It's a Fannytastic life!

January

2012-01-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

January has been so busy! Not only was I back to school on January 4th, I've been extra busy at work (a good thing). Wind storms, snow storms, and life have left me either without internet or time to blog or do much else. So, I thought I would just do a little recap today.

January, hmmm...

*I suppose the most exiting part of January was the snow storm last week. Sketchy internet meant that I couldn't work or do homework much. The kids were stranded at home with no school, and I was stuck here with them thanks to my relentless fear of snow driving. We played a little, baked a little, and caught up on some housework. While I love having a little snow, I was a little relieved when it finally left us after about day 5.

Jonah enjoyed his first time really playing in the snow!

*Jonah is still healing from the Hand Foot and Mouth fiasco. Can you believe he still has healing spots on his hands and feet, and few on his arms and legs? This is what his face still looked like last week:

*Oh yeah, and have I mentioned that the terrible two's have hit, and hit hard? I'm definitely going a little nuts. Screaming, crying, tantrums, telling me no, hyper active at bedtime, and a refusal to "use words". This is what he had to say to me when I took him to the doctor to have his spots investigated:

...ok, maybe it was just a coincidence, but I took it personally.

*I began Weight Watchers again, and I'm loving it. Even though I've only lost 2lbs. since beginning earlier this month, it really has given me a renewed focus on healthy eating again. My favorite lunch has been a delicious spinach and tuna salad. To see the recipe and others from WW, checkout my healthy living blog www.blackbeansandskinnyjeans.com.

*Stella got her first, much-needed haircut. Isn't she gorgeous?

*One thing that I'm super stoked about is the fact that I finally splurged and bought myself a new dining table. The one I've been storing for my sister will (thankfully) be leaving my kitchen due to her moving into her own place soon and needing it back. I'm absolutely in love with this 9 piece set from Pier 1... gently used and found on Craigslist. It's absolutely perfect. The dogs are still curious about it!

*I'm pretty sure I am officially a single mom (again) to four amazing children. Believe it or not, I'm quite comfortable with this. There are moments I feel a little guilty, a little bit like a failure, or just plain overwhelmed, but it isn't the end of the world. I love my home, I'm proud of the accomplishments I'm making, and I believe God has shown me this is what's best for me.

So far, a good 2012.

Chicken Pox Has Nothing on Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

2012-01-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

My poor baby came down with fand foot and mouth disease last Thursday. One week later, we are still fighting the fight.

Poor Jonah has it BAD! I've never seen anything like it. I think I would much rather deal with Chicken Pox than this. He has sores over most of his body, except for his tummy and back. There are huge blisters on his hands and feet, and his face looks like he has a bad case of the herps.

But the worst are the sores in his mouth. He can't eat, he can't sleep, all he can do is scream. It's been a week of popsicles, ice cream, and yogurt for him. No amount of ibuprofen or acetaminophen seems to do the trick. Did you know that there is no prescription relief for hand foot and mouth disease? This sucks!

It was inevitable that the other babies would get it-- in fact, I'm pretty sure one of them brought the wonderful illness to us. But, when Vinny was dropped off on Saturday with four tiny spots around his mouth, and Ryland only came down with a light rash, you may have found me sobbing on the couch with my poor baby who was frozen in pain and misery. I felt helpless.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping that 2012 brings a lot more excitement than 2011. Not that 2011 was a horrible year, but it definitely could have been better. I'm happy to leave the past behind, and make this year better!

In true New Year's fashion, here are my resolutions:

Organize:
*This includes the garage, the backyard, and the clutter on my kitchen counter.

Projects:
*I have a fantastic dresser I found a yard sale this past summer that I'm looking forward to restoring. This will have to wait until the garage is de-cluttered. I'm hoping it turns out as fabulous as I envision it.
*I also plan on painting my bedroom furniture, including two dressers and my bed frame.

Health:
*I have a few goals here. One, I need to join Weight Watchers again, and get this 10lbs. off and keep it off. I'm thinking I'll do Weight Watchers the real way: meetings instead of just online. I'm hoping I'll be more inclined to lose the weight and keep it off if I have someone other than myself watching over me.
*Secondly, I'll be joining the gym at BAC. This will include Power Pump class on Mondays and Wednesdays, and cardio in the actual gym on the off days.
*Third, I'm promising myself to keep moving. I feel like I'm living a bit too much of a sedentary lifestyle. I miss my evening walks, so I'm vowing to start walking again in the evenings-- cold weather or not! I'm also going to find an excuse to get out of the house at least once a day... Can you believe that I got in my car yesterday and realized I can't remember the last time I put gas in it? Being I drive a gas-guzzling mini van, and I live outside of city limits, this is a little bothersome.
*Kick my other bad habits, which will remain unnamed.
*Also, I'm going to kick of my healthy lifestyle with the Look Better Naked plan. LBN is a book by Women's Health Magazine, which includes a six week plan aimed at firming up and feeling good about yourself.

Debt Management:
*For the most part, this won't be incredibly difficult. Sadly, a stressful past has left me with a few, larger sized unpaid bills. However, I will overcome! I have my credit report in hand, and I'm happy that it isn't as horrible as I imagined. I still have my eye on the prize, and the prize is owning my own home. I'm hoping 2013 will be the year. It better be the year.

The list isn't too entirely long, which makes me happy. For the most part, I feel like I have many of my ducks in a row. I'm happy to still be in school and maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and I'm happy to be able to keep up with part-time work that has me in a significantly better financial situation than my previous full-time job. A strict schedule allows me to spend ample time with my family on my dedicated day off, and I'm still able to stay somewhat sane. If there's anything the past has taught me, it's how to maintain my poise and mindset in a chaotic lifestyle, and I'm glad for that.

Cheers to a happy, healthy, and wealthy 2012!

A Holly, Jolly Christmas!

2011-12-27T12:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing this year! It always feels great to spend time with my family, and every year I feel luck that we still have everyone with us. We got to have three Christmases: one at my grandparents, one here at home, and one with my mom. All were equally great in their own ways.

Having a little guy in the family again is refreshing. I get to pretend there's a Santa again. I get to build traditions all over again. It's also a lot of fun spending little money on a lot of fun toys, instead of a lot of money on boring electronics. This was the first year Jonah was able to open his own presents, and I loved the surprised look on his face every time he got a new toy. With that said, I do enjoy watching each of my kids' faces light up as they open the gift and find just what was on their list.

I hate having to wait another full year to do it all over again!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

It so strange, how the older I get, the harder it is to get into the holiday spirit. For the past few years, I've really been making an effort to spread holiday cheer here at home. This year has seemed a little boring. I'm happy to be somewhat ahead on my Christmas shopping, and making gingerbread men was fun-- even if the kids barely did any decorating. I'm also excited to have had Christmas lights up since Black Friday (don't you love how I titled that as if it was a holiday in itself?).

I'm desperately looking for more ways to make it feel a lot more like Christmas around here. Glad to have a cookie party to look forward to, but maybe I'm in need of some more holiday projects. Sometimes I wish I had inherited my mom's sewing and crafting skills, but then I know my house would never be clean; because I'd be crafting all the time instead. I'm also realizing that I only have a couple of short weeks to take Jonah to see Santa for the first time.

So, here's to scouring the www in an attempt to find fun holiday ideas. Since when did Halloween feel more eventful than Christmas?

I'm a Little Behind On Life

2011-11-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

Lately, I feel like I'm behind on everything: my blog, my housework, school projects, work projects, blah blah blah. Thank goodness it's finals week, and I'll have one less thing to worry about for the next month or so.

That is all.

Useless

2011-11-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

For the last two days, I have been completely useless! I'm focusing the blame on the following three things:

*I don't think my muscles have ever been so sore in my entire life. Thank you, "Power Pump", for taking away my abilities to walk, sit, bend over, use the stairs, and use the toilet in comfort. I thought the second day of recovery would be better. It's not. It's worse.

*I burnt the holy heck out of my arm. Stupid tea kettle. Stupid steam coming out of the tea kettle. I'm dubbing this the worst injury of my life.

*I'm a little sad. I wish my relationship with Rob wasn't so complicated right now. I feel bad for J, and I'm hopeful we'll be able to come out of this stronger in the end. I really want to be able to keep our family together.

So, there it is. I'm a walking train wreck these last couple of days. Hoping for quick healing in all three subjects.

Hmmm...

2011-11-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

... I just might be blogging to avoid working... I don't know... Here's what's on my mind...

*My step dad's best friend and closest thing to a father figure passed away from cancer Monday night. I've known Hank since I was 12, watched him and Art be the very best of friends, had many dinners and celebrations with him and his wife, laughed at his stupid Hankisms... I found myself crying at the thought of how upset Art must be, and because I know how much Hank means to him... He'll truly be missed.

*I'll be trying Zumba for the first time tonight. I'm not to keen on the idea, but I'll give it a shot for lack of a better exercise to do tonight. We'll see how it goes.

*One less kid to babysit has made things SO much easier on me! My nephew is a doll, and Vincent is fun to have for Jonah to play with.

*Speaking of Jonah playing with Vincent, he bit the kid last weekend. That's right, big, blue, puffy bite marks right on Vincent's poor little face. We'll see how it goes this week. It seems like I've tried everything to keep Jonah from thinking hitting and biting is an ok way of expressing himself, but nothing has worked-- or it does for a number of weeks and we're back to where we started. Flabbergasting, because he's never seen anyone else hit or bite. Any tips would be appreciated.

*School has felt a little more demanding this quarter than last. Lots of projects and little time to do them. I'm only somewhat annoyed by the snooty little girls in my team project who acted like I wasn't pulling my weight by missing a meet-up... Whatever little 21 year old snots.

*We're still getting used to the time change. By we, I mostly mean Jonah and I. I'll admit, it's kind of nice to get up an hour early feeling ready to start my day. The waiting for bedtime is where things get a bit crazy in our house.

*I've been watching Band of Brothers before bed each night. I have two more to watch before I've completed he series. What a great show! The old men remind my of my grandfathers.

I guess it's off to work I go... boo that!

Let the Halloween Adventures Begin!

2011-10-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is the first Halloween Jonah is able to go trick-or-treating (mostly for yummy treats mom and dad can eat!). On Saturday, we met some friends in downtown Bellingham for his first real Halloween experience. I'm not sure it was worth the effort-- we waded through mobs of people for about ten pieces of candy that got split with the little boy I was babysitting. But, I suppose it was worth the experience.

It took awhile for Jonah to warm up to his costume, but in the end he made the cutest dragon I've ever seen.

Tonight we'll be taking Jonah and the girls trick-or-treating. I'm looking forward to seeing how Kiana and Alandra's costumes turn out. I'm not looking forward to spending hours walking through the cold night. Does anyone else hate trick-or-treating?

Almost Not 18 Months

2011-10-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

Jonah is almost 19 months old now, but I wanted to do an 18 month update because it marks the one and a half year milestone. Life with a toddler has it's moments, but I'm usually amazed by the new things Jonah learns every day. At 18 months, Jonah:

*Isn't talking much. In fact, he's stopped saying the things he was saying when I posted back awhile ago. For now, he is sticking to the standards: "mama", "dada", "shoes", "this", and panting like a dog instead of saying it. Mostly, he's stubborn, and refuses to say anything we ask him to.

*Is a typical boy. You'll find him in his rain boots any hour of any day. He picks up slugs in the back yard and laughs about it. He's constantly grubby.

*Weighs 24lbs. and is 34" tall. The lady at WIC told me he's too skinny and I need to work on fattening him up. Obviously, she has never seen his dad before.

*Still loves eating fruit snacks. Hates to eat anything healthy. Except for green beans.

*Finally has some hair on his head. Thank goodness-- I thought he was going to be bald for forever.

*Is practicing his jumping skills. Jumping is my favorite thing to watch toddlers try to accomplish. He has only gotten both feet off the ground at the same time exactly once.

*Loves to snuggle. And reach down my shirt. Ok, not just my shirt, but my bra too. Like I said: typical boy.

*French kisses everyone and everything. Especially the dogs. He attacks them with his slobbery tongue.

*Loves anything and everything babies: baby dolls, baby cousins, baby toys. Enter photo of him thinking the evil bouncy chair is his again:

This little boy is such a joy. Sure, he has his moments, but I love him all the same, and the fun stuff definitely outweighs bad. I'm so happy to have this little guy around!

What is Being a Perfect Parent, Anyway?

2011-10-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was doing the dishes, which always gives me some time to do a little thinking. I started thinking about my blog. Then I started thinking about the random blogs I read. In particular, I was thinking about the random blogs I read that are written by mom's of toddlers. I was thinking about how most of these blogs are dedicated to their little ones and their seemingly perfect upbringing. I'm sure that all of these moms who's blogs I read do little things that would be considered "bad", but they would never admit to it. Today, I'm going to admit I'm not the perfect mom of a toddler. Here are some of the things that make me imperfect:

1. I let Jonah eat fruit snacks and ice cream. I'm not talking organic fruit snacks or frozen yogurt bought at the Food Co-Op. I'm talking sugary, candy-like fruit snacks and generic brand ice-cream that's loaded with bad-for-you goodies.

2. More often than not, I will keep feeding him said fruit snacks and ice-cream until he stops screaming for more. Sometimes this is 4 fruit snack pouches later. I don't care.

3. I laugh when he's sneaky. Sometimes I even laugh with him. An example would be this morning, when he scribbled all over the girls' bedroom closet door with pencil.

4. I think his temper tantrums are cute. I'm secretly smiling inside when he throws a fit over not getting his way. I think it's great that he's expressing his personality.

5. I let him wear rubber boots everywhere. Because he wants to. Even when his outfit doesn't match.

6. I let him play in the kitchen when I'm not looking or paying attention. My subconscious mom radar is always on, but I'm not "watching" him. I've been known to let him empty the entire kitchen onto the floor.

7. I also let him play in the bath alone. Some moms won't take their eyes off of their toddler in the bathtub. Not me, I do chores and listen.

8. I let him get dirty. Filthy is more like it. In fact, I think it's adorable when I've just given him a bath and clean set of clothes, and he immediately goes outside and rolls in the mud. It gives him character.

9. Sometimes I forget to brush his teeth before bedtime. Sometimes I let him go to sleep with a sippy cup. These two things don't happen often, but they do happen.

10. I feed him fruit even though I know he'll get a diaper rash. This is horrible, I know. But, so is his shrill scream when he sees me eating cantaloupe or strawberries and I try to tell him he can't have any, especially because these are his two favorite things. Part of this is because I've been experimenting with doses, but it seems even a tablespoon of cantaloup and half a strawberry give him an instant rash.

My point is, I don't think any parent is perfect, and while I love the cutesy little stories and pictures of mom blogs, I know their lives can't be that perfect. They just don't admit it. I like being a laid-back mom.

Turducken 2011!

2011-10-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

What a great success. I think this years bird within a bird within a bird was the best yet. So many great friends and foods! I didn't have time to take many pictures of our amazing culinary accomplishments, but I did get some great shots of our loved ones and our yummy feast!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's turducken adventures, and bringing delicious food and drink! Two days later, I'm still stuffed!

A Walk in the Park

2011-10-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday, we took J to one of my favorite Bellingham places-- Boulevard Park. After looking at some pictures from our little adventure, I'm realizing how less he looks like a baby and how much he looks like a boy. Happy 18 Months, my little guy!

Meh.

2011-09-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy for the last month or so. I have to admit, I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed, a little lonely, and a whole lot stressed.

One thing I've definitely learned in my life, is that I'm just too eager to make others happy. It's my downfall. It's also why I'm always stressed. I guess I put myself in these positions. All I know, is that last night I was so anxious about everything, that I had a mini anxiety attack-- something I haven't experienced in a very long time.

Here are some examples of what's got me jittery:

#1 I'm not sure how it happened, but I babysit three kids. I also have a rambunctious one and a half year old on top of it. At 3pm everyday, I also have three big kids here. I can't decide how much of my motivation to watch everyone's kids had to do with income, and how much if has to do with empathy and my eagerness to please. All I can say, is that my house is busy. Constantly. There is always a baby in need of something, and it's getting stressful. Add that to homework and my "real" job, and you've got pure chaos and a Stephanie who is on the verge of yanking (forcefully) every single one of her hairs out of her head.

#2 Rob. This seems like on ongoing struggle. It's not so much that I have a need to please him, but it's that I have a need to keep the peace. I hate feeling like things are never going to get better. Hours upon hours of counseling, both together and him alone, haven't helped. Neither has Prozac. I'm tired of being constantly anxious and stressed because of what he claims to be anxiety (I call it being an asshole, and trust me, I've had enough patience with this struggle to call it as it is). I run around, constantly picking up pieces, or trying to prevent outbursts. It's hard work. I've put up a good fight (almost 4 years), and I think I'm about to surrender. Sometimes, I think the only things that are keeping me here (or him, because let's be real, I'm not moving out of this house with four kids), is Jonah (of course), and my stupid stubbornness. At this point, I can honestly say that I would be perfectly content being a single mom for the rest of my life. I won't say I don't love him, I do. I will only say that I can't live my life in constant fear of temper tantrums. It clearly will not be getting better anytime soon-- if ever.

#3 My kids. If there are two phrases I absolutely hate hearing from my kids, it's, "You should...", and "I wish...". They make me feel like I'm not doing good enough. I know that I am. I'm sure I said the same things to my mom as a kid. But, it's those first two words beginning those sentences that automatically make me feel like like I'm not doing good enough. I hate that feeling.

I know that a lot of the way I'm feeling right now has to do with other people's actions, and not my own. My biggest fear is heading down a path I was on about 5 years ago. I never want to be there again, and I think I know the warning signs. In the end, I know what I need to do, and that's to please only myself. It just sucks having to let others down in the process. Is this being selfish? No, but it's hard to justify disappointing anyone just to make myself happy. But, I think it's what's right, is it not?

This isn't meant to be a "woe is me" type of post. I just needed to vent, and sometimes putting in writing helps me realize just what I need to do.

Meet Miss Stella!

2011-09-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that we welcomed our newest family member last Friday! Meet Miss Stella, our 3 month old Biewer Yorkie. She is absolutely precious, and so special. Her and Mr. Tinsley are getting along quite fabulously! Isn't she just the cutest?!

Randoms...

2011-09-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

1. Now that summer has finally made its appearance in Bellingham, I'm not ready for fall anymore. Go figure!

2. Operation Jonah Sleeps Through the Night seems to be successful. He fell asleep in an almost instant at 8:00 last night and is still sleeping now. Whoohoo!

3. I already feel like a weight has been lifted with having the kids back in school.

4. I start school again next Tuesday: two online classes and p.m. class.

5. I'm worried about handling school, work, and all of the kids I babysit. I'm hoping it doesn't get too overwhelming.

6. Between work and online classes, I'll probably be living on my computer.

7. I'm trying to cook up something spectacular for the kids' Christmas. It's hard not to share what it is, but my biggest fear is that they'll some how figure it out, and I don't want my silly blog to be the one to give it away!

8. I'm pretty sure Rob has PMS.

9. Hmmm... I wonder where my mom is with my nephew? She was supposed to have dropped him off 10min. ago.

10. 6 people and one shower do not get along.

Bedroom Makeover

2011-09-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what gave me the sudden burst of housecleaning motivation yesterday, but I enjoy having my comfortable home back. Along with the heavy-duty cleaning, I decided to organize Jonah's "bedroom" in an attempt to make it as comfortable as I had envisioned before moving to our new place.

Jonah doesn't have a real bedroom. He has the larger portion of our dining room, separated by a privacy screen. But, it works. I find it whimsical. But since moving in, I haven't really done much other than throw his crib and rocking chair behind the screen. My hope with the room makeover was to make his "room" feel a little more homey, and that it would somehow help the sleep setup.

I'm really happy with his cozy room makeover...

... however, we still have some work to do. For one, we really should get some sort of area rug in there. I'd also like some more wall decorations.

As far as the sleeping goes, Jonah took his first nap in his crib since living here. Typically, he takes his naps in my room. On my bed. With the door closed. But, today he slept for a full hour in his "bedroom", with my nephews crying in the living room, and me doing dishes and cleaning. Operation N.A.B. (Nap In Bed)= Successful!

Nighttime sleeping is going pretty well, too. I'd say, this past week has seen a 70% improvement in our past sleeping arrangements. For the past three nights, Jonah has gone to sleep on his own in his crib. Before, he was falling asleep in our bed with a sippy cup while he held each of our hands and rubbed our faces-- as sweet as that sounds, it was taking him sometimes up to two hours to fall asleep; and as much as I love that he wants the comfort of knowing mom and dad are "there" by touching and petting us, it really gets annoying after awhile... why do I hate to say that?

Although, for now, I am sitting in his room while he falls asleep (baby steps with this process), he is now falling asleep around 9pm instead of 11pm. I love having the extra two hours of free time (last night I used to do my 30 Day Shred, with an extra hour and a half to spare!)! I also think that the sound and lights machine (you can see it on top of his changing table in the first pic) is really helping him go to sleep as well. It plays ocean, rain and lullaby sounds. He's been sleeping to rain every night, and only waking up once for a very short minute.

All of this is helping me realize how much my little boy is growing up on me, as well as how much I've let him get away with. It's hard not to spoil the last baby I'll ever have!

DMB

2011-09-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

Dave Matthews Band is my favorite band... ever! I was so thrilled to make an impromptu trip to go to his Caravan at the Gorge this past weekend.

I have to say, it was the best DMB show I've ever been to-- Dave even came out mid-day to play with Tim Reynolds... in his pajamas! He laughed about getting fat and going bald... in his pajamas! And, he played incredible music... in his pajamas!

But, what made this trip even more exciting than seeing Dave Matthews in his p.j.'s, was getting to take my little Jonah along for his first DMB show. He danced, he "sang", he ran around, he split his lip open. An all around amazing time!

See how happy that kid's face is to "meet" DMB for the first time?!

Fall

2011-09-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love fall? Probably a million times. Aside from Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I'm ready for:

*The trees to change to beautiful Fall colors.
*Leaves on the ground.
*A turduckin feast.
*Baking.
*Hearty crockpot meals.
*Seeing the bird nests exposed in the trees that had hidden them behind their leaves all Spring and Summer.
*Lazy rainy days.

Fall always brings me a feeling of homey relaxation. I don't think there's any more perfect season!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-08-31T08:39:00.001-07:00

Fall is my favorite season! These last three days have definitely felt like fall weather (what a sad summer we had), and I'm getting excited for some of my fall favorites.

Specifically, I'm excited for Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

Yum.

I Hate Summer Vacation...

2011-08-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

... In fact, I loathe it!!!!

It gets to a point each summer, where I just can. not. wait. for. it. to. be. over!

I'm frustrated with the condition my house is constantly in. I'm tired of the petty arguments the kids have. I'm sick of how lazy I'm discovering my 14 year old to be. I hate it that my one year old can't get a decent nap because of all of the constant commotion. I despise there being no routine.

On that note, I will admit that this is the best summer I've had in ages. We've had fun adventures, and I'm glad that I'm not stuck in an office all day. I'd rather be here. I just really need school to start. I need my kids to be back on a schedule. I need them out of my house all day long!

I truly believe summer vacation was created to drive moms insane.

Viva Las Vegas!

2011-08-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

Rob and I just got home from five long, hot, relaxing days in Las Vegas. That's right, I just said Las Vegas was relaxing!

I've never experienced 111* weather, and I have to say, I can't decide whether I loved it or hated it. That kind of heat causes dizzy spells, messy hair, and I'm sure I didn't smell like a lady my entire trip. On the plus, I have the most amazing tan I've ever had in my entire life, haha!

Our vacation wasn't the typical Vegas fashion. Instead of gambling, drinking, and partying, we relaxed by the pool, did some sight-seeing, and ate delicious buffet food... okay, that last part was a joke. Although, if you're looking for a delicious buffet, we found some great ones on our vacation *wink*.

It was nice to get away. It was amazing getting some sleep. I feel relaxed and refreshed. Best of all, I finally got some sunshine in my summer.

I'm hoping my next vacation will be Disneyland.

Call Me Stephanie, Civil Engineer

2011-08-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm super stoked to have found out that I am officially in the Civil Engineering program at BTC. Prior to yesterday, I'd thought I'd have to wait until NEXT fall to get in! That would mean three years before I graduated, and probably longer before I found a job in the field.

My first class that is of the engineering type, starts fall quarter: Computer Aided Drafting. I'm only a little scared.

I can't wait to be finished with school. Two years ahead of me, and I hope it flies by! Soon, you'll see me creating and presenting plans for bridges, roadways, and more. I would love to do some work for the North Cascades Pass, but that may just be a dream.

Here's to two years of calculus, computer drafting, and land surveying and mapping!

Remember to Always Put Your Marshmallows in the Cooler

2011-07-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

It was 90+ degrees in Winthrop/Pearrygin. I didn't think there'd be any chance of being able to have campfires, so I nixed the idea and brought only foods that would be able to be eaten without.

Well, just my luck, campfires were ok. I tried to convince my kids that we didn't need one, but they were more convincing and convinced me otherwise. They just had to have s'mores. So, being the good mom that I am, I bought firewood, marsmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey's while we were in Winthrop that day.

When we got ready to make s'more, here's what we found:

Yep, that's right. One ginormous marshmallow. We still tried to use them:

It didn't work out so well:

We tried other ways to eat the marshmallow instead. Afterall, I paid $2.49 for those things!

Okay, so those pictures were just for laughs. Kiana really did spoon the marshmallow goop out and eat it though :)

And that was the funniest marshmallow experience I've ever lived.

Mommy & Kids Vacay

2011-07-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

The kids and I spent the last two nights in Eastern Washington for a much need getaway. We had a blast! Free of drama. Just us. We definitely need these vacays for ourselves more often. Here are the highlights:

We stayed in Okanogan National Forest, at the Kilpchuck Campground. It's at the very end of the Cascade Pass. We pretty much were stuck having to stay there because it was 10pm and Jonah was screaming because he'd been in the car for 3hours. I'm glad we were stuck here, though. Super nice campground. Busy, but quiet. Still abundent with nature.

We were about 20min. from Winthrop-- one of my favorite tourist towns in Eastern Washington. We wandered the town, ate ice cream. I had the best cinnamon roll I've ever had in my entire life. It was 90*. We only ended up hanging out in Winthrop for about an hour before deciding it was time to hit up the Pearrygin Lake for the day.

I haven't had this much fun in a long time. The kids were happy, which makes me happy. I absolutely loved it! ...We're a good foursome. Eastern Washington made me happy with living here again. I'm just a tad upset that I came home to rain... Okay, I'm a lot uset.

Here are some of my favorite photos from our trip. Our S'Mores adventure will get a blog of its own:

Doing Me

2011-07-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

Lately, my heart and my morals seem to be at war. Things aren't always the way I hope they'd be, and right now, I'm not sure which direction to turn.

Sometimes I feel like I'm doing "what's right" just to please the people around me and my Higher Power. Something that's strange, because I feel strongly in living my life for myself, and only myself. I'm not unhappy, because I know how to do the things that make me feel good about myself, and how to block out the chaos that often surrounds me.

Right now, I'm trying to take a step back and look at the way things really are. I'm evaluating each and every decision I make carefully. I want peace and comfort. I want it consistently.

Really? No... REALLY?!

2011-07-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's July 20th and Bellingham still hasn't seen a decent summer. I'm sick of it! So much, in fact, that I consider packing up my stuff and moving the heck out of here.

One way tickets to Hawaii are cheap, and flights are right out of Bellingham. I've honestly been wondering if I could move there for some time now. A couple of years, actually.

I'd love it! A fresh start. Happy weather. Friendly people. Dog the Bounty Hunter. Me, and my kids. Everything Bellingham has to offer, plus the bonus of sunshine!

I hate it that I really do love Bellingham. Mostly for all of its green and outdoor activities. I love the Farmer's Market, but you can find those anywhere, right? I love downtown, love Fairhaven even more. I'm a hippie at heart, and Bellingham meets my hippie-at-heart demands. But, dang, a long dreary winter, no spring, and a summer that feels like fall is a bit depressing.

Just feeling like I want to start brand new. Who's coming with?

Taking Pics of Two Toddlers Rolling Around on The Couch with a Camera Phone Isn't Easy!

2011-07-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Jonah and I were so lucky to have C come play with us last week! They were so sweet together, and it's so fun knowing that they'll be good friends from such young age. Much like her mommy and I have been some of the best of friends since age 5! Love it.

I tried to take some pics of them cuddling on the couch... but they turned out horrible because all I have is my phone to take pics with :( I guess it's time to face facts, and realize that my real camera is definitely gone. Time to buy a new one... Boo!

Being A Girl

2011-07-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling a little frumpy lately, so I gave myself a manicure and pedicure. What do you think? What do you do to feel a little less frumpy and a lot more girly?

Randoms...

2011-06-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Because I haven't posted anything in over a month, I feel the need to catch up. Here's some of what's been going on:

1. Alandra had her 12th Birthday. I'm feeling the effects of having a 12year old girl in the house. Enough said.

2. I'm still big into the couponing game, although I haven't been out on any hugely good deals lately. I'm still saving tons of money, which is awesome.

3. Jonah has started to say is first words (on purpose first words): "mama", "bye-bye", and "nap time"( which sounds like naaa-niii). I love it.

4. Planning another getaway. Vegas here I come! Can't wait for scorching weather and poolside cocktails.

5. Summer vacation is here. I'm already sick of having four kids in the house.

6. Summer Quarter begins July 5th. Can't wait!

7. Just to make my summer busy and adding to my SAHM duties and workload, I'll be taking two classes and babysitting two more babies. What have I signed myself up for?!

8. Still loving our house. It's so cozy. Still wishing it were mine.

9. Luis graduated from 8th grade. On to high school. Oh my!

10. Wishing the summer would hurry up and bring us some warm weather!

A Little Bit Better

2011-05-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

I only sort of feel guilty about my blog post yesterday. Things aren't always horrible, it's just been a rough couple of days, I guess. Sleep has a purpose, and not getting enough of it has been waring on me.

There are a lot of things I'm enjoying. With my mini-rant from yesterday, I want to write about some positives to make up for it.

I love how much Jonah enjoys the outdoors. He begs me to go outside, and when the big kids are playing and he's stuck in the house with me, I think it's adorable how he'll stand in the front window to watch and yell at them.

He eats anything and everything. I love being able to give him dinner just like everyone else, instead of having me having to feed him his own seperate meals. Of course, sometimes I have to modify his meals to make them one year old appropriate. He absolutely loves ground beef these days.

Watching him learn is amazing. I love seeing the look on his face when he's realized how to do something. Even if it's dumping his bath water from the tub to my bathroom floor.

He loves to dance. A lot. Dance Central is a good way to keep him entertained, and because of it, he' able to recognize just about any Lady Gaga song. You should have seen him in the grocery store when "Poker Face" came on! Him being a Gaga fan only makes me a little nervous.

There's so much more that keeps me happy with having a one year old in the house. It's just easy to forget the happy times when you're running on 4hours of sleep! Last night was a little bit better, with him only waking every hour, on the hour, between 8:30 PM and midnight. The rest of the night he slept, so I feel a bit more refreshed. Plus, the sun is AMAZING today. I think we'll enjoy a large portion of the day outside!

The "Why's" of Being a Mom to a One Year Old

2011-05-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

The past few day's have been a nightmere here. Every bit of my patience has been tested, and I'm about to have a breakdown. At this moment, I feel like I might have the world's worst one year old. All I keep asking myself, and Jonah, is "WHY??!!":

Why is Jonah 13 1/2months old and still using a bouncey chair? Seriously? I'm pretty sure I'm about to throw the p.o.s. in the garbage today, because I'm sick of it being the only way to get him to sleep for naps and bed time.

Why is it, that every time he FINALLY starts sleeping through the night, does he have a relapse and decide play time is at 1:00 a.m.? For the past three nights I have not been able to simply lay the kid down, and have him simply drift off to sleep, as used to be the norm. Instead, he wiggles, squirms, and flops around for with his eyes open. For three hours. I'm exhausted.

Why does he have to try to get into everything dangerous? The toilet. The cupboard with the food chopper in it. Climbing on the fire place.

Why does "no" seem to be the only existing word in my vocabulary? "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

Why do I have to listen to screaming and tantrums all day long, when I have to use the word "no"? If your were at my house for any given portion of my day, I'm pretty sure you'd leave without a hair on your head. In between all of the "no's" I mentioned above, you'd hear Jonah's high-pitched shriek, followed by him throwing himself on the floor like I'm the worst mom in the world.

Why does my dog have diarrhea? Probably because my one year old is secretely throwing his food down to him when he thinks I'm not looking. Everytime, he thinks I'm not looking.

Why does Jonah spend half of his day in nothing but a diaper, and me in my pajamas? Because he is the grubbiest baby I've ever seen. I'm not kidding.

I don't mean to rant. I love my toddler, I really do. With all my heart. I've never had a baby as high maintenance, and full of character as I do now. I'm sleep deprived and aggrevated. Sometimes I feel like a bad mom. Please, please, tell me it'll get better!

Randoms...

2011-05-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

1. Another reason to love smartphones: Mobile AP. I know a lot of people resist adding web to their cell phone plans because of cost. But (BUT!) with a smartphone with mobile AP, I'm actually able to connect my computers (desktop or laptop) to my mobile internet. Which means I no longer have a home internet bill. And my data on my cell plan is cheaper. AND I can have a data connection anywhere I have a cell phone connection. AND! my data connection throuh my phone is actually faster than my home internet was. Just another way I'm trying to simplify my life, and my bills.

2. Jonah has taken to throwing fits. It drives me nuts. Last week he followed me around the house screaming and hitting me because I had brought him in from outside. I ignored him. This lasted about half an hour. Wow.

3. I still love our new place. Minus the annoying neighbors across the street.

4. Today I had the best lunch: blueberry greek yogurt, topped with half a banana, pecans, and unsweetened coconut flakes. Yum!

5. I'm still loving couponing. It's a fun challange, and I'm getting to try new products, all while saving money.

6. BTC is messing with my head.

7. I'm getting bored with my Jillian Michaels workouts. Time for some new ones.

8. I'm still getting over the world's most annoying cold.

9. Working from home, and chasing a one year old at the same time is harder than you'd think.

10. Caffeine is my friend.

Past, Present, Future

2011-04-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

Looking back over some old pictures, it's seems so strange that so much can happen in less than three short years. I met a man, added a pseudo step-son to my long list of kids, had a baby, and have moved more times than I wish to think about.

In the present, my family is complete. I have the best kids and family in the world. I'm happy to have chosen the best friends a girl can find, and to have kept them all around for longer than anyone I know-- aside from my friends, of course. I love our rental, and wish it could be mine someday (wonder if I could convince my landlord to let me make that happen when the time is right?). I feel a tad stressed about many minor things, but at the same time, I'm content.

And, for the future? An education. A career. A home of my own. When all is said and done, I think I already have what want.

Couponing!

2011-04-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

I have discovered something truly amazing, and I'm so excited about it! I've (finally) begun couponing, and while I'm just getting started, I'm doin pretty well for myself. Yesterday I went to Target and scored over $45.00 worth of stuff for less than $22.00. Here's what I got:

Huggies 60ct. Pure and Natural diapers $13.99

Fisher Price Sea Dragon ~$5.00

Two Johnson and Johnson travel size first aid kits .22each

Reach Mint Waxed Dental Floss FREE

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes .38

Nuetrogena Naturals Lip Balm .99

Such great deals! I'm still trying to learn ways to save money while I'm home. Couponing is taking just a little bit to get the hang of, but it's actually not as hard as I'd thought!

A Party For The Birthday Boy!

2011-04-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun having family and friends at our home to celebrate Jonah's Birthday. Thank you to everyone who came!

Already, my big boy seems even bigger. He's proficient at walking, loves to pretend he's talking on the phone, and has outgrown all of his 12month clothes. His smiles make me happy, his whining makes me want to scream. He is full of attitude and personality!

Here is to another great year!

Randoms...

2011-04-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

1. The sun is being deceptive. It LOOKS gorgeous outside, but if FEELS like a nightmere. I hope it warms up this afternoon.

2. You would think my house would be spotless, with me being at home all the time. Having a one year-old definitely makes a clean house more difficult.

3. I love being able to make money while I'm at home, but I'm thinking about getting a part-time job too.

4. Yesterday, we went to Hovander Farm with a friend of mine. I loved it, the kids were bored.

5. I think I've been drinking too much coffee lately. I'm limiting myself to one cup in the am, and green tea for the rest of the day.

6. I planted my first bulbs and seeds, ever. I'm excited to watch them grow! Dhalias, Lillies, Sunflowers, and other randomness, right outside my front window. Can't wait!

7. Birthday Party for Jonah on Sunday! Can't wait to see all of our friends!

8. Rob and I both have a birthday within a week of eachother. I'm trying to plan something, but so far nothing sounds too exciting.

9. Worried about my grandma, again.

10. After running some errands, I plan on spending some outside time with the kids, who are on Spring Break. So happy the sun is shining!

Happy First Year, Jonah Kennan!

2011-04-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

From this...

To this...

So much has changed in the last year. I couldn't be happier than to have this little boy in my life. Mommy loves you Jonah-Bear!

eBay: Why Wasn't I Shopping Here Sooner?

2011-03-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

It goes without saying, that being at home now, our household income is just a tad lower than when I was working. I've been trying to find ways to shop on a budget, especially when it comes to items like clothing and shoes for the family. I've found some great bargains on eBay lately, and the whole family got some much needed items!

Here are just a few steals:

Van's shoes for Luis-- eBay 24.99, regular retail 52.00

Converse for Kiana-- eBay 13.40, regular retail 29.99

Converse All Stars for Alandra-- eBay 19.99, regular retail 34.99

Van's shoes for Jonah-- eBay 4.99, regular retail 29.99

Abercrombie and Fitch summer dress-- eBay 9.99, regular retail 59.99

Silver Jeans for me-- eBay 33.80, regular retail 110.00

There were other great deals, including: Van's shoes for Rob, eBay 24.99, retail 52.00; baby monitor for Jonah's room 8.49, retail approx. 48.00.

Obviously, the entire family was in desperate need for shoes! I was in desperate need of jeans, and the summer dress was just such a great deal, I had to have it!

I'm so glad I found this shopping option! I saved so much money on brand new name brand items for the whole family, and with items that I've been selling, it really didn't feel like I was spending money at all! In a sense, it almost feels like bartering-- sell a little, spend a little. I haven't had to add any additional out-of-pocket money, just spending what I've sold. So awesome!

The Year in Review

2011-03-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Jonah will be 1year old on April 2nd, and with his birthday fast approaching, I was taking a look back at all of our pictures. He has grown so much! I can't believe that in approximately 2 weeks it will have been a year since he was born.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the last year:

Fresh out of the oven!

I think someone knew they had a stinky.

I think this is my all time fave!

Just for dad.

Big boy!

Family

First Christmas

First Spaghetti

Ok, so maybe I went a little overboard with the picture sharing. It's just that there have been so many great memories from Jonah's first year. If I could, I would share them all! Only a couple of the pictures made me cry a little...

11months

2011-03-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

Baby Jonah turned 11months old on March 2nd. I can hardly believe how quickly time has gone by, and that in less than a month now, he'll be 1year old! Wow!

These days, Jonah is:
1. Standing up alone and taking his first (very wobbley) steps.
2. Eating anything and everything. We have been feeding him the same foods the family is eating. Makes for some pretty interesting diapers, that's for sure.
3. Giving high-fives-- so cute!
4. Sleeping through the night-- FINALLY!
5. As cute as can be. Ok, so maybe I'm a little partial.
6. Has seven teeth, and one more on its way.
7. Finally growing some hair!
8. Totally lovable. He loves giving hugs and kisses, especially to his Glow Worm. (I have a super great video, but Blogger has decided to take the video option away from this blog for some reason. Any tips on why this might be???)
9. Has the sweetest scowl that only a mom could love.

I've definitely enjoyed his first year, and am looking forward to the next. My baby boy is much more than I had expected.

What I'm Loving About Being a SAHM

2011-03-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

First and foremost... Waking up to this:

But, also:
-Being able to be a part of school activities with the kids; for the first time in I don't know how long, I got to take Kiana to Books and Breakfast.
-Being able to maintain a clean house. Well, sort of. It's had it's ups and downs due to moving.
-Not having to wake up at the bum-crack of dawn.
-Being able to see the kids off to school, and seeing them home.
-Focusing on family.
-More time for "me".

I could get used to this!

Happy Birthday, My Sweet Little Kiana!

2011-02-22T11:27:00.001-08:00

Miss K turned 9years old yesterday! She is growing up to be such a sassy, spunky, and gorgeous little girl. I couldn't be more proud!

Randoms...

2011-02-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

1. I'm so ready for our move to be over with. Both houses are nothing but pure chaos right now. Can't wait to be out with the old and in with the new!

2. Jonah is still a sickling, and I've made the decision to be poor for awhile and quit my job. I'm trying to find something part-time. I'm ready to have a healthy baby, and be home most of the time. I'm also looking forward to losing the $867.00/mo. I'm paying for daycare.

3. I'm not sure how all mentioned in #2 will effect my decision to go back to school next year.

4. I'm ready for spring, and I'm ready to start running. I don't think I'll ever be the girl who runs in rain and cold. I have zero tollerence.

5. I'm going on day two of not showering due to the stress of moving and taking care of a sick baby. My hair is a nice shade of "grease" today.

6. I feel like a taxi lately. I love how active my kids are in school activities, and I know it's good for them. I wish it was like when I was their ages, and I was able to take the WTA everywhere I went. I just don't feel like it's safe these days.

7. I spent way to much money at KMart yesterday. I'm not even a fan of KMart, how did I spend over $200.00 there?

8. My new jogger stroller came via UPS yesterday. I'm excited to put it together and use it.

9. I've never seen as much snot as I have today in my entire life.

10. After getting my taxes back, I've paid off a ton of bills. It feels good.

Check out my new blog!

2011-01-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

Black Beans and Skinny Jeans

I guess I've begun to run out of ideas to write about lately on this blog. Sure, it's all about me, but lately I feel like my life is so BOR-ing. Or, I feel like I'm always blogging about the same stupid things.

So, one thing I've been trying to come up with is something, one single thing to blog about. And then it hit me-- right now I'm focused on healthy eating, and I've always wanted to run a marathon. Why not blog about it? Why not get tips and ideas from others?

Follow it, share it, comment, help me!

Randoms...

2011-01-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

1. I just painted my nails "Midnight Blue", I love them!

2. Jonah is cruising and into EVERYTHING! I love watching him use his push-car to move across the room.

3. I'm addicted to Dance Central. The Kinect may have been the best Christmas purchase, ever.

4. I can't wait to move out this house. I'm looking forward to a bigger place, and having Jonah in his own room.

5. I've been enjoying making my own chai tea at home. Delicious.

6. I'm in major need of a haircut. I should probably have it foiled again as well.

7. I dropped my $500.00 phone in a mud puddle on Christmas Day. I'm pretty sure the liquid damage is finally starting to catch up to it. Thank goodness I have an upgrade available.

8. I'm desperately seeking part-time work. Working full-time has just become too stressful, lately.

9. I bought my first Lottery ticket on Tuesday. Too tempting when the jackpot was at $67,000,000. I won $4. Tried again last night when it was at $88,000,000. I won $0.

10. I can't decide what to make for dinner tonight. Today was weigh-ins and I didn't lose a single pound. It could have to do with all of the chocolate I ate this week and the tirimisu I scarfed down last night. It was a large helping.

Who says you can't eat yummy on a diet?

2011-01-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

One thing that I love about WW is that you can eat normal, everyday food and it's all part of the diet! Since most of WW is about portion control, the rest of the family can eat what I am and have as much as they want. Here are some of my favorite recipes:

*Cuban-Style Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew This one we had last night, and is by far one of my favorites.

*Baked Ziti With Turkey Sausage Another favorite, everyone in the house LOVES.

*Chicken Saagwala This one will have your house smelling like Indian Curry for days, but is delish!

*Roasted Balsamic Pork Tenderloin Very savory.

*Sesame Noodles with Chicken This one we haven't tried yet, but it looks yummy and is what we're having tonight.

And some yummy snacks and desserts. Most recipes can substitute half the sugar for Splenda, and use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter instead of regular margarine or butter:

*Soft Chocolaty Cookies

*Choc-Peanut Frozen Cookies

*Mint Hot Chocolate

*Apple-Pear Crisp

Some other things I've been eating guilt-free:

*Any Skinny Cow ice-cream products. Love, love, love.

*Popcorn, sprayed with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray.

*Kashi granola bars. Great for snacks.

*Any fruits and vegetables (minus high fat or starchy ones), are all guilt-free picks.

I can live like this. Smiles!

My Dirty Little Secret...

2011-01-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

... I've been doing Weight Watcher's online for 8weeks now. The reasons I haven't shared about this until now are: 1. Because I don't(and didn't) feel like I was an overweight person and didn't want to listen to everyone tell me that I didn't need Weight Watchers. 2. Because I didn't want to admit I'd spent a bunch of money on something as silly as Weight Watchers if it wasn't going to work. The reasons I'm sharing about it now, are: 1. Because it actually has worked, and today marks my first 10lbs. lost milestone. 2. Because I'm proud of myself for losing weight in a healthy way.

I started Weight Watchers because I was still having the most terrible time losing my last 15lbs. of baby-weight, and I was so sick of it. So much for my doctor's words of encouragement during the last months of pregnancy, when she kept telling me that the weight was going to fall right off; nine months later, here I am still trying to lose that last 5. I also decided to go with Weight Watchers when I girl at work suggested I try it. Up until that point, I hadn't really thought anyone else had noticed that I was still carrying around extra poundage. Silly me.

Anyways, I tried it, it worked, and I'm keeping at it until I get down to my pre-pre-pregnancy weight. I feel healthy, happy and I'm eating deliciously.

Reasons I recommend Weight Watchers, and why I love it:

1. I get to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. No joke. This even means the Red Velvet Cupcakes I made last night, cream cheese frosting included.

2. The online recipes are simple, delish, and even my family doesn't notice that they're healthy.

3. I'm learning simple facts about healthy eating: portion control, the importance of nutritional information panels on packaging, and which foods give me more bang for my buck.

4. I can take Weight Watchers with me anywhere I go. I have a mobile app on my MyTouch 4G, that gives me access to my personal Weight Watchers site at anytime.

All in all, I'm loving it and I'm successful. I'm proud of myself and feeling healthy. Thank you Weight Watchers!

Resolutions 2011...

2010-12-31T08:11:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of 2010, and I'm anxious to ring in the new year.

My resolutions are:

1. To get a majority of my debt paid off. Most of this year's tax return will go towards my debt. Hopefully, I'll be able to buy a house by 2012.

2. I'm going finish at least a half marathon. At least.

3. Focus on family. With my grandma being so ill, and with no one knowing why, I want to be closer with my family. For the last three days my head has been streaming through all of the things I want to tell my grandma "just in case", but I feel like they are all things she should know already but maybe doesn't. I want all of my family to know how much I appreciate them, even when I have a hard time showing it.

Some things I'm excited for:

1. Starting school in the fall. I really hope that everything comes through as hoped, financially, so the hope of school is not a flop.

2. Being an auntie for the first time. It's about someone other than me has a baby around here.

3. Moving. I'm ready to be in a bigger house.

Happy New Year!

Randoms...

2010-12-30T15:53:00.000-08:00

1. My stomach is growling. Loudly. I should probably be cooking dinner instead of blogging.

2. I'm super stressed about my dear grandma being back in the hospital for the second time in two weeks. I hope they can figure out what's wrong with her, and that she gets better soon.

3. I'm completely addicted to Dance Central.

4. Rachael Rae drives me nuts.

5. We still have our Christmas tree up. I'm not ready to take it down yet.

6. I'm a huge Dog the Bounty Hunter fan, but last night's episode really disturbed me.

7. My stomach is still growling. I'm excited to eat stir fry for dinner tonight.

8. I'm super sick of holiday sweets. Not enough for me to stop eating them.

9. I just started my four day weekend! I can't remember the last time I had a four day weekend.

10. 2011 can't come soon enough.

A Very Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing, as usual. Not much else to say.

8months old...

2010-12-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

My little baby is turning into such a big boy! Here are the highlights...

*Jonah now has four teeth. The top two did not come in as easily as the first two did on the bottom. We definitely knew when these ones were coming in!

*He is a mover! He's been pulling himself up on tables, his crib railing and anything else he can for a little while now, but now that he crawls we are having to keep the coffee table and t.v. stand free of little items. He's keeping on my toes!

*He loves to eat! He no longer loaths his bananas if I put them in what Kiana calls his "food binkie". He's also eating his first finger foods, "melt aways". He seems to hate his bottles lately.

*He (finally) has a little bit of hair on his head. Not much, but it's there.

*He looks so much like Rob from the eyebrows up and me from the eyeballs down, that it's a little scary.

*Jonah is a stinker-- he fake cries and coughs for attention and then laughs when we finally acknowlege him. What a little butt.

*He's getting ready for his first Christmas. Last night we got the tree up, and he is in love with the lights!

Everyday my little boy gets bigger, and learns something new. He's simply the best!

Snow Days... How time passed while stuck at home!

2010-11-29T09:48:00.000-08:00

We get bored with our toys...

We hate our bananas...

We bundle up like eskimos...

We make homemade pierogis...

We play legos...

We practice bass...

We play with the boring toy again...

Randoms...

2010-11-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

1. I can't believe how much I still love Twilight. I watched Twilight and New Moon both last night. I wish I was Bella Swan.

2. This morning I was thinking about Bellingham icons: Headphone Lady, Running Trench Coat Man, Midget Biker Dude. I feel like there were more on my list this morning.

3. We had fun playing at Zuanich Park today. It was beautiful outside, but it's definitely getting a bit cold outside already.

4. I'm considering a job change here soon. I think I'll find something part time so I can be home with Jonah during the day. Daycare is just too expensive, and it's not worth working so much just so someone else can take care of my baby. I'll wait until after Christmas, though :)

5. I've fallen in love with Larabars. Delicious.

6. I got myself a Shake Weight. I swear I can see a difference already.

7. I feel like I haven't been able to stick with any goals I've set for myself lately. I need to get back to the gym, and I think it'll be easier now that Jonah isn't so needy anymore. Rob was having a hard time being alone with him for the longest time, but I'm thinking that phaze is over. I think, I hope.

8. Vegas was A-mazing! Hope to go back soon!!!!

9. I was accepted into the Civil Engineering Progam at Bellingham Technical College next fall. I have one math class to take first, and maybe a computer class. I can't wait to go back to school, and I've promised myself I'm not quitting until I graduate this time.

10. I'm making Dulce De Leche Chocolate Brownies for desert tonight. Can't wait! Yes, this does mean that I'm through with the raw diet.

7months...

2010-11-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

At 7months old, Jonah is so much fun! He's definitely trying to get around and gets himself from sitting to being on his hands and toes. He hates being on his tummy a little bit less now that he's figured out he might be able to get somewhere. He finally gave up the jumperoo for the most part. He's got the greatest giggle, and the best smile. I definitely adore him.

Men have it easy...

2010-10-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

...I'm tired. Exhausted. Drained.

Of course having a baby is hard work for everyone, but I don't care who you are-- having a baby is hardest on mom. Sleep deprived nights, being the go-to-guy for fussy times and the fact that dad just can't handle the hard parts are all getting to me.

Of course, I can't say that I haven't made it all too easy for him. I jump when the baby cries. I'm the first to the crib when he wakes in the middle of the night. Instead of asking for help, I do without complaints in hopes of avoiding an even more stressful situation. I have rarely complained, because I understand I am somewhat responsible, and let's face it, moms just do it better.

However, I do have to complain a little bit when I've been up since 4:00am and dad gets angry about having to get ready for work while the baby is already awake. It's just not fair. There are a lot of things that don't seem very fair lately.

If you could see my face right now, you would see that I'm frowning.

Turducken Dos!

2010-10-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we had our Second Annual Turducken Feast. So much fun, and even more delicious. I took a time out from my diet to enjoy all of the delicious food. Having my friends over for the evening was a joy. It was a casual, laid-back, and of course yummy night.

The turducken, yum!

Auntie Rean and the girls.

All of my favorite kids!

The end of a busy day.

Half a year...

2010-10-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

... I can hardly believe Jonah turned six months old this past Saturday. He is growing up so fast, and becoming more of a joy everyday. He has turned from a crabby, temperamental guy to one of the happiest babies in the world. He loves to sit on the floor and play like a big boy, and scoots around (usually backwards on his belly). His favorite thing is still his Jumperoo, though; it's unbelievable how high he can get off the ground. He also has cut two teeth without even making a fuss over it. I can't wait for what the next six months will bring.

Randoms...

2010-09-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

1. I took the day off today. Mostly just because I wanted to. I'm having fun doing nothing, and playing with Jonah all morning.

2. We went to a Melvins show last night. I left early, but not before drinking 3 Malibu and Pineapples. Delicious.

3. My financial aid was approved, and I'm going back to school. I'm excited.

4. I'm sick of my job... like, really sick of it.

5. I broke down and ate pizza yesterday. My first cooked food in almost two weeks. Only because there was nothing else to eat, and I was nervous about how the Malibu and Pinapples would mix with a raw diet.

6. My almost-skinny jeans fit comfortably last night. My skinny jeans still leave me with a little too much of a muffin top.

7. I'm watching a show on TLC right now, and a woman is nursing her newborn twins... I can't even imagine.

8. Turducken in a week and a half. SO excited!

9. I'm trying to ignore the smell of Jonah's dirty diaper so I can finish typing this up. Good mom, huh?

10. Vegas in 3 and a half weeks!!! I had a hard time leaving Jonah with his Auntie Amy last night, I can't imagine leaving him for 4days. It won't be easy!

Going raw...

2010-09-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

About three years ago, I had changed my eating habits and went on a "raw" diet. This isn't a diet in a sense of dieting to lose weight, but rather, a diet in a sense of changing my overall eating habits in order to stay healthy. I loved it; I looked better and felt better than at any other time in my life.

Last week I began to ease into raw eating again. It feels good!

What raw eating means to me: eating as close to the dirt as possible and as directly from the ground as possible. Hippie much? Maybe. Nothing processed, nothing cooked. Fruits, veggies, nuts, are all a part of my eating plan. On a true raw diet even cheese and caffeine are excluded, but in my variation (at least as I ease back into it) I include cheese and coffee-- I just can't live without either... yet. I can eat as much of these foods as I want, and as often as I want. This, and my gym renewal have helped me lose 5lbs over the last week and I feel incredible.

The first couple of nights were a little difficult. Especially when Rob slow cooked pork ribs the first night, and beef stew the next. I'll admit, I snuck just a couple of bites of the meat, but all in all, I wasn't disappointed in the amazing salads I made myself for dinner either night. The satisfaction of knowing that I'm treating my body healthily made the salads taste better as well.

To truly go raw is a bit more difficult than just eating salads and fruit all day. It takes a lot of practice and learning, and is something you have kind of ease yourself into (another reason I didn't feel too guilty sneaking those pieces of meat). I've been doing a lot of research via that amazing thing we call the internet, and doing a little better at it every day.

Here are a couple of great websites I've found about raw eating:
www.rawfoodideas.com
www.rawguru.com

Padden in the rain...

2010-09-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

I was really looking to walking with Rob and Jonah around Padden today, and was a little disappointed to wake up to the pouring rain. I was more than excited when Rob announced that he still wanted to go. Here are some pics from our adventure:

Doing me...

2010-09-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was about shopping. Shopping for school clothes, school supplies. Shopping for groceries and shopping for baby stuff. But more importantly, I went shopping for me!

It felt so good to splurge and spend some cash on myself. My sister and I took the kids down to Marysville, to shop at the outlet mall. We were there for THREE hours including dinner. The kids got lots of stuff, but I'm most proud of my new goodies: my first ever Coach purse (way adorable), and a pair of Guess sunglasses. I'm proud of myself; I haven't had a chance to spend dough on myself for quite awhile. It made me feel a little bit more "me" and a little less "mom". Nice.

I also got my gym membership renewed, and I've already been twice! Working out was as amazing as it's ever been. Can you believe I haven't been to the gym in over a year? I forgot what I'd been missing. Beginning January, I'm 100% going to start marathon training. I've been talking about it for years, but 2011 will be the one!

It was a weekend of clothes, accessories, and dinners out! I feel way spoiled by ME!

It felt good to get all of the kids some new things, but it felt better getting myself some new things ((smile))!

5 Months

2010-09-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

At 5 months old, Jonah has changed so much!

He still loves his Jumperoo more than any other toy, and pretty much hates being left to play on the floor. He's finding that sitting up to play is a lot more fun than laying down, but the problem is that he is still trying to master sitting on his own; he can only balance himself for about 30seconds. Most of the time I don't mind sitting behind him or putting his Boppy around him to do the job.

He can still be a little high maintenance at times. I'm trying to let him fuss until he figures out how to make himself happy again-- easier said than done. When he fights his sleep is the most difficult, especially at bedtime. But the between times, when he's laughing and playing, are the best. He has the best high-pitched squeel of a laugh that I've ever heard.

Having an infant is a lot more work than I'd remembered. Hard work-- but well worth it!

Randoms...

2010-09-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

1. I remember blogging aroung this time last year, and how it was all about how I couldn't stop baking. This year, I cant stop eating. I ate a whole bag of chocolate covered pretzels last night before bed.

2. This is my first two day weekend in about a month. I'm only about an hour into it, and I'm loving it already.

3. Jonah went in the baby swing at Cornwall Park yesterday. He's still a little bit to small for it, but liked it anyway. His friend, Charlotte, did much better.

4. I'm counting down the days until Vegas. 48 to go.

5. Jonah loves his solid food more than his milk. A couple of nights ago, he ate two full jars of sweet potatoes. It drives me crazy when he starts talking about his food while it's in his mouth. Sweet potatoes everywhere. But it's ok, because he's only talking about them because he loves them.

6. Did you know that Molly Ringwald was on "The Facts of Life"? I had no idea. Weird, she wasn't a redhead then. Hmmm...?

7. I think I'll give the party van a good cleaning today.

8. School starts for the big kids on Tuesday. Alandra is now a middle-schooler. This makes me nervous!

9. Last night I saw a rat climb up my fence. It ran across the fence and into my neighbors yard. I hope it stays there and doesn't have any rat friends close by either.

10. I'm starting to like my early shift at work. It's not fun getting up at 4:30am, but it is fun getting off at 2:45

I can do bad all by myself...

2010-08-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

Things can't always be happy.

But, they should be happy most of the time.

Right?

Too cute for words...

2010-08-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

...and because I haven't put up any Jonah pics in awhile. ((grin!))

Drooly, naked, and so loveable!

The Jumperoo... better known as, our lifesaver!

Toe-sucker!

Jonah can be SO inappropriate sometimes!

Blue eyes!

Randoms...

2010-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

1. I don't think I could live without a data service on my Blackberry-- I'm blogging from my phone!

2. My summer has been lame-O! I've definitely done more working than playing.

3. Next week I go back to starting my workday at 6am... I'm not pleased!

4. Jonah has been super cuddly lately, and has fallen asleep on my chest two nights in row now while he stroked my chest and hair. He's usually so high maintenance, that I let my girly side take advantage of me and actually cried the first night he did this-- yeah, I know.

5. Rob and I are going to Vegas in October. This is my first trip outside of WA in several years, and Rob's first time to Vegas at all. I'm stoked to have great company along with us, too!

6. My job is driving me nuts today. People are stupid on Fridays. I only mostly mean the customers.

7. I made s'mores brownies for a potluck at work today. They're disgustingly delish and every fat person's dream.

8. We took the kids on a Baker Lake day trip last weekend. The looong drive was well worth the clean lake water and sunshine. J was afraid of the water.

Happy Birthday Big Brother!

2010-08-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Luis is 13years old, and officially a teenager now! I can hardly believe it. He is such a handsome, mature, and bright kid, and I couldn't have asked for anything more. I'm proud to have such a great kid, one of the greatest in the world in fact. Happy Birthday big boy, mom loves you!

Summer so far...

2010-08-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

Last night we went and saw Spaceband at "Concert in the Park", one of my favorite summertime in Bellingham events. The dancing hippie in front is typical Bellingham. Sometimes I wish I could be as free as this.

Luis has been helping his dad out at work. He was pretty stoked when he made $100.00, and bought himself a new bike. I was pretty proud of him. I apologize for the bad photography, I took this photo with my camera phone.

Jonah acquired a Jumperoo. He absolutely loves it! I'm amazed at how he has already figured out how to make it bounce himself. He's so strong!

Mr. Tinsley finally got a much-needed haircut. It was a family effort, which took more than 2hours to complete. The Avoderm dog food I've started feeding him has his hair feeling super soft and smooth. So handsome!

Needless to say, the summer hasn't been too exciting!

Salsa!

2010-07-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the salsa recipes that so many have requested from me. All are healthy (as all salsa is, really), and I use multigrain crackers for dipping instead of corn chips to keep it that way. Just "dice and mix" with these ingredients:

4 roma tomatoes
1 whole purple onion
4 fresh jalapeno peppers
1 handfull of fresh cilantro
juice from two limes
salt and pepper to taste

These ingredients alone, make a nice "pico de gallo", but I've found adding these ingredients super yummy and still healthy:

1can of low sodium corn, drained and 1can of low sodium black beans, rinced and drained

or

2 diced peaches, skin on

or

1can of crushed pinapple

or

2 large chopped carrots and 2 chopped celery stalks

Pretty much, you can add any type of fresh fruit or vegetable to the base ingredients to liven things up and keep you from getting bored. My favorite is the corn and black bean variation, but the peach salsa is super yummy on fish tacos. Salsa has become a staple in almost all of my meals lately. It gives everything extra flavor, whether it's putting it on top of salads or grilled meats... Delicious!

Randoms...

2010-07-17T09:17:00.001-07:00

Since I've had so little time to blog, and a lot to catch up on!

1. I've been back to work for a month and a half now, and I'm not minding it at all. I just need to figure out how to get Rob to feel the same way-- he seems to have a hard time with Jonah while I'm gone. That's the most frustrating part about being back to work!

2. Last week we had 90* weather. It nearly killed me.

3. Jonah has had a persistent cough for over a full month now. We've made two trips to the E.R. and they finally found out he had a bronchial infection. He seems to be getting better, but I can't help but worry about him.

4. I've only lost 15 of the 30 post pregnancy pounds I need to lose. I'm getting impatient, but happy I don't still look like I'm 4months pregnant.

5. One of my new favorite shows is "Rock the Reception". If Rob and I ever get to have a wedding, I'm hoping the reception will be as much fun as the people on that show have.

6. I've been considering joining an adult swim team here in Bellingham. I need to get over my embarrassment and just jump in and do it. I need a "me" thing to do.

7. I've been determined to keep Jonah on breastmilk, but it seems to be increasingly harder to do without spending half of my work shift in the mommy room, pumping milk. For the past week he's been getting breastmilk at daycare and when I'm home, but formula while he's here with dad.

8. I better get to go see Dave Matthews Band this year, being they are taking next year off from touring, and I didn't get to go last year. If I don't get to go, I'll probably die.

9. Mr. Tinsley is in desperate need of a grooming. I need to just suck it up, and fork out the money to get it done. He looks like a mangey mutt.

10. I'm a little behind in the times, but I'm secretly obsessed with Twilight. I just finished the saga last week, and I wish there was more. I even sort of wish I was a vampire.

2-plus months

2010-06-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

At over 2months old, Jonah continues to be a joy and a blessing. He weighs 14lbs., and is the longest baby I have ever seen. He's the biggest talker, and loves to play and smile. One of his favorite things to do, is watch TV (is this good, or bad?). He has the perfect little face, and looks so much like both Rob and I, it's crazy. When he sees himself in a mirror, he smiles bigger than he smiles for anyone else (conceited, much?). He's found his hands, and loves to swat at his toys and then laughs and talks at them. We call the little animals on his bouncy chair his "friends" because he'd sit and talk and laugh at them all day if we let him-- too cute!

I went back to work on June 1st, which found quite a few firsts for Jonah. First time away from mom for more than a two hour stretch. First time being with anyone other than mom or dad. First time getting sick (thank you, sickly daycare rugrats). First time to the E.R. I'm actually enjoying being back to work and back in the real world, but I do miss him terribly while we're apart.

I love watching you grow, Little Man!

6 weeks old...

2010-05-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

At six weeks old, Jonah is just as special as ever. Time has definitely flown by, which makes me a little sad, but helps me appreciate each and every moment with him just a little more.

Life with a six week old and three other big kids is a little chaotic, but every day gets a little bit easier. I'm sure that I'll be recieving my very own Super Mom cape in the mail any day now. All in all, though, things aren't so bad; the bigger kids help out a lot around the house, which makes things a lot easier!

Happy six week birthday, Jonah! ((sob, sob))

Things...

2010-05-12T14:58:00.001-07:00

I just absolutely can NOT live without:

1. Coffee, coffee, COFFEE!!!
2. Yoga pants
3. Women's Health: Abs Guide 2007
4. Sunshine
5. My family and friends
6. Sushi
7. Crest White Strips
8. 19 Kids and Counting (my newest TV addiction)
9. My Blackberry
10. My kids and my Rob

I can TOTALLY do without, but have to put up with anyway:

1. Old people with driver's licenses.
2. Bills
3. PTA moms
4. Bills
5. Laundry (and other household chores)
6. Pimples
7. Bills
8. Customers of a particular mobile phone company
9. Talking on the phone... to anyone
10. Clipping and bathing Mr. Tinsley

Oh, did I mention bills? Especially hospital bills? Especially hospital bills after having a baby?

Luckily, it was much easier to come up with a list of things I can't live without than it was to come up with a list of things I can. I guess life isn't so bad after all!

Amazing site!

2010-05-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

www.ancestry.com

I was able to find my grandpa's death, and Jonah's birth, and tons of other interesting information about my family and their names, etc. Pretty cool!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

How are you celebrating yours?

Great news!

2010-05-05T11:17:00.003-07:00

Bret Michaels is expected to make a full recovery! God is good...

4weeks old...

2010-04-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that Jonah is already 4weeks old!

He is already such a different baby from when he was born almost a month ago. He definitely is a stubborn character, but a sweetheart at the same time. I love it that he has figured out who mom and dad are, and it's so sweet to see his eyes light up when he hears our voices. The best is when he looks at us and coos-- precious-- this makes up for his fussy and crabby times. He has even given us a couple of real smiles, which look more silly than anything else and are still few and far between, but make my day none the less.

I'm surprised by what a good night sleeper he is. He will sleep for 4hour streaches, and wakes only to eat. I don't mind getting up just to feed him for twenty minutes, knowing that he is going to drift right back to sleep without any trouble. Having him share a room with us is pretty interesting; he grunts and moans a lot in his sleep, and Rob has a hard time sleeping through it, but I have no trouble ignoring him. I'm pretty pleased and happy that I usually don't feel too sleep deprived.

He has grown so much! At his checkup at 3weeks he was 9lbs. 14oz, and exactly 22inches long, making him super long and skinny on the growht charts (go figure, you have to remember who his dad is!). He is perfect, and healthy and I couldn't ask for anything more.

This little man is truly amazing!

Catch up...

2010-04-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted, but doing my best to keep up. It's no joke that babies don't do much more than eat, sleep, and poop, and in between that we have had a bit of crying and a lot of playing. I feel like I'm not getting much done outside of taking care of baby, but in reality, I guess I really am doing much more than I realize.

I really shouldn't call what Jonah is doing crying. It's more like fussing, and it's not a ton, but it's definitely annoying. Annoying, because I really don't think he has a reason for it. His pouts are pathetic and stop as soon as they start. After about a minute of whining, pouting and fussing, he seems to be just fine and will sit and play with us for hours at a time. Ridiculous. It seems that the only time he really gets fussy and won't stop, is at my mom's house. I haven't quite figured out a reason for this yet.

I've become incredibly bored with television, and have been reading a lot more while nursing Jonah instead. I got about 3/4 of the way through The Lovely Bones before it became incredibly boring. Unfortunate, because the beginning of the book was actually really good. One of these days I might make an attempt to finish it, since I watched the movie (which was completely different from the book) and am curious to how it ends now. In the meantime, I have started reading The Twilight Saga. I'm almost finished with the first book, and am loving it. I honestly can't believe I hadn't read it when it was all the rage!

Outside of the house, I'm finding that I'm not getting a lot done and that's stressing me out a little bit. When I do get out, I'm late to everywhere I go. What's worse is that I'm thinking I'll have to go back to work sooner than I had hoped, which means I really need to get out there and start looking at childcare. I'm a little sad, and a tad scared about having to put my tiny baby in daycare while I work, but thankfully it will only be part time for now and I have to remember that all of my other kids had great experiences in daycare when they were little. Today I am going to make my best attempt to get out of the house to pay bills and go grocery shopping-- Oh, joy! The only thing I've been able to get out of the house to do semi-consistently is an afternoon walk, without it I would probably go insane! Thankfully, I have begun to store milk and Jonah is not minding taking a bottle every now and then, which means I will be able to make more frequent outings and (if I can gather the courage) leave J at home with dad every once in awhile.

Last week was my 30th birthday. I can hardly believe that I'm 30years old! We celebrated the actual day with sushi at Rean's house. I had never made my own sushi before, and I was suprised by how easy it was to make. Sushi is probably my favorite food in the entire world; it's delicious and nutricious! I see a lot more sushi making in my future. The night after my birthday, we had another small celebration at my mom's house. She cooked me a healthy teriyaki chicken dinner with just our two families. I even got a kind of extended birthday, and my friend Brooke took me out to lunch at Avenue Bread this past Sunday and Rean came along. I had the best Reuben sandwich I have ever had in my entire life! De-lish! And, it was so nice to see Brooke, as I hadn't seen her since she got married all the way back in August-- can you believe that? A great lunch with two great friends. I'm feeling old, but overall, my birthday was very enjoyable. I couldn't ask for a better couple of groups of people to celebrate with!

So this is what it's like...

2010-04-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

When you sit at home with a baby all day, there's not much to talk about other than the baby and household chores. My world now completely revolves around Jonah, which is okay with me. Taking care of a 2 week old and three other big kids takes a lot of work, and doesn't leave much time for anything else! I'm alright with my new little life.

Pretty much how I feel most of my days:

Our first week...

2010-04-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Our first week with Jonah here has been pretty much what I had expected. Aside from waking up just once to eat, he's a good night sleeper-- every mother's dream. The daytime gets a little better as each goes by. He wants to eat at least every two hours and sometimes will nurse for up to an hour at a time, leaving me feeling like a human milk machine. Between feedings he is a pretty good baby, but a bit temperamental at times. Overall, I couldn't ask for anything more; he's here and perfect and I'll take the fussy times in exchange.

My favorite part of the day is when he first wakes up from a good nights sleep. After his first meal, he'll stay awake for a couple of hours and just look around or sit in his swing. This is his most content time of any "awake" part of the day, and I love it!

The kids are adjusting well to having him here. I'm sure that they weren't expecting him to sleep and eat so much, or for mom to be stuck in the bedroom doing nothing but feeding and sleeping (so much for their Spring Break), but they haven't complained even once. When Jonah is awake, they talk and play with him and when we take short trips to the store or anywhere else in the car they pacify him and make sure his head doesn't flop forward. It's pretty sweet how much they are enjoying him and want to help take care of him.

So far we have had lots of visits with family and friends. Everyone is so anxious to meet him, and it makes me happy that he's so welcomed. I've even had some delicious dinners brought to us by Molly and Rean (I'll have to gather some recipes). We still have several trips and visits planned for more to meet Jonah, which is a bit overwhelming but we'll get to everyone soon.

All in all, having Jonah here has been great and I'm so completely in love with this little man of mine.

Things I am enjoying the most about having Jonah here...

2010-04-08T09:29:00.001-07:00

1. Having proof that he is 100% perfect and 100% healthy.
2. How happy and loving all of my family and friends are with having him here.
3. Seeing my bigger kids enjoying him. They jump at every oppertunity to try to sooth him when he's unhappy and are eager to hold him when he's happy.
4. Instead of looking 12months pregnant, I only look about 4months pregnant.
5. The excuse to sit in my bed watching t.v. all day, and the ability to take naps without feeling guilty about it.
6. I'm happy that J is a night sleeper! For the last couple of nights, I've had to wake him up to make myself more comfortable and to keep my clothes and bed dry. The joys of breastfeeding!
7. I'm looking pretty womanly up top these days. Now if I could only get my waistline to agree without making the chest disappear... We'll see how that goes.
8. Seeing and hearing Rob with baby. He is so in love!
9. My bedroom smells like a baby.
10. Just having my little J-Man here and being able to hold him in my arms and to be a mom again. I think I'm appreciating being a mom to my bigger kids just a little bit more as well. I'm so happy!

The joke was on us...

2010-04-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Guess who finally decided to join us in this wonderful world! Jonah Kennan was born on April 2nd at 12:08am after a long day of labor all of April Fools Day. Go figure! We tried so hard to have an April Fools Day baby, and I'm sure that if Jonah had it his way he would have been-- the downfall, I found, of having an epidural is the fact that you can't feel the urge to push until it is really an urge to push!

We are all completely in love with Jonah Kennan, 8lb 9oz and 21 1/4in long! He is so perfect...

A look back...

2010-03-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

...What a month!

We started off with some new goods for baby Jonah, given to us by at my baby shower the 28th of February. The shower was awesome, so many of my favorite women there. Some I hadn't seen in years, sadly. I'm doing my best to keep in touch from now on. So thankful for everyone whow was able to make it, and Jonah sure is spoiled!

Kiana had her 8th birthday party. So fun! I was surprised by how easy and laid back the party was, and happy that all of her little friends had such a good time.

Alandra had one of many orchestra concerts, but this one was a big one! She got to play with the middle school orchestra and the high school orchestra. I loved how the little 5th graders watched the high schoolers play. They all watched in amazement. So cute!

The final peice to Jonah's bedding came via UPS, from Target.com. I'm very pleased with the results!

My belly (and the rest of me) got just about as big as it can get. I can't believe that it seems we might be finishing up March without him here. However, I may be speaking a little too soon, as he could come tomorrow. Wondering if we might actually have an April Fools Day baby afterall?

I'm so nervous about what April might bring us!

Randoms...

2010-03-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

1. I'm addicted to reality television. I deny it when Rob tells me I am, but it's becoming more and more obvious. My current favorite is "Mystery Diagnosis" on DHC.

2. Labor is coming nearer and nearer. After taking a shower this morning, I'm going to go for a long walk. I've had some signs this morning that things are (hopefully) going to start happening soon.

3. I'm not happy about being home alone with four kids today, especially knowing that I could go into labor at any moment.

4. I have discovered that Cost Cutter on Sunset Dr. has the best donuts in town. They were on sale yesterday and I bought a dozen. They're almost gone.

5. Our washing machine decided to break down on us a couple of weeks ago, and we haven't been able to fix it. I've been doing mine and Rob's share the washing part of laundry at the laundromat, and my mom did all of my kids' at her house a couple of nights ago (thanks, Mom). It's been an odd experience.

6. I'm watching "19 Kids and Counting" as I type this, and see that they have two ovens in their kitchen. I wish I had two ovens.

7. I'm tired of being pregnant. Really tired of it. My back hurts, my hips hurt, and I'm sick of strangers looking at me and making comments about how I'm "ready to pop" or asking when I'm due. It's just annoying. I'm crabby most of the time now.

8. Kiana is turning a little tom-boy on me. She suddenly loves to skateboard, and doesn't care about taking showers anymore. She bought a new skateboard and helmet with her Christmas money last month. It's pretty cute.

9. I enjoyed the "Precious" viewing that Rean held at her house on Thursday night. The movie was good, a little depressing, but it was nice seeing Rachael, and Molly and her new baby, Charlotte. I also enjoyed all the sweets we ate!

10. I'm in desperate need of a haircut. I haven't had one in several months, and I'm looking a little raggedy. I'm thinking a cut and a color will be an order once Jonah is here.

39 weeks and waiting...

2010-03-25T07:03:00.001-07:00

... a little less patiently.

Monday's appointment went nothing like we expected...

We had our 7th, and I'm pretty sure, final ultrasound to check on Jonah's size again. He was estimated 8lb, 8oz and this puts him in the 94th percentile on the growth charts. The doctor, however, has decided not to induce me. I'm actually pretty ok with this, as I think (I hope) a natural birth will go quicker than an induction. It's just the waiting part of things that I'm not liking!

So there was the surprise of not choosing an induction date, but then there was more. After the ultrasound, was my regular checkup. The doctor came in and showed me the ultrasound photo and said she was really confused by what she saw. She said that it looked like there was either meconium or blood in my amniotic fluid and that we had to have an amniocentesis right away to find out what it was. Rob was so freaked out, I was a little more calm. So, for the first time in four pregnancies, I had an amnio done. The doctor took us back to the ultrasound room and stuck a needle all the way into my uterus to withdraw amniotic fluid. It hurt. A lot. It also made me nervous because I watched the ultrasound screen and could see how close the needle was to poor Jonah's little feet. Good news-- the fluid was fine, but had so much vernix in it that it is making the fluid really thick. The doctor said that in all of her years of practice, she has never seen anything like it before. She still sent the fluid of for tests and all is well-- no signs of infection, no signs of defects and baby's lungs are fully mature.

I also tried to convince the doctor to write me a note so that I would be able to start my leave now, but no such luck. Work has decided that my last day will be the 31st, unless baby is born before then. I can only hope that I give birth in that darned call center! I've never been so annoyed in my entire life. I'm so tired of everyone at work asking me why I'm still there, and why I haven't had this baby yet! Please Jonah, be born already!!!

In other news, things are almost as crazy as ever. Alandra seems to do her best these days at keeping me running around as much as possible-- orchestra concerts, friends' houses, bringing home play dates, etc. I could swear she's doing it to drive me crazy. Kiana and Luis have been less of a handful. Kiana does anything she can to help around the house, and Luis is just Luis. He's always so mellow and just kind of "there". They're all keeping me busy, which is good and makes the time pass just a little quicker.

(Where's Alandra?)

So we still wait. Rob had put his money on today being Jonah's birthday. I'm not so sure.

Waiting...

2010-03-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

...When will Jonah Kennan be here to sleep in his new bed? We'll find out tomorrow!

A day in the life of a recent Fanny...

2010-03-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

...7:00 I wake up to my alarm every morning and think, "Yep, I'm still pregnant."
...7:10 I waddle myself to the bathroom, take a shower and hope I don't drop the bottle of body wash, again. It's just too difficult to bend down and pick it back up. I also consider shaving my legs, but give up on that idea pretty easily.
...7:20 I send Luis out the door to catch the bus, and wake up the girls so they can get ready for school.
...8:00 I forget to pay attention to what Kiana is wearing for the day. This usually goes unrecognized until I drop them off at school and see that she is wearing orange leggings with tan uggs and a red sweatshirt. At least she thinks she looks good, I guess.
...8:30/8:45 I get myself to work. I'm pretty much always a good 45 minutes early, but there's nothing else to do between dropping the girls off and 9:30.
...9:30 to 6:15 nothing but work, work, work. This usually consists of being yelled at by customers, sometimes being called names, and sitting in a desk while experiencing a heck of a backache. I also get a million text messages from Rob, asking about what we should have for dinner or what we need from the store. On my lunch break I try to figure out when I can schedule doctor appointments and how to pay bills.
...6:30 I get home and hope that Rob has made dinner, which he usually has.
...6:32 I'm bombarded by all of the kids. This usually means they are throwing papers in my face and asking me a million questions while Rob stands in the hallway looking annoyed that I haven't started helping him with dinner yet.
...6:45 I may or may not take the dog for a walk.
...7:00 I'm usually just starting to eat dinner. Watching Ghost Adventures if it's on.
...7:30 I'm bombarded by kids again. More papers to sign. They ask me for money for yet another school project.
...8:00 I'm sitting my buns in bed, watching a movie or reality TV.
...9:00 I've finally passed out for the night.
...9:00 to 7:00 My sleep is interrupted by constant bathroom trips and amazing back aches. This is now up to about four times a night. I wake up each time thinking, "Yep, I'm still pregnant."

Where am I going to fit a baby into this??? I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Waiting, trying to be patient!

2010-03-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

We're in the home stretch, but due date still seems so far away! Even though we're going to be having Jonah early, I'm becoming impatient and more than anything, tired of being pregnant!

Just one more week left of work. My last day is written in as the 24th, but I'm thinking that the 19th will officially be my last day (I finally got the go ahead to leave sooner than the 1st if I want to!). I'm so happy to only have one week left, by the end of my workdays I'm just so miserably uncomfortable.

I have vowed to myself that I will walk around the neighborhood at least once nightly after work, and to also do squats on a nightly basis, up until the day of delivery. I'm hoping that this helps get this big boy out of me quickly, but most importantly, safely. We'll see how much gumption I actually have, as I'm wearing down pretty quickly.

We have everything ready for Jonah Kennan's arrival. Last weekend I washed all of his clothing and bedding. We got the bouncy chair put together the same day, and Rob put his swing together on Monday night. On Wednesday our layette arrived and it looks perfect in the crib! There is really nothing more we need to do to prepare.

So we sit, and we wait...

(Taken at 35 weeks)

Miserable, but progressing...

2010-03-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

Everyday it gets more and more difficult to get out of bed. There are no longer nights where I don't have to get up at least once to use the bathroom, or wake up to excruciating pain in my lower back. Even when I'm sleeping on my side, I feel like I'm laying right on top of the baby and I find myself waking up on my back a lot throughout the night. I've also had some nights where I wake up and get super anxious; on Sunday night I was so anxious that I ended up watching Dog the Bounty Hunter until the wee hours of the morning. I feel like I'm waking up more exhausted than when I went to bed.

However... I just left the doctor's office and I'm realizing that our trip is almost over. I'm a whole, entire half a centimeter dilated-- don't laugh, I'm not actually due for 3 more weeks! We have yet another ultrasound on the 22nd to check for size and since I'm already dilating we'll be choosing an induction date for that week unless baby is just too big, in which case we'll be choosing an ultrasound date. The doc poked and prodded and says that she feels nothing but baby inside of me. No extra belly fat, no extra fluids, just big old baby. I agree, I don't remember having to tuck so many baby body parts back into my abdomen with any of my other pregnancies and I feel like I'm constantly pushing Jonah back into a little ball inside of me. For me, the 22nd is just too far away. I'm secretly hoping that I'll go into labor on my own before then, and all this will be over with!

I wish I could be done with work, but my job is just not having that ((two thumbs down)). I applied for my LOA to start on March 25th, since I know already that we will be induced that week, but work is standing firm and saying that the 1st it is since that's my original due date and what it says on my FMLA paperwork. I'm so tired of fighting with them about it, and am trying to look on the bright side-- the longer I work, the more money we'll have and the more time I get to spend home with baby, right? My back and ribs disagree, and so does my attitude.

So... I keep plugging along. Two more weeks to go. Possibly less. My bags are officially packed, thanks to Rob and Alandra's persuasion last night. Hopefully baby Jonah will be here sooner than later.

Randoms...

2010-02-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

1. Today we are throwing a birthday party for Kiana at my house. I'm nervous about it because I'm socially awkward around people I don't know and she has invited some of her school friends. Only one person R.S.V.P.'d but Kiana still thinks some of her other friends will be here. She is still young enough that kids don't really come to birthday parties, and parents are bad at the R.S.V.P. thing, but she really wanted to invite school friends because she's seen her older sister do so the last couple of years. I hope she's not disappointed.

2. Tomorrow is my first baby shower, and I'm pretty excited! Mostly, because I've invited quite a few family members and friends I havent's seen in a long time. Some I haven't seen in years! I'm pretty stoked about this and I hope it jump starts an oppertunity to better keep in touch with people who are important to me. Next Saturday will be my second shower, which Milagro, a friend from work is throwing for me with all of my co-workers and bosses.

3. On my list of chores in the upcoming weeks: convince Rob and Luis to organize the garage, get clothes together for the consignment shop (since I have skipped the last couple of months), wash all of Jonah's clothes and blankets, write a list of things we still need for Jonah (this will wait until after my baby showers), and lastly, start Jonah's baby book and while I'm at it maybe update the older kids' baby books as well.

4. On Thursday we had our 6th ultrasound. Jonah is estimated to be about 7 and a half pounds right now, which puts him in the 95th percentile for weight. The doctor has decided that if I haven't gone into labor by 39 weeks (March 25th, which was at one point my modified due date anyway), I'll be induced if I'm dilated. If I'm not, a c-section will be scheduled. And, if I do go into labor naturally and try to push even once without success, we will have a c-section (my last two births, the babies were out in one push, only). The doctor is worried about having to wrestle this big baby out of me and doesn't want to cause any damage to baby or myself. I feel like all of this is just a lot of work! However, I'm kind of back to wanting a natural birth instead of the c-section I had been wanting earlier in pregnancy. Rob would really like to se a vaginal birth, since Benny was born by c-section. I'm a little disappointed that I won't be having an April baby, but happy to get to be un-pregnant at least a week earlier than my due date.

5. Winter seems to be close to gone, thank goodness. I'm excited for spring! We had a pretty disappointing winter, with barely any snow. I think the dark, rainy days of the past few months made me a little lazy and depressed. Over the past couple of weeks, we've had some pretty sunny days and they really perked me up! Hopefully winter doesn't decide to make another unexpected appearance.

6. My favorite new breakfast is a sesame bagel from The Bagelry with butter. I think I could eat one every single day. I wish Cruisin Coffee hadn't stopped selling Bagelry bagels. They sell some cheap brand now.

7. I'm really enjoying my new mini-van. Spacious, reliable, and 100% mine-- no car payments! It's clean, and in beautiful condition if you subtract the tiny little scratch above the front, left tire. I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I am.

8. Rob's third music project since I've met him has ended. Sweet Lime has decided to no longer be a band. I know he's a little disappointed, but selfishly, I'm a little glad. I know that new projects will come along, and the band drama will begin again.

Happy 8th Birthday, Kiana Jo!

2010-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

You're getting so big, and mommy loves you so much! Wishing you a happy day on your 8th birthday! My baby is not a baby anymore!

The 7 Week Countdown...

2010-02-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to my 33week checkup. Baby Jonah is doing great and growing rapidly!

The main focus of my visit yesterday turned from his size, to the fact that I have been bleeding a lot for the past week. This is the second bleeding episode I've had this pregnancy, and for unknown reasons. Even though the doctors have been concerned about it, they keep reassuring me that everything is okay. The main reason they are so worried is because the bleeding is more than just the typical spotting some pregnant women experience. They said that my cervix is still closed, the placenta is high up, and since Jonah is super active there is really no reason to worry too much-- but it still concerns them... So, I'm puzzled. Are we concerned, or are we not worrying? For now, I'm still both.

Our second ultrasound to check his size has been rescheduled for February 23rd. I'm still measuring 4-5 weeks ahead of my due date, so he is still expected to be a very large baby. I've always heard that that the more babies you have, the bigger they tend to be-- but this is getting a little ridiculous. I'm nervous to find out how big he is, and nervous about delivering a big baby. Still hoping for a c-section(teehee), because all I can think about are those nightmere-ish stories where women can't deliver their babies because they're too big. I've even had a friend who had a 9pound baby that was so big they had to break his collar bone to get him out! That, I think, is my biggest fear!

I filled out the registration paperwork for the hospital yesterday, and I think reality really hit then. I can't believe we're going to have a baby, and soon! I'm unprepared, but ready at the same time. I feel like we're really in the home stretch now!

Apprenticeship...

2010-02-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Alandra has begun a class project for her Social Studies class. For her project, she had to choose to be an apprentice for someone at any trade of her choice. She decided to be my apprentice, and is learning how to bake. Altogether, she has to put in 15 hours of baking to master her trade.

Tonight was project #1 and we made Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. I'm a complete chocoholic, and we had some pretty serious brown bananas sitting on our counter, so I figured this would be a good recipe to start with. This is a new recipe, so I was a bit nervous that it would maybe be a little too much chocolate. Wait... there's no such thing as too much chocolate!

Success! The muffins are amazing. Wednsday night will be recipe number two-- Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies for the girls to give to thier friends for V-Day. Yummy!

The 8 week countdown...

2010-02-06T09:48:00.001-08:00

This past Thursday marked 32 weeks. I'm sure that Jonah will be here by the end of next month, but I am still determined to have an April baby without going past my due date-- this means that his birthday will be April 1st (wishful thinking)! I have to say, though, that the closer DD comes the more ready I am to be done being pregnant and in the end I'm sure I won't mind it if he is a March baby.

I'm still working on my checklist. I was hoping to be getting the crib and stroller this weekend, but it looks like it may not be until next. Instead, I'm working on getting the house cleaned and organized, which is ending up in another checklist-- one for racks and boxes for organizing our small spaces. Everything is finally seeming to come together, and I'm not feeling as anxious and nervous as I was just a little bit ago.

I've been watching a lot of baby delivery shows on t.v., and at this point the only thing I'm nervous about is actually giving birth. It's been eight years since I've had a baby and I'm super nervous about it! I'm still hopeful that Jonah will be delivered via c-section-- a planned c-section, that is. I feel like cheating this time around. Our doctor's appointment was rescheduled, but on Wednesday we should be able to find out if the doctor will let us choose our delivery method. This is still all dependent on just how much baby Jonah is continuing to grow. If next week he is looking to be a 10 pounder, I get to choose whether I have a c-section or not! I'm definitely hoping that this is the case.

I'm excited to meet Jonah Kennan, and knowing that DD is less than 8 weeks away is pretty exciting!

Officially a "Soccer Mom"...

2010-02-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

Yep, I did it. I actually broke down and bought a mini van-- 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. I love it!

My intentions when leaving the house on Sunday afternoon, were just to go have a look at the van because it looked like a great deal and was in my price range. I honestly didn't think that I would be driving away in it! I'm already loving the extra room and the feeling of reliability. I think I made a good decision!

Randoms...

2010-01-29T07:00:00.001-08:00

1. Lately, I've been thinking about deleting my Facebook account. There are two reasons for this. 1.) I'm so tired of people I don't really know anymore wanting to be "friends" with me. I keep going through my "friends" list and deleting them, and then they "friend request" me over and over again until it drives me crazy. 2.) I'm addicted to the Facebook for Blackberry application on my phone. It's too tempting to update my status with every single little thing I do. I'm sure that I look like a crazy little nerd half the time, and I'm sure that people could really give a care what I'm doing every waking moment of my life. In reverse, I'm annoyed by all the other people who are also addicted to Facebook on their mobile devices, for the same reasons I just mentioned. The problem is, I'm afraid it's a habit that may take a little bit to break. I guess I could just remove the app from my Blackberry, but that is probably just too simple.

2. I've developed a new pregnancy symptom. Actually, it may be two pregnancy symptoms that are both affecting one another. Heartburn and morning sickness. Go figure. I had to leave work because I could not keep down a piece of toast yesterday. How ridiculous is that? I usually eat two pieces of toast for breakfast every morning, but have recently had to cut down to just one because there simply is not room in there for any more than that. I think this is probably the most annoying pregnancy symptom, ever.

3. Rob has started playing in a new band, "Sweet Lime". I love that he plays music, but I hate the time that it takes. So far they don't do much more than practice twice a week, but they did do some recording this past Sunday and it took the entire day! I was kind of confused as to how they could even record; they only have a drummer, guitar player, and bass player. In my opinion, I think it's kind of a waste of money to record music, knowing that you're going to have more band members added and will have to re-record. But, whatev-- I guess it's none of my business.

4. Reason 3,596 I'm ready to be done being pregnant: I can't wait to start boot camp. A lot of people at work have joined at my gym, and have had a lot of success with the boot camp they've recently begun. I'm super exited about joining too, and there is a new one starting just a little after Jonah will be born. I think it will be a perfect way to get back into my pre-pregnancy shape, as well as a good "me" project.

5. Today is Friday, and a weekend with kids. It will also (hopefully) be the last weekend where we only have one car. This is extremely exciting, because the past few kid weekends we have been stuck at home with 4 kids in our semi-small house due to the fact that there isn't enough room for everyone to ride in the P.O.S. we currently call a car. I'm super stoked to begin vehicle-hunting, and have already started keeping my eye out for a nice van. I've found a lot of nice vans in my price range, which is super encouraging. I think this is the most excited I have ever been about getting a new vehicle!

I think I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown...

2010-01-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

This was my status update on Facebook this morning, and completely how I felt on my way to work this morning. Alandra and Rob were talking about the baby shower, and how Jonah will be here in just two months, and I started freaking out inside. I'm just SO not ready for him to be here yet-- not at all.

I can't stop thinking about how there is so much to do, and so little time to do it. It kind of reminds me of the end of October, when I always think to myself, "Wow, only ((insert number))paydays until Christmas. I should start shopping!" And then, about a week before Christmas I'm scrambling like a mad woman trying to get all my shopping done. This is just the same. As I mentioned before, we still have done minimal for his arrival and now I'm feeling scrambled and frazzled. Unlike Christmas, I weigh an extra 40lbs. and am completely exhausted on top of it! I just don't think I have the energy to work 40 hours a week, take care of 3+ kids, and get ready for a baby.

At the same time, I'm also freaking out about how far away April 1st is. I can't imagine outgrowing anymore clothes, and I'm sure that my abdomen feels the same way. Even though I sit at a desk all day, working has become quite the task. I sit in a darn chair for hours at a time and by the end of the day my back is killing me and ribs all feel like they are going to snap in two. I can barely eat a thing without it sitting in my throat all day, feeling like it's going to come right back up. On top of it all, my face is begining to develop some weird rash; until now I've been able to get away without wearing foundation. I feel like I'm physically falling apart!

I need a break, but am still battling with my work about my FMLA (that's a whole other story in itself)... I'm just hoping that I can pull myself together and get this show on the road. Hopefully things will fall into place. I'm sure that before I know it, baby Jonah will be here and it will seem as if I had never gone through any of this. I can't wait to have a couple of months to just stay home and snuggle with my new baby.

Lazy, boring weekend...

2010-01-25T06:56:00.000-08:00

This past weekend had to be one of the lamest weekends I have ever had in my entire life.

Saturday, I did absolutely nothing but sit on the couch all day. Remember how I had mentioned in a previous post that I would be cleaning and watching Discovery Health Channel all day? Well, I did watch DHC all day, but instead of cleaning, I let the dishes and laundry continue to pile up and the dog tear his stuffed toy up all across the living room. During commercials on T.V., I looked at nothing on the internet. I didn't step outside of the house the entire day. I'm not kidding. Probably the only thing worth mentioning on Saturday, was the fact that I finally got my W-2 and my taxes done-- new car, here I come! This part of my Saturday, I was completely stoked about.

Yesterday was Sunday, and only a little more productive. After sitting on the couch watching DHS, and updating baby registries for 2.5 hours, and eating two maple bars, I finally got those dishes done. I also got the bedding washed and my laundry folded. Both chores only took about an hour and a half. I did walk Mr. Tinsley-- that was another good 15 minutes of my day. The rest of it was again spent sitting on the couch watching horrible Sunday television and looking at nothing on the internet. I finished the night off with a good meal from McDonald's. That's right, I ate two maple bars for breakfast and McDonald's for dinner, and sat on my rear for 90% of the day. It's no wonder I've gained 40lbs.!

Aside from a couple of five minute conversations over the phone with my mom, and Rob being home for only a few hours on Saturday night, I had little human contact all weekend... I'm not sure how this makes me feel. It reminds me of that computer game, "The SIMS", where if you don't let your SIM talk to people or have friends over, it gets super depressed and starts having melt-downs. Now I'm here at work again, and I'm almost having social anxiety because of it. It's so weird.

Another Monday. Another work-week ahead of me before getting a chance at another weekend. The next one will be filled with kids. I'm seriously so ready for a vacation...

Getting Ready...

2010-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to feel panicked and unprepared for baby. With our due date just around the corner, I sat down today and made out lists of what we have and need to get done before Jonah's arrival. I'm a little freaked out.

This morning I woke up and updated my gift registries. I'm registered at Along Comes a Baby and Target. With due day being just under 10 weeks away and baby showers coming up, I've had a lot of people asking about where I'm registered and what I need. Probably the biggest reason I had registered was to remind myself of what I want and need to get, but I'm finding that a lot of people actually count on those lists for shower gifts-- I never realized!

A couple of months ago, Rob and I picked out this bed set:

I think it's just about the cutest thing, ever! I love the brown and green combos.

The truth is, we need everything! So far, we have not done much in preparation for his arrival. Next week we will be getting the crib and bedding out of the way. We'll probably get the car seat and stroller set we registered for at the same time. We have a couple of cute little sleepers and blankets, and a couple of random odds and ends. It's time to get our booties in gear and really start getting things ready!

It's going to be a busy and stressful couple of months ahead of us. I feel so ready to meet this little guy and to not be pregnant anymore, but at the same time I feel so not ready for his arrival... HELP!