Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The deer and the dog

We were hanging out in the living room the other day and Ben shouts "Holy SH!T! It's a deer!!!" I start freaking out thinking there is some crazed deer in our yard. So, I start shouting "GET THE DOG, GET THE DOG!!!" And Ben says "NO! It's a little deer!!!" So, we all troop over to the living room windows and sure enough..a tiny baby deer is in the yard! It was so young, it still had the white spots on it. Now, we have a black lab that's a year old. You would think that Annie would bark, chase it, or at least do SOMETHING, but well, THIS is what she did instead....
First, she walked the little deer across the road and into the yard


Then she made sure that the deer stayed close enough that we could get a few pictures

(In case you're wondering..this is about 3 feet out our front window. We could have touched the deer if we really tried)

Then she walked the baby deer over the side yard.



After all that excitement the baby deer decided it needed a nap and that our lilac bush would be a perfect place for that.



Shortly after that, Annie decided she needed to lay down with the deer and it took off into the field. Annie thought that was great fun and took off after it. Sadly, we haven't seen the baby deer since. It was so so cute and I really think we could have petted it if we really wanted to. Hopefully the little one found it's mommy and will always remember it's 10 minutes in our yard. :)

Monday, June 29, 2009

"Not Me!" Monday



Thought I'd give this a shot this week.

"Are you feeling guilty for pretending not to notice as your child sucked toothpaste out of the tube? Feel like a slouch for wearing your husband's big, baggy t-shirts all day? We'll don't! Not Me! Monday was born out of my desire to admit some of my imperfections and reveal a few moments I'd rather forget. You may find it therapeutic to join in and do the same thing!"

I certainly did NOT let my daughter run around naked for three days during the heat wave. NOPE! And when she asked to get dressed I certainly did NOT tell her "No honey, it's too hot."

I also did NOT and would NEVER have an emotional breakdown over the weather. When it hit 95* INSIDE my house one night, I did NOT cry and bawl to my husband threatening to move out the very next day. I also did NOT demand that he go to the store and buy air conditioners after he worked 12 hours. And he certainly did NOT tell me to suck it up. NOPE! My husband would NEVER say that to me!

I did NOT shed a bit of a tear when I had to throw out my old coffee maker. NOPE! I would NEVER get attached to an inanimate object like that.

I did NOT reveal the name of the new baby to my mother, only to have it met with "Hmm...." Then I did NOT badger her about hating it until she finally said "Well, I'm not the one that has to grow up with it." Then I certainly did NOT cry after she left because I was so disappointed.

I would NEVER spend 20 minutes peeling the dead skin off my husbands back. That's disgusting and something I would NEVER EVER dream of doing. And of course, if DID do something like that, I would NEVER admit how I try to peel the biggest piece possible, then show it to him. And he would NEVER tell me how disgusting I am. NOPE! NEVER!

Think "Not Me Monday" Sounds like something you want to participate it? Well then, most certainly do NOT head on over to My Charming Kids and check it out!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

My Magical Sunglasses

Wow! This weeks Small Talk Six has taken me most of the morning to come with!

if you had magical sunglasses, name 6 things you would like to see with them

1. I would love to be able to look at my growing baby. She does so many cool movements all the time. I'd love to be able to see what she's doing in there.

2. I'd like to go back and look at some very specific moments in my childhood. I don't remember a lot about being a kid. I would love to know if some things happen the way I remember them, or if I'm totally off base.

3. I'd love to be able to see what Ben's life was like before me. He's lived in some cool places and had some really great experiences that I think would be interesting to see.

4. I want to take a peek into the future. I think it would be fun to see where we're at as a family in 10 years. Or to see what my girls will look like when they're in college, or what my grandkids will look like.

5. It would also be pretty cool to peek into celebrities homes every once in awhile. I always wonder what they do on a day to day basis. How cool would it be to put on the glasses and see your favorite celeb just chilling at home?

6. I would also like it if I could use the glasses to peek in on my family that lives far away. It would be even better if THEY had a pair of magic sunglasses and could see me back. (Yes I realize that's an awful lot like a webcam...but just humor me here people.) I could check in on my sister, my cousins in SC, my in-laws in OR and friends that live far away. How fun would that be?!!!

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Just like Mommy

I read..a lot. I almost always have my nose stuck in a book.I almost always read while I'm eating my lunch. The other day, Adelae and I were eating and she decided that she needed to read too. She picked up this birthday card and 'read' it the entire time she ate!! She kept saying "Look Mommy, I read dis birfday card to you. Happy Birfday Mommy."




For more Wordless Wednesday, head on over to 5minutesformom. And as always, go post your own Wordless Wednesday!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

To My Husband

I thought it would be fitting to dedicate my post today to my wonderful husband.

There are so so so many things that make Ben a great dad. It would take me days to even think of them all, let alone list them! I always knew Ben would be a great dad. He was a cat person! Any man that gets up at 6:00 am to feed his cat canned cat food will be a great dad. I can recall Ben and I's very first date. I asked him "So, do you want to have kids?" I'm pretty sure he about choked on his dinner! Little did we know that three months later, I'd be telling him that we were expecting our very first child together. We had only been together for about 4 months when I found out I was pregnant. I fully expected Ben to freak out, I mean, who wouldn't? But, he didn't at all. Instead, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said "I love you." How cool is that?!

I had a rough time with Adelae's delivery and Ben was with me every single step of the way. Adelae was delivered via c-section at 37 weeks and they had to take her to the NICU to be evaluated. Ben was so torn, stay with his wife, or go with his baby girl. I gave him the go-ahead to go with our daughter. He literally sprinted out of the recovery room, almost knocking over my mother in the process! He was in that NICU with her (she was fine) until I got out of recovery, then he came and sat with me. What a great guy right? I was bedridden after my surgery and Ben changed every single diaper while we were at the hospital. He left the hospital one time in five days. He desperately needed a shower and a change of clothes. My memory is a bit hazy, but I'm pretty sure I had to force him to leave.

Ben was your typical nervous firs time Dad (much like I was a nervous first time Mom), but he helped when and where he could. 2 1/2 years later, he's still the most amazing Dad. He loves his little girl more than words can express. The first thing he does when he comes home from work is pick her up and cuddle her. He plays Adelae's favorite games, reads her favorite books, lets her get away with just about anything she wants, spoils her rotten, gives her baths, changes diapers and tells her bedtime stories.

Ben is also a fabulous provider for our family. When we had Adelae, we make the decision that I would be a stay at home mom. In order to make this happen, Ben has gone above and beyond the call of duty. He works overtime as much as he can and he often works two jobs so we can pay the bills. On his days off work (which are few and far between) he goes with us to the grocery store, mall or wherever else we need to go without complaint.

No wonder Adelae loves her Daddy so much!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Give Him What He Deserves!





6 Things the Father Of Your Child/ren Deserves to Have:

1. To be paid for what he is worth.

2 More time off from work. (If he was paid what he was worth, he wouldn't have to work two jobs)

3. Unlimited golf at the course of his choice. I really wish that Ben could get out more and do stuff just for him.

4. New clothes. It seems trivial, but he really needs some new clothes and we never seem to have extra money to buy them. (Can I add that I deserve some new clothes too?!)

5. Gourmet meals all the time. These would, of course, be cooked by someone other than me!

6. Unlimited desserts. Ben loves desserts, brownies, ice cream, cake, cookies, you name it, he loves it!

As always, head on over to MomDot for more Small Talk Six.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Farewell Old Friend


I have a coffee addiction, I know I do. I was so excited to find out that I was "allowed" to drink coffee while pregnant. Ok, I may be taking the "allowed" thing a little far. Actually, what my doctor said was "A cup or two won't hurt anything." Well, I took some liberties. I'm a 6-cup-a-dayer. I can't help it. I love coffee. It makes me happy. I drink hot coffee when it's 100* outside. With out it my mornings seem so empty. I NEED my coffee. I have gone to great lengths to fuel my addiction. I've used paper towels as filters, used boiling water poured over grounds to make a cup (not recommended by the way), driven in the rain snow and shine to the gas station, once I even borrowed some coffee from a neighbor. I love the way it smells, tastes and makes me feel. I love coffee!!! I loved my coffee maker too. I got it from Gevalia when I was in college. I've toted it to every apartment for about 8 years. It was programmable and stainless steel (coated I'm sure). I was literally heartbroken when I went to make coffee yesterday only to find my trusty friend was no longer working. ***sigh*** I did with out my coffee yesterday (it was hard and I needed a nap just to get through the day). I replaced my old friend with a new friend today. I gave my friend a little hug, and sent it on it's way to coffee maker heaven. I'm looking forward to starting a new chapter in my coffee making book. I can already tell this new coffee maker and I are going to be great friends.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

UH OH!



These were taken over a year ago (on Jan 10, 2008 to be exact) but every single time I see them, I have to smile. Adelae used to make these faces all the time if she got caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing.

For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5minutesformom

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Things I've Made







This weeks Small Talk Six is 6 Things I Have Made. Now, you may remember, that I'm working on being crafty lately, so this is right up my alley!

1. I made that sun needlepoint for my niece, Carolina

2. I made the needlepoint for Adelae's room

3. I also made a crayon roll for Adelae (I have plans to make more, I just need to get to the fabric store and get all the fun stuff I want to add)

If you forget what they look like go here and see them again!

I think I've mentioned before that my brother just had a baby, my sister is having one, and I (of course) am having one. Well, in our family it's tradition that everyone shower the new babies with gifts for their first Christmas. I've always wanted to be able to make something to give to the babies. Toys wear out so fast and clothes can only be worn for so long. So, I've decided to cross stitch birth records for each of the kids.

4. I'm working on this one for Makayla


5. And this one for Gabby.


6. I'm also going to do this one for Adelae and the new baby's room.



I suppose technically, I'm only suppose to include things that I've already made, but I just discovered how much I enjoy needlework and sewing. Plus, if I publish this now, I'm actually held accountable for finishing the projects!

If you want to take part in Small Talk Six, head on over to MomDot (you can just click on the button at the top of the post).

Friday, June 12, 2009

S-T-R-E-T-C-H

Ben's making sure that Adelae gets plenty of exercise and stays flexible.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

What do you mean I'm an adult?

I have finally come to the realization this year that I'm an adult. You'd think having a child and getting married would make me feel like an adult, but nope! I can actually remember the moment when I realized I was a "grown up." I was substituting at the high school for a class of seniors. They were talking about going off to college and how they were all going to remain best friends forever. I shook my head and said "So much will change for you in the next year. You will come out of your first year of college a totally different person. Enjoy the ride cause it's a great one!" Then it hit me! An "old" person said that almost exact same thing to me once! I thought "Crap! I'm an ADULT! I totally didn't see that one coming!" Then I had to chuckle. Being adult is pretty awesome! Yeah, I have to do stuff I don't like, like balancing the checkbook, sticking to a budget, dishes, cleaning in general, getting up early, etc. BUT there are so many cool things I DO get to do! I get to snuggle my little girl, watch her grow, eat a meal I prepared with my own two hands, go on dates with my husband, plan parties, have parties, have a drink, etc. I have gotten to repair old relationships and make fantastic new ones with the other "adults" in my family. I am realizing that age really is just a number! I plan to live my life to it's fullest, whether I'm 31, 51, 61, 71 or 81. Being an adult is pretty awesome stuff!

Happy Birthday Dear Momma!

Ben and Adelae filmed this a few days ago. I love to hear her sing, especially Happy Birthday to Momma!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Adelae was right!

Whenever we ask Adelae if she's having a baby brother or a baby sister she automatically replies "BABY SISTER!!!" Well, she was right! This little bean is definitely a girl! There is NO doubt! Even I could tell and I'm terrible at picking things out on an ultrasound. At this point the baby is measuring small, but it's nothing to be worried about. Adelae was a tiny baby and I'm not a big person, so small babies are good! :) We are so so so excited to be welcoming another little girl into our family!!!!

Our ultrasound tech was great and flipped on the 4D for us and printed out a few pictures. We even got to see that the baby has some hair! So cool!!!




Honestly...isn't she adorable? :)

Sunday, June 7, 2009

GusGus, Pirate Kitty, and Whiner

'Member our kittens? They're about a month old and are really movin' and a groovin' now. They've started playing, eating kitten food, and exploring the yard. I thought for sure that Annie would be chewing on them, but she doesn't seem to pay them much attention. Of course, that could be because Zoey beats Annie up when she gets close to the kittens (Annie is our lab/cocker mix and Zoey is the proud Mommy of the kittens.) It's true..Annie is kind of a wussy and Zoey will chase her around the yard yowling and hissing. I firmly believe that it's mostly in good fun :) Ben was out with the camera last night and happened to catch all 3 of our the little kitties in some great photos. If you know us, you know we LOVE animals, so I wanted to post them for the world (or the few of you that read my blog) to enjoy.

Perhaps I should take a minute to explain the names.

GusGus got her (we think), yes it's a girl, name from the mouse in Cinderella. GusGus (the mouse) is none too smart but always up for a challenge, much like our GusGus. The plan was to change the name, but I think it's here to stay. Isn't she adorable?



Pirate Kitty (also a girl...we think) had a nasty eye infection when she was little, so she looked like she had a patch on her eye. Again, the plan was to change the name, but the poor think is stuck with being Pirate Kitty for the rest of her life. We do call her PK for short! :)




Whiner is so named because she (we think) whines A LOT and VERY LOUDLY!



Here's a little video of the kittens trying to climb the tree. You'll see Zoey come in and try to drag them out of the tree. She's not quite sure her little ones should be as fearless as they are!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

6 Things I'm Proud Of

Small Talk Six time! I've been absent the last few weeks, but this weeks topic was one I couldn't ignore.

Six Things About My Child That I Am Proud Of:

1. Adelae has FANTASTIC verbal abilities. She speaks in full sentences, and can actually carry on a conversation. I don't know it that makes her advanced or not, but I LOVE it!

2. She is a kind and loving little girl. She jumps on my lap at least three or four times a day, give me a BIG hug and proudly proclaims "I love you SO much Momma!"

3. Even though she's an only child, she plays great with other kids. She shares well, helps well, and doesn't get frazzled when other kids aren't quite as nice as Mommy thinks they should be.

4. Adelae knows all of her letters (upper and lower case) and can name most of the sounds they make. She can also name most of her numbers. The other day she handed me a magnet and said "Look Momma! It's an 8!" and it was!

5. She has an amazing singing voice! Ok, well,not really. I mean, she's only 2! BUT, she does love to sing and has a nice long list of songs she will regularly sing.

6. Adelae has a great memory. I really started working with about two months ago and she astounds me. For instance...we were at the dinner table the other night and she starts telling me about how she doesn't like Wendy's or the 'Donald's where the boys go "RAAARRR." Her and I went to Wendy's about 2 weeks ago and she refused to eat her cheeseburger because it was "nasty" (and it was). And about a week before that she was playing at the McDonald's Play Place and some big boys scared her in the tunnels by screaming. I should mention that we weren't talking about either thing, and she mentioned these facts to her Daddy quite out of the blue. I was impressed!

I could go on and on and on! I am so very very proud of my little girl.

If you wanna participate in Small Talk Six, click the button below and get all the info. Or, you can visit the ladies over at MomDot .




Introducing Baby Makayla!




The first of my new nieces was born on May 13! My little brother, Louie, is a proud new papa. This is his third, so he's an old hand at this by now. Adelae and I met Makayla last weekend (I know, I'm slow getting this posted!) and she is an absolute doll! Makayla slept most of the time we were there, but that's just fine. It meant I got to get lots and lots of snuggles in. I think our baby already likes Makayla. When I would lay her on my belly, the baby would automatically move to that same spot. I'm pretty sure our new munchkin to be kicked Makayla a few times, but she didn't seem to mind. Adelae did really well with the baby, so that makes me happy. Adelae even held Makayla for awhile.




So, in case you're keeping track, that's one baby down and two to go! By some crazy twist of fate my brother, my sister and I will all have babies this summer. If I did my math right (which is doubtful) we'll have three brand new babies in our family in a matter of 12 weeks!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Wordless Wednesday




The point of Wordless Wednesday is to be Wordless (kind of self explanatory, I know). This is a picture of my two favorite people in the whole world. Can you tell she's a daddy's girl?

Side note: This was taken at a Fort Wayne Tin Caps game.