Wordless Wednesday

Evil, Thy Name is VIRUS!

Well, we had to break out the inhaler yet again, and it’s still summer. Looks like we are in for another long cold/flu season… We took Brianne to the doctor yesterday and the poor little baby has another bad respiratory virus, which, in her case involves lots of wheezing and rattling and rapid breathing and all the fun things that worry me so much. Since it’s a virus there is nothing the doctor’s can do though, of course, but recommend her inhaler be used every 4 hours, give Tylenol for symptoms, a humidifier at night, etc. I just feel like that is all such BS. She had RSV with bronchiolitis like 3 times last winter, pneumonia twice, but not once did anyone ever actually do any sort of test on her! I don’t understand how they can come to the conclusions they do without some kind of proof. I mean, even when I go to Urgent Care with cold symptoms they always do a nasal swab to see if it’s the flu or H1N1 etc, but they have not once done that to Bri. It is infuriating!

While we were waiting to see the doctor, Brianne acted like her normal happy self though. She got super excited over the fish tank and pointed out every fish to me as loudly proclaimed “FISH! Mom, FISH!”. Then she found the animal mural on the wall and quickly found the Panda (“BEAR!), lions (“Roar!”) and penguins (“PENG!”). She loved sitting in the little chairs too and ironically her sitting in such a tiny chair made her look like such a big girl. She was looking at a cake decorating book I had in my bag (a co-worker gave it to me yesterday, just in case you were thinking I often walk around with such books in my purse) and just curled into that little chair with the book and was happy for all of 10 minutes.

She was fine up until time to get weighed… They asked if she could stand on the scale and I said “sure she can”, and she could have, but she did not want to. Melt down #1 and heat rash and splotches to boot. (She weighs 30lbs though!!!!). Then we got her back to the room and she was suddenly mommy’s girl. Didn’t want to explore or sit in the little chair in her room, just wanted to bury her face in mommy’s chest and hope no one was coming to give her shots. She was fine though, otherwise… until the doctor tried to look in her ears. Meltdown #2. This part confuses me too cuz she is used to people looking in her ears and has never really minded before. I mean, she has ear tubes so they get looked a lot too! Then we were all fine again until time to put her clothes back on. She did not want to get dressed. Meltdown #3.

After her doctor appointment, she was a different child then we saw in the waiting room. When we got her home you could tell she was sick just by looking at her. She was real pale with puffy red eyes with green goop in the corners, a red, runny nose and the remnants of heat rash. She just wanted to sit in the floor with her books and puzzle and chill. Until she got a glimpse of her DVDs and then she grabbed Barney and led me by the hand to the tv saying “Barn!” which I just love. So we cuddled and watched Barney before bed time. Then at 2am, she spiked a fever of 101.9 again… And that means I didn’t sleep much, again. And after all the bragging I did about not getting sick and having an “iron immune system” well, I guess mother nature decided to put me in my place cuz now I have a sore throat and chills. I thought moms weren’t supposed to get sick.

So I leave you pics from the doctor yesterday...

My big girl in her little chair
See, she looks pretty miserable here. Look at her puffy eyes and runny nose : (

Monday Morning Blues

"Let me ask you something. When you come in on Monday and you’re not feeling real well, does anyone ever say to you, “Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays?” -Peter Gibbons Office Space

Yep, someone does indeed have a case of the Mondays... Me. Brianne wasn't feeling too hot this weekend, and she coughed her little head off all night last night and this morning (she was even sneezing in her sleep which seems weird to me). And when she woke up this morning there was the tell-tale signs of a sinus infection - green goopy eyes, yuck! But since my employer has already informed me that I have no sick days left and if I call off anymore before the end of August I will be reprimanded, I had no choice but to take her to daycare and come to work. Want to talk about something ruining your day? As a mom, leaving your child at daycare is always hard, Mondays are harder than other days, but leaving your sick, mopey, wanting-extra-cuddles child at daycare, on a Monday, is by far the worst.

I will be able to get her out early though so I feel slightly better about that (doctor at 2:45 today) but all day I am plagued with guilt for leaving her and anger for having to come to work, worry because she is sick and has had breathing issues in the past and sadness from being away from my daughter. I slept very little last night so I'm sure the lack of sleep is only adding to my emotional state today. Every time she has a respiratory or sinus infection I become the worlds' best (or worst) worrier. I worry that she can't breathe and that she is going to stop breathing when she is asleep or that she is going to choke when coughing and her being away from me only makes that fear amplified because what if one of those things happen at daycare! She has an inhaler but I don't have a doctor's note for daycare so they can't administer it if she needs it.

But knock on wood, I have some how managed to avoid getting sick, again! The hubs is still feeling pretty crappy too and I know that if I was going to catch whatever it is that they have, I would already be feeling bad so maybe I'm lucky yet again.

Big news though! I can't believe I forgot to mention this in my previous post, but we finally turned Brianne's car seat around! She is a big girl now in a forward facing car seat and she seems to love it! We can talk to her now, and see her, and she can look out the windows and feel the AC on her toes now. Makes for a happier toddler and a happier mommy! Here's a pic of her from phone so it's not the best pic ever. And before anyone tries to lecture me on the safety of rear facing until 35 lbs let me just intercede with this: She is almost 18 months, roughly 30lbs, and since she is so tall it was becoming increasingly difficult getting her in and out of the rear facing seat without bumping her head on the roof of the car. And because of her height, the specs of the car seat suggest turning her around now anyway. So, in conclusion... oh wait, this isn't a scientific experiment and I do not need to justify anything to anyone. So, There!
And as always, keep sending prayers Kate's way (today is her final day of chemo and she has been having a rough time with it.)

Birthday, Bouncing, Balloons and Bubbles

I'm sitting here beside my sick little Sweet Pea who is sleeping and rattling/snoring while she does :( and I know I should be napping with her since we haven't been sleeping good (due to her coughing and fever) but I'm all wired on too much caffeine now...

So without further ado dun da da dun! The Minnie Mouse Cake!

Yes, I actually finished it in time for the party (believe it or not). And we all had so much fun at the party too, even though two thirds of us were sick (I think I developed an iron immune system because I have some how managed to avoid the last 3 or 4 colds they had and knock on wood, I'm feeling fine now too). But even though Brianne had a rough Friday night, what with the fever and coughing and all, she still had a blast in the bouncy house!

As you can see, it isn't easy to walk in a Bouncy House.

Balloons make Bri Happy too!

And the cake was a big hit, with the Brithday girl, my little girl, and pretty much everyone else.

Look how pretty her smile is!

After cake it was bubble time! And yep, you guessed it, Brianne loves bubbles too...

She loves trying to catch them but usually ends up just popping them when they land on the grass instead.

And after a long and exhausting day, she came home and climbed in her chair with a sippy cup and relaxed until bed time.

But Friday's are Supposed To Be Happy, right?

We got some sad news yesterday... Brianne's favorite teacher at daycare, Ms. S, is leaving. Yesterday was last day with Brianne and when she told us bye I told her that Brianne will miss her very much! She asked Bri for a hug and she left my arms to give her a hug and a kiss. She was one of the few teachers that Bri would leave even me to go to. And whenever she was there in the mornings Brianne didn't cry when we left. We will miss you Ms. S!

The Minnie Mouse cake is already stressing out and I have barely started. I intended to bake the 3 bottom layers last night (2 boxes of cake mix) and do the top smaller tier tonight while I frosted the bottom. Well that plan was foiled because we only had 3 eggs and each cake mix takes 3 eggs (and since it was already 9pm at that point I wasnt up for a trip to the store). So my mom brought me some eggs over this morning and I was able to get the bottom tiers in the oven before I left for work this morning. I even had time to add real vanilla bean to the cake mix and it gave it the neat speckled look.

Before I can even start decorating the cake though I have to go to Michael's and get some supplies, the grocery store for frosting ingredients (and cat food, diapers and milk) and by the time we all eat dinner and I get started on the cake it will be 9:00 again. I guess I'll be up late tonight...

And on top of my cake stress/exhaustion, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll even be able to attend the birthday party! Jason has some kind of stomach bug or flu and has been feeling crappy and now poor little Brianne woke up with a cough and runny nose. I am seriously dreading the start of cold and flu season! We are all 3 getting flu shots this year and hopefully as soon as possible too! I want to inquire about the pneumonia shot considering Bri had it twice last winter (and I think there is an RSV vaccine too but is that only for preemies and newborns?). I feel like since she was about 3 months old and had the croup she has been sick more than she hasn't been healthy. Maybe that was because of her prematurity and hopefully she will have outgrown it by this season, who knows. I do know that the last time she was really sick was on Easter, in April, and that was her second round of pneumonia (and the last time we had to use her inhaler).

Friday is finally here so I should be relieved and happy right? Eh, not so much this week. I guess with my impending cake tasks and the prospect of being home with 2 sick-o's all weekend makes for a little rain cloud over my day. I just hope we can still make the birthday party tomorrow. And I have a DIY project planned for Sunday that I will post about on Monday.

And if it's not too much to ask, please remember our little blog friend Kate and keep her in your prayers this weekend. She starts the "bad" part of her chemo today and has already been having a rough time with what was supposed to be the "easier" part. I think about her daily and wish I could help ease her suffering some how.

So, let the weekend begin!

Don't Toddlers Need to Sleep too?

"The phrase working mother is redundant." - Jane Sellman

I don't quite understand what happened with Brianne, but getting her to go to sleep every night this week has been a battle roy-al! It all begin with Monday night and her wanting to party till after 10, then last night I literally had to hold her down till she was out! And I know that she is tired, that's the kicker. She will walk around rubbing her eyes and clutching blankie, and covering her face, her usual tired cues, and like a doll if I lay her back her eyes will close (but not for too long). She even fights diaper changes in the evening because she is afraid she will fall asleep while laying still for me (at least that's my interpretation since she lays still for diaper changes at ANY other time of day).

Tuesday night when I was at the Buffett concert, and she was home with just Jason, she went right down at 7 like she used to always do for me... The plot thickens. Apparently there is something about mommy that is making her want to stay awake, but what? I asked him what he did differently and he said nothing, just gave her a bath, got her PJs on her and she laid down on her pillow and was out. I on the other hand have had to hold her (forcibly) and rock her and sing to her for 20-30 mins every night!

I know what you're thinking. You are probably thinking its because I have spoil her and she knows that if she doesn't go to sleep that mommy will rock her and cuddle her and sing. But I really don't think that is it because at first when I get her on my lap she struggles to get away from me, and when I say struggle I mean scream, cry, kick, stiffen up... she doesn't want to go to sleep, period.

Needless to say, we are going to have figure something out soon because it is all making for a tired little girl in the morning and when she is tired, she is a grumpster! And I hate having to hold her down and make her unhappy but I know she needs to get more sleep than she has been getting. Ugh, will I ever figure out this whole mommy thing? I mean, when she is 16 will I still feel like I'm lost and just winging it? I guess only time will tell.

Home From Margaritaville

"I like mine with lettuce and tomato, heinz 57 and french fried potatoes, big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer..." - Jimmy Buffett Cheeseburger in Paradise


Yes yes, I survived the party, I mean concert. It was a super fantastic evening and the weather was perfect and I was with my girls so what more could one ask for? I mean, sure I spent $10 on a "frozen" margarita that was about as alcoholic as cough syrup, and yes I paid $4 for a stale, extra salty "soft" pretzel, and of course the always pleasant beer shower from the drunks fighting in front of you, and my personal favorite the one driver (this year it was blonde in a convertible vet) that is so self- important and in such a wicked rush they can't queu up and wait in an orderly fashion like everyone else to exit the parking lot.

Do I sound a little negative this morning? Must be from my lack of sleep, did I mention I am working today? I am probably the only person who was at the concert yesterday who made it to work this morning. I'm getting too old for this I think. But regardless of the list above I really did have fun, as did Sam and Anna (who are both off today by the way). So, as promised, here are a few pics from last night:

Sam, Anna and Me before the concert started

Look closely at the guy in blue, notice the handcuffs... yeah this was one hour before the concert started

I hope to snag some more pics from the girls when they finally post them, but for now, that is all.

I didn't get home till midnight and by the time I actually got to sleep it was near 1am. Take into the account the fact that I woke up at 4:30 am and you will understand my crankiness...

Brianne on the other hand is a joy as always. We got another masterpiece by Bri yesterday when we picked her up from daycare. She encorporated 2 colors of crayons into one artful collage of dots and squiggles. And she has learned the word "yes" and she loves to dance! She and I were dancing in the kitchen yesterday and she ran and grabbed Jason by the hand and led him to the kitchen and started dancing again. The three of us danced for a good 5 minutes, but to my out of shape legs it felt more like 5 hours.

And this morning when we dropped her off at daycare we sat her down in a little chair at the little table with all the other kids who were doing puzzles. She just sat there and didn't cry or reach for me and was immediately enthralled with the little girl next to her. She looked so big and grown up in that chair...

Did you feel that?

Apparently there was an earthquake in Virginia around 2:00 and we felt it all the way here in Cincinnati, Ohio! Totally bizarre feeling, thought I was having a dizzy spell and up here on the 9th floor the building was swaying. Hope Brianne is okay at daycare... Now, resume normal programming

Flower Leis and Cake

"All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much." - George Harrison

Tonight is the Jimmy Buffett concert at Riverbend and I will be attending with Samantha and Anna, yay! A girls' night out with no husbands, boyfriends or kids. Although, I will miss my husband and kid, but hopefully I will still have fun. I will be breaking out the coconut bra and leis for tonight, and I need a grass skirt! Last year the concert was in the middle of May and it was cold and rainy and we wore jeans and boots, blah! Tonight will be a perfect summer evening to spend outdoors with good music, great margaritas and best friends. And, just to take a walk down memory lane, here we are at Margaritaville last year.

And here are our boots, though not typical footwear for an outdoor summer event, we still rocked them. Mine are the lovely houndstooth wellies in the center (notice my equally lovely argyle socks?)

And here I am sporting my coconut bra over a sweater...

And these are from 2008 when Jason attended with us. (We weren't able to go in 2009 because the Jason and I were busy planning a wedding... OURS!)

I will have some pics of this year to post tomorrow, hopefully. And for the record, this will be my 4th Buffett concert... yes I know, that probably makes me an official parrot head but hey, it's a fun time.

Now for cake! I have to make a cake this week for my friend Ginger's little girl Willow who is turning 3. She wants a Minnie Mouse cake and I showed Ginger a few design ideas and this is the one she chose.

I hope I am able to recreate the cuteness because it has been a long time since I have done a cake. The last one I did was Brianne's birthday cake. And as a reminder, here is Bri's first birthday cake.

Sand Box Review

"Do or Do Not. There is No Try" - Yoda

We got the 2 bins at Home Depot for like $5 each and filled one with play sand and one with water. The sand was like $3 for a 50lb bag so that was good deal, although I'm not sure what we'll use the rest of the sand for because we only used like a 1/4 of the sand. Maybe cat litter?

Anyway, Brianne loved the water table bin, and eventually ended up climbing in it like it was a kiddie pool. We need to get a little table or platform to put it on and make it waist height but for now it was just on the deck (because the table we do have is not very stable). But the sand box... no dice. I should have known because she does not like having dirty hands, period. If she gets food on her hands, or dirt, or a fuzz ball she whines and holds her hands out to me or says "tissue" and runs for a paper towel. So why did I think sand would be any different?

So I played in the sand and she did seem interested, she watched everything I did, but any time she would touch it, she would whine. So I picked her up and put her feet in it, thinking that if she just stood in it and let it squish between her toes it would be fun... ladies and gentlemen we just lost cabin pressure. Melt down! She did not like sand between her toes, nope, no way, not gonna have it. So we just played in the water table/pool with our squirt toys and watering can and measuring cups. We will keep trying though.

Other than the melt down over the sand box, we had a fun weekend. Brianne's finger paints never did thicken up so I am going to pitch them and start over. I guess I just didn't use enough corn starch, but look how pretty the colors turned out. I used Wilton's gel colors to tint it.

And I tried painting with it, but it was more like water colors than finger paint (even more the consistency of water than paint haha).

We also started creating a Nature Discovery box for more sensory play (again, courtesy of The Imagination Tree) and we created an Arts Bin with crayons, paper, coloring books, tissue paper and crayola color wonder markers and the special paper. When we went for our morning walk yesterday Brianne took her bucket and we started collecting "treasures" from nature for that discovery box. We collected 6 perfect pine cones, which Bri is completely fascinated with, some acorns, some pretty rocks and some twigs (Brianne loves the feel of the bark on them). Here is one of our "perfect pine cones". I will keep you posted on what we do with the pine cones, if anything other than discovery play.

And everyone please keep our little blog friend Kate in your thoughts and prayers today as she is starting her chemo today.

Time for a Change

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson

I've been doing alot of thinking lately about how I ended up on the "career" path that I did. I have a BA in political science yet I have a job as a system administrator. I know more about databases now then who is currently on the Supreme Court Bench... And while I am making good money, well, let's call it decent money, and I have good hours and benefits and I work with my husband, I think it's time for a change. I've been doing this for 9 years and while there are easy days there are also the days that I just want to crawl under my desk and cry (for reasons I won't go into right now). Not to mention that I have been bumping my head against this glass ceiling now for the past 5 years...

I've also been doing a lot of thinking about going back to school and what I want to do when I "grow up". And this, combined with the above, led me to this conclusion: I want to be a nurse. Not just any nurse, but a pediatric nurse. I want to help children. I know I have alot of work to do and research to do to determine what school I want to go to and if any of my basic credits from UC will carry over and of course I will need to figure out how to pay for all of this. But this would be for all of us, Jason and Bri as much as for me.

It's not that I'm not happy right now, because I am, at home. My personal life couldn't be better! But my professional/work life leaves alot to be desired. I actually just finished updating my resume and posting for 2 really awesome IT job openings (both at Cincinnati Children's Hospital) and that scared me to death! Just the thought of the potential changes that could come from simply applying for a new job makes my heart flutter a bit. So everyone please wish me luck on the potential job offerings!

And now, onto the reason for this blog, Brianne! She is spending the day with her grandparents, as she does every Friday, and I'm so glad! She had a rough week in her class at daycare. She isn't taking to change very good either, but she will grow to love that room I think. Yesterday was much better than Monday and Tuesday so hopefully after another week in the new room she will be adjusted better.

This weekend we may go to the zoo if the weather stays as perfect as it is now. I am also going to make a little DIY sandbox and water table for us to play, idea courtesy of The Imagination Tree, I love that blog! And I need to fix the finger paint I made because I got it out to test it this morning and its super runny, and when I painted with it on paper it was more like water colors... If I can thicken it up then we will do some finger painting this weekend too.


And... here are some pics of Brianne coloring.

17 Month Stats

This post was supposed to go up yesterday, but here it is anyway, better late than never...

Brianne is 17 months old, can you believe it?!?!? We are nearing the half year mark already.

Weight: 27 lbs (this is a guess)
Height: 32 in (this is also a guess)
Clothing size: 24 months - 2T
Show size: 6, yes that's right, a 6!
Favorite food: Nutri-grain bars, sweet potatoes, blueberries, bananas, pizz, lasagna
Milestones: Has starting letting me know when she has a poopy diaper on and will either try to take it off herself or get me a clean diaper and lay down in front of me. I hope this means potty training will be easy (but I'm not going to hold my breath). She can also now point to her head, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, teeth, belly, fingers, toes and hair when asked.
New words: Bath, out, go, tissue, kitty, bike and car.

And here are a few pics from yesterday.

Growing Up is Hard To Do

Yesterday was Brianne’s first full day in her new room at daycare. She is a Duck now and I think after she gets over the shock of being in a new room with new teachers, she is going to love it there. It’s just going to take her some time to adjust to the changes, because I feel that she is a lot like her mommy in that regard – change is hard! But when we got to daycare yesterday to pick her up we walked in the room and the scene we walked into was quite funny. There were 2 teachers and like 5 or 6 kids sitting on the floor around a TV. They were not, however, watching the TV. They were watching Brianne, who was standing in the middle of the circle, right in front of the TV, dancing to Barney! When she looked up and saw us, she gave us the biggest grin and came running to us. Then she grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the TV and pointed to it and said “Barney!”.

Even though she seemed to be having a good time when we picked her up her teachers said she was a little whiney but that they just chalked it up to it being her first day in a new place. Hopefully she will have a better day today. They went outside yesterday and will be today too because the weather is just perfect so that should make her happy. She loves going “OUT!” and we’ve gotten to the point where we spend the first half an hour or so outside when we get home.

I have to mention this too… Sunday morning I had to go to the bathroom and Brianne was just sitting in the living room playing so I just left her there so I could go. Well she followed me to the bathroom and kept wanting me to put her up on the sink (where she sits to brush her teeth and wash her hands). I kept telling her we would get up there when mommy finished but she didn’t want to wait. So I knew that she had taken her toothbrush in the living room the night before (to brush her baby dolls teeth) and that it was on the table. So I told her we couldn’t brush her teeth without her toothbrush and that she should go find it. Well she disappeared around the corner but then popped right back into view with both hands up in the “I don’t know” motion. I told her “it’s on the table” and she said “table?” I said yes on the table and then she disappeared again and came back a few minutes later with her toothbrush! She is so smart! We actually have some super cute pics of her brushing her teeth but they are still “in” the new camera so when I figure out how to get them “out” of the camera, I will post them.

A few more new things she has learned recently are saying “mmooooo” when she sees a cow, “roar” when she sees a lion or bear, she will rub her hands together when I tell her its time to wash our hands, and anytime she gets her hands dirty, or drops food or something on her clothes, blankie or the floor she will immediately run to the kitchen and point up where we keep the paper towels and say “tissue” lol. She will try to clean up her messes or wipe her mouth if I ask her to and it’s just so cute. She also knows where all her books are and she will go get one and when we finish it, she will take it and put it away. Such a good little helper.

Tomorrow she will be 17 months old and I am going to reintroduce the monthly stats post. Most of her stats tomorrow will be guestimates though because I can’t weigh or measure her as good as the doctor. I will be scheduling her 18 month well baby check up today, as well as her 18 month pictures with our fabulous photographer Tricia. I think we’re going to do these pics at Spring Grove Cemetery again because it’s such a beautiful place (although I was also kind of wanting to dress her up and take her to a park and see how good we can do with the new Nikon DSLR). And we have exciting things planned for the upcoming weekends – August 27 we are going to our friend’s daughters 3rd birthday party (and I’m making her cake so I will busy the 2 days before the party too), Sept 2 we are off for a 4 day weekend and will be going to a Hot Air Balloon race at Coney (it was rescheduled from last weekend), and next Tuesday, that’s right one week from today, I will be going to the Jimmy Buffett concert with Sam and Anna!

That’s all for now, will post stats tomorrow (and hopefully some pics too).

A Tale of Two Travelers

“Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversations.” – Elizabeth Drew

I’ve been contemplating how to write this post because I don’t want certain people to read it and be offended, or the wives of certain people to read it and be mad at certain other people… So I decided to just do it, but I will at least be changing the names of the innocent parties involved (and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that neither coworker nor wife of coworker read my blog).

I left for GR at 7am on Thursday morning. It was just me and a male coworker, we’ll call him Joe. He picked me up at my house and at the same time, Jason was leaving to take Bri to daycare and then off to work. So I had to say a rushed good bye because we were all running late. That wasn’t a good way to start my travels cuz I always miss Jason and Brianne so much when I go away. Well, what should have been a 5.5 hour drive turned into a nearly 8 hour drive. Why so long you ask? Because we took the scenic route. We were on the road for nearly 2 hours before we ever even got on the interstate. Don’t get me wrong, the drive was a lot more scenic – we saw horses and foals, Amish people in horse drawn carriages, cows, lamas, chickens, sheep and goats, but it also took us FOREVER to get there.

When we finally arrived in GR (around 3pm) we checked into our rooms, separate rooms, and then met in the lobby half an hour later to go to “work”. We got to “work” and stayed there till after 6 and I was starving! So as soon as we got back to the hotel, I hit the bar and got a beer and a burger. Joe joined me for one beer then took off on a search for souvenirs for his kids. I ate and took a little walk and called Jason. It was so nice out that I found a bench and sat and chatted with Jase for about an hour and recapped the day’s events including the drive up. Well, what I didn’t realize was the bench was right in front of a couple hotel rooms’ windows…. This is important.

Next day on our drive home, Joe decided it would be best to take the interstate home because the construction on the ride up was the reason it took us so long to get there. But, secretly I am afraid he overheard me talking on the phone to Jason from one of those hotel room windows. Oh well, he never said anything to me so maybe I’m just being paranoid.

This leads me to the story of Joe’s wife. Apparently she is super paranoid about Joe cheating on her and so Joe didn’t tell her he was taking me along to GR. All of this put me in a very awkward situation and made me feel a little like I should be the paranoid one. He even said he was afraid she was going to call the hotel and try to find out what other women from our company were checked in and staying there! I’m sorry, but I have the most wonderful husband and our relationship is as near perfect as a relationship can be, so there is no reason for anyone to ever think I would cheat on Jason. If you don’t trust your husband/boyfriend/significant other and are so paranoid that you feel the need to check up on them like this then you need to take a look at yourself and ask yourself why you are like that? Chances are it is a problem with you and not the significant other (perhaps a self confidence issue?). Sorry for the rant...

Any way, it was so nice to be home and I missed Jase and Bri so much! When I met my parents at Olive Garden to pick her up she was outside walking with my mom and she saw me come around the corner and smiled from ear to ear and shouted “MAMA!” and came running to me! Melted my heart and made me realize I never want to leave her again.

Weekend Recap

Don't have much time, well, because I'm the mom of a toddler, but I wanted to post some pictures of the flower girl dress Sam got this weekend. She got them at JC Penny for $12.00 and did a little alteration to it and they are simply adorable! I can't wait to see Brianne in her dress! Granted, it is a size 3T so she will have to grow into it, or I'll have more alterations to do...

This is what it looked like when she bought it (notice the flowers at the waist line)



And this is it after the alterations. Much cuter if you ask me!




And here are the super cute headbands that Sam made for the flowergirls to wear. Brianne is just going to be the cutest flowergirl ever!



** all pics courtesy of Sam, my BF who is getting married in November.

We had our 2nd DIY party for Sam's wedding on Saturday too and I hope we were able to help her finish some projects. I certainly was not a fan of hot glueing moss onto wooden letters but was willing to do it for Sam.

Oh, and today Brianne is officially a Duck in daycare. She wasn't very happy about being left behind this morning but I think she will have more fun in that room. She was reunited with her little BFF from the Tweety Bird room too. I'll post more on this tomorrow too. Peace!

Time-outs and Terrible 1s?

I couldn’t find an appropriate quote for the day so I decided to go with the above because the look on the little boys face just makes me giggle…

This post is about time-outs. Time-outs you say? Yes, that’s right, today I am posting about Brianne’s first official time-out. The terrible two’s have begun early and are in full swing at our house. So, last weekend, Brianne was sitting on my lap and reached up and grabbed my glasses, which is of course a big NO-NO! I’m all the time telling her not to grab my glasses (or other people’s) but for some reason it hasn’t sunk in. And without my glasses I’m blind, I mean there will be no tv watching, reading, driving and it probably wouldn’t be safe for me to attempt a diaper change without them. So I told her, “NO Brianne, we don’t NOT take mommy’s glasses! That is not nice!” and what she did next shocked me! My sweet little angel turned into something I have yet to identify… With an evil little grin on her face she reached up and grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked, hard! When I was able to pry her little fist open there was the handful of my hair! I thought for sure there would be a bald spot! And it hurt too! That’s when I told her that she was being put in time-out for being mean to mommy.

I put her in the playpen with no toys for 5 minutes. When I got her out I told her that she hurt me, hurt my feelings, and could have broken something important to mommy and that under no circumstances do we hit, pull hair or grab peoples’ glasses. I told her she needed to apologize to mommy and just like she fully understood me, she gave me a hug. And then I felt like a horrible mother for having put her in time-out. But I honestly don’t know where she got this little mean streak (no comments allowed from my mom or dad on that one).

I’m sure this is all going to get worse when she actually turns 2 and I just hope that we can get through it unscathed, all of us. Everyone failed to mention to me that the terrible 2s start at 15 months!! Which reminds me, Brianne will be 17 months old in just 4 days!!!

Reds Game and Grand Rapids

We had a blast at the game last night! Even Brianne enjoyed herself. And, as it was her first ever Red's game, the usher got her an official first time fan certificate made and brought it to us later in the game. We were on the Riverboat Deck and so didn't have to sit in seats all evening, thank god, and there was free food and drinks and cookies. And we were right by the canons so each time the Red's hit a homerun and the fireworks went off (3 times) it was right beside us! The first time it kind of scared Brianne but the next 2 times she loved it! She was clapping with everyone and pointing out at the field and screaming "ball!" and "look mom" it was so cute! We stayed till the bottom of the 6th and she never tuckered out (she was up till almost 10 last night!). I miss her little butt, and Jason too of course...

But we got our new camera yesterday and took it to the game and got some great pics. These pics are all from the Nikon. The above pics are from my little digital camera.

I'm in Grand Rapids now, but it's just an overnighter and will be driving home tomorrow afternoon. Well, riding home, someone else is doing the actual driving.