Girls Night Out....

......Mommy style. Lori, me, Steph, Ashlee, and Sheryl all met up for dinner out. It was a wonderful time. And all the babies even behaved themselves! We must do it again...and again...and again...you get the picture!!!

Move Or Be Moved

A friend of mine called and asked if Hunter could come over and play. Her son is the same age and was sad that his sister got to go to a friends house and wanted to know if Hunter could come over. Hunter of course jumped at the chance to go somewhere his older brother wasn't invited.

After dinner and play time at a germ infested McDonald's play restaurant, she brought Hunter home. They had a fantastic time. And in telling me all about his time with his friend this comes out...........

Hunter - You know at the top of the play thingy where all the net stuff is?

Me - Yes

Hunter - There was this like 3 year old girl that was standing in the opening and she wouldn't move and me and Jake couldn't get down so I had to pick her up and move her.

Me - YOU PICKED HER UP AND MOVED HER OUT OF THE WAY!!!

Hunter - Yep!

My Husband - Move or be moved!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Morning

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a happy New Year!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Santa 2006

Happy Birthday Hunter

This was Hunter's welcome into this world. Who knew that 4 weeks could make such a big difference. After finding out I had kidney stones that were blocking my kidney from draining I had my labor induced. My kidney was inflamed to twice it's normal size. Everyone kept telling me I was only 2 weeks early when I really knew it was 4 weeks. But being in so much pain and knowing they couldn't do anything until Hunter was born, I started to believe they must be right.

But they weren't and I was. After Hunter was born it was determined that he was 4 weeks early. And in most babies this would not make any difference. But in Hunter it did. He was big, 7lbs. 3oz. at 4 weeks early, and that is why they thought I was farther along I guess. But his lungs were not fully developed.

He spent 8 days, including his first Christmas, in the NICU. I never even got to hold him until Christmas Eve when he was 6 days old. That was also the first time I was able to nurse him. I had been pumping every 3 hours around the clock and they were giving him my milk through a feeding tube inserted into his nose. What a hole in your heart getting up in the middle of the night to pump milk not feed your baby.

But praise God it was short, but it was also a hard time. Leaving my baby in the hospital and going home was the hardest thing I have ever done. But also being torn between needing to be at the hospital with my baby or at home with my 3 year old at Christmas, was more than I thought I could handle at times.

Thank God that is all behind us now. My Hunter is SO precious to me. He gave me that tiny glimpse of what it might be like to loose a baby, and I will never take for granted his presence in my life. He was my "baby" for 5 1/2 years, and I think a part of me will always look at him like that.

Happy 6th birthday Hunter. I love you!!!

All I Want For Christmas.....

.....is my two front teeth. Okay, not really. The problem was he is already getting his adult teeth but still had his baby teeth. They were loose, but not out. So after much talking about it, and bribery with a hot wheel car from WalMart, Hunter has let us pull his first tooth. One down...19 to go?

Have You Seen This?

This is the coolest toy. Monte got his 20 Q from a friend for his birthday. I had never seen one, but I have to say that it is hard to put down. You think of an object, and then answer 20 questions. The game will then "guess what you are thinking". I know it is somehow a process of elimination, but I have no idea how it works. But it does. We have thought of simple things like a table and harder things like a straw. It has guessed them all.

So if you are still looking for a cheap gift (9 dollars at WalMart) pick one up. You will not be disappointed. Or stop and play with one for a minute the next time you go to WalMart. Monte brought his to my party and I think the adults played it more then the kids!!!

To All Of You.....

I would just like to give many thanks to Stephanie and to everyone else for wishing me a happy birthday. It was a great day that included a yummy dinner and flowers from "my guys" as the card said!

30!!! My friend Shelly welcomed me into the club. The only thing is - I don't recall asking to join......

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas 2003

It Finally Feels Like Christmas

We finally got a tree. It's not my "real" tree. That one is in storage. We don't have room here for it or the rest of my decorations. But it's Christmas and we NEED a tree. I haven't felt like it's Christmas yet, and I think it was the lack of a tree.

So here it is. My 20 dollar WalMart tree. It says it's 6 foot, but if it is, then my husband is all of a sudden 7 foot tall!!!

And my boys had just as much fun decorating this one as our other one. Truthfully? I think they liked this one better. It's cool when you can put an ornament on the very top without standing on your toes and your only 9!

And baby LOVED staring at the lights. Only I just realized there are no pictures of him doing this. Oops!

Parties

It was a weekend of parties. Saturday was Monte and Hunter's. Everything was good. Bowling, pizza, cupcakes, friends, and don't forget the presents. What else could a 9 and 6 year old want!

Yesterday my husband (with the help of his mom) threw me a surprise 30th birthday party. (my actual birthday is Wednesday) And I really was surprised. I had NO idea. I started crying, no surprise there. My mother-in-law called around 2:45 and asked if we wanted to go get pizza with them at 4:30. When we got there all my family and closest friends were there. It was SO wonderful. Exactly what I wanted. All the people I love together in one room.

It took a moment to process what was going on. I walked in the room and saw my in-laws, then my husband's aunt and uncle, and even that didn't register anything. But then I saw a friend, and another, and another, and my family, and I realized everyone was there for me. No one has ever done anything like that for me. It was such an amazing feeling. And a night I will never forget!

*Sorry there are no pictures. I didn't have my camera. I thought we were just going for pizza! :) Other people did take pictures for me though!

Snotty Baby

Baby isn't happy today. Or the past couple of days either. He has a runny nose and is a bit congested. Wants to nurse a lot, but is having a hard time breathing when he does. Not sleeping all that well either. I'm blaming the 3 year old I babysit for 2 days a week that had a runny nose last week. But it could very well be his older brothers that I'm sure come home from school with all sorts of germs. (but don't tell Hunter that, he's a total germaphobic)

I don't really have time for this today. We are having a joint birthday party tomorrow that I need to get ready for. 2 cakes to still bake. Shopping to do. I'll be sure to not forget my sling. The boys need hair cuts and my husbands work Christmas party is tonight. Baby is coming with.

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I went to Hunter's class yesterday to help them make gingerbread cookies. Hunter said Look Mom, I'm giving him raisin eyes because I want him to be healthy for me. Yep, that will cancel out the MnM mouth he has! :)

And oh, I forgot my camera. Totally not like me!

My ABC's

I've been tagged....twice, for the same meme. I'm feeling like the popular girl in school!! Thanks Steph and Jen.


A - Available or Single? Just to my hubby!

B - Best Friend? My husband of course, he truly knows me best. My best girlfriend...Kara.

C - Cake or Pie? Pie! Strawberry Pie from Baker's Square

D - Drink of Choice? This time of year I love peppermint mocha's from Starbucks.

E - Essential Item you use every day? food!

F - Favorite Color(s)? Pink and Blue

G - Gummy Bears or Worms? Worms

H - Hometown? I'm not saying that....but I will say I live in a different state than I was born in!

I - Indulgence? Caramel Vanilla Frappacino

J - January or February? Do I have to pick one? They are both SO cold!

K - Kids and Names? 3 Boys...Monte, Hunter, and Carter

L - Life is Incomplete Without? My family

M - Marriage Date? October 3, 1997

N - Number of Siblings? 2 sisters...one older, one younger. I'm in the middle.

O - Oranges or Apples? Apples

P - Phobias or Fears? I'm really not crazy about being on the top of a ladder.....

Q - Fave Quote? You get what you get and you don't throw a fit! (can you tell I have kids)

R - Reason to Smile? God has blessed me with 3 very silly boys!

S - Favorite Season? Summer!

T - Tag Three people...Staci Heidi Randi

U - Unknown fact about me? I love to go to the gym.....but haven't been there since a few months before I had Carter.

V - Vegetable you don't like? I'm with Steph, Beets!

W - Worst Habit? Talking before I think.

X - Xtremely BIG Husker Fan? Yeah Steph, what's a Husker?
X - X-Rays? Too many to count!
(they each had different things for X)

Y - Your fave food? MEXICAN! I can never get enough.

Z - Zodiac Sign? Sagittarius

Wordless Wednesday - What's Up?

Sign Baby

By Monte's 2nd birthday he still wasn't talking. He had said a few words, only to never hear them again. At his 2 year check up his doctor recommended speech therapy. A speech therapist came to our house once a week and worked with Monte.

She taught Monte simple sign language to teach him that he had to communicate somehow to get what he wanted, instead of pointing and grunting and crying. It was so neat to me. I loved it. She also had a video that I watched and I was able to teach him more than she could that hour every week.

By his 3rd birthday Monte was all caught up. By the time he was 3 1/2 he was ahead of where he needed to be.

When Hunter came along we used what sign language we remembered. But I also think we started later than we could have. I'd like to sign with Carter when he is ready. So my question to all you sign language mommy's......when did you start signing with your baby? And what books or videos/DVD's did you use?

I'm His Hero

Hunter- Can I have applesauce with my breakfast?

Me - Sure

After much straining the lid would not come off of the brand new jar.

Hunter - Oh no, Dad's not here to open it, now I can't have applesauce!

So I did what any mother would do. I turned the jar upside down and banged it on the floor. Ta-Da! Jar opened.

Hunter - Thanks Mom, your my hero!

Aw shucks! It's nice to be appreciated. Even if it is just applesauce.

Laundry Day

I find all sorts of things in the washing machine. I have washed coins, dollars, (my favorite, everyone knows whoever does the laundry gets to keep what is left over at the end of the day) toys, rocks. But the new one to add to the list.....a Dum Dum sucker.

Oh yes, a sucker. I. WASHED. A. SUCKER! And imagine my surprise when I realized there wasn't even any pants in the washer. I washed only shirts. With no pockets. So how did a sucker get there?

Who know, who really cares. What really matters? Is everything sticky now that they have been washed with a sticky sucker? Everything seemed okay, but I rewashed the load just to be sure.