If this is therapy... do I have to pay myself?

Movin on up...

2010-09-28T22:26:00.003-04:00

♫ to the east side... to a deluxe apartment in the sky. ♫

I loved the Jeffersons.

But now it's my turn. I have officially moved to my new site... www.jessiwithani.com. I hope you all come visit me at my new place ;~)

Peace out Blogger!

Frustrations

2010-09-19T22:05:00.003-04:00

So I wanted to start blogging about our vacation. I am excited to relive the week and to record it for our history... but alas, blogger sucks. Apparently I have hit my quota on pictures that I can upload... you know, without paying them $$. Totally bogus...

Luckily Adam bought me a domain a few months ago... I just haven't had the chance to sit down and learn something new. Seems like there is no time like the present. So, in the next few days I will be changing my URL... and really hoping that my small contingent follows me!

Stay tuned for my new URL... coming soon!

Whew...

2010-09-12T07:37:00.010-04:00

Thank goodness that's over.

Getting ready to set off... happier times.

Initially we were in very good spirits...

but of course that included coffee...

and vanilla milk.

Soon we were attempting distraction...

after distraction...

when finally this happened.

24 minutes later... awake and crying.

*sigh*

After yet another stop, we attempted distractions such as...

M&M's...

cheetos...

and puzzles...

until we finally arrived! Never has getting out of the car felt so wonderful!

Within the first 4 seconds of Chase putting his feet in the ocean I decided the trip, as whiny and cranky as it had been, was totally worth it.

He walked right up and cautiously put his feet in...

which soon gave way to jumping...

repeatedly with bigger and bigger splashes...

until the allure of the sand became too much...

and he felt the need to throw himself down and roll around in it.

Oh yeah... that's a mess.

He was enthralled with seashells and he insisted needed to be thrown into the ocean... each and every time he found a new one.

He sure was a mess by the time we walked back up to the hotel but he deserved it...

9.5 hours in a carseat is a lot to ask of a 2.5 year old.

And Adam and I have an entire week to dread the ride home ;~)

So caving... not really my thing.

2010-09-05T22:25:00.000-04:00

Last week we were lucky enough to get a tour of the Crystal Grottoes Caverns... were I learned that being that far underground... kinda freaked me out ;~)

All in all, still a really fun trip (thanks Laura!!!)

I will not confirm or deny that this email (received mere seconds before I left the driveway)...

caused me to run back in the house and grab socks and tennis shoes for both Chase and I.

The evidence speaks for itself.

Could not be more of a City Slicker.

Standing in a tractor... life doesn't get much better for Chase.

In complete amazement. I thought Chase would be a little more freaked out (turns out I did that enough for the both of us)... in reality he was perfectly fine walking around and taking in all the sights.

Me and my first born son ;~)

Chase was here.

I just had to include this picture because he is so stinking cute. I seriously cannot believe how much I love him.

After all this time we are still attempting the line up shot... not bad!

After the caverns we headed to a playground (quite possibly the best playground around) for some fun and lunch.

As it turns out the kids really only had the fun in mind. Especially my son... could not get him to sit and take one bite of food.

Teaching him to go up and down the jungle gym...

and this is right before (we're talking seconds people) he fell back with a hard thump on his tush.

Mother of the Year is just around the corner folks.

First time on a see saw... with his best girl Sadie.

And then they ran over and got on the 'airplane' where Chase informed Sadie that they were "flying to Frostburg".

My kid dreams big, people... watch out!

Day at the park

2010-09-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

This is always a familiar sight...

Chase is a big fan of the big blue swing.

And if a 7 month pregnant woman has to stop at the grocery store... on the way to the park... to meet up with friends... and the bakery is pumping out yummy baked goodness smells...

well, this becomes a familiar sight.

Sewing, crafting and a good sense of humor

2010-08-31T20:48:00.000-04:00

I've been breaking out the sewing machine more and more these days... especially since I moved everything together and within easy reach.

In typical Jessica fashion I have about 10 projects going on at any one time. Seriously, if I got paid for stretching myself thin, I could retire tomorrow.

Here are a few projects that actually managed to get finished...

This serves no real purpose other than a place for Chase to store 'emails' (commonly known as pieces of paper) and as a decoration for the wall in the play room. I got the idea from a combo of the Today Show and In Sung. I purposefully didn't use the sewing machine on this project... I wanted a bold handcrafted look to it so I did it all with embroidery thread and a sewing needle.

And...

finally curtains for Chase's room! No more horrible gray flannel blanket hung up with safety pins! I am probably most proud about this project. There are 2 panels that match in height (which would have been glaringly obvious if they didn't!) and there is a dark brown fabric on the window side of the curtain to help block sunlight. Also, the top is courtesy of Kari! She gave me the idea on how to make it ruffle (instead of tabs like I originally planned) and I like the look 10x's better! Thanks Kari!

Speaking of Kari... she also gave me the idea for pillowcases...

We bought a couple at Ikea and then with my leftover fabric, I made a couple pillowcases. They overlap in the back and cover the pillow just like a sham would!

And I managed to get 2 pillow cases with the leftover fabric. Plus I made an actual pillow (filled with stuffing but obviously closed all around) with the polka dot and straight brown fabric... to this day, one of Chase's favorite pillows. It often travels from his room to our bed with him in the morning.

The purple bag is an old tank top that I wasn't wearing anymore. Today show gave me the idea and with a little fusible interface to secure the stitching, it's now a fun bag that Chase enjoys filling and carrying around the house.

Then in an effort to give lil bean some of his own clothes, I made a few onesies for him.

Used some leftover black iron letters for the "GIT" and the "FLIRT" and then I just filled the "eek n raining" with black puff paint.

And then I had way too much fun with puff paint and blank onesies...

Seriously, I'm 32... puff paint should not be this entertaining.

And then last but not least... just to prove that you have to have a sense of humor...

decoration for our playroom now includes a collage of tow truck pictures. Of course the top right picture is our most recent tow truck adventure. Busted engine due to massive oil leak in the Ford Focus. On the left is also Adam with a different Ford Focus on our way home from Niagara Falls... where we spent the night with total strangers (and their 3 kids) somewhere in North Cambria PA. And the bottom right one... that's Kelly and Jaime with Jaime's old Cavalier about 45 minutes outside of Panama City Beach FL... we were on our way to Spring Break when the car decided to blink every light it had until it eventually just stopped running right in front of one lone trailer who's occupant was not thrilled to be helping 3 20 year old spring breakers.

Life is all about the stories right?

Chase goes shopping

2010-08-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Apparently being a great grandson has some perks... like Great Grandpa leaving you your very own money to spend however you want!

Chase was so excited to go to the store and pick out whatever he wanted (well let's be honest... there are some things I wouldn't have allowed him to buy ;~)

So off to Toys R Us we went!

Quite predictably Chase was a kid in a candy store the minute we walked in... running from one display to another. After a quick chat about calming down, I was able to steer him toward the sections I thought he would like the best. We went up and down the aisles and I would show him different things that he might like... to which he wanted to buy it all. We talked about how much money we had and how we had to pick things that were that amount or under. In between the wrangling and attention getting, it was actually quite enjoyable.

Finally he made his selections and we went to pay.

Chase with his spoils! Thanks Great Grandpa Paul!!!!

Sidenote: lately Chase has been all about the Little People. We have the nativity and the farm and he play acts with those people and animals more than any other toy in his room. So I did steer him in that general direction. Plus the fact that it's a firehouse... well it was a definite winner! As for the horse... I wasn't so sure about that one. He saw it and picked it out and held onto it for quite a while. At one point he asked me to hold it... and after a minute I put it back on the rack. As soon as he was done looking at whatever he was looking at, he asked for the horse and got upset when he realized I put it back. I figured it was a good buy after that ;~) Bonus after we got home, I realized if you push on one ear it neighs and if you push on the other it gallops... way cooler than I thought!

Birthday

2010-08-24T20:56:00.000-04:00

Dear Mom

It's your birthday... 59th to be exact. Lord, you would have killed me if I told anyone that while you were alive. I have fond memories of your birthday cakes always reading "Happy 27 + Birthday".

Your last year in your 50's. I wonder what you would be doing. I guess that depends on if you were healthy or not. Let's say healthy... we spent too much time with the 'not'. You would probably have still be working as a docent at a museum. I think you really liked that when you were able to do it. Maybe you would be a massage therapist... I know I would be a willing practice dummy. You would definitely be swing dancing with dad, of that I am positive. Maybe you would have taken a fashion course... or an art course... or studied to be a therapist. You had so many interests... just no real way to complete any of them because you always ended up sick. Cancer sucks that way. Doesn't just kill you, it robs you of life.

I digress.

I think you would like so many things that are going on in my life now.

You always wished for 'hard times' for Adam and I... to build a stronger foundation and life for us. I hardly think this is what you had in mind... actually I am pretty sure you meant financially but regardless we've had both. Adam is doing very well... happy and working hard at his own firm. I think we all could have seen that coming ;~) He's still sober and going strong at almost 14 years. You would be so proud, I know I am. He's still as patient and kind as always... and he puts up with my crazy. Something I am eternally grateful for ;~)

Chase is amazing. Man would you ever be proud. He is as smart as a whip! He questions everything and needs an explanation for everything else. If ever I need him to do something he doesn't want to do, generally explaining why and my reasoning will work and he will do it. I am learning to keep my cool (slow process) with him and talk him through frustrations and fits... and it works so much better. I am also learning to pick my battles with him... which is a battle for me ;~) I think I am becoming a better mom each day. Oh and the talking.... dear Lord the talking. You always said you "hope I would be 'blessed' with a child who talked as much as I did"... yeah, well you got that wish like ten times over. He is a constant chatterbox... which most of the time is great and we have this real friendship going. But other times... when I just want quiet.... well now I know why you and I used to have 'talking breaks'. Makes total sense now.

And now Lil Bean... another boy! Can you believe it? Who would have thought we would have boys! Luckily Sandy is well versed in all things boy... although I am dreading the day that Chase decides he is no longer terrified of bugs and instead wants to show me each and every single one. Up close and personal... I am shivering just thinking about it. Lil Bean is moving strong in there... seriously he doesn't sit still very often. I think I am in for it when he comes to meet us. I wonder what I was like when you were pregnant... was I more still like Chase or did I move a lot like Lil Bean.

Oh, you might be happy to know that Sandy and I are in the midst of a "North and South: the miniseries" marathon. I have memories of you watching that show (and me thinking it was completely lame)... which would fit with your taste in TV. Well that and the fact that every woman was watching because of Orry and George ;~)

I am learning a lot as time goes on. Now that the nesting instinct has hit me, Adam and I are going through every item we own. That being said, I am selling a lot of your books to a local used bookstore. Whatever they don't take will be donated. I hemmed and hawed over this for a long time... and these books have been with us for several moves (much to the chagrin of the people helping us move). But this time... through this sweep through of our stuff I decided that even if there were sentimental attachment... even if there were stories behind the books and reasons you kept them, I would never know. No one is here to tell me why you kept certain books and if I don't have that... well then I just own a lot of paper. So I kept what had significance to me and everything else is going. Not that it's all your stuff... I am giving away a crapton of books that I have collected over the years. Stupid wasteful buying of books. Did you know they have big buildings with all sorts of books that they just loan you... with nothing more than the promise of bringing them back??? Revolutionary. Oh and to that end... I actually remember to return books now! No more having to face librarians and explain why I couldn't return a book (or 8) on time and then having to beg that they reduce my library late charges. Good times.

I also just went through and threw out bottles of perfume that were yours or that you gave me. Is that insane or what? I had this revelation that just because I throw out a few items, doesn't mean I am erasing all that we had or were. I don't need to hold onto every. single. thing just because you touched it. We are still we... no matter if I have 80,000 items or none.

I reached out to David, Marie and the girls. Crazy right? I think you would be proud since you are the one that taught me about forgiveness. I'm extremely happy I did too. I am in contact with David on a fairly regular basis and do enjoy that piece of history he provides me. Sadly I am not as in touch with Marie and the girls as I thought we would be... but I guess that isn't a bad thing either. I did have to tell her you died... 4 years almost to the day. That was awkward. I think she took it ok but like I said, contact has been pretty sparse since then.

One of the best things I have done as of late was to name you Nonna. Chase has a special name for Sandy and I thought if you were here, you would want one too. So I thought Nonna would be the right fit. Chase knows that Nonna lives in heaven with Jesus... and he also knows that Nonna gave me the china cabinet, the dining room table and the secretary. It makes me really happy to hear him call you that.

I wish you were here... especially today. I found the perfect gift for your birthday! It's a big chunky necklace with bold colors... it would have looked awesome on you.

I wish I could tell you how sorry I was for certain things. We should have done the mother/daughter spa weekend getaway. I don't know why I didn't take you more seriously and book the plane tickets when you brought it up. I am sorry that I didn't really truly believe you when you said you wouldn't be around to meet your grandchildren. I thought you were just overreacting to this bout of sickness and that of course you would meet them... you just had to hold on a little longer. I'm sorry I didn't help more in the final months. I was right there and should have spent more time with you but I didn't. I am so sorry for that.

It's hard to believe that almost 6 years has gone by. It's this weird phenomenon of you moving into my history... not just my recent past.

I miss you a lot and while I hope I have many more years here on earth, I look forward to seeing you once again.

Jessi

We lost our Focus

2010-08-21T15:27:00.000-04:00

This actually happened on the Thursday before Great Grandpa Paul's visit but I didn't want to spoil that fun post with this insanity ;~)

Thursday afternoon Adam called me saying I needed to come pick him up immediately... he was in the middle of the road with a dead car.

Awesome.

I grabbed the boy and off we went. By the time we arrived a kind stranger had helped Adam push the car into a parking lot and Adam had secured their permission to leave it temporarily. After some calling tow trucks and grabbing a pizza, we came back to watch the joy that is your car being put on a tow truck.

Seriously, I have experienced this too many times. Right Jaime and Adam?

Adam made a comment about getting it fixed quickly and for around $500... I only prayed that was the case but in my heart I knew differently.

Sure enough, Friday afternoon, while we are sitting with Great Grandpa Paul, Adam breaks the news he got from the mechanic.

Far... far... far more than our original hope. The car sprung a massive oil leak and the engine had locked up. Turns out those red lights mean something. Basically it would be pure insanity to fix a Ford Focus for that price.

Talk about timing.

I just remember telling myself not to freak out. I kept telling myself (sometimes audibly and sometimes in my head) that in a year this would just be a blip in our life. We will have pushed past it and would probably be stronger for it... so don't flip out now.

And I did a pretty good job (if I do say so myself ;~) I've come a long way baby.

So that's where we are.

Unfortunately it's tied to a lien for Adam's business so the decision of what to do isn't ours alone... something that makes me so very sad. We refuse to add another car payment to our already razor thin (especially now) budget. We have lots of 'if this, than that' situations but lucky for us, we have lots of cars in this family and we still have 2 to drive at all times. We have time to work it all out and decide on our best option.

In a weird sort of way, this will be good for us. Adam joked that we "lost our Focus, both literally and figuratively"... and he is absolutely right. We tend to go through these peaks and valleys when it comes to financial freedom. Sometimes we are so tight and on our game when it comes to finances... paying down and not spending.

And then we generally slip. A purchase here... an unnecessary expense here... and soon we are stopping at Starbucks far too often and spending money that we shouldn't for stuff that we didn't really need. It's a cycle with us.

Please know that I am not chastising anyone for the money they spend, Starbucks or otherwise. I am only talking about our slippery slope.

So lately we've been on that slope... and by on it I mean careening down it full steam ahead.

So really, losing the Focus will be good for us. We've been forced to make decisions and revamp our budget. We are looking at the bigger broader picture and how we can achieve more of our goals instead of just coasting through.

We have some monumental challenges but I think with little more figurative focus (and a lot less literal Focus), we'll meet them. Life is all about the ups and downs and how you handle them right?

breathe Jessica, breathe.

House guest

2010-08-20T15:20:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we had Chase's Great Grandpa Paul (my dad's dad) visit us from Long Island NY.

He brought Chase some new puzzles which Chase LOVED ;~)

On Saturday we went to Fairplay Days where they had a playground, yard sales, jousting and a bounce house. Yep, you read correctly... jousting. Very weird to see in the 21st century but they aren't knocking each other off, just riding and aiming at rings. We left before the action really started so I don't think we got the full effect.

Chase was a huge fan of the playground...

as was Adam ;~)

That night we had a great dinner out at the Longhorn complete with my in laws... I love when family comes together ;~)

At the yard sale Great Grandpa Paul had picked up the game Phase 10. Apparently this is the coolest game ever, I can't believe I had never played it!

(He's way too happy for the cards that he was holding ;~)

And the winning hand...

belonged to yours truly. That might have something to do with why I loved the game so much ;~) GGP left the game for us... I am just looking for an excuse to play it again... anyone... anyone??

I was in desperate need of a belly shot for Lil Bean's belly book so I made sure to get one with our guest ;~)

Pretty cool that my kids get a great grandpa ;~)

Chase at 2 years old and GGP at 78. Love it! Thanks for visiting us... we'll have you back whenever you want!

Lil Bean

2010-08-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy is going. I'm 28 weeks already... that hardly seems possible.

Chase is very excited and as far as he can possibly understand, I think he really does. I don't think any of us really have a clue about how things will change but regardless, we are SUPER excited.

I've already bought a few new outfits for Lil Bean. Even though they will only be (most likely) a few days apart, I still wanted him to have some new clothes... they can't ALL be hand me downs ;~)

I should change Lil Bean's moniker to Soccer Stud. The boy wiggles, kicks, moves and punches like a champ in there. All of it is totally welcome though. There was a span of a few days where I didn't feel him very much and it scared me to the core of my being. Thankfully he ramped up again and he's back to his old antics.

Speaking of which, at my last doctor's appointment the midwife put the fetal heart Doppler on my stomach and a few seconds after hearing the beautiful fast beating we hear this 'thump'... then again a few seconds later... Lil Bean was kicking the heart monitor! He continued to do that until she pulled it off my belly. I got the biggest kick out of that. Chase was active but usually at certain times and when I ate certain foods but this kid... he's active all the time... there is no rhyme or reason. Someone told me he's going to hit the ground running and I tend to believe them.

I can't wait to meet him... well, really I can. Please stay in there at least until mid-Oct Lil Bean! But you know what I mean... I can't wait to see what he looks like. I can't wait to watch his personality develop. I can't wait to see the interaction between him and Chase. I am looking forward to doing this for the second time and hopefully not feeling so lost.

For now though... I am perfectly content growing him big and strong in my belly.

And Chase is perfectly fine using him as a pillow.

Happy Birthday!!

2010-08-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ha Ha Ha Adam! Now you are as old as me... well at least for the next 3 weeks ;~)

Happy Birthday to the best husband I could have ever asked for.

Thank you for being the dad that I always wanted for my kids.

Thank you for never failing to make me laugh.

Thank you for having a serious side and being the awesome lawyer that you are. Thank you for providing for Chase, Lil Bean and I. Thank you for giving me the career that I have always wanted.

Seriously... never failing to make me laugh.

Thank you for balancing me. Thank you for encouraging me with all my many (many) interests. Thank you for standing behind me, in front of me and beside me... all at the same time. Thank you for understanding me. Thank you for loving me.

I love you.

Hot Air Balloon Festival

2010-08-07T20:17:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday we spent almost the entire day at the Hot Air Balloon Festival... it was that fun!

Clearly this is going to be a picture heavy post... so I am sorry about that right now ;~)

Chase got his first ever face painting. He sat perfectly still... so much so that she remarked how good he was. (proud mommy moment)

His sparkly hot pink hot air balloon design... picked it out himself!

This is destined to become Chase's album cover art for his first CD... mark my words.

Barrel rides were the highlight for Chase... he did this at least 3 or 4 times.

This was after his first ride... he went completely solo. I stood back and cried a little.

Clearly enjoying the bounce house!

He's become such a pro...

that I don't even flinch when I see this...

unlike a certain Bamma I know ;~)

What festival is complete without every fried food known to man. We started with corn dogs and funnel cake for lunch. Then later that night we had french fried sweet potatoes, fried pickles and fried oreos... each one better than the last!

Another highlight was seeing the helicopter take off and land up close and personal.

After a quick ride home, some nutritious food and a nap... we picked up the grandparents and headed back!

Enjoying the horse drawn carriage ride.

More bounce house obstacle course. I can't even believe he is doing this unassisted!

Family shot as the balloons start their lift off.

Daddy and Chase sneaking up to the balloon for a closer look ;~)

Watching, in complete amazement, the balloons lifting off.

He was mesmerized.

Cool shot of them firing up the balloon just before lift off.

It was such a great day so of course it called for a video ;~)

Train them up well...

2010-08-01T10:05:00.000-04:00

Hot summer days

2010-07-31T19:23:00.000-04:00

have definitely led to a lot more time spent indoors. I'm not complaining all that much as I am not the most outdoorsy person in the world.

I can hear some people stifling laughs over that statement.

Regardless it would be nice to get out more than we have... just to a park or even Greenbrier but it's just been too hot.

So we entertain ourselves in other ways.

One day we spent an entire morning doing several different kinds of painting.

First...

Color Wonder Fingerpaints. Huge hit with Chase and I liked it a lot too. The finger paint is clear until it hits the special paper... which is nice for his little fingers and my everything else.

Oh and vinyl tablecloth... best $8 I've spent in a while. Set up and clean up are SO much easier!

Then...

we moved onto Do a Dot Art which was equally as enjoyable. I may have liked this one a tad more but Chase definitely got into creating.

Then...

onto some good ole fashioned paint brush and paint. Probably by far Chase's favorite.... and most messy... I think there is a connection.

We love driving through the...

2010-07-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

It's a one lane underpass where you must honk as you go through in order to let drivers on the other side know that they need to wait. It's quite the Hagerstown treasure... as you can see ;~)

So long craft room...

2010-07-29T20:52:00.000-04:00

Hello play room!

A few weeks ago I casually mentioned to Adam that I thought it might be in our best interest to convert the craft room into a play room... you know, think it through, plan it out, schedule a time and execute said idea.

In less than 24 hours it was converted.

So far it's been awesome. We spend WAY more time back there now. When it was my craft room I rarely (and by rarely I mean never) went back there. If I ever did crafts, I brought everything out to the living room and crafted on my coffee table. Now that it's Chase's play room, we go back there on a regular basis. I can even leave the door open and he comes and goes as he pleases. Another big bonus... I don't feel as if I am living in Romper Room anymore! We still have a few toys out here but it's not nearly as overwhelming... and it's much easier to clean up at the end of the night. Oh and another bonus... I moved all my craft supplies out to the dining room area (cleverly hidden) and now I am doing WAY more crafts than before.

Score one for the nesting instinct!

Once the play room was complete we realized the walls were kind of bare... and holely... it was a quite an eyesore. I started thinking about a project that I had intended for Chase's room.... the alphabet on his walls... and figured that it would be much better in the playroom. So I used some fun paper and a solid background and ended up with a really awesome set of letters...

Ones that I didn't just want to tape to a wall only to be ruined when they had to come down (welcome to the life of renters). So I looked into having them laminated... and quickly figured out that it was too much $$. So my beautiful letters just sat... unused and unhung.

Until Adam unleashed some horrible Catholic school memories. He was cruelly forced to cover all his paperback books with contact paper... very similar to the overpriced laminate I had used in previous projects. He kept having flashbacks of having an entire roll... not just the piddly one yard in each package that I normally bought. He was very traumatized by being forced to do this but many years later it comes in handy because it would be perfect for this project. I was skeptical but we went looking... and found it! A ginormous roll of acid free contact paper for $8.... score!

Very soon I had this hanging in Chase's new playroom...

I was thrilled with the outcome and quickly realized I needed the numbers for the other wall...

A few days later I had this up in his playroom. Now the walls are colorful, educational and hiding all the horrid nail holes! YAY!

This project has started me on a love affair with contact paper. I keep thinking of the next project where I can use this blessed material. I have a picture cha-choo idea formulating for just over Chase's bed. Stay tuned for that one.

By the way... I think my pregnancy nesting instinct has converted from cleaning and rearranging to crafting and creating. I am juggling so many projects and ideas I had to start a separate to do list just to keep them all straight!

Pool Time

2010-07-19T20:24:00.001-04:00

I am still without a computer. My world is turned upside down. I hijacked hubby's... alright, he gave it up willingly but he also thinks I am doing Roof Shampoo work here... shhhhhhhhh.

I am more than a little frustrated. We got a diagnosis from MacMedics that the hard drive was bad in my computer... which sent red flags up all over the place. Adam had taken out the original hard drive, commonly referred to as "all my information", and attempted to install a new hard drive (fresh out of the box)... with zero success. Then, not being a dummy at computers, he tested the new hard drive 7 ways from Sunday... seriously... ya'll thought he was geeky before. It was a whole new level. That new hard drive worked in every. single. place except my computer.

So you can imagine when they told Adam failed hard drive, he asked for more diagnostic testing. Put a hard drive that you know is good into my computer and see if you can get it to work. They say they did but when we finally bring our computer home and put yet another new hard drive in, stalled and failed to boot. Computer still broken... in precisely the way they said it was fixed. An entire week wasted for something Adam knew and tried to explain... not to mention $49 for a crap diagnostic.

End result... I am still without a computer and I am sad.

So I thought I would post something happy to lift my spirits.

Last Monday Chase and I took a road trip to Glen Burnie to visit Christine, Andrew and Gabriel. Her mom's condo has a community pool... which was surprisingly empty from 10 - 12. More fun for us!

Chase is always practicing to be a big brother... he loves making babies smile!

One 'trick' he learned was holding onto the edge... which he wanted to do 'all by myself'.

Aunt Christine and Andrew (Gabriel stayed home with Pop-Pop ;~)

Another 'trick' Chase learned was actually propelling himself in the water. Christine had a couple noodles for the boys to play with and Chase immediately fell in love. He held on for dear life and kicked like he never kicked before... and he actually 'swam' about 2 feet! At the next pool opportunity I made sure we had our very own noodle and Chase was in heaven. He swam back and forth and even got the hang of turning himself around... and of course, he didn't want me to hold on at all. Best $5 spent water wise!

As per usual when we road trip, this was the site in the back of the car on the way home... I will never tire of how cute it is!

Miss me?

2010-07-15T20:22:00.004-04:00

I've definitely been MIA for a few weeks. There is a good reason for it... my macbook hard drive failed and consequently borked my computer. Before someone feels the need to tease me because I am so pro mac and everything is sunshine and roses with macs... I still completely believe it. I am the one that screwed the hard drive and caused it to fail... totally and completely my fault. Let's just say that my temper + lack of sleep does not equal happiness for my mac.

Adam worked on it for a solid week (totally geeking out) and still couldn't come up with a solution. So off to Mac Medics we went... supposedly they have an answer but I'll believe it when I see it with my own eyes. Monday we'll get the computer back and hopefully by Monday night Adam can fix it once and for all.

I feel totally crippled without my computer... I never realized how heavily I relied on it. I am thankful I have the ipad to fill the gap (and the keyboard attachment thanks to my MIL!!!!) but it's really not the same. Oh well... there are worse problems. Thankfully we had just started to run a decent and complete backup on my computer so I have the bulk of data stored on an alternative hard drive... unfortunately the end of May was the last time I backed up so there were casualties... again, there are worse problems to have.

In the meantime the G's have been super busy and I hope to play catch up wtih some of the events! My dad and Stacie were in DC and we got to spend some time with them.... July 4th was a blast out on Uncle Jimmy's boat.... Chase and I made a road trip to see Christine, Andrew and Gabriel and had a great time swimming in a neighborhood pool.... Chase had his first dentist visit (and did phenomenal might I add!)... not to mention the soccer star I am growing in my belly! Seriously... this kid rivals anything Beckham can do. Morning, noon or night... lil bean is flipping, turning, punching, heabutting and just generally kicking me... and I love every minute of it. This is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.

On a completely different topic, many of you are aware that my MIL and I have regular movie nights together. That's what happens when you have 2 men who could careless about chick flicks and 2 women who love them. Well my MIL went and got us hooked on a TV miniseries... North and South... anyone remember that? with Patrick Swazye (so gorgeous!) 15 episodes at 90 minutes a pop. There is a good chance I will be pregnant with number 3 and still watching this if we don't pick up the pace!

I seem to remember this show being a particular hit with my mom... I wish she were still alive so I could ask her but right now I am relying on my extremely poor memory. Regardless... I am almost positive that she was one of the millions hooked on the miniseries when it debuted in 1985 *collective gasp at how old we all are*. I can only imagine how happy she would be to see me completely hooked after only one episode.

That's life in a nutshell right now. I'm going to attempt to post again with pictures over the weekend but that requires the husband sharing his computer. It's not that he won't... I just wouldn't call it willingly.

Lovin' Summer

2010-07-01T22:11:00.001-04:00

Summer is here and we are loving it!

We've been...

keeping the garden watered...

enjoying Greenbrier State Park...

keeping cool at the pool...

real cool...

eating ice cream and then catching fireflies...

and exploring new areas (Shepherdstown)!

It just depends on the day... some days we are out soaking up the sun and quiet time doesn't start until 3... other days we stay home and just play farm puzzle and watch DVD's. No matter what I am really enjoying this summer so far!

Annual Visit!

2010-06-26T22:23:00.000-04:00

This past Wednesday Jaime, Craig and Jackson were on their way to Camp Hope and just like last year, if they didn't stop and let me feed them... well I would have cried for 2 weeks. Maybe 3.

Poor Craig hadn't been able to watch a single game of the World Cup... something unavoidable was always going on when the games were on. I would have happily let him watch the game on the TV but alas, we have no cable! Luckily he is very resourceful (and handy with a mac) and was able to hear a radio broadcast as well as find a site that showed the replays that were worth highlighting. Not perfect but he was happy... especially after USA finally scored and advanced themselves!

Such cute smiles!!

Craig helped the boys put together a very elaborate drum set... I think they are ready to go on the road.

The gorgeous family... oh yeah, did I forget to mention they are expecting baby boy #2!!! Jaime is due in Sept!

Belly shot with our second round of boys!

Thanks for stopping in guys! Have a great 2 weeks at Camp Hope!

Summer Fun

2010-06-22T14:02:00.000-04:00

We are trying to enjoy the beautiful weather lately... although difficult when you are as tired as I am all the time.

Still... hanging out in the driveway with some chalk... that I can handle.

Our message to Daddy!

Favorite glasses bit the dust... who knew they couldn't support my weight...

Our family portrait... complete with lil bean ;~)

Coloring in his shapes.

Our neighbor was out and told us about a bunny nest he found the other day... so of course we came over to see!

It's hard to see but take my word for it... so stinkin precious! There were at least 3 that we could see but our neighbor thinks he saw a 4th one. They were all cuddled around each other sleeping blissfully!

And because it's been a while... a video!

In that last clip Adam handed him a 'flower' and Chase immediately turned around and brought it to me... I love this kid.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T14:04:00.001-04:00

This is one lucky kid to have you as a father.

We love you 'dis much'!

Weekend Con't

2010-06-15T15:35:00.003-04:00

Saturday we headed out on Uncle Jimmy's boat.

Adam and Chase started out like this...

Then switched to this for a better view.

Bamma came over to say hi and was greeted with this beautiful face...

Chase fast asleep. Apparently those life vests double as pillows!

He was so out that I was able to scoop him up and move back to a more comfortable position with him.

I never get tired of holding a sleeping baby.

Unfortunately Chase missed this action...

A few jet skiers spent about 20 minutes playing in our wake... entertainment all around!

The men of the boat... Uncle Jimmy, Chase and Adam ;~)

And the ladies of the boat... Aunt Vicky, me and Sandy ;~)

Family of 3 for just a bit longer ;~)

Once we were back home Adam and Chase headed for the 'pool' again.

Unfortunately they got pushed out by a thunderstorm rolling in. We had a good time watching and listening to it though.

Chase sat remarkably still and quiet for about 20 minutes... a real feat for him!

Just before bed we visited 'the pretty cars' in Uncle Jimmy's garage.

I was a nervous wreck with Chase playing on them but Jimmy is SO laid back... he was just delighting in how much fun Chase was having.

Chase driving Daddy around.

Sunday Adam, Chase and I got up early to head to Bay Area Community Church... a real treat in and of itself! I can't even begin to describe how great it felt to be back there. Pastor Greg saw us right before church started and was just overjoyed... it feels good to know that someone misses you that much.

The worship was nothing short of awesome. Adam and I have discovered that we really need a good worship service... it helps set the mood and really prepare your heart for the message. Precisely what I have been missing lately.

Then just listening to Greg was pure heaven. He is such a great speaker and he has this way of zoning in on the essential and applying it to everyday life. I can't possibly do him justice.

We were extremely lucky as this is his last service for 3 months (every seven years the pastor gets a 3 month sabbatical and next week starts his!)

We ran into many friends of ours including Pat and Kristen, who started the whole baby boom from our old bible study. They are now expecting baby #3... actually their baby #3 will be born before our baby #2!

I know I am gushing but it really was a treat to go to BACC... I only hope it happens again!

After church we headed to Uncle Jimmy's farm where Chase had a little fun on the fork lift...

Shortly after that we started the journey home. We were a little unnerved because we discovered our fan in the Jeep stopped blowing on Sat... which meant no cold air being pushed out on a 90°+ day for an hour and 45 minute ride home.

It wasn't looking pleasant at all. Luckily Greg spoke about contentment and not letting situations define your happiness... and here we had a good test!

Adam and I kept our calm and just decided to grin through it... which served us well. We didn't worry or fret about it and come to find out, if you are going 75mph, the air conditioning is somewhat forced through the vent. So as long as we were booking it on the way home (and Adam made sure we were), we felt cool!

And as always, this little guy fell out somewhere between here and there...

clutching Mommy's iPhone of course ;~)

Awesome Weekend

2010-06-14T21:47:00.003-04:00

We got the opportunity for a mini-vacation this past weekend and it was amazing.

Adam's uncle invited us to his gorgeous home for a weekend with the promise of taking us out on his boat... to which Sandy, Adam, Chase and I quickly said yes!

They (Adam's Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Vicki) live in Annapolis which meant 1. I was able to slip away and have coffee with my best friend sans the kids! 2. we were in extremely familiar and loved territory, 3. we were able to attend BACC... something we have been missing greatly lately.

We left Hagerstown in the afternoon on Friday... right in time for 'quiet time' for Chase...

I will never tire of these pictures... he's so stinkin cute when he sleeps!

Once we were at the house Adam and Chase wasted no time exploring their property...

Chase quickly discovered the creek that runs through their backyard and jumped right in...

He had so much fun throwing sticks and rocks and running (at least trying to) through the water.

Quintessential boy.

Chase got a huge kick out of running through this shallow area... back and forth... splashing as high as he possibly could. It looked like such fun I even joined in! I know, me and nature spending time together... I never thought it would happen either. Better get used to it with 2 boys!

Although Chase has recently developed a horrid fear of 'buggies'. If anything... gnat, fly, ant... gets within eye-shot, he totally flips out and demands my 'up'. I have no idea where he got it from *whistling* {eyes shifting to avoid contact} *whistling*.

I am not too worried about it... in 6 months he will be over it and probably trying to catch them. So for now I just remind him that they aren't all bad and relish the fact that he still runs to me for comfort.

After the creek (which took some MAJOR convincing to leave) Adam and Chase went for a dip in the 'pool'.

And by pool I mean hot tub which was set at a reasonable 93°.

This is about all the further Chase got in. At one point he was standing (he could easily stand on the bottom and have his head above water) but he lost his footing and went under... to which Adam quickly scooped him back up (picture one fluid motion) but that was all it took for Chase. He immediately wanted out and from then on out approached with extreme caution and hesitation.

Regardless, he still had a blast playing with Daddy in the 'pool'. At one point Adam scrubbed the sides down with a brillo type brush, just to keep the iron in the water from collecting on the sides and creating a ring. When Chase heard this conversation he interpreted it as 'ironing the water'... and that became his job. He ironed the water on every open surface of the hot tub.

To say that he is entertaining is the understatement of the year.

During pool time I was able to slip out for an hour or so and meet up with Christine. Luckily she was able to slip away and leave her 2 boys with her hubby... which meant an hour of uninterrupted conversation between adults! That so rarely happens anymore! It was heavenly. I am pretty sure we got more out of this conversation than the past month of talking over the phone while trying to juggle the kids/pets.

After dinner it was finally time to turn in... which meant Chase finally got to use this...

his beloved travel bed!

We blew it up the day we bought it... just to test it out and show Chase what he would be sleeping on when we went to Uncle Jimmy's and Myrtle Beach. That was at least 2 weeks ago and I think we have heard about the travel bed daily since then.

Conversation at the kennel. Kennel lady: "Are you going to have fun at your uncle's house?" Chase: *he eagerly leans forward* "Chasey has a travel bed!!!"

He ran around all Friday night asking anyone who would listen "Do you want to see my travel bed?" Several of us obliged and took him upstairs to marvel at it's greatness.

I mock but truly, it was pretty cool. There was no way I felt comfortable enough to put him in a regular size (re: height) bed and he has since outgrown a pack and play. This was a great solution... if he rolls off, no biggie!

Lucky for us he understood that the same rules apply to the travel bed as the home bed... 1. no standing, 2. no jumping, 3. no getting out. Plus he was beat tired... it didn't take him long to fall out either night!

I will have to continue later... I am still tired from our mini-vacation and need sleep!

It's a.....

2010-06-11T11:13:00.000-04:00

well most of you know but I am still going to write the entire post before I say ;~)

If you remember with Chase, we had a fun way of finding out if he was a boy or a girl... and since baby #2 often gets a raw deal, we thought we should try to do something memorable again!

So at the appointment the tech gave us a sealed envelope and wished us luck. Adam suggested going to dinner... specifically LJ's and the Kat Lounge. Who am I to turn that place down ;~) Seriously... if you haven't been there, please do yourself a favor and go. Adam is friends with the owner and planned on seeing him later that day... he would see if Alex would do something fun with dessert to 'reveal' to us what we were having.

To say that Alex was enthusiastic is an understatement... he was thrilled to help us out! He couldn't get over the fact that he would know before we did ;~)

I posted on Twitter/FB that we were going to find out later that night over dinner... much to the consternation of many of my friends.

All through dinner Adam and I were getting messages like this...

Never the one to let an opportunity go, I posted this...

My friends were not amused ;~)

I even got personal messages like this...

Ironically just as Kristen sent this, we were finding out!

Alex and our waiter brought over a covered dish and our waiter did the reveal (while Alex took pictures... man after my own heart!!!)

And the verdict is Chase will have a little baby brother!!!

The dessert chef did such a great job with our little cake. Clearly the blue indicated boy but she went a step further and added some cute detail...

I am still in shock that I am going to be a mom to 2 boys... by the end of the year at that! I am really excited for Chase to have a little brother. Even though he has been pro sister for so long, I think a little brother will suit him well. Actually at the ultrasound, we asked Chase if he wanted a sister or a brother and he answered brother! We joked that maybe he saw something we didn't!

To that end, we told Chase the next morning when we were having a morning cuddle and he was all smiles. He patted my belly and said hi to lil bean... I think all will be well ;~)

Anyway, after we found out, of course we sent out a picture immediately! Our adoring public was waiting ;~)

I got some of the following messages back (along with loads of Congrats!)

It was such a great night! A big thank you to all our friends who made finding out so much more fun then we thought it could be!

Also, a huge thank you to Alex and the staff of LJ's. Thanks so much for making the night special and memorable! You guys are amazing! (Seriously readers, do yourself a favor and GO!)

Now to start the name game!!

Police Tour

2010-06-08T16:35:00.003-04:00

Today Chase and I (and 9 other mommies and babies) had the chance to tour our local police station! All thanks to this guy...

Officer Doug... aka Laura's Husband and Adam and Ryan's Daddy ;~) He's one of our finest here in Hagerstown!

Chase was in heaven seeing all the police cars.

The infamous line up shot... the bench had handcuffs but we decided not to use them ;~) Ironically this is the area where they hold juveniles... maybe just not this young.

Hanging out in the jail cell.

This might have been the highlight of the entire tour...

climbing through the police car. As you can see it's about as good as any jungle gym out there!

Yep... much prefer him in the drivers seat rather than the backseat ;~)

My boy and I.

iPhone and toddlers

2010-06-06T22:37:00.002-04:00

I routinely let Chase play with my iPhone.

Anyone shocked?

I didn't think so.

Not surprising, he is pretty proficient at it now. He has an entire page dedicated to "Chase apps" which he thoroughly enjoys... sometimes.

Other times he much prefers to push random apps and see what opens up.

Of course I always put the phone on "Airplane Mode" so that Chase isn't random dialing everyone in my contact list... you're welcome.

A few days ago I let Chase play on my iPhone in the afternoon and didn't really think twice when he handed it back. Everything looked normal when I put the phone back in standard mode.

Until later that evening when I went to check one of my email accounts and found this...

The first 3 are my regular email accounts... but that 4th one?... I had no idea where that one came from.

So I handed the phone to my IT guy (aka the hubby) and asked him to diagnose.

Hmmm... email account complete with inbox and....

A 2 letter password. It seems our precocious little techy might want to beef up his passwords. He is sure to get hacked at this rate.

Certain fear

2010-06-03T22:55:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty good about handling fear. I can usually dismiss it and move on about my day... but there is one fear that is driving me insane.

A dog attacking Chase.

Not ours of course... Riley doesn't even attack flies (oh how I miss Scout).

I am fearful of a pit bull, rottweiler or any other large breed aggressive dog.

I have such a fear about this that I rarely go on a walk around the neighborhood with just Chase and I. If I do go on a walk just the 2 of us, I am always planning which car I will use as our escape. Pickup trucks are my friend when we walk. I almost never strapped Chase into a stroller for fear that getting him out would be too time consuming. I don't like to buckle him into his wagon (but the little booger does that himself now so I don't have a choice). I spend most of the time scanning the scene and listening for every single noise that I miss the fun part of the walk... Chase.

I have seen at least 2 pits in this area... both off their leash one time or another. Next time I see it I am documenting it and calling it into animal control.

About a month ago I opened our garage and was walking to the car with Chase when I saw a german shepard looking dog just hanging out in our front yard. Not on a leash or anything. I immediately pulled Chase to my legs, my forearm acting as a death grip seat belt across his chest. Finally after scanning for a few seconds I see the neighbor 2 doors down. She comes over and starts calling the dog... who then promptly walks away from her.

Calling her name = complete disobedience.

The neighbor starts telling me that she is a rescue and will not come back if she calls her (begs the question why she called in the first place). She is apparently mistrustful and scared because she was treated badly by her previous owners.

So you have a large dog that you let roam free who is mistrustful of humans and you have no way of getting her back until 'she comes back on her own'?

Well thanks for that neighbor.

Did I mention they have a gated back yard?

I was so stunned by the whole encounter I all but ignored her comments at the time... only after hours of stewing did I have any kind of question or comment for her. I wish I thought quicker on my feet.

Twice since then I have heard her calling for another one of their dogs "Here boy, are you hun-gee?"... all in an attempt to lure that dog back in the house with food. Not only do I not want to leave my house, I don't even want the windows open. Hun-gee? Seriously?

I mentioned before that 'of course' I wasn't scared of Riley but in reality, that isn't true. Riley is still a dog and I am still cautious about how Chase interacts with him. I try to instill in Chase that Riley is a loved member of the family and we should not do anything mean to him. I do my best to never let Riley and Chase alone in the same room without me there. I still test Riley when he's eating to be sure he won't snap at me. And if Chase is giving Riley a treat... I am standing right there in case Chase tries to move the treat he just gave him (in an attempt to be helpful but I doubt Riley sees it that way ;~) All that to say that I know my dogs cues... I can see when he's getting upset (hardly ever) and I do my best to mitigate the problem.

When it comes to other peoples dogs... I have no idea. One of the pits in this area spends at least 90%, if not 100% of his time outside. And Adam has seen that dog off his leash. That can't be a good combination.

Every other day I read/hear about another attack... each one more devastating than the last. I actually heard of one mother retrieving her gun and shooting the dog that was attacking her child. I am not a bear arms kind of person but kudos to that mom.

What unnerves me most of all is the careless attitude by the owners. People let their dogs bark for hours on end without any thought to the neighbors. People let their dogs (doesn't matter the size or breed) run up to complete strangers unleashed... when they have no idea the fear that person my have about dogs. People smile and say "Oh don't worry, he won't bite" which is usually the last thing you hear before you get bit.

But in the end, the owner doesn't matter. The dog does. The dog is what does the damage. And the dog is what scares me. And by "scares me", I mean what terrifies me to the depths of my soul.

If I have struck a nerve with you... well there isn't a whole lot I can do about that. These are my fears and thoughts on the subject and there is precious little that will change my mind. I hesitate even writing 'precious little' as I truly think there is nothing that will ever change my mind about certain dogs... but I hate to speak in absolutes.

I'll be buying some pepper spray/mace soon. Maybe then I will feel confident enough to walk around the block with my son.

A few days home

2010-05-28T22:33:00.000-04:00

This past Tuesday Chase was lucky enough to have Daddy come to music class with him.

Unfortunately Chase took a nasty spill on the carpet and got a pretty rough carpet burn. He was literally limping around the room and couldn't go more than a few minutes without crying... it was very sad.

After trying some other options (you know... a regular band aid) this is what Daddy came up with. The band aid irritated him more than the burn so we took that off and Adam tied a handkerchief around his knee. Unconventional but it worked better than any other remedy ;~)

Enjoying Daddy's company ;~)

Unfortunately Ms. Danielle won't be back to teach the class next year (family is moving) but we all had such a great time that we put together a photo album of our time... 3 guesses on who had the most pictures ;~)

We are really going to miss her!

Hopefully she will be starting a similar class in her new town... lucky kids!

This past week we have been staying close to home. Adam was sick... then Chase was under the weather and finally yesterday I wasn't feeling too hot. As much as I like getting out to do things, staying home has been good too. My house is clean, I play with Chase more and I actually completed my blanket for Chase's bed!

Playing little people with Chase in our pj's. I am not sure why but he calls the little people farm 'farm puzzle'. I think it's too cute to correct for now ;~)

Even Riley gets into the little people action.

The aforementioned finished blanket! I am so happy to have actually completed this!

Which leads me to my next project... a nursing cover for a friend of mine. She's very patient as I have been promising for quite some time. I am determined to get it to her before she stops nursing her son!

This puzzle is the end all be all. I can't remember who gave it to us but if you read this blog... thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The boy knows how to relax!

One of my new favorite pastimes is baking banana bread. I love the way it makes the house smell and I most certainly love eating it ;~)

Chase is a big fan of the mixing.

Adam convinced me to throw some chocolate chips in this batch... excellent suggestion!

And of course enjoying our spoils!

We actually got out of the house today and enjoyed some time at Monkey Joe's with our friends Jen and Kyla.

Kyla (18 months) followed Chase everywhere (as much as she could ;~) and got a big kick out of mimicking him! Chase seemed to revel in the attention...

just another reason I think he will make an awesome big brother!

Yard Sale Time Again

2010-05-23T14:43:00.004-04:00

The Spring Kids Nearly New sale happened this weekend and like the good hunters we are, the moms and I headed out early Saturday morning to score some deals.

This time we were a little smarter... we met at 6, ordered coffee and donuts and headed straight over to the yard sale. We were out of the cars and shopping at 6:20 for a yard sale that doesn't 'start' until 7. We're hip to their game.

I didn't score as big this time but I didn't really intend to. Over the past few weekends Adam and I have done a good bit of rearranging, spring cleaning and purging. The last thing I wanted to do was clutter everything back up again. Big ticket items weren't really on my list.

Bekah was looking for boy's clothes for her littlest who is out-sizing his older brother despite the fact that their birthdays are 2 weeks apart!

While sifting through I spotted this...

and could not pass it up. Boy or girl, lil bean will be sporting this at some point!

So I kept looking around... and ended up finding some other pieces that I loved and thought I would put on either a girl or a boy.

The last one I was thinking about using over Christmas but we'll have to see how big lil bean is around that time.

At $0.50 a piece, I figured I couldn't go wrong. If lil bean is a girl, I can pair any of these with a girly pair of pants and a headband. If lil bean is a boy... boy pants. No harm, no foul.

I picked up this cool floor mat puzzle for $2.

Never been opened Thomas sticker kit... just the thing for a long road trip to Myrtle beach this summer! Paid $3 for it and I saw it for $13 on Amazon... not a bad deal!

Another item for the trip to Myrtle beach. Coloring as well as a page of stickers... hopefully minutes of fun. Scored for $1!

Fun Elmo puzzle for $2 (I think... I was really tired at this point)

I was pretty happy about this find... a Melissa and Doug set with all it's pieces... a definite rarity. Chase has been getting more and more into doing his 'kitchen stuff' which just means cooking in his kitchen. Typically as soon as I start dinner he runs to his kitchen and starts preparing food as well. He loves the fruit cutting set my dad gave him for Christmas (also M and D) so I thought this would be fun as well. I may wait until his birthday to give it to him though... we'll see.

Paid $5 for it... it regularly sells between $15 - $20.

I am always looking to expand Chase's library (cheaply of course ;~) so I spent a good bit of time digging through book bins. These were the only ones I came up with but I am glad I found them. We love Sandra Boynton books so when I saw Opposites, I snatched that up. I also have heard good things about the Love You Forever book so I grabbed that one. Little Toot I remember from my childhood... maybe a bit long for him right now but I think he'll grow into it. And the Little Critter books... A New Baby (appropriate I thought) and Bye Bye Mom and Dad (again, maybe a little appropriate for my clingy little man ;~)

He's been carrying these 5 books around since yesterday afternoon... I think he likes them. I paid anywhere from $0.25 to $1 for each of them... not too bad!

And what quite possibly could be the buy of the year...

The moment Chase saw this his eyes lit up and the biggest smile spread across his face. This Thomas chair has been everywhere in our house as well as to Bamma and Grandpa's already... he is completely and totally in love with it.

Generally I am wary about things that are cloth covered but it was in such good condition that I went in for a second look. Then I realized you can take the cover off and wash it... I was sold!

This might be the best $2 I have ever spent.

I love this yard sale and I got out of it exactly what I wanted to. I hope to hit up some more this summer... there's a mile long yard sale on July 4th that's calling my name!

Fire Station!

2010-05-22T21:47:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday Chase and a whole bunch of his friends went to the Funkstown Fire Station for a tour.

One of the fire fighters dressed in his complete outfit... boots, gloves, helmet, air tank and all! All told it equals over 100 lbs.

The fire chief made a comment about how the fire fighters have to learn to dress in less than a minute... then Laura (a mom of 2) piped up "So do I!".

We watched a video about what to do if your clothes catch on fire...

but there's nothing like actually doing the STOP DROP and ROLL!

We've since mentioned it to Chase a few times but last night he and Adam were wrestling around all the sudden Chase yells out "We're doing STOP DROP and ROLL!". And they were... Adam had him in a bear hug and was rolling him back and forth. It's gratifying to see that kind of stuff sticking in his mind.

The kids got a chance to walk through 2 different fire trucks... I swear Chase was more thrilled than this picture suggests ;~)

Got a smile but of course it's not to the camera... oh well, I'll take what I can get!

A line up shot... shocked right?

At the end of the tour they got a bag of goodies and a fire chief hat...

which I couldn't resist trying on... I think it suits me!

My Monkey

2010-05-16T21:18:00.004-04:00

This past Thursday Chase and I were supposed to attend a birthday party for one of his friends... but her mommy went ahead and gave birth to her baby sister instead! (Truly Sadie probably wanted the baby more than the party... she was made to be a big sister)

Since everyone we hang out with was supposed to attend the party, we all collectively decided to head to Monkey Joe's.

A few of us had scouted the place out a week or so before (it's new to the area and since rainy days come to frequently, we are always in search of a good indoor alternative). I love it. Other places (who will remain nameless) just don't compare... the courses and the height of the slides are too much for him so boredom comes quickly. Not MJ's. They have all different levels of bounce houses. Chase immediately hit up the smaller slides and was in heaven... not even a hint of boredom.

Then we went back this past Thursday, I think the smaller slides gave him the confidence to try the medium size slides. He made it up the 'steps' just fine but was very sad when he realized he had to slide down. I stood as close to him as I could and reached out my hand... he leaned forward and slid down... and almost instantaneously was back up and climbing the steps again. He repeated that loop for a good 20 minutes straight.

This was what I was greeted with every 2 minutes...

I was so proud of him for conquering his fear!!!

Once he figured out that the slide wasn't so bad he started pushing the limits on other slightly larger ones... before long I couldn't keep track of him... he was moving through the place so fast.

Then came the massive slide. Twice this slide has been his Everest.

He had little problem scaling the steps (but as you can see the staff are there to help them out ;~)... it's once he gets to the top and realizes that the slide is the only way down when the real trauma starts. He sits up there shaking his head, pouting as far as the bottom lip will go, tears welling up in his eyes... and he defiantly moves away from anyone that comes near him to help him.

Cue pregnant mom climbing the steps... not a pretty sight folks.

Then Chase clings to me as we slide down together. And to his defense, it's a little daunting when you push off!

But after all this fear conquering, Chase tried it again. He scaled the steps and sat up top for a half a second before flinging himself down the slide.

There is no picture of him coming down the first time because I was so proud of him it was all I could do to stop cheering for him.

I did capture a run or 2 later...

I am so proud I could burst ;~)

During our 4 hour adventure at MJ's we stopped to have lunch. Bekah went to check on Alexander and laid Nikolas down... who promptly started to fuss. I asked Chase to go say hi to Nikolas and this is what I see a few moments later...

He is going to make an excellent big brother.

Sometimes I just can't believe how big Chase is getting. It really is amazing to watch him grow.

One more picture for my CA friend Amanda...

Apparently Chase thinks Riley needs Jesus as much as Ru thinks Broccoli does.

City Slicker

2010-05-07T23:12:00.001-04:00

One of my friends generously offered her parents house for a day of fun and horse riding for all of us and the kids. We descend on their house, they bring the horses out, let the kids ride, take us for walks on trails through their land and then feed us... sign me up!

So what does one wear to such an event.

Why these of course...

Could I be any more lame? (please don't answer that, I am fragile right now)

Seriously, I show up in flip flops and immediately take notice that I am in fact the only one. *sigh*

A few self deprecating jokes and I try to forget about it.

Then I look at the other kids...

My poor boy.

I get me being stupid but being stupid for my kid... that's a whole other level of FAIL.

More self deprecating jokes (probably too many) and I try to forget about it... again.

Laura's parents bring out the horses and Chase bravely follows Adam (Laura's son) as one of the first to ride.

I stupidly walked back to take a picture which was met with extremely dislike from Chase. So this is how we rode for the rest of the time.

One hand on the knob thingy (technical term) and one hand tightly grasping mine.

I love that I am his comfort.

After a few times around the ring we let someone else have a turn.

Which is about the time I started to look down...

and see that my poor exposed feet were rustling among the leaves. Which wasn't too bad... until you stared for a second or 2... and saw the spiders just hauling tail over all the leaves and twigs.

The fact that I didn't climb to the top of the 30 ft trees is a testament to my ability to hold it together. But I was freaked the hell out. And yes... a few crossed over my feet.

Typing it just made me shiver.

I couldn't be less country if I tried.

Bekah just kept telling me not to look down... a hard feat when you are convinced you are being eaten alive by spiders... also a hard feat when you are trying not to fall over because uneven terrain and stupid beach flip flops don't mix.

Sometimes my stupidity overwhelms me.

But I tried not to look down and just enjoyed a nice walk with Bekah holding Chase's hand and Alexander holding mine... I'm not sure how that happens so often ;~)

Once we were back from the walk I asked Chase if he wanted to ride again but was met with a firm "No fank you". "Are you sure you don't want to ride Elmo?". "Nope, I don't". "What about Charolette? Do you want to ride Charlotte?". "No fank you."

Ok... no more riding. At least he did it once which is what I really wanted.

We headed back down toward the house where Laura's parents had picnic tables set up with hot dogs, hamburgers, fruit salad, pasta salad, baked beans, chips and drinks. It really was quite a spread.

My boy and I enjoying some lunch.

Chase really liked his ice cream sandwich... he had his and mine!

We did a little more horse watching...

and we spent some quality time with Snoopy.

After all that fun, it was time to go home and make an attempt at "Quiet Time"... which has become the new norm at our house. I never thought I would hear myself say that but after all the sleep battles, this was just the direction he was headed. I no longer care if he sleeps (although it's nice when it happens!)... all I care is that he spends at least an hour and a half in his room for quiet time. Occasionally I have to go back there to solve some problem or make him stop jumping... or in rare cases, make him stop screaming *sigh*. But for the most part he gets it. He sits in his crib (yes he is still in a crib... the toddler bed is coming soon) and looks at books, rolls around, talks to his bears, rearranges his blankets and occasionally, throws it all out on the floor.

2 positive things to come from quiet time... 1. when I walk into his room he smiles and says "quiet time is over?". I smile and say yes and pick him up. He wraps his arms around me, gives me a hug while patting my back and says "Hi Mommy" in a sweet soft voice. That has become a new favorite time of the day. And #2... bed time is a hundred times easier. He's in bed by 7:30/7:45 and he rarely makes it to 8.

I on the other hand am up at 11:12 and wondering why. Goodnight!

Tap Tap Tap

2010-05-05T21:55:00.009-04:00

Is this thing on? It's been a long time since I have been this MIA. To the 3 loyal readers left, my apologies.

We're doing well here at the G household. I'm finally starting to get my energy back but only in small stints. I'll have one night where I get a ton done and feel on top of the world... then 3 nights of 'can't make it past 8'. I have managed to pull out my scrapbooking stuff and my sewing machine... both of which I have made progress on! Small steps but steps nonetheless.

Of course I speak better in pictures so here are a few shots from life.

Bamma got her brand spanking new iPad this past Friday and as you can see... she already lost control of it. As you might have guessed, he is already pretty proficient at the touch screen technology. On my iPhone there is a whole page dedicated to 'Chase apps' and he knows how to turn it on, unlock it, swipe to his page and pick his favorite. What can I say... technology is the future and this kid will be at the forefront.

I digress... Bamma and her iPad. It was love at first UPS delivery. This is precisely what she has been wanting from Apple and she is just thrilled to finally have it. Me... serious case of iPad envy going on. The thing is awesome.

Just like last year we are planting a garden... and just like last year 'we' is more like 'Adam'. We have 5 herbs planted, tomatoes, peppers, banana peppers, squash, sunflowers... and the one I am most hopeful about is the...

My own raspberry bush? Heaven on earth. The amount of raspberries that Chase and I could put down... it will put anyone to shame. I hope and pray with all my might that this plant does well... thrives... spreads and the house becomes lined with raspberry bushes. Heaven on earth.

My friends and I celebrated the impending arrival of yet another baby into our mix. Mandy (in blue) is due in the next couple weeks! We did the gift/big sister basket thing but in addition, Dannette had the awesome idea of making an embarrassing basket... and anyone who has had a baby can just imagine what kinds of items went into that. This isn't for the faint of heart!

I think we made an impression on our waiter/waitress ;~) This little card was in each on of our bills.

Just like with Chase, I am doing my best to take weekly shots of my growing belly. I bought the same belly book I have for Chase and I am keeping it up to date with all the tidbits about this pregnancy. To you naysayers... yes I am doing it with the 2nd... just like you said I wouldn't. Go ahead, say I won't do it with my 3rd... it only makes me try harder ;~)

I digress. This day Chase wanted in on my picture action...

He very much loves lil bean already and talks about him/her a lot.

And he is always ready with a kiss. He's going to make a good big brother. If you ask him if he wants a sister or a brother, he always says sister...

every. single. time.

If we aren't having a girl, I have some serious explaining/convincing to do.

Tidbits

2010-04-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

Chase is trying with all his might to break me. And more often than not, he's succeeding.

Chase flipped/fell/climbed (with little forethought about consequence) out of his crib on Wednesday. Nothing terrified me more than hearing that thud and then a scream. He was already up and walking to the door (sobbing) by the time I reached his room so I have no idea how he landed. He informed me that he fell on his nose and mouth... which is consistent with the rug burn he has on his face.

Adam, Chase and I went out to take pictures for a website a few days ago and as we were leaving Chase yells "I need my tamera (camera)!" So he grabs it and then yells "Wait! I need my manbag!" He then proceeds to run to his room, go into his closet, pull out my blue and white flowered purse, place the camera in it and sling the purse errr, manbag over his shoulder.

On his way home with Daddy Chase announced that "Mommy's growing the baby out. And then I can hold him, and kiss him and hug him and play trains with him. And I can show him off to Mommy and Daddy and Riley and Alexander and Miss Bekah and Miss Dannette and Miss Shelby". I think he is going to make a fine big brother.

Our air conditioning was on the fritz. Luckily we are renters ;~) My in laws arranged to have someone come take a look at it and it should be fixed soon. The air guy informs me to not worry about the heat (which I had on that day, it was cold again!)... even though the compressor is shot, the heat will kick on the electric backup heat... so we will always be able to warm the house. Hmmmm. I ask him "If that were to happen, do you think that would affect your electric bill?" He smiles, nods his head knowingly and says "Yep, that will take a real bite out of your electric" So suddenly I am very aware of why we have paid through the nose for our electric this winter. Turns out the winter is the worst time for a compressor to blow because you don't know about it until your bill spikes (or until a professional fills your clueless butt in). *sigh*

I recently won a gift certificate to the Sweet Tea Shoppe and I finally made my choice! I plan to get another charm as soon as we know lil bean's name.

I started scrapbooking again and it feels great! I am a little behind (as in just finished with Christmas 2008) but I am making headway!

Adam is busier than ever! He signed 5 clients in 4 days... in addition to the clients that came with him. We're only a few days in but it's looking really good and we couldn't be more pleased.

So that's all I have for tonight. Hoping and praying that I get some energy back soon... I love being pregnant but being this tired is rough.

Change is Good

2010-04-16T15:24:00.000-04:00

Recently I alluded to 'big changes coming to the G household' on my facebook status. I got a variety of guesses back including twins (emphatically NO!), a promotion for Adam (not quite) and a move (again not quite).

As of today Adam has opened up his own law practice.

This has actually been in the works for weeks but we wanted to wait until he was officially on his own to make the announcement.

I don't want to go into all the reasoning behind this decision... at least not right now (maybe in a future post... maybe not ;~). However, it was made with much prayer and hours upon hours upon hours of discussion. Financially it is better for our family and professionally it is better for Adam.

I love how giddy and excited Adam is about this adventure. I think next to our wedding day and Chase's birth, this may be one of the best days of his life.

Testing out the new desk.

Chase helping us measure the 4ft bridge.

Carrying blinds into Daddy's new office.

My husbands mantra.

He's worked hard to get to this place.

The office!

Couldn't be more proud of this guy!

I think Chase feels the same way.

Babywearing

2010-04-15T22:07:00.000-04:00

So with this pregnancy I have been thinking a lot about babywearing. I liked the idea when I was pregnant with Chase but it never seemed really necessary so I didn't do it very often.

When I did use a sling, I used this one:

It worked well for infants (Chase was all of a few weeks when I used it) and it was ridiculously simple.

Then there was a recall on it... blamed in the death of an infant. I checked the tags and mine wasn't actually part of the recall. It was either the model after or before but this particular one wasn't part of the recall. Still, in my head I couldn't get past the idea that a baby died in a sling so similar so I stopped using it. I tossed it in a bin and forgot about it.

A few months ago Adam and I did a purge session at our house and I tossed it in a giveaway pile along with some other odds and ends baby stuff. I didn't even think twice about it.

A week ago, I was at a friends house who had started using a similar style sling with her second baby. She abruptly stopped using it when she heard about the total and complete recall on all of these pocket style slings. Apparently the positioning of the chin on chest for the baby lead to 2 more infant deaths.

3 beautiful babies lost their lives in this sling. My heart drops just typing that sentence.

And I put Chase in that sling... must shake off the guilt....

She went on to tell me that they were offering a very nice replacement sling... or they had other items if you were spoiled on the babywearing idea... which I am most definitely not.

This is the sling they are offering:

It's very similar to a Mei Tai Wrap which I have always liked.

Oh well... guess I missed the boat on that one.

The next morning I was at MOPS. It had been a rushed morning to say the least and I was more than a little frazzled by the time I sat down. I look over to the swap table and what do I see poking out from the top of a box? A black toile sling just like the one I used to have. Weird.

I didn't feel comfortable taking the sling and claiming it as my own just so I could get the replacement sling so I relaxed in my chair and started talking with someone.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe it was my sling... I had given a lot of stuff away and I had given some to the church (as well as Goodwill and other places). So I went over the box to poke around and immediately recognized some stuffed animals and other odds and ends as stuff I had donated. Then I opened the sling and sure enough... there were a whole bunch of knit caps that I had tucked in there when I donated it!

It was my horrible awful recall sling! I was ecstatic!

As soon as I got home I checked the website to be sure they were in fact recalling this sling and low and behold... they were!

I submitted my claim, printed the form and sent in my sling! In a few weeks I should have a brand new sling to use with lil bean!

Now I have my ring sling (used extensively on our SF trip), a handmade Moby wrap (thanks to my friend Danielle's instruction!) and soon a Mei Tai wrap! I'm ready to wear this baby!

Oh and the replacement sling comes with:

Score!

Nerds

2010-04-10T20:47:00.000-04:00

Home sick? Bored? Have PhotoBooth?

Minutes of enjoyment.

Yep, we're nerds.

Sick, stuck and smells

2010-04-09T21:31:00.000-04:00

Our pediatrician was called Monday morning... and we got an appointment. The diagnosis... pretty sever case of strep throat. I have to say I didn't see that one coming. I thought it was probably an infection but I was leaning toward an ear infection. Nope, she took one look in his mouth and with wide eyes said this throat was extremely red.

Off to the grocery store for antibiotics!

The worst part of the whole adventure... when the pediatricians office said that Chase's insurance had been canceled. Yep. I am there with a sick kid and Carefirst has royally screwed up. I swear medical insurance is the most evil entity on earth. The sad thing is I knew it would happen. I saw it coming... I did everything I was supposed to do to avoid it but nope, they went ahead and screwed up anyway. *sigh*

Thankfully I have someone (a broker) helping me straighten everything out. Fingers crossed it gets worked out quickly.

Anywho... after that eventful morning Chase and I headed home to put up the quarantine tape. We were officially in for another 24 hours.

And unfortunately, we were quite literally stuck inside. My thought was to spend a nice relaxing Tuesday morning on the deck with the umbrella up, the water table full and maybe a popsicle or 2... not so much. Between the 8-10 wasps hovering around our shed/deck and the horrendous cow manure smell... there was no way we were sitting outside or opening the windows. Oh and the air conditioning is broke so we essentially were stuck in a darkened sweatbox.

Have I complained enough yet? Sorry, the answer to that is probably yes. Again, I am sorry. It was just a rough few days.

Thankfully things have been improving. We've been able to leave the house and actually spend time with other people (and oh how I have missed other people!) We went to a consignment sale where I snagged this:

beat up and weathered but it's perfect for our backyard! Now the weather just has to warm back up so we can use it ;~)

All and all things are going well around here. I'm still extremely tired... hence the lack of posting... but maybe once I am out of the first trimester that will subside a bit. I have all these projects and ideas but not enough energy to complete them!

I could have sworn my sewing machine was glaring at me the other day.

Easter Fun

2010-04-04T22:11:00.000-04:00

Things have been pretty low-key around here lately.

Chase and I have both had a stomach bug (although him way worse than I) and I've been experiencing some round ligament pain. I had this with Chase but it wasn't until about 23 weeks so I was caught off guard when it struck at 9 weeks. Just one of those things that isn't in the book.

Unfortunately all that meant we had to miss the big Easter party that Bekah hosted on Friday ;~(

Thankfully the stomach bug avoided Bamma who came over on Thursday and took care of Chase (and my house!) all day while I was too weak to get off the couch. It also avoided Adam, who took over the care of the house on Thursday when Bamma left.

The silver lining is that we've had some very awesome family days.

Saturday we just spent the day chilling out around the house. I boiled some eggs in the morning and in the afternoon we had the greatest time dying them. I seriously underestimated how much fun this would be with a child. I could have dyed 4 dozen more!

He insisted on the chef hat.

My egg:

I ♥ AG

I ♥ CG

Adam's eggs:

So tragic. He took a header off the breakfast bar.

This looked way cooler in my mind.

Our cast of characters!

Unfortunately we seem to be carrying on the tradition of being sick on Easter. Saturday night Chase was up at least 4 separate occasions with stomach bug issues... which really caught us off guard since we thought he was on the mend. He also spiked another fever mid morning... our pediatrician is definitely getting a call from me in the morning.

Nonetheless we had a fantastic Easter... more to come.

Remember me?

2010-04-03T17:42:00.000-04:00

Jessica... wife of Adam, mommy of Chase... scrapbooker... (hopeful) seamstress... used to write on this blog with surprising frequency...

Hi! How are you? It's been a while I know. Sorry about that.

Apparently I got pregnant and then bean started the subtle process of zapping all my energy. Seriously, it's all I can do to walk myself to bed at the end of the night... let alone attempt coherent thought. Anyway, I am hoping to play catch up so you might see a few posts right in a row.

Last week Chase and I took a road trip to Annapolis to visit Christine, Andrew and Gabriel. We had signed up for a cooking class at Whole Foods which started at 11, so we tried to get there a little early to have some hang out time.

Enjoying the nice weather on the porch.

Chase was fascinated by the horse in the neighbors yard.

Too quickly that hang out time disappeared and we headed to the cooking club. I ended up sitting with the boys on the floor... they were among the youngest and didn't get the whole 'sit on the carpet and watch the entertainment' thing. Not to mention the fact that Chase was being unusually clingy (which should have been my first clue...).

The entertainment just happened to be a clown. I know, not surprising when you are dealing with kids but when I was 14ish, I was talked into watching Stephen King's "It"... a decision I have regretted ever since. Fortunately this clown had a 'Jesus Loves You' pin on her shirt which made me feel a bit better. Still, I was happy when the clown left.

Next we walked around the store collecting goodies...

cantaloupe from the produce section...

a kids cliff bar from the prepared food section...

They also got a slice of pizza, a cup of carrot juice slushie, a sticker and a piece of chocolate!

Enjoying our lunch.

This face should have been my second clue...

After we left Whole Foods I called a friend in the area and stopped by to see her. Unfortunately her little girl was sleeping (an unusual 3 hour nap that day!) so it was us talking while Chase played with her toys.

She gave us the cutest gift ever!

She had these game pieces and instead of throwing them away, she decided she could make them into a really cute toy for her little one. Glue some magnets on the back and ta-da! Chase loves his set and they reside right next to our alphabet! Thank you Sylvia!

On the way home. Not unusual but notice the flushed look with pink cheeks?

Yeah, that... all 3 clues I should have picked up on... equaled a child that did not feel well... at all. By the time we got home he had a blazing 104.3 fever. Mother of the year should be calling any moment.

The rest of the evening was extremely low key and consisted of us laying around until daddy got home.

It was a lot of fun but I think I need to stop the long road trips until I am out of my first trimester at the very least. I was whooped by end of the day!

Picture Heavy

2010-03-24T20:20:00.005-04:00

Ok... so I am attempting to play catch up on the blog since I have been so absent lately... which I totally blame on this...

meet 'the bean'! cute, I know.

We made it out to the Maple Syrup demonstration at Cunningham Falls this past weekend and it was beautiful... the weather and the surroundings.

Teaching Chase the fine art of throwing things in the water... things being rocks and sticks, we're not litterbugs.

The cuteness in this picture overwhelms me. I love him so much.

Kid in a tree stump? Adorable!

I love my boys ;~)

Trying to get a good picture with an antsy toddler... always a challenge!

We bumped into Dave, Kari and Lexi while we were watching the demonstration...

How cute are these dads and their kids???

Showing mommy how to throw things into the water... this was a GREAT deal of fun.

Bamma caught a ladybug and we watched her crawl around for a few minutes. We also discovered that lady bugs might be the only insect I am not afraid of.

Since the weather was (I emphasize was) so gorgeous, we made it a point to spend time outside.

This looks evil on our part but the sponge was for me to clean the water table and Chase grabbed it and started cleaning the deck... yeah, I'll stick with that story.

Grandpa getting in on the water table action. So far everyday Chase has asked to play in the water table... really hoping the weather improves soon!

Adam and I learned our lesson last year... a strong and steady fence is needed to keep Riley out of the garden!

Poor dog is so angry he can't get in here. {enter evil maniacal laugh here}

Always trying to take advantage of good weather we spent some time on the deck playing basketball...

with gardening gloves... you know, like you do.

dribbling and chasing the ball...

but more fun than anything was when daddy would toss the ball on the roof, let it roll down and catch it in silly ways...

life is never dull.

We (re: Adam) were also smarter about planting our seeds this time... instead of throwing them all in the ground halfway through spring, we (re: Adam) actually read the packet and planted according to the directions.

And he of course had his faithful assistant.

I think I am most excited about the sunflowers... that was my pick for this year ;~)

Can't wait to see some growth!!!

Storyville

2010-03-23T20:15:00.000-04:00

Some pictures from Storyville!

Chase absolutely LOVED playing with the 'kitchen stuff'

burying carrots in the 'dirt' with Andrew...

working on his blueprints...

taking a break to read a book (and create a table out of his legs)...

stopping by the post office to mail a few over-sized envelopes...

went to the market to pick up a few groceries...

explored a fallen tree...

sailed in a boat...

read books with Andrew in a lighthouse...

and read books with Andrew on the water...

and did a little construction...

then passed out from a long busy day!!!

It was really lots of fun although making that drive in my first trimester was rough! I say that and I am planning another trip to Annapolis tomorrow. I never learn ;~)

I'm Here

2010-03-21T22:27:00.000-04:00

But I am So. Unbelievably. Tired.

I have very little nausea (knock on wood) but the fatigue is completely draining me.

Things are going well with the little bean so far ('bean' being his or her nickname). We had our first appointment on St. Patty's Day and were able to see and hear the heartbeat! I have pictures to show but I am too tired to scan them in and post right now.

In other news there are some changes coming on Adam's job front. I won't go into it right now but please pray for us as we (re: Adam) make some big decisions.

Last Saturday Adam dressed up like a cowboy and danced to American Honkey Tonk Bar Association in front of about 400 people. It was awesome.

Every year there is a benefit for the San Mar Children's Home and every year people from around the area put on skits for an evening of entertainment and fun. The lawyers (Adam and 2 other lawyers) danced to the aforementioned Honkey Tonk... local business woman danced to "she works hard for her money"... 2 male doctors dressed up as Sony and Cher and sang "I got you babe" and so on and so forth. Like I said... awesome.

Oh and last week I won a gift certificate!

Adventures in Babywearing was holding a 21st century baby shower for I Should Be Folding Laundry which consisted of some pretty awesome giveaways... so I entered some... and I won one! I can't wait to spend my gift certificate at the Sweet Tea Shoppe!

I have other things to share but I am just too tired... my bed is calling.

Sewing 101

2010-03-10T15:13:00.003-05:00

I was so excited to make my apron with the beautiful fabric that you guys helped me pick out!

This is how I started the class...

until Kari overheard the teacher say something about a pillowcase.

Ummmm, excuse me? I thought we were making an apron?? As it turns out the teacher changed her mind again (pillowcase to apron and then back to pillowcase) but failed to let us know. Awesome.

Not only is the fabric not what I would have picked for an apron, I don't even have enough of it. The pillowcase had 3 types of fabric, all varying sizes... not the straight 1 yd. for the apron we had been told. *sigh*

Luckily we were a little more knowledgeable about our machines and already had our bobbins spun and needle threaded... which afforded us some time to go pick out new fabric.

So my apologies my loyal readers... I could not use your suggestion. But here is the fabric I did choose...

My thinking behind it was a pillowcase for Chase. He has his own pillow in his tent so I figured make him his own special pillowcase.... hence the boyish colors ;~)

Oddly enough the straight line eluded me all this time. I mean I got it pretty close but I would veer here and there and the finished product... well you could always see a bend in the stitch.

I don't know if you can see the line markings on the machine, next to the presser foot... yeah, I didn't see those until Saturday. As it turns out, they are there to help you create a straight line! Who knew! I was trying to create a straight line by watching the needle... which is near about impossible. Taking your eyes off the needle and aligning your fabric with the marking... 100 times easier and more precise. Which also does wonders for your backstitch! Lesson # 1 learned!

My sewing buddy Kari practicing her straight line.

When it came to pinning the fabric together... I had it totally wrong again.

Apparently you do not pin parallel to where your seem will be, you pin perpendicular...

And you don't ever lift the fabric to pin... there is a much better way which lessens your chance of moving the fabric! Lesson # 2 and # 3 learned!

Quite possibly the best part was where the classroom... not tucked away in a room somewhere... not even behind glass windows... nope. Right out in the middle of the store where everyone was walking and shopping.

Definitely made for some great people watching.

My finished product...

And Kari's finished product...

This was definitely a fun class and I plan on going back and doing some of the other ones they offer! Hopefully next time they will give me the correct information!

Too sneaky...

2010-03-08T15:13:00.002-05:00

I think I was a bit too sneaky with the last post ;~) I left more people wondering about this picture...

when I should have just said in 9 or so months, Chase will be a big brother!

According to my calculations, I am due Nov 1st... we'll see what the doctor has to say when I go to my first appointment next week.

Chase walks around saying "Mommy has a baby in her belly" and he gives it kisses already. When asked if he wants a brother or a sister, without fail he says 'sister'. However, then if you ask if it's a boy or a girl, he says 'boy' ;~)

So far I've been feeling fine... slight wave of nausea here and there and an overall sense of tiredness but definitely manageable. Let's hope it stays that way. I am still in the very early stages of pregnancy ;~)

Thanks to everyone for the congrats and well wishes!

600 posts, sickness and more crafts

2010-03-05T22:40:00.000-05:00

Well, in that order, this is my 600th post! Whew I talk a lot... something every teacher from kindergarten to high school could agree on. Luckily I have an outlet for it now.... well most of it... I still talk Adam's ear off nightly.

Unfortunately I've been sick the past few days... I caught cold on Tuesday and am just now starting to shake it. Needless to say Chase and I spent Wednesday in... and what better to pass the time than crafts!

Chase was insistent that we paint... something, anything... he didn't care. I was all out of wooden crafts so I spent sometime looking around and came up with this...

I knew I saved that oat container for a reason! We cut a brown paper bag and glued it on...

instant craft! Plus Chase loves 1. things with tops and 2. things he can put things in... a virtual gold mine for him.

This time I did work on encouraging him to let one color dry before we add another (with the help of the blow dryer) as well as one brush for one color. He took to it pretty well.

I may have helped him out with the top...

Another idea I had was to capture his handprints... I mean it's always fun to paint your hand and we all know how quickly those hands grow! It would be cool to have those size handprints to compare to in the coming years!

Chase was a BIG fan of mommy painting green paint on his hands!

And he loved smooshing them down... giggled the entire time...

My little goober. And as you can see, we stole one of Daddy's shirts and claimed it as our own smock. Chase was in heaven and wore it for the rest of the day.... long after the crafts!

Chase adding his own flourish as well as yelling "SMILE" which he hears me say about 100 times a day.

And finally... proudly displaying the finished product...

Does this....

2010-03-04T20:52:00.000-05:00

remind you of anyone?

And the winner is...

2010-03-02T19:40:00.002-05:00

6.

It really was a landslide... 10 to 6! Thanks all who voted! Soon I will have a red paisley apron!

Pictures from around the house

2010-02-27T22:53:00.002-05:00

Things have been pretty slow lately... you know, what with no major snowstorms! It's been business as usual. So I thought I would bring you some scenes from the home.

Chase enjoying the spoils of his hard work!

After nap:

In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't walk in on him like this. He just didn't want to get out of the crib right away... instead he lined up all his stuffed animals and then himself. I love the mind of a 2 year old!

Keeping busy:

I got these cute little ornaments from my secret sister before Christmas but never got the chance to use them so we broke out the paint and decorated!

Pardon the shirtlessness... I was too lazy to find him a cover shirt ;~) I just love how intense he is when it comes to painting.

Quintessential:

Slippers and sleeping dog. If only he were that calm all the time. *sigh*

Tie Breaker

2010-02-25T13:49:00.000-05:00

Ok... according to my count it's a tie between #6 and #8!

6.

8.

Truth be told I love both of these patterns so I just can't decide. I hate to ask again but please help me! Vote for your favorite out of these 2... barring a tie, we should have a winner soon ;~)

Baptism and Family

2010-02-22T22:33:00.003-05:00

Sunday was all about this guy...

A very smiling Gabriel Ryan!

Because Adam had a rotary thing and we already had Bamma coming to babysit, I was able to attend on my own! I do love my family but once in a while, it's nice to get out and do something just for you... or for a 2 month old in this case ;~)

The fam! Seems like just yesterday we were here for HIS baptism... time sure does fly!

Adam and Stephanie (Godparents) getting Gabriel dressed in his tux... stylin' lil dude.

Andrew was a complete dream the entire service... I didn't hear him once! Of course I was focusing on taking pictures the whole time... anyone surprised there?

Gabriel and I have the same weird head tilt in pictures... we bonded over it.

While I was gone the boy was enjoying some nice weather...

albeit sunny weather. As this picture was being taken I can guarantee that Chase was pathetically whining "EYES! EYES!"

And every good snowfall needs a snowman...

Chase just happened to get an angry one! Doesn't matter, the smile on Chase's face more than makes up for the grimace on the snowmans.

To top off an already fun day, Uncle Nick and John were visiting so we had a family dinner at the M/FIL's house!

Chase was showing off his MagnaDoodle!

Chase was thrilled to see both of them... he 'calls' them on his phone at least every other day.

Rose and Josie come to visit!

2010-02-19T22:28:00.000-05:00

Finally! We had scheduled a play date back on the 10th but you know... we got that little bit of snow which sidetracked our plans.

This beautiful little girl just sailed through a 2 hour ride from Baltimore to Hagerstown... yep, she's that awesome.

Every time I held Josie (which was whenever I could ;~) Chase would tell me "Mommy want sit on the floor" which is just his way of getting access to Josie.

Chase was immediately smitten with her.

I just love how Josie is looking up at her mommy... so precious!

This was the scene all day. Chase and Josie exchanging smiles.

I did my best to glam up our lunch. Italian bread with turkey or salami, cheese, avocado, diced olives and a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of oregano. Pretty yummy if I do say so myself! Were we in a bistro in Italy or my duplex in Hagerstown???... hard to tell.

We do what we can ;~)

Motherhood definitely suits Rose... she is wearing it (and Josie) well! And I love this look from Josie... something tells me the thumb wasn't the finger she wanted to point at me. I am a little like the paparazzi... sorry kid!

Unbelievably Chase and Josie napped at the exact same time... almost to the minute! Chase went down with no argument in his crib and Josie passed out on Rose's chest. Which meant an entire hour and a half of uninterrupted adult conversation between Rose and I... that right there folks is a miracle of epic proportions!

Did I mention she's a genius?

While Josie was reading, I was holding Chase upside down... yep, that's life with a boy! Also, I DO EXIST... and also, this might be my new favorite picture of us! Thanks Rose!

Yep... I think she's sick of the camera!

Chase is aces at sharing so naturally...

he had to share his tent!

Although Chase learned an important lesson. If you aren't careful...

your tent might get hijacked.

Although they were here for most of the day, it went by way too fast .

I had a great time seeing both of you! Thanks SO much for making the drive out here... I know it's a doozy!

PS. I SO want a Moby now!

Making Cookies!

2010-02-19T22:27:00.000-05:00

What better way to spend a morning than making and decorating sugar cookies!

Our 3 expert bakers... miraculously all looking in the general direction of the camera!

So as you can see, for all my desire to make and decorate cookies... I actually leave the work to my guests. I'm an impressive hostess, I know. Step back Martha.

3 two year olds all wanting to push a cookie cutter into dough at the same time is quite the scene. We (re: Bekah and Kari) did a good job on getting them to take turns.

And of course the decorating takes the utmost concentration. I bet this was how Picasso and Pollock started.

_________________________________________

Thank you all so much for voting on the choice of fabric for my apron! It has been so much fun to see everyone pick their favorite(s)! I am going to leave it open for another day or two so if you haven't voted, head HERE and leave a comment!

Calling all readers

2010-02-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

Ok my dear sweet readers... I need your assistance.

I signed up for a sewing class at Joann Fabrics... Sewing 101 to be exact! It's a 2.5 hour class on a Saturday and the project is an apron.

The fabric is where you guys come in. As you know, I just bought a crapton (I think that's a real measurement) of fabric... so I thought I would have you guys pick from my stockpile! Leave your choice in the comment section!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. All of these suck, go buy new fabric!

So please dear readers, let your voice me heard and vote on the fabric for my new apron!

Thanks!!

A perfect Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T22:58:00.001-05:00

What a lazy day... just what I wanted!

We woke up and promptly determined that we did not want to try a new church today. Yes I know, heathen central over here.

I couldn't stomach the thought of rushing to get out the door, attempting to keep Chase quiet through an entire service and inevitably end up out in the lobby while Chase explored every nook and cranny because he can't possibly sit still that long. Next week I will call on the in laws to help (they are the best babysitters in town!).

So we lazed about in the morning... and it was wonderful.

While putting Riley out back Adam decided to pull down one of our icicles...

As you can see it broke in 2 but holy icicle, that thing was huge!

Chase marveled at how much snow was on the deck and I marveled at how high it was compared to him!

After a wildly frustrating nap (sleep issues abound over here) Chase woke up to his Valentine's Day present!

New play doh!

Clearly our play doh needed to be replaced. Not only was it a nice shade of dirt brown, it was cracking and crumbling and just generally unpleasant to play with. Such as life with play doh!

Not only do we have more doh, we have some fancy new tools to use... although all Chase likes to do is "tut it up" with the "budder knife". I think he may be a chef one day.

My sweet valentine made me Apple Crisp with Gouda (all the ingredients just happened to be in the house [wink] [wink])

He must love me.

He also surprised me with flowers and a box of Russell Stover chocolates last night... again, he must love me. I am pretty sweet on him ;~)

In other news... I may have lost my mind.

I bought 12 different fabrics, 2 patterns, a zipper, 48 inches of boning and adjustable rings... and that was holding back. I didn't even step foot near the fleece section!

So here I am. I'm putting up my plans in hopes that I follow through with them... held accountable by the 8 people that read my blog.

I'll list the plans in order of the fabric...

1. Double sided cotton flannel baby blanket
2. Other side of #1
3. Tent structure to go over Chase's reading corner in his room
4. Other fabric to go with #3
5. Nursing cover
6. Nursing cover
7. Nursing cover
8. Nursing cover
9. Nursing cover
10. Nursing cover
11. Dress for me for the summer
12. Sleepy pants for me (that are long because I never find them long enough)

You may be wondering why so many nursing covers... I plan on putting them up on an etsy shop once I have them complete. I am scared like hell but I'm doing it anyway.

I am scared like hell to admit any of this on my blog.

Stupid accountability.

Wish me luck!

Blizzard 2010 Part 2 of The Sequel

2010-02-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

Finally the sun has peaked through! Let the melting begin!

More snow to shovel... guessing another 5 or so inches... who can even keep track ;~)

Good thing the other side of the Jeep didn't look like this! All we need is one side dug out... the 4 wheel drive does the rest!

Adam and I figured the in laws might need a hand digging out (and want to see a super cute toddler in an adorable snowsuit) so we headed over.

That snow would be about arm height on Chase!

Turns out Joe is super human and managed to keep on top of the snow... they were completely dug out!

So we just took a look around the house...

Admiring the gorgeous (and slightly scary) icicles.

I just love my in laws backyard... it's always beautiful but the snow coverage, it just blew me away. Love the table in the foreground... now that is some snow accumulation!

Then we decided to not let all this snow go to waste... time for some serious playing!

Well after the Grandpa and Bamma picture!

Packed snow on a road where no one is driving = perfect sledding conditions!

Daddy did a bit of a tuck and roll here. He may say it was on purpose but I think we all know better ;~)

Pulling Chase up and down the road.

Now Mommy's turn!

Even Bamma takes him for a spin!

I attempted to get Chase and Daddy going down the hill but it ended up more me just pulling them (and not well). Gravity didn't kick in like I thought it would!

One thing I can say about life with Adam... it will never be dull.

I love this guy!

I'm also pretty fond of this guy too!

Blizzard Fun

2010-02-11T22:54:00.002-05:00

Keeping Busy

2010-02-11T22:51:00.000-05:00

We G's know how to have a good snowstorm...

Dozer + Daddy's Hat + pj's + baby legs = high fashion awesomeness!

I am pretty certain that every family with toddlers has broken out the play doh... several thousand times.

Our house is no different...

It was definitely time to take inventory of our stock...

The next logical step when you have this much play doh on the coffee table... Layla, you may want to look away...

Yes, we have created the rarely seen Super Play Doh. It's color mixture will wow you and terrify you... and if you are me, it will make your head hurt.

Again, the logical next step would be making the play doh into varying size balls...

and lining them up from biggest to smallest...

and then smashing them into the shape of a wizards hat...

and taking a picture of it on your toddlers head.

Yeah, we G's know how to have a good snowstorm!

Blizzard 2010 The Sequel

2010-02-11T22:20:00.001-05:00

As if we hadn't seen enough snow, Mother Nature decided to drop another 18 inches on us!

It started Tuesday afternoon and continued into most of Wednesday... which meant snow day with Daddy!

Chase showing Bear the newly fallen snow.

Surveying the scene with Daddy.

Suiting up to shovel! When I first bought this snowsuit I wasn't sure it would get much use... little did I know. Best purchase ever.

Chase perfecting the art of catching snowflakes with his tongue.

Since the driveway was a mere 7 inches snow, unlike the 3 feet in the yard, Chase was much more adventurous.

He entertained himself by plowing through the snow with his snow boots.

We played "bury Chase and his shovel"... doesn't sound like fun but it was wildly popular around our house.

King of the snow hill!

Posing with our shovels... on our giant mound of snow. It's sure to last at least until April.

Just a little perspective on how high our mound of snow ended up... Adam is 6'3"!

Our Blizzard '10 Family Portrait

Adam digging out our heat pump... it was almost completely buried!

Back inside from all our shoveling fun. Chase sported those insanely red cheeks for at least an hour or so!

The front of the house was taken care of...

but Riley had some complaints about the backyard.

Lucky for Riley, Adam loves him. He dug out a path on our deck, cleared the steps and cleared a very large latrine area for Riley.

Although Riley didn't really spend a lot of time looking around and appreciating. It was out and in within a minute!

We've actually really been enjoying the snow. We aren't as stuck as some people so we don't feel trapped and even when we have been home bound, we've had fun just hanging out. I think the real appeal for us is that we probably won't see a storm like this for another 10 to 20 years. This really is something amazing and it's been fun to witness. Don't get me wrong... I'll praise the heavens when I see the first signs of spring peek through but for now, I'm just enjoying the snow.

Valentine's Day Party

2010-02-10T22:30:00.000-05:00

The snow couldn't keep us from celebrating Valentine's Day with the kids... well it kind of could... it sure did try.

Originally the party was scheduled for Wednesday but with the impending snowstorm (#2 if you're keeping track) we decided to bump it up a day. Take that crappy snow!

Kari hosted the party for 8 adults, 8 - 2 year olds and 4 infants... as always it was loud chaotic and fun.

There are always shenanigans going on when we get together...

Sometimes I think the kids are the quieter part of the mix ;~)

The invite said "Valentine's Day themed food and boy did everyone deliver!

Trying to capture a bit of the insanity...

Kari even had a craft for the kids to do.

Chase took it very seriously...

And the finished product came out great! Later that day Chase gave it to Daddy and told him to "put it in his office"... which Daddy is sure to oblige ;~)

These days Chase remembers so much of what he hears and sees it amazes me.

He picked up this Mr. Potato Head stethoscope and said "this is kinda like Riley's conductor"... which if you need translation means "this is kind of like what Riley's doctor used". Not sure why everyone is a conductor but they are... the point is he remembered the doctor using it on Riley 4 days ago and for 10 seconds. Just another reminder that Chase is always watching and listening!

Chase is also very attached to 'babies' these days. No matter if it's an actual baby doll (pictured above with baby Stella), his teddy bears at home or the real live babies in our group. He's drawn to babies. It's so sweet to watch.

Thanks for hosting Kari... I am so glad we could get together before the next storm rolled in! See ya'll in spring!

Potty Time Awesomeness

2010-02-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

We've moved onto Potty Chart 2 but I wanted to post the final original Potty Chart...

We did it!

I think I can officially say that Chase is now potty trained. He's pretty much batting 1000 these days and he's even learned how to use other people's potties ;~)

I am not sure how much time there is between "Mommy, I have to go potty" and when it actually happens but he's definitely telling me and that's all I care about right now. Really, we couldn't have picked a better time to start training... with all the snow, we've had nothing but time to train.

So congrats to my little boy, err man, for making yet another big leap into childhood! I am so proud of you!

Super Bowl Time

2010-02-10T21:14:00.000-05:00

And you know what football fanatics we are!

Yep, that about sums it up.

Since we had such a good time last year, we decided to do a repeat performance. Although I think the promise of Adam's wings sweetened the deal for Dave.

Playing house... and grocery store.

Proof I actually watched he game. I am sure I asked more questions than anyone in the history or football ever but at least I was trying. I was also rooting for the Saints... thought it would be a nice win for them.

Daddy and Chase sharing some Cream soda... well pretend sharing ;~)

Not much of a lazy snow day

2010-02-06T23:01:00.000-05:00

Everything started out well... we woke up, made coffee, ate waffles and bacon... general family merriment.

We decided to tackle shoveling the mounting snow... even though it was still coming down pretty hard.

Adam jumped off the porch on the side of the house and was promptly swallowed by the snow.

You can get a pretty good visual of the snow drifts along the side of the house. Had we put Chase out there we may have lost him for a good few minutes.

Chase is thoroughly uninterested with having traditional fun in the snow... he doesn't want to be on a sled, he doesn't want the snow touching his hands (or gloves) and God help the individual that places him directly in a large pile of snow. What he does love...

shoveling. He proudly stands with his shovel (aka the windshield scraper).

Pretty much every night we talk about all the fun things we will do the next day and I kid you now, the night before, he added shoveling the driveway to his list. I hope this keeps up!

So we come back in and peel off the layers of cold wet clothes... lunch and nap are next on our agenda.

As we were sitting in the living room Riley attempts to stand up and walk off his bed... immediately something isn't right. His hind legs aren't cooperating and he is stumbling. I call for Adam and we watch in horror for the next 3 minutes as Riley gets worse and worse. He is quickly getting to the point were he cannot stand at all and his body is shivering (presumably from pain).

Adam and I corral him into my lap and wrap a blanket around him while I am frantically calling our vet. They aren't in but they put me in contact with a local emergency vet... who I call in tears.

At this point I was convinced we were watching Riley die... I have never seen him act like this before.

After I unload my terror on the vet he suggests we come in... this doesn't sound like something that can or should wait.

So at 12:30 in the afternoon Adam and I load up a hungry soon to be cranky 2 year old, a shivering scared beagle and ourselves in the Jeep and set off in a snow storm for the vet. Does my dog have timing or what?

Truth be told the roads were not that bad. I wouldn't have driven them if I didn't absolutely need to but given the circumstances... they were fine.

By the time we get to the vet Riley has calmed down and seems to be doing a bit better... still not great but not near death like I thought earlier. The vet said he could be reacting to adrenaline at this point and he is probably still masking some pain.

We give him the history and he runs a thorough exam on Riley... checking glands, his back, his teeth, his reflexes... seriously, Cumberland Valley Clinic, especially Shawn... you guys are awesome.

At this point Riley is exhibiting classic signs of degenerative disc disease which we have seen before... at least 3 times. Together with the doctor, we decide that this is most likely the problem and we will start with treatment... if it gets worse or the meds don't seem to help, call back and we will re-evaluate.

So off we go with 3 meds for Riley... back in the Jeep... headed for the comfort of our own home.

Riley laying down in a car of his own volition is an unheard of act... no doubt he is sick.

BTW - my blanket was sacrificed to the greater good of the beagle. He now owns it and is happily snuggling with it as I type.

On the way home I was finally able to relax and breathe... which also meant I was able to take in some sights.

We were actually driving on this road... hard to believe there is a road under all that but I swear there is.

Again... we are driving on a road here but it's so covered with packed down snow that you can't make out the lanes or blacktop.

The day ended on several good notes.

Riley has his pain meds which means a very happy tired dog. He hasn't moved from his bed but to go outside momentarily and to take a drink of water... poor thing is exhausted.

Also, in all the insanity that this day provided, Chase did not once have an accident. In our panic to get Riley to a vet we did put a diaper back on Chase, just to be on the safe side but he didn't use it! In fact the only time he didn't use potty was just the tiniest bit during nap and really, who can fault him for that! He added 4 new pee pee stickers to his potty chart!

And in the biggest news in our world, Chase earned himself 2 stickers for going #2 in the potty! He came to us no less than 6 times in the span of an hour saying he needed to go poo poo. He would sit, he wouldn't go so he would get up... and repeat. And finally, he did it! He was definitely a little freaked out but Adam and I just made the biggest deal about it... praising him and high fiving him... and soon he got how awesome it was. At several points I was on the verge of tears from the happiness I felt. He is growing up so fast. I couldn't be more proud of him.

So how do you end a day like that? Picnic of meatloaf and mashed potatoes at the coffee table while watching America's Funnies Home Videos of course. It's good to be me.

3rd day

2010-02-05T23:53:00.001-05:00

So it's the 3rd day of potty training and things seem to be progressing nicely.

I'll stop right here and say that I know this isn't the most compelling or interesting topic... I get that, I really do. However, it's my job right now so I am talking about it and truthfully, in 5... 10... 20 years, I want to be able to look back and remember this experience. So, bear with me if you want. If not, come back at the next post... I understand.

Going into this I had many (welcomed) suggestions/advice...

"Let's try not to pee or poo on Elmo's face"
"If you put pee or poo in the potty then we can put a sticker on our potty chart!"
Treats (m&m's) if he pee'd or poo'd in the potty.
"If you put pee or poo in the potty then we can put it in the big potty and you get to flush it!"

In addition we've been preparing Chase for this upcoming event...

We've read (and continue to read countless times) Too Big for Diapers
We've read Potty Time with Elmo almost daily since he got it.
We've watched Elmo's Potty Time (too many times to count)

We've definitely been doing our prep work here.

Still, Wednesday was nothing short of a disaster. One accident after another with no hint of wanting to make a deposit in the Elmo potty.

But I played it cool... we just took off the wet (or dirty... it's a glamorous job) clothes, cleaned up and started again. I told myself from the very start of this that I would remain calm, not get upset and be completely willing to go back to the diaper if need be. Honestly, I thought this would be a test run and we would be back in diapers by the weeks end and I was ok with that.

Sad potty chart at the end of day 1.

Thursday rolled around and while I was getting the morning going (coffee, blinds, milk, oatmeal... ) Chase said 'uh oh, I pee peed'. So I quickly pulled down the underpants and sat him on the potty... he had only a small wet spot so I figured there might be more...

Was I ever right!

After a minute or 2, the floodgates opened and Chase went in the potty!

Now I have to say, this is not the first time... that was actually Jan 23 but it was a complete fluke. We asked, he sat and he went... and that actually happened 2 more times (which was motivation for me to get going on the training!)

But this... this was during training and this was him stopping to tell me... this was some real progress!

We clapped and shouted YAY! We ran to tell Daddy (who was getting ready for work but still very pleased). We put it in the big potty and flushed it. And finally, we put our first sticker on the chart!

The rest of the morning... disaster. I think 1 for 4 was the final tally. Oh well. In the diaper for nap and we'll try again in the afternoon.

After nap I kept the potty nearby and kept asking him if he wanted to try... I think I even convinced him to sit down once or twice... but nothing. Then came a small wet spot... so we sit on the potty and nothing. Then another small wet spot... sit on the potty and nothing. Yet another small wet spot... again, back to the potty but he adamantly stated he did not need to go. So I let him get up and start playing. Not 5 minutes later I see Chase doing a pee pee dance... switching from leg to leg... twisting around... he definitely had to go.

I had to work to convince him and he wasn't thrilled with sitting there but I just kept telling him how great it was and how we would put it in the big potty and flush it, then we would put the sticker on our chart... and finally he did! I made a big hoopla, we danced around, we did the big potty thing and the sticker thing and we just couldn't wait until Daddy came home so we could share our news.

Then before dinner I asked if he needed to go again and he said yes... I did a double take. Then I put him on the potty and turned my back to do something else. All the sudden I hear the distinct sound of a stream hitting plastic... he did it all by himself... no coaching from me and no needing to sit next to him! We celebrated that victory for a good long time.

Not a bad end to day 2.

As soon as Chase woke up I noticed that the diaper wasn't nearly as full as it usually is... which made me think he was trying to hold it somewhere along the way. So we went straight to the potty and sure enough... after a little chilling out, he did it.

Backup a little... by Thursday night I had decided that potty training or not, we were going to MOPS the next day. We had been stuck indoors for 2 days straight and anyone that knows me, knows that was difficult to say the least. Unfortunately shortly after I made my decision, Jess called to tell me MOPS had been canceled due to the impending weather. *sigh*

There is a massive (so they say) snow storm headed our way which likely means I will be snowed in for at least another day... maybe 2 (5 or 6 if you listen to these wackjob meteorologists).

So without a doubt, I... we... had to get out of this house... if only to do errands, then so be it.

So we started the process of getting ready... which now includes a lengthy potty attempt so we don't run into any problems out on the road. Well before the potty attempt even happened Chase had an accident... of the #2 variety. Like I said, glamorous job.

I should include here that this has been a problem all 3 days. That is the one area where we aren't progressing... but it will come soon enough, I have faith.

So... he had an accident. I counted my blessings that we were home and not out already.

However, the accident was only #2... so we sat down for #1 and sure enough...

he earned another sticker!

So we get in the car. We're heading to UPS and the grocery store... I need coffee beans... if we do get snowed in for days, it will not be a pleasant house unless I have my morning coffee. So off we go... in underpants for the first time. My heart was racing before we were even out of the driveway.

I casually ask Chase as we are heading for the interstate, do you need to go potty? He answers yes.

Crap. Pardon the pun.

Up until this point I have been reluctant to get an 'on the go potty'... not sure why, but I have. At this very moment though... I realize the genius and importance of such item.

Pit stop to Toys R Us.

We pick up:

Our very own handy dandy travel potty... which we promptly open and attempt to use as soon as we are back to the Jeep.

For good measure we also bought this little gem:

A compact folding potty seat for those times that a public bathroom cannot be avoided.

I think we are set in the potty arena.

BTW - there is a good chance our family alone is keeping Sesame Street, specifically Elmo, in business.

Nothing was happening on the travel potty so we get back into the car seat and head to the UPS store. Once we get there we attempt the travel potty again... because in my gut I know there is going to be a line.

Nothing happened on the potty front so we pulled up our pants and headed inside... to be greeted with barely enough room to close the door behind me. Yep... I knew it.

Even still... he lasted the entire time we were there... easily 30 minutes.

Once we were back in the Jeep, we tried again. Nothing.

Now these 2 errands would have taken me no time in the past but with the frequent and long potty breaks, we were approaching lunch and nap time. So in the best interest of my sanity and his appetite, we went to the drive through at Starbucks. Sometimes paying a little more is totally worth it.

We finally arrive home and try again on our regular potty...

and he earns himself another sticker!

Then for good measure he goes again before nap!

Another sticker!

Then after a 3 hour nap (and a very dry diaper) he flat out refused... no sitting on the potty for him. So we let him play... and asked... and play... and asked...

Then he came running to us... another accident. Again, not the #1... just #2. *sigh*

Ok, we clean up and try the potty again... and again, he's refusing. We ask if he wants to go back to a diaper or wear big boy underpants. He calls our bluff... "I wanna wear my diaper".

So we put one on him... very reluctantly... but we do it. 10 minutes later I see a look in his eye and ask if he wants to go potty... and he says yes. Sure enough, he went and we put big boy underpants back on him.

and yet another sticker!

Truly we thought this is where it would end... 5 stickers in one day.

Adam ran the whole night routine and tucked him happily in his crib... definitely with a diaper on.

He rolled around for a while singing and talking to himself... typical if he's had a good nap that afternoon.

Then he stood up and started jumping. So Adam went back in to lay him down but as soon as he walked in Chase said "I have to go pee pee!"

Not wanting to squelch this, Adam dutifully took him to the potty... all the while very aware that this could be a stall tactic.

Turns out it wasn't...

Chase earned his 6th sticker for the day!

So here we are at the end of day 3... I think I can pretty much say that #1 is done. He doesn't run and tell me but if I am on top of asking him and making sure we get some potty time in, I think he will be fine. But the #2... that's not quite done yet... we still have some serious progress to make. We'll be in for the better part of tomorrow at least... at last glance we have easily 6 inches with no signs of the snow letting up... so hopefully he'll get it soon!

As for the lengthy post about potty training... I never knew how parents could go on and on about this topic... I was with the masses and thought it was weird and that parents should keep it to themselves. But now that I have Chase... and now that we are in the thick of it... I get it. It's monumental... it's a huge milestone... it's one of these life changing time periods where you look at this once cuddly infant and realize he is now a strong independent toddler. I don't think I can do it justice.... all I can say is it's life changing... for both of us.

And to anyone that actually made it to the end of this post.... I hope I didn't bore you too much!

A little of this, a little of that

2010-02-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

People always complain about Maryland winters but I have always loved them. I don't mind the cold and I think the snow is pretty and fun to drive in. Granted I am ready for spring to roll around so we can get back to the playgrounds but still... I do love the winter.

Until I got this months electric bill.

Dear Maryland winters,

We are through. I do not love you anymore.

Sincerely, Jessi

Holy freaking crap. We've had some high bills in the past but this by far takes the cake. Apparently living in a somewhat single family house, where the neighborhood acts as a giant wind tunnel, will destroy your heating bill. Well that and this stupid estimate bill one month and actual bill the next. Allegheny Electric, I hate you. In fact, I never loved you. Sincerely, Jessi

Add to that some major repairs on the Jeep and the health insurance insanity I spoke of earlier... well, let's just say my head hasn't been in the best place.

But I'm trying to not worry... I'm really trying to hand this all over to God. All I need to do is what is in front of me... He'll take care of the rest.

Jesus in, Jessica out... right Danielle?

In other awesome news, Adam finally got to celebrate 13 years sober! His actual date is in Oct but for one reason or another, the celebration date got pushed back to late Jan.

The whole family came out to see Adam celebrate... including Chase! The meeting was at 8 so I was a tad concerned about his mood but figured he would be fine. However, my concern was greatly heightened when he didn't nap... not one single minute of sleep.

Still... it was important for Chase to be there so we kept our plans.

When we got there he ran up and down the rows of chairs having the absolute best time a 2 year old can have. A few of the people seemed to really delight in his happiness too ;~)

I prepped him a lot with the fact that once the meeting started we would be sitting quietly in our seats... and that he would get pretzel goldfish. As soon as the meeting started Chase stated (somewhat loudly) "YAY! meeting is starting, pretzel goldfish now!" And for 15 minutes he sat good as gold on my lap eating goldfish.

As soon as I noticed boredom I pulled out his ipod and headphones... he was good for another 15.

When boredom set in again, I pulled out animal cookies.... again, good for another 15.

When he was bored with the cookies, I pulled out my iPhone. The heavily coveted but rarely played with 'mama's iPhone'... this is Chase's holy grail.

He happily played for the last 15 minutes... only once interrupting daddy by holding up my iPhone to his face and saying loudly "Smile!"

When Adam was done and the meeting ended Chase clapped loudly and yelled "YAY Daddy!"

I could not have asked for a more perfect child.

and so handsome too ;~)

Happy 13 years honey!

And now for another drastic topic change... potty training!

Today was the official start of 'see how ready Chase is for the potty'.

If today was any indication the answer is a resounding no.

We are 0 for 4 with making it (or even coming close) to the potty. Ironic because when we weren't trying, when it was just fun, he pee'd on the potty 3 different nights. Oh well.

But really... how much can you tell from one day. We'll try again tomorrow and see where we end up. If he doesn't make any progress then I'll slap a diaper on him and head to MOPS on Friday. If he starts to get it, we'll stay home and work on it more.

I did get smart and order some of these:

Love love love Baby Legs! Because the pants can pose a bit of a stumbling block, it's nice to be able to let him run around in just his underwear... unfortunately the house has a slight chill in the air at all times. Bear legs running around isn't an option. These things work great and Chase loves them. Ran around all afternoon pointing to his 'Baby Legs'!

How squeezable are those little legs!

This would be one of our many failed attempts at the potty today.

The underwear, the baby legs, the socks... he might be the cutest thing in the world running around the house like this. I wish I could share a picture of him in his potty outfit but alas, this will probably be the closest I ever get to posting an underwear shot on the blog. It's a comfort level thing.

Tomorrow we try again! Wish us luck!

Becoming a seamstress

2010-01-29T15:37:00.001-05:00

I did it.

I broke out the sewing machine and just started stitching. I was quite literally holding the instruction manual up right next to the machine while trying to place the thread here and around here and under this and through the needle.

But I did it!

I remembered to fold the fabric twice so it looks nicer (I forgot that on my very first project... the curtain in our kitchen is rough around the hem ;~)

I ran the thread straight to the end on this project. Then I talked a friend and she told me the right way to end a stitch. Thanks Rose!

But I kept plugging away... just making mistakes and fixing them until finally I ended up with this:

My very own nursing cover! No, I am not pregnant... but I plan to be and after that, I plan to have a newborn to nurse... and then I will need a nursing cover. Truthfully the reason I attempted this was because when Chase was first born I bought a cover from Target. Then, before I even tried using it, I took it back. I just couldn't afford to spend the money... but, I really wanted one.

So once I got it in my head to start sewing... I thought it would be the perfect project!

I got to choose the fabric that I love and I even managed to get the boning in at the top (so it stays propped slightly open and you can see your little one ;~)

I am so happy and can't wait to use it!

Another sewing project I had in mind was a cover for our filing cabinet. It doubles as a table in our back room so we were looking for ways to make it more of a table and less of a filing cabinet.

This was really easy... just hem each side! Although it did provide good practice at sewing a straight line!

My next project was a baby blanket for Gabriel (similar to the one I made Rose). I definitely learned a lot from one baby blanket to the next and this one went much quicker! Sorry ladies... I am practicing my sewing skills on you and your kids ;~)

After I finished the blanket I had a good bit of leftover fabric. So what better way to use it...

then make a nursing cover for Christine/Gabriel! She, unlike me, could use one right now... which if you remember in THIS post I called attention to the polka dot fabric... yep, she used it that very day ;~)

I worked on my stitching a little more... noticeably not going to the end. Instead learning how to double back and end the stitch there ;~)

I had such fun with these projects that I was actually disappointed when I was finished... I wanted to think of something else to make!

If anyone is interested in buying a nursing cover or a baby blanket... I think I might try my hand at selling some creations to bring in a little extra income. Let me know if you are interested!

Road Tripping in Daddy's Car!

2010-01-27T22:17:00.007-05:00

The Jeep would have been more comfortable but it was in the shop being repaired to the tune of a ridiculous amount of dollars. *sigh*

On to happier topics... today Chase and I headed down the road to meet up with my BFF Christine (have I mentioned her here once or four thousand times?), Andrew and the newest addition baby Gabriel!

Brand new baby... sign me up! Oh and BFF and godson... definitely wanted to see them too.

We decided to meet at a halfway point... the Ellicott City Station of the B&O Railroad. Both our boys are wildly into trains and they have a great winter time train garden.

Since Chase has been less than stellar on road trips recently, I wanted to try out a portable DVD player (thankfully we were able to borrow from a friend). It definitely did the trick... he was mesmerized for most of the trip.

However, I am on the fence about whether that was a good or bad thing. It was nice not to have screaming or whining but I really missed our interaction in the car.... pointing out trucks, finding grain elevators and just general chatting. I think I'll wait on purchasing one... at least for now.

Thankfully one of us (us being Christine and I) was paying attention to the hours of operation for the train museum. Christine realized the last night that the museum didn't open until 11. Yep... the one with a 22 month old and a 5 week old was more on top of it then the one with a 2 year old. She is impressive folks.

So we met at the public library and enjoyed a little free (and fun) entertainment.

So many bins and so little time!

I hope this is always the case.

Working on a puzzle together.

Christine with her boys... her boys... plural... she has 2 of them. I just can't get over it. It seems like just yesterday we were preteens running around GBAofG, fighting over Dave and listening to Teen Spirit. Man how time flies.

I digress.

Leaving the library and heading to see trains elicited this response:

The boy loves trains ;~)

My boy and I in front of the granddaddy of the train gardens. He's tired and hungry here... definitely no smiling allowed.

I had to get at least one picture of us all together... and Gabriel couldn't go without making his presence known.

The bell you ring for good luck... the boys weren't too sure about it. Just a little too loud for their taste.

Of course I had to get my snuggle time in with Gabriel...

so we started at the train garden...

where he was in a 'no pictures, please' kind of mood.

So then we went to lunch at Friendly's...

where he was in a 'now I am full and happy, ready to snuggle' kind of mood.

I was more than happy to oblige.

I am in love.

Also, take notice of the brown blanket with green polka dots... that may be part of an upcoming blog post. (one that I know Rose wants to see ;~)

After lunch we all hit the road.

This:

quickly turned into this:

To say he was tired is a gross understatement... but as always he did awesome. I love this kid so much!