Raising Kane...and Jenna

Wow has it been that long?

2009-06-02T12:13:00.004-04:00

My goodness I cannot believe that I haven't posted in over 2 months! For those of you who actually read my blog, I apologize. Life with 3 kids 8, 15months, and 2 months is a very time consuming job and doesn't leave me with much free time to sit down and type!

Ok not sure where I should begin...I guess with Jenna since she is the oldest! My little princess just turned 8 last month, as I said before, time flies. She decided to have her birthday party at the YMCA fitness center which has a huge play area for the kids that she loves. Her party went off without a hitch and she got so many nice things from her friends. She just had her doctor visit and everything looks great! She weighs 65 lbs and is 48 inches tall! They referred her to a lung specialist because of her chronic cough so we will see how that goes on the 30th. School is almost over for her and summer vacation will begin. It's bittersweet because as much as I like having two children during the day, I also hate getting up and getting her on her way! I am looking forward to a fun, busy summer with all of my kids!

She is adjusting quite well to both babies. She adores Kane and acts like his little mommy sometimes. I do believe that she is an angel because of what she has to put up with and I am so proud of her for being such a big girl about it! See Kane likes to pull hair, pinch and hit, especially his sisters! We are teaching him no and she is helping me with that but in the process she is getting all of the bad things that a little brother can do to her!

Kane, ah, my little mama's boy- He can be such a sweet little boy one time and such a bruiser the next. I never know what to expect from him and he keeps me on my toes. He currently weighs 22.5 lbs and is 33 1/4 inches tall. I have a feeling he will be like my husband and father inlaw- tall and skinny! His vocabulary is getting larger, saying things like mama, dada, baba, dog, Jenna, kitty, and any word that he tries to repeat. Still having some sleeping issues but not as bad as he was.

Kendra my little angel is a great baby. I couldn't have asked for a better baby! In fact, I didn't think they really existed. She sleeps through the night and takes little naps throughout the day. She is probably the most patient baby I have ever known and I am so thankful for that because her brother needs to steal the spotlight most of the time! Her stats are 11 2.5lbs and 22 1/4 inches for height.
Well I am sure I could go on forever seeing as I haven't blogged in quite sometime but instead I will share some pictures..those are more fun anyway! Ok I guess I won't share pics right now seeing as I am having a hard time uploading- I will try to get them up soon!

And now in the left corner weighing in at...

2009-04-08T12:35:00.002-04:00

7 lbs. 10.5 oz is Kendra Layne, my little porker! Last week the doctor asked me to bring her back this week for a weight check because she still hasn't gained back her initial weight at birth. Well we just got back from the visit and she gained 9.5 ounces in just 6 days!! Thank goodness for that, I was going to die if they tried to put her on the high calorie formula that costs a FORTUNE from the pharmacy!
Today is Jenna's last day of school and then she starts spring break- ugh! I look forward to not having to wake up and get her ready at 7 every morning but just the thought of hearing her say "mommy I'm bored" is like nails on a chalkboard to me! I would like to take her to see the new Hannah Montana movie and also to the Rochester Museum of Play but that all depends on Marc's work schedule and who can watch one of the other kids.
Other than that it will be a uneventful 11 days other than when the Easter bunny makes his appearance!

Some new pictures

2009-04-06T17:57:00.009-04:00

Kane rocking Kendra!

Look mom I can hold my own cup!

Jenna spending time with Kendra

Jenna and Father Joe at First Penance

Kendra 2 weeks old

Kane and his buddy Maya

Kendra 10 days old

Kendra 2 weeks old

2 weeks already?!

2009-04-06T15:23:00.003-04:00

Geez, I can't believe how fast time is flying. Kendra is officially 2 weeks old today, can you believe it? I sure can't. It feels like just yesterday I was complaining about being pregnant and now I feel like I am trying to slow down the hands of time.
I guess I will start with updates about each kid. Kendra is doing well. Seems to have her days and nights a bit mixed up, meaning: I don't sleep! She chooses to sleep all day and is very quiet but come night time, she is putting on her best outfit and getting ready to go out clubbing! I swear she takes after her daddy! She had her 1 week appt. a few days ago and she weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. Doctor said she is otherwise perfect and we just need to have her weight rechecked on Wed. Her looks are starting to change a bit and her dark skin color is starting to fade. Other than that she is a very content baby and enjoys sleeping her her carseat, long car rides, and walks in the stroller! ( did I just post a "singles" add?) LOL

Kane is, well..Kane! He still has an attachment issue which I think I will be dealing with until he is married! He is adjusting pretty well to his new sister but still gets quite upset when she starts to cry. The poking and prodding has just started and I find myself sitting on the edge of my seat, praying that he isn't going to "launch" his finger straight through her eye! He has two more teeth coming in and it's apparent that they are making him miserable. Today he followed me around and whined non-stop. try dealing with that on little to no sleep!

Jenna is doing well as usual. So far the nasty flu bug has skipped over this house and I continue to pray that it will not decide to stop and visit. On March 30th Jenna made her First Penance at school. That is just the beginning of the many communions and such to come. She did a great job and held herself together when having to go into confession- as usual we are very proud of her. The activities are pretty much over for this year. Bowling is done,as is basketball and Brownies only have a few meetings left.
As for Marc and I, we are fine. I thought the adjustment period would be longer with three kids but it really is true when people say it's harder to go from one to two then two to three. Marc is back to work so I am on my own at night. It's tough and I got spoiled for this last week and a half with splitting shifts! He is still looking for something part time until his driving picks up more. Hopefully with it getting closer to summer, the driving shifts will pick up and he will get back to doing what he enjoys. I on the other hand am looking forward to getting the summer rolling and enjoying some outdoor fresh air in the next few months!

Pictures

2009-03-30T15:05:00.009-04:00

Kendra just born

Jenna meets Kendra

Daddy and Kendra

Kane meets Kendra

Leaving hospital

First Day Home

Sleeping Beauty- 6 days old

ANNOUNCING......

2009-03-30T10:42:00.003-04:00

Ok ok so I am a week late- cut me some slack people! This may be a bit long but I will try to keep it as short as possible!
Nearing the end of my pregnancy I started having alot of bleeding in my urine. They suspected a UTI and put me on antibiotics. Well by March 20th I was in severe pain from my kidney's.I knew when the pain started up that it was a stone. That whole weekend I suffered and by Sunday I had to throw in the towel. I called my mom around 6:30 and told her to take me to the ER. Triage didn't know what they should do with me because I was contracting as well.After classifying me as "disaster", they went ahead and took me to Labor and Delivery. They hooked me up and gave me some pain meds...wonderful stuff and by afternoon I was feeling better. The pain was still there but I didn't care! After going back and forth with my OB he decided to wait until Monday and induce labor. He was out of town and didn't want to miss the birth. I can honestly say that I was so excited. I figured this may help me pass the stone or at least they can take my normal KUB X-ray to see where the stone is and how big.
I chose to go home rather than to stay at the hospital because I needed to get my bags ready and straighten Jenna out for school.
9 a.m. the next day came before I knew it! Kane stayed at my in laws house and we took Jenna to school. By 9:40 I was hooked up to my IV's and had Pitcocin entering my bloodstream! Seeing as I was already contracting the nurses figured it wouldn't be a long labor and with my history of short labors, I knew this to be true as well. Within and hour I was begging for my epidural because the pain from the stone and contractions were crazy!
The doctor came in by 11 am to administer my epi and within 15 minutes I was a happy girl.They checked me and said I was 4 cm, the race had begun. Marc was betting that I would deliver by 12:05 and I said 1:20! My mom showed up shortly after and then the pain started again. I was feeling contractions on my right side only and gripping the bedrails every minute through each contractions. The nurses ordered a "top off" from the doctor for more medicine in my epidural. After doing that I was quite comfy and numb. The nurse said she was going to check me as the pressure I felt was an indication that I was close- sure enough she said my water broke (which I couldn't feel) and that I was fully dilated and ready to push. My OB was on the other side of town so we had to sit and wait for him, luckily, I couldn't feel my legs so that was easy! By 1:08 the OB showed up and I started to push. Within 3 pushes my baby was out! It was a quick and easy delivery and I couldn't have been happier..she was beautiful!
After many hours of discussion we finally decided on her name: drum roll please....Kendra Layne. She weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 21" long! That was my biggest baby yet and I couldn't believe that she was 2 weeks early as well.
Hospital stay was uneventful. It was nice laying in bed all day and getting waited on hand and foot. Kendra stayed all day in the room with me and I took her back to the nursery at night so I could try to get some rest. I had many visitors and would like to thank my parents, Colleen and Carol, Jen, my Aunt and Uncle, and brother for the visits and gifts! Special thanks to Carol and Colleen for the yummy fries and gifts for Jenna and Kane as well!
So now it's been a week and we are adjusting- the first night was tough with juggling both babies and Kane was a bit upset with his new sister! As days have past I realized that Kane is getting more teeth and that may have been part of his problem. He is know starting to touch her and seems a bit more interested in her, thank god!
So all in all I feel as though my family is complete. This pregnancy was quite a shock and took me a while to accept but now I look at my new baby girl and can't imagine our family without her.
By the way, I passed my horrible stone Wednesday night after getting home from the hospital and found it to be over 5 mm! That explains the pain for the last week!

Kane's 1 year visit

2009-03-19T13:11:00.002-04:00

Today Kane had his one year doctor visit. He is doing great- 22.8 lbs and 31 inches tall. I was so proud of him, they did the lead prick and he just sat on my lap the whole time. Luckily daddy was their to help distract him! Then he got his Prevnar shot, OUCH! He cried and cried for that one but once I gave him a sucker he was fine. The doctor decided to wait on the chicken pox vax because of the new baby. She said she didn't want to take any chances since I was due any day. Other than that it was a quick, perfect appt. and we go back at 15 months!
Update on me: I am almost 38 weeks pregnant and have had enough! Everything hurts and I am nursing a kidney stone in the process. I begged my OB to induce me so he compromised and said that at my next appt. on Tuesday we will decide on Wed. or Thursday..thank god! I want my little girl to be healthy but my lord, she is out of room! So keep posted for my next blog entry as I will probably be introducing our new little girl!

R.I.P Jade

2009-02-22T19:38:00.004-05:00

Yesterday my parents had to do something so hard and unselfish. Their family dog Jade of 12 years had to be put down. This was a very difficult choice and they are heartbroken. 3 days ago Jade stopped eating and after an x-ray the vet determined that she had a tumor in her abdomen. I just want to give them my deepest sympathy as we will all miss her.

The pictures above were taken shortly before they had to take her to the vet-

Kane is ONE!

2009-02-22T19:15:00.006-05:00

Well Happy Birthday to my sweet little boy who's turning one! It just seems like yesterday that I was laying in the hospital bed staring at this little bundle who made me wait 5 years to see him. His birthday is officially Tuesday but we had his party today.

Everything couldn't have turned out better. Kane took an a.m. nap which I prayed he would. We just had our family over with pizza, munchies and cake but that was perfect. Kane was a bit confused as to why all these people were here but soon realized that he had all of his grandparents in one place and could get attention from any which way he turned!

He got lots of great toys and clothes that we had the pleasure of opening tonight and so far his favorite present is a "Cars" chair that my brother and family got him!

Just want to say a quick thank you to all of my family for being so gracious as usual!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!!!!! We love you!

Doctor appt.

2009-01-28T09:36:00.002-05:00

Well I had my normal check up at the Ob's yesterday after my L&D trip 2 weeks ago. He said that everything looked good but I have a hyperactive uterus! I did pass my glucose test (thank god) but I am severely anemic so I have to start taking Iron supplements. I have gained another 3 pounds which puts me up to 17 lbs so far. I can honestly say that I will be at my heaviest for all 3 deliveries after this last one, ugh. I will have alot of work to get this weight off. Although Marc says that I won't have to try because I won't have time to eat anyway! The Doctor also said that he will start doing the fetal-fibronectan tests at every visit to see if I will go into labor early. It still amazes me how much thing s have changed in the last 7 years since I had Jenna! Besides my visit to the doctor, we had a nice weekend. Kane went to his first birthday party at a place called Rollie Pollie's. Their was so much for him to do and he had a blast! I cannot find my camera but will post some pictures as soon as I do!

L&D already?

2009-01-16T09:15:00.002-05:00

I made my first dreaded trip to Labor and Delivery Wednesday evening. I started to not feel good at bowling with Jenna and it just went downhill from there. I started contracting every 5 minutes or so and knew something wasn't right. After debating for over an hour on if I should call my doctor or not, I decided to call. He said it's way too early and head over to the hospital. They started monitoring me and the contractions were coming every 1-2 minutes by then. Thinking I may be dehydrated, they started an IV but with no avail. They decided to give me a shot of Terbutaline to stop contractions. Luckily after about 20 minutes they subsided. Not to get gross but my urine culture came back with a possible infection and also blood which points to my kidney stones. I had been fighting the stone pain for a few days so I already knew that I had one. By 10:00 we were heading home with a script for my "infection" and told that if I start contracting then I need to come back. I couldn't believe this was happening. All I could think about was how tiny this little baby still is and how I couldn't imagine delivering such a little baby. Today I am feeling better and even passed another stone so hopefully that was what caused the contractions..guess we will have to see. I can only hope that this little girl stays put and I am not put on bedrest. How would i take care of my 10 month old and my 7 year old while on bedrest...oh geez.

On your mark, get set, GO!

2009-01-09T08:50:00.005-05:00

Well, he's walking. Yep my little itty bitty 10 month old baby is walking! As you read in my past posts, Kane started walking with assistance a while ago but now he is on his own. It's so amazing to me that this little boy is able to balance on his own.

His new favorite game is chase! I crawl behind him (yes, I said crawl, on all fours with my belly hanging down to the carpet, LOL) and chase him through the house, saying "I'm going to get you!". He squeals with excitement and starts running away from me...it is so cute!

That is a big milestone for us, as I was secretly hoping he would walk before the new baby came! I didn't know how I would hold two at once, especially being such different sizes! Of course their are cons to him walking such as, putting his hands in the toilet, hanging on the stove, and heading straight towards the corner of the entertainment stand! Guess I'd better start baby proofing!

It's back to school we go..

2009-01-05T13:19:00.003-05:00

Hi-ho the dairy-o, it's back to school we go! Well it was a smooth morning as we started our routine back up and headed off for school after 16 days away from school. Jenna was not thrilled to be going back but knew it was something she couldn't avoid, what a little trooper she is. Luckily they are still having there Christmas party today since school was cancelled the last day due to the storm.
Hoping Kane would resume his normal nap schedule proved to not be true. After having his sister home for 2 weeks, he has protested naps and seems to only get one nap of 45 minutes daily! This can't be happening yet- it's too soon!I thought for sure he would get back into the routine since we have complete silence again. Ugh, <> guess I am going to have to adjust to not relaxing anymore. On another note, Kane has decided to take up walking as a first job! He is now going from place to place and walking clear across the living room. This all started today! I went to walk in the kitchen and just as I turned around, here was Kane following me. My heart sunk as I reached for him because I didn't want him to land head first on the kitchen floor!
Pregnancy update- 28 weeks=7 months already...what?#@! My mom was gracious to buy us a new crib that matched Kane's so the next thing we need is bedding. I just need to order it as I found the ones I was looking for. We will eventually be putting the two little ones in the same room so I would like something to match at least! The "baby" is still nameless but I have accepted that she will probably remain nameless until she shows her face to the world! Last visit I was up 14 lbs. even after holiday food and cookies so I am happy with that. Next I go for my glucose test and can only hope that nothing is wrong with my sugar levels..what would I do without my junk!

2009

2009-01-02T08:23:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year friends and family! I hope everyone rang in the new year with a blast!
I will start off by thanking everyone for being such great friends and family to us. Our New Year toast was a bit rocky since we fell asleep and were woken up by Jenna telling us to get up. I was running to the fridge with one eye closed, trying to open the bottle of sparkling grape juice before the clock struck midnight and in the process yelling at Marc for not helping! Welcome to the world of "getting old"!
As it turned to a new year I couldn't help but think what lies ahead for our family- I have a precious little baby girl growing so rapidly in my belly and getting ready to make her appearance. I have a 7 1/2 year old that is secretly taking growth hormones because I swear she can't already be half way through 2nd grade, and a 10 month old that is getting so brave that he thinks it's ok to walk towards me by himself even though he can't quite walk yet! Where is the time going?
As 2009 fast approached, I am braced for a blessed yet difficult year. I can only hope and pray that things will turn out easier than my mind is making them seem and we get through this major change steady and safe!
Here's a toast to everyone reading :"May you and your loved ones have a happy, safe, and healthy New Year and please don't take anyone or anything for granted in 2009...including your money!" LOL Here's to our future president for making our economy stable again and to families who are feeling the crunch. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Merry (late) Christmas!

2008-12-27T15:15:00.006-05:00

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!

2008-11-28T19:49:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-11-25T17:22:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-11-25T08:30:00.005-05:00

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?

2008-11-19T10:46:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-13T08:59:00.002-05:00

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..........

2008-11-03T08:54:00.004-05:00

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!

2008-11-03T08:34:00.006-05:00

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

Halloween Time

2008-10-29T11:06:00.003-04:00

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...

2008-10-20T09:37:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-10-19T16:25:00.003-04:00

"Mommy, I love eggs!"

Sunday again

2008-10-19T15:34:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-10-10T17:20:00.005-04:00

PUMPKINVILLE!!!

MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY!

B-I-N-G-O

2008-10-10T17:08:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-10-01T08:55:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-09-25T14:04:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-09-06T14:58:00.002-04:00

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!!

2008-09-02T17:51:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-08-23T18:12:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-19T17:51:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-18T20:05:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-08-16T21:29:00.005-04:00

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?

2008-08-15T10:31:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-08-14T17:50:00.005-04:00

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!

2008-08-12T17:56:00.005-04:00

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

2008-08-11T07:26:00.005-04:00

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"

2008-08-09T17:54:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-08-08T19:45:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-08-07T07:59:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-05T13:19:00.002-04:00

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"

2008-08-04T12:20:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-08-01T17:06:00.004-04:00

Just some more pics of today!

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

2008-08-01T16:54:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-07-29T13:44:00.002-04:00

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!

Let's Get ur' Done!

2008-07-28T16:57:00.005-04:00

Well after 8 years of stalling the renovations for our house, we are finally nearing the end. It's funny how fast time flies then you realize oops, I should have done this 8 years ago! Thanks to both my father and father in law for putting lots of long hours and back breaking work in order to finish this long awaited project! Here are some pics of the hallway and the new carpet. Of course we still have some work but all in all I am very happy with it!

Our carpet went in this morning and even though I am more of a "plush" girl, the Berber turned out nice. I am far from an interior decorator so I have been winging it and so far I am quite impressed with myself! Although my sister in law pointed out that I have many different themes throughout the house including Victorian, modern and 70's! Oh well!

As for the family, Jenna has her first day of cheer leading practice tonight, RAH-RAH! I hope she likes it because she is used to cheering inside and being that this is a little loop league, she will be outside at all times. Her Aunt Amy invited her over for a sleepover so I get a little break! Then I will pick her up bright and early so she can head down to Chautauqua with her grandparents to go on the boat..busy girl!

Kane is being Kane...day after day hoping for something new from him but he is being stubborn! He is eating more cereal and baby food and even sucked on a Popsicle, enjoying every minute of it!

Marc on the other hand is pretty much gone until Sunday. He took a job out of Jamestown and decided instead of staying there for the week, he would drive down and back every day! (for those of you who don't know, that's and 1 1/2 drive each way) He leaves at 4:40 pm and doesn't get home until about 7 am the next morning, ugh. So we consider him gone for the week!

As for me, I am going to relax. I have been very tired these last few days and just want to nap so off I go since Kane is asleep.....Let's get ur' done!

CHA-CHING!!

2008-07-27T17:30:00.003-04:00

Well last night was mine and Marc's first date night since before we had Kane! Of course I had to drop both kids off at different grandparents and was quite tired by the time I got home but I mus turd up enough energy to get ready. Marc wanted to go to the casino in Niagara Falls but I really wasn't too keen on the idea. Boy things have sure changed because normally it's me that's itching to go. Anyway, I agreed and off we went. I swear it was like we went through a time warp because before I knew it, we were driving down the road, blaring the radio and relaxing like old days..no Disney channel on Sirius..just plain old, good music! I will tell you poor Marc has been tortured by the Go-Go's since I can remember and sure enough they played them!

As we were walking into the casino Marc said "I'm feelin' lucky tonight" and of course I did my typical eye roll and just kept walking. Long story short, didn't he sit down at a machine and say "I'm feeling this one", inserted his money (which I thought we would never see again) and CHA-CHING!! The machine's bells and whistle started chimming away! After about 2 minutes of listening to the machine I begged him to hit the button to stop it and he wouldn't! I reached over and hit the button in the mean time trying to calculate 2000 quarters, but couldn't process the information! SO here I am saying "gee Marc it's got to be a couple hundred bucks but still couldn't do the math because I was in shock. Out spits the golden ticket and walla....$500 buckaroons! On top of that Mr. Lucky won another $75 from video poker!

All in all it was a great night and I must say having a few glasses of wine again after being "sober" for so long tasted great!

Apologize for the typos!

2008-07-26T11:26:00.001-04:00

Really I don't type that bad, I swear! I thought I corrected everything and it showed up uncorrected so I apologize! DUH

Kanes Playdate!

2008-07-26T10:55:00.004-04:00

Well yesterday we had a blast! Jenna went with her grandparents to Niagara Falls which left me with a little Kane and mommy time. A dear friend of mine, Mel, who has(7 month old) identical triplet boys invited us over for a play date. Another close friend of mine, Sara also had a baby 3 months ago so she was there as well. The babies were so cute and had so much fun watching each other! The triplets were very vocal and their was no way that Kane could keep up with them so I think he just gave up and internalized everything these little guys were doing!

On the other hand, us moms had fun too! It's amazing to me to think that last summer at this time, Mel was a few months pregnant with the boys, I had just found out I was pregnant, and Sara with her big box of wine had no idea she was even pregnant! Now almost a year later, here we sit with all of our boys in amazement as they grow before our very eyes!

The pictures are as follows: (on the left) Gage, (one of the triplets )and Kane in their bouncers!

(on right) sorry it's an old picture but Kane is in green, then Kyle, and the triplets..sorry

Mel, I can't tell who is who! And my new picts from last night wouldn't uplod.

I love the fact that my little boy already has 4 very close playmates and dear friends for the future! We love you Evan, Gage, Caleb, and Kyle!

World of Infertility-Long!

2008-07-25T12:36:00.006-04:00

I am a bit bored right now since I have a few spare momets to myself so I figured I would try to do a quick write up about myself to give everyone an idea of my struggles in life.

I had Jenna when I was 21 and getting married. She was a complete shock to Marc and I because I was alway told that since I never got my "womanly cycle", I would have a hard time conceiving. Low and behold we were blessed with our first miracle. After a few years past and Jenna started getting older, we decided to try for another but again, figured it was near to impossible without help. My doctor agreed and said that Jenna was a miracle and we were better off winning the lottery..so their starts my journey into The World of Infertility.

I had high hopes going in and thought boy this will be easy, pop a few Clomid and I will be pregnant..HA! Month after month, dissapointment after dissapointment lead me into a longing for another child. If anyone has dealt with infertility they know that it consumes your every thought. Every store you walk into, a pregnant lady walks by, or a stroller with a cute little infant glides by and all you can think is why not me? Well after years of nothing, I had enough. Our insurance wouldn't cover treatments because for some strange reason, they don't look at this as a medical problem..go figure? I think I can easily figure out the reason for that! (more pregnancies..more kids..equals..more bills for them to pay!

As the years passed and no baby, I started to give up. Until one day a woman on a talk show explained that she treated herself with fertility meds and was able to have 2 children on her own. Boy how brave of this woman, I thought. Then my brain switched into survival mode. "Hey if she could do this, why couldn't I?" It felt like everything fell right into my lap from that point on. A friend of mine was donating eggs and her cycle fell short so she had extra fertility meds left. After talking to her about my struggles, she offered for a minimal amount to graciously give sell me what she had, needles and all! Thanks to the Internet I was able to get one last medication I needed as well and off we go.

It was the beginning of summer and here I was bravely injecting myself with medication, not knowing what I was doing to my body. I did a lot of research and jotted down what dosage I thought would be right for me etc. In less than 5 weeks and many scary pokes from big needles..I was pregnant! I couldn't believe it..it worked. I spent a total of $140 and it worked! Next comes the denial phase. "What the heck did I just do?" "I wonder how many babies are in there?" Let me tell you I had a week and half of panic until I could get my ultrasound! (keep in mind, my OB/GYN had no idea that these were injectable meds I was using, he thought it was just clomid).

The day finally came and as I lay on that table shaking, every thought imaginable went through my mind. He inserts the wand and up pops my big blob of a fuzzy uterus. Oh my gosh, I see a whole bunch! I couldn't stop staring at the screen trying to count the 20 babies I thought were in there! He starts to point saying "this is your this, and this is your that"..come on already! I wanted to scream.."how many?"

Then it appeared, that amazing little fluttering thing. I knew instantly what it was. My ONE baby had a heartbeat. I felt like I was stronger than life itself, like I could conquer the world with those tiny little flutters. Doctor agreed that their was only one and booted us out to schedule our first prenatal appt.

On February 24, 2008, I delivered my 6 lb. 9 oz. baby boy, Kane Alexander. He has been a blessing to our family and a miracle in itself. I must add a word from our sponsors and say that self medicating isn't always the way to go.. but it worked for me! If I wouldn't have done this I can honestly say that my little man would have never seen the light of day, just the darkness of my ovaries! I hope you enjoyed the honesty of my blog today, and now can understand why I SPOIL my children each and every day!

Happy 5 Months Kane!

2008-07-24T21:47:00.003-04:00

I am really way too tired to blog tonight so I figured I would just post a picture of my little man who is officially 5 months old today..Happy 5 months Kane! And no he was not too happy in his Jumperoo when I snapped the picture as you can tell! Will write more tomorrow...off to bed, well actually off to play Scooby Doo with Jenna but SHH don't tell anyone!

Rain Rain Go Away

2008-07-23T17:33:00.003-04:00

I swear, you 'd think we lived in Seattle. For the past few weeks it has managed to rain just about once a day. What happened to our nice summers here in Buffalo? Maybe it's just my brain deciding to forget but when I was growing up I went outside everyday during summer vacation and the sun was always shining. Although as I sit here typing, I am starting to think that my brain did that thing where you store away the negative times in your life, never to revisit them again..maybe that's what I did but for now I will say that it was always warm and sunny for the summer months. OR..I could always say that it was global warming like Al Gore and that our planets existence will cease because of landfills and car fumes..but I would rather not go down that road. ::putting up hands to block a punch::

On to the next thing...our day. It started with my father in law coming to paint our upstairs and me begging my seven year old to get in the shower. For some god forsaken reason, Jenna hates taking showers and getting clean. I often wonder if it is her silly little 7 year old brain thinking that she will melt from the clean water running from the shower head. I specifically asked her if she thought that the shower head was a torch that was going to spit out fire and burn her, her response "like no mommy, I don't think that..you are crazy!" Typical 7 year old.

After threatening her a few times she calmly ran into the bathroom when I told her we were going to see Space Chimps(movie) if she didn't get herself in the shower before I change the baby's diaper. It's amazing how kids can turn on their nitrous boosts when you threaten them! All in all we made it to the movies and had a nice time. The movie is hilarious and I recommend it to children and adults alike. Now if only I could get reimbursed for advertising!

Marc hasn't been home much, as usual. Between 3 jobs it's quite hard to find time to be home. These last few weeks have been insanely busy and he doesn't get much more than 4 hours of sleep if that. He is such a trooper though because he never complains and just keeps making money, now again if only I didn't spend it all! Hehe, just kidding.

Kane is being his usual grumpy self. Can't put him down, can't carry him, can't ride in the car..I am starting to question if he should've been a girl?

Jenna is now relaxing after a stressful time at the movies, I feel for her, it's tough being 7 and being bored! I could only dream!

Well off to find something less boring to do then watch tv.......I hope. Btw, just figured I would throw a few pic in of yesterday when we were BORED out of our minds because it was raining, AGAIN.

That was just the intro!

2008-07-22T09:52:00.003-04:00

Starting off the day cranky just sucks. My mom watched Jenna last night which I thought would give me a little break but it didn't. They ended up not leaving my house until after 7pm and by that time I was exshausted. By "them" I mean my niece Emmy (7), and 2 nephews David (5) and Dylan (almost 3). (I will put in a picture of all the kids) The kids played very well but managed to wake Kane up everytime I tried to put him down for a nap. Needless to say by the time they left, Kane decided he didn't want to go to sleep for the night. After finally getting him down, don't I get my second wind...ugh. I guess that glass of pepsi probably didn't help but I will never learn that caffiene is a stimulant!

Anyway, after a restless night sleep from that damn glass of pop I managed to fall alseep only to be woken up by Kane every 2 hours...I guess he must have drank some caffienated beverage when I wasn't looking too! By the crack of dawn we were both up trying to enjoy the morning but it's way hard to "try" when your eyes feel like they weigh 100 lbs. Around 8 am Kane was napping as was I and the phone rang.( One day I would love to confront Alexander Graham Bell and ask him what the hell he was thinking for inventing such a nusience!)Anway, it was my darling daughter asking if I brought her precious stuffed animal in from outside. Just once I would love to be stressed about a stuffed animal rather than bills!

So far that is how y day is going and I am sure it isn't going to get an easier...off to pick up my stressed out 7 year old from her stressed out grandma's house!!

Here Goes...

2008-07-22T09:44:00.004-04:00

Ok here is my first blog entry! I can't believe that I am actually going to give this a try as I am not a computer wiz and can just about navigate the mouse!

My name is Julie,29 and I am a stay at home mom to two wonderful children. I have been married for almost 8 years to my cute hubby Marc. We live in the beautiful city of Buffalo(just kidding it's not actually beautiful) which is located in New York. My darling husband works various shifts and hours which allows me to stay home and raise my adoring kids.

I have never done this before but figured I would give it a try after seeing a friend of mine start her family blog. After reading hers for a while, I became so enthralled and nosey about her life that I realized I must publish my own! I hope everyone enjoys reading the future trials and tribulations of my life and please feel free to comment...ENJOY!