Monday, December 11, 2006

Babies Again

Just finished these announcements for a friend. What a cute little baby.

The top one is the one that she decided to print. That was my favorite too. I love it when the the song bird gets orders, it makes me feel cool, and less worn-out-mommy-ish. Not that being the worn out mommy isn't a good thing to be too, its just nice to have a change now and then.

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Christmas Memories

Wow! Still swamped...not that I am looking for sympathy from any of you folks. Yeah I read your blogs I know you all have your Christmas shopping done, your decorations up, your blog written in, and you are just as busy as me. I am in awe of all of you. So I know I don't deserve any sympathy, just wanted to explain the long absence. I don't even really have time to post today, but oh, this is such a cute story I have to document it.

SO the other day I did get the Christmas tree up, and pulled out some of the other decorations. I did most of the work while Bugaboo was napping, so when he woke up he was enraptured by all of the new things in his world. He was immediately drawn to my nativity, which I had put on the coffee table. Since Bugaboo usually claims all of the real estate on the coffee table for himself I thought we might have some issues. I carefully explaiend to him that this was Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus, and they were very nice to look at, but we couldn't play with them, becasue they were very special and we had to treat them nicely. Bugaboo was so sweet he got his face as close as he could to the Holy Family and exclaimed a reverently awed "ohhh." I thought it might work, I might get to keep my centerpiece the way it was, and soon we moved on to putting ornaments on the tree. Bugaboo started helping me decorate the Christmas tree (if you can call anything that an almost two year old does helping). He was really digging seeing all the ornaments. Then we pulled out the little lamb ornament. The little lamb ornament, is one of my favorite ornaments. My dad gave it to me a few years ago, because all growing up on our Christmas tree every year there was the "little blue lamb" ornament. The little blue lamb was small, its body was about the size of a jelly bean, and mishapen, but it was very special. That ornament was special because my dad had made it when he was little with his dad. The little legs on the lamb were the most bizarre thing about it. They were all different sizes and not shaped at all like a lamb's legs should be. My dad explained to me that when they made it they cooked it in the oven to harden it, but it cooked too long and the legs burned a little. But it was still really special, because they had made it together. My dad's dad had a lot of issues in his life and consequently wasn't the father he could have or should have been. I always got the immpression that making the little blue lamb was one of the few activities that my dad remembered doing with his dad. The little blue lamb was special I think because it was sort of symbol of my dad's relationship with his dad, it was a piece of his history. So every year us kids would decorate the Christmas tree and save the little blue lamb for my dad, and he would put it on the tree every year, because it was his special ornament. So a few years ago my dad bought six little lamb toys and made them into oranments for his children. My lamb is much healthier looking than the little blue lamb, as is my relationship with my dad. Whenever I look at my little lamb ornament I think about my dad, and what a good man he is despite the many challenges he faced in his childhood, and I appreciate him for being a good dad. So when we pulled out the little lamb ornament this year I was happy when I saw that Bugaboo loved it too. He of course wanted to play with it, so I let him for a few minutes and then talked him into putting it on the tree. So the little lamb was on the tree and I moved on to other things.

I was busy with some other decorating project when I noticed Bugaboo pull the lamb off the tree. He thought that I wasn't watching as he playfully trotted the lamb over to the Nativity. I was pretty sure that in a few seconds I would be forcefully pulling the Baby Jesus and the lamb ornament from my toddlers fingers while he screamed over the injustice, and I tried to find a new place for my nativity, but instead of intervening prematurely, I just observed. Bugaboo put the lamb right on the Baby Jesus, it looked like he was having the lamb nibble on Baby Jesus. I thought to myself "Oh, I'm pretty sure this is not appropriate, and we even just talked about how these figure were special and needed to be treated nicely." As I was resigning to the fact that I really couldn't expect my toddler to understand why these figures should be treated reverently, Bugaboo made a little smooch sound for the lamb then I understood, the lamb wasn't nibbling he was giving Baby Jesus kisses. Then the lamb moved to Mary and gave her a little kiss too, and then Joseph also was gently kissed by the lamb. Then the lamb trotted back to the tree. It was one of the sweetest Christmas moments I have ever experienced, my little Bugaboo for a brief second was a shepherd with one little special lamb, adoring the Christ child. I love Christmas becuase of memories like this.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Christmas is coming

And oh I love the holiday season, but I am swamped trying to get ready early for the holiday season. So I will blog again soon...as soon as things calm down in the Notes household, I PROMISE.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Update

Thanks ladies, I really appreciated everyone's sympathy on that last post, its been a crazy month, but November is looking better, we're all healthy right now so I'm hoping for the best.

Things have been crazy here at our house the last few days, so I haven't been able to blog. I am still pretty swamped so this just a quick note, since this is one of those things I don't want to forget...

Bugaboo has been talking for quite awhile now, but its just been in the last few weeks that he has switched from mimicry (sp?) to actually using those words to comunicate and tell me what he needs/wants. Its wonderful, I never knew how useful the words milk, juice, cheese, up, down, more, all done, and poop are. Funny... the things that parenting teaches you to appreciate.

Monday, November 6, 2006

Health Report

Ok, in the last month, Bugaboo and I have been to the doctor's office five times, and also spent about six hours in the emergency room one lovely morning. Collectively we have had four ear infections, a sinus infection, one enduring case of pneumonia, and now the new member to our not so exclusive ailment club one splotchy case of Roseola. Roseola! I had to look it up on the internet, because I didn't know what it was. Basically it is a virus (translation: when red spots break out all over your child who has had a fever for three days, you freak out rush him to the doctor, on the verge of tears only to have the doctor tell you to take your incredibly irritable toddler home and give him tylenol because there's nothing they can do for a virus except collect your $20 co-pay on your way out of the office).

Seriously! winter is just getting started and we are already having serious health issues, I am scared for the rest of the season...I guess we better go get our flu shots and stock up on vitamin c, does anyone else having any suggestions?

Monday, October 30, 2006

Thoughts on Learning

So I have been working on the website again. I have been getting a lot of hits, on the site, but not a lot of orders, and I decided that maybe people are a little intimidated at having to pay for a product that they have never even seen. So I changed things up a bit and made it so that customers can submit an order and I will make them a proof and then they can choose whether to purchase it or not after they have viewed the finished proof and made any changes that they want to. It will create a little bit more work for me, but I think in the long run it will be worth it. To implement this new plan I had to learn more programming skills, and I admit it right now my order form is pretty barebones, but I am learning how to write new scripts and I hope that I will have an even better website soon. If any of you lovely folks out there have constructive critisism for me on the website I would love to hear it.

I am so proud of myself, and learning new things makes me feel so good. I feel like as a mother sometimes (perhaps as a result of all of the Teletubbies' episodes I've watched) my brain power gets a little dull. This website has really made me feel empowered because I built all of it by myself. If I didn't know how to do something, I learned. A year ago I never would have thought that I could do this, and now I can, and with all this I think an amazing thing happened...I got better at learning. Just like any other skill I have found that learning is a skill, a skill that is powered not by intelligence, or talent or anything fabulous and unique like that, it is powered completely by will, desire, and hard work.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

I think I'm channelling Jane, Louisa May, or at least one of the Brontes

Ok you know the story, a bunch of poor sisters have no inheritance and must strike it rich with by attracting the right husband, and what always happens...one of the sisters gets sick, we all think she's not going to make it, there may be an eloquent speech by one of the other sisters, and of course then the handsome (and wealthy) suitor shows up with the doctor, or mother, or whoever has the magic touch and sister pulls through. So last week my hubby goes out of town, and I go to Utah to visit my family, and what do you know, I have a cold, with a cough, a really bad cough, then I have a fever for days, then I wake up one morning and I swear there is a fat kid sitting on my chest and I can't breath. My mom takes me to the emergency room, and I find out its not an invisible fat kid, its pneumonia. PNEUMONIA! What is that all about? Don't they know, I'm a mom with a very busy boy, who doesn't grant me sick days? It doesn't matter I am sick and it is out of my control. I hate when things are out of my control. The doctor does however ride in on his white horse, not with my wealthy suitor, but medication...thank heaven for antibiotics, and I am sent on my merry way. My fabulous suitor who am I lucky enough to already be married to does arrive to comfort me as soon as he can, and my wonderful family really stepped up to take care of Bugaboo, but I have been flat on my back for about a week and a half now. I am finally starting to feel a little bit better, but it has been a slow process. Even now I can only do a few things before I am tired and shaky. I feel like a Jane Austen sister who has come through her illness, but now has to slowly convalesce out on the veranda with a quilt and a parasol, listening to someone play the piano forte. Its sounds lovely at first, but seriously I've got stuff to do, oh well...sister will you straighten my quilt I think I feel a bit of a draft?

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Celebrations...

Tuesday we went to Artic Circle for lunch, of course Little Man doesn't know that we go there for lunch. In fact he always seems really surprised when I strap him into one of those wooden high chairs and try to make him eat french fries. The poor kid he is so put upon. Little Man thinks that we go to artic circle for the play place that is housed there. It is shaped like a gigantic fish and has two slides a big one and a little one. Being an only child my little Bugaboo has always loved to see all of the other kids playing around him, but he usually just hangs out at the bottom of the fish steps letting the other kids whir and rotate around him.

Well this week he surprised me. As I chatted and with the other moms from the table I was sitting at I saw Little Man easily climb the steps to the first slide he sat himself down at the top of the slide and then started to look for me. I knew that what he wanted was for me to help him down the slide. He loves slides, but always likes mom or dad to hold on to him a little when sliding down. I could see him, but he hadn't spotted me yet so I just kept quiet and stayed in my seat, wanting to see what bugaboo would do. Sure enough after a few seconds of hesitation my little man slid down the slide ALL BY HIMSELF! I was so proud and so was Little Man he got to the bottom of the slide and stood up and started looking for me again, this time he spotted me and trotted right over to where I was. He hopped over to me beaming, and chattered all about what he had done. Of course I didn't understand anything that he said, but I am sure that if I could speak baby it would have translated to "Mom, did you see that! I went all the way down the slide all by myself!" He went down the slide over and over again and I had to drag him away when it was time to go.

It made me feel so good to see Bugaboo do something so brave, because confidence is something that I have really wanted to give to my son. As a child I was an extremely fearful child, you name it, I was afraid of it. If there was something to worry about, I would do it. I didn't like camping because I was afraid that the tent would fall over on me. I didn't like being left in the car while my mom ran to the neighbors doorstep for a minute because I was a afraid that the car would roll away. I was terrified of fog, because I was afraid that my parents wouldn't be able to find their way home from wherever we were. Seriously I had issues. I think part of the problem was that I was hard wired to be more worried than perhaps another child, but I also think that I lacked alot of confidence that could have been learned. And later in my life, I did learn a little more confidence, but it took years. So when I started to notice that Little Man seemed particularily fearful in unknown situations, and especially of people, I figured that he had inherited a little of my worrier streak. But I don't want Bogaboo to spend his entire childhood doubting himself, so I've been trying to make a conscious effort not to enable his fearfulness. Nothing big, I just try not to run to the rescue whenever there is a task before him that I know he can handle, but doesn't want to. I have been trying to leave him with a babysitter that isn't grandma every now and then. I've been trying not to over dramatize the little falls and scrapes, and instead cheer for him when he gets up, and I guess that's the big thing, I try to remember to cheer for him whenever I can, because when you're one and a half every little victory is a big one. So yes when he went down the slide all by himself it was a big deal and it made us both feel really proud.

Later that day, in honor of Shane being home for the afternoon (a needed break from what is truning out to be a stressful work week month), Bugaboo and I took Dad to the park. Now the park had a much bigger slide. Bugaboo led Shane straight up to the slide and slid right down.

This time I waited at the bottom, just in case, because it was a lot bigger and I was nervous he might slide himself right off the end, but he did great, and had a great time showing his dad all of the park features.


It was such a fun outing we chased ducks,

rolled in fall leaves,

and yes slid down many more slides. I think that this is what life is about. Celebrating the little accomplishment and cheering each other on.


This post is dedicated to my dear husband, who has not gotten to see as much of his family as of late because he carries the burden of protector and provider and has had to work. I am so grateful that he works so hard for us, and that everyday he makes Bugaboo and I feel like we truly are what is important in life.

Monday, October 9, 2006

Weekend Report

I had the most lovely weekend. I have been feeling a little crazed and overwhelmed. So this weekend I went on vacation. I left Little Man home with Shane and went to the neighbors for a srapbooking fest. It was so fabulous to have a little time to myself, and when I came back I found that baby and hubby were both perfectly happy, and my clean house was still clean. Now all of you must stand up and cheer for my lovely hubby who made this all possible. It felt so good to visit with friends and eat treats, and not worry about anyone else but me. I felt so relaxed when I came home and...dun da dah dun...
I have several new scrapbook pages to boot. Woohoo!


Wednesday, October 4, 2006

The Wonder of Boys

So yesterday was a much better day for those of you that were worried. Thanks for the encouragement.

I just have one funny story to share today. Last night I went in the bathroom where Shane was giving Maso a bath after another yogurt incident. We were talking away about something grownup and boring, and well I suppose that Maso felt a little neglected, becuase he chose that time to lean over grunt and, well,...fart. Yep, the kids made bubbles in the tub, and Shane and I being such refined and sofisticated parents burst into uncontrollable laughter. Well, at this point Maso was feeling very proud of himself, and DID IT AGAIN, and then while looking at us with pride and joy on his face he pointed to the water and said, "bubble!"

He is such a boy.

Monday, September 25, 2006

We're Back

What a fabulous weekend we had! Hubby and I left little man home with grandma, and went to...Egypt. Yep, you read that right we went to Egypt, just for the night. It was fabulous.

It was so great to be just me and Shane for awhile, and since grandma was sleeping at our house with the litte guy we didn't even have to worry about him. In fact after being in Egypt for a few hours I have to admit that not only did we not worry about him, we didn't talk about him, and I spent entire minutes not even thinking about him. Now dearies don't get me wrong you know I love the little man, but you know sometimes I worry that parenthood has completely eclipsed couplehood, which is fine I guess, but its nice to know that Shane and I still have things to talk about besides what new words we learned today, and how much little man ate that day (or even better how much little man pooped that day).

I learned this weekend that motherhood has put me into a constant state of hurried/stress mode. As we left for our romantic get away I couldn't shake the feeling that we needed to hurry and get there, I realized that I feel that way, because every other place I ever go is done in the company of the ticking tantrumy-grabby-breaky-things 18 month old time bomb that is my little boy (hence my new resolve to do all my shopping on the internet from now on, because paying the extra shipping cost is better than the looks I get for the 17 yr old store clerks who will have to clean up the mess that my toddler just made while my attention was averted for a whole 4 seconds). It took realizing this to help me to really relax, and after I did it was wonderful. We had a great time, and I am so glad that I am married to such a wonderful man. Happy Anniversary Love.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Busy, busy, bee

That's what I have been lately a busy, busy, bee (or momma take your pick). I have been cleaning my house in preparation for two different visits from family; entertaining the the family; taking care of little man all by myself while Shane is out of town again, doing research on a subject I know almost nothing about so that I can pick out the perfect anniversary present for hubby (more on that later); preparing the primary program for take off, and filling another order (woohoo!) for my website. Wowser I am tired, and the weekend is just getting started.
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Hubby and I are celebrating our anniversary this weekend, by leaving little man home with Grandma (thank you Grandma) and heading off for a night in Egypt. We are going to this fun little theme room bed and breakfast, and staying in the Egypt room, its like a mini vacation I am so excited, and will tell you all how it went when I get home.

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Like I said before I got to fill another order for the website this week. I was so flattered that Stephanie from Princess Mom let me make her some baby announcements for her new baby. I really had fun making these, they turned out cute and are also posted in the gallery on the website.

This one is a nice girly design.


And this is the one that she decided to print, I just love that sweet little sleepy baby picture.


(Of course Spider's name is not Marianne or Avery, I like to change all names when posting them on my site.)

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Good News and Bad News


Well folks, the good news is that is a monstorous pile of clean laundry, the bad news is that somebody's got to fold it and put it all away. So in other words it may be awhile, before I have time to post again.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

That kid!

Little man is getting so big. He is walking and running all over the place, and recently he has started to talk a lot. It so amazing to see his vocabulary grow daily. The other day when we were at the park from the grassy spot where I was sitting I saw Mason intently playing with something small and dark I casually asked him what it was (not really expecting a reply) and he said to me clear as day "bug, mom." Shane says to me, "it sounded like he said bug," I say "it sure did." And sure enough Mason puts the little thing down and it CRAWLS AWAY, all the while Mason is hopping around it pointing and saying, "bug, bug, bug!" It was a lady bug to be exact. I didn't even know that he knew that word, the kid never ceases to amaze me.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Khalid M. Shahid


Septemeber 11, 2001 Khalid M. Shahid went to work. I imagine that he didn't feel any differently about this day than another, but this day was different this was the day that would change the world, but Khalid didn't know that. He didn't know how he would be a part of it, and he didn't know how much he would be missed.

He just went to work that day and was his usual self. His usual self was the person that everyone loved so much. His usual self was the person that would have this said about him:

"I'm very thankful to God that I had the opportunity to have had such a special friend like Khalid in my life. Khalid made me become a better person and see the good in all. He touched my life in a way that I will always be grateful of his love, kindness and appreciation."


"KHALID WAS A VERY GOOD HEARTED PERSON TO ANYBODY..."

"Khalid never said a bad word about anyone, just about as gentle as they come."

"He was the most compassionate and caring soul, and I miss him."

"Khalid had a positive impact on anyone he met"

I feel humbled to have had this opportunity to write about someone so special, and wish the best to his friends and family may they be blessed and comforted on this day of rememberance.

Saturday, September 9, 2006

Bumps in the night, and lumps in my bed...

Shane has been out of town all week this week. I hate it when Shane goes out of town because in all honesty it. freaks. me. out. This is something they don't tell you about marriage. They don't tell you that once you get married you will be petrified to sleep in your house by yourself, or worse with your defenseless toddler sleeping down the hall, you being the only one there to protect him from the boogy man who is no doubtedly lurking just outside, and waiting for you to turn the lights off. Seriously, I have got to stop watching CSI.

One thing I was excited for this week was to sleep on "the cloud." The Cloud is the most wonderfully soft and lovely bed I have ever slept on. It was a wedding present from my mother who works at a furiniture store thus getting a great discount and so she was able to slpurge a little on this one. I love this bed, the only problem with it is that Shane is quite tall 6'7" to be exact, and so the queen size bed was a little small for him. So after a few years of sleeping with his feet hanging over the edge, he decided that we really needed to upgrade to a larger bed the California king. Now Shane fits just great in bed his bed, but oh I still miss the cloud bed. The big one just isn't nearly as comfortable and soft. So I thought this week since Shane was gone, and I was sleeping by myself anyhow, that I would sleep on the cloud downstairs in the guest room (oh those lucky guests). So the first night I went to sleep down there, and I chickened out, the basement seemed, well way creepy to me. I just couldn't do it. So I've been sleeping in my regular bed all week, but oh you are thinking at least I get to sleep in the middle instead clinging to one side all night right? Oh, no no no, I rolled over to the middle and felt like I was sleeping on a barrel! Yep you guessed, Shane and I each have our own respective body divets in the bed. So I settled into my own little body impression, and soon fell fast asleep, oh wait I mean laid awake all night listening to all of the weird noises that my house makes, and hoped they were not the boogy man.

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In other news Song Bird Design (my little business) got another order this week. Beth from Total Mom Haircut (don't you love that title) was one of the people that responded to my coupon offer a little while ago, and this week I made her a new address announcement card. This is the first moving announcement that I've done, so it was really a fun project to do. Here are the designs I made for her to choose from:






And this is the design that she decided to print.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Big laughs ahead... (I promise this is a good one)

Ok I ran into this handy contraption over at Chris's blog, and I laughed so hard I had to share it on mine too, because some of you might have missed it and hello! this is freakin' hillarious.

Is it bad that I think it might not be such a bad idea, I mean really I can just see it I have to pee, oh wait, let me hang my kid up.
I remember in my childless days explaining to Shane (because for some reason this doesn't happen in men's rooms) how I hated it when I had to use the restroom while a lady with a toddler was in there also because while you can't fault the mom because come on even moms need bathroom breaks, its rather disconcerting when (inevitably) her toddler sticks his head under the stall wall just to see what's going on in your stall. Well now I am that mother and let me tell you what: moms DO need bathroom breaks, and seriously holding onto a screaming toddler who is simultaneously trying to unroll all the toilet paper, roll on the floor, and yes inspect all the other potty goer's stalls, while replacing the seat protector because it got flushed by the automatic flusher for the third time before I even got to pee, is well, difficult.

And seriously think of all the other uses...oh too funny.

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Work, work, work

I am so happy for the return of My Life Monday...


I have had many jobs over the years. Some of them have been very memorable, but I would have to say that the best story comes from my first job.

Ok I blame it on my parents for not preparing me better for the real world (no way is it my fault), because when I graduated from high school I had never had a job before, and I finally realized that I needed one. So I started looking it was very stressfull and I admit I was a little picky about where I wanted to work...at first, then I started to get desperate. Finally I applied for a job at TJ Maxx, and was hired. Oh I was so proud of myself. So my first day I went to work, we learned about company policies, and other such things, and then it was time for us to learn how to use the cash registers. So there I am standing there at the front of the store listening to how to use the cash register, and I start to think "oh my, I have terrible cramps." Yes of all days aunt flo had chosen this one to show up, so I am standing there trying to listen, to how to ring up a sale when I think to myself, "these cramps are really bad, ouch, ouch they really hurt, oh man am I uncomfortable, I think I will just lay my head down on the counter and rest a minute, hey why is everything all dark and blurry..." A few second later I woke up with several of my new co-workers standing around me. And one very helpful customer shoving a lifesaver into my mouth. Yes I had passed out, now that was embarrassing enough (pretty much I wanted more than anything to find the nearest hole to crawl in and die), but then the lady from the customer service desk yells for everyone to hear, "THEY WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY WAY SHE COULD BE PREGNANT!"

Huh? who wants to know? Why the 911 people of course, don't worry Nicole, the ambulance is on its way. By now EVERYONE is looking at me, the not so helpful customer is trying to swab my head with a dripping wet paper towel, and I am actually praying that the earth will just open up and swallow me right there on the spot. I try to explain that I am not pregnant I just have cramps. They don't believe me. About then the ambulance shows up. Well to be exact the ambulance, and TWO firetrucks show up, and it must have been a slow day for emergencies, because out of the emergency vehicles streamed every paramedic in town I think. They take me to the back room (thank goodness at least that lady will stop trying to get me to eat candies), one of the paramedics starts yelling questions at me. THis guy is actually yelling at me.

"Hello! I am having a bad enough day with out you yelling at me, and for the last time I am NOT pregnant! I just have cramps! Will somebody please get me an advil."

About then my dad shows up, he is relieved to see me after having to navigate through the ambulance and firetrucks, and paramedics just to get to me. By then the paramedics are realizing that I might really be telling the truth, and are unhappily packing up to leave. I think they are really dissapointed that I am not actually dying or something. I go home, but not to worry the next day I return to work. Yes I was absolutely mortified at what had happened, but I really needed a job, so I had to go back.

I worked there for two months until well,... IT HAPPENED AGAIN! Yes I am standing there at the cash register having bad cramps again and then the next thing I know I wake up on the floor and the customer service lady is asking me AGAIN if I am pregnant. Oh the shame, this time they believe me when I say that I have cramps, and the ambulance is called off, but I decide that I am allergic to working at TJ Maxx and having cramps at the same time, and I quit on the spot. I am hired the next day to work at ZCMI in the Trim the Home department(translation: overpriced Christmas crap). I spend a great deal of time at the cash register and don't pass out once (woohoo!) Although on the days that I have bad cramps I call in sick, just to make sure.

Saturday, September 2, 2006

Under construction

Well folks its happened. My computer is broken. BRO-O-O-KEN. As I type this I am hoping that it will be able to limp along unitl I get everything important backed up.

BLAST YOU CYBER VIRUS MAKING STUPIDHEADS! DON'T YOU COME NEAR MY COMPUTER ANYMORE! I DID NOT INVITE YOUR LOUSY VIRUS, AND I AM NOT KEEPING IT.

Sorry I just had to get that out...Honestly who makes viruses? Their mothers must be so embarrassed, going around messing up people's live like this. Grrrrr.

I have to totally rebuild my computer so I may be busy for a day or two, but not to worry I'll be back.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Sorry Friends This is a Long One

For a long time I've been wanting to write about when little man was born. There is no reason that I picked today, just like I said, it was a big deal and I've been wanting to write about it for awhile.

So rewind a few years Shane and I are living the good life as DINKs (Double income no kids). Shane and I both have good jobs. We live in our first house that we love, in a community that we really love, and what should happen but we start feeling the need to do a little repopulating. So we decide to make a baby, we think its just that easy. I buy a few pregnancy tests and wait a month...negative. No problem, we'll try again next month...negative. Fast forward a year and a half, and five rounds of Clomid later. Still no luck and the increasingly high amounts of Clomid, are making me an emotional wreck (read raving lunatic) several days out of the month, plus we are moving from the place we love to a place I am not so sure about. So in honor of the move (and pretty much because I can't take it anymore) we decide to skip the Clomid this month. A few weeks later yep you guessed it...POSITIVE! We were pregnant (Go figure). I surprised Shane at work that day with lunch and a book for expectant dads that I had saved for almost a year just for this occasion. It was a great day.

So the pregnancy progresses and we both revel in the fun of planning for the baby. We find out that we are having a boy (which I swear that I knew all a long). We start thinking of names. We continue to get ready. When I am 31 weeks pregnant I go to the doctor in her fabulous new office. The nurse takes my blood pressure and says almost to herself "that's a little high." She reassures me that its not too high, but she wants to check my chart to see if its high "for me." Unfortunately she explains a few minutes later, because of the recent move she can't find my chart, but really its not that high so I should be fine until the next appointment. So the following Monday I go to work. I work in a non-profit organization with a whole flock of well meaning "mother hens." They drill me on my last appointment, they cluck their tongues at my lost chart, we move on. Tuesday, I can't bend my fingers very well because they are particularily swollen, Melissa my boss says she is worried about how swollen my face is looking, I think to myself "gee thanks." By Friday Shane has jumped on the worry wagon, and encourages me to call my doctor. I do, they encourage me to come in for a quick check. At the office they check my blood pressure. The nurse looks worried and sends me to "L&D" I innocently ask what's L&D she explains and I head down to labor and delivery "for monitoring."

In the hospital they hook me up to the monitors and start an IV line, all the while I am thinking, this will take an hour or so and then I will go home. HELLO! this baby is not due for another two months! I call Shane he is washing his truck. He comes right over, when he sees me all hooked up he turns into worried Shane. The doctor comes in and tells me to get comfortable I might be here awhile. We call our parents and invited them to jump on the worry wagon that apparently I am driving, they readily do so. My doctor is so on top of things (please forgive her for the lost chart it could've happened to anyone) she immediately has me injected with steriods (that hurt like crazy) and explains that the baby's lungs will get the maximum benifit from the steriods if they are able to work for 48 hours. Shane and I realize that the goal to keep the baby in for two more months is no longer attainable, and we start praying for just two more days. They move out of L&D to the women's center down the hall. On Sunday the neighbors come and give me a priesthood blessing. In that blessing I am blessed specifically that things will be fine, I wrap those words in a little receiving blanket of faith and tuck them in my heart for safe keeping. Sunday night I convince Shane to go home and sleep in his own bed, he does. We feel so glad that we have made it the neccessary 48 hours. At about two in the morning I wake up with a pounding headache. I am given Tylenol to no avail. The nurse takes my blood pressure, and announces that I have just won a trip back to labor and delivery. I meet my doctor there. She injects a medicine into my IV line my blod pressure starts to drop immediately. She sits down on my bed like a girl friend at a slumber party and says, "lets talk." She explains carefully that my blood pressure will continue to rise dangerously high until I have this baby, she fears that the baby will not fair well if my pressure contiues to rise. She says to me bluntly it's time to have this baby. I say o.k. and try to be strong, but start to cry, my body's shortcoming makes me feel like such a failure as a mother. She reassures me that the best thing I could do for my baby is have had those steriods for 48 hours, and this I have done. I feel a little better and know that even though I don't want it this way, and I am frightened this is the path that is laid out before me and therefore is the only one I can take. It will do me no good to sorrow over paths that are no longer open to me. (Looking back at this time I am particularily amazed at the reserves of strength that are hidden deep in the human soul. Laying there in utter pain and having the unknown loom before me, I did not fall apart, I just said o.k. and went forward. I know now that this is the survival mode that I have heard people talk about. The one that says to you we will cry about the specail delivery experience that you didn't get have later, we will be sad about the baby shower you were suppose to go to another time if ever. It doesn't matter that you haven't finished the crochetted edge around the receiving blanket, or that this babe doesn't have a special "coming home" outfit. Those things are already gone, and they don't matter. What matters is getting this baby here alive and well, and if you can stay the same that would be good too.) I ask the nurse to call Shane and a few minutes later he shows up. We are nervous but Shane is feeling like me, we must go forward. We agree on the name that we thought we had two more months to fight about. They wheel me into the OR, the anesthesiologist is someone in my ward as he applies the epidural I am flooded with relief of the pain I have been feeling. I am so relieved I forget to feel embarrassed about my pregnant naked body that is surrounded by a roomful of strangers, my husband, and the ward member (I do however remember to feel embarrassed several times after this event when I see him in the hall at church). I feel nothing, I concentrate on trying to wiggle my toes (which I can no longer feel). Shane stays near me and pats my head and arms. I feel alot of pressure on my stomach, Shane grabs my arm "I can see him! I can see him!" and then "he's almost out!" And then he is out, I hold my breath and say a silent prayer that he will cry,

please let him cry.

And then he does, like a little cat. THey hold him up so I can see him, he is small and purple. They pass him through the window into the NICU. He is gone so fast. They keep working on me, I remember my doctor expalining to the other doctor there about the stitches, like I was a crostitch design. They wheel me into recovery. Shane shows me pictures of Mason on the digital camera. I still can't move, but I also can't stop shaking. They get me ready to go back to my room. I remind the nurse that they had promised me I could see my baby before I go back. They call the NICU, no I can't come now. They take me back to my room, I ask the nurse there when I can see my baby she pats my arm and starts saying how I need to take care of myself first, I start to cry, realizing that I won't be seeing my baby today, the nurses around my bed cry with me. I am still on the mag this horrible medicine that makes me feel like I have the flu. Tuesday morning I call the nurse and beg her take me off the mag, she finally does. I ask her if I can see my baby, and she says I have to wait until my doctor comes. My mother in law comes to visit, I can barely stay awake while she is there, but Shane does all the visiting. When she leaves, SHane walks her out, I know she wants to see the baby, but I want to beg Shane not to take her in to see my baby, not because I don't want her to see him, but because selfishly I cannot bare the thought of anyone else seeing him, and loving him before I get to. Without me saying anything Shane understands, and doesn't take her to the NICU. My mom calls me she has a terrible cold and cannot come to visit, because she might make me or the baby sick, she cries when I tell I haven't seen my baby yet. My doctor finally comes and gives the go ahead for me to go to the NICU. Shane and I go together to see our little man. He is so small, I am afraid to even touch him at first, Shane tells me all about him and all the wires and tubes. I am amazed at how quickly Shane has made the transition to dad, and I love him for it. We cannot hold him, but Shane shows me how to change his diaper. I make a joke about how he said he wouldn't change diapers, Shane says with sincerity "I would do anything for him."

The next day little man is stronger, I get to hold him for the first time. He is so tiny I'm afraid I'll break him, with how much I love him. He looks so tired.

The next morning the doctor decides to put him back on the ventilator. It is miserable to see him struggling so much to breathe. He's on the vent for a day, and then taken off again. He does better this time. A day later we come into the NICU and the nurse is putting clothes on him. This is a very big deal it means that little man gets to move from an open bed to an enclosed one. It means that he is getting stronger. He still is not breathing fully on his own, and has a number of other issues to deal with, but this is progress, Shane and I feel so proud. A few days after that we get to give Little Man a bath. This is the first time since he has been born that we get to really care for him. It is a very special time for us.

Little man continues to grow and progress, slowly, but all the same there is progress almost everyday. He learns to breathe on his own, he starts to drink from a bottle, he continues to gain weight, and finally 32 days after he was born he gets to come home. We have no idea what we have ahead of us, but I am so proud of my little family for getting this far.

I had no idea, what having a preemie would be like. I learned that "mommy guilt" is a force to be reckoned with and you can feel it even over something you have no control over like Preeclampsia. I learned that it truly is the smallest things that take up the most room in you heart. I learned that I have so many loving people in my life that I can count on, and I also learned that there are also alot of people in my life that just want the gossip, and those two are not to be confused. I learned to stand up for myself, and that I have to stand up for my baby, because (if dad's not around) no one else will (so no miss nurse you may not play your loud, obnoxious counrty music in the same place where my hyper sensitive preemie is trying to live). I learned sensitivity. And I learned that I am a stronger that I thought I was. And most importantly I learned that no matter how big or small, strong or sick that they come, babies are gifts from God, and I am grateful for mine everyday of my life.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Thanks All

Thanks to all that responded to my coupon offer. I have now given out all of the coupons. For those who didn't get one, keep reading...I can say that this probably won't be the last time.

I can't wait to see what all you lucky recipients order.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

C'mon I Know You're Out There

So for those of you who don't know a few months ago I started my own little business. I have worker really hard on it, and learned a ton, it's been a fabulous journey, but lately business has been a little slow (ok really slow). Which is not what I planned for my fabulous business, so today I am offering to my loyal readers a wonderful prize for reading today. The next three people to email me will receive a 40% off coupon that they can use on an order of custom announcement from Song Bird Design. Now I know that you're excited, but you are also thinking what's the catch? Well this is the catch (sorry) the coupons expire in one month, so only take it if you can use it soon. So send your friends with new babies, weddings, birthday parties, or any other major life event to announce my way. I promise you will love you your completely unique announcements from Song Bird Design.

Friday, August 18, 2006

The Weekend

Well dearies we're off. Terrified that the summer will end without us having squeezed every ounce of fun out of it. The fam and I are off on an impromtu weekend trip. I will post again when we return, with all sorts of tales of fun and misadventure. Until I return I have a questions for you all that I have always wondered about:

If Cinderella's shoes were such a perfect fit then why did they fall off in the first place?

Was it just an extra bit of magic from that wonderful fairy godmother (why didn't I get one of those)? Or can we say that perhaps Cinderella wanted to be found, and it was just an elaborate game of hard to get. If that is the case, you think she would have left a better clue than a shoe. Honestly that was a pretty big gamble, I mean its a little hard to believe that she was the onle size six and a half in the kingdom, but then maybe her shoes were such a perfect fit that they really would only fit her, but if this was the case then...(see above question). You see my problem, I just can't figure it out, so I'd love to hear what you all think.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

The Hills Have Eyes...

They also have perfectly sculpted noses, blindingly white teeth, and large breasts, but what don't they have? You got it no matter how deeply you look, not an ounce of intelligence.

I have been thinking about this since I read Surcie's post about something similar. Let me explain, so last week I went visit my family. One of the things my sister and I always do on these visits is watch TV together. Now I know what you're thinking...huh? But seriously its good bonding time. We stay up late and watch all the shows that we're too embarrassed to watch with our parents around. So my sister introduced me to this show called "The Hills." Ok you've probably all already heard of it, but until recently I didn't even have cable so I'm not really up with what the cool shows are. So we watched "The Hills" together. Well, let me tell you what...I was appauled. This show is a reality show about some girls that live in L.A. They are a perfect example of what happens when you give someone everything they've ever wanted for 20 years. Seriously, these girls were ridiculous, their dialogue was absolutely insipid. In the episodes that I watched poor Heidi had deal with the devastating reality that her ape like boyfriend wasn't "treating her like a princess" (a line that she really would have been able to pull off better if she were four and dressed in costume jewelry). And then there was poor Lauren who had to make the daring decision to join her equally ridiculous boyfriend at the beach house, or go to Paris (a dramatic decision obviously engineered by MTV the show's mothership). Oh poor things! (my hand is on my forehead as I feign swooning). I thought to myself while watching this show what is the big draw? What keeps shows like this one on the air? Well the easy answer is: we do...I mean I admit it I was watching it too, but the bottom line is that it was entertaining. Like the bearded lady at the circus, my sister and I were drawn to this show, like the people slowing down and grotesquely straining their necks to see a car wreck on the side of the road. So then my next thought was what's wrong with that? and I think there are two answers to this question.

1. Nothing, its just entertainment, it doesn't matter. (This is the answer that all of the viewers have come to, and that is why the show continues to be popular).

But then there is answer number two and that is where the problem lies for me.

2. Its just entertainment, it doesn't matter. That's the answer. Its just entertainment, it doesn't matter, but all the while this entertainment that doesn't matter is seeping into our lives, taking up our time, soaking into the psyche of our little girls, and with this entertainment there is a message. The message is this...its ok to be a stupid person void of any depth, if you have the right clothes, lots of money from mom and dad, and a boyfriend; and if you don't have those things its o.k. to be absolutely, supremely selfish in order to get them.

Before being a mommy I was a social worker and let me tell you I have worked with children who have watched their father, weapon in hand, threaten their mother's lives. I have worked with children whose mother's have put their drug addiction before her own little ones even to the point of knowingly sacrificing her children's for those vile drugs. I have watched siblings, who feel they have no one but each other to count on being forcibly taken away from each other by the foster care system. I have worked with tired, broken souls trying their best to heal themselves and protect their families. And I can tell you: these. things. mattered.

So instead of seeing Lauren work at Teen Vogue, I'd like to see her helping (dare we say voluteering) in a child abuse shelter, or an inner city school, or somewhere else where there is need (Heaven knows there is plenty of that to go around). Instead of showing girls what they should have maybe she could show them what they should be. Can't we change the emphasis from what we can get to what we have done? I for one don't have time for this kind of entertainment anymore.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Yummy!

Here is one of my latest scrapbook pages for little man. This day I had spent forever trying to get little man to provide me with one of those perfect photo ops. He was playing in the pool (ok maybe 'playing' is being a little optimistic, since every time I put him in there he cried like he was on fire or something). I wanted one of those adorable photos in his little swimming suit, but little man wouldn't do it.



He refused to be cute while he was being forced to stand in that wretched, torturous swimming pool. So I got him out, but he was still absolutely indignant at the horrors he had been forced to face, and would not stop crying until a cookie was laid on the table as a peace offering.



'Ah yes a cookie, that will be enough to compensate for all of my pain and suffering mom.' And well little man I have to tell you that you may have won the battle, but I won the war, because I got my photo op after all.




And seriously, he is so cute isn't he?

Wednesday, August 9, 2006

"Let me 'splain...no there is too much, let me sum up"

Can anyone tell me what movie that line is from?

Well dearies, its been awhile. I know you all don't want to hear it, but wowsers, I have been busy. First you must all stand up and cheer for me, because one of the things that has been keeping me busy is that the Song Bird got an order. Now while I have filled several orders since I started this one was momentous because it was the first time a stranger has just walked in off the internet and ordered from my website. I was so proud. She really liked the collage type design in the Olivia announcement, that's also one of my favorite ones so it was fun to make her one like it.


Just for good measure I also made her some other new designs that also had the collage thing goin on.




And I also made her this one because I just couldn't reseist doing some recoloring on this photo.



She ended up choosing the first design. It was such a fun project to do. I just love making announcements for people, so I hope I will get more orders soon so that I can keep on doing what I love.

After I finished up that project Shane left for a business trip, so little man and I decided to go to Utah to visit my fam. What a fun trip. My good friend Sara was in town for the first half of the week. So we shopped and went to the zoo, and the park, and had afabulous time. Then the last half of the week I spent just hangin' with my family. I spent some good quality time with my sisters, and my parents. Little man got to really spend time with my parents which was so fun for them and so good for little man. We had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Uhh?

I think my blog is broken. Has anyone else had troubles with it?

Friday, July 14, 2006

More Babies

I just finished doing a set of baby announcements for a friend. I have to say that I am pretty happy with how they turned out. I hope that she likes them too. Of course she said that she liked them, but you never know really. I mean, its not like she would say, "Nicole I hate these dumb things, why did you even make them?" Oh well, my self-esteem is telling me that I need to trust that she was telling the truth, since believing otherwise really isn't going to do me any good. Anyway here they are.

First I made her a few designs to choose from. This first one looks a lot like the "Madison" design that is already on the website. She told me that was one of her favorite deisgns, so I tried to make her something like it, only not so girly.


The next one is my favorite because it was such a lot of work to make. I know it doesn't really look like it, but it was. I also learned some new tricks on this one, which was really fun.


The last one was the one that she finally chose. It is a nice clean design, I just love the way that one little eye is peeking out to see what's going on.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Litigation takes the fun out of everything

I mean it. What is the deal?

Wait, let me explain. So today I got a lovely email in my inbox it read:

Dear Nicole,

Thank you for responding to the River Ranch website regarding the moth you found in your Popeye Spinach (including the photos) we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. River Ranch does everything we can to try to prevent this type of thing from happening. We would like to send you some free Popeye coupons for any inconvenience this has caused. Would you please email your address and I will send those coupons right away.

Thank you again,

Terry
Customer Service
River Ranch Fresh Foods,LLC

Isn't that nice? and I mean that sincerely, they responded quickly and appropriately to my bug problem, but still I can't help but hear a hint of worry in their admit no wrong doing, and offer coupons to pacify the customer email. I mean wouldn't it have been more truthful if Terry had just said, "We do our best, but hey! moths love spinach. What can ya do?" or even better than truthful it would have been downright funny if she'd said, "Ok you caught us, we're using Popeye to sneak bugs into the diets of all Americans. Can we buy your silence with some coupons." But of course Terry can't say something like that, because I just might be a crazy, mean lady who has her lawyer on speed dial and has been just waiting for the day when I find a bug in my spinach.

Yes I admit, finding the moth in my spinach was very gross, but really I'm going to live. And I do understand, moths probably do really like spinach. Now I know that I complained ALOT in that last post about the bug, but part of that was just showing off for some of my blogger pals. Really I think that the world might be a better place if we all cut each other a little slack now and then. Ya know what I mean? Then Terry could write witty emails to the complaining customers, and make them laugh. I mean really I think I would take a good laugh over a coupon for free spinach any day.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Ewwww!

So the other day I am making a sandwich and reach for the lettuce and realize that I am out of lettuce. Bummer, but wait no problem, I have a bag of spinach. Its not lettuce, but its got a picture of Popeye on the front and says right on it (and I quote) that its "thoroughly washed and ready to eat."


I know the picture is hard to read, but that is what it said. So I put a rather large pile of spinach on my sandwhich. In truth I was sort of hoping that all that spinach would sort of counteract the unhealthy parts in the rest of my sandwhich. Well I don't know if it did, but I do know this...about halfway through my sandwhich (which I was thoroughly enjoying by the way) I look down on the counter where some of the spinach had spilled out of the bag, and what do I see...





Yep! you got it a very large, very dead bug. EEWWWWWWWW! That's pretty gross, but then I realize that the bag is half empty. I have been feeding my family from the bug graveyard all week. I check the back of the bag and there I find it the ingredients.



As you can see it says spinach, it does not say big, fat, harry, bug carcasses, and spinach. No, its just says spinach. I have a feeling that Popeye is trying to trick me, just like years ago he tried to trick little children into believing that eating spinach would make muscles pop out of their shirt whenever they need them to fight off bullies, now he's tricking me into eating bugs, except mere manipulation won't work anymore now he's using downright underhanded trickery. So stop what you are doing right now and go check your spinach, don't believe the ingredients. Its a conspiracy and we don't have to take it.

Tuesday, July 4, 2006

Carrying the Banner...

Ain't it a fine life
Carrying the banner through it all?
A mighty fine life
Carrying the banner tough and tall
Every morning
We goes where we wishes
We's as free as fishes
Sure beats washing dishes
What a fine life
Carrying the banner home-free all!

Oh come on you all know what I'm talking about. I know me and all of my friends weren't the only ones that watched this movie like it was a religion. What moive say you? Why Newsies of course...



Ok I know you are all trying to be cool and pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about, but I know that in your heart right now your dusting off the place that is saved for Jack Kelly, and his pals (you know its the spot right next Johnny Depp in his 21 Jump Street days). And I know that you have a favorite newsie. Come on tell us was it Spot Conlon, Kid Blink, Mush perhaps? Or was it Jack...(the adoloescent in me sighs)



Why bring this up now well, this weekend I visited my family. It was a fabulous little trip, but at one point my sister and I started to chat. We started to joke about the songs that we like to sing with. She made a little bit of fun of the "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" CD that was in my car and then all of sudden we were talking about the newsies, and how we loved them so when we were younger, and how we used to know the words to every song, and then before I knew it there I was in my mommy car with my mommy clothes on and my mommy haricut, and my twenty-something sister and we were belting out the soundtrack to Newsies. Although I must admit that we didn't know the all words to any one song, we did know some of the words to all of the songs. It was so great, I felt like all of a sudden we had just gone back in time ten years (ok maybe 15).

So this post is dedicated to the Newsies, and all of the joy that they brought droves of thriteen year olds girls, and also to my dear friends, which is I guess what this post is really about, because as I was thinking about the newsies I also thought about one of my dearest friends who watched Newsies with me many a time on many a late night sugar enriched sleep over. It seems that adolesence is steadily becoming a more and more frightening stage of life, but mine was not so bad. I came out the other side of adolesence pretty much unscathed, and without having made any major detrimental decisions. Once Shane asked me why my teenage years were so good, and after thinking about it, I really do believe that it was my friends, I was truly blessed with good people to be friends with, and I still am...I can honestly say that my best friend from adolesence is still my best friend, even though she lives on the other side of the country, and we only talk to each other once in awhile during our babies' naptimes. How wonderful it is to share so much history with someone that you know that even if you didn't talk for ten years; even if you became the most important person on the planet. You would still have someone that wanted to eat doritos, drink soda (I think Mtn Dew was the drug of choice in those days), watch Newsies and sing all of the songs with you, until the wee hours of the morning. Even now I know my friend Sara is reading this and hearing the newsies sing "The King of New York" in the back of her head.

MUSH:
A pair of new shoes with matchin' laces!

RACETRACK:
A permanent box at Sheepshead races!

SPOT CONLON:
A porcelain tub with boilin' water!

KID BLINK:
A Saturday night with the mayor's daughter!

RACETRACK:
Look at me
I'm the king of New York
Suddenly
I'm respectable
Starin' right at 'cha
Lousy with stature

Come on go ahead sing it out loud I know you want to...

Sunday, June 4, 2006

Been awhile

I know, I konw, Its been a while and I knoe you all (well the two of you that actually read this thing have probably missed me, but I'm back. I don't know how all you bloggers out there do it. Its so hard to keep this baby up.

Here's the deal. The Song Bird got here first real order this week. Woohoo! sure it was for my cousin, and sure I'm not actually making any money on it, but she did ask me to build a photo announcement for her instead of the other way around. So all week I have been busy with that and let me tell you what, it was so fun to do. I love the new job that I built for myself, I hope that someday soon I will actually have more real orders. I just can't wait anyway. Anyway here is the finished project:

This is the front


and this is the back:

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Just a Quick Note

Finished this layout today and I wanted to post it on the blog.
My friend Tim made us this inscribed rock when Mason was born. I put it in the picture to show how far he has come.

Journaling reads: "On this day I wanted to show how far you have come. You started so small and so helpless. Even when you were only a few weeks old your dad and I were so proud of how you had worked to grow your own little self. Now that I see this picture I know that the truly special thing about it is not showing how far you’ve come, but realizing that your adventure is...Just getting started."

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Myrtle and the Whoopee Cushion

SO the other day I Blog surfing and I stumbled onto Rachelle's blog and she had this great idea to idea to write an enrty about your life every Monday. Well I thought that this was a great idea, but I was way too busy Monday. So today finally the Masonator is on hour two of his nap and I finally have time to blog (of course he could wake at anytime, so lets just cross our fingers and hope that our luck holds).

I have been wanting to write about one of my best childhood memories which isn't really one memory, but sort of a conglomerate of memories surroinding one person...My grandma Myrtle. Now I know what you are thinking 'Oh great another weepy story about somebody's grandma' but just listen, because my grandma really was pretty amazing. When I was about 7 or 8 my grandparents came to live with me my five brothers and sisters, my two parents, our two cats, one enormous dog, and one little parakeet. Needless to say we were a full house. My grandma had multiple sclerousis and could not walk, or even get out of bed. She lived with us for four years before she died and in that time I never heard her complain once, I mean it not ONCE. I did however hear her tell many jokes. She and I hung out all the time...um, maybe that was becuase she was literally a captive audience to my jabber. I really did talk alot as a child, and I think everyone else eventually got tired of it, but grandma was pretty darn patient with me and listened to my stories. My cousins would come to visit all the time in those days (its a wonder our house didn't burst at the seams) and we would put on elaborate shows for our grandma. We just knew that she really loved them and felt so proud of ourselves for doing her such a service, we didn't know then that it was really she who was doing us the service, by making us feel valued and talented when she clapped at the end of the show. My gradma was amazing, but there is one that stick out to me today that I want to write about. It was on her birthday...Like always all of the aunts and uncles and cousins came to visit and brought with them cards and presents and cake and such, but when my cousin Sara gave my grandma her gift the party really got rolling. From Sara my grandma unwrapped a brand new fully functional Whoopee Cushion. Yes you read that right to my grandmother was given a Whoopee Cushion. If I remember right we had to show her how it worked, at its first successful deflation my grandma laughed heartily, and then asked that it be reinflated and carefully directed us where in the room to place it. I remember that it was placed under the cushion in the orange chair and that the next person to walk in the room was my uncle Reid. We were all very excited when we saw that he was going to sit in the very chair where the joke was planted, we all waited expectantly, but nothing happened...we waited and waited and finally Reid shifted his weighted and the ongoing conversation was brought to a screeching hault by the loud expulsion of air from the whoopee cushion. The only way to describe what happened next is to paint you a picture of what I remember about that next few moments. Just imagine my grandma unable to even lift herself out of bed, laughing so hard that she had tears coming out of her eyes. Laughing so hard that we all worried that she might truly hurt herself. Needless to say the whoopee cushoin was a hit. And my grandma was a truly amazing woman. I am so gald that got so much time to know her.

Sunday, May 7, 2006

He Thinks I'm Funny

Once upon a time when I was younger and could stay awake past ten o'clock I was talking to a college roomate about some boy she was dating. The conversation inevitably turned to the real question which was, 'do you like him or not?' After the questioned was posed there was a great deal of rationalizing, and such and finally she said to me as if it was truly the answer to it all "He doesn't think I'm funny." And in that conversation it was the answer and unfortunately for the unexpectant fellow the end of the short lived relationship.

So this weekend I am driving down the road with Shane and we had a close encounter with a mini van. Well to show how clever I am I quipped out what I thought was a rather funny joke about the mini van (please do not direct any hate mail to me I know there are many happy mini van drivers out there, I just am not one of them), and my dear one he laughed quite heartily, and then rattled off his own brand of joke, and we had a good laugh. And in that moment I thought to myself how great it is to have someone who thinks that I am funny. I think if you have someone to laugh at your jokes and in return tell you some I think there is something truly fabulous about that. It seems like a little thing, but in the end isn't it the little things that really matter?

Thursday, May 4, 2006

Back Again

Ok I know all you faithful readers (oh wait...) ok I know I really missed my blogging, but luckily I am back again. Newly resolved to start writing about my daily adventures in my blog. You see I haven't written as of late because I have been on a quest. Let me chronicle it for you...You might want to pull up a chair for this one.

Ok so about ten months ago I am having major mommy guilt because my little baby doesn't have a scrapbook, with cute little cute cut out pictures and such. I have about a million pictures of him, but honestly, and try not to judge me, I hate scrapbooking. I am not good at it and it takes FOR-EV-ER to do, and for those of you that know me you will lovingly nod your heads when I say that patience is not one of my virtues. So I am looking on the web for another option when I stumble upon digital scrapbooking. Oh I love this! No paper scraps, no glue, just me and my computer, how fabulous is this! So I read about a million tutorials, and I actually over the course of a few months become somewhat proficient at Photoshop, this is a major accomplishment for me and I feel very proud of myself. It is then that I notice that every digi scrapper whose anybody has a blog, so I build one of those too. Ok I'm really on a role now, I even learn a little html so that I can put links on my blog, and then it happens...my friend brings to me a picture of her little boy and says, "do you think that you could make this into an invitation for his birthday party?" No problem! I think, but then that invitation turns out to be really, really cute, and I start thinking wouldn't it be great if you could send someone your adorable kids pictures and they could make you a cute baby announcement, or birthday card, or Christmas card? And then I keep thinking and I think wouldn't it be great if people sent me their adorable kids pictures and I made then into cute announcements and cards. "Oh if only I knew how to build myself a website," I lament to my husband (who has two degrees in Computer Science), and much to my surprise he says,"html isn't that hard you can do it." WHAT!?! I think as I was actually expecting him to say "Sure love, I'll get right on that." So I pout for a few days lamenting over my lack of website for my fabulous business idea, and then I google 'html tutorials' and what do you know, its not that hard...Ok I take that back. Its a little tricky and it takes several weeks of very hard work, and I have learned a ton, but I built myself a website. I am so proud of it. I am still waiting patiently for that first order, but I know it will come, one of these days, it will come.

So that is where I've been the last few months, working away on my fabulous new business venture. I know you all have missed me, but I am back now, and ready to blog faithfully, ok semi-faithfully.

Sunday, March 5, 2006

Blah

Ok so I have to say that today I feel a little bummed...Let me explain. It all goes back to about three or four months ago when I started to get excited for Mason's birthday. I know it sounds crazy, but I was so excited, I started thinking about what we would do and how it would be, and in my mind I had this beautiful picture of this house full of people. Shane's family was there and my parents and brothers and sisters had all driven in from out of town and were there, and Mason was adorable and funny and everyone fawned over him. In my vision of his perfect day he opens all of his presents and loves them all and plays with all of them, and then we all eat cake and Mason gets his own small cake that he eats with gusto and makes a big mess, providing me with a perfect photo op...

Let me tell you how it really went. First of all about two weeks ago Shane remembers that he is supposed to be on a business trip the week of Mason's birthday...uhg! Ok fine so instead of having the party on his actual birthday we decide to have it a few days before...ok small problem fixed. We decided to have the party on Saturday (yesterday). I decide that since Shane is going out of town Mason and I will go visit my family so of course they decide not to come up, ok fine. So I was a little disappointed at first but getting adapted to the new plan, and stayed up until one in the morning the night before getting things ready for the party. Before I slide into bed I tiptoe into Mason's room to check on him. On entering his room I am stopped cold, by the absolute most disgusting smell I have ever smelled, and I am taken aback. That wretched smell can't be coming from by my baby. I try not to gag and lean in to inspect. I reach down to lovingly feel my baby's head. EWWWW! my hand touches something cold and slimy, and I feel around and discover to my horror that my precious babe is sleeping in a puddle of vomit. (I guess its a testament to how well he sleeps now that it didn't even wake him up.) I leave the room because the fumes are getting to me and think about the best way to proceed. Everything I've learned over the past year says DO NOT WAKE A SLEEPING BABY, but this is crazy I can't let him sleep in that. So I go get Shane, he pops right out of bed, (he is such a good dad) and comes to my rescue. We pluck Mason out of bed and try to wipe him off, with the lights dimmed so he doesn't have to wake up too much, but we soon realize this is not a wiping off kind of mess, the damage is much more extensive than we realize. Shane starts a bath and Mason wakes right up (and is perfectly cheerful) I start to tackle the bedroom. YUUU-UUUCK is all I can say, but I eventually get it all cleaned up the smell lessens a bit and we're all feeling better when Mason pukes again. So we clean up again and then finally get our little bug to bed. He is happy as a clam throughout the entire experience and then goes back to bed without a fight. It was a wierd experience in all; from my description it sounds awful, but in a way it was a good experience. I loved working together with Shane to help Mason. I was so impressed with Shane, he really was great taking care of Mason, he is such a good dad.

The whole time though in the back of my mind I'm thinking, please don't be sick for your birthday party. So Mason sleeps through the whole night without anymore trouble and I am sure that he'll be better by morning, so a few hours later when morning does come. I give Mason a sippy cup of milk when he wakes up, because he is probably starving having puked out every last bit of his dinner last night. Well that was in his stomach about 30 whole seconds before it came spewing out all over me, I scream for help and Shane comes running with a towel, and poor Mason looks at us like, "What the heck is going on here!" Poor little one he is so sad and I am so sad (you would be too if you had just been covered in throw up," and well Shane he's a star, he snatches Mason up, and is so sweet and caring to him even though he is so stinky and gross. So we take Maso to the doctor he tells us to give him 1 teaspoon of pedialyte every five minutes all day. So we take him home and he is starving and we start giving him the pedialyte. Poor guy he is so hungry and so dehydrated, but he still acts happy as a clam. So when he finally goes down for a nap Shane runs to the store and rents a carpet cleaner, because the stench in our house is unbearable, and he cleans every inch of floor, and upholstery we can find (again I say what a guy). And finally the house becomes liveable again, (and I got my carpets cleaned to boot, woohoo). So we race to get everything cleaned up, because I am still trying to salvage the birthday party, and as we're cleaning Shane's Grandma calls, Grandpa is sick, very sick and won't be able to make it tonight. The poor guy has been sick for a year it seems and just can't seem to get better, we're all really worried about him. So that's very sad and disappointing, but we keep cleaning because at least Shane's mom, dad, and sister are still coming. So finally they show up and Mason is overjoyed, because they have brought the best present ever: a big bunch of balloons. And after Shane gets back from returning the carpet cleaner and taking his grandparents dinner we have a fun dinner, and Mason eats a little and doesn't puke, and we open presents.

Mason really doesn't get unwrapping presents yet, so Shane has to help him a lot, but he gets some fun new toys, and little outfits. I am most excited for him to open the present that I picked out for him, I am sure that he will abolutely love it, so he opens it and we put it together and turn it on...and it makes Mason CRY! In fact he's terrified of it, sigh...I TRIED! I REALLY TRIED!!!

So we still haven't had cake and so I get the cakes out, one big cake, and one little one for the birthday boy, you know the cakes I stayed up until one in the morning making and Mason is just too tired to eat cake, so at 7:00 pm we put the poor tired little guy in bed, and the rest of us have cake without him, no happy messy boy, and no photo op, sigh...

Altogether it was a nice night. Shane and I had a nice time visiting with his family, and then this morning Shane left on his trip, but I am feeling a little bit bummed today, I guess I just had so many expectations, and I was so excited to celebrate this birthday. I guess we have all come so far this year I really wanted to celebrate. Not that it was a bad day, just not what I expected. I probably sound dumb complaining so much, but you know what, after writing about it all I feel a little better now.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Super Boy

That's what he is. Yep, last night Mason was so delighted when I took his ball out of the dishwasher where he had left it and rolled it into the family room. He was in fact so delighted that he decided to go and get it himself. So we started out with the usual routine, he held my hand and started walking over there, but I guess that I wasn't walking fast enough, because next he just let go of my hand and started walking ON HIS OWN! He then walked to dad, the table, out of the room, he is a walking machine. I'm so excited, and yet there is this little piece of me that is saying, "who are you and what did you do with my baby," sigh... He changes everyday. I can barely keep up with him.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Valntine's Day

So it was Valentine's Day this week. And I thought to myself, "my how things have changed." I was most excited about dressing my little Mason up and taking him to visit people. I was floored when Shane suggested to me that instead of going out to dinner, we go out to breakfast. I mean not only did he actually know that the next day would be Valentine's, but he had thought about it and wanted to do something special, and last of all, I hadn't planned out any femine expectations for the day, AT ALL! and let me tell you I am pretty darn good at having unreasonable expectations at gift giving occasions. I was really impressed with Shane.

So we went to breakfast. I think that we may have been the only people in the restaurant that were under the age of sixty five, but it was great. We had so much fun chatting with each other, and eating eggs. I think that we will make it a Valentine's Day tradition. Mason came too and he did look pretty darn cute in his red sweatshirt and high top "All Stars" (thanks again auntie Brynne).

After Shane went to work, and Mason left me for naptime. I made a load of cup cakes, and decorated them with hearts and everything. So when M woke we surprised my mother in law at work with them. She showed Mason off to all her coworkers, and I felt really proud to have such a great little guy. I was told about alot of good things about child rearing, but nobody told me about the little details like all holidays are more fun. It was such a great day. I am so lucky to have two of the most wonderful men in the world living in my house.

This is the card we gave to Shane's mom. Isn't it sweet, he is so cute.