You know you're from the South when...

...your daughter gets her first gun for Christmas at age 5. Heaven help me!

My view from the shower

Shhhh

We’ve been working on using quiet voices in the house. The kids were being insanely loud in the mornings, and it wasn’t what a sleep-deprived mommy, who was trying to get just a few more minutes of shut-eye, wanted to hear. Well, apparently we should have been working on using quiet voices and quiet feet. This morning the kids decided to put in their Bella Dancerella Tap Dancing video. I woke up to the sound of stomping feet and a shaking house. I’m glad I actually got a good amount of sleep last night or I would have wanted to beat them. Instead I saw the humor in it all.

Sawyer's Birth Story

After runs to Labor & Delivery to stop contractions at 32.5 weeks and 35 weeks, I was anxious to see when I would really go into labor. I woke up around 3 in the morning on Tuesday, October 30th and noticed that I was having a lot of contractions. I got out of bed around 4 to use the bathroom and decided to watch the clock. The contractions were coming anywhere from 3-10 minutes apart and gaining in strength. I was also having loose bowels, which was a good sign that I was in labor. Around 5, I told Jody that he probably shouldn’t go into work in case this was the real thing. I took a shower to see if that would make the contractions ease up. After I got out, Jody took a shower, and I woke up Anna to let her know what was going on. She also got up to take a shower while I finished packing my hospital bag.

Around 6:30 I tried to call some people from church that offered to help watch the kids when I was in labor. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a hold of anyone. Jody suggested he stay home and watch the kids, but there was no way I was letting him out of it that easy. After trying to call several people I started to get frustrated and emotional. I went to bed and had a good cry while Anna took over making phone calls. She finally got a hold of Lacy Brown who said she would gladly watch the kids. By this time my contractions were 3 to 5 minutes apart and I was ready to get on the road since it takes an hour to get to the hospital. As quickly as Paxton was born, I wanted to make sure we got to the hospital in time. Anna called Kayla Shirley, who was suppose to come take pictures, and told her that we were heading to the hospital. Kayla said she would meet us there. We dropped the kids off at the Browns at 7:30 and headed to the hospital just in time to hit rush hour traffic.

We got to L&D at 8:30 and they took me right to a LDP room. Kayla got there not long after we did. The nurse got me hooked up to the monitors and confirmed that I was having consistent contractions.

At 9 she checked me and I was only 1 cm dilated and 60% effaced. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t more dilated with all the contractions I was having! She called the doctor and he said to have me walk around and be rechecked at 11.

So Anna, Kayla and I walked and walked and walked. We even made a stop at the cafeteria and grabbed a bite to eat. I was afraid to eat much since my stomach was upset, but I knew that I needed to keep my energy up. We went back to the room a little before 11. The nurse checked me and found that I was 1-2 cm and a little more effaced so I was in early labor. She called my OB again and he said to keep walking and that I could stay. I stayed on the monitor and watched TV until 11:35. During that time they came and took my blood. We sent Jody to Toys R Us to get a present for Olivia from the baby since there wasn’t much to do but wait.

After being monitored, we got out and walked some more. This time we brought the camera to have some fun. The grounds of the hospital were really nice. There were garden paths that led to a bubbling fountain that I found very relaxing. We stopped at various points to take pictures and wait out contractions. My contractions were about the same distance apart and getting a little stronger. Sometimes I had to stop and wait through them.

As we were heading back into the hospital we saw that Jody had pulled up so we met him by the parking lot. Since we knew I was going to stay, we went to the van and got my bags and the presents for the kids.

At 1 my OB Dr. Alston stopped in to check on me. He said he was heading into surgery and would check back with me when he was finished. Everyone was getting hungry so we sent Jody out to get food. I laid on the bed and tried to get some rest. At 2 I was hooked back up to the monitors again. My OB came in and checked me. I was 3 cm, 60 % effaced and the baby was still high. He offered to break my water, but I declined. Breaking my water led to a super fast labor with Paxton, and I wanted to avoid that this time. I was also worried about a cord prolapse since the baby was still high. My OB assured me I would have my baby today so they had me fill out the necessary paperwork.

Kayla had to leave around 3:30 because she couldn’t find anyone to cover for her gymnastics class. We knew she wouldn’t make it back before 6 so we hoped I wouldn’t deliver before them.

I laid in bed and tried to get some rest. I was frustrated with how slow I was progressing. At 3:35 I called the nurse for some heartburn medicine. I had been having horrible heartburn since the 2nd trimester but never thought to bring my meds with me. The nurse brought me some nasty tasting medicine to drink. It must have done the trick because the heartburn quit bothering me after a while.

At 4:30 I was hooked back up to the monitors. Jody came back for a while. We discussed what to do about the kids. Jody was stressed about leaving them for so long, but there wasn’t a whole lot I could do about it. Anna and Jody both wanted me to get my water broken to get things moving. I was still hesitant though. The nurse checked me at 5:30 and I was 4 cm and the baby’s head was lower.

The nurse left to talk to the doctor and came back to let me know that my OB was leaving for the day and wouldn’t be back until the morning so if I wanted him to break my water, now was the time. It was getting late, we were worried about the kids, and I knew that breaking my water was all it would take to get things moving so I reluctantly agreed. I had a brief cry because I knew what was in store for me. The nurse put in a heplock and at 6:05 my OB came in and broke my water just as Kayla got back from work. At that point I was 4 cm and 70 % effaced. The water was clear thank goodness. My OB told me to sit up for a while to make sure the head settled down since it was still a little high. I was afraid to move onto my side for a while because of that.

Within minutes the contractions began to pick up in intensity. Jody joked that he knew I was progressing by the way I was gripping the handrail on the bed. The nurses changed shifts and I was introduced to my new nurse. I apologized for not meeting her when I was in a better mood. She looked over my birth plan and asked me some questions about my wishes. She was very respectful and was impressed with how realistic my plan was.

The contractions started to hurt really badly. They felt like they would peak and just when I couldn’t take much more, they would get even stronger. We dimmed the lights of the room and the atmosphere got serious. Anna started coaching me through each contraction. I breathed through them and tried taking them one at a time, but the pain soon began to feel unbearable. The nurse and staff started bringing in the delivery supplies. Luckily they were quiet and got things done quickly.

At 7:15 I started feeling some pressure so the nurse checked me and I was at 5 or 6 cm. I was out of mind in pain and upset that I hadn’t dilated more. I told the nurse I wanted drugs. Anna tried to convince me that I didn’t. She reminded me of my birth plan and that I wanted to try and deliver without medication. I told her I didn’t care. I couldn’t stand the pain anymore. I got a Stadol / Phenergan cocktail through my heplock at 7:27 and instantly relaxed.

The medicine made me sleep in between the contractions. I would wake up and need coaching during the peaks and then fall back asleep. Apparently I was pretty amusing because I would complain during the peak that the drugs weren’t working but would fall asleep as soon as it was over.

At 7:50 I started feeling more pain even with the drugs. I started feeling more pressure so the nurse checked me. I was finally at 8 or 9 cm. The end was in site! The nurse left to call the doctor. At 8:10 I couldn’t help but to start pushing. Anna told me not to push but I couldn’t stop during the peak of the contraction. She pulled the sheet back and looked and saw that I was bulging and there was a hint of hair. She hit the nurse button and told them “I see the baby!”

The nurse came in, took a look and told me not to push because the doctor wasn’t there yet. I told her “Well he needs to get here” and I continued to push. There was no stopping the urge. The doctor rushed in at 8:13 and started giving orders to take the bed down and let me push if I wanted. Anna told them I didn’t like it when people counted as I pushed so they let me do my own thing. I instantly got the “ring of fire”. I kept asking if the baby was almost out because it was burning so much. I just wanted the baby to get out so the pain would stop. I said during my pregnancy that I wanted a baby with brown curly hair. Anna said I got my wish. She could see that the baby had dark hair.

Because of the scar tissue from my last two births, the skin wouldn’t stretch to let the baby out so my OB did an episiotomy. After that he said to give one strong push and the baby’s head was out.

The cord was wrapped so tightly around the baby’s neck that my doctor was afraid it might tear so he quickly cut the cord. Then I gave another push and watched the baby slip out of my body. The baby was facing me as the OB lifted him up and I saw his boy parts. I said, “It’s a boy!” The doctor turned him around and said, “You do have a male child!”

The doctor handed the baby to the nurse and I laid back and closed my eyes. I realized after a bit and asked, “Why isn’t he crying?” I looked over and saw that Jody was crying and wiping his eyes while Anna tried to comfort him. My doctor left me to go see what was going on. I was too out of it to realize at the time, but the baby wasn’t breathing. The nurses started to panic so my doctor jumped up to help resuscitate him. Apparently, his heart rate never dropped but they couldn’t get him to take a breath. They had to give him a shot of something to reverse the affects of the medicine I had been given. After a few tense minutes, the baby finally let out a little whimper. His apgars were 4, 8 and 9.

The nurse asked what the baby’s name was. We had discussed it on the way to the hospital and we couldn’t decide between the names Thatcher, Sawyer and Thomas for a boy or Madeline and Sophia for a girl. We said we would wait to see the baby after it was born and then choose which name fit it best. Jody told the nurse the baby’s name was Sawyer. I said “Really?!” because I really like that name. I later asked why he said that name and Jody said because he thought it was the one I liked.

Everyone made phone calls to let family and friends know the baby was here. Jody called his parents, who now had the kids, to tell them the news. Olivia answered the phone and when Jody told her it was a boy, she cried. She really wanted a little sister.

The nurse said they needed to take Sawyer to the nursery to make sure his oxygen stats were good. My doctor made sure they let me see him before they took him. We had Kayla go with to take pictures since they were going to weigh him too. Sawyer weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 inches long
Meanwhile the doctor delivered the placenta, which I got a good look at this time, and stitched me up. They hooked my heplock up to an IV of pitocin for a few minutes to help with bleeding. The nurse massaged my uterus and commented about how low it was already. The doctor said I could probably wear my jeans home from the hospital. The whole thing was painful to say the least. I vowed then and there to never have any more children (of course the mommy hormones kicked in a few days later and that is already debatable).

They got me and the room cleaned up and let me rest. Jody left to go get the kids since it was getting late. Every time the nurse came in, she talked about what a great job I did. She said women with epidurals don’t do that good. I just kept thinking, “Was she here in the same room?” I didn’t feel like I had done such a fantastic job. I guess the drugs and the pain clouded my memory.

They finally brought Sawyer back to my room a little after 10. Kayla and Anna took turns holding him. I was too exhausted/drugged to care. All I wanted to do was sleep.

Kayla left and they moved me to a regular room. Sometime during the wee hours of the morning, I came out of my fog and decided to have a good look at my baby. I unwrapped him from his blankets and looked at his skinny legs and tiny fingers and toes. He was just perfect.

I was so impressed with the hospital and staff. They allowed me to labor as I wished and respected my birth plan. They were great with the kids when they came to visit too. I had a wonderful experience; although, if I had to some it up in two words, they would be “It hurt”.

Sleep

I ignored the 5 loads of laundry that need to be washed, the 2 loads of laundry that need to be folded, the dishes that need to be done, and the toys all over the floor. I went to bed at 6:30 last night and I actually got 3 hours of sleep in a row. It was bliss! When Sawyer was up from 1-5 this morning, I had the energy to deal with him. It's the little things that mean the most these days.

Good to go

I had my 4 week postpartum check-up today. Funny how the weirdest things make me sad. I have three pounds to lose and I will be at my prepregnancy weight. Everything is healed and back to the way they should be. I would say normal but I don't remember what that is anymore. I got a script for the minipill and suggestions for dealing with my hemorrhoids. I go back in a year for my annual pap. The nurse sent suckers home for the kids. I wish they could have gone with but they would have had way too many questions that I don't want to answer yet.

Christmas shopping was unproductive. Jody and I are too cheap to pay full price for toys that you can get at a yard sale for fifty cents. I did pick up some glass bottles and onesies for Sawyer. I am exhausted from lack of sleep, trying not to cry and being on the go. I vow to go to sleep as soon as Sawyer does tonight. I need to get some shut eye so I can feel a little more human.

Chugging along

Day 2 was better than Day 1. Probably because MIL took the kids first thing in the morning and didn't bring them back until noon. I was able to do dishes and fold 4 loads of laundry. Sawyer would not sleep all day. When he did fall asleep, he would wake up the instant I laid him down. Judging by the size of my boobs this morning, I'm thinking growth spurt. He's currently racked out in his laundry basket bed so maybe it's over.

Tomorrow I have my 4 week postpartum checkup. I'm feeling great minus the pain in my butt. Literally. Dang hemorrhoids. Jody and I are leaving Olivia and Paxton with MIL and taking Sawyer. After my appointment we plan on doing a little Christmas shopping in NLR. It'll be nice to get out and spend some time together. Hopefully we can find some good deals.

Day 1

Today was my first day alone with the kids since my sister and her little boy left. I only had two crying episodes. Sawyer wanted to be held all morning, Olivia and Paxton were into everything, and Olivia was so mouthy. I told Jody we have got to stop that behavior. We did manage to get lessons done. And I got a load of laundry washed and dried. It does get better, right?

A Name and a Blessing

Today my dad blessed Paxton at church. It was beautiful. I was a hormonal, crying mess as usual. Will these emotions ever level out? After sacrament meeting everyone packed up and left for home. The house is so quiet now. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I couldn't ask for a better holiday.

Due Date

It's hard to believe that today is my due date and yet I've held my baby in my arms for three weeks. And it's hard to believe that three weeks have gone by already since Sawyer was born. My pregnancy weight is already gone. And gone are all the pregnancy aches and pains. I get a strange pang of sadness and emptiness when I touch my belly. It's weird how I could feel so miserable while I was pregnant, but feel so sad about not being pregnant now. All these hormones have done a number on me this time.

I love newborns. I love the way Sawyer curls up in my arms and drift off to sleep on my chest. I love the way his eyes flutter when he sleeps and the constant change of expressions on his face. This is what true love is.

Introducing...

Sawyer Lee
Born October 30, 2007 at 8:20 pm
7 lbs 1 oz
20 inches long

Birth story to follow when I have the time and the energy to write it all down. It was a long day, but totally worth it.

Reality Check

Today at church a 12 day old baby girl was blessed. As the proud grandpa held the sweet little girl up after the blessing, I was suddenly filled with a small amount of panic. It was the same way I felt the other night when Jody mentioned that pretty soon I will have three kids to fight with. In a few short days or weeks, I am going to be a mother of three - THREE kids! Whose idea was this?! Do I have the energy and patience to deal with three kids? I guess it's a little late now- lol.

Fundraiser #1 = Success!

My family had the first fundraiser for my sister Anna yesterday. They did a yardsale from donations collected in the community. The turn out was great, and they ended up making $550. I wish I could have been there to help out. We really appreciate everyone's love and support.

Happy Birthday, Paxton!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Paxton! I can't imagine my life without you. I hope you have a wonderful day full of lots of trains and Cars.

A scare

I woke up at about 11:30 last night having really strong contractions. My ob said go in if I have 4 or more an hour for more than 2 hours. I was having more than 4 but they got weaker so I kept talking myself out of going to the hospital. I kept thinking I'll give it one more half hour. I would hate to wake everyone up in the middle of the night and make the hour drive to the hospital just to have the contractions stop on the way.

I let Jody know what was going on around 3 since we was planning on going to the market. By this time the contractions weren't nearly as bad, just enough to eake me up when I tried to fall asleep. Finally around 4 I was able to go to sleep. Jody went ahead and left for the market with the assurance that he could be home in 10 minutes if need be.

This morning I was still crampy and felt yucky. After consulting with my sisters, I decided I should probably go in to L&D just to be safe. I was a nervous wreck when we got there. When the nurse took my vitals, my pulse was 139! My cervix wasn't dialating, but I was having contractions and they continued to pick up in intensity while I was being monitored. They had me try pushing fluids, but that didn't work so I got a shot of terbutaline. It made me shake really bad and my heart race. The contractions instantly eased up so they monitored me for a while to make sure the contractions didn't return since I live so far from the hospital. They checked me again before I left and I had made no progress.

The nurse gave me a shot of demerol and phenergan right before I left the hospital so my body would relax and I would sleep. I made it to the van and I was gone. Jody practically had to carry me into the house when we got home because I was so out of it. I've spent the rest of the day sleeping. No more contractions though. I'm suppose to take it easy the rest of the weekend and I have my regular ob appt Monday.

More Olivia-isms

Olivia has become pretty much obsessed with babies and pregnancy lately. She likes to look through pregnancy and childbirth books with me and ask questions about the pictures. This has led to various discussions about the female anatomy.

Jody was out of town so the ILs watched Olivia and Paxton for me while I went to a meeting at church. While there, Olivia was praticing writing words. She wrote down O-V but she and MIL couldn't think of any words that started with that letter combination. When she told me about it, I immediately said the word O-V-E-R. MIL said that is what FIL suggested after the fact. After thinking a little more I said or O-V-A-R-Y. Olivia hollers, "I said that, but Mamaw wouldn't listen." Apparently, MIL didn't think a 5 year old would know that word. I told her that Olivia had the parts so she might as well know what they are called. Then Olivia blurts out, "And I have a vaginamus." I thought MIL was going to wet her pants right there.

Birth Control

As part of Olivia's lessons, she is making an alphabet book. After she studies a new letter of the alphabet, she cuts out pictures from a magazine that start with that letter and glues them to a piece of paper. The only magazine I've had recently is Parents magazine so she has been using it. The other day she was looking for pictures that began with a particular letter when she came across an advertisement for the Mirena IUD. It showed someone holding the IUD in the palm of their hand, presumably to show how small and unobtrusive the IUD would be in your uterus. Olivia asked what it was. The conversation went something like this:

O- What is that?
Me- An IUD
O- What's it for?
Me- To help a woman not have a baby
O- Does she have to keep it in her hand?
Me- {Trying not to laugh hysterically} No, it goes in her uterus

Wouldn't that be some form of birth control! Just carry it around in your hand all the time. ROFL

Pain in the butt...or pelvis

The other day I was reflecting on my pasts pregnancies and found in odd that I didn't have the excruciating pelvis pain that I had when I was pregnant with Paxton. That was until I went grocery shopping yesterday. The last time I went grocery shopping, I told Jody that he would have to go with me from now on. By the time I got home I was exhausted and crampy. But Jody went out of town for the week and we hadn't gone grocery shopping in over three weeks, so we were in desperate need of food. Things were going ok until I added a 24 pack of bottled water to the cart. It went downhill from there. By the time I got to the checkout, I told the cashier that I had items on the bottom of my cart, but there was no way I was bending over the pick them up. My pelvis ached! And that isn't exactly a pain you can do a whole lot about. I hurt the rest of the day. Luckily a semi-good nights sleep helped with the pain. I'm 30 weeks today. I guess you could say it's all downhill from here.

Behold, the Crib

We set up the crib today. I have to admit I felt a bit panicked when Jody and FIL brought it in the house. OMH we're going to have a baby!! And it's going to live in this house!! I washed and ironed all the bedding. It was a lot of work but the outcome is outstanding. This is a crib memories are made of. Olivia is already using it for her dolls. It looks like we will be getting a lot of good use out of it.

Diaper Duty

I've decided to use cloth diapers on this baby. I like the idea of less trash and saving money. I used them on Paxton for awhile until he started potty training. I've bought some diapers off the FSOT diapering boards, but I wanted to sew some of my own. After trying several free diaper patterns online, I broke down and bought the Very Baby AIO pattern. I just finished 8 newborn diapers. I'm so excited for my accomplishment. They look so cute and tiny. I can't wait to try out the newborn fluff on this little baby. Now, I'm wondering if I should make 6 or so more.

Silence

We've been having computer problems. I can't decide if we are cursed or if four machines dying on me is an unfortunate coincidence. BIL gave us a laptop to use in the meantime. Apparently the curse doesn't apply to this machine. It's slow and awkward, hence my blogging silence lately. Hopefully some RAM will speed things up a bit. And hopefully the curse (or whatever it is) will lift, and we will be able to have a regular machine again.

Anna's Website

This is the website to help my sister Anna. Things have gotten worse recently so we are trying to get the word out so we can help her in any way possible.

www.annahamilton.org

Please pass this site information on.

Prayers are needed as well as donations.

Mother’s Amnesia

Being a birth coach for my SIL two weeks ago seemed like a good idea at the time. I put pressure on her back and helped her breath through contractions until they *finally* gave her an epidural. She ended up having a c-section and gave birth to a health baby boy.

Seeing a woman in labor had a stronger affect on my psyche then I anticipated. See there is an agreement between mothers and Mother Nature. We are supposed to be given a hefty dose of mother’s amnesia after we give birth. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a strong enough dose after I had Paxton. His labor was fast and furious and the thought of going through that again scares me. And the months of sleepless nights I spent holding him in the recliner are not far from my mind.

I wonder if I have the strength and energy to do it all again. Do I have what it takes? I almost had a breakdown as I walked into my OB’s office this morning. Suddenly, it was all too real. I am going to have a baby, and I am going to have to give birth to this baby. I have become The Little Engine That Could – I think I can, I think I can. I have to.

What color is your soul?

What color is your soul painted? Blue Your soul is painted the color blue, which embodies the characteristics of peace, patience, understanding, health, tranquility, protection, spiritual awareness, unity, harmony, calmness, coolness, confidence, dependability, loyalty, idealism, tackiness, and wisdom. Blue is the color of the element Water, and is symbolic of the ocean, sleep, twilight, and the sky. Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Safety First

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a safety fanatic, especially when it comes to my kids. MIL took the kids to Wal-Mart the other day in FIL's truck (without consulting me first, mind you). Olivia was all excited because she got to sit in the middle. Upon further questioning, I learned that MIL didn't put her in a carseat. For some reason she thought Olivia was now old enough that she didn't need one. *Banging my head against the wall* Where on earth does MIL get these ideas?! I told her that by law Olivia still needs to be in a carseat. Here I am all sad about giving up the 5 point harness for a booster seat because it just doesn't seem safe enough, and MIL is driving Olivia around without a safety seat at all! So yesterday she talks about taking the kids to town again in FIL's truck. I had to explain to her - again- that Olivia has to be in a carseat. Arg! Sometimes I just don't have the patience to deal with people.

Fake Bake

I had this brilliant idea to try Jergen’s Natural Glow body lotion. I have really white legs- as in they are so white, when I go swimming people are actually blinded by the glare. Usually I could care less about what other people think about my white legs. But since the lotion had been given such good reviews by friends, I decided to try it so my legs wouldn’t be such an embarrassment to family and friends. And I figured, since the tan develops slowly by applying the lotion over the course of a week, it would be safe to use. Boy was I mistaken. I used it twice- that’s right twice- and I ended up looking like someone waiting for a liver transplant. My legs turned yellow! I can’t believe the drastic results I got from only two applications. Thank goodness I only use it on my legs. I broke down and confessed to Jody what I had done. He got a good laugh out of it. Apparently my legs will be hopelessly white forever. It’ll be okay. Just remember to wear your sunglasses if you ever go swimming with me.

Happy 4th of July

I absolutely love this holiday! There's nothing like family, food, games and blowing things up. Everyone is coming over around 5 to eat. Dad is grilling hot dogs, brahts, hamburgers and New York strip steaks. I have been so spoiled with food since I've been here. I'm making fruit salad. I've been craving it for a few weeks. The side dishes are potluck so it'll be fun to see what everyone else brings. For games we have pool, washers and wiffle ball. And you can't forget the family favorite Catch Phrase. You should see the pile of fireworks we have to shoot off. The stash gets grander every year. It's going to be so fun having the family together. I usually miss out on it since we live so far away so it's great to actually be here.

Look what I saw!

We found out that the Space Shuttle was making a stop at Offutt AFB for refueling. We stopped by to have a look. I can't believe I got to see a space shuttle!

Taking the plunge

I have wanted a SLR camera since I was in high school. I couldn't afford one then, and I certainly couldn't afford one during college. I had even looked into taking photography classes in college, but I didn't have the money to buy a decent camera. I have often times told Jody about my dream of having a better camera. He could understand my enthusiasm. A while back he bought a vintage Rambler station wagon. He wanted to fix it up, but on our tight budget, we realized it would never happen. Jody said if I sold the wagon, I could have the money to buy a camera. Well, right before our trip, we sold the Rambler!! And today I took the plunge and ordered the camera!! I got a Canon Digital Rebel kit and extra lens. I'm so excited and nervous. I think this is the most money I have ever spent on something just for me - other than a car or an education. I can't wait to start learning how to use the camera. Unfortunately, I have to wait for it to get shipped here. Only 4-6 business days, and it should arrive. Woohoo!

Happy 5th Birthday, Olivia!

My baby girl turns five today. When did I get old enough to have a five year old?! We had a garden party for her at my mom's house. The girls dressed up in fancy dresses, and my mom broke out the fine china. It has been years since that china has last been used. The party was beautiful and the girls had a lot of fun.



Happy birthday, my Olivia bug. I hope this year is the best yet!

The karate kid

I didn't really recognize the babies early movements. It didn't feel like it did with the other kids. Perhaps I have an anterior placenta- who knows. Within the last week I have started feeling kicks. Totally random kicks. Just one strong hi-ya!

Yesterday Olivia got to feel the baby kick for the first time. I have been waiting for that moment since I got pregnant. Every few days Olivia would ask if I could feel the baby move yet. Now she knows it's in there.

Suddenly I am so excited. The baby feels real. I love knowing it's alive inside me and moving around. I want to protect it with my life. And I can't wait to hold it in my arms. And to think I'm not even half way there yet...

One Wild Ride

Thanks to my sister for sending me this story. It's hilarious and sad at the same time. What are the odds? Will both men ever be the same? And yet I can't stop giggling.

Busy bee

The next couple of days are going to be busy. Why does it seem like everything happens at once? Tomorrow is Olivia's "pretend birthday". I need to bake the cake today. I think I will wait until tomorrow morning to frost it. I need to wrap presents but that will have to wait until she goes to the ILs. I also need to make pasta salad. We talking about going to the lake today with some friends but nothing has been confirmed. We are supposed to get bad weather this afternoon/evening so I would rather go early. These same friends want the kids to come over and swim on Sunday. Sometime in amongst all this fun, I need to pack for Nebraska. The plan now is that we will leave right after my OB appt on Monday. I can hit I-40 in NLR and bipass the long boring trip on 64. My appt it at 9 so I should be in and out quickly. The only thing is I have to be packed and ready to go by 8 in order to make it to the clinic by 9. It should be interesting.

A funny

My sister sent me the following email. Too funny since tick season has started here.

I only send these things when I know they are true. I checked it out on Snopes.Com.

TICK WARNING!

This one is real, and it's important. So please send
this warning to
Everyone on your e- mail list.

If someone comes to your front door saying they are
checking for ticks due
To the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes
off and dance around
With your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! THIS IS A SCAM!!
They only want to see you
Naked.

I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid.

An illusion

Pregnancy has become tainted to me. Instead of joy and excitement, I feel nervous and scared. There was a time when all I saw was the joy in pregnancy. But I have seen too many friends have losses, read too many sad stories, experienced too much heartache, to think that everything will always be ok. I go to my ob appointments telling myself it will be ok if they don't find a heartbeat. I'm afraid to get my maternity clothes out of the attic because I would have to deal with them if something went wrong. What happened to the blissful denial of my last two pregnancies? Why did it seem so easy then? Was it all an illusion?

Thoughts

The best part of early pregnancy- the boobs!
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For Mother's Day I requested a tent, sleeping bag, and water tote. We are planning on camping next weekend. I really hope the weather cooperates. I don't know who is more excited- me or the kids.
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My sister has been in the hospital 12 days for a migraine. She has suffered with them since she was a young child. They can't get this one under control. I worry about her constantly, and I feel helpless. I've felt panic attacks creeping up.
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I am planning on going to Nebraska to help out with the kids while my sister goes to a headache clinic in Michigan. At least it is something I can do. I don't know when yet. Hopefully details come soon.
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My love and prayers go out to the Huntsman family. Bob passes away this week from a massive heart attack. He has suffered with health problems for a long time. He was a very kind man and will be greatly missed.
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My goal today is to stamp some cards. I'm not doing so well at it. I think I'm coming down with something or having a blah day. I don't know which. I just don't want to puke. I've already fallen asleep twice on the couch. Do you think anyone would notice if I laid down again?
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I did manage to Miracle Grow our little garden today. So far it's been doing well. We've gotten rain almost everyday this week which means less watering. I should post a picture.
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I wish I wasn't such a procrastinator.

Congratulations Graduate

Olivia graduated from the 4 year old HIPPY program yesterday. I'm actually glad that it is over. I just wasn't impressed with the program this year. I guess you can't complain for a free service. Olivia is sad that her teacher isn't going to come anymore. Perhaps it's time to buy a K curriculum and get started on it.

Looking up

Can I just tell you how nice it is to have energy again and not spend my day lying on the couch trying not to puke. I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and not a moment too soon.

We took a little vacation to Missouri from Thursday-Sunday. I was worried about going but my m/s has eased up enough that it wasn't a problem. I met up with my mom, dad and two little sisters. We visited my dad's side of the family and did some junkin'. And best of all I got a wonderful blessing from my father. We all had a great time. Even Jody enjoyed the trip.

The bad part of going on vacation is coming home. My house was a wreck. The day before we left, I was busy doing our Pinewood Derby Pack Meeting for Cub Scouts. I managed to wash a load of towels and dishes before we left so there was a lot to be done. Today I did 5 or so loads of laundry and put stuff away. Too bad the kids drag stuff out as quick as I get it picked up.

I'm actually cooking supper tonight. This is a huge accomplishment on me part. I haven't cooked a full supper since Easter. Jody has been very understanding. It feels great to want to eat again.

My 9 Week Belly Bean

Hanging on

I now realize why I didn't journal for the first 14 weeks of my previous pregnancies. It was because I felt like crap. The last few weeks have been rough- much worse then I remember feeling before. My ob prescribed Zofran which has been wonderful. A word of caution: it causes constipation. Constipation and hemorrhoids make for a great combination. Needless to say, I ran to Wal-Mart today for some Colace - ugh. I'm grateful Jody has been so understanding. There have been several days where I spent the majority of the day laying on the couch. He's been helpful with the house and the kids. Yesterday I was feeling better so I started some major reorganizing of the house. Foolish me. Now I have piles of stuff that need to be sorted and put away and no energy to do it. Maybe tomorrow will be another good day. Hopefully it will.

A Quote to Remember

I read this quote by Robert Kennedy on another blog and I've thought about it a lot ever since.

"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."

The baby blahs

There are times when I think I am crazy for wanting to do this again. And then I feel guilty. I'm not handling this morning sickness very well. Our couch has become my new best friend. I wake up every morning looking forward to naptime. After naptime I count down the hours until bedtime. Today I bought Seabands and B6. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I can't remember how long my morning sickness lasted with the other kids. I pulled out their pregnancy journals and I did a horrible job of writing in them. I do remember feeling awful my first trimester with Olivia. I was finishing up my last semester of college and it was rough. With Paxton I only felt bad for a couple weeks. So does that mean this baby is a girl? We shall see.

My belly bean

There's something in there

I had my first ob appt today, and the good news is: there is a baby in there! I was so relieved so see that little bean and it's tiny heartbeat. My doctor said my levels from the bloodwork look great too. I go back in three weeks for another ultrasound. I can't believe I'm having a baby!

We had a fun day as a family. Since we couldn't find anyone to watch the kids, we all went down to my appt together and made a day of it. My doctor is about an hour away in NLR so we decided to yardsale our way to his office. We didn't find many sales since it's a Thursday, but it was still fun. After my appt we went to Target and Kohl's. We bought Paxton 2 Thomas the Train shirts at Kohls. They were on sale so we got them almost half off. I think it made Paxton's day. He had to put one of the shirts on after his nap. We came home and I took a two hour nap. Eek! I can't believe Jody let me sleep that long. For supper we went to Los Montanos, a cozy little Mexican restaurant in Beebe. Paxton thinks the name of the restaurant is Beebe because we always say we are going to go to Beeble to eat when we go there. LOL The kids were so hyper this evening. I was glad to see bedtime come. I'm tired but I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight after taking that long nap.

All my love and prayers

All my love and prayers go out to my friend Darcie and her family for the loss of their little girl Carli Mae who was born and passed away on March 20th. If you could remember them in your prayers I know they would appreciate it. Your little girl will always be remembered.

Campfire Fun

Olivia has been asking to cook hotdogs on a fire and we finally did it tonight. It was so much fun. We cooked and ate everything outside. The hotdogs weren't so much a hit as the smores. I love those things. It's so much fun doing stuff like that as a family. I think that's what childhood memories are made of.

Visual DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Happy Birthday, Ma!

I hope you had a wonderful day. Love you!

Bloodwork and Ultrasound

I called my ob back. Since I'm still spotting they wanted be to go in for bloodwork so they could get a quantitative HCG level incase they need it later, and they went ahead and ordered the pregnancy panel so that I only have to get poked once. The lab lady got it on the first poke- very good considering the drama last time. I also go in on Thursday for an ultrasound. That seems like a long time away. I'm hoping all this nauseousness is a good sign. What will be, will be.

Enough already?!

So I called my ob about the spotting. I'm not spotting a lot but it's enough to make me nervous. His nurse said to take it easy tonight and to let her know how I was doing in the morning.

Fast forward to supper time. Jody was burning some trash on the burn pile by his shed. He went outside to give the cat some scraps. He came running in the house and said, "I need the fire extinguisher! My sheds on fire!" I ran out and hooked up a hose while Olivia drug it towards the shed. Jody got another hose and hooked it up so it would reach the shed. He was able to get the fire out quickly. There was minimal damage to the shed. Had he went out 5 minutes later, the shed probably would have been engulfed in flames. So much for taking it easy. Is this week over yet?

Oh, and Jody said he will not longer be using the burn pile by his shed.

Today the kids were outside playing. I noticed I was spotting a little bit which had me worried so I was hanging out in the house taking it easy. Olivia and Ashtyn came in and I asked where Paxton was. Olivia said she didn't know. She usually keeps pretty good tabs on him but with Ashtyn being here, they weren't paying him any attention. I went outside to look for him and couldn't find him anywhere around the house. I came back in the house and looked through all the rooms hoping he had come inside and I didn't notice, but he wasn't here. I ran up to the barn to see if he went up to ride the tractor or see the pigs, and he wasn't there. I ran back down the driveway and told the girls to stay in the house, I was going to check the ILs house. I jumped in the van and drove up and sure enough Paxton was sitting in the wagon on the ILs porch looking at the cats through the screen window. I was so scared he had wandered off into the woods and got lost. I just kept thinking about the stories you hear on the news about toddlers wandering off in the woods. I grabbed Paxton and started crying and brought him home. I had to go to my room and hide so the kids didn't see me lose it. I ended up calling Anna so she could talk me down. I never want to have that feeling again.

Adventures with Paxton

What an adventure we have had over the last few days. We went over to my friend's house for a party on Saturday. I changed Paxton around 4 or 5 and noticed he had spots all over him. At first I freaked out and thought he had chicken pox, but I realized they were more like welts. I checked him again around 8 and they had spread and were bigger. We gave him a bath, rubbed hydrocorizone all over him, and gave him a dose on Benadryl.

The next morning, his spots had turned into giant welts all over his body. His eye was even swollen. I called my dad and he said take him to the ER if it's effecting his eyes. So we went and they told me he was having an allergic reaction to something. We had no idea to what. The only thing I could think of was I gave him Benadryl for the first time Saturday morning. And what do they say to give him: Benadryl. He was also given a 5 day dose of steroids. His welts were looking a little better at bath time Sunday night.

Well Paxton didn't sleep well at all that night. And neither did I since he wanted company. Monday morning we got up and he had more welts and they looked worse. I called his ped and got him an appointment asap. The ped agreed that it looked like a reaction to something Paxton ate or drank. He told me to use dye free Benadryl because if he was allergic to it, most likely it was the dye. On the way home I realized that I had made Cherry Sensation Juicy Juice on Thursday or Friday, and I hadn't made it in a while. And Paxton had some during the night on Sunday which would explain why the welts got worse over night. So we trashed the juice and don't plan on getting any more any time soon. So his welts have almost completely faded and we got a little more sleep last night.

Here are some pictures of him on Monday:




















Fast forward to today. We were at gymnastics, and Paxton was being naughty so I pulled him by his wrist and arm, nothing hard just to get him to come sit by me. He started crying and saying his arm hurt. He sat on my lap and wouldn't move. He was cradling his arm, and whenever I touched it he would start bawling. They gave me an ice pack to put on it, but it didn't help. So after gymnastics was over I took Paxton to the doctor for the 3rd time in 4 days. Turns out he had what they call nurse maids elbow where the elbow pops out of the socket. They did this little maneuver thing to pop it back in and he was good to go. They went ahead and did x-rays to make sure everything was ok but I knew he was fine because he instantly started climbing everything and running around like crazy. I'm so relieved I didn't break my kid's arm. I've even gotten on to Jody in the past to be careful with the kids because you can pop their arms out of their sockets.

So now I'm tired. Jody's been out of town. I feel like I can't catch up on lost sleep. And I want to put Paxton in a bubble. Maybe, hopefully, the rest of the week will be a little less exciting. Or at least won't require a trip to the hospital.

Beware of the marshmallows

We went to our friend's house for the fish fry. The fish was good, not my favorite fish to eat, but good. The men are under orders to catch some bass for the next one. After we ate we went outside to the fire pit and roasted marshmallows. We were sitting around chatting when all of the sudden Sharol yelled "oh no!" and I turn around to see Paxton choking on a marshmallow. He ran up behind me and had a panic look on his face as he tried to get air. Sharol grabbed him up and did the Heimlich on him before I could respond. She dislodged the marshmallow and Paxton gasped for breath. It was a scary couple of seconds. I picked Paxton up and cuddled him and he said "hurt, hurt". Sharol apologized for hurting but I told her no problem since she just saved my sons life. Never take a single day for granted with your children.

The Wedding

More pictures to follow...

I called the pharmacy today to make sure the meds I am on are safe during pregnancy. They said they would have to look it up so I should call my ob. Um, isn't that a pharmacist's job? I have always been very impressed with my pharmacy until today.

So I called my ob and talked to his nurse MaryJo. She is such a nice lady. She was very excited that I am expecting again and even commented about how quickly we work. *giggle* I told her about my horrible allergy problems, and she said she would talk to the doctor and get back to me. She called me back and told me it was ok to take Claritin if my symptoms get unbearable. It is a huge relief to have more options. Sudafed just isn't cutting it.

I also scheduled my first appointment/ultrasound for April 16. That seems like a long time away. MaryJo said that if I have any problems to call her and she'll get me in sooner. I said the later the better since I don't really have anyone to watch my kids. I hope the next month flies by.

So the shock is wearing off, but not the denial. My mind doesn't handle change well, and it's hard to believe I'm really pregnant. My pg sypmtoms so far: crampy, sore bbs, metallic taste in my mouth, nauceous, tired, insomnia and bloated. I don't remember feeling this way so early on with the other two pregnancies. This could be a long 1st trimester.

The only people we have told that I am pregnant are my family and my internet friends. It's hard to keep it a secret. We aren't ready to tell the kids yet (the minute I do I know I will be hearing "are you going to have the baby yet?" 20 times a day until I actually delivery) and if we aren't telling the kids, we can't tell the ILs, and if we don't tell the ILs, I don't feel right telling other people. So we're waiting. What an exciting secret to have!

Kayla and Patrick's wedding reception was last night. It was beautiful - basically the reception you dream of having but are too cheap to afford. Olivia was the cutest flower girl. She got compliments all night and she was very well behaved. I'll post pics later. I'm too tired right now.

I'm waiting to go to bed. I'm tired, but if I go to sleep now I know I will be up in the middle of the night. We have a busy morning tomorrow. I would love to be able to sleep in- or sleep at all these days.

I took a nap today while the kids were at the ILs. I was dead asleep when MIL called to tell me Paxton had a dirty diaper, and he wouldn't let her change it. I went up to their house in a sleepy stupor and changed the diaper. On the way out the door my MIL has the nerve to say she turns off the phone when she takes a nap so people don't call and disturb her. I was way sleepy and extremely grumpy so I turned around and walked out the door before I went postal on her. She knew I was taking a nap when she called. And it turns out Jody pulled into the driveway when I was headed back home so he could have taken care of the diaper. Grrrr. I swear these people make me crazy sometimes.

We went fishing today. The crappie were biting like crazy. Olivia got to reel in a bunch of fish. Paxton threw rocks and cow poop in the water. Ewww! He got a bath the minute we got home. It was one of the best fishing trips I have been on in a long time. I look forward to the fish fry that follows.

It's the end of the world as we know it!

The Breast Cancer Site

A favor to ask, it only takes a minute.... Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on "donating a mammogram" for free (pink window in the middle). This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

The Breast Cancer Site

AGAIN , PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10 TODAY

Testimony

I called Pa to ask him a question I had regarding a friend's question about a scripture. While discussing the scripture with my dad, it led to conversation about other spiritual matters. We started discussing the teachings of Isaiah, the Twelve Tribes of Isreal and our own personal scripture study. It was so reaffirming to me of why I know our Church is true. I have a testimony, but sometimes things become routine- going to church, taking the sacrament, sitting through sacrament meeting, reading our scriptures, trying to do what is right- and I forget to recognize the magnitude of the Gospel and how everything throughout history is tied together. The Church just makes sense, and I can't believe how vast it's teaching extend. It's amazing how a simple conversation could help reaffirm and strengthen my testimony. It makes me want to learn and study more about the Gospel so my tstimony can continue to grow.

My find of the day

We went to a 10 family yardsale in Cabot. There was a bitterly cold wind so we didn't look around very long. I found a box full of Bob the Builder toys. The seller originally wanted $15. I told him he was crazy (I was unusually fiesty today). I took some other odds and ends toys out of the box, and told him to price it again. He went down to $5. Deal! Paxton loves them. It was a good day junking.

Having problems

For some reason I don't stay signed into my blogger account. It's a pain having to sign in everytime I want to post. And for some reason it's not letting me sign in to post on other blogs. *grr* I'm off to figure out why.

Just chillin'

I just finished off a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream with carmel syrup. It was delicious, but now I'm freezing. I had big plans of sewing this evening, but now that the kids are in bed I'm exhausted. I stayed up too late last night, and Paxton got up at the crack of dawn this morning. Add that to the fact that I'm still feeling blah from whatever it is I have and I'm beat.

We might get some storms tonight. I don't like stormy weather especially when it's just me and kids. I need my man here to protect me. There is a chance he might come home really late tomorrow night.

I have my first Perpetual Projects club meeting at church tomorrow night. That should be a lot of fun with a 2 year and 4 year old in tow. I just hope people show up. It'll stink if I go through all the work of organizing it and setting up and not have people come.

The news is doing a story about the possibility of there being a major fault line through AR and how we are not prepared should a big earthquake occur. It's not enough to worry about the bird flu, terrorists flying into buildings, Iran making nuclear weapons, the war in Iraq, and salmonella-ized peanut butter. I seriously need something else to stress about. *sigh*

I supposed I should take my medicine and go to bed. Morning comes quickly around this place.

Random thoughts

We took Paxton's crib down today. It's a good thing we plan on having more babies or I would be an emotional wreck right now. We put a crib mattress on the floor for him until the toddler bed I left in Nebraska gets here. Olivia is on a pallet beside him. We didn't have this milestone with Olivia because she never would sleep in her crib so we are in new territory. My baby boy is growing up.
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I missed Grey's Anatomy due to a tax appointment that was way behind so of course I'm freaking out. None of my friends recorded it! No one! Believe me I've asked. I even tried to watch it on the internet, but it isn't happening on this crappy dial-up. Arg! I think I might go to my friends house and watch it on her computer. She has cable internet and I don't think she would be offended by my intrusion. I gotta see that episode!

And by the way we are getting a sweet tax return. I wonder what will break now?
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We had another roast from the cow we had butchered. This roast was a lot better than the last one. Good to know that we didn't waste $200 on tough meat.
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Jody is heading for MS, TN, and KY for the week. I don't know who is more sad-me or him. At least I have the kids to keep me company. With all the stuff I have to get done, the week will probably fly by, for me at least.
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I found out today that my dad, uncle and thier friends are not coming down for a fishing trip in two weeks. I'm sad because now I don't have a good excuse to clean my house and I always look forward to having some family here. Now I have to convince my sister to come for a visit. That shouldn't be too hard.
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We have successfully TTA for 16 cycles- see it can be done! I think we are officially TTC this cycle, if Jody doesn't chicken out. Jody approved my purchase of 3 XS Magic-Alls on the FSOT Cloth Diapering Board yesterday so there must be baby plans in the future.

A Bag Lady

I made a purse/bag because my old backpack diaperbag shelled out on me. I looked at some bags I liked on ebay, but they were out of my price range. While going through some sewing stuff the other day I came across a pattern I bought when the fabric store had patterns for .99 a while back. I bought it thinking that one day it might come in handy. So after taking a few notes on the bags for sale on ebay, I headed to the store for supplies. With a few alterations I was able to make a bag in less than a day, and it turned out great.






























I already have several friends interested in buying one. Last night I dreamed about fabric. Today I started cutting out pieces. I'm going to the fabric store tomorrow to buy fabric while it is still on sale. I am excited but nervous. I hope they are happy with my work. I tend to be a perfectionist, but I worry that I will disappoint. And thus I have begun my new venture as a bag lady.

A Mom's Blog

My sister sent me the link to this poetry. Cute stuff! This mom gig is great.

Bring on the day of love

I finished Jody's Valentines Day present today. We are extra poor this year so I told him we had to be creative. I used Windows Movie Maker to make a movie with pictures from our wedding day to the present to the song I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash. It turned out so cute! I can't wait to give it to Jody. I'm going to try and upload it to google so I can show my family. I'll let you know how it goes.

The sickies

The kids and I have had what I assume to be the flu - fever, chills, body ache, a little bit of sinus drainage. There is an unspoken rule that moms can be see sick no longer than 12 hours. If our sickness exceeds that time frame, we get pouting and grumbling from our spouses. My sick-time allotment is up; luckily, I am starting to feel better. I took some benadryl so I will sleep better tonight and I think it is kicking in. Here's hoping for a restful sleep tonight.

A walk in the woods

Today I took the kids for a walk in the woods. We have 41 acres of land, a lot of it in woods. I've been waiting for a good day to take the kids out to explore since I haven't seen much of the land myself. It was a perfect day for a walk outdoors, too cold for bugs but warm enough to be comfortable. As we walked around, I couldn't help but reminisce about going on similar walks with my dad and siblings when I was a little girl. The kids had a wonderful time. Paxton was instantly attracted to the creek that runs across our property. What is it with little boys and mud and water? Olivia was impressed that we were able to walk so far into the woods and then find our way home without getting lost. I just couldn't believe how much land we have. It just amazes me to see that we have been blessed with so much. And of course I had to take a picture to memorex the moment.

Do you want a bite of my ice cream cone?

Jody will drag in just about anything. His latest is this giant Edy's ice cream cone. I see big money in our future from this find. {insert giggles here}

Wordless Wednesday

A flower girl

A friend from church asked Olivia to be a flower girl for her wedding in March. We are excited. Olivia is already talking about wearing a princess dress. I'm sure there will be pictures to come.

I was once a Young Women's leader for this friend. To see her planning a wedding is surreal. It's endearing seeing young love and all the hopes and dreams it carries. I remember those days so clearly. When nothing matter, only the fact that you were in love. And you knew that love was enough to get you through everything. It would be nice to go back to that naivity in some ways.

Saturday Silly

You know what the doe said as she came out of the woods...



...I'll never do that for three bucks again!

To the parents

Dear Parent,
Do the world a favor and teach your child to eat with their mouth closed. Society will thank you.
Sincerely,
Sarah

Play-Doh

The smell is unmistakable. The texture is soft and squishy. The fun is never-ending. I took a little break yesterday and played Play-Doh with the kids. My masterpiece: a puppy.

This must be how Noah felt

It's raining. It started...well I can't remember when it started...a day ago, last night maybe. It won't stop. It's like the clouds opened up, and there is no end in sight. The culverts are full, the ditches are full, the fields are full of water. It's everywhere. And it isn't supposed to stop anytime soon. They say we may get as much as 8 inches. And the ground is already soaked from rains earlier in the month. I wonder if this is how Noah felt.

Wish you were here

Jody went to bed last night without a word because he was irritated with the kids. I woke up this morning to find hair all over the bathroom sink and clothes piled up on the floor. I went into the kitchen to find that Jody didn’t take the trash with him to work. In the fridge was food leftover from Thanksgiving. I went unto the laundry room to see what condition it was left in. This is what I found:

























He didn’t even bother to use a laundry basket.

Is it good to be home?

Maybe you should ask again tomorrow.

How to crack a rib

1. Take an old dude, his daughter and his granddaughter. Pile them on top of a sled and push face first down a snowy hill.















2. Hit large bump on the way down the hill. When the sled finally stops at the bottom of the hill, hold side and moan in pain.















3. Enjoy the long hike up the hill as you are in an excruciating amount of pain. And remember. the ride was totally worth it.