Merry (late) Christmas!

Boy oh' boy does time fly! I can't believe that I haven't posted anything since Thanksgiving. I guess you could say that I really haven't had the time to do much of anything on the computer lately.

I knew that I had to at least post some Christmas pictures!

Quick wrap up: Our Christmas was very nice. The kids got so much stuff that I don't know what I am going to do with it. Jenna got her Wii like she has asked for, tons of games, barbies, an MP3 Player, an IDOG, and much much more.

Kane didn't get as much stuff as his sister but that was a given- all of the toys we got him are sitting under the tree and he would rather bother his sister!

Let me post a few pics of our Christmas holiday!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Can you believe that it's already the day after Thanksgiving! 27 days until Christmas...and the race is on!
We had a great Thanksgiving dinner at my sister in laws house and after eating until we couldn't eat anymore, we headed for my in laws house. The day seemed to have flew by and before we knew it we were KID FREE for the night! I never thought I would ever be kid free for an entire night and I must admit, I didn't know what to do with myself.
After cleaning up the mess I left in the afternoon I sat down to sink my brain into the Black Friday ads. This is the first year that I couldn't find a real reason to get up at 4 am! I don't know if it's because of Jenna's age or just because she wants things that many others her age wouldn't want but I found myself grasping for any reason to get up! Of course I managed to come across something for the new baby and was up at 2 am shopping online.
At 7:30 I went to my mom's and picked her up for an eventful day of shopping. We hit up Toy's R Us, Kohls, and BJ's, getting alot of great deals. I don't feel like I am near the end of shopping yet but it felt good to get a start on things.
Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday- I must go now, Jenna and I are heading out to Kmart if Kane will ever fall asleep!

21 week OB Appt.

Well I posted today already but figured I owed it to this new little girl to post an update for her as well! Went to my normal every 4 week appt. today. All is well, baby's heartbeat is fast and steady. I am measuring right on for 21 weeks and have gained 3 lbs. Oops! What happened, I haven't even eaten my Thanksgiving dinner yet?
The Dr. gave me some OTC Prilosec for my horrendous heartburn so hopefully that will help.
Last night this little baby gave me a run for my money. After laying in bed with pain form my heartburn, I ended up running to the bathroom to "christen" the toilet. In the midst of throwing up, Kane decides to wake up and start hysterically crying. I couldn't stop getting sick so all I could do was grab him from his crib real quick and set him down next to me until my stomach decided to settle. Needless to say, I wouldn't wish that on anyone and would have rather been anywhere else then singing to the toilet at 1 am with a screaming 9 month old by my side!
Other than that all is well...I can't believe I only have 4 more months left until we meet this new member!

Happy 9 months Kane!

Well yesterday was his 9 month check up and I can't believe how big he is getting. His stats are as follows:

Weight- 21 lbs. (60%) We though for sure our little piggy was bigger than this!

Height- 29.5 " (90%) Could it be that he will be tall like his daddy and grandpa?

Head- 18" (60%) A little above average...I'll take it!

Check up went well except that he was unable to get his flu shot because he had a low grade temp. We figured that it was probably from his teeth but decided to wait a week or so just to play it safe.

Here are a few pictures I took in the last 2 weeks that I thought were so cute! Jenna just loves her little brother!

Christmas decorations already?

I have noticed every Christmas that stores have been setting up their displays earlier and earlier every year but now it's getting absurd! 3 days before Halloween a well known retail store had cleared there Halloween isle and started decorating with Christmas trees. I couldn't believe my eyes! Now, people are putting up there Christmas lights before it's even Thanksgiving! Isn't it a golden rule that you don't decorate for one holiday before another? Same as you don't wear white after Labor day, or are those days long gone?
We have decided to put our tree up Thanksgiving weekend because it suits our family best. Marc will be home all weekend which is rare and I want to take the kids pictures under the tree so I can make my greeting cards..I think that is legit, right? Anything before that seems a bit premature in my opinion!
For all of those reading who have already started decorating, I apologize but maybe I don't want time to fly by that fast yet!
Update time: Jenna is loving basketball! I am shocked because I would have passed her off more as a bookworm than a "sportsy" girl but she counts down the days until practice and can't wait for her first game which is December 6th!
Kane has both top teeth poking sharply through. I must say he did quite well with this round of teeth, no fever, no night waking etc. So I can't complain! He is our best eater of the family..today he had eggs, toast, OJ and cereal for breakfast. Marc laughs because he says for our next one I will have a T.V. dinner waiting when she arrives home from the hospital!
Pregnancy- going on 20 1/2 weeks already. I don't feel big yet but think I am carrying more "wide" this time! I am wearing pregnancy jeans but really could still pull off regular pants. Maybe it's just me but I don't think people can quite tell yet and I sometimes catch people glance at my stomach as if I have ingested an alien. They can't tell if I have gained alot of weight or if it's possible that "the girl who just had a baby is pregnant again!"
Ok well I am trying to get on more so hopefully I can start to keep up more now that Kane is starting to amuse himself for longer periods of time!

Quick Update

Well seeing as I am such a slacker lately with blogging, I guess I will at least do an update!
Kane is almost 9 months old and I can't believe it. He is starting to get up on his hands and knees but as soon as we think he is going to take off, he does a belly flop and starts crying! He prefers to walk and we are afraid that is bad news! He pulls himself up and lunges for anyone to grab their fingers. Marc and I have been walking with him for the past 2 weeks and now he is cruising around with us, looking for anything to get in to. He will walk us towards the heater ducts, cabinets, and dog food! Oh goodness, I can see already that I need to start the baby proofing!
As for eating, he is our little piggy! He wants anything that we are eating and cries if we don't give it to him. I can't even say that he has a favorite because he it's it all!
Sleeping has been wonderful! I have high hopes of catching up on the last 8 months of little sleep before the new baby comes. For the last few days he has slept from 7:30 pm to 5:45 am! Sounds early but not having to wake up in the middle of the night makes all the difference.
Nothing new with the rest of the bunch- Jenna is involved in many things as I said before and Marc is still working on the upstairs!
Hope to be able to get some more pics posted as well...thanks for reading!

It's a..........

GIRL!! We had our ultrasound on Thursday last week and every thing went great! Baby is measuring right on key and all organs/parts are perfect. We are so excited to welcome our new baby girl on April 4th! Jenna is so excited to have a sister but was disappointed for Kane! She said that she knows he would want a brother! I think they will be so close in age that it won't matter.
I am not really showing all that much but I am sure that I will pop in the next few weeks. Besides having morning sickness still, I feel pretty good. I have only gained 6 lbs so far and for that I am thankful!
Everything has been going pretty smooth around here, normal chaos with Jenna's schedule of activities. Monday and Thursday are basketball, Tuesday is Art Club and Brownies, and Wed. is bowling so it makes for a busy week!
I had a trip to the ER Saturday night due to my kidney stones. I knew I had them but I guess something wiggled them loose which caused me to be in severe pain. Luckily the stone was small enough to pass quickly and it was a short lived visit to the ER (which I hate). Sunday was a very long day because Marc had to work all day and we had the time change. Besides not sleeping due to my ER visit, Kane woke up at 5:45. Luckily today we all feel refreshed and are getting back into the normal routine.
Hope everyone reading this is well! I am trying to post more frequently but have a hard time finding the time with an 8 month old that feels the need to be held 24 hours a day! LOL

Happy Halloween!

We are a few days late on posting pictures but I finally got a few moments to spare!

Halloween Time

Last Saturday night Jenna went to her annual Halloween dance at school. It is so nice because all the students dress up and dance all night. I too look forward to going and watching her with her friends. This year she has decided to dress up as a Spanish Princess. I was nervoius about doing her hair but it came out perfect! This was Jenna doing crafts at the dance!

Sunday morning we went to my nieces cheerleading competition- They got first place for smiles...yeah Emmy!

You know you're a mom when...

Last night I was sitting in front of the tv watching Desperate Housewives and found my mind wandering. I started thinking about all the things that have changed in my life after becoming a mom! So here is a list of things I started thinking about and I bet you will be surprised at how similiar they are to your lives as well!
You know you're a mom when:

You used to think snot was gross until you were out shopping and your child sneezed, only to let them use your sleeve when you didn't have tissues.



You know you're mom when:

Dressing up consists of windsuits with turtlenecks and a COMFY pair of white sneakers.



You know you're a mom when:

Your children have nicer, more expensive clothes than you.



You know you're a mom when:

Formula and spit up on your shirt is your new favorite smell.



You know you're a mom when:

Doing the dishes and looking out the window is relaxing.



You know you're a mom when:

You take a shower with someone in the bathroom other than your husband!



You know you're a mom when:

You find yourself dreaming of having an extra set of hands and why god didn't create women with four arms.



You know you're a mom when:

You have to tell your family that their isn't a magical fairy that picks up clothes on the floor and that it's actually YOU!



You know you're a mom when:

You find yourself calling other parents and asking them about the test your second grader has and what it consists of.



You know you're a mom when:

You touch your child's bodily functions and no longer feel like you are going to puke when you see it on your hand after a nice battle with a squirmy baby.

Kane loves his eggs!

"Mommy, I love eggs!"

Sunday again

Well not much going on here- guess that is why I haven't updated lately! Kane is getting so big. He will be 8 months in 4 days..where did the time go? He has 2 bottom teeth like I mentioned previously and his upper gums are very swollen so we will be expecting those soon. He has tried just about every food in the book including eggs, jello, cake, ice cream, chicken, and beans. He loves those foods for treats but still prefers his baby food and formula!
Jenna starts basketball tomorrow so I hope she likes it. This week is pretty filled up with activities such as basketball, brownies, art club, and bowling. Mommy is going to need the weekend to recover after this upcoming week!
Our house is still slowly getting remodeled. Marc is working on Jenna's room upstairs, expanding it with a bigger closet so she has more space. I can't take living in these close quarters for much longer but am not looking forward to paying a double heat bill.
We also went for pumpkins today and Jenna got quite a large one-Marc had to get an even bigger one so we will be carving those possible this Wednesday!
My parents just left for New Orleans so we hope the weather is nice and they have a great time! They will be staying in Biloxi, Mississippi for 2 nights and then New Orleans for 3 nights!
I guess that is the short update, as you all know by reading my blogs that I could carry on for quite sometime!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Pumpkinville Pictures and Bingo Winnings!

PUMPKINVILLE!!!

MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY!

B-I-N-G-O

And bingo was his name-o! Well I'll be, didn't Jenna and I go to bingo last night with a bunch of other friends and families from school expecting to just have a good time and walk out empty handed...nope! Jenna walked away with the second highest pay out: $1000.00! I almost died. She had to do a coverall which was to cover all the numbers on the board and as I looked over I noticed she had 2 numbers left to win, sure enough they called those 2 numbers right in a row! After the shock wore off we have decided to put most in her bank account, put some aside for Christmas, and give her a hundred dollars for what ever she wants! That is one lucky little girl!
After a fun filled night at bingo we had plans to go with our friends the Sikora's out to Pumkinville. We spent the whole day there and had a blast. Both girls, Jenna and her friend Breanna went on a few pony rides, a hay ride, a giant corn maze, and fed some goats and chickens. We ate some yummy hot dogs and topped it off with some nice cold glasses of Cider Slushies..boy was it good! Here are some pictures of Jenna's winnings and our fun trip to Pumpkinville. Thanks to Mrs. Sikora for driving us and for inviting us as well!

October 1st..already?

Ok who is turning time? I wok eup at 5 am this morning thanks to my baby alarm and realized after looking at the school lunch menu that it's officially October! Good bye warm weather, hello snow, ugh. Guess I should go buy some hats, boots, and jackets soon because before you know it Christmas will be here.
Updates:
Jenna is still doing great in school. Her cough is really starting to get the best of all of us though so I foresee a trip back to the doctor soon. This is our last relaxing week before most of her activites start up. Next week she has art club after school then Brownies and Wednesday she has bowling. I have to admit that it's diffiult carting her around and finding someone to watch the little one but I look so forward to getting out and talking to the other moms!

Kane officially has 2 teeth and they look so cute! He won'tlet me get a picture but I will keep trying and when I do I will post it! He is sitting pretty much on his own but we know not to walk by him fast or else he tries to turn and falls over. He is starting to sit on the floor and play with his toys which I must say is wonderful. I can actually set him in his crib with some toys and do the dishes or fold a load of laundry, woohoo! He is starting to taste more things such as cereal and pizza crust. He even sucked on my chicken the other day and made MMMM noises!

Baby #3 is growing quite rapidly and is causing me to gain weight that I would rather not! I am now 13.5 weeks and up 2 lbs. Baby's heart beat is at a steady 160 and is beating strong. Starting ot have a little bump but nothing noticable which is fine with me! The sooner I show the more questions I will be asked! Next big ultrasound is Oct 30th.

Julie and Marc- I am doing fine, just a bit tired. Trying to keep up with daily life is taking a toll on me but over all I feel good. Trying to stay organized is a chore lately because my "pregnancy brain" is plaing tricks on me! So far I have screwed up a docotrs appt., threw out Jenna's study pages, threw out the icing for the toaster strudels and you know you can't eat a toaster strudel without the icing that comes with it, forgot to pay some bills, forgot to wash jenna's gym uniform and had to put it on her half dry yesterday and I am sure I could keep going....
Marc is working, and working. Did I mention that Marc is working? That is Marc's update! LOL

So it's supposed to be a rainy week which will indeed cause some cabin fever around here. Hopefully it clears up for a little while so Jenna can go outside and play after school. The Girl Scout cookie sale starts today and Jenna is begging me to go to the neighbors...BUT it's raining so I will have to explain that most people do not go out in the rain to sell things to their neighbors!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun..I guess!

Ok I will apologize for not updating in a long time but I guess I have been busy. Lets see, where do I begin? I guess I will update each child first:Jenna- She started school in the beginning of Sept. 2nd grade that is. So far everything is going well and she is bringing home test after test of 100%! Even though she hates getting up and physically going to school, she seems to enjoy her time with her friends when she is there! Brownies has started and since it is her first year doing it she realized that she LOVES it! Thanks to her friends mom (Mrs. Kathy) for being the group leader, I think it made her more comfortable. Plus she has 4 other friends from school in her troop so she just has a ball. Also bowling starts in October so that will be keeping her (and I) busy as well. She has lost all 4 teeth (two top/two bottom) or shall I say, she has had all 4 teeth pulled and the tooth fairy left her a substantial amount of funds for each tooth! On her off days she usually comes home and plays outside with her friends while the weather is still warm.Kane- He is now 7 months, gosh where dos the time go? He just started to get one bottom tooth and is currently in the teething stage. We have been fighting the "paraflu" virus around here so the poor little guy has been battling a stuffy nose/fever along with his aches and pain of teething. He is doing a little better sleeping at night, as long as he doesn't nap too much during the day. I am still getting up 1-3 times a night whether it be to feed him or just comfort him but that had better come to a stop soon! I am going to need all the sleep I can get before the next one comes! As for words, he says dada, lala, nana, and mama- with no meaning attatched of course! Still choosing not to crawl but he manages to roll all over the floor to getto his destination befor ehe starts screaming for help! We just up'd his diaper size to a 4 and he is in 12 month clothing. If he keeps it up, we will have to get him into football! He weighs 19 lbs. already! New Baby- I just had my ultrasound today and every thing is great! Couldn't have asked for a better appt. Odds of down syndrome are 1 in 2500 and that's even without the testing back from the lab. No abnormalities can be detected and so far this little baby is perfect! The tech guessed what she thought it's gender was but I don't think we will release that information yet...although my big mouth managed to tell of few friends already! The big ultrasound is on Oct 30th so we will know for sure then!
draft

First Ultrasound!

Well as I dropped the bomb in the last post I have been too busy to update until today! Jenna is at a birthday party and Kane is at his grandma's so I had a few moments to spare.

I went for my first ultrasound last wednesday 9/3/08-I am currently 10 wks pregnant and I have a due date of April 5th, 2009! It is always sweet to see your little baby growing in your belly and no matter how many times I am pregnant it's always special.

This baby was moving around like crazy and it's heart rate was perfect 158 beat /minute! So that is my litle updaet and now I will share this babies very first blog picture! Enjoy!

I have news!!

Well you may have wondered why I haven't been posting lately..I haven't felt well. In fact I have been so sick that I can hardly function these days. I'm tired, sick, and just plain old grumpy. I have googled every intestinal illness alive. I have researched every cancer you could dream of. I made an appt. with my primary doctor. NOTHING. So I finally gave in and bought a test. YEP, I said it, a test. Not a math test, or a blood test. Not an I.Q. test but a good ole' positive+, negative- test. You know, the ones where you P.O.A.S..that stands for "pee on a stick" in the fertility world. Yes once upon a time I was considered infertile. Not anymore! After two pregnancy tests and two positives I have finally been diagnosed with my illness: I'm PREGNANT AGAIN!
So after weeks of living in denial and wondering how in the heck I will manage a 7 year old, 1 year old, and an infant, I am starting to become at peace with it all. I have realized that my life will be on hold for a good 3-4 years and leaving the house will be non existent except when I have to drive Jenna to school. I will no longer pack up and "run" to Target. I will no longer be able to "slip out" to the grocery store while Kane is sleeping and Marc is watching the kids. I will become a prisoner in my own home, at least for a few years!
So I guess overall the rule of thumb is: You are fertile after you have a baby!! Even if you were infertile before hand!
SO yes Aunt Karyn if you are reading this, you are going to be an Aunt again!
I was able to go for my dr.'s today and I am scheduled for my first ultrasound tomorrow to see our precious little bean! Everyone says things are meant to be and I agree. Kane will have a close sibiling and Jenna will be left alone to mature into a beautiful young girl without her "nagging" little brother!! I will update more tomorrow..after being exhausted from Jenna's first day of 2nd grade! I guess these years will fly. Now that I am writing this I realize that my once little, difficult, crying infant is now a big second grader..so time flies!

Thank You!

Well no pictures today just an update of these last few days seeing as I haven't found time to get on lately. Jenna has finally learned to ride her bike! This is a monumental event for us because we have been trying to teach her for 4 years! After a few spills she gave up and swore never to ride a bike again.
A big thank you to Papa Jim and Grandma Elaine for the beautiful new Treck (bike) that they bought her the other day! I will post pics another time.
Today Jenna was lucky enough to be invited to her friend Breanna's house. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any pictures because I had to pick Kane up from grandma's house but when I got back, she was having a blast! A big thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Sikora for having Jenna over for a cool-down pool party today in this sweltering heat! Hopefully she will sleep soundly tonight!
Kane is just Kane..nothing real new with him. He is still on the same sleeping schedule and taking a bottle around 4 am. His neck/back are getting stronger and if he had a choice he would be walking around like a little man! He wants to do so many things but his brain just won't let him yet!
Well, that's about all...again a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone for being so kind to Jenna as she really appreciates it!

Pics of the Derby

I had a heck of a time uplaoding these for some reason- guess it doesn't surprise me with the day I have been having..here are a few anyway..he is #59

Crash-Crash, Bang-Bang

That describes the last outing we were at- The World's Largest Demolition Derby! My brother has done this for the last two years and seems to really look forward to it, as do we! My sister in law paints the demo car and has the pleasure of free handing whatever her husband decides for the theme. This year: Spider Man.

Our family really enjoys going to this and routing for him. Although I must admit watching the first round makes me so nervous that someone is bound to get hurt.

He was in the second heat because he was considered an "experienced driver"..go figure. I really didn't know that their was experience behind smashing your vehicle into another vehicle? Anyway, my brother started off great and ended up going to the second round. After a long time in the ring, his poor car just couldn't take any more! He ended up winning a large trophy and some cash, not bad for a day at the fair.

He took one crazy hit that put him in the backseat and today he is nursing some whiplash and a few aches but he will forget all about these pains come next year for the derby once again!

Here are some pics of him when he first lined up, during the smashing, and after.. Ok it's not letting me add the pics..look to next post for pics!

Nice Job David!

What'd you say?

Yep, it's official, I'm deaf! Despite the ringing in my ears today, I have suffered minor ill affects from the Jonas Brothers concert last night. I was pleasantly surprised to have honestly enjoyed myself at a concert filled with 10,000 screaming girls who thought that if they only yelled loud enough maybe, just maybe, Joe, Kevin, or Nick Jonas would jump off stage and sweep them off there feet.

Overall, the concert was nice. Despite the girls having to stand on their seats blocking the view for our little ones, we had great seats. I managed to carry the weight of my 7 year old for quite some time on my shoulders which allowed her to have an amazing view and me to have a pair of hands covering my face and pushing my hair in my eyes. Hey, what are moms for..gotta make some sacrifices in life. Thank god for chiropractors though!

I also must say I was blessed to be seated next to a woman who thought it was ok to bring her 11 year old to the concert and chug down a few Labatts in the process. Boy was she entertaining. I had the honor of carrying on a conversation with her during the concert and despite a few stumbles into me, she was pretty funny!

After leaving a few minutes early to make the dreaded walk to the car, we managed to sneak out before most of the traffic and get home by 11:30, even after stopping at Mickey D's for a late night snack. Then off to bed we went only to dream about one day being Mrs. Jonas- well, not me, I am too old, . I had the pleasure of dreaming about what bills to pay tomorrow and how I am going to manage my time wisely!

Just have to say in conclusion- way to go Jonas Brothers, you have forever embedded the life of a concert go-er in my daughters tender little heart! She is already planning another concert in the near future..daddy will be so proud!

Is their anybody out there?

Sometimes I wonder just maybe if their is someone or something watching me, maybe it's a fly or a dirt speck, maybe it's my dog or cat, or even the 4 foot tall doll that is standing right beside of me? I wonder this for many reasons but the sole reason today is Jenna. I do believe I owe a lot of my edgy-ness to one in particular little boy who prefers to talk rather than sleep at night but my other person of interest is my 7 year old daughter!
Now I was trying to recall ever doing things to my mother when I was little and I do think that children just don't know when to stop pushing buttons. So far Jenna has managed to strike every nerve inside of me and make me want to scream. I tell her to eat her cereal in the kitchen, she brings it in the living room and spills it. I tell her to stay out of her room because her daddy is sleeping there (after a long nights work), she goes in 10 times only to wake him up. I tell her to be quieter because Kane is sleeping, she gets louder...so that brings me back to the age old question- Is someone watching me and laughing? Is this supposed to be a silly joke played on me and I won't know it until my kids are grown? Please tell me that sanity will be knocking on my door in the near future..is that a knock I hear?
Nope just my darling daughter banging on the shower wall telling me she is ready for me to wash her hair.
Oh and I forgot to mention one detail as well..we have to go to the Jonas Brothers concert tonight-that's all I have to say!

Rollercoasters..NO MORE!

We had a nice time yesterday as we went to Martin's Fantasy Island despite the rainy forecast. Being that it rains almost every day here in Buffalo, we figured to suck it up and go anyway. It turned out to only rain for maybe 30 minutes but we shopped in the stores and had some ice cream while we waited for the clouds to move on out.

The kids had a blast and I even managed to get my big butt on a few coasters and rides as well. I am curious though as to why as I get older my ability to handle motion is limited?@! I was a huge fan of any type of roller coaster when I was younger and loved to push the limits. Ask me now and my stomach answers for you. I just don't understand what happened?

Anyway, Jenna loved the up and down one-Forgive me as I can't think of the name. I just remember it because I decided to go on it and must admit that I too had a ball on that! (Psst..It was a kiddie ride, shh!) It brings you up and then drops you a little bit at a time. Her next favorite was the Mousetrap, that was a roller coaster and she was too small last year to ride so that was a proud moment for her when they brought that pole to her head and said she was tall enough! Although I still think those sticks that they use to measure are way off. It was supposed to measure a 48" height and she barely made it. Now she just had her physical 3 months ago and measured 50", I made sure to tell the ride attendant that!

The Antique cars were always one of my favorites! I begged Jenna to drive it but she insisted on me driving. She couldn't understand that they were on a track and nothing would happen if she drove! Typical, paranoid Jenna! Even my 3 year old nephew, Dylan drove it! Although my mom said his 5 year old brother was covering his eyes because he didn't want Dylan to crash!

So overall it was a nice time and everyone was pooped when we finally got home. On top of being tired I had to go pick up Kane from Grandma Elaine's house-Luckily he went to sleep by 9:30.

Just want to share!

Daddy, Jenna, and Kane at the Waterfront today!

Me, Jenna, and Kane at the Waterfront today!

Jenna took this picture last night when we were at my mom's house-

Kane is in the saucer, Little David (my nephew), then Grandma "Puppy"

Yes we actually call her grandma Puppy! I will fill you all in at a later date on that!

Uncle Paul came to visit yesterday so Kane got to see him for the 2nd time in his little life-

Thanks Uncle Paul for coming to visit!

What A Big Boy

Last night at dinner I decided to try Kane in his highchair and low and behold...he liked it! Woohoo! He was a bit unsure of it at first so I put a little pile of mashed potatoes on the tray and he went to town.It's amazing how those little things in life can melt your heart.

Here are some pictures of Kane for the first time in his highchair at dinner and also this morning!

"FOUR"

It is "four" right? At least in golf that is..? Anyway, I hope I am right with titling my blog that! Today was the first day that Marc (dh) had off in quite sometime. So- since he had off we decided to go miniature golfing. Have you ever tried that with a 5 month old and a stroller..HA..DON'T! Let me paint the picture for you avid readers: We pull in to this place over on Broadway which has a golfing place, ice cream shop, and horses-well since we had never been there Marc thinks we should park near the ice cream place to get our putters etc. Just out of curiosity (since he never reads this) why would you think you are supposed to pay for miniature golf at the ice cream stand?#@! So after arguing about the parking he finally gives in and low and behold we find the shack for the golf. He proceeds to squeeze into a spot big enough for a motorcycle and turns the car off. Normally that would be ok but hello.."Baby on Board"-so I told him he can try and get the carseat out of the backseat without hitting the car next to him. He huffs and starts the car back up only to move it closer to this rusted van on his side...((laughing)) so then Jenna says "daddy you can open the door for me because I can't get out now!"
Ok enough of picking on Marc, so the sun is shining, we are all sweating and we haven't even stepped onto hole 1 yet..did I mention their are 18 holes! Jenna goes first..sets down her ball only to proceed to hit it like a hockey puck. I also realized after a few holes that she doesn't like to golf and would rather play in the water surrounding the greens. So here I am pushing the stroller, holding Kane because he didn't want to be in the sweaty carseat, in the process trying to keep track of Jenna's ball. Ugh, eventually we reached the 18th hole and hallelujah we were done. So off to Friendly's for dinner! Didn't Marc get spit up on by Kane..all over his pants! Between you and I, it looked like Marc didn't make it to the bathroom. SHH! So that was the warp up of our day and I have decided from now on to stay home until Kane is 3! Speaking of Kane I am being called "crying style" by my lovely, no napping infant..gotta go! (oh and i brought my camera but sorry folks no pictures..my stress level was too high to remember to tale pics of Jenna's ball flying through mid-air!

Groundhog's Day!

Ok sometimes I think I am in that movie, Groundhogs Day. If you have never watched it, to sum it up it's about a guy who wakes up and realizes that he is doing the same thing over and over again. Every morning I wake up only to greet Kane, feed him, take a shower, put him down for a nap, clean up, greet Jenna, make her breakfast..etc etc. Each day I wish for some change, any change, just an itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny, change. I know the littlest change will put Kane's normal routine in an uproar but I know he gets sick of it too! We are all sick of looking at the insides of this house-but to go anywhere costs a fortune now a days. (on top of that, I have lost the bravery of going out in public with a crying infant and a spoiled 7 year old who thinks she should have everything that is on the shelves in the toy isle.)

So here are some pics of what our day consists of...(shortly after the picture of Jenna and Bella (our dog) was taken, Jenna got nipped by Bella for getting too rough with her. I told you my darling Jenna that one day she would bite you!

The other picture, well is what we do on lazy days, cuddle!

Oh and a quick update on the baddest mommy of the year award- It's proudly sitting on shelf in plain view so I remember never to do such a dumb thing again! And his hand is healing quite well..I think his saliva has secret miraculous healing powers!

Drum Roll Please...

AND THE AWARD FOR "DUMBEST MOMMY OF THE WEEK" GOES TO: ME!

Yep that's right..I am officially awarded the biggest trophy that a mother could get. On Tuesday afternoon I decided to pull out my iron and iron my pants. After ironing, I set the iron on the counter to let it cool. Well as I was getting ready to leave, I had to transfer some stuff to another purse so I set him down on the counter while holding him. Of course not realizing just how close the iron was, he leaned over and swiped his arm on. I gasped after realizing what had just happened and he cried for a split second. I started to think that maybe he didn't touch it and that it was a close call. A few hours later I noticed a red mark on his arm, then a huge blister on his thumb. Yes indeed, he did touch it.

After a few calls to the doctors office and a trip over to see them, I got the ok that he would be fine and to keep a sock on it! I swear, I feel like such an idiot for setting him even near a hot iron. So needless to say this is his first accident that hopefully will not leave any scars. (thanks to mommy!)

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin

Well now that Kane rolls front to back we have ran into some sleeping issues. Just as he started sleeping through most of the night, his brain decides to keep developing allowing him to start to roll. I was so excited that he started rolling I almost forgot what lied ahead. This is the kind of thing we call "selective memory". Us humans have this uncanny ability of forgetting the rough moments in life, causing for mass hysteria and confusion when something happens (even though we have been through it before)! This describes me at this present moment in time because every night I sit on the couch and bite my nails, hoping he doesn't roll and awake from a sound sleep!
Sure enough I find that my hardcore prayers are not answered yet again and their I go, feeling for the walls while my one eye barely open, creeping through the dark house into Kanes bedroom, all the while tripping over one of the animals, only to greet a happy, wide eyed, smiling, 5 month old! Well you can ask anyone who knows me well and that is don't mess with me when I am sleeping! I am probably the grouchiest grouch you will ever meet in the middle of the night! SO anyway, I flip him back over and peek into his crib just in time for him to roll over again. I swear this kid plays these games with me..and I am starting to realize that we as people do not give our children enough credit for their ability to mess with us parents!
SO that is how my nights have been going which I would like to warn many caffeine drinkers that their is about to be a "drought". I am a walking zombie most of the day but manage to keep a big smile on my face after getting my daily dose of "medicine." So for those of you who depend on caffeine to stay awake..forget it- It's ALL GONE! My name is Julie and I am an addict! Their I said it!
So onto a another sleepless night and caffeine driven day..Thanks baby boy for ROLLIN' like a big boy! I'm a proud, tired, happy, mama!

"Life is something that everyone should at least try once"

I was trying to think of a title for my blog today and came up with this famous quote from Henry J. Tillman- "Life is something that everyone should at least try once". This weekend was a busy but fun weekend. It started off with Fridays play date for Jenna in my last entry and as time ticked on so did we!

Saturday we did some errands and went to our favorite place- Toys R' Us. I tell you, that is a place I have loved since I was little and will probably love when I am old and gray! We spent quite some time looking for presents for my nephew and really got some neat toys.

On Sunday we went to the Bisons game for my nephews birthday. My brother got a Suite for us which he does a few times in the summer. The Suite is filled with tons of food and tons of drinks! The kids had a ball playing and us adults had a ball eating! Which brings me back to my quote..it may have been a busy weekend and we had some ups and downs but overall life is worth trying!! (here are a few pics of the game)

Left to right- David (nephew), Emmy (niece), Jenna, Buster Bison, Marc (daddy drinking his beer with Buster), Lauren (step niece) and she is holding Dylan (nephew).

Here is Kane eating a piece of celery or should I say sucking a piece of celery at the game!

Just some more pics of today!

T.G.I.F..I guess!

Well I haven't posted in a few days because it's been mighty busy around here. I guess since the rain has stopped, we are now able to enjoy the last few weeks of summer. Jenna got invited to her friend Nick's house for a pool party so we went there this afternoon. It was so nice to sit out in the warm weather, on the deck, swatting the bees, and yelling at kids! Why in the world did I think it was going to be enjoyable with (5) seven year olds and an infant?! Jenna showed me a side of her I never new existed. I guess I was that gullible parent who had blinders on, thinking her kid was perfect..that dream was immensely shattered today! I guess she was very excited but boy her shyness must have stayed in the car because the minute we got there she ran into the house, leaving me and her "shyness" in the dust!

I shouldn't complain though because she really had a nice time. A few of her friends came and they hadn't seen each other since school so they were excited.

Around 4 o'clock we left and now we are waiting to go to cheer leading practice. Right now she is watching t.v., on the couch, in her pajamas! Call me psychic but I foresee a battle soon ahead! I know she doesn't want to go to practice but I am the mean mom who makes her go!

After practice we are supposed to go to "Community Days" over in the shopping plaza. This is a place that puts on a little concert and has games and fireworks. Normally it would be fun but I am afraid that Jenna is going to be so exhausted that once again it will be more work than fun! Does the time ever come when the kids get old enough that we as parents can enjoy ourselves?

Here are some pics of them in the pool today enjoy!

Holy expensive..but why?

Ok, so far my day has been going pretty smooth. Well, smooth. Well, sort of. Kane is doing his usual napping every 2 hours and Jenna went with my in laws. I have been doing laundry and cleaning since the "cleaning" fairy decided to possess my body all day! But as smooth sailing as I think the day is going, their are sure to be some bumps along the way.

It starts off with me walking downstairs in the basement only to see my hot water tank leaking. Luckily, my basement has a drain in the floor and it's slanted so the water has a steady stream right down the hole, but to be on the safe side I decide to pick up anything of value and move them. This is where the fairy intruded my body. She must have entered through the holes in my ear because I swear I hear a little voice telling me to tackle all of the laundry piling up. So their starts that project..and just so you know, I HATE laundry! (just ask Marc)

Then I proceed to go upstairs and look through the coupons for the week..nothing as usual. I always wanted to know why we have to buy 2 of everything to get $1.00 off? Why not just buy one and save the money that the other one would cost? SO anyway, of course all I find is a $1.50 off Pampers, big deal..the darn things cost $9.99 for one package anyway. Which leads me to my title for today's blog: Why is everything so expensive? Diapers are made from "junk", or some sort of enviornmentally wrong cotton that isn't biodegradable. We usually go through a diaper every 2-3 hours so divide that by 24 hours and we have 8-12 diapers a day. A package of diapers lasts maybe, a week or so depending on if you have a 7 year old that likes to use them for her stuffed animals.

OK moving onto baby food. I read on the tiny baby food jars that they contain water and natural fruits. Ok, water, how much would that cost and maybe a half of a fruit added into the "free" water? Then they have to put it in these pretty glass jars with lids made out of 14 karat gold, well,, that's what I like to think. If I am going to pay .55 cents for one teeny, tiny jar that lasts one feeding at least I can pretend that their is really ground up Fillet Mignon. So please, someone explain to me why water and "processed fruit" is so expensive?

Needless to say after spending maybe 45 minutes in the grocery store and 4 bags of "nothing" later, I dropped $96.00? SO as I am walking out shaking my head, I look down only to see this two big blue eyes staring at, babbling in baby talk and it dawned on me, they could charge me $50 for a bag of diapers and $5.00 for a jar of food and it wouldn't matter how "holy expensive" it is because my little bundle of joy is priceless!