Big Girl!

Carlise lost her first tooth!!! Ben & I were a little freaked out at first. It was a new first and something we had no experience with. We felt like new parents all over again. After a a phone call or two to veteran parents we were assured it was normal and not damage caused by a massive sucker she chewed on the night before. The best thing is that she didn't freak out like she tends to do about everything else. The kids were eating dinner, Ben walke in and noticed Carlise was missing a tooth. I got on my hands and knees and scoured the floor for it. Oh yeah, it's the only white speck with blood on it. She wrote a note to the ToothFairy explaining her tooth would be under her pillow tomorrow night instead of tonight. We're going to Grandma's tomorrow and she's going to make a tooth fairy pillow for Carlise's tooth. Thank you Mom!!

therapy

Due to some asinine issues with our pharmaceutical insurance my meds didn't get here when they were supposed to. Ergo, I went a week without my antidepressants. Not good. I guess when things are going good, you kinda forget how bad things were that led you to get help and start therapy and so going without it doesn't seem like such a big deal. And it is. a big deal.

I was crying on the phone with a complete stranger over the shipping date of my medicine. And that wasn't the worst part. *Sigh*
Thank goodness for on-call doctors that respond quickly and recognize the urgency in situations.

I'm much better. And this will never happen again.

Potty

Wesley has been in underwear for the most part these past few months. If I put him in a diaper he wouldn't do anything on the potty. At least in underwear he would pee in the potty. But continued to struggle with going poop. Oh so frustrating for him as well as ourselves. Tonight he successfully did it!! He recognized the feeling and ran for the potty. He was so proud of himself! His fear has been that it will hurt so he holds it in and tonight he realized it really doesn't hurt. He had a huge grin on his face and had to call Nana & Grandma to tell them. He is really very proud of being a big boy.

Josie is potty trained as well. She's been absorbing everything with Wesley. On occasion she's inform us she needed to go potty, but wasn't consistent. And while dealing with Wesley we really didn't want to add another to that struggle if we didn't have to. A week ago she stayed completely dry in her diaper for a whole day. So the next day I had her in training pants. After that day she wanted back in the diaper but stayed dry and wanted to go on the potty. Saturday Ben asked if she wanted to pick out some underwear and she was so excited! She picked out Princess & the Frog and Ni Hao Kailan. She's been wearing them and has only had 1 accident. It was today and in the car on the way home. She told me but I misjudged how long it could wait, so its my fault. I now know to stop in a parking lot and let her use the mini travel potty in the van.

We are so excited that after 5 1/2 years we are finally done buying diapers!

new method

potty training wesley has been extremely frustrating. But the biggest thing is I haven't been consistent. Since I'm trying to organize myself and get an order to things around here I'm giving it a go again. Wesley is definitely old enough and mature enough to be out of diapers. We're going to work as a team this time. His job is to listen to his body and tell me. My job is to get him to a potty and remind him to listen to his body. I even have a potty that will travel in the car until we nail this skill. Pray for us.

fyi

it's official. no more pregnancies.

edit: no procedures have been performed. We are just sure and agree that there will be no more and now making permanent plans.

New Jobs and misc.

I've been doing the training for my new job and then I get to start talking to new moms. The hardest part I've noticed so far is going to be using picture words to help a mom get a good latch since it's almost all over the phone. But that's what training is for.

Ben's new job is wonderful!! If for nothing else, he's not nearly as stressed. But, some of the other great things are that it's what he loves to do, what he's going to school for, and it's not a dead-end position.

Carlise is now old enough for school but will not be attending kindergarten. Kindergarten isn't required in the state of Alabama and since we feel she's not emotionally ready, she'll stay home with me this year. And I'll be making sure she's on the same level as the other kids for 1st grade.

Wesley is still my b.o.y. in all ways. We've discovered his laughter is intoxicating to us. He is very inventive and loves to destroy my living room to build whatever he's creating that day. As long as he helps clean up we're ok. He's still not potty trained but is working on it. He's trying to earn his reward of going to Chuck E. Cheese's.

Josie is in the transition from being baby to 2 year old. Sassy pants. She will probably be potty trained when Wesley is. She communicates very well and expresses herself pretty clearly. She loves to wear dresses, but not skirts so much. However, she absolutely insists on picking out her shoes by herself though.

working again

I got a small part time job doing something I am passionate about.

I am a W.I.C. breastfeeding peer counselor. It's only 10 hours a week spent on the phone either at home or the health department. I thought I was volunteering, but was then informed I needed to fill out another form because the state will be paying me. Whoo! I was very nervous to go in for a formal interview and get back in the work force. It didn't click until they asked me the final question in the interview

"Why do you think you'd make a good peer counselor?"

"Because I'm already doing it."

I Swear Survey

I Swear Survey

The History of Swearing Survey

The History Channel's newest documentary "I Swear" will explore the history of cursing. The show will investigate the history of "Cursing" across time and culture, from a legal, religious, etymological and social perspective.

The producers have asked for help to find out why products like theTVGuardian and ClearPlay Filtering DVD Player are so popular.

Tell us how you feel about swearing. How you protect your children. Don't let Hollywood dominate this documentary because we didn't say anything. The producers would like to meet fascinating people who have a great interest in keeping their children protected from swearing. Now is your chance to speak out.

America Rising

I think what bothers me the most about this healthcare scam is that, if this was in use last august, I would've been blind or dead before I got the care I needed.

Like this Mother in England.

VP3D: The videophone of the future?

This is a big deal. Please go and file with the FCC to help the deaf community.

Mother's day

My munchkins enthusiastically planted pink & white flowers for me for my mother's day gift. They also helped plant some marigolds with my tomato plant. It's so beautiful to have color in front of the house now. Something about digging in the dirt just feels so good!

Despite what you might hear while on the phone with me, I really do enjoy them & love being their mommy. Ben & I were very happy in the first 2 1/2 years of our marriage, but then something happened and it changed everything- we had a baby. And instead of our world being flipped upside-down, it was actually more like bringing life into focus and we could truly see. And we became immersed in the bittersweet world that is parenting.

And now being in their shoes I am grateful for not only my Mom, but Ben's Mom as well. They both keep me grateful for how good I have it now with blessings such as affordable well-constructed diapers, bottles w/ drop-in liners & Mylicon to name a few! Mom H. has truly been a blessing for a mother-in-law. I could not have picked better! And my Mom is always there with advice for me, I don't always listen the first time, so I'm very grateful she's always there to repeat it for me!

My Oma is also such a blessing in my life! She is who I want to be one day. She's so loving, faithful, joyful, & hard working. Oh, and she makes the best jam ever. You can ask any of my family, it's like you can taste the love when you eat it. Now I just have to work on getting a dozen jars back to her for a refill.

My darling Grandma J. is gone, but I still think of her often. I can't smell a gardenia or pass a garden without thinking of her. Her memory is what gets me digging in the dirt. I feel such peace when I'm in the yard doing what she used to do and it brings a connection to me. A connection I want to pass on to my children.

So we dug in the dirt today and started our garden. And as it grows, and as they grow, we will share these experiences and I will share my memories of these wonderful mothers in our family.

Adorable Aprons

PYP Blog: 40% off code for FlirtyAprons.com - Think Mother's Day!

Great Mother's Day gift idea! Works on girl's aprons too! So cute!
40% off any apron with code: FA-4110 - 40% off any apron with code: FA-4110 Expires 5/12

Flirty Aprons Link
Cute Aprons like this!
Women's Apron Scalloped Cherry Blossom
Was $29.95
Now $28.50
After code: $17.10

Eclipse Trailer

Ben

Today is my sweethearts 33rd birthday!!!!

also Josie's birthday

Today is also Josie's 2nd birthday! We were set to have a birthday party until she threw up yesterday. So she and I stayed home today and cuddled to make sure she was over the sickies, we don't like to share germs. =] And the party is on schedule for tomorrow! We went ahead and gave her one of her gifts. She loves her dog!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!! We hope you've been able to enjoy this special day and relish the love you have in your life.

Snow Day!

Friday was a snow day for us. I don't remember it snowing this well since 1993. Ben got to come home at 2 and we all played in the snow. It constantly went between raining and snowing. We went to Nana's house because her snow wasn't at slushy as ours and we built a snowman.

Useless, but cute

I think I'm going to try building one of these for the boy. Toddlers love repetition and he has such a mechanical mind. Anyone else?

bedtime woes

Josie has done great without the paci. She cried for 2 minutes at naptime and whimpered at bedtime, but hasn't asked for it since the first day without it. However, she still having a hard time staying in bed. She's so tired, but she won't stay still long enough to fall asleep at naptime or bedtime. I have to end up sitting in the room, but that only keeps her in bed. She'll still toss and turn for an hour before passing out.

Any Suggestions on how to keep her in her bed and help her develop good habits for falling asleep easier?????

Bow Giveaway

Orange Peanut is doing a bow giveaway from Fox Den Productions.

Go enter!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

I don't have my Mother's gift with words so I had to have some help. I love you Mom!

Each year I’m extra happy on your birthday;
Your day reminds me of God’s gift to me--
A mom who gave her all to raise me right,
A mother like the one I want to be.
-Joanna Fuchs

Mother, I wish you the best on your birthday;
No one has earned it like you.
You provide the love that makes our dream
Of a happy home come true.Your family loves and reveres its Mom;
You enrich everything you come near;
You’re our rock, our beacon and our pleasure,
And everything we all hold so dear.-Karl Fuchs

"Being a mother has never been an easy role. Some of the oldest writings in the world admonish us not to forsake the law of our mother, instruct us that a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother, and warn us not to ignore our mother when she is old (see Proverbs 1:8; 10:1; 23:22). "The scriptures also remind us that what we learn from our mothers comprises our very core values."

-Thomas S. Monson, "If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 116

slow & steady progress

Josephine climbed out of the crib the other week and fell, so that meant it was time for a toddler bed. For the first time in 5 years we don't have a crib set-up in the house! Their room feels bigger somehow. Josie has done so-so about staying in bed. We've taken away the paci when she gets out of bed, but that doesn't seem to bother her, so we're taking it away for good. =]

Wesley has kind of, sorta, decided he wants to potty train. I'm not really pushing it, because I get frustrated too easily. So he does better some hours/days better than others, but he is making progress, so I think he'll be done in a month or two.

Carlise is no longer taking naps. Not because she doesn't want to, but because even though she gets in bed at 8, she doesn't fall asleep until 9:45. On the plus side she gets to do some activities by herself that she couldn't do if the younger two were up. We're still trying to decide about her going to school next year.

And I actually updated my private blog.

so far this year

After feeling gypped of our 2 weeks of Ben at home (recuperating from the 1 inch hole the Dr. cut into the back of his neck for an infection), we had record lows in our area at the same time our heater stopped working. We were able to get the home warranty people to call someone out here to check it out, but since it was the weekend they couldn't get the part until Wednesday. Pam lent us 2 space heaters and after tripping a couple breakers, realized we have a screwy wiring set-up in our house. Unplugging the washer outside & running an extension cord through the old doggy door, we were finally able to get them both working and keep the house warm & toasty.

The day after the heater was fixed the water heater stopped working. Are you laughing yet? Called the gas company and for only $100 they could give us a new 50 gallon water heater, install it, and fix the piping/venting necessary(we had a 30 gallon tank) and they were able to come over that day. So awesome!

As they left, the water heater guys informed me that my main water line was now leaking, but they couldn't get my water turned off, so I'd need to fix that soon. I wrote down what they said I needed to buy and what to replace. Ben got Pa-pa Joe to come over and the two of them got it all taken care of - after the water company came out to turn off the water (the shutoff valve was seriously stuck).

So after that trying week, we have a much better outlook over here. We are very grateful for the modern conveniences we are blessed with and now know we can make it through imperfect times as a family.

Thank You Uncle Denny!