Margaritas on Friday

Birthday Weekend

2012-02-12T11:15:00.003-05:00

Kelly turned 30 on Saturday. Dennis turned 34 today. Connor prepared a birthday message for each of them.

I especially like the screen shot of Connor in the 2nd video clip.

Dennis and I celebrated his birthday on Friday with a lunch (and margaritas!) at Dos Amigos. Then we continued the birthday celebration last night...at another mexican restaurant, Village Taqueria & Tequila Bar. The margatini's there are fabulous.

My parents traveled in from Missouri to see their two most favorite grandkids and to celebrate all of the birthdays with us this weekend. On Saturday, my mom thought that it would be appropriate to make birthday cupcakes for Kelly and Dennis. In most cases, it would be entirely appropriate and a perfect way to celebrate an important occasion.

Connor was excited to help Nana cook. His definition of "helping" is a little different than what I typically of think of when someone offers to help.

Almost two dozen red velvet cupcakes had been poured into the cupcake pan and ... then it happened. Connor pulled one dozen cupcakes down on top of himself. Echo's dreams had just come true.

Connor, on the other hand, screamed and cried. He was completely devastated.

The best part of the ordeal was that a cupcake landed square on his head. He didn't realize it because he was too busy fussing about the red batter on his hands, his pants, and his shoes. After he was undressed down to his diaper, we used a rag to wash his hair. I wish I had been able to grab my camera because that moment was absolutely priceless. Stressful at the time, yes, but imprinted in my memory forever.

Blake was asleep so she missed out on the birthday cupcake chaos. AK and Dennis were there, though, and were able to enjoy every minute of it so I guess that's really what matters. I hope they both had a wonderful birthday celebration this year. We love both of you very much!

Point of View

2012-02-07T16:22:00.003-05:00

And, well....yeah.

The Words That I Hoped to Never Hear.

2012-01-28T20:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to deny that I was pretty impressed with myself: Connor and Blake were both down for a nap at the same time. I was looking forward to crawling into bed for a little siesta, myself. Dennis would surely be home in just a few minutes to join me.

I filled up my glass of water in the bathroom and was just about to get into bed when I heard it. I looked at the double doors to our bedroom and saw a little boy standing there, smiling, with his hands of his hips. An evil chuckle escaped his lips. And then he said it.

"Mommy, look! My get out of my bed!"

I heard some dishes clanking together downstairs so I knew Dennis was home. "DENNIS?!?! Did you hear that?"

A moment of silence followed and I am sure that it was only because Dennis was trying to gain his composure.

"Connor, this is not good. Let's go tell your daddy what you just said to me."

"OK! Mommy, hold my hand to go downstairs." He couldn't walk down the steps fast enough. "Daddy, daddy! My get out of my bed!"

Dennis lost it. "Connor, that is a very good thing. Er, I mean, uh...impressive thing. Crap."

Miraculously, we were able to bribe him into staying in his bed for the duration of his nap. Discussing how we'd play outside with his bike if he cooperated was a key element in our plan. And we told him that if he was to jump out, he'd be put into time out. (He stuck out his lower lip when we mentioned that.)

And now our life has taken another turn. Just when we think we are going to start getting really good sleep...well, life proves us wrong. We are no longer in control. Not even one bit. This sleep thing is never coming back. NEVER.

Any insight on how to proceed from here is greatly appreciated. Do we get a big boy bed for him? Do we make the crib taller so that he cannot escape? Build a roof over the top of his crib? Tie his legs together? Basically, my questions boil down to this... HOW DO WE GET HIM TO STAY IN HIS ROOM UNTIL WE ARE READY FOR HIM TO GET UP?

Happy 5 Months

2012-01-22T16:35:00.000-05:00

January 19, 2012

To my most sweet little girl,

Despite the cold that you've had the past few days, you are still all smiles. It's amazing. We've had extra opportunities to spend time together since you've been waking up multiple times each night. When your dad and I come into your room in the middle of the night (rotating turns, of course) to comfort you and make sure that you are OK, you do your little dance and just smile as if to say, "Oh, hi! It's such a nice surprise to see you. So glad you just so happened to be awake right now with me. Since you are here and awake, well, let's dance."

You and I went in to see the doctor yesterday to confirm that you don't have an ear infection. The good news is that you were given a clean bill of health. The not-good-but-not-necessarily-bad-news is that you weigh 18.5 pounds. You are tall, though, too. Twenty-five inches. Instead of crying when you were placed on the scale, you giggled and made the nurses laugh along with you. You are already a big flirt. Maybe even a kiss up.

We've ventured into the messy world of solid foods and it's quite the adventure. You haven't turned anything down just yet and you seem to really enjoy your two servings a day of green beans, squash, apples, bananas, and even prunes.

You and your big brother are so sweet together. Several nights ago during bath time, Connor pretended to hit your leg. For some reason, that made you laugh hysterically. And your giggle made him laugh. I sat next to both of you, laughing and crying because of how adorable the two of you are together. You just stared into each others eyes and laughed.

Your hair is changing. After being born with a full head of hair, it has become increasingly sparse as of late. It's still there, yes, but from an aerial view, I would say that it looks more like a toupee than anything else. And as your hair is growing back in, it looks like it may be a shade or two lighter. We'll see.

Activity-wise, your fist love is the exersaucer. You can roll over both ways but choose not to do so unless you are forced into it. Or super tired of your current position. Or if you are watching your brother and trying to catch up with him.

Happy five months. It is amazing to me that we've had you this long. It's been an incredibly fun journey so far and I know that we have so much to look forward to. Your personality shows through more each day and I love the person that you are becoming. Sweet, smiling, and definitely up to something. We are going to have to keep a close watch on you as you become more mobile...

I love you.

Love,
Mom
XOXO

Recent Photos

2012-01-20T16:51:00.000-05:00

Above: Connor and his best friend and neighbor, Kahn

Paleo Update

2012-01-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

So I feel this need to give you an update on the Paleo challenge.

First and foremost, we are still doing it. Mostly. Dennis decided this past weekend that he needed a cheat day because football, well, just isn't football, if you don't have a beer. Or two.

And I'm not saying that I haven't cheated. Only a little here and there, though. As I type this, I look at my I'm-sure-cavemen-drank-this-drink that is sitting next to me: Sparkling water (zero calories), sweet tea vodka, and a splash of lemon juice. True paleo means no alcohol but what fun would that be? So, to answer your question in a very long-winded fashion, YES, I am cheating. But only a little. And it's for the better good: so that I can stay the course. Of course it is.

And what recipes have we tried? You can eat 'paleo' pretty easily - - just eat lean meats, vegetables, a few nuts, and a small amount of fruit each day and you are good to go. So, the need for actual recipes isn't a huge need but it is there. And, knowing that I absolutely love (or loathe?) to cook, I'm sure you are surprised at my desire to find very simple paleo meals.

We purchased Everyday Paleo, which is a great starting point for us. Two recipes tried so far and we're batting .500.

Everyday Paleo egg cupcakes: Um....Not so much. I should've known that they wouldn't be very tasty just by looking at the pictures. I had high hopes that were dropped on their face. They did a nose dive off of the roof of a 20 story building. The food was edible and well...yeah...that's about it. I do not recommend.

Let's look at the good outcome: Sun-dried tomato chicken slaw. Sounds kind-of strange, I know, but trust me, it's good. Really good. And the best part...it's easy. My only question was if this is a 'slaw', shouldn't it be a side-dish? I treated it as our main dish and our side dish all in one. That's what momma likes.

So, yes, we are surviving...and actually doing pretty well.

Oh yeah, and CrossFit? I am loving it. (Dennis, I hope you smile as you read this because I am saying: YES, YOU TOLD ME SO.)

1..2..3..4..5..2..1

2012-01-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Not sure why, but I have this number in my head. The number is four. I feel like each month is a "good blogging month" if I post at least four posts during that period.

I know, I'm weird. And to all that know me really well, I have a weird thing about numbers. And to those who don't...well, just know that I am really good at counting.

And I don't feel like a simple video post should really count as one post. I mean, all that I have to do is copy and paste the code to embed the video. No brain cells required. Not really, anyway.

So, here's my half post. Enjoy. :)

Loading Up

2011-12-27T20:42:00.000-05:00

I guess you could say we're fat-packing. Carbloading. Cramming every bit of goodness that isn't naturally occuring on this earth into our bellies.

And we're doing so at record speeds.

Pecan pie? Yes, please. Maybe two slices. Wine? Well, I'm not really thirsty but I'll have a bottle. A big, double bottle.

On January 1st, 2012, we're entering in a competition at our gym that requires us to eat a paleo-based diet for 35 days. Dennis said he plans to lose 50 pounds in a month. I am shooting for something slightly shy of that number. Not sure if you noticed or not, but there is an important word in the statement: COMPETITION.

We are eating DANGER FOR BREAKFAST. And lunch.

We're making sure we are in prime shape for this competition. We're stacking the cards in our favor. And we're going to win. We will not only look fabulous when we win but we plan to smile (an evil smile) as we take the entire pot of money, too...

I need to learn about what it means to eat, paleo, too, I guess.

But don't worry, I'll keep you posted as I learn.

Magic Reindeer Food

2011-12-24T11:10:00.001-05:00

"Oats are a Reindeer's favorite food, cinnamon is their favorite smell and sugar crystals reflect the light from Rudolph's nose so Santa can find your house. A magical recipe for kids to make on Christmas eve in preparation of Santa's visit, and it won't harm any small animals that might take a bite."

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup red sugar crystals or 1/4 cup green sugar crystals

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a resealable plastic bag.

Seal the bag and shake until well- combined. When its dark on Christmas eve, sprinkle the magic food on your front lawn to help Santa and his reindeer find your house.

Makes just enough for all of Santa's reindeer!

Happy 4 Months

2011-12-19T15:53:00.002-05:00

Blake,

Happy four months! I am so glad that you've kept us for this long. You entered into a world of chaos four months ago and things have not slowed down one bit since then. Thank you for keeping us. We're growing more and more fond of you each day.

One word to describe you? Smiles. You smile at least 90 bagillion times a day. You giggle when we change your clothes or I tickle your neck. Your toes seem to be ticklish, too. Your giggles aren't overly present and so I do try to get you to share them with us more often. I mean, once a day is for sissies! And your giggle makes me grin from ear to ear.

In-between smiles you will talk, gnaw on those hands, and sometime you'll even grab your tongue on accident. I've tried to explain to you that your tongue is always there and it hurts if you pinch it with your fingernails but I'm not sure that you get it just yet. You will get it, I have no doubt. Just not yet.

You rolled over for the first time on December 10th. After you did it you just looked at me as if to say, "yeah, so what? That was easy. I practice when y'all aren't looking. I've got skills, Mama."

If you don't count rolling over, eating solid foods for the first time (last night), playing in your exersaucer, and seeing Santa in Bryson City, you really haven't done much since last month. I mean, seriously, Blake, let's get moving.

You are so patient. And quiet. And perfect. (And you are correct, I'm not biased at all.) You really only fuss when you get tired. And I say 'fuss' because it's not even a real cry, it's just sort-of a complaining noise that you make. A few minutes of complaining often leads to us giving you your pacifier and then 5..... 4.... 3.... 2.... and you are out.

Connor loves you so much and you seem to feel the same way towards him. I realize that this may not always be the case but since you aren't that mobile (yet), your relationship seems to be on very good terms. You look up at him with complete amazement and I am sort-of scared of what you could be learning from him. I'm sure he'll teach you plenty of good things...but plenty of not-so-good things, too. I love watching your relationship develop.

Krissi and BAM take such great care of you during the week. I am pretty sure that they both spoil you all day long but that's OK. We won't hold that against them.

Your sleeping is still great, too. We do need to buy a bigger swaddle blanket for you but otherwise you are out for the count after you eat around 9PM and then don't get up again until 7AM. You take after me in that you really seem to appreciate those hours of beauty sleep. We need to drop your last feeding but we haven't pushed ourselves to do that just yet... it's hard once we learned what it's like to sleep through the night again!

Blake, we love you!

Love,

Mom

XOXO

Partners in Crime

2011-12-11T08:54:00.001-05:00

The Polar Express

2011-12-04T14:44:00.001-05:00

When we walked into the house this afternoon, it felt like we had been away for a week. Or at least a few VERY LONG days. But less than 48 hours prior, we raced out the door for our Polar Express adventure. It was a LONG 48 hours ago.

For whatever its worth, we had the best of intentions. We really did. I was so excited that I was already planning to make this trip to Bryson City every year. I just knew that it was going to be so much fun and so relaxing that we'd be sad to leave and eager to return the following year.

Our planned escape from Atlanta was to take place on Friday at 2pm. Nope, it was a 3:30PM departure. And Mr. Garmin led us straight into traffic on 85N and a few other spots. An alleged 3.5 hour trip turned into 5 hours. And THAT is the good news.

The bad news was that Mr. Garmin really likes to take the fastest route possible, even if it only shaves off 2 or 3 minutes from the next best option. So, he decided to take us through the most curvy mountain roads that I've even seen. And saying that I've "seen" them isn't really the truth since it was pitch black by the time we were in North Carolina. And we were on said roads for 20+ miles.

Connor was watching "The Polar Express" on the 9 inch DVD player on the back of the passengers seat headrest. I would say that it was on the back of my headrest but I wasn't sitting there. I was wedged between the two kids in the back seat. Connor looked up after we'd been on this miserable mountain road for a good while and said, "my butt hurts". At least that's what we thought he said.

Until he started to barf.

In hindsight, I don't think he was referring to his butt. I think he might've been saying "my belly hurts". Luckily for us, we only had 2 or 3 more miles to go until we would be able to pull over to clean him up a bit. We drove up to the property management company to get the keys to our cabin and Dennis jumped out to talk details with the manager while I picked up our sweet, puke-covered little boy, and took off his shirt. The house was only a few miles away so it wasn't long before we could completely undress Connor and brush his teeth.

Once in the house, we were able to breathe a sigh of relief. We did it. We were there.

All four of us slept together in the main bedroom - Connor on his "blow up Big Boy bed" and Blake in the pack-n-play. I must admit that I fell in love with the king sized bed that was for Dennis and me. He was awake most of the night because he didn't feel well and I didn't even notice. I slept like a log.

We started off the next day in pretty good spirits. I was determined that this was going to be our most fun trip yet.

Dennis told me that he was bored and Connor was getting cabin-fever, so I suggested that they go to check out the "really cool waterfalls" that I heard about. So they did. I told Dennis that I thought the waterfall might be a short walk from the national park entrance, nothing too bad. They could go to check out the waterfall while I finished getting ready and fed Blake another time.

I was right that it wasn't a far walk to the waterfalls once you were in the park. It was .3 miles, Dennis said. What I wasn't so right about was it being an easy walk. Dennis told me it was straight uphill. And he had to carry Connor.

At least he didn't need a workout that day, then, right?

After they returned to the house, we set out to explore Bryson City. It took us approximately 2 minutes to drive there from the house, which was nice. And it was a cute little town.

We played around and checked out some of the gift shops, and stopped in a toy store geared just to train-lovers, AKA Connor. We walked out of there with an ornament for our Christmas tree and a new train for Connor. He only has 90,000 trains and so he definitely needed this one.

After eating lunch, Dennis said he'd take Connor to get the car if I'd take care of the check and our little girl. Seemed easy enough.

But it wasn't. Well, it was easy for me because Blake was asleep. Connor, on the other hand, decided that he didn't want to be carried to the car. And he didn't want to walk to the car, either. But he did want to scream and cry. Dennis LOVES carrying Connor when he is like that.

Needless to say, Dennis and Connor looked exhausted when they picked us up. They both needed a nap.

Lucky for them, they got one. As soon as we were back at the house, they both passed out.

I fed Blake and almost got to take a nap, too. We were all rested and so excited to ride The Polar Express. It was going to be SO. MUCH. FUN.

I probably should've known to bring my expectations down to a more normal (or sub-par) level when we had to park what seemed like a mile away from the train depot. It was gravel a lot, which is fine. The problem was that the stroller we brought with us doesn't work well on gravel. So Dennis ended up carrying Blake in her car seat and Connor walked along side me with his non-stop chatter about the train. He was really excited to ride a choo-choo.

I knew it! I just knew this was going to be the best trip ever.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention something. And it was rather disturbing. Yes, the kids in the movie are all wearing their PJ's and so it makes sense for the kids to wear their PJ's on this train ride. What doesn't make sense is for the parents to be wearing PJ's, too. We saw entire families in matching one-piece PJ's. Dennis made it very clear that if we ever came back that I shouldn't even so much as ask him to do that. Because the answer was always going to be NO. And I assured him that those words would never come out of my mouth.

OK, so we finished walking 85 miles to our train car. We lucked out and got the very last one. Eagerly, we boarded the train and were excited to find out that there weren't enough seats. Are you kidding me?! Technically there were ENOUGH seats but since they weren't assigned, people in groups of 6 or 2 or 5 or any other number just screwed us. We couldn't find 4 seats together. And it was 500 degrees on the train.

A party of six was nice enough to "squish" together so that we had 3 seats together. We weren't just squishing together, we were completed squashed. Blake and her car seat in one spot, Connor on Dennis' lap, and the camera, diaper bag, bottle bag, my purse and everything else you can imagine, were all piled on my lap.

The train departed and Connor was beside himself to be on a real, live, train. It was really sweet to see the amazement in his eyes and the other kids on the train.

The train departed and one of the Polar Express crewmembers, if you will call them that, was named Fluffy. And that was just such a perfect name for her. She was thrilled that we had a baby on the train and decided to come over to look at Blake and SCARE HER TO DEATH. This lady wasn't scary looking but as soon as Blake saw her, she started crying. And screaming. And Blake doesn't cry. It felt like it got 100 degrees warmer in our train car at that moment. Dennis shifted Connor over to my lap and grabbed our screaming little girl.

After she calmed down, we shifted again and I was holding Blake. And then she made a deposit in her pants. Of course she had to do that on the train. In these close quarters.

Fluffy came by again. And again. And again. And everytime she stopped by, Blake would cry.

It got to the point that when I saw Fluffy approaching our seats, I started to cry a little, too. I wasn't sure if I would be able to survive the entire 75 minute train ride.

We traveled past the North Pole, saw where Santa lives and saw a few elves. Then Santa got on the train and gave each child a bell. Connor was thrilled. Tired, but thrilled.

The train made it's way back to the station and Dennis kept making comments about Fluffy under his breath. He made me laugh so hard that I had tears rolling down my cheeks. The hilarity (is that a word?!) of the entire cluster-you-know-what was too much to take. And the train ride couldn't be over soon enough.

Once back at the station, we hiked another 85 miles back to the car. This time I was carrying the tired, crying, little boy of ours. He was so far past being done that it was a nightmare getting him loaded up and back into the car.

I packed tons of fun things to drink anticipating that we'd return home to the cabin on Saturday night, put the kids to bed, and be ready to relax and spend a few hours hanging out just the two of us. Again, I had the best of intentions... There is a good chance that I took two sips of my beer. MAYBE two sips. Probably just one. Dennis was sick and completely exhausted from the days activities. So the hot tub went un-used and we brought home all of the fun drinks that I packed for us to have that night.

We left early this morning (Sunday) and made it home in an easy 3 hours. We avoided the curvy-puke-inducing-road that we took on the way there and now that I think about it, those 3 hours might've been the only ones that went as planned.

We might not ever go back to Bryson City to participate in the Polar Express Train ride again. Or we might. But if we do, it won't be sooner than 2 or 3 years from now. We need to have slightly older children and we need time for the wounds to heal from this trip. We need to forget what we went through.

Then again, I don't want us to forget. Now that we are home, I can say with a smile that it was fun. OK, it's more of a smirk, but it's close to a smile. And we created Christmas memories that we'll joke about for years to come.

Happy 3 Months

2011-11-21T17:20:00.001-05:00

November 19th, 2011

Dear Blake,

Three months? Are you serious?! Even though you are still a little girl, you have a big personality. Your smiles and coos light up any room. And those cheeks are just so kissable. I can't get enough of holding you and talking with you about what went during the day.... or what your brother has been up to. Usually you have quite a few tales to tell about your big brother. And I have this feeling that you are learning a lot from him about how to torment your parents down the line, too. That smile is innocent, yes, but I know that there is a lot going on behind those beautiful eyes.

In the last month, you've met two very important people. Two people with whom you share a name - - Elizabeth - - and who played a role in some of the traits that you have. The first one, Mommo Loesing. Your great grandma in Missouri. She was so excited to see you that she didn't wait for us to bring you over to her house. She couldn't. Nope, she drove over to see you as soon as possible. And then I couldn't pry you from her arms.

The other very special person that you were able to meet is your great grandma (Mema) Peyton. We visited her in the hospital last weekend and she bragged on you and Connor to every nurse, medical assistant, and any other passer-by. As we were about to leave to drive back to Atlanta, she smiled and said, "I now know why they call them GREAT."

In addition to being a jet-setter with travels to Warner Robbins and Columbia, Missouri, you have somehow found time to work on building your neck strength. Man-oh-man can you whip that head around to watch Echo or your brother as they run by.

And teeth aren't that far away. It looks like the two on the bottom are thinking about coming through very soon. Since you are a genius (obviously) and know that teeth will give you the ability to eat foods other than Similac, I'm sure that you are willing those teeth to pop through as soon as they can.

I love you, Blake. Thank you for being so laid back and for putting up with the chaos that now seems to be our current state of living. Please keep smiling and making every day more perfect.

Love,

Mom

And...another year has come and gone.

2011-11-12T21:45:00.001-05:00

For some reason, this years birthday celebration was the best that I can remember.

Maybe it was the fact that Connor sang, "Happy Birthday TO YOU" to me numerous times. Or the fact that Dennis picked up 3 cupcakes for me on my special day. Connor and I sat down to "split" the cupcakes as he loves the cakey part and I love the icing part.

Or maybe it was because Dennis took a vacation day the Friday before my birthday and we went shopping. For me. And then we had some delicious margaritas from Uncle Julio's for lunch.

Or could it have been because of the beautiful Michael Kors watch that he purchased for me?

It could've also been because I received so many thoughtful cards, phone calls, gifts, and emails from the the most important people in my life.

Hmmm...not sure which one it was, but I'm not going to try to figure it out. It all worked together to create the perfect storm. And it really was perfect.

Thank you for a wonderful birthday this year. I'm no longer counting the years but instead enjoying the days with the sweet people in my life. The people that make every day more special and every year pass by too quickly.

Thank You, Baby Blake

2011-11-04T08:35:00.000-04:00

Oh man. It's the small things in life that seem so BIG after you have a baby. Or two. Or just haven't slept through the night consistently in, oh, 11 WEEKS. Not that I'm counting.

The Martin household was all smiles this morning. Blake slept from her 10PM feeding until about 6:30AM this morning. SHE IS AWESOME. Eleven weeks on the dot. I do realize that by posting this on my blog that she will not sleep well again for probably another month or two but I don't care because now we have proof that she can do it.

For the last several weeks she has been waking up at 4 or 4:30AM and I was giving her a bottle at that time. She'd fall right back to sleep and then we'd start the routine again at 7AM. I consulted our baby bible, Babywise, and in the question and answer section I noticed something. I noticed an answer to what Dennis and I had been discussing for several weeks.

Apparently, if a baby consistently wakes up at the same time every night, it is very likely that the baby is waking out of habit, rather than out of need. And the solution? Wait a few weeks or don't feed the baby when she/he wakes. Two nights ago we decided to give it a shot. We weren't excited about waiting a few more weeks for her to sleep all night but we also weren't excited about having her cry during the night. The book suggested that it usually takes a baby 3 nights to break a habit. So the end was in sight.

She woke up one or two times and I rocked her back to sleep the first time. I think she cried for 15 minutes around 4AM that morning and it killed me to not go in there. I know it doesn't hurt a baby and it's perfectly natural for them to cry every single day but I. STILL. HATE. IT. Since she stopped crying and went back to sleep until 7, we knew that she wasn't really hungry but probably was waking up out of habit.

We went to bed last night prepared to face the same challenge. But we didn't. She is the most amazing little girl I've ever met. She went to bed after her last bottle and woke up a little before 7AM.

Sleeping through the night is an amazing thing. It's great for Blake in a lot of ways, but it is really great for her parents. Echo even seemed to be in a better mood this morning.

Thank you, Blake! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Need to Get Something Off My Chest

2011-10-29T12:05:00.000-04:00

...and no, I'm not referring to the milk jugs that disappeared (sadly) from my chest. But it IS pregnancy related. Isn't everything?

It's probably just a mix of being postpartum, inadequate sleep and too much time to think about things. But I am kind-of pissed that I'm no longer pregnant. I LOVE having Blake here - don't get me wrong about that - but I wasn't finished being pregnant when she arrived. Makes complete sense, right? The girl who complained nonstop about being pregnant is now saying that she wasn't ready to end her pregnancy a few weeks earlier than anticipated? WTF?

I guess I just feel like I needed to do more things. I wanted to take a final belly shot. I wanted to have her room completely ready. I had tons of drawers to clean out and wanted to straighten out our closet. I wanted to be emotionally and mentally ready for the last child that I would have growing inside of me. Maybe you are never really ready to have your last baby, but I at least wanted the opportunity to try.

This is something that has been on my mind since August 19th. And it hasn't gone away so I am pretty sure it's a legitimate feeling. That's not saying it's normal... but it's legitimate.

And another thing, has anyone found a way to slow down the clock? I want to push the PAUSE button and enjoy Dennis, Connor and Blake more than I am able to do in a normal 24 hour period. HELLO, I need more time in a day. I know that I'm the first one to ever ask for that.

I didn't realize it when it was happening, but I have tried my best to manipulate time and make my maternity leave go as slow as possible. I didn't want to be overly busy because, as we all know, "time flies when you are having fun". So, in a backwards type of way, I thought that if I wasn't having fun, at least time would go more slowly. Talk about being smart and beating the clock at it's own game. Or maybe not being smart at all. Time still managed to escape my grasp. I was unsuccessful at slowing it down.

Maybe I had it backwards, afterall. Since time was moving too quickly when I was trying not to have fun, maybe it would move less quickly when I caved in and participated in something that I wanted to do.

So, I gave in to some fun options as of late, and just as I feared, the days and minutes were never long enough. I went to the beach with some girlfriends a few weeks ago. I flew home with Blake and Kelly to visit my family. My mom came into town last week. I even got my hair cut and highlighted (gasp).

While I was home in Missouri, I went to Shiloh with Megan. We've been friends forever (literally) and have been going to bars together for many years... years before we were supposed to be allowed in there. I looked around and felt old. Very old.

When we were headed home (by 10pm, as Megan promised me), Ben said something that made me laugh really hard.

I told him to stop making me laugh because I was going to pee in my pants. Not because he was that funny (sorry Ben) but because that's what happens after you have two kids. You pee in your pants.

And maybe that's my learning. Or the story of my life lately. Two kids have a way of not only changing but redefining everything. EVERY-thing. And you have less control over things. Things like bladder control and needing more time in each day.

Happy 2 Months

2011-10-17T14:31:00.001-04:00

October 17, 2011

Dear Blake,

This month has seen so many changes! Not only are you showing us your big gummy grin on a more regular basis, but you are also sharing some incredibly sweet cooing noises. As of a week ago, your dad pointed out that you were complaining most - well, let's be serious here, all - of the time. Now you are showing him up and saying nice things to us, too, which is very much appreciated.

You are holding your neck up so well. No signs of crawling or walking yet, but I have this feeling that you are going to do everything very early. Once you see realize that your big brother gets around so quickly because of how he uses his legs, I think you'll start to use your lower appendages for more than kicking the person nearest you. No rush on that, though. We can stick with kicking for now.

Holding you in my arms and having you fall asleep on my chest are two of my favorite things. I know that I won't get to hold you that way forever; I cherish every moment that I can steal you away from your swing or bouncy seat if you appear to be drifting off to sleep. Those are moments that I wish I could bottle up and store for another time. Oh, I just love it. (And I'm getting tears in my eyes thinking that I probably won't be able to do that with you for that much longer.)

You and I decided to say "phooey" on breastfeeding. When I say, "you and I", I mean "you". Seven weeks was a good run for us; you much prefer the speed and ease of the bottle as opposed to the work required for breastfeeding. You are much happier with a mixed bottle of breast milk and formula. And I learned very quickly... when Blake's happy, we're ALL happy. So we're doing great right now.

Sleeping is a work in progress. Your dad will give you the last bottle of the day around 10pm and then he whisks you off to your crib to sleep. Around 3am, I hear a familiar sound coming from your room (AKA a yell) and we have our bottle-feeding rendezvous and you are back off to sleep until about six am. So, we're getting there... we're just not at the finish line quite yet. I'm confident that you'll get there soon enough, though. At least that is what I keep telling your dad and myself. Please don't prove me wrong.

Tomorrow, October 18th, will be your first airplane flight. Kelly ("AK") and I are taking you to Columbia to meet your great grandma Loesing, great aunts and uncles and to see your Nana and Papa. I doubt that your Nana and Papa will be able to sleep tonight because they are so excited to see you. They still like us, sort-of, but they LOVE seeing you and Connor at every opportunity they get.

I love you, Blake. You make every day so much more special than I knew it could be. Thank you for being you.

Love,

Mommy

Oh, and BTW - I realize that this is technically two days shy of your "2 month" birthday. Being early is not something I do very often so we should enjoy it. :)

A Berry Interesting Adventure

2011-10-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

It seemed so simple. Leave our house around 9AM, bottle feed Blake on the way, play around at the "cow farm" (Berry Patch Farms), grab some pumpkins, and then head back home by lunch time so we'd be there in time for our family nap.

And, what happened today was none of that. We finally departed the Martin residence around 9:30 with a crying 7 week old and excited little boy in the back seat. We stopped to get gas at BP and coffee at the connected McDonald's. Dennis went into the dual-purpose building and re-emerged what seemed like decades later. It seemed like decades, anyway, because my gas pump wasn't working (it kept saying, "SEE CASHIER") when I tried to pay at the pump. Blake was crying in what I'm sure was her loudest voice ever and Connor then joined in the fun and started crying saying, "My want cow farm, mama... my want cow farm!"

Blake's cries didn't sound like they were going to subside so I offered what seemed like the only obvious solution: I would sit in the back of my very teeny-tiny company car (Fusion) in between the kids and feed Blake as she sat in her car seat. Once I climbed in over Connor's lap and was situated between them I realized that I wasn't able to pull the door closed. We must've looked ridiculous because a lady at a nearby pump asked if I wanted her to close the door for me.

And this is all before we were officially on the way to the Pumpkin Farm.

Connor kept asking me, "What dat, Mama?" I would tell him it's a tree or a car or a fence and then he raised his voice and started talking really loud. I asked him to please be quiet. And then I said it.

"Connor, do you want to go to the cow farm?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Then don't yell. Cows don't like it when you yell. And we won't go to the cow farm if you keep yelling."

"OK Mama."

Did I really just say that? Cows don't like it when you yell?

I looked up front to see if Dennis heard what I said and closed my mouth before the words came out. Because he was jamming out to the 90's radio station and was dancing to Coolio.

Two things happened in that moment: I realized we aren't that cool anymore, even though we think we are. Dennis dancing in the front seat and I am using cows to get my son to use his inside voice. Really???

Somehow, we made it there, all three of us sitting in the back with the best looking chauffeur that I've ever seen.

Once at Berry Patch Farms, we saw goats, pigs, and a few chickens. There was one cow, but it was really small. We took some pictures, chased Connor around, had Connors face painted, and then re-loaded the crazy bus for our 45 minute drive home. For some reason I thought it made sense to leave the Baby Bjorn in the car and just carry Blake instead. So both Dennis and I had our arms full. Too full to bring home any pumpkins.

We drove 45 minutes and dealt with all of this drama so that we could get our pumpkins.

But we didn't bring even one home. Nada. Zippo. ZERO.

So, I'm just throwing it out there that we're going to cheat this year. We're going to a nearby church next week to buy our pumpkins.

From Beer to Apple Juice

2011-10-02T09:54:00.003-04:00

It feels like our house is never organized. Toys and random items seem to be scattered about on a regular basis. The only time that I feel like our house is truly clean is immediately following a visit from the cleaning ladies. It's a wonderful feeling that goes away all too quickly. But, I'm coming to grips with it. And I'm accepting the fact that I love our crazy life and having a crazy house often goes hand-in-hand with that. So, we're good for now.

And, yesterday was no exception. There was no sign of the cleaning crew, so our house was in it's normal state of chaos. And Connor was drinking some apple juice. My laptop was sitting in one of it's normal spots, on the coffee table. Right next to the iPad. And yes, you can see where this story is going.

My laptop apparently wasn't very thirsty or it just didn't like apple juice. So it's out of commission. Dead, deceased, kicked the bucket. What a wuss - crapping out on me just because it didn't like apple juice. WhatEV. And apple juice is good for you (we buy the brands suggested by Dr. Oz to be at least as safe as the water we drink)! Jeez, Louise, Mr. Computer. Get a grip.

Five or six years ago I had a similar incident happen. While using my laptop, I decided to enjoy an adult beverage and ended up - - and I'm embarrassed to now admit this - - crying as I heard the computer literally squeal and squawk to it's death as it gulped down some of my Bud Light. I cried. I think I may have even squealed and screamed as much as my laptop did. It was pretty pathetic on both of our parts.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I realize that the obvious lesson here is that I need to put my computer out of harms way - that is clear. And no beverages - adult or otherwise - within a 10 foot radius is another good recommendation.

Life isn't the same as it was just a few years ago. Apple juice, rather than beer, seems to be the most popular beverage at my house. And this time, as my priorities in life have been upgraded, I didn't cry over spilled apple juice. And I try not to cry when I spill some of Blake's breast milk that I worked so hard to pump...but that's a work in progress. Baby steps.

Life with Two

2011-09-20T14:29:00.000-04:00

Several people have asked me how much different life is with two kiddos as compared to life with only one. This short photo sequence answers the question pretty well.

Happy One Month

2011-09-19T11:48:00.000-04:00

Blake,

It's hard to believe that we have had you in our arms for an entire month. Laying on my chest for naptime, in your pack-n-play downstairs, in your very pink car seat, and in our hearts.

You and I have pretty much mastered the breastfeeding thing. The only element that we could work on (and I say "we" but really mean "you") is sleeping more at night and possibly a little less during the day. During the day, I'd love to hold you and be able to look into your sweet eyes a little bit more. Or maybe you could watch your big brother (who LOVES you, by the way) or big sister, Echo, as they run through the house. And at night, you are very good at reminding me every three hours - pretty much on the dot - that you are hungry. And you want to be fed. Pronto.

Weighing in at 10 lbs and 3 oz's at a check up last week, I am glad that you are a growing girl. And, you are only one month old, so maybe I shouldn't expect too much in the way of sleeping right now, anyway.

When I was pregnant, I told your Dad that you were very active. I'm not saying he didn't believe me then, but I am sure he believes me now. Those little legs of yours are constantly kicking, your arms moving around and you are determined to strengthen your neck so that you can hold your head up on your own. Getting you into your swaddling blanket every night is no easy task. Those arms move quick!

I love, love, love your dark hair. And that you have so much of it. It's absolutely beautiful.

There will be a day that I won't smell like sour milk, won't change what feels like 100 diapers a day, and will feel very rested. But I'm in no rush to get to that part of my life again. I love being at home with you and I love our time together.

Thank you for your sweet toothless smiles in your sleep, your high level of energy (when awake), and for just being you. For one little girl, you have brought an immense amount of joy and fun into our lives.

I love you, B.

Love,

Mom

And...She's Here.

2011-09-05T11:39:00.000-04:00

Connor arrived in early June and his due date was late May. Blake wanted to show him up, I guess, so she decided to arrive in mid-August instead of early September. If this is a sign of things to come, I am concerned about what the kids (it's still weird using the plural form of that word) have in store for Mom and Dad down the line. If they are already on their own schedule and not listening to how Mom and Dad have it planned out, we are surely in trouble...

Because, if you haven't noticed, I am a planner. A scheduled c-section for Blake's birthday meant that (1) I didn't have to go through painful contractions or the scare we had when Connor was born, (2) it would be a controlled, and timely process, and (3) I could be organized and have everything ready in plenty of time for her debut.

Nope, it didn't work out that way. Of course not. And I should've expected as much. I actually should've expected something was going to happen when our AC unit stopped working Thursday afternoon. And my parents were on an Alaskan cruise; Dennis' parents were at the beach.

I didn't seem to suffer as much as Dennis did in the heat, so I slept upstairs in our bedroom Thursday night while Dennis got comfortable on the couch downstairs. I didn't sleep well, but attributed that to the lack of AC and me being a pregnant woman that was super ready to pop.

Dennis came upstairs to shower to see me holding my abdomen.

"Are you OK? Are you going into labor?"

"No, I'm fine. I think I just have bad cramps."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I am getting these cramps every 4-5 minutes, though. And my water might've broke(n). I am leaky."

"These could really be contractions, Krista. I should take Connor to school right now and we'll get you to the doctor."

"I'll call the nurse but I'm sure that these aren't contractions. Blake's due date isn't for 3 more weeks. I don't deliver kids early."

Dennis took Connor to school and called me as soon as he dropped him off. I had to get off of the phone quickly because the pain of my 'cramps' was causing me to throw up. I was starting to believe that these might be contractions that I was feeling.

Dennis came home, I threw some things in a bag (of course, we hadn't packed yet because we had 2 more weeks until the scheduled c-section), grabbed a container for me to use as a "puke bucket" and we were off. Well, we tried to be "off" but rush hour on Friday morning had other ideas. As you can imagine, I had a few choice words for those cars in our way.

I called the doctor to see if I still needed to come in to see them or if I could straight to the hospital. The nurse encouraged me to come in to be checked out and then they could send me to the hospital if necessary. I asked the nurse if she had pain medication or if I'd have to wait until I got to the hospital to get it. She said that they can only give me pain medication at the hospital, so my decision was made. We were going straight to Northside Hospital.

I filled out a few forms at the front desk as Dennis parked the car. The nice lady behind the desk got me in to a room immediately. My tears and frequent use of the puke bucket might've helped my cause, too.

Our check in time was 9AM and Blake arrived right before noon by c-section despite the on-call physicians attempts to talk me into doing a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarian). And man-oh-man am I glad that I refused to change our plans. Blake was not a small baby at all; she tipped the scales at 8 lbs, 15 oz's on August 19th.

Dennis will undoubtedly agree that Blake's arrival was much more smooth than Connor's entrance into the world. Besides my pain, puking, and frequent request for pain medications, this time was not nearly as stressful for either of us. Or for Blake.

Even though she is a far cry size-wise from what you'd expect of a "preemie", she is still considered to be premature because she was born at 37 weeks. A big, healthy, beautiful baby girl. And, HAVE YOU SEEN THE HAIR ON THIS KID?

We are so thrilled that Blake is here and that we've had her for over two weeks. Her 'due date' is September 9th and I'm glad that she helped me escape a few of the worst weeks of pregnancy by arriving so early.

I love looking at her and holding her. Especially when Connor, Dennis, and Echo are all on the couch with me.

It's crazy to think... one wonderful husband. Two kids. One pooch.

And our family is now complete.

A Little Bit Out of Order

2011-08-26T20:14:00.002-04:00

Sorry for my blogging hiatus. There is just so much to catch you up on! Every time that I sit down to type up a post, my brain goes to this overwhelmed place and I just stop. There are too many things to write about and my interest just goes elsewhere.

So, this post is coming to you from a non-overwhelmed place. Just letting you know that I am still alive and that I'll catch you up on the arrival of our beautiful little girl, Blake Elizabeth, in the very, very near future. And my time off on "bed rest", the emotional rollercoasters I've been riding on, and update you on my progress in the coaching world. I will. Promise. I will even Pinky swear.

And just in case I haven't made it abundantly clear, Dennis is the best husband. Ever. And he just scored a few bonus points for making me my first margarita in 10 months.

So, I'm alive. All is well. All is GREAT, actually, with my tasty drink in hand.

The more things change, the more things stay the same...

Emergency Room

2011-08-08T16:07:00.000-04:00

Emergency Room familiarity is not a goal of mine, nor of Dennis'. But, with a rambunctious little boy like ours, I have a bad feeling that we are going to be quite familiar with the interior of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. After all, we had our first introduction yesterday.

It's a nice hospital, don't get me wrong, but I hope to never have reason to visit there again. At least not for a very, very long time.

We were enjoying a lazy day around the house and Connor was being his usual, jovial, self. It was almost nap time so Dennis and I were looking forward a little siesta of our own. As I've mentioned before, Connor sees very little (if any) purpose to walking through the house because you can always get from point A to point B much more quickly if you run, skip, or gallop. So Connor was going back and forth in our entryway between Dennis and myself, showing off a backpack that he was (maybe not anymore) going to start using for school. He looked adorable.

He ran past me, as he often does, but tripped. And there wasn't a lot of room between me and the corner of the wall. Yep, you guessed it - - he fell and somehow managed to hit his sweet little forehead right on the corner of the wall. Based on his scream and the dent left in the wall, I was very nervous. Then I picked him up and saw his face. Very nervous doesn't even begin to explain how I felt once I saw the blood running down his face.

Dennis grabbed him from me and I grabbed Nunu, his back pack (because he was asking for it), some frozen peas and carrots from the freezer, a juice box, a kitchen towel and we're in the car and off to the Emergency Room. Oh, his cut looked SO deep and there was just SO much blood. And he was just crying and crying and crying and I was trying to keep the ice pack of frozen veggies on his head but he obviously didn't want me to do that. Luckily for Connor, his Dad was keeping it together much better than I was.

Half way to the Emergency Room (it's probably about 12 miles away), I asked Dennis if he would mind to please turn up the air conditioning. He turned it up one notch. A few minutes later I asked him if he could please REALLY turn up the AC because I felt sick. After surveying the items in the car, the lucky backpack was my best bet. I took the towel and veggies off of Connors head and revisited my lunch.

It was pretty quick and painless. At least for me. As I had my head in the backpack, Connor kept saying, "oh no, Mommy!" over and over.

I asked Dennis if he was OK and if me being sick made him feel sick, too. He said that, "well, let's just say it didn't really make me feel any better."

We show up at the ER, blood over all of us, Dennis grabs Connor and I dump out the bag of puke. What else was I supposed to do? Leave it in the car?

He was so nice and back to his cheery self while we waited for him to be taken care of that you would have never guessed what he had just been through. Truly amazing, that kid.

And...four short hours later, we leave the Emergency Room. I didn't get the final count for the number of stitches that he received, but he was all sewn up and we were on our way to the land of recovery. Connor was stir crazy, to say the least, so Dennis took him to car while I waited for the injury care instructions from the MD. You would think that they could do that quickly, wouldn't you?

I sent Dennis a text saying that I was still waiting and I was going to hurry to the car as quickly as I could and his text response was, "we're going to run to the gas station. Your car says 0 miles to empty." Oh crap. There were a lot of stop lights between the hospital and the nearest gas station. Luckily, Dennis made it there on fumes, I guess. God was really pulling for us yesterday afternoon even though I hadn't done the basics of car maintenance (get gas!) to ensure our survival through the event.

It's amazing how much worse it is when you child gets sick, hurt, or is danger. I am so glad Dennis had his head on straight because I was a total wreck and I still cringe as I replay Connors fall into the corner in my head over and over and over... I love that little man and I'm seriously considering bubble tape and a helmet to prevent him from future injuries. He's 200% boy and that scares me to death!

I don't care if he looks nerdy in helmets and bubbletape. At least he'll be safe(r). No football or contact sports ...

My Thighs Ate...What?

2011-07-16T18:03:00.006-04:00

Miserable is the best word that I can think of to describe how I feel right now. Emotional - - check. Been down that road many times before (and can't even really blame it on being pregnant but I'm taking the high road and blaming everything that I don't like on this pregnancy) so there is nothing new there. Back pain - - check. Had that with Connor and I swear that Blake has lodged herself in the exact same spot on my right side that Connor did when I was pregnant with him. It hurts on the top of my rib cage and if you put a spear through me (which sometimes sounds preferable), the exit spot is where I ache on my backside.

Swollen feet. Now this is new. And, the word 'swollen' really does very little justice to the situation that I'm in. Flinstone feet from the bottom of my toes all the way to my hips. Apparently women can get "leaky veins" on a 2nd or 3rd pregnancy and that is one contributor to the phenomenon of being swollen waist-down. Leaky veins, and a leaky bladder and then leaky boobs after the baby arrives. The joys are just endless. And...we did this on purpose?

The phrase, "barefoot and pregnant" meant very little to me until this past Friday. I am now not only wearing flats (gasp!) but I am wearing my slippers. Leopard print slippers. And they make quite the statement when coupled with my work attire. Or, any attire outside of the house, actually. They are brown AND black, so I guess my purse will match my shoes regardless of which one I grab. And, being 100% honest here, if I grabbed a purple purse on the way out of the house, I wouldn't even notice. Nor would I care. Things like that don't even register for me anymore.

What HAS started to register for me, though, is jealousy. I am jealous of almost everyone I see. Especially people that can bend over and pick things up or that can move quickly. Have you seen them? They are everywhere.

I've even overhead people say that they can eat full meals and no one kicks it back up immediately thereafter. It's weird - all of these strangers doing things that I can only dream about. I bet they sleep comfortably through the night, too. Unbelieveable! Now, I hope you are sitting down for this one because it is really out in left field. I've heard people talk about having a little too much to drink the night before AND I AM FRIGGIN JEALOUS of the headache they have the next day.

And then I remember: I only have 7 weeks left. Oh, that's not so bad. But it is. I imagine this huge, oversized countdown clock... it's a humongus kitchen timer s l o w l y moving along. Moving so slowly, in fact, that the movement is not detectable. It might as well be moving backwards. I need a seconds hand or a minute hand. I don't care if we're measuring months, here, people, I need to know that we're getting closer to this little one's arrival. I NEED to know.

I love her and cannot wait to meet her. I also cannot wait to be re-introduced to the tendons on my feet, to realize that my thighs may not have actually eaten my knees, and being able to bend over on a whim. All of these sound glorious. GLOR-I-OUS. So c'mon, Blake, let's go.

Some people claim to just l-o-v-e being pregnant and you must be very mindful of those people. I mean it. They aren't real. Aliens of some sort. And they can't be trusted. Throw these people in the same basket as those who don't drink (EVER), and be on your way. There is something so not-right about them that you are best to avoid them at all costs.

An equally dangerous person is the incredibly emotional and hormonal pregnant woman. Especially those wearing leopard slippers and holding a purple purse. If one waddles over to you and catches your attention, the best method of escape is to pretend that everything is OK and that you are not fearing your life. Wait just a few minutes. She will inevitably make a dash to the bathroom. Take this opportunity to flee. YOU MUST SAVE YOURSELF. If her thinghs ate her knees, there's no telling what they may eat next....

Having a Blast on the 4th of July

2011-07-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

The beginning of July is always a busy time for us. Stephen's birthday is July 3rd, then we have the usual 4th of July festivities and my dad's birthday is on the 5th. Connor calls both my dad and Stephen "Papa" so this video brought a smile to each of their faces.

Neither Dennis nor I was up to the 2011 Peachtree Road Race which is a real bummer because the shirts actually looked pretty decent this year. The running while I'm 30 weeks (feels like MONTHS) pregnant thing wasn't exactly appealing to me. Not sure why but it just wasn't on my short list of things that I want to do this summer. Connor DID make another video to say "Happy 4th of July" to all of his friends, though....

The rain put a little bit of a damper on our plans for the afternoon so we decided to come up with our own 4th of July celebration. Since I don't cook but like to pretend that I will someday, I get daily emails on easy, healthy, and fewer than 10 ingredient recipes. One of them caught my eye today. And yes, it is a dessert. It's not like I would consider wasting the few minutes a month that I choose to cook on something lame like a main course or meat or side dish.

So, here is the photo that caught my attention:

Connor and my dish didn't turn out quite as pretty but we couldn't find red or blue sprinkles at the grocery store and popsicle sticks must've been hiding in one of those invisible isles that houses most of the items that I go searching for.

Ok, so it might not have turned out quite as pretty but it we definitely had more fun than the people who made these picture perfect star shaped rice krispy treats.

And yes, that's icing. We improvised a little. What recipe ISN'T made better by a little icing?? And, it should be noted that we did not make star shaped treats. Connor said that they are "star fish" treats. "MY star fish", to be exact.

Our sugar high had subsided a little bit by the time we took this photo and it was off to bath time...

Breaking Up is Hard To Do

2011-06-23T13:57:00.000-04:00

We won't ever give up our favorite drink (margaritas) but we are in the process of selling Margarentals. I know in my heart of hearts that we just don't have the time to dedicate to it, but it's still a hard thing to do. It's been a fun - albeit short - ride and we've learned a lot. We've had a lot of fun but we must move forward.

They (those random, smart people out there that say things that are true) say that "timing is everything" and they are absolutely right.

I'm still sad. I love that company. It will always have a special place in my heart. Right next to those frozen tequila drinks. (Is it September yet?!?!)

What's in a name

2011-06-21T21:14:00.003-04:00

Picking out a name for our little girl was a much more simple process than it was when we chose Connor's name. Everything seemed harder the first time. Or maybe we just had more time and energy the first time we circled the moon. Or perhaps we just fell upon the right choices sooner for baby #2.

Connor's middle name is Dennis. That was an easy one for us to choose because we wanted to follow what Dennis' dad, his dad's dad, (and so on) had done. The fathers name becomes the son's middle name. We went back and forth between several first names but came up with a reason why each one wouldn't work. We either knew someone (or someone's dog) with that name, remembered a booger picker at school with that name, or just plain didn't like the majority of the names on our short list after considering them for some time. Except for Connor. It was just right in every way. And I couldn't imagine him with any other name.

Sweet. Meaningful. Individual. And perfect. That's all we want for our little girls name.

With all of those requirements in place, we decided to name her Blake Elizabeth Martin. The last name was the easiest to come up with. It's nice having her name chosen and it's so much better to say, "Blake's room", or "Blake needs to hurry up and get here!" rather than "that-random-kid-in-my-belly needs to make her debut. Duh."

The name "Blake" just came to us one day. We tossed it around, talked about it, and after a few weeks decided that Blake is it. Elizabeth, on the other hand, has more than one bagillion family ties. Elizabeth Henrietta Coleman Peyton is Bettyann's mom (also known as Mema to Dennis). My grandma on my mom's side is Elizabeth Earlene Schlotzhauer Loesing. On my Dad's side, his mom's name was Margaret Elizabeth Aggeler Lang. And her mom's name was Anna Elizabeth Stanfield Aggeler. Now if Elizabeth isn't any obvious choice for Blake's middle name then I don't know what is. It's very feminine and a strong compliment to her first name.

I'm in love with her already and cannot wait to meet Blake in 12 weeks! Or a little less. My c-section is scheduled for September 2nd so the countdown has officially begun...

I hope you like Blake's name as much as we do. And, well, if you don't...then too bad for you.

Surrounded By Vaginas

2011-06-15T09:38:00.005-04:00

I'm in my OB's office this morning. As I wait, and look around at the glorious surroundings, I notice one thing: I am surrounded by vaginas. Sectional views, schematic sectional views, external, internal, you name it and it's here. Over the years, I've become accustomed to this but I can't help but remember how uncomfortable Dennis looked when he entered the OB office with me for this first time several years ago. He smiled at me, sweetly, and looked incredibly uneasy when his eyes strayed anywhere but the sink, me, or the magazines placed so neatly beside him.

Feeling exhausted at my almost-28 week-checkup, I plopped on the exam table a few minutes ago and then noticed a very uplifting (if you can call it that) poster. The poster has pictures of different mammals and their gestation periods.

As you are well aware, the human gestation period is approximately 260 days. Ten months, 40 weeks, a very long time. Apparently size plays a large role in determining the gestation period of all mammals. So, I'm not so excited to see that cow's have a very similar gestation period to humans with theirs lasting 280-290 days. I do often feel like a cow being pregnant in this summer heat ... but that's a topic for another post.

Elephants are pregnant for almost 2 years! Six-hundred and sixteen days is the average gestation period for that very unfortunately mammal. I hope the female elephants tell their male counterparts that this is a one-time deal. Two years is an insane amount of time to be with child. And here are several words that I never thought would come out of my mouth: I wish that I was a hamster. They are only pregnant for 15-18 days. Can you imagine? That would be awesome. But then, after you have the baby hamsters it might not be so great because then you'd just be back to being only a hamster. And I don't think that I'd do well in a cage. And hamster food has never appealed to me.

So, anyway, these are my random thoughts. I guess that's what happens to you when you are surrounded with medical textbook type photos and views of vaginas. And lots of them. Probably at least 10 in the patient room that I am sitting in right now. I've become immune to the strangeness of it all and I'm starting to get a little wacky...

Dog Days of Summer are here ... ALREADY

2011-06-03T20:26:00.036-04:00

There are a million great things about being pregnant during the suffocating Atlanta summer heat. I mean there HAS to be at least that many, right? I just haven't uncovered many (or any) of them yet.

While working yesterday, I did see a sign that made me smile. And it gave me priority parking with a very short walk to the customer that I was visiting.

Booyah. I might have just uncovered the first great thing about being pregnant in the summer heat.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2011-06-02T16:55:00.003-04:00

Connor,

I cannot believe that you are two years old today. The last two years have literally flown by. I wish that there was a "pause" button that I could push so that we could stay here, in this place, for a while and enjoy it as long as possible. I'm not sure that my energy level would be able to keep up at the pace you are running things these days but I would find a way to make it through if we could continue to have as much fun with you as we are having right now.

You are 100% boy and love every opportunity that you have to run, jump, climb, or fall down. "Nonnor", as you refer to yourself, is a very athletic little boy. You enjoy kicking the soccer ball, hitting the ball off of the tee, and throwing the basketball (or anything, for that matter) through your basketball hoop. You and Echo have become quite good buds but it is difficult when you play ball because you both want the ball in question in YOUR hands (paws) as quickly as possible. She usually beats you to it but will grudgingly drop the ball for you to have when you come up to her.

She gives you kisses on your face and you laugh and try to kiss or hug her back. "Eh-ya", as you call her, will keep up with you as you sprint back and forth (and back and forth...and back and forth) through the foyer and living room.

One of my most favorite things that you do is that you willingly give your Dad and me kisses - especially before bed. You think that Eskimo Kisses are very funny and you usually follow up with a wet, sloppy kiss to the lips and then a tight hug around the neck. Those are some of the perfect moments that I want to bottle up and store for a rainy day. You are such a sweet little man.

You are talking quite a bit these days. Three-word sentences are not uncommon ("Eh-ya gone, walk", "Dada home, eh-ya, Mack (your favorite character from Cars)", "fast, mama fast") and when you say something, you mean it. You know exactly what you want - and you usually wanted it yesterday.

You graduated to the "Crabs" room several weeks ago even though children don't typically move up until their 2nd birthday. We (the teachers, your Dad and me) decided that you needed to be moved up because you were definitely the Big Man on Campus and had the attitude to show for it in the Turtles Room where all of the kids were younger than you. Well, younger and/or more passive than you. When I'd peak in the window to see what you were doing before I picked you up at the end of the day, it was not a surprise to see all of the other kids along the walls and you running back and forth as quickly as you could with the shopping cart. And you weren't stopping. Not for anyone or anything. Now that you are with kids that are bigger than you, you seem to behave a little more and it might be because they could beat you up instead of you beating them up.

I am so happy that we were able to celebrate your birthday last weekend with Grandpa & BAM Martin, Nana & Papa Lang, and "AK" (and you called her by her name for the first time this past weekend!). No surprise here, but you loved the attention and completely stole the show. You had your first (of many, I'm sure) Cars cake and pulled the Mater and Lightning McQueen figurines off of the cake as soon as the cake was put in front of you.

Connor, thank you for all of the smiles you have given me over the past two years. I couldn't imagine a more perfect son and I am so thankful that I get to call you "mine" (one of your favorite words).

I love you.

Love,

Mama

A Wonderful Visit & Birthday Celebration

2011-05-30T15:59:00.001-04:00

Recooperation mode. That's exactly where Dennis and I started out this morning and where we continue to be this afternoon. We are recooperating from an incredibly fun - and very busy - weekend with my parents in town, a birthday celebration with the Martins, Kelly, and my parents, a visit to the zoo, a visit to a local park and I'm sure about 100 million other things. It is such a treat for us to have my parents here and we already miss them as they drive back to Missouri this afternoon.

As if there was ever any doubt, Connor is showing his athletic skills at a very a young age. He enjoyed his new basketball hoop (a birthday gift) this weekend and clearly dominates when he plays soccer, teeball, and golf in our backyard. Watch out, Deon Sanders. Here comes Connor Martin.

Random

2011-05-21T21:57:00.002-04:00

It's good to continue to learn. And we do a lot of that around our house. That's probably why we're so smart, but we'll get into that another time. What are our recent learnings, you ask?

1. Having your yard aerated, then adding top soil and 10-10-10 mixed together is not as easy as it looks. Especially when you then add more Bermuda seed and sand. This is an example of an over-zealous wife thinking she and her hubby could do all of this in a couple of hours. I helped as much as I could, but Dennis wouldn't let me do as much as I would have liked due to the very active little girl in my belly.

2. Dennis stole a recipe from Kristi's blog and it was delish (thanks Kristi!). The recipe for Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork was simple, delicious, and I will put it on my short list of things we will cook again. (I'm taking credit here as if I cooked it - - but Dennis did all the work. I think he may have chosen the recipe because it requires a dutch oven but that's an entirely different post...).

3. Katherine Heigl is awesome. I am a huge fan of hers as of a few minutes ago. Don't buy from a breeder - ADOPT, people! And do what you can to help your local animal shelters promote spay and neuter initiatives. ADOPT a sweet dog or cat today (as I type this, our sweet pooch, Echo, is licking my ear. She is appreciative that we saved her, even if we did bring her into a house of chaos.)

And yes, I'm tearing up right now.

4. Nunu likes chips and salsa. We went to dinner WITH Connor at our old favorite Mexican restaurant. By old, I mean it's so BC (before Connor). He fed Nunu a tortilla and then plopped him up on the table. Dennis and I started laughing hysterically because Connor gave him prime seating for chips and salsa without realizing it.

5. I could probably drink a dozen pellegrino's in a day. Or an hour.

And, well, my head hurts now from remembering all of the things that we've learned as of late. So that'll have to do it for now.

All Boy

2011-05-13T20:49:00.004-04:00

As mentioned previously, Connor likes to run. He won't walk or travel anywhere at half-speed. Nope, no way, that's boring. As he runs, he opens his eyes really wide and says, "Fast, fast, fast!"

Up until yesterday, we had successfully (and narrowly) escaped collisions with walls, doors, and tables. Yesterday was the day we all knew would - but secretly hoped wouldn't - come.

Connor's school called both Dennis and me to tell us the news. Apparently it was snack time and Connor was excited. Naturally, he wanted to be the first one to sit down at the table. The only possible way for him to travel from point A (where he was standing) to point B (his desired seat at the table) was to run. And FAST. He didn't slow down in quite enough time and had a run-in with the table. Unfortunately, I think the table won.

As you can see from the photos (taken from my phone, so not the best quality), he had a decent cut above his left eye. Luckily his cut was not any lower or we would've definitely made a trip to the emergency room. His bandage is almost as big as his face.

Nunu, of course, was there to comfort him on the ride home. He pointed out his "boo boo" to everyone that made eye contact with him at school, out the window on the drive home, and especially when he first saw his Dad. Nevermind the cuts on his knees or any of his other "boo boo's"; the cut on his head was getting all of the attention.

The next morning (this morning), we applied some Neosporin and another bandage. This time, though, he wasn't going to be the only one with a bandaid on his face. He needed his two favorite people (ah-hem, just to state the obvious: his Mom & Dad) to also wear spiderman bandaids on their face.

Dennis is good at following directions (most of the time) and smiled for the photo but Connor didn't want to participate. He was not going to be caught smiling, of all things, with such an injury to his head. Or, quite possibly, he just didn't want to do what his mom was asking of him.

Either way, it's been an adventure. And a fun one at that. I also learned you should go to get stitches when you can see depth to an injury or it doesn't stop bleeding. And we need to have toddler-sized butterfly bandaids at home, in the car, at his school...

Uplifting Experience

2011-05-10T18:43:00.009-04:00

One of the "perks" of this pregnancy (if you want to call it that), is that my boobs have grown at a record-setting pace. I am the same size now as I was when I was breastfeeding Connor so I'm a little nervous about what will happen when I breastfeed this little girl.

Wearing my normal "B" cup, I went into a fancy bra shop. Not really super fancy, but nicer than my typical department store bra stop.

A big breasted lady greeted me when I entered the store. "How may I help you today?"

"Well, I need two things. First, I need to go pee. And second, I need major help figuring out what bra I need for these knockers."

After being shown to the restroom, I was measured and then tried on a series of bras. I can't say that I've ever purchased a D cup before, but after doing so today, dese knockers are in a much happier place. Happier, perkier, and ready to face the day.

THANK YOU big breasted lady in the fancy bra shop.

Momsy Womsy

2011-05-06T20:01:00.007-04:00

Today started off much better than a typical Friday. Connor's school hosted a "Muffins with Mom" event this morning that involved nothing too crazy; just Connor and me spending time together, eating blueberry muffins, drinking orange juice out of big boy cups, and mingling with other children and their moms. It was such a fun experience to have Connor, holding my hand, pull me into the room with some of his classmates. It was fun. And I felt really important. And proud.

As we entered the room, the mothers were given carnations. One for each child. And I got two. Wow. Two carnations. Connor was waving one of them around like a sword after school and so I'm actually down to 1 1/2 carnations.

The two carnations made me happy, excited, and it seemed to hit home even more: we're having another baby. A little girl. And I can't wait.

I've been holding back on buying anything pink just yet and ended up getting a few little items for her today: some cute baskets for her closet and this sweet little onesie with ruffles. Pink and ruffles. We're official.

Dennis picked Connor up from school and the little man walked in the house, grinning ear to ear. He handed me the sweetest mothers day card.

I love the muffins, the card, the carnations, and making a few first purchases for the little girl that will be joining our lives in a few short months. Most of all, though, today was very special because of my incredibly sweet family. And because of the simple fact that I get to be a mom to such a perfect little boy.

It's a bust.

2011-04-28T20:07:00.006-04:00

Or maybe it's just me. I feel like my abdomen could bust at any moment now. There is No. More. Room. Hello, little girl, we have no more room for your shoes, all of your new outfits, and your bags. I'm only a little over 21 weeks so we're barely half way there.

Even though we're only half way through the pregnancy, I feel like I'm as big as I was at 40 weeks with Connor. Seriously, I do. Dennis disagreed with me when I said that.

He told me that I am not COMPLETELY round like I was at the end of my pregnancy with Connor. Thanks, I guess, I mean, right? I'm going to be a glass half full person and take it as a compliment that I'm only partially round at this point. Partially is better than completely.

I checked out my belly shot at 22 weeks with Connor. When you compare the two photos, I am somewhat similar in size but maybe a little "more round" this time than last. Not completely round, just more round.

Happy Almost 23 Months

2011-04-25T11:02:00.012-04:00

Connor,

It has been longer than I like since I last wrote a letter to you and I apologize for that. My excuse, though, is a pretty good one. You are very active and keep both your dad and I running from place to place.

Your vocabulary is expanding and I hear new words come out of your mouth every day. Some of my favorites of late are, "cool", "cuck"(truck), "a-ya" (Echo), "bo-bo" (peanut butter), "c'mon mama (dada)", and "gone" (usually pronounced with a very southern-sounding accent). When you say, "no", which is happening much more frequent lately, you say it with the softest, sweetest voice and it's hard for your Dad and me not to laugh. And you are always honest with your answers, too.

"Connor, do you like the [insert food item here] that we made for you?"

"No."

"Connor, can we change your diaper?"

"No."

"Connor, do you want to go outside?"

"Yeah."

"Connor, do you want pizza for dinner?"

"Yeah."

Running is your favorite pass time. You open your mouth really wide, show your bottom teeth, clinch your fists and sprint back and forth through the living room and entry way. You get excited at your speed and say, "fast, fast, mama, fast!". Yesterday you, Kahn (your best friend), Kate and Will spent at least 30 minutes running back and forth along the side of the Huntsberger's house. Needless to say, we had an early bedtime. You had no chance of staying up til the normal 7 or 7:30PM.

After running around all afternoon with some neighborhood friends and seeing your Grandma and Grandpa Martin, Ruthie, and "AK" (Kelly) for an Easter brunch at our house, you were one tired boy last night. It was quite a busy day for you.

Jumping was a challenge at first but you are able to get both of your feet off of the ground at the same time now. Skipping has yet to be mastered, but with the amount of time you spend practicing, I am sure you'll figure it out very soon.

Nunu is still a favorite toy of yours but you are taking him fewer and fewer places these days. He is a MUST to have with you at bedtime or nap time but other than that, he tends to get tossed on the floor as you run around playing with your "cucks" and cars. Lightning McQueen, Mack, and Mater (characters from Cars) are by far your favorites. You've even been to known to sleep with them tightly clutched in your hands.

I love you, Connor.

Love,

Mom

Double Wow

2011-04-21T19:39:00.007-04:00

Dennis and I were excited as we walked in to the ultrasound room this morning. We were excited to see a picture of our healthy little boy and hear his heartbeat. It's amazing how wonderful that sound is. A huge feeling of relief washes over me as soon as I hear the heartbeat on each visit.

It wasn't the baby's heartbeat that was the biggest part of our visit this morning. It was Dennis' and my heartbeat as we heard the words from the ultrasound tech, "you are having a girl!". We laughed because we thought she was joking. She had to be. I mean, Dennis and I just knew in our hearts that Connor was going to have a little brother.

But we were wrong.

The ultrasound tech went on to say, "look, there is her labia". Dennis and I both looked at each other as if to say, What did she just say about our baby girl? She'd better stop talking about our daughter that way.

Our DAUGHTER. Wow.

The hours flew by today because we were constantly sending text messages/emails and making calls to our friends and family. The news took a while to sink in; we were both clearly in complete shock. Most importantly, though, I don't think the huge grin left either of our faces all day.

It's Getting Real

2011-04-20T20:19:00.003-04:00

The anxiety and excitement about tomorrow's appointment to confirm the sex of Connor's sibling, AKA our second child, has made me worry. And wonder. How are we going to make sure we have helped Connor to be as prepared as possible for this big change that is coming his - and our - way in just a few months?

Dennis and I were pointing to my belly and explaining to Connor that Mommy has a baby in her belly. We'd ask him, "where is the baby?" and he'd point to my belly. We thought we were on the right track...until Connor started to point to strangers belly's saying, "baby, baby". For some reason, people seemed to take offense to that.

Facing this new anxiousness, I did the natural thing: I googled it. And to my surprise (and pleasure), I came across several good suggestions. One of the best ideas that I came across was to read books about a new baby joining the family to Connor to help him understand the chaos that is about to turn his world upside down.

Here are a few others that I copied from eHow.com:

Give your child a time frame she can understand for when the baby will arrive, such as right after her birthday, around Christmas time, or just before nursery school ends for the summer.

Give your child the appropriate expectations: explain to her that for the first few months the baby will do little more than eat, sleep, and cry.

Take your child on a brief tour of the hospital where you will deliver. Explain all the details of who will look after her and where she will stay while you are in the hospital.

Tell your child the story of her birth and when you were pregnant with her.

Read books or watch videos about becoming a big sister or brother.

Decorate the newborn's room with your child.

Make major changes, such as toilet training or giving up a pacifier or bottle, at least a few months before you expect to give birth, and expect backsliding once the baby comes.

If you plan to use your older child's crib for the new baby, get her into her new bed long before baby comes. Remove the crib from the room for a while so when you return it for your new baby, your older child will not think of it as her crib. Buy new bedding and bumpers for your baby so your child doesn't feel like she's turning over her entire bed to a newcomer.

Start your child's new routine a few weeks before your baby is due. Have helpers begin coming to the house, or start her at a new day care program or school.

Begin arranging time for your child to spend alone with grandparents, caregivers, and your partner, so others can tend to her needs while you care for the baby.

Sit for a friend or relative's baby a few times before the birth of your new child, to get her used to having a baby around.

Any other suggestions? I am all ears for ideas that worked well, not-so-well, or that you heard about from a friend at work! Please share.

Costa Rica

2011-04-17T13:47:00.016-04:00

When you finish up the calendar year ranking in the top 6% of the salesforce, my company awards you with an all-expense paid trip to a pre-selected (and fabulous) destination the following Spring. For 2010, I was in the group that was invited on the trip. So, in April of 2011, Dennis and I went on one of our most amazing vacations yet.

The destination of choice was the Four Seasons at Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica. I hate to admit that Costa Rica wouldn't have been on my short list of desired vacation locations but I am so glad that we went. It is an unbelievable place! So, I've decided that you should go, too. And pronto. A few pictures of the resort are below (the first two are looking out of the patio in our room).

As you may or may not be aware, being pregnant significantly limited the type of activities that I could participate in. Dennis and I didn't complain, though, because it gave us an excuse to enjoy the spa (we both got our very first facial!) and spend the day rotating from the pool...to the beach...to the pool...and then back to the beach.

The golf course was beautiful; we were both planning to play and then when my frustration level got too high at the driving range, I decided that I was best suited to taking photos and keeping score for Dennis. We met a few friends along the course, too.

A group dinner or breakfast was provided most days so we had plenty of time to relax, enjoy the sun, and snap a few photos. Going through these pictures makes me want to go back.

My cocktail of choice: strawberry-banana daiquiri (virgin, unfortunately).

On the last night, we had our awards dinner celebration. The entertainment afterwards was fun, as you can tell from our sexy attire and the glow-in-the-dark paint on Dennis' face.

Pregnancy Update

2011-04-15T10:39:00.010-04:00

Well, here I am almost at week 20, and I must admit that this pregnancy is seeming to truck along much more quickly than the last one. It could have something to do with the additional traveling that Dennis and I have done (Costa Rica, Vegas). Or the incredibly sweet and equally as energetic little boy at our house. Or maybe it could just be that the additional fun of being sick some mornings is making the time march along at a more rapid pace. Either way, we're moving forward much faster than I remember from my the last time my body was hijacked by a little person.

And this is a little person, even though you wouldn't think so by looking at my expanding waist-line. This little person, according to babycenter.com, is weighing in around 8.5 ounces and measuring approximately 6 inches long (head to bottom). I'm not sure why they legs don't contribute to this number. But, then again, my short appendages don't contribute too much to my height, either.

When we traveled to Costa Rica last week (pictures to come, I promise!), I wasn't sick at all so I made the official declaration that my morning sickness was finished. Unfortunately for me, that was a little premature as I did have one visit from the morning sickness fairy this week. Bad fairy, bad, bad, bad, fairy.

Other than that, though, I have no complaints. I'm sleeping well (and as much as possible) and feeling this little person move around all day long. I love feeling the movement because it makes me feel like he or she is doing well in there. Just waving, or kicking, or bonking his or her head to say "hello" from in utero.

Next week is the big appointment to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. I can't believe that as of Monday, we'll be 20 weeks along, half way... not that I'm counting.

Nearing the end of week 17

2011-04-02T19:46:00.003-04:00

I didn't have any sickness when I was pregnant with Connor so it has been an unwelcome surprise to not only feel nauseous but to actually be sick this time around. The good news is that this (week 17) was the first week where I didn't puke so things are looking up. It was an odd occurrence because I was typically sick late in the week - - on a Thursday or Friday morning. As you can imagine, I am eager to leave that part of the pregnancy behind me.

When you consider that I've been puking on a weekly basis and combine it with the fact that my tiredness has yet to wane, it seems like a safe assumption that this baby is a girl. High maintenance from the very beginning. Different pregnancy symptoms often suggests a different sex but my gut tells me that I'm having another little boy and Dennis thinks the same thing. He bet first and said that we're having a boy and I'm not allowed to bet the same thing, so, by default, I'm betting this is a girl. (But not really.)

We'll find out for sure in about two weeks when I have the next ultrasound.

Oh, and maybe I'll post a belly shot soon. My boobs have gotten out of control (already) so I can't see my belly unless I'm using a mirror. I'll make sure the photo only shows my belly when - and if - I post it. Ahhh...the suspense.

Smile.

2011-03-31T21:06:00.004-04:00

To just imagine what they are talking about in their own, secret language....

Thanks to a not-so-great deal

2011-03-29T19:11:00.003-04:00

We did it. We ventured out and tried our first "kids night" for dinner. AND ... we survived. I'm impressed with us and suggest observing a moment of silence in honor of our achievement. Or, maybe just because this Mama needs a minute of silence.

Dennis purchased a "great deal" online for dinner at McCray's Tavern several weeks ago. It was marketed as "save $25 when you spend $50" so he scooped up the deal very quickly. Then we read the fine print. Alcohol not included. Two adult meals must be purchased for the certificate to be redeemed. It can't be used on Saturday nights. And you must be smoking crack if you think you can use the certificate on take-out.

We went to McCrays tonight, anyway. I mean, afterall, their Tuesday night Kids Night means movies on a big screen, Nickelodeon shows on alternate TV's, and a buffet filled with all types of goodies (pizza, chicken fingers, ice cream, veggies, french fries, hamburgers, etc.) for $1.50 for kids. Again, we were lured by the deal.

This time we weren't disappointed though. As we walked in to the designated 'kids area' in the back of the restaurant, all three of our jaws dropped to the floor. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing that Dennis immediately recognized that Tangled was playing and then followed up with, "and it just came out today". Either way, we were all incredibly impressed with the set up.

I looked at Dennis as we pulled out the highchair for Connor and smiled. "This is the most awesome place. EVER." He agreed and smiled back at me. "We should come here every Tuesday."

Man-oh-man are things different than they were just a few years ago. Different, but better.

He's baaaccckkk...

2011-03-15T21:07:00.003-04:00

Connor is back and in rare form. Healthy, smiling, and energetic.

Man I love this kid.

Prescriptions gone wild

2011-03-13T20:03:00.006-04:00

It feels like the last few months have been spent quarantined in our house, the Kroger pharmacy, the pediatricians office, or the after-hours children's clinic. I am so excited for our little man to get better. For good.

Since October, he has battled with what seems like non-stop ear infections, bronchitis, colds, and all types of other fun germs. His physician said that he has "childhood asthma", which makes sense when you look back at his sickness history. He typically gets a cold, then develops a cough and bronchitis several days later. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing Connor cough and cough and COUGH and then take such deep breaths just to breathe normally. It's frustrating, sad and scary but it's also very treatable and he'll hopefully outgrow it.

We have become best friends with the nebulizer (as has he) and when we approach him with a syringe filled with medication, he squirms to get away from the "may may". Luckily, I can still catch him.

Right now he's on albuterol, budesonide, Singulair, Augmentin, and oral prednisone. I think we'll be able to stop the prednisone tomorrow. I hope. And after several unsuccessful attempts at getting Connor to swallow the Singulair pill, we've given in to dissolving it in his milk. Hopefully that still counts as ingesting his medication because we haven't been very successful in "just putting it in his cheek so it dissolves and he swallows it", as the physician suggested.

Connor always, ALWAYS smiles and his sick or sad day means many fewer smiles. That's one of the biggest reasons we are looking forward to him regaining his normal, healthy, spunk. We've grown accustomed to those smiles and can't make it through the day without seeing one (or thirty) on his sweet little face.

No more unicorns

2011-03-06T20:47:00.004-05:00

Every Sunday morning, a special surprise awaits us on our driveway. It's not a COMPLETE SURPRISE since we know it'll be there but it's always fun to find it out there - - waiting for us rain or shine. While the AJC contains a lot of good information, there are two key parts that I try not to miss: (1) the ads (duh) and (2) the vent. Oh, and I also like the section that tells you the story of a particular couple, what they are looking for in an ideal house, and then gives you their final three options. It's fun to guess which one they picked, even though I'm usually wrong...

Anyway, there was a particularly good vent in this mornings paper. I posted it below.

Those folks making over 200K a year pay MORE in taxes and deserve any program offered to other citizens. Why do you feel entitled to the money of a financially responsible person? Wealth Envy is a horrible attitude.

This vent caught my attention because of my ever-growing frustration about how we don't "qualify" for this credit or that credit when we go to file our taxes because we apparently made too much money. And I heard Clark Howard talking about how there is a program called the "savers credit" that basically gives people $1,000-$2,000/year if they are simply contributing to a retirement savings plan. Of course, there are income requirements and we, apparently, made 'too much money' to qualify for this handout. What's unbelievably frustrating is realizing that my tax dollars are going to pay for someone else's retirement. I put money in my retirement account each month - - shouldn't I be able to get the $1,000-$2,000/year additional, as well? Yes, yes, I should.

And that's the long (or very short) of why I'm against the horrendous goverment takeover of healthcare. It's not that I'm this mean or heartless person that doesn't want everyone to have health insurance. And the best care available. No, it's not that at all - - because I would like to live in a world where that was possible. But, unfortunately, we don't live in a world filled with unicorns, skittles, and rainbows. Those things just. don't. exist. And the goverment has not done one program well in it's entire existance. Not one. Look at the postal service, for example - - it loses BILLIONS of dollars each year. But, it keeps going... nothing changes. It keeps adding to our deficit. What about social security? And for some reason people think that the goverment will do right by us this time? Sure, we were promised 'healthcare for all' but what we'll see is dimished care, higher costs, and much longer lines as healthcare is rationed. We're screwed all the way around.

I have struggled with why some people could want more goverment control and higher taxes and how those people could think so differently than I do. The conclusion that I've come to is that it simply boils down to being realistic and looking at history. It's not pretty and the hard, sad, truth is that we don't live in Utopia. Once people on the other side of the fence start to realize that, our strategies for reaching our shared goals will be much more in line. We both want the same result we just have different ideas of how to best get there.

Ok, there's MY vent. Off my soap box because I do feel better now. At least a little.

And then there were TWO of them

2011-02-28T19:26:00.001-05:00

As a parent, you are tasked with doing everything for your second child that you did for your first child. Not that it is a bad thing, it's just how it is. So, you may be better off doing NOTHING for your first child picture or memory-wise if you don't want to do it again the next go-round. And as I write this, I must tell you that I am hopeful that this IS our next go-round.

So, here I am, attempting to keep a 'secret' journal to be posted only when we reach the 12 week mark. Please let us reach the 12 week mark without any problem.

12.17.10 : Over the last few months, I've been prepping to do the IVF transfer that we did today. Shots, estrogen, the whole bit. It was a lot easier this time since I knew what to expect. And, Connor didn't allow me to have any pity or attention focused on me AT ALL so the process went by quickly. I definitely wasn't able to milk it for all that I did last time.

We went in today and transferred one embryo. We'd rather be safe than sorry. And they did the PGD testing on the embryos to weed out any possible embryos with genetic problems.

I told Dennis that I'm not going to think about this pregnancy at all and that I'm just going to be laid back and patient until we do the first blood test on December 27th. But, HELLO, that requires patience and I always come up short in that department. So, it's been on my mind in a huge way and I just re-read the blog post that I did while I was keeping the secret about being pregnant with Connor. That didn't help with the patience factor. And I just googled, 'early signs that IVF was successful', 'day of IVF transfer signs of success' which confirms to any nay-sayers out there that I do have zero patience. Unfortunately, I have come to the realization that I have to do one - and only one - thing: wait. Pray, and wait.

12.27.10 : I went in for my blood work this morning and Lynn, the nurse, called me right about noon. Not that I was watching the clock or anything. Connor and I were on our way home from his check-up at the doctors office when Lynn said the magic words: Your blood test results look great. Apparently, anything above a 50 (not even sure what measurement that we're talking about here) is a very positive sign about the pregnancy. And my number was 99.7. Go Krista, it's your birthday, have a party...

After I got the news, I called Dennis. And then I started to cry. A happy, overwhelmed, excited, and nervous cry. Bring on the hormones.

I haven't posted anything even though I wanted to write something EVERY DAY because I was afraid to do so. Every time that I write about the pregnancy, I get excited. And I need to hold my horses in that department for a while.

Things are good now, so I'll go ahead and share the picture of the little booger from the lab with you. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

12.30.10 : Cramping, a little bit of spotting and I am nervous. I'm nervous if I do have pregnancy symptoms and then I'm nervous if I don't. Screwed either way.

1.5.11 : We had another blood test this morning. I was SO nervous because I had a nightmare the night before that we had a miscarriage. So, I stalked out the nurse until she gave me the results. Everything is a "go" and we get to go in for our first OB check up next week. We might even get to hear his (or her) heartbeat. Wow. I'm grinning ear to ear right now.

1.10.11 : Today was a long day. I woke up at 6am and went to the bathroom. There was enough blood to make me very scared. I crawled back into bed, looked out at the window at the snow, prayed, and grabbed my iPhone. I googled '5 weeks pregnant, IVF, bleeding'. The results that I found were 50/50 so my nervousness wasn't relieved. I sent an email to the nurse asking her if I could please come in for an appointment today. I didn't care if the whole city was shut down.

Fast forward several hours, and I received a phone call from the clinic. The nurse that called talked me off of the ledge. She said that since I didn't have a ton of bleeding that I was probably OK. Plus, I confessed to her that I went to the gym yesterday. She said that could have contributed to the bleeding but my role for the next 24-48 hours was to put my feet up and not do a single thing. Hello...has she met Connor?

1. 17. 11 : We are so thrilled because we were able to see - and hear - the heartbeat last Thursday. Snow and ice still covered the roads but Dennis and I managed to make it in to our appointment. Both of us had smiles across our face as we squeezed each others hand when Amy, the ultrasound tech, said that the little one looks perfect and has a healthy heartbeat.

Progesterone shots continue every night until about week 8. At that point, I **get** to switch to vaginal progesterone. I don't mind the shots but Dennis (the shot administrator) strongly prefers the other option. He can't wait to leave the shots behind us (no pun intended).

I couldn't keep my mouth closed much longer and neither could Dennis. Our parents are now very excited to be grandparents for the second time. We still aren't telling anyone else. Shhhh.........

2.13.11 : And I've told a few more people. Mostly randoms. Y'know how you lose control of your bladder when you are pregnant? Well, I think that the same thing happened to my mouth. It just comes out, unexpectedly. A lady that I don't even know very well at work asked me when we are going to have #2. And, well, before she knew it, she knew that we are expecting again.

My nausea has been fading a little bit the past few days so I am hopeful that is a good sign and that it simply means that we are moving closer to the 12 week mark. My cravings have been all over the place so I hope that calms down but I doubt that it will. Lucky Dennis.

I had some spotting again last night and so I am especially excited for our visit with Dr. Grogan (our OB) this week. I'll be 11 weeks on Monday (tomorrow) but the spotting makes me nervous. Yes, I know that we've heard the heartbeat two times already but still...

2.17.11 : We saw the baby and his/her heartbeat again today! Dennis, Connor and I all went in for my 11+ week check up. That wasn't the original plan, but it just happened to work out that way. Connor was home with a fever and an ear infection and Dennis was really excited to see the heartbeat, so, well...it was quite the family affair.

Dr. Grogan pointed the little baby on the screen and looked at Connor. "Connor, see that little baby? That will be your favorite person to torment in about 9 months..."

2.28.11 : So I guess it's official that we are telling people because Dennis mentioned it to a few people at his gym. And I wasn't so slick at keeping a secret when I was drinking Shirley Temple's at dinner on Saturday night. Don't get me wrong - Shirley Temple's are great, but I usually prefer a more adult libation. There will be time for that, I keep telling myself...

We went in for the nucal-translucency test today and were able to see the baby again! Everything looked good from the ultrasound but we are still waiting on the blood results to confirm everything is going as great as it looks to be. I LOVE the ultrasound tech because she told me that the baby's due date is September 1st. We're moving up a few days with each physician visit! I imagine we'll stick with the September 4th due date but I'm always up for considering an earlier debut of this little beauty.

We sort-of did and sort-of didn't want to find out the sex today. We were wishy-washy and Dennis swears that the "test" the blood draw lady did (a very unscientific test involving a bracelet being dangled over my wrist) indicated that we're having a boy. But I swear the ultrasound tech was hinting that it looks like a girl. So we're still at square one not for sure if this is going to be a little brother or little sister for Connor. Either way, we're extremely happy and excited to meet this little person!

Leaving Las Vegas...

2011-02-21T21:27:00.007-05:00

...in 4 days.

I have a meeting this week in Vegas so Dennis and I decided to extend the my week long meeting with a little bit of fun on the front end. After all, this is my first trip to Sin City and my parents were nice enough to drive in from Missouri to watch Connor (and Echo) for us.

We decided to stay at the same hotel where I'll be ALL WEEK LONG. That had it's benefits: I didn't have to check in with everyone else this morning and I've been able to turn off all of the lights in the room with my bedside controller every single night. I can even open the curtains by pushing a button on the key pad. But the drawback is that I'm ready to go home. I've been here, done that.

The hotel, Aria, is one of the newer ones on the Strip. It's very modern, sleek, and fancy-pants, just like Dennis and me. So we fit right in. We gambled away some money on roulette, slots, and blackjack, but the place that I had the most fun was in the Sports Book. We spent hours figuring out how to bet on horses, which horse to bet on, and the like. Don't be jealous, but some of our winnings are shown below.

We set up shop in a little cubby - - you know, like what we had in college at the library. And YES, I went to the library in college. I was the little mad scientist doing calculations on who was favored to win and then I'd ask Dennis for his gut feeling and we'd place our bets. We won a few times but mostly just enjoyed ourselves. And Dennis was able to get "free" drinks while we did our very technical 'calculations', too.

Other than that, we did the normal Vegas stuff: we went to see a Cirque de Soleil show, "O", marveled at the intricacies of every hotel and saw the water show at the Bellagio. Oh, and I also saw the shortest skirts that I've EVER seen in my life. I'm not just showing my age here - - these shirts barely covered the girls butts! I've dressed up to go out but never like THAT!!

Random side-note: Do you see the horse in the picture above? It was in the lobby of the Bellagio (my favorite hotel) and I would love to have it for our living room. Just FYI in case you want to save up for my birthday. Isn't it just gorgeous?

So, short story long, we had a great time together. And then he got to go home this morning and I'm stuck here for another 4 days. Four days that are sure to be very long.

Yay for me!

2011-02-08T20:42:00.004-05:00

Very recently (a few hours ago), I was nominated by Whine & Cheez as someone who is a "stylish blogger". Many thanks to Kristi for the nod! If loving to wear stripes (horizontal, the non-flattering kind) makes you stylish, then I'm a definite shoe-in for this. Or, maybe it's the fact that my underwear says, "IN YOUR DREAMS" in bold gold letters. And I'm not even kidding about that one.

As part of the deal, you have to nominate other 'stylish bloggers'. Here are some great blogs I follow:

Whine & Cheez Because she is awesome. Obviously. Great taste. And she posts fun stuff all. of. the. time.
Chronicles of a Baby Wise Mom Do I need to say more? Babywise is the bible around our house.
Chasing Tails Betsy is a wonderful writer and I hope she sees this and realizes that she needs to post something again. And soon.
So Fetching a charming blog about fashion
What A Wonderful Life Katie keeps us up-to-date on her wonderful life

Here is where it gets really fun. At least for me. I have to reveal 7 interesting things about myself....only 7?!

1. I'll start by breaking the rule. This one isn't about me but I still think it's hilarious. One of the girls in my dorm freshman year told me that her roommate (who was incredibly overweight) was always having sex with her (also overweight) boyfriend in their dorm room. And my friend never knew this, but apparently it smells like pancakes and bacon when fat people do it.

2. I don't really follow rules. I don't like to. Isn't that one of the few really fun things that you get to do as an adult? I've been known to put Sprite in my cereal and eat breakfast for dinner. Ewww...craaazzy. I think I've even driven my car too fast a few times.

3. I was accepted onto a the show "Change of Heart" in college but it didn't work out for me to travel to participate in the show. Damn. I don't think Dennis was there, though, so I would've definitely walked away empty handed.

4. I feel like this is an obvious one here, but I love icing. The cake or cupcake is just the vehicle for transferring the ewey-yummy-goodness. Why can't they just serve blobs of icing?

5. I was once compared to Deon Sanders in the Columbia Daily Tribune. The article should've been nominated for a pulitzer.

6. I sell drugs by day and margaritas by night. Ah-hah...now you want to come to my parties, huh?

7. If I had a million-billion dollars, I would do everything possible to help homeless animals. I would offer free clinics to spay and neuter pets and work around the clock to save every little animal that I could.

Food Pyramid

2011-02-02T12:56:00.003-05:00

I am so happy to see all of the cupcake shops that have opened their doors in Atlanta. It seems like all of the sudden there is a Gigi's Cupcakes or a Camicake store on every corner. And, believe me, I'm not complaining. I'm just observant. And, when I see the American Express commercial and the lady is talking about how she opened her store to sell nothing less than wine and cupcakes, I have one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that moments.

Since I'm just now learning that cow's milk isn't all that it's cracked up to be and actually isn't even all that healthy for you, I'm re-thinking my own, personal food pyramid. The Food Pyramid is sponsored by the Dairy Association so I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that a group like that might have some personal interest in getting you and me to drink more cow's milk. It's something to think about. That's why they have dairy (or milk) as one of the food groups. Duhhh.

I'm not suggesting that everyone lives and breathes the details of this Egyptian food guide but I am suggesting that there might be a place for cupcakes on the pyramid. I mean, seriously. I need to find a way to start the Cupcake Coalition. And then we would come up with our own food pyramid and go head to head - or utter to utter - with this group to earn our place. Instead of a pyramid we could make it in the shape of a cupcake. Pyramids are so 20th century. Hmmm...now we're talking...

Indoor Adventures

2011-01-22T17:11:00.009-05:00

I realize that I am slow to be figuring this out, but there are apparently several really cool indoor fun-for-kids-play-places in town that are perfect for cold, rainy days or when you child just has a lot of energy. And, well, that's most days for us.

Kelly ("AK"), Dennis, Connor and I decided to check out the Childrens Museum this morning. The name is incredibly misleading because there is no way that I would take Connor to a museum in the traditional sense. Saying "do not to touch" and "be careful" are very often fighting words when they fall upon Connors little ears. This museum was anything but typical. It was essentially an indoor playground with a Chick-fil-A. If they would've been serving beer, I think we would've stayed even longer than we did.

What other suggestions do you have for us to check out in Atlanta? We are all ears for any suggestions on other great indoor entertainment this time of year so please share your findings! The Aquarium is one of the next cold Saturday trips on our list...

It Could've Gone Either Way

2011-01-09T20:20:00.004-05:00

But I am really glad that it worked out like it did. And so is Dennis.

I cooked again. Weird, I know. Twice in less than 10 days.

Let's get to the meat of the story. I cooked some pulled pork today and it turned out just fabulous. I love vinegar and could almost put more on the pork than what is called for in the recipe. And, I didn't use any of the juice from the crockpot. Other than that, I was able to figure out the recipe just fine with just a little help from my mom and a little help from a guy at Kroger.

If we're snowed in tomorrow, as everyone is suspecting, we can rest easy that we will have enough pork to last us all week. Maybe even all month.

Thomas

2011-01-06T17:06:00.010-05:00

For most parents of little boys, just the meer mention of that name brings a smile to their face.

Connor has been absolutely enthralled with his trucks and trains lately so I figured that he needed more of a track or place to play with his new favorite toys. Connor needing more space equals Mom and Dad giving up more of what used to a some-what organized home to chaos, toys, and a lot of fun.

We don't have enough room for a full train table so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that you can purchase a playboard (the top of the train table) by itself. After I learned this, I immediately launched an online investigation of how much Thomas the Train toys cost. Shortly thereafter I turned to Craigslist.

And, we found a winner.

The best not-Christmas Christmas gift

2011-01-04T20:27:00.003-05:00

We didn't intend for this to be a Christmas gift. It just happend to arrive a few days before Christmas. And so, it became our favorite non-Christmas Christmas gift.

I am the first to admit that I was a total skeptic. I thought we'd buy this expensive coffee maker and then, BAM!, we'd be taking out a loan to pay for all of the expensive individually packaged k-cups.

Well, I was wrong. And sometimes it is awesome being wrong.

This amazing coffee pot deserves to be in a class by itself. It's not merely a coffee pot, coffee-maker, or anything of the sort. It's just plain AMAZING.

You can purchase individual flavored k-cups, you can purchase boring, bland-o-mama regular coffee cups, AND - not or - you can purchase your normal Maxwell House and simply pour the grounds into the k-cup container that is provided. Viola! You have the perfect cup of coffee in less than a minute. So, you can be as crazy - or as boring - as you want with the first cup. And then you can make a serving of the exciting stuff and then prepare a regular, boring cup. Back. To. Back.

No wasted coffee. No wasted time. Just pure heaven.

What's cookin' good lookin'?

2010-12-31T18:57:00.001-05:00

So, I cooked. And when I cook dinner, it takes Dennis, Echo, and Connor all by surprise. It's not something that I like to do or that I do often. But, I figured one last time in 2010 wasn't too bad.

I took Connor to the grocery store with me this morning after I scoured the internet for recipes last night. I came up with "Healthified Smothered Pork Chops" and "Butter Glazed Asparagus". And yes, I do realize that eating anything that is "healthified" is negated when you are also eating something the begins with "butter". So anyway, pork chops and asparagus. Not too complicated of recipes, but I ran into some problems.

After asking the guy at Kroger - an employee, don't worry, I didn't just ask a random person who looked like they knew how to cook THIS TIME - where the thyme is, I was directed to this plant. Apparently all of the regular dried stuff was out of stock. WTF? So I got a plant. He said I can trim off what I need for the recipe and then it would be wonderful because I could just water it and it would grow back. That is AWESOME because I had a life-time supply of thyme on my Christmas list and didn't get it.

So, I come home with a plant, among other things. Dennis says that I bring home weird things when I go to the grocery store and he isn't completely making that up. I very often do bring home unusual things or at least a lot of icing.

So, OK. We have the plant. And then I realized that Canola oil was next on the list. If a recipe calls for Canola oil, can you substitute another oil (I'm talking vegetable oil, olive oil, etc.) in it's place? What is the difference between the different types of oils? I sent my mom an email, to answer this very important question at a later thyme.

Besides having a question about cooking oil, I also was a little bit weary of the brown-fin-like-things from the underside of the sliced mushrooms that I purchased. So, I trimmed all of those off. The brown stuff looked gross so I got rid of it. Am I supposed to eat that part of the mushroom (and yes, I'm really asking for help here!)?

ONE of the ironic parts of my cooking adventure is that I have this plant. And I only need 1/4 tsp on dried thyme. One-fourth of a friggin' teaspoon.

I know the suspense is building here, so I'll fill you in on the end result: we loved the meal. Dennis even rated it an 8 on a scale of 1-10 so I'm pretty impressed with myself.

And, while I'm asking for advice, I have another to throw out there. How do you handle an 18 month old that likes to hit his parents, throw fits, and will do anything to avoid having his clothes put on in the mornings? Just being hypothetical here, because we are obviously perfect parents without any problems. I mean, you should see our house. Never a toy or anything on the floor. PERfect.

Hammin' it Up

2010-12-28T15:00:00.012-05:00

Riding the Pink Pig at Macy's for the first time is a marvelous event. The combination of the pink stars on the tent, lights, happy atmosphere, pink choo-choo train ride and seeing Priscilla decked out in her pearls made a perfect afternoon that will be remembered forever.

Oh yeah, and since it was also Connor's first time riding the Pink Pig, I'm sure he enjoyed it, too.

{{Dennis just reminded me that sarcasm is hard to detect in blog posts. So, I will clarify by stating that it was a fun afternoon with Connor and Dennis at the mall but the Pink Pig ride wasn't the most exciting thing that I've ever spent my money on. Plus, Connor screamed when Priscilla approached us. And I don't entirely blame him.}}

And we're back....almost.

2010-12-26T15:42:00.003-05:00

Dennis commented this morning that it didn't feel like Christmas this year. I couldn't agree more. Everything came and went way too fast. And we didn't get to do a lot of the things we would have liked to have done (i.e. take Connor to see Santa Claus, go to a few Christmas party's, etc.).

As you know from my previous post, Connor has been sick. VERY SICK. And Dennis and I have been struggling, as well. Not as bad as Connor, but still bad. And Dennis doesn't get sick. EVER. Somehow Echo seems to have avoided the nasty bug or virus or whatever it was (and still is). Our Little Man had a stomach bug (projectile vomiting) turned ear infection turned bronchitis. He's slept more in the past few weeks (since being sick) than he has in his entire life. I mean, I'm talking 3.5 hour naps. Even I can't beat that record and I'm a champion sleeper!

After a round of antibiotics, prednisone, and continuing to use his nebulizer, he seems to be on the mend. He missed a week of school and Dennis and I probably should've missed as much work. Luckily Connor's Grandma, BAM, saved the day TWICE last week by taking care of Connor during the day for us.

We still aren't 100% by any stretch. Seventy-five percent might even be pushing it. But we're all a little bit better every day, which is awesome.

December had all of the makings for a perfect Christmas this year: too many awesome gifts for Connor from his grandparents, a very active Elf on the Shelf (who I miss, by the way), a white Christmas (flurries are still falling), and a fun Christmas Day celebration at the Martins that was spoiled only by a little bit of throw up in their dining room. This time it wasn't Dennis, or Echo. It was Connor. His stomach is just still so sensitive that we are now officially back on the BRAT (bread-rice-apples-toast) diet for a few more days. Let me clarify that, HE is on that diet, not us. I had some leftover ham, pineapple delight, and pecan pie for lunch and it was deeelish.

Another plus to us being house-ridden the past few weeks is that Dennis and I have almost completely memorized every line of The Polar Express. We can sing the girl-boy part in the middle of the movie, "when Christmas comes to town" very well. We're quite impressive, really. Connor is amazed and sits quite contently (even permitting nebulizer treatments) when the movie is playing, so as you can imagine, I have watched it, oh, let's go with a minimum of 89 billion times since we purchased it earlier this month.

Connor is finally on the mend and has shown signs of his regular self the last few days: eating a little bit, playing, talking non-stop, and allowing his mother out of his sight for a moment or two. So, we're getting there. And, I must say that the best gift we received for Christmas this year is seeing our son get better and fight off this nasty virus or bug.

Why Santa Has 8 Reindeer

2010-12-14T19:53:00.002-05:00

Exciting times

2010-12-13T12:21:00.009-05:00

This weekend proved to be way more exciting than I anticipated. And not in a good way. Not entirely, anyway.

On Saturday I seemed to have a mean stomach bug that didn't want me to eat anything. I'm talking nothing. Not even toast. Well, wait. I was able to keep a piece of toast down by Saturday night.

Then, on Sunday, Connor had the same thing. I've never seen someone projectile vomit before (and that word, vomit, is just a horrible, vial word in itself so I will use puke in future references). After Sunday's experienceS (and yes, there is an 's' on that word, signifying that we were able to experience this event more than one time), I can safely say that I am no longer a projectile puke virgin. Ahh... what a relief. And a badge of honor.

The second experience is the one that I will elaborate on for your reading pleasure. Dennis was getting ready to take Echo out on a walk as I was laying Connor down for a mid-morning nap. As I did so, soy milk was regurgitated everywhere. Soy milk was recommended by our pediatrician until the running stopped from the other end... I won't elaborate on that (you are welcome). Strangely, soy milk has a sweet smell when it comes back up. Anyway, Dennis heard what sounded like a sewer gurgling, ready to explode, and timidly asked, "is everything OK up there?"

"Yes. I mean, BARF. EVERYWHERE", I answered.

Dennis decided to postpone walking Echo and instead helped me to bathe our child, throw Connor's sheets, Connors clothes, my clothes, and a few blankets into the wash. When Dennis walked into the bathroom he said, "I've never seen so much puke. It's everywhere. Even on his back."

"And look, honey. He has a puke moustache. Have you ever seen one of those before?" I responded.

It's always important to be mature when dealing with situations like this. And Dennis and I are obviously good at that.

The second adventure is best depicted in the photos below. And let me just say that trainer potty's are so friggin' cool. They play music when you make a deposit, sing songs, hold toilet paper and even pretend flush. I mean, seriously. Awesome.

Happy 18 months

2010-12-02T19:42:00.011-05:00

Dear Connor,

Happy 18 months. We now have to round up and say that you are closer to being two years old than you are to being one. Did you hear that: TWO YEARS OLD. And I am pretty nervous about what the terrible two's will bring.

While I was pregnant, I signed up on babycenter.com to get weekly email alerts about how you were growing, changing, and developing. I STILL get those emails and one of the most recent email updates was titled, "How to get your toddler to cooperate". And that email is still saved in my inbox. Haven't had a chance to read it yet but I will. Several times.

Maybe it's not that you don't cooperate so much as you just do what you want to do. And you do it when YOU want to do it. For some reason, putting on your pajamas every night is a battle. Getting you up in the mornings and changing your diaper isn't on your personal agenda, either. Eating vegetables has been thrown out the window, too. Carseats? Nope, not for you.

Relocating items to a more ideal - in your mind - spot is another one of your favorite passtimes. When we were in Missouri for Thanksgiving visiting your Nana & Papa, your Papa found a can of green beans in the warming drawer under the stove. While your Nana & Papa may put things in strange places from time to time, I am pretty confident that they don't store canned goods in the warming drawer. Just guessing here, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. As you'll learn, Mama is always right.

While I was just going on about how you like to avoid cooperating at all costs, I do have to applaud you for how well you behaved on the 11 hour trip (ONE WAY) to Columbia. We split the trip up and stayed in Nashville each way. You were very happy, for the most part, watching your Mickey Mouse Clubhouse video. Over. And over. And over. I can't quote lines from many (ok, ANY) movies but I may be able to quote a few from that movie. I could probably do the Donald Duck voice best.

Your vocabulary is about to explode. I can just feel it. You babble in what I can only assume are sentences in your world. Long, important, and thoughtful sentences. We're going to be in trouble once you go live with your vocabulary. We did laugh when we asked you what you want to name your Elf on the Shelf. Your response wasn't exactly in English. You made a smacking noise with your lips - almost like you were trying to kiss the air in a really loud fashion. So, we'll probably wait til next year to pick an official name because I'm not sure how to spell that noise. And we have to be able to spell it because we have to record the name in your book.

We decorated the Christmas tree last night while you were in bed. So, you were incredibly excited this morning when you saw it. You marveled at it and looked at each eye-level (and strategically non-breakable) ornament individually for several minutes. The excitement in your eyes and thrill with the tree made Christmas magical for me all over again.

Your Nana & Papa sent Christmas gifts home with us and we have them displayed under the tree. Your fascination with the bows (and how they resemble stars) tonight made me nervous that I may have put them out too soon. It might be a long 23 days until you get to open them up.

I love you, Connor. As much as I jokingly complain about your growing independence, I wouldn't have you any other way.

Love,

Mom

You Know You've Made It Big...

2010-11-29T19:29:00.002-05:00

...when you make the class photo.

Several of Connor's classmates weren't in the picture. But NuNu was.

And to think, we only pay tuition for one child...

...

2010-11-27T12:16:00.005-05:00

((Crickets.)) ((Crickets.))

I know what you are thinking. I've been lazy and haven't had time to post on Margaritas. Rather than telling you that are you 50% incorrect, I will tell you that you are 50% correct. With a 17-almost-18-month-old, there is no way to be lazy.

So, please stay posted. I promise I'll re-start the blogging engine soon. Just not today.

Life Lessons (Part Deux)

2010-10-31T08:26:00.004-04:00

After driving one hour in each direction, we walked around the pumpkin patch at Burt's Farm for about 40 minutes. Forty might be pushing it, but we'll go with it.

We had fun on this day trip and even learned that it is perfectly acceptable to drive two hours to spend 40 minutes in a pumpkin patch if you have an adorable little boy and can steal a few sweet photos of him. Our adorable little boy was still recovering from a double ear infection when we took these photos so he wasn't 100% but he was still enjoying himself. And therefore, so were we.

I've also learned that it isn't a good idea to be in so much pain that it hurts to sleep. Dennis talked me in to joining CrossFit with him and man-oh-man am I sore. I thought that I had experienced muscle soreness before but, uh, no way. This pain is so bad that even if I'm sleeping in an uncomfortable position, it might be worth staying in that position if moving requires using my arm, shoulder, chest, back, or leg muscles. Yup, it's that bad. The crazy part is that I'm paying for this.

Lastly, and this parlay's nicely into the second lesson mentioned in this post, peach tea vodka is absolutely delish when mixed with Crystal Light Pink Lemonade. And I mean DELISH. Take that, CrossFit.

Life Lesson #123,223,240

2010-10-30T19:49:00.006-04:00

I guess you keep learning, no matter how old you get. Not that I'm old, of course, but the learning-thing seems like it should be contained in our school-attending years, yet it isn't. And Connor is here to prove it.

Connor love, love, LOVES airplanes. So, being the Mom of the Year that I am, I researched to find the nearest - and soonest - airshow. It just so happened that one was scheduled to take place at Dobbins, which is approximately 10 miles from us.

We planned our trip to accomodate for naps, eating, Echo's walk, play time, and everything else that goes on during a typical Saturday morning at the Martin household. Again, being MOTY, I wanted to make sure that we avoided the crowds in case we had a meltdown and needed to make a fast escape. So we went to a parking deck where a friend suggested we go to avoid the huge crowds. Well, let's just say that we went to the parking deck and no one was there. For good reason. Back on the road again. We followed the airplanes to a closer location.

We found a spot in a parking lot near the airshow. We pulled up and saw 100 other people had the same idea. Now I'm not one for crowds but this was a much better indication that we had chosen a good location than what we saw at the vacant parking deck 10 minutes earlier.

After unloading Connor from the car, we pointed up to the sky and showed Connor the awesome airplanes doing tricks and stunts right about us. He was amazed. Well, he was entertained. For about one minute. We were there long enough for Mom and Dad to enjoy the cold beer (in plastic cups, of course) that Mom packed for the adventure.

Our learnings about airplanes are three-fold.

One: don't take your child to an airshow unless he/she is more than 16 months of age if you want them to appreciate it.

Two: you know how I mentioned we live 10 miles from Dobbins? I should have also mentioned that we live 15 (?) miles from the Atlanta airport. And airplanes fly over our neighborhood ALL OF THE TIME. I never realized this until I was outside with Connor and he put his hands in the air, pointing to the sky, every few minutes to make sure that I saw the planes flying overhead.

And Three: airplanes and airshows are worthy of at least 10 conversations. It amazed me how many times the airshow came up in conversations the week before the event. We'd see other families walking in the neighborhood and after a few minutes of small talk, someone would bring up weekend plans.

"Doing anything fun this weekend?"

"Yeah, actually, I mean, sort-of. Did you hear about the airshow?"

AIRSHOWS ARE AWESOME WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE OLDER THAN 16 MONTHS. Put that in your book of important things to remember. I put it in mine.

Not only have we been busy learning about the unbelievable coolness of airshows, but we've also learned about painting. Finger painting, to be specific. All kids love it, right?

How was I supposed to know that there is probably a more age-appropriate activity for a 16 month old? Maybe I didn't have to know in advance of the activity because Connor let me know.

He made it, um, very clear.

UPDATE

2010-10-30T19:47:00.002-04:00

I'm alive. PROMISE. Will post again soon.

Happy 16 months, 3 weeks...

2010-10-17T14:29:00.008-04:00

Connor,

The easiest way to describe your lifestyle these days is to use one simple word: busy. You walk, you run, you bump your head, you keep going, you chase Echo, you babble and point, and you absolutely LOVE to be outside. Your dad and I only get a select few minutes to chat about what is on our minds from the time we pick you up from school to the time we put you into bed. Our evening walks with Echo on her leash and you in your wagon are one of those occasions.

Another favorite of yours these days is reading. If we ask you to please go get a book, you quickly (and I mean QUICKLY) run into your plaly room and grab one. The Barnyard Dance, given to you by Nana, is one of your favorites. I am pretty sure that it is a favorite of yours not only because it is a sweet book but because your parents read it to you in such a fun fashion. We bounce around, make animal noises, and dance to the words in that book. And you, I must admit, are one heck of a dancer. Unfortunately for you, I think you are taking after your parents in that department. But there's still hope. I think.

Please forgive me for the shortness of this letter but I have to run... it sounds like you are waking up from your afternoon nap just a little bit early... and after a deep breath, I am ready to go again.

I love you.

Love,

Mom

Happy, um, 15 months and 3 weeks?!

2010-09-24T19:32:00.006-04:00

Connor,

You are quite the little man these days. Aside from pulling out your classmate's (and girlfriend's) pacifier so that you can more easily plant a kiss on her lips and her returning the peck a few minutes later, you are pretty much the running-around-and-getting-into-everything-child that I thought you would be.

I love it, definitely. It wears me out, definitely. And I'm tired of re-stocking the toilet paper in the upstairs guest bathroom, definitely.

Several nights ago, you did what I suspected was only a matter of time. You dug your hand deep into the container of dog food in our pantry and shoved as much of it into your mouth as you possibly could. Thank goodness for clumbsiness and small hands, I guess, because we think that only one - or two - of those scrumptious bites of Eukanuba dog food made it into your digestive system. As you pointed out, it's OK because Echo eats your food...so it's only fair to return the favor. Right? I tried to talk your dad into taste testing Echo's food last night but he wasn't having it. Not unless I tried the food first. And THAT, obviously, was not in the cards for us.

Besides eating PLENTY of food, what else are you into? Well, you love the toilet. You love to almost throw things into it (luckily we catch you just in time). You love communicating with us in sign language that your dad started teaching you six (or more) months ago. "Please", "thank you", "more", and "milk" are all signs that we communicate with on a daily basis. Obviously, your dad and I mistake this for nothing less than your budding genius skills.

You love to run. And fall. And tumble. Today we received a call with an "incident report" from your school. I no longer panic when I receive these calls because they are fairly regular - - at least one a week. Well, today was the most serious: you fell in the indoor gym and had a knot the size of a golfball on your forehead to prove it. You didn't seem to mind, and the teachers were not in a panic, so we were OK after we got that call. We love you and always want you to be safe, but we've also learned that you are 200% B-O-Y. You fall, you tumble, you trip and you just keep on going. Unless, of course, someone is looking. If they see you, then the tears come rushing down those super sweet and squeezable cheeks.

Connor, you make us smile every day. Probably 100 times a day. I have been known to walk really really fast (almost run) in my work heels when I pick you up at school because I cannot wait to hug you. And hold you. And, of course, I always look forward to seeing Mr. Bunny (or Nu Nu, as you call him), too.

I love you, Connor.

Love,

Mom

Is it still today?

2010-09-14T20:37:00.004-04:00

Today could quite possibly be the longest day of my life. It just went on and on and on... but never fear because the votes are in, all hanging chads have been accounted for, and we have a final result.

As one might expect, after being told to "wait by the phone from 8am until noon" for a phone call from my boss, I was anything but calm. When he called, I am pretty sure that I answered the phone before it actually rang. Not that I was impatient or waiting for his call or anything.

Fortunately, after only a minute or two of small talk, he said the words that everyone longs to hear: "you've been placed".

The Waiting Game

2010-09-13T15:10:00.004-04:00

It’s this weird, hard-to-describe uneasiness. For better or for worse, I will not have any question about the outcome after tomorrow. The uneasiness will give way to change. At least the change will be definite, though. None of this worry that it may be this way or it may be the other way.

After I get that phone call, I will at least know what is going on. And how to proceed. Until then, it’s almost as if I’m in this in-between place. Its a strange, weird, and unstable place. I'm not really motivated but not unmotivated, either.

I am supposed to get a voicemail today indicating a specific time for tomorrow (Tuesday) when I need to be sitting by my phone to find out if my position has been eliminated. The company announced several months ago that layoffs would take place “this Fall”. And now, we’re here. My boss has given me little reason to be worried, pointing to my recent promotion and strong sales performance. But, there is always that chance. No matter how small it is, there is that chance that I will no longer have a job after tomorrow.

I go back and forth about whether or not I think that it is beneficial to know in advance of the layoffs. Since the announcement, motivation for the majority of the sales reps has been lack-luster at best. That’s negative for the company’s desired sales results and negative for the few motivated sales reps that are still out there. Most everyone in the sales force has at least updated their resume, posted it on the appropriate websites, and let friends and family members know that they are interested in learning about any new opportunities that they hear about. Others have taken new jobs or at least started interviewing with other employers. That’s the good thing about advance notice: those with the desire to work elsewhere take this opportunity to do so.

So, today I learn what time this particular uneasiness will end. Even when I find out that I keep my job (being positive here!), it’ll be sad and hard because some of my friends and co-workers may not be as fortunate. We will potentially be aligned to different managers, will definitely have a new territory, will not have counterparts in our new geography, and there will be new customers to learn and friends to help find new jobs. So, today things are the same. Tomorrow they will be very different.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me. Maybe cross your toes, too.

We did it.

2010-09-05T20:19:00.005-04:00

Dennis and I decided that we'd try something outside of our comfort zone: we would go on a parents-only vacation and we would even enjoy it. Maybe we'd laugh. Sleep in. Eat lunch at a random time. We could even get really really crazy and have adult conversations for several hours on end. And then take a nap just because we could.

Well, we did it. (And, I cannot escape being a mother too much this weekend because as I typed "we did it", Dora the Explorer's song came into my head. I've been totally changed, there is no denying that. Plus, that song DOES have a good ring to it.)

Hilton Head is our beach destination of choice because we've been there numerous times and consider ourselves to be in the small elite crowd of beach experts in the area. Our skill level far surpasses others as we watch them struggle to put an umbrella in the sand WITHOUT AN ANCHOR. Or, they come out to the beach with only two towels and nothing else. And, what about the people who spend hours trying to put up a funeral tent only to have it collapse or blow over in the wind?

It's hard being perfect. It really is. We try to hide it, but we just can't. I mean, when you look at the photos below, you can tell that there is NO WAY for us to hide who we are.

Newest Member of the Martin Household

2010-08-24T07:58:00.004-04:00

Please join me in welcoming the newest member of the Martin Household.

And yes, we did need one more margarita machine at our house.

Putting First Things First

2010-08-23T09:49:00.003-04:00

I am always amazed at how things occur at the right time in life... just when it seems like they are supposed to happen. Or when they are needed most. If you think about something and focus your energy on what you want, what you need, where you want to be, you seem to almost cause some type of cosmic force to pull whatever it is you are looking for towards you. You are transformed into a magnet for what it is you are thinking about most. (And, as "The Secret" teaches, it's important that you focus on what you do want, not what you don't want. Your thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy so watch out!)

My magnetism drew a book and a very meaningful church service into my world. The book, "First Things First", is an explanation of what I've been thinking about and going through lately. Usually when I change or grow, I don't realize it. It just happens without my permission. I am definitely different than I was in college but I didn't notice the gradual changes that took place along the way. That's why this change is so important to me: I am fully aware of my changing mindset and views and I have so many new questions for which I need to find answers.

Breaking news flash: life isn't about me. My weekends aren't only "good" if I get to do whatever is most pressing on my personal agenda. It's not whether or not I was able to sleep in or whether I was able to relax and watch a movie. Those things are important and sometimes are exactly what I need to do to achieve my mission in life (and yes, I'm working on my personal mission statement right now!). I am most fulfilled and happy when I do for others, when I spend time on what is most important to me (family, friends, success at work, personal development, leading a balanced life) because I can now confidently make a decision to not focus on what seems urgent but to first spend time doing things that are important. As I've done so many times in the past, when I focus on what appears to be urgent, I do nothing but race around all day and don't have anything meaningful to show for it at the end of the day. One more day has come and gone without any progress on my goals of being a good friend, a good listener, a good wife and mother...

I'm only half way through this book and I can honestly say that I am excited to sit down and read it at every opportunity. I highlight, mark the pages, and take notes on a nearby notepad on ideas of what I want to be included in my personal mission statement. I am thinking about what I would want someone to say about me at my funeral and I will incorporate all of those traits into my personal statement. It's probably going to be a long one, but that's OK.

Dennis and I went to the Buckhead Church this past Sunday and we are both looking forward to going again next week. The series that is being presented is based on how you spend your time and aligns perfectly with my personal crisis right now.

I'm going to continue to ratchet up my magnetism and focus on these questions and changes that I am going through. So if you see books or people or random items flying towards me, don't panic too much. It's that crazy magnetism and my need to learn and grow.

2012

2010-08-20T11:26:00.002-04:00

I. LOVE. THIS.

Here is a great alternative for America for 2012.

Deep Thoughts

2010-08-05T19:49:00.003-04:00

"If life gives you melons, you are probably dyslexic."

Too Much Cleavage

2010-08-03T20:54:00.007-04:00

Shoe shopping is one of the things that I despise most in this world. It's not like I'm asking for that much, either. I want basic black shoes. Heels. Nothing fancy, no frills. But I cannot find a pair of shoes that meet my criteria.

You know that I'm desperate if you see me in DSW. That place makes my heart skip a beat and I have to tell myself over and over that everything will be OK. Take a deep breath and just take it one row at a time and don't look at anything except for the shoes in my row. DO NOT GAZE INTO THE NEXT AISLE.

DSW was calling my name today as I looked down at my sad, black shoes. They've taken me a lot of places, put up with a ton of crap and, all-in-all, they have had a good life. It's just time for me to say goodbye. It was actually time for me to say goodbye several months ago. How old are said shoes? Let's just say that I purchased my wonderful black wedges while I was pregnant. And, yes, Connor is now 14 months old. I TOLD YOU THAT I HATE SHOPPING FOR SHOES!!

I tried on a few different pairs of plain black heels (does anyone still use the term 'pumps' anymore?) but nothing worked. Apparently I have sausage toes or fat feet or something because the shoes that I tried on were all too revealing. I mean, what are girls wearing these days? The worst part about shoe shopping (and there are a lot of items on this list) is finding the perfect shoe ... but after trying it on, realizing that it's too revealing. If it shows a lot of toe cleavage, I can't bring myself to purchase it. Don't get me wrong: I have shown a little toe cleavage in my day but I prefer not to show much. Or any.

And, have Keds been back in style for a while? I saw them for the first time in a L-O-N-G time today.

One of my friends - and co-workers - taught me that you don't wear navy shoes to work even if you are wearing a navy suit. And yes, I learned this just last year. I guess I should have gotten the clue when it was SO HARD to find navy shoes that I liked. Hard to find = not so stylish. Sadly, though, I managed to find them. And wear them. See, I told you that I am a horrendous shoe-shopper. I must be stopped. Please, stop me.

And, another thing (last one, I promise). I think that my feet are smaller after being pregnant. Has anyone else noticed that? More cleavage on my toes and less up top. Pregnancy: the gift that keeps on giving.

This is reason #458,762,125.23 that I need to be rich: I need a personal shopper because I obviously have issues when it comes to shopping for shoes. Or maybe I need to get a special trainer to help me exercise my toes better.

Happy 14 Months (Part Deux)

2010-08-02T19:12:00.006-04:00

Connor,
Today went well. Very well. At least that is what Erika, one of your teachers, said.

The morning started off slow because you didn't want to eat your breakfast nor did you want to put on those awful things called "shoes". Once Dennis had them on your feet, you attempted to walk around (looking like you just finished riding a horse) and kept picking up your feet as if you had stepped in glue or gum or something. You were not very happy to have shoes on your feet this morning as we left the house, but you seemed to at least manage to walk in a some-what normal fashion by the time we arrived at your school.

We went in to your school and you seemed to sort-of recognize the place (which you should, because we've gone by there at least 5 times in an attempt to get you acclimated to the new surroundings). Then, I saw one of your classmates, Daniel, and everything seemed like it would be OK. I knew instantly (call it motherly ESP or whatever you want to call it) that the two of you would be friends because you had something very important in common: a mutual dislike of shoes. He had a sock and shoe on his right foot and his left shoe and left sock were thrown randomly across the room.

You didn't cry when we left because you were too busy gazing at yourself in the mirror and following Daniel as he walked around the room.

When we picked you up, Miss Erika said that you had a wonderful day.

"Really? I mean, he did well and took a nap and everything for you?"

She smiled and said, "Well, he didn't really take a nap. At all. We finally got all of the kids to lay down on their mats or in their cribs and had the lights off... but Connor kept running around. He would lay down for a minute and then jump back up and pull Daniel's hair. Then he reached his arm through Sydney's crib and pulled her hair, too. He was the 'King' of the classroom, for sure."

"And...you said he had a 'good' day? I mean, isn't that 'bad' that he did that? I am sorry."

"Oh, don't worry about it. He was very funny with (insert other new kids' name here). He would go up to him, pull out his pacifier, and walk away with it. Then, when (insert the name you chose a second ago here) started to cry, Connor would go back over to him and put his pacifier back in his mouth."

I was trying to think of how any of this could be construed as 'good' behavior. "So, you mean, at least he was 'good' and didn't put the pacifier in his own mouth?" Ah-hah. I finally caught on.

'Good' is in the eye of the beholder. No matter what you did - or didn't do - you were going to get a positive report card for the day.

I'm glad that you did well but what matters most to me is that you really seemed to have fun today. Thank you for putting my mind at ease knowing that you are going to enjoy your new school and that I don't need to worry about you. Well, at least I don't need to worry about you EVERY SINGLE SECOND while you are at school. Every other second should suffice.

I love you.

Mom

Happy 14 Months

2010-08-01T10:06:00.008-04:00

Connor,

So much has happened in the two short months since you had your first birthday party. You literally walked into your second year of life with lots of energy and the excitement to explore everything. You took your first independent steps a few weeks before your birthday and by the time you hit the 13 month mark, you were no longer taking steps. You were taking leaps and jumps and sprinting back and forth. And so were your dad and I.

I don't make it to the gym nearly as often as I should but I tell myself that it's OK because I do spend the day chasing you up and down the front hallway as you wobble back and forth, following you as you climb the stairs, shutting doors to the bathrooms, putting up Echo's water bowl, and making sure that nothing too dangerous is within your sweet little (chubby) arm's reach. It's a full-time job that we enjoy. But, we also enjoy the few minutes that you spend in our laps watching "Blues Clues" or "The Wonder Pets" on Nick Jr. Those two of three minutes of calmness are much appreciated.

What we appreciate even more are the kisses that you so frequently give us. You prefer to kiss Echo and she will usually give you one when you ask for one by saying, "mom... mom.... mom..." and puckering your lips, ready for her to plant a sloppy one on your face. And, the "sloppy" part is no joke. You really love Echo and I think she might be starting to like you back. Maybe a little.

Tomorrow is your first day of school and I am so nervous! I'm not sure if the flip-flops that my stomach is doing are from my fear of the unknown or my anticipation of what you will think of all your new friends and your teachers. You LOVE Faye, the babysitter, and your friend Kahn. Your Dad and I signed you up for this school because it has a great reputation and we felt like you'd learn a lot more in a structured environment where you can also play and make more friends. You'll probably do great and make change look so easy. I hope so. I really do. I don't want to see those huge tears come down your cheeks when we leave because that just breaks my heart. I am a wuss, yes, I know. You have me wrapped around your little finger.

Your smile and laugh will charm all of your classmates and your teachers in no time. I hope that you will continue to be as happy as you are now for the rest of your life because your smile brightens the room and makes my day. Everyday.

What makes my night is sitting down with you to read "The Napping House". Several months ago, it would take us 30 minutes to read the book because you would point to every animal on EVERY page and I would tell you that "the dog goes rrrufff" and "the cat goes mee-owww". You would look at me, laugh, and try to repeat the noises that the animals make. Now, though, you prefer to skip to the end. I haven't been able to read the first few pages for quite some time (but don't worry, I still have them memorized). Your favorite part is when the wakeful flea wakes up the cat.. and the dog... and the rest of the household.

I love you, Connor, and I hope everything goes perfectly tomorrow!

Love,

Mom

The Simple Things in Life

2010-07-24T17:33:00.007-04:00

We could buy Connor all of the most expensive toys.

OR, we could let him play in the diaper box we just brought home. Diapers out, Connor in.

And I could put him to work in the yard.

Big surprise here, but I prefer the second option.

Well, folks, it's a WIP

2010-07-21T21:15:00.010-04:00

Not sure if it was purely an attempt to be politically correct towards unsuspecting children or what but one of my elementary school teachers would scribble either a "+" or "WIP" on the top of our assignments. I did misbehave quite a bit in elementary school but never was I whipped (maybe I should've been, that might have made things turn out differently...) SO ANYWAY, I either went home with a big smile on my face because I received the esteemed plus sign on my paper or I went home and showed my parents my "WIP".

WORK IN PROGRESS. That's what it meant. It obviously scarred me because I still remember that Mrs. Fales (what a name!) graded our papers that way.

Now to the burning question: What does this irrelevant story have to do with anything?

Nothing, really.

Please forgive the changes that are going on with the background, sidebar, etc., on the blog. I'm not sure how it'll end up but I'm in the process of updating it. There will surely be quite a few snafoo's along the way so brace yourself. Don't you like that white blurry building on the left? That's my barn. In my pretend world, where I have a barn. Or maybe it should be a billboard.

Please pardon the mess while we (I) work to improve your blog-viewing experience. Thanks, Management.

It's a WIP, people. Take a chill pill and call me later.

Wish Someone Told Me This Earlier

2010-07-21T09:34:00.001-04:00

And, yes, this is one of Connor's favorite TV shows. I swear.

You should be scared. Very scared.

2010-07-18T10:01:00.004-04:00

It is understandable that you may have missed the important news earlier in the month that affects your healthcare and the healthcare of the ones that you love. I mean, Lindsay Lohan and LeBron James were the focus on most of the major networks, instead of this little-broadcast-but-very-important update to Obama's healthcare agenda. What is this change, you ask? Dr. Donald Beswick was appointed by Obama as the head of Medicare & Medicaid without going through the normal process of appointment. Hmmm... sounds very similar to the way that the Healthcare Deform Bill was passed. Just forced upon us.

When Linda O’Boyle was diagnosed with bowel cancer, her doctors told her she could boost her chances of survival by adding the drug cetuximab to her regimen. But the rationing body for Britain’s National Health Service, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), had previously ruled that the drug was not cost-effective and therefore would not be paid for by the government. So O’Boyle liquidated her savings and paid for the drug herself. But this is not allowed under NHS rules. When government bureaucrats found out that O’Boyle had purchased the drug with her own money, she was denied NHS treatment and died within months.

As Americans, we have overlooked and dismissed the notion that such an atrocity could take place on our soil. After all, we have the best healthcare in the world. People pay out of pocket to travel here and receive services that they cannot get in their own country. It is not without flaws, but it is far superior to any other option that is available out there. And, lucky for us, Donald Beswick is out to change that for us.

Again, we see evidence of the promised "change" we heard so much about during Obama's campaign. Hopefully people are starting to realize that "change" isn't always for the better; the "change" we will see in our healthcare is far from being beneficial. It's down-right dangerous.

OK, so why is Beswick so bad for our health? He has - on numerous occasions - talked about his love for the British healthcare system. He said, “NICE is extremely effective and a conscientious and valuable knowledge-building system. … The decision is not whether or not we will ration care – the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.”

You are probably thinking, well, that sucks. But it won't affect me because I have insurance through my employer and I won't need to be on the government plan. I'm young and won't be on Medicare for a long time, either. Plus, Obama said OVER AND OVER that if I like my current insurance, I can keep it. Unfortunately, you are wrong. Dead wrong (pun intended).

Without getting lost in the murky details, up to 69% of employers - up to 80% of small businesses - will lose their "grandfathered status" by 2013 and therefore be forced to drop the insurance they once provided for their employees. If you had to take a wild guess on what percentage of American work for a "small business", what number would that be? 20%? 50%? No, try 80%. So, 8 out of 10 of us work for what is referred to as a "small company" and 8 out of 10 of those companies are going to be forced to drop insurance for their employees because of Obamacare. Looks like a lot of us will not, in fact, be able to keep the health care that we currently have - - even if we like it. Looks like another broken promise. But, he has kept his promise that we will see "change"...

Yes, my point is to scare you. And to make you aware of the changes that you are going to see - or your family members on Medicare or Medicaid will be realizing - in the very near future. Sitting around and thinking about it or hoping that others will do something is not enough. You need to be involved and know who you are voting for. We need to elect strong conservative candidates to replace the Democrats (or Republicans, in some cases) that ignored the American people's cry to stop Obamacare. Email your representatives and do you research, which includes more than listening to the main media news outlets. Unless, of course, you'd rather focus your attention on what Lindsay Lohan did in court or what is going to happen now that LeBron James went to Miami. And if that's your focus, then I guess you deserve what you'll get healthcare-wise. Please pay attention and let's get politics out of healthcare.

The Power of a Sale

2010-07-10T18:07:00.010-04:00

It's really amazing what the word "sale" does to me. It has this crazy, uncontrollable effect on me that makes me BUY BUY BUY. Who cares if I need it? It's on sale and therefore I. must. purchase. I don't recommend that you stand in between me and a sale sign.

Poor Dennis was an unsuspecting victim of the most recent sale purchase that I made on Groupon. Coming in at less than half price, I purchased two tickets to the North Georgia Canopy Tour. And the tickets were purchased for two people who are scared of heights: Dennis and me. Ziplining. Yes, you read that correctly: ziplining.

Three hours, 12 ziplines and 4 hikes later, we received our certificate of completion. We enjoyed our day outside, in the canopies, swinging like monkeys from tree to tree.

When you are strapped in by about 30 different ropes and gadgets, I guess the fear of heights dissipates because we had no trouble on our "tour". Or maybe our ferocious sale activist side pulled us through and helped us to navigate through this adventure ... we can - and will - do anything if it's on sale.

Happy Birthday

2010-07-03T15:01:00.004-04:00

To Stephen (today), our country (tomorrow) and my most-favorite-dad (day after tomorrow).

Technology is what I have to blame for not having a cake prepared for any of these celebrations. Well, that, and the fact that I don't really cook. A good woman never takes responsibility for her own actions (or lack of)... she finds something else to blame it on. Regardless of whether or not I made up that rule just now, it is definitely a valid one.

Cards aren't in the mail yet and birthday gifts have yet to be purchased. And yes, technology is my excuse and I'm sticking to that.

I am blaming technology because it distracts me from almost every task at hand. I try to do work and then I end up playing on my blog or going on the Internet to search for something really important, like plastic cups for our margarita machine rental business. Or looking through websites for ideas on how to arrange storage in Connor's play room. The improvements we've seen in technology in the last few years has opened so many doors and allowed me to do so many more things that I never could have done before. But, as I said, it ALLOWS ME TO DO SO MANY MORE THINGS THAT I NEVER COULD HAVE DONE BEFORE. These things suck up my time like our Dyson vacuum does to Echo's pet hair. (More on that later, but let's just suffice to say that I. LOVE. VACUUMING.)

"What type of things does technology allow us to do?", you ask oh-so-politely? Things like Connor's book of his first year. Or the DVD that I made with a collection of Connor videos up to this point. Or, type up a blog post on Margaritas. All of these things are great and wonderful but take time. So, please be patient with me as I try to learn to be patient with myself.

So, back to my excuse. I am behind on shopping for two of my favorite people because of technology. I've been distracted by technology and this almost-walking-and-oh-so-active little man in my house. I love you both, though!

"The Most Exhausting Meal I Never Had"

2010-07-02T15:18:00.004-04:00

In June, we went with the Martins on their annual beach trip. One of the highlights of this trip is usually a very relaxing and enjoyable dinner at a nice restaurant. Notice the use of the word usually in that sentence.

Around 5pm, we all loaded up and headed to the restaurant. I forget the name, but it was a nice Italian restaurant. And yes, we had to get there for the senior citizen special because Connor doesn't do well when he's hungry and he usually eats around 5:30 pm. Come to think of it, I don't do well, either, when I'm hungry.

Anyway, we walk into the restaurant and Dennis points out a fish tank in the entry way to Connor. Connor is impressed and everything is set for a relaxing meal together.

As we sit down, Connor decides to yell, "BAAAHHHHH", in the most polite way possible, of course, every single time that the waiter leaves our table. So, people start to notice us in the restaurant at this point.

Then, he starts to fuss a little bit (his chicken strips weren't ready soon enough) so I took him outside to walk up and down the sidewalk. About 10 minutes later, we re-enter the restaurant.

We sat down and got comfortable again. Well, we almost got comfortable. Within what felt like seconds, he started coughing. I mean, REALLY COUGHING. Oh, I forgot to mention that we took the balloon decorations from the hostess stand to our table to distract Connor. So, we're at the table and he's coughing. And we have balloons at our table. In a nice restaurant.

Dennis takes a turn to pick Connor up and takes him outside. Long story short - - and I mean, LONG STORY short - - he almost chokes on one of the stars that were on the balloon decoration at our table.

After Dennis calms down our coughing (choking) child, the two of them re-join the group.

We are drinking wine quickly at this point and trying not to be stressed. But, it's not working.

About 10 minutes after the hoopla with Connor almost choking, a lady at a nearby table turns around and says, "My husband is in respiratory. You should give your son ice now because he throat is probably inflammed." First, lady, thanks for piping up now. I mean, couldn't she have said something WHILE we were trying to help our coughing, choking son? And, second, lady, what do you mean that your husband is "in respiratory"? Lastly, PLEASE don't look at my husband right now because he is giving you a look that says SHUT THE #$%&&* UP. He means it in the nicest way possible, though.

The chicken strips arrive. SWEET. We start to feed Connor and he manages to grab his glass of whole milk and pull it towards himself. And it goes all over him. I don't think that a drop of milk avoided his body. No way, 100% of his whole milk went straight onto his lap. An entire cup of milk on Connor translates to a blood curdling scream.

At this point, we grabbed Connor and went to the car. The Martins said that they would get our food to go. As we left, laughing, Dennis told me, "that was the most exhausting meal that I never had".

We pulled up to the beach house after a short drive and realized one more thing: we didn't have a key. And the doors were all locked. NICE.

We busted through a screen door on the patio and through a window into the kitchen. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect night of chaos. Fun, perfect, stressful, chaos. So, it's official. We were THOSE PEOPLE at dinner. But, y'know what? There is no one else in the world that I would have rather been.

And then, all at once, our life changed.

2010-06-23T21:13:00.002-04:00

While at Pawley's Island this past week, Connor decided that he wasn't just going to sit around and watch everyone go up and down (and up and down) the stairs. No way. He wanted to climb them, too.

And, as you might guess, Dennis launched operation babygate-installation-gone-wild at our house as soon as we got home this afternoon.

One Year Ago...

2010-06-14T17:50:00.005-04:00

Ok, so it was slightly more than a year ago (June 2nd, 2009), but we've been very busy with the little man in our household so forgive me!

To my sweet little boy,

This past year has been truly amazing. Everyone in our household has learned so much about each other and fallen more in love each day. And yes, even Echo has fallen in love with her little brother (and, by the way, she loves you the most when you don't pull her hair, her tail, or sneak up on her).

Your dad and I thought that you would never roll over (on purpose) onto your stomach, or really crawl (not just the wounded soldier crawl that you did for so long) and now you are about to walk on your own. You are pulling yourself up on your crib, the coffee table, and just about anything else that you can get your hands on. You stretch just as far as you possibly can to reach from one object to the next. It's becoming more clear each day that crawling is for sissies.

Connor, you are going to be quite the talker. That might be a trait inherited from me... not sure, though. At times, your baby babble doesn't seem like it is going to end...EVER. You keep talking (and getting louder) as you get excited. "Mama" and "Dada" have come out of your mouth numerous times but your favorite word is very obvious: "ba" (ball).

In the last 12 months, you've traveled to Missouri three times, visited Hilton Head, scoped out Destin with Nana, Papa & AK, and checked out the North Georgia mountains with the Surgalas. And, you are lucky enough to have another trip to the beach planned with BAM and Grandpa Martin in the next few weeks. You are quite the well-traveled man.

A well-traveled man, yes, and also a ladies' man. Samantha smooched you when we went to the North Georgia mountains and she had no shame. She planted a kiss on your cheek right in front of us (you were stationery in your bouncy-seat). Then, at your 1st birthday party, you were all about crawling over to Samantha and kissing her back. She didn't seem to mind, though. That was all good and well until we went to Missouri where you had a lot of fun kissing on Georgia (and she on you) on the living room couch.

I look at you now and think about how big and how old you are. And how fast it happened. But one thing that will never get old is your contagious laugh and your sweet smile. Everyone comments on how happy you are and I just love that about you.

While I won't let you forget that you were supposed to make your debut May 30th 2009 and instead made your appearance several days LATER, Please know, that I will never forget the day you did arrive and how much more sweet you've made our lives since that very moment.

Happy 1st birthday, Connor!

Love,

Mom

I'm Not Going to Cry. No Way.

2010-05-31T14:42:00.015-04:00

Connor transformed from being a little baby boy to being a little BOY right in front of my eyes today. And I couldn't do anything to stop it. With his first haircut, he left babydom behind him and entered toddlerhood.

As much as I love Connor's beautiful hair, the whole helmet-head hairdo just wasn't doing it for him anymore. Well, it might have been "doing it" for him, but not-so-much doing it for his parents. So we went to Snip-Its for his first haircut this afternoon.

It was a surprisingly easy process. Connor cooperated with the nice lady cutting his hair and didn't fuss at all. I was the one doing the fussing. I mean, I wasn't doing an all-out-cry, but tears definitely appeared at the corners of my eyes. I don't know where they came from, but all of the sudden I realized that we have a little boy now, not a baby.

The lady cutting his hair laughed at my sentimentalness. She said, "you cry now because you see him growing up. BELIEVE ME, you'll be jumping for joy when you see him all grown up and leaving the house for college." Did she not realize that just thinking about him going to his first day of pre-school or kindergarten makes me emotional, much less imagining him leaving the house for college? I mean, HELLLOOO.

It's crazy to think about how much of my life was spent pre-Connor, or BC (Before Connor). And, in just one year, he's captured my heart and I cannot imagine a minute without him.

Think I could get a certificate like this the next time I go to the salon? If I ask really, really nicely??

((This is my first attempt at playing with the video software we have. I promise not to make a video of EVERYTHING we do and I also promise to learn how to put music or other background music on during the photo slideshow. Suggestions are welcome.))

Catching Up

2010-05-29T16:56:00.007-04:00

My parents, who aren't really "beach people", planned a beach trip to Destin, Florida in early May. While they aren't big fans of the beach, they are big fans of their grandson. Go figure. And, since Kelly, Dennis, and I are drawn to the ocean, it worked out perfectly. We had a relaxing time in the sun while my parents played with their grandson. Connor thoroughly enjoyed himself, too.

While his parents were soaking in the rays, Connor decided to push himself up from his wounded-soldier crawling position into the sitting position. We thought that this would never happen! And, with the encouragement of his grandparents, Connor began to learn how to pull himself up onto furniture and all of the sudden a new world opened up to him. And a big part of our world closed us off.

Connor has officially been on the move for some time but once he realized that he could actually reach the items that he had been staring at for the last 11 months, it was all over. For us. And it was just beginning. For him.

May 13th was the first time that we SAW Connor pull himself up in his crib. I say that it is the first time we SAW him do this because we secretly think that he has been able to pull himself up, walk, talk, and do all kinds of things. But he only does it when we aren't looking. He probably sits in his crib, reads books, calls his friends and does all sorts of things. But he is going to make us wait to see those skills.

And, it's fine that he is going to make us wait. It really is. He is changing way too fast as it is. Our little baby is no longer a baby. He is a sweet little boy.

No If's, And's, or Butt's About It...

2010-05-18T20:52:00.003-04:00

Kidney Stones Update

2010-05-11T19:59:00.005-04:00

So, tomorrow I go in for yet another lithotripsy. The third time has to be the charm, right? The kidney stone giving me the most trouble right now didn't break up the last time we did this procedure so I am hopeful that it is going to cooperate with us better for round #3.

It's funny how things happen in life and just when you think you are big and brave (because you have to be, once you become a mother), you find yourself wanting to be held and told that everything will be just fine. I guess I felt like we have been so busy lately that I asked Dennis if he could please just drop me off and pick me up at the appropriate times and I thought that I would be OK. He asked me if I was sure and I laughed at him: it is a simple out-patient procedure and I am fine. F-I-N-E.

Then, we were at dinner (surprise: eating at our mexican restaurant) a week or so ago and I asked Dennis if he would come to the next surgery. There's something comforting about knowing that he's there, in the waiting room, not far from me. Of course he said that he'd be there and reminded me that he wanted to be there for the other two rounds of lithotripsy, but I told him not to be.

So, tomorrow will come and go and everything will be easier and better because Dennis will be there.

It's kind-of like when we die and are buried next to each other. I made Dennis promise that we will each have walkie-talkies in our coffin as well as a TV. (1) We need to be able to talk to each other because, yes, we will STILL have things to talk about and (2) who knows how long we'll be down there before going up to heaven so we absolutely need a TV to help pass the time. Helllooo.

Ah-hem. Back to the kidney stones. After the first lithotripsy, I remember asking the Anesthesiologist to tell me exactly what drugs he gave me. He named a few that I didn't recognize and then mentioned Propofol. I looked at him and said, "Not Propofol! That's what they gave to Michael Jackson!" I don't remember as much immediately after the second surgery, but the Anesthesiologist said that I kept saying, "I sell drugs by day and margaritas by night".

My point in all of this is that you shouldn't feel bad for me because Dennis will be with me and we are going to blow this sucker to smitherines tomorrow. And, don't feel bad for Dennis as he is definitely in for some random conversations as he drives me home post-lithotripsy. But, now that I think about it, we have those random conversations everyday already... So, OK, feel bad for Dennis.

Bueller?

2010-05-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

I am still alive. I promise. And I'll post something really soon.

Duh.

Why I Despise Obamacare

2010-04-15T11:57:00.009-04:00

You might've noticed my lack of response about a horrendous bill that was recently signed in to law. The Obamacare nightmare has really upset and scared me so I've waited a little while to think about what I want to write and how to not completely go off on how terrible this bill is for all of us. Not only is the bill life-threatening, it was passed without any regard for the proper procedures for approving a bill. Obama and his team forced this atrocity down the throats of the American people. They had to, though, I guess. Because no one wanted it. No one except for him, that is. The good ol' Almighty Obama.

I am not saying that we don't need healthcare reform. And don't let yourself be fooled that this IS anything of the sort. A vote for this bill was merely a vote for higher taxes, fewer benefits, higher premiums and bigger deficits. And as Herman Cain said so eloquently, this is not a healthcare reform bill, rather it is a healthcare deform bill.

While cruising the Internet in search of details tucked away in this bill, I came across the article below. I couldn't sum it up any better. Please take a minute to read it and hope that you don't get sick. Ever.

The most remarkable immediate result of the vote is, well, nothing much at all. Next year is already slated to be a tough year for Americans, as the expiration of the Bush tax cuts promises to suck billions from the private sector. Now ObamaCare's mandates will increase health spending by businesses and households -- with more "health-reform" tax hikes set to hit in the years ahead.

That's not to say there will be no short-term effects. The bill immediately redefines youth to age 26, mandating that group and individual health plans cover adult "children" up to that age. This will certainly increase premiums, as will the new law's ban on policies that have lifetime and annual limits on health-care services.

Americans will also start to pick up a portion of the $20 billion in tax hikes imposed on medical-device companies, as well the new taxes on drug manufacturers. And we'll no longer be allowed to buy over-the-counter medications with our flexible-spending accounts.

But the most onerous of the bill's taxes start to take effect in 2013. Families with incomes greater than $250,000 will pay a higher Medicare Payroll Tax up to 2.35 percent, plus a new 3.8 percent tax on interest and dividend income. With this stroke, Democrats have managed to punish both work and the savings of American families.

Congress radically cuts the annual contribution to flexible health-care spending accounts from $5,000 to $2,500 and limits deductions of catastrophic health-care expenses. Both moves promise hardship for families that face costly, chronic medical conditions. Half of those who take advantage of the medical-expense deduction earn less that $50,000 a year.

By 2014, the new law will certainly put the health-insurance market in full crisis. That's the year insurers will have to offer polices to all comers -- charging healthy people the same premiums as those who waited until they were sick to buy a policy. That reform has devastated the private-insurance market in every state that has adopted it -- pushing premiums so high that more than half of individual and small group policyholders drop their insurance altogether. These people will have nowhere to get except the federally created and subsidized "insurance exchanges." Meanwhile, fines of $2,000 per employee will fall on businesses with 50 or more workers if any employee gets a subsidy from the federal government.

Starting in 2018, "Cadillac" insurance plans will be taxed -- individual polices over $10,200 a year and family plans over $27,500. The way the tax is "indexed," in time it'll cover more and more Americans -- just as the Alternative Minimum Income Tax, first targeted at the super-rich, now hits millions in the middle class.

The individual mandate is laughably weak, with fines starting at one-half of 1 percent of income in 2014 and topping out at 2 percent in 2016. Many Americans will game the system, paying the fine until a major health expense hits, and then buying insurance at government-mandated rates as if they were healthy.

It is clear from the polls that 56 percent of Americans don't want the government to take over their health care. But Obama, Pelosi and Reid don't care: They believe that government should be bigger and is better able to make decisions than individuals about how to run their lives.

There's no doubt that under this plan, taxes for all Americans will go up, deficits will climb, care will be rationed and all of us will be on their way to living under a government-run system of "Medicaid for all.

If you still TRULY believe that the current administration was trying to help more people afford health insurance, rather than redistribute wealth, then you are sorely mistaken. You must either be a true socialist or you just aren't paying attention.

Insurance premiums will go up, taxes will increase, healthcare services and quality will be rationed, and we are all screwed. Now THAT is change that we can believe in.

Happy Tax Freedom Day

2010-04-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Up until today, you've been a slave. Your work, time away from family, stress, and intelligence have all been payed to one entity: our goverment. Hooray.

Enjoy your freedom as you are now, for the remainder of 2010, allowed to keep what you earn. Who would've thought that we could reap the benefits of our own labor? Or that we are all, in essence, federal slaves for more than one quarter of the year?

And don't think that it's getting better any time soon. As large deficits have proven in the past, the "Tax Freedom Day" will likely move later and later in the next few years. Our administration is increasing the deficit and taxes so feverishly that I have no doubt that we'll all be slaves for progressively longer amounts of time each year. Yay.

While the word "free" typically evokes positive feelings, when you tell me that I've been working for free, in essence, up until today...well, let's just say that I have some not-so-positive feelings about that. Unless being positively pissed off counts.

The silver lining here is that as of today, you can relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You get to keep what you earn. Well, that is, until next year.