanding, conceptual concepts, number recognition and basic mathematical skills. The teacher said she would probably start sending low level reading books for Bridget to start reading this quarter as she knows her letters (and letter sounds) and so that's the next step.

6) Back to my weekend in Dallas - we went to a TCU football game where my niece Amanda is in the color guard (flag corp). They did awesome - but it was cold and raining the whole time.

Kathy (my sis), Emily (my niece), & me

7) Two of my neighbors are pregnant and due on May 13th and May 16th...I decided that Brett & Jaime are going to have a boy and Rachael & Andy are going to have a girl... we'll have to wait and see how I do guessing - but its awesome to have the next round of babies coming around the neighborhood!

8) It's like 78 more days until Christmas. Ugh....

9) Bridget's school teachers are working with McDonald's to have a fundraiser this Thursday. The teachers will be working at the McDonald's by our house on the 8th from 5-8 and they get 25% of the proceeds. So if you are local - please be hungry for McDonald's on Capital by Triangle Town Center this Thursday. :-)

10) I'm off to the pumpkin patch with Bridget's class tomorrow. I am really looking forward to it as this week has been really busy at work (more so than I anticipated) and I am frankly a bit tired of trying to catch up. I am pretty excited to meet her classmates and to find Jayden - who is apparently attached at the hip with Bridget...according to Ms. Wilson - they are little partners in crime. LOL....

Ten on Tuesday

2009-09-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

1) I love fall....it just smells like football outside.

2) I love football...and my Bears beat my husband's beloved Steelers this past weekend. (Even without Urlacher) Does anyone know how long it's been since the offense actually got credit for pulling out the win???

3) I have to go to Dallas for a meeting next week. BUT - I get to go see my sister, in the new house they moved into...FIVE YEARS AGO!!! Sorry Kathy - better late than never!

4) Speaking of Dallas...I'm sure the Cowboys appreciated losing their first game in that 1.1 BILLION dollar stadium that Jerry Jones built. LOL!

5) I hate getting the kids pictures taken. This year - I am kidnapping my friend Amanda and paying her to follow us to some random park and just snapping away. The stress of professional photography is ridiculous.

6) We want to get the kids a play set for Christmas this year - but they are driving us crazy at night with all their pent up energy. It may be a Halloween gift instead.

7) I am so happy that my favorite TV shows are back on...House, Bones, Mental, Lie to Me, gosh...I'll even tune in for Dancing with the Stars every once in a while. Hooray for the Fall line up...my DVR is ready to go!

8) It's supposed to rain for the next couple of days...

9) The kids picked their Halloween costumes...Bridget just wanted something that had wings. She is a fairy with a skirt that lights up. Cody is going to be a motor cross guy with this cool helmet looking thing. I hope the weather cooperates. I got these coupon books at Wendy's - for 1$ you get 10 - 6oz. Frosty gift certificates...so for 5$ I got 50 and that is what we are handing out this year for treats...that way there is no temptation to eat the leftovers... The candy the kids collect is another story :-)

10) Two of my neighbors are pregnant - and they are due pretty much at the same time. May is going to be baby month on our block...and we needed some reason to have a party in March - I think a baby shower should do it!

We're Baa-ack!!!!

2009-09-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

So we had a great time in the Bahamas last week. I have had at least 5 people tell me today that I look 'rested' ...they all used that same word. I must have really looked like crap before I left! Anyways...here is a Reader's Digest version of the trip:

Friday (the 4th) - Todd and I drove down to Jacksonville to stay the night and board the boat the next day. I was glad we got there the night before - we had time to relax and unwind. I also had quite a few loose ends to finish up on the scrapbook I did as a gift - so it was nice to be able to spread out in the hotel room.

Saturday (the 5th) - We left Jacksonville at 4pm and couldn't wait to get to the warm waters of the Caribbean!

We're ready to roll!
(F: Scott, Heidi, Natasha R: Maxine, Todd, Jim)

Todd's parents - Jim & Maxine

Todd hangin out

The Fascination

Sunday (the 6th) - We were on the boat all day...so Todd and I took the opportunity to hit the ship's spa for a massage. :-) The formal Captain's dinner was also that night - which worked well since it was Todd's parent's anniversary as well. We had a great dinner and they brought them a cake...tears were flowing before the cake even hit the table. The scrapbook was a hit and we all had a good time looking at all the old pictures....
BTW - A HUGE thank you to those who sent me well wishes to include in their book: Patty, Sue, Dar, all the daughters-in-law, my mom, all the kids. Uncle Dick even had the wedding announcement from the 1969 newspaper...so awesome!

Jeff & Stacy

Me & Todd

Scott & Vickie
Heidi & Natasha
Jim & Maxine

Monday (the 7th) - We finally made it off the boat to Coco Cay (Carnival's private island) - awesome weather. Clear water...you could see all the way to the ocean floor, sunny skies, and tropical music coming from the bar. They even had a BBQ on the island so you didn't have to go back to the ship. We stayed a little too long and left more red than tan...but I could have cared less. My poor husband is molting off his shoulders right now (sorry Todd!!) - but it was SOOO worth it!

Me & Todd

Natasha & Stacy

L to R: Todd, Me, Maxine, Jim, Jeff, Stacy, Natasha, & Heidi

Jim & Maxine

I have the remainder of the pics on another disk - so I'll download those tomorrow. Special thanks to my mom who stayed with our kids ALL WEEK(!!) so that we could relax on the big boat. We had a great time and look forward to doing it again soon....

See you for Part 2 tomorrow!!!

Ten on Tuesday

2009-09-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'm still here...really.

It's been SOOO busy the past couple of weeks, so this isn't really a ten on Tuesday - more like a catch up from the last 18 days (!!)

So we did make it to IKEA...Bridget is the proud owner of a trundle bed and new dresser. They are really nice and should hold up pretty well. (They better...IKEA is reasonably priced, but not free by any means!) The only picture I have so far is one where our neighbors had come over for a tea party...so here you go...

Mr. Brent and Todd on the new bed while Ms. Jamie and Bridget have a tea party. (Tea party dinnerware also courtesy of IKEA)

We had baby Taylor's birthday party up the street on the 15th. We really have to stop calling her baby Taylor...she turned 2. It was pretty warm outside but everyone had a great time. Happy Birthday Taylor!!!

Bridget and Taylor
They should outlaw pink icing...

Julie, Taylor, and Steven

I ended up traveling last week for work. Middle of nowhere New York...also known as Olean, NY. I was training another monitor for the study I am working on. It was a good trip...but I have been pretty congested for the past two weeks now and so I didn't realize until it was too late that the descent on the airplane was not going to be kind to my left ear. Of course - there was no direct flight - so I endured that mess FOUR times! Ugh...now I remember why I don't care to fly anymore - it just wipes you out. Anyways...

Last weekend our friend Natasha turned 21. She cuts our hair and their family have been friends for quite a while now. I volunteered to do the cake as our gift. Yikes...what pressure! It kind of came together on it's own and turned out pretty good for my first solo venture. I made a chocolate Kahlua cake with a chocolate mousse filling. Then I covered it in chocolate butter cream, and topped the bottom layer in pink fondant and the top layer in chocolate fondant. I decorated it and then put some Gerber Daisies on the top. I also put some chocolate covered strawberries on the side once we got to the party. It turned out pretty good (in my humble opinion!).

Natasha's 21st Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday Natasha!!!

So I am frantically trying to get work done so that I can be officially on vacation when I walk out the door on Thursday. We are cruising to the Bahamas on the 5th - 10th ...so I am off until the 14th...I can't remember the last time I took off that long. I am so excited..!!!

We are celebrating Todd's parent's 40th anniversary so all four of their kids are going (sans grandbabies...). My mom is coming up to watch our kids and love on the puppies while we are gone....

I can hardly wait!

The Tooth Fairy is taking donations!!!

2009-08-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

We lost our 2nd tooth yesterday!

I honestly don't know how it stayed in as long as it did. Apparently - it came out on the bus on the way home last night. Bless her heart - the bus driver wrapped it in some notebook paper so Bridget wouldn't lose it. So now Bridget is missing both bottom front teeth....it's pretty stinkin cute. I haven't taken a picture yet - but I'll get to it this weekend.

Our neighbor up the street is turning 2 and her party is tomorrow. I can't believe that she is going to be two!!! Happy Birthday Taylor.

Todd and I are going to try to get to Charlotte this weekend. Poor Bridget has been sleeping on the floor because we gave Aunt Heidi her bed/mattress to take to school. Of course- she loves it...but that can't be good for her. So the plan is to get to IKEA and get her a bed that she can sleep in until she goes to college. I'm thinking a trundle bed would be nice in case she has a sleepover or two (or more)- in the coming years. She also needs a desk - they have a daily homework...in Kindergarten. (!!) So I really need her to get into the routine of getting it done when she gets home. And - it would be nice for her to have somewhere to get it done.

So it's gonna be one of those weekends....hurry up and get nothing done...gotta love it! :-)

Ten on Tuesday

2009-08-11T09:24:00.001-07:00

Ten on Tuesday combined with a recap of the past week and a half:

1) August has turned into 'Birthday Party month' - with the exception of the past weekend - we have a party every weekend in the month of August. Bridget's friend Sydney had hers at Build-A-Bear on the 2nd....the kids had a lot of fun -Bridget made a bear and Cody made a turkey.

Bridget making a wish on the little heart they put into the bear.

Bridget and Sydney

2) Our friend Reed brought his riding lawn mower over for Todd to try out. For those of you who didn't know - Cody is half farmer. He jumped up on the "tractor" and they mowed our lawn - and then the neighbor's lawn - I'm not sure who was having more fun - Todd or Cody.

3) Todd, Jeff, the kids and I went up to Boone, NC (which is in the mountains) this past weekend to help Heidi move into her apartment at Appalachain State. The kids were really good considering the drive. We were planning to stay overnight in Concord where they have a huge outlet mall, but apparently - other people had that same idea as all the hotels were sold out! It was tax-free weekend in NC this past weekend. Basically - the state waives the 7.5% tax on school related items - all clothing, electronics under 3500$, school supplies, etc.. So I am guessing the mall would have been pretty busy anyway.

4) We did stop at a mall on the way home in Winston-Salem....it had a carousel so the kids were happy.

L to R: Bridget, Cody(w/ Todd), and Aidan

5) We are in the preliminary stages of fixing up the back yard. We are planning to sod, along with a permanent playground, plantings and one day - to screen in our porch...its fully exposed to the sun - so it's hard to use it when it's hot outside. It is expected to be done in phases - but I am excited at the prospect of kicking the kids out into the yard, and actually having grass for them to play on...

6) I just read the last Harry Potter...I hadn't up to this point because I didn't want it to end (I know - I'm a geek). But I saw the movie for #6 and I wanted to read the rest of the story. I've heard a lot of people rave about the TWILIGHT series - so I think that will be my next guilty pleasure. :-)

7) I hate putting away laundry. That should be on everyone of my 10 on Tuesdays....I will load the washer/dryer, fold the clothes, sort the clothes...but I HATE putting them away. Yuck!

8) They installed new carpet at my work...so I had to pack up everything that was on my desk...now I can't find anything...

9) Last Sunday was Todd's dad's birthday. He has become quite the avid gardener...so the kids got him some essentials...including hats for themselves so they can "help" (...and I use that term loosely!)

10) I have almost completed all of my cake classes. I have agreed to do a cake for couple birthday parties....one is for a 2 yr old and one for a 21 year old. ONE of them is a Bailey's Irish cake...can you guess which one??? :-)

Happy Tuesday!
Crissie