You call THAT a blister???

**WARNING** Some of the pictures on this blog are NOT pretty...

Jeff is taking a vacation from work...but not willingly... He went to see the doctor on Tuesday afternoon because he is having such bad problems with the hand-foot-and-mouth disease (that according to several websites - only children get and if adults do get, it is usually very mild). The doctor (actually nurse practioner) said that she had never seen hand-foot-and-mouth disease in an adult before...boy what a case it is that she got to see...

Here is a picture we found on the internet of what they say your blisters will look like (granted - it is a picture of a child's hand...but I really couldn't find an adults hand when I looked):

Now...here is Jeff's right hand (his left hand doesn't look as bad, although it does have some stuff on it...):

The bad part is that his hand and fingers are so swollen by the blisters that he can't even open his own medicine bottles...his feet are so swollen and tender that he has a hard time walking...his poor throat is so sore that he can't hardly eat...even drinking water stings!!! Even if he was able to go to work...I wonder if he would have since he is so miserable... Oh...and by the way...his shoulder is doing okay (with all of this it is easy to forget he just had surgery last week...)

Meanwhile - most of Kendall's blisters are gone on her hands and feet and her mouth is almost completely healed. And so far neither Carson or I appear to have the virus - I sure hope it stays that way!!!

Well...to end things on a positive note - here are a few pictures of my angels!

Lesson's learned

I was given a big lesson in humility today...

Jeff wakes up this morning...and guess what...he now seems to have the hand-foot-and-mouth disease...blisters on his hands and in his mouth...(so much for adults not really exhibiting any symptoms...). I go to get Kendall from bed...and her diaper leaked so her back is soaking wet. So...I get Jeff to help me as I give her and Carson a bath (giving them both a bath at the same time is a little tricky...it can be done...but Jeff still has one good arm...). Then...I make the silliest of mommy mistakes and I put Jeff's coffee on the nightstand where Carson's little exploring hands can reach...and wouldn't you know it...he does reach it and pulls the coffee down and it spills over the entire nightstand, remote controls, alarm clock... Luckily...only one little spot on Carson (how did he do that???). Oh...and I forgot to mention that my right eye was full of gook this morning...it isn't especially pink...so I think I'm having an allergic reaction to something... Anyway - I was pretty much is a horrible mood from the get-go this morning. I really felt like God was testing me for some reason...that it isn't bad enough to have a semi-incapacitated husband...that he has to give me a sick daughter...a sick husband...and a million things to clean up around the house too when my husband really can't help me. "Thanks a LOT God!!!" I felt like screaming...and probably actually did...

So since Kendall is out of her normal activities this week...we went to Memo's (Jeff's Mom) house and the four of us went to lunch at Olive Garden. The whole time I'm grumpy and feeling sorry for myself and really questioning whether I should be staying home at all... Then...God stepped in and bonked me on my head.

A family came in and sat at a table behind us. Mom. Dad. Approximately 1 1/2 year old little boy (looked perfectly healthy). Approximately 13 year old boy...obviously mentally handicapped...sitting in a wheelchair...which his Mom pushed in...staring at the ceiling...arms, hands, legs somewhat twisted in his chair...being fed by his mom shortly after they arrive. I started crying. Here I was feeling sorry for myself...when I am so incredibly blessed to have 2 healthy (relatively speaking), happy, strong children...

God, thanks a lot!!!

A cold, a slap lesion, and hand-foot-and-mouth disease...oh my!!!

As you can tell from the post...I've had a busy few days. Lets start with the middle item first, shall we??

Two summers ago (summer 2006), Jeff and I thought it would be a good idea to join the church's softball team. We figured it would be something fun and active for us to do together. Neither of us are especially athletically inclined...but we figured that since is was for fun - why not??? Well...about 4 games into the season...during a "warm-up" where we were throwing balls back and forth to each other...Jeff had a career ending injury on his right shoulder (sorry...no professional baseball contracts for him in the future...). However - we didn't realize how badly he had injured himself. Fast forward to about 9 months ago...Jeff's right shoulder started to really bother him. There were certain movements that he couldn't do...sometimes even had problems picking up the kids. So...he went to his doctor...who prescribed rest and anti-inflammatories. We tried that for a while. Finally Jeff went back to his doctor and demanded an MRI to see what was wrong...assuming it was his rotator cuff. Well...something showed up on the MRI...but it had nothing to do with his rotator cuff. He had a "slap lesion"...which is a fancy way of saying that a tendon had torn from his muscle. After some deliberation...about 2 months ago we scheduled his surgery for yesterday (the 28th). So...at 6:45 yesterday morning we were signing him at the surgery desk...and at about 7:30 they rolled him back on his stretcher for his surgery. Around 8:30 the doctor came out to the waiting room and told me that everything was good and showed me some pictures to prove it (now I don't know about you...but the moment the doctor said that the surgery went well and Jeff was okay...I stopped listening because that was about all I cared about...plus...as I'm not very versed in medical terminology...most of what he was saying sounded more like Greek to me...). After sitting in recovery for about 2 hours (he had some nausea coming out of anesthesia), Jeff and I came home to find my mother-in-law (saint of a woman if there ever was one) watching a little boy with a cold...and a little girl complaining that her teeth hurt. So...I called the doctor's office and made an appointment for them.

Here is where it gets fun...so hang in there... So as I'm loading Kendall from the car into the stroller at the doctor's office later that afternoon, I notice what looks like a blister on her hand...and I knew at that moment what was really bothering her. You see...a good friend of mine told me that on Thursday last week her youngest son (who is 19 months old) was recently diagnosed with hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and after a little teasing from me about weird diseases in her family (her oldest son had some weird, but not too dangerous, disease a year ago...), she told me about the blisters on her son's hands and feet. Anyway - the doctor confirmed my worst fears...and basically said that she had a "classic" presentation of the disease in her mouth and had me look for myself. Inside her poor little mouth was full of sores and blisters (kind of what a fire ant bite looks like)...no wonder she had been complaining about her teeth hurting and not wanting to eat or drink anything... For those of you that don't know (like I didn't know prior to this), hand-foot-and-mouth disease is just a virus that is pretty contagious...and normally you don't know you have it when you are contagious and already spreading it to other people. So there is no telling where she got this from... The doctor said she should be over the contagious part by Monday...but to be on the safe side, I'll probably keep her out of all her regular activities next week just to be safe. UGGHHH We are just hoping that Carson doesn't get it too (although...once you get the virus you are immune from it...so part of me almost wants him to get it...).

So instead of just caring for my husband and his shoulder with an arm in a sling...I've got two sick babies on top of that... So basically I have 3 babies to care for...all while trying to catch up on sleep that I am still missing from when Kendall was born...fun fun

Things I've learned being a mother of 2 (Part 2)

So here we are...almost 6 months after my first "Things I've learned..." post...and I think I can come up with a few more things to add to my original list...

6) My list of things to do is ever increasing. Procrastination. I just love that word. It really does explain a lot. Just the mere task of writing on my blog is a way that I am procrastinating. I have Baby books to update, Bible studies to complete, volunteer work to work on, beds to make, laundry to do, dishes to clean...the list never ends. However...somehow the black hole of a computer always sucks me in and I find myself either surfing the web (which really is pretty boring if you ask me...so why oh why do I still do it...ugghhh) or playing stupid computer games. I use the excuse that since I don't get a lot of "down" time like people that have jobs outside of the homes get (talking to a co-worker, going out to lunch and getting away from your job, being able to drive to and from work and listen to whatever you want to, etc.), that my down time is when I sit on the computer and make absolutely no good use of my time. Good excuse right???

7) Laundry magically doubles itself with the addition of just one tiny little being. Pre-Carson, I would do probably about 3 to 4 loads of laundry a week (one load of whites, one load of colors, one to two loads of sheets and towels). I now do no less than 7 loads of laundry a week now (one load of whites, 2 to 3 loads of colors, and 2 to 3 loads of sheets and towels). HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!?! We are talking about adding a very little human being...how can laundry double??? It must be because I have to change his sheets at least 2 times a week...because I guarantee he will spit up all over his sheet the very night I change all the sheets in the house. It could also be because we must go through 2 or 3 shirts a day some days for Carson...I don't remember Kendall ever spitting up this much...it is a boy thing??? I am simply amazed every Thursday when I go to do laundry...I'm scared to death what would happen if Jeff and I actually did have a third child - we would have to rent out a laundry mat once a week just to get the laundry done quickly...

8) Children learn to play together very early on. This is one thing I honestly didn't expect. I knew that eventually Kendall and Carson would play together...but I had no idea it would start this early. It is so fun to watch them crawling all around the house giggling and squealing at each other. Kendall will be sitting on the floor playing quietly with a puzzle or blocks...when little Carson crawls up and starts to play too...which brings up my next point:

9) Children learn to fight with each other very early on. Now granted...this is mainly only on Kendall's side. But when Carson does come up to Kendall while she is playing all we here is "No, Carson, No! Carson! No Sir! No!" Usually this means that he has gotten a hold of a block or whatever toy she was enjoying...and has started to bang it to hear the sounds or has actually put it into his mouth to taste ("mmm...plastic...yummy!!") We have tried to teach her that if she doesn't want him playing with her things, she just needs to go get a toy that she does want him to play with. However...this usually only happens after a few minutes of frustration and tears and whining...then Kendall asks me what is wrong and I eventually stop crying...haha

10) When one child gets sick, they both get sick. I kind of suspected this one long before we even had Kendall...but it is officially confirmed. For those of you that don't already know...someone in our house has been sick almost every single week since Thanksgiving. We actually recently had about 10 days that no one was sick...not even a sniffle. But...lo and behold...Kendall was running a fever of 102.8 this morning...and Carson as a fountain of goo coming out of his nose. I think Kendall has an ear infection...and I suspect that Carson does too...because the last time she had one...so did he. "The family that gets sick together, stays together"....right???

A Divine message?

I have been awake now for a while. A long while. Kendall woke up screaming and crying at about 4:10 (cannot remember why exactly...probably lost nuk)...then I came back to bed, and unlike my husband who can fall asleep mid-sentence, it takes me a while to get back to sleep...so when my son started making noises at 4:35 I heard it with no problem. So...at 4:40 I got up and went to his room hoping that if I changed his diaper (most of the time when he wakes up that early it is because he has a poopie diaper) and rocked him he would go back to sleep (he actually did this once about a week ago). No such luck today. So...then I thought...I'm always praying that I would have more time to myself...more time to do my biblestudy...here is my opportunity. This is God's way of saying - "What is better than waking up with Me?" So - after conceeding that Carson was indeed NOT going back to sleep - we came into the living room. I got out a Baby Einstein video, hoping that would keep his attention (which it didn't), and I sat down with my bible and my Beth Moore study that we are doing and looked at it. For those of you that aren't familiar with Beth Moore - she does very intense studies of certain subjects over an 11 week period. Each week is broken down to 5 daily studies. Currently, we are studying the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience...um...that is all I know because that is how far along we are...), and I sat down to do day 1 of week 6 - patience. Hmmm...anyone catch any coincidences here??? I can tell you this much - I really don't feel like I got a lot out of my bible study...because the video didn't entertain Carson AT ALL...he was still crawling everywhere (I tried him in his exersaucer to contain him for a while - but he wanted nothing to do with that)...getting into everything...fussing about nothing. I feel like I read some paragraphs three and four times...and I still never caught the entire meaning of what she was trying to say. What I did pick up from todays reading...was that part of beng patient is "perserveering" through times that may seem very difficult, with the knowledge that better times are ahead. For example, Job lost his fortune (livestock and servants), his sons, and eventually his health, but through it all - he continued to praise God - knowing that what we are encountering today, what we are struggling with today - is simply the steps necessary to complete God's plan and help us as Christ followers to be more like Him. So when we encounter difficult periods of our life (like lack of sleep because of two children under 3 years old...and specifically a 7 1/2 month old that hasn't figured out that sleeping until even 5:30 would be much appreciated), we must remember that our goal, our target, our focus of our lives isn't the here and now...it is being more like Christ so that not only can we help bring others to Him, but so that we can be "rewarded" in heaven. My plan for today was not to wake up at 4am...but God's plan was...and God has perfect wisdom and perfect vision for my life and I just need to trust that my lack of sleep for the last 7 1/2 months has a purpose. What that purpose is...I don't know and frankly I would LOVE to know right about now when just the act of typing into my blog is a challenge because my coffee doesn't seem to be working this morning...BUT I must be patient and realize that someday all will be revealed. I tell you what - it is sure hard...having faith when you are completely exhausted...it is very hard to know that God has a plan for me and that I must be patient and try to remember that although I may not see the fruits of my labor today - I will someday. My mom reminds me all the time that although it is hard right now (my friends and I affectionately call this period of our lives with young children "boot camp") and although I don't realize what kind of impact I'm making on my children's lives right now - someday I will. Someday they will be able to tell me, like I am able to tell my mom - how much they love me and how much they appreciate everything they've done for me. I know that my mom is probably the most important person in my life. I still call her and ask her stupid questions - because if anyone will know...MOM will know. She has always been such a positive influence in my life - always so strong and smart and funny and beautiful. She has taught me what it means to be a strong, independent woman, and yet still feminine and gentle. She has taught me the value of family and respect for others. And above all else - she has given me my love for Christ. So in my day to day when I struggle with getting up at 4am and I find myself in a bad mood (sorry about that this morning honey...) I need to remember everything I've just typed. It isn't about me anymore. It is about my kids. It is about raising them so that they love not only Jeff and I and each other - but so that they can also know and love Christ...and waking up at 4am is just a part of that journey...

On a completely different note...wow...completely different... We have paused the potty training for now. After putting Kendall on the potty every 2 hours for about 2 weeks...she got a total of 3 M&Ms...which as you will remember - she got on day 1. So...we are hitting the pause button for a few months and then we'll try again. We are keeping her in pull-ups...and if she wants to sit on the potty, she can...but I'm not forcing the issue anymore. All in good time...

It is so neat watching our children grow up. I took a trip back in memory lane and looked at a picture of Kendall when she was about Carson's age...wow...what a difference!!!

This is actually a picture of the two of us exactly one year before Carson was born. She was already a little blondie!!! What a difference 18 months makes!!! Watching her grow up day by day it is so hard to think of her ever being that small. I find myself thinking of Carson as such a little baby - and I don't remember ever thinking like that with Kendall. It must be because with your first child - you have nothing to compare the ages and stages to. Unfortunately - I wasn't good about recording "firsts" for Kendall...and what she was like day by day...so I find myself at a loss when I try to figure out how Carson is doing in comparison to her. I've got the "big" firsts - crawling, pulling up, walking, etc. But not the little ones - vocalizing, playing, etc. What a shame...if only I had started this blog back then...then I'd have my memory recorded for all posterity!

Kendall and Carson are playing together all the time now. I know it sounds impossible...he is only 7 1/2 months old. But...really! They will crawl around on the floor...first him chasing her and then her chasing him. I hear squeals and giggles from both of them as they (especially Kendall) realize what it really means to have a sibling - instant playmate! It is so fun!!! Kendall is also such a little love right now. She is constantly saying "I lub..." (insert whatever is in her arms). For example - at breakfast this morning she was eating waffles, and she says "I lub waples" and "hugs" the waffle close to her face. She'll do that with just about anything. The most precious times are when she runs up to me or Jeff and tells us that she loves us and gives us hugs. I LOVE IT!!! I also know that in 10 years - I will hear the exact opposite of "I love you" on more than one occassion... haha

Saturday we went down to Silver Springs for the day. It is only about an hour's drive...and although it isn't a theme park like Disney - there is plenty to do and see. Unfortunately...I didn't make sure that my camera was fully charged before we went - so I didn't take too many pictures. However - we do plan on going down again (we bought annual passes) soon - so I'll take more pictures. But here are a few.

And Jeff says he can't see that he and his boy look exactly alike...in my mind - there is no doubt!!!

In all the pictures that we did take of me and Kendall - she never once looked at the camera...oh well...

Have a great week!!!

Attention Shoppers!!!

(So you can tell you're a parent when the most exciting thing you do on Valentine's Day is go to the grocery store and write in your blog about it...)

Anyone that lives near a Publix Supermarket - pay close attention!!! I was let in on a little secret from our cashier as we were checking out. I had made a comment about how proud my husband would be at the amount of money in coupons I was able to use (over $8!!!), and the cashier said "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but..." Here is the scoop - they accept competitor's coupons!!! Not just the ones that come in the Sunday paper...the ones that come on Wednesdays (I think...). For example - in your paper you'll get the Winn Dixie and Albertsons circulars (along with a couple more I think...) and sometimes they have coupons for in store use. Well...since I never go anywhere but Publix - I never collect any coupons from anywhere else. BUT...if you take their coupons to Publix - Publix will accept them!!! For example - Winn Dixie apparently often has a "$10 off a $75 purchase". Publix will accept that coupon!!! YIPEE!!!! So I'm sure they'll even accept the coupons from like Wal-Mart & Target (although the cashier didn't say those stores specifically...) I can't wait until Wednesday's paper to see what kind of deals I can get on Thursday!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

We've resorted to bargaining...

In an effort to try and get our 2 year old to eat her fruits and veggies...bargaining seems to be the trick. This morning as I was eating my oh so healthy honey nut cheerios...my daughter had a plate full of mandarin oranges in front of her that were untouched. Her french toast sticks had been gobbled up the minute the plate was in front of her...but her oranges...not so much (which really...I shouldn't be too surprised...I don't like mandarin oranges myself...). Anyway - she saw me eating my cereal and wanted some. I told her at first that if she ate all her oranges then she could have some. Then, in desperation, I finally told her that for every orange slice she ate - she could have a bite of my cereal. That worked like a charm. Her plate was empty in no time...as was my cereal bowl. So...now I'll have to see if that works with veggies too... What is it about toddlers that they will eat practically any carb in site...but avoid veggies like the plague?? In fact - she used to LOVE french fries...and I can hardly get her to eat those anymore. Her diet pretty much consists of the following foods (none of which are on the food pyramid I think...): apple juice, milk, french toast sticks, grilled cheese sandwich, chicken fingers (sometimes...), hot dogs (sometimes), macaroni and cheese. She will eat those Del Monte food cans - as long as it is peaches or mixed fruit. She used to eat the pineapple and mandarin oranges like a champ...but no more... She loves grapes - but really only red grapes. She'll eat the green ones...but only in desperation it seems like. She does like apples...sometimes...and Grandpa can give her a regular orange and she'll eat it - but I think in her mind anything Grandpa gives her is a cookie...hmm...maybe I ought to try him out on feeding her veggies... :)

Carson is finally pulling himself up to standing!!! Yesterday he did it for the first time as I was sitting on the couch working with Kendall on a puzzle board. I looked up and there he was - smiling from ear to ear, up on his feet. He was just so pleased with himself!!! He's done it like 4 more times since then...so before we know it - he will be cruising around the furniture!!! And...he was up again this morning bright and early - around 4:53am was the first time I heard him. I actually got up about 5:10. But...last night we went to dinner and to pick up a new suit for Jeff that he had altered - so we didn't get the kids in bed until 8 o'clock (which for Kendall isn't a problem...but I'm suspecting that we have to have Carson in bed by 7:15 to 7:30 each night...). So...if my theory is correct - if I put him to bed by 7:30 tonight - then he will sleep till at least 5:30 tomorrow morning. BUT...we are hopefully going to see some dear friends of ours that had a baby on Tuesday when Jeff gets home from work. So...hopefully we can get back early enough to continue testing out my theory...

Speaking of Jeff and Maria and baby Anthony - here is one of his first pictures with his mommy. Congrats guys!!!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Yesterday was a bad day. A very bad day. First...let me explain something...I can't understand my son...I just can't figure him out. We normally try to put him to sleep around 8ish...occasionally he sleeps until 6:30...sometimes only 5...there is no rhyme or reason that I have been able to figure out. We've tried different bedtimes - some early...some later...all we would like is for him to make it to 6am...6:30 would be even better...but the moment we think we've gotten an answer...he wakes up at 5am again... Anyway - on Sunday morning (after being up in the middle of the night with Kendall two times) he woke up at 5am. When he wakes up he is happy...I can hear him over the monitor laughing and talking and playing...for a while...then he starts to get frustrated that no one has come to "rescue" him...and then he starts to cry. The happy time sometimes lasts 15 minutes...sometimes 30 or more. Jeff can sleep through the happy time (although he can sleep through the crying most of the time too...but that is beside the point). I have this "super human hearing" (as Jeff call's it) and can hear my kids the moment they hiccup - no matter how low we have the monitors turned. So even though I know Carson is happy...I can't get back to sleep. I lay there and listen to him and wonder how long I have until he starts getting frustrated. So on Sunday morning...knowing that he was awake for the morning...I only laid there about 10 minutes before I got up and got him out of bed. (I figured that since we were both awake...I might as well go get him.) Well...the rest of the morning was fine. He fell asleep briefly on my shoulder around 6:30am...and I put him down for his official nap around 9am. He napped for all of 30 minutes or so. Anyway - Jeff had to go into the office for a few hours after lunch...and we had just laid both kids down for their afternoon naps when Jeff left. I thought "YES...a few quiet hours to myself!!! Carson hasn't slept much...he'll surely be ready to nap for a long time!!!" Within 10 minutes of Jeff walking out the door (not even enough time for him to even make it to the office), Carson was awake. (Brief note here...when he wakes up from naps - he isn't happy...it is almost always screaming and crying). The rest of the afternoon until Jeff got home at 5, Carson napped all of 30 minutes...the rest of the time if I wasn't holding him or playing with him...he was screaming...not an "I'm in pain" (i.e. tummy/gas problems) scream...it was a tired, frustrated, just overall unhappy scream. I tried rocking him...I tried changing his diaper (multiple times)...I tried feeding him. Nothing made him happy. He fussed and cried and fussed some more. At 4:15 I called Jeff and said "Come home...NOW!!!" (insert voice of demonic being on the word NOW) Of course...by the time Jeff got home...Carson was no longer fussing as much...but my hair was standing completely on end and I was sitting on the couch dazed and wishing I had my own personal masseuse. We also had some friends come over for the game (Super Bowl) that evening...so I knew that I had to put on my happy face and not just go collapse in bed. Luckily I have a saint for a husband and he gave them both baths and put them both to bed when the time was right.

Unfortunately...yesterday came on a day that my hormones were already out of whack...because that morning I was a little depressed. Although (as I said in a previous post) I'm not ready to say that we are definitely done having kids...I know that we are leaning in that direction. So...as exciting as it is that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter...it is also very daunting because I've never figured out what I want to do with my life. So although I know in a few years I will have tons of free time that I'm sure I'll want to fill with a part-time job of some sort...I also know that when I go back to work I want to do something that I really will enjoy (or why go back to work at all)...and I just don't know what that something is... I've played around with all sorts of ideas...and I know that I don't have to make up my mind right this very moment...or even in the next year for that matter. But sometimes since I don't feel like I've ever found my "calling"...I feel a bit lost. Not to mention the fact that even though I keep myself busy with running the kids (mainly Kendall) to all sorts of activities...my day to day life is essentially the same. I know that we all go through "seasons" of our lives...that right now my "season" is being the best mommy and wife I can be...but when your day to day hardly ever changes...sometimes you almost wonder..."why?"

Anyway...to the good... This afternoon when I got Kendall up from her nap, we sat down on the couch with her "Bippo" (stuffed Hippo - her lovey), a sippy cup of milk and a snack cup of Cheerios and watched some of her "shows" (I just love Noggin!!!). As we are sitting there, her directly on my lap...all the sudden...out of nowhere...she turns around puts her little hand around my neck and says "I lub you Mommy" and kisses me. My heart just melted!!! How wonderful is that???

Well...I was kind of right...

So - Kendall did have a little bit of a croupy cough last night and this morning...but as we were thinking it could happen - we plugged in her cool mist humidifier last night and her cough didn't seem to bother her too much. She woke up around 2:30 crying and coughing - but I think she was having a nightmare (I just hate the fact that she has nightmares already...) and after I calmed her down, she was back to sleep in moments. So depending upon how she does tonight - most likely she will stay home with me tomorrow.

Potty Training - Day 4
Well...so far Kendall has received 3 M&Ms (but why is the bag so empty...hmm...must be gremlins...)...and she received the 3 M&Ms on day 1 of training...So I'm not sure how effective my training technique is... I'm (finally) going to the grocery store today and I'm going to pick her up some pull-ups. I know they make some that she can feel when she is wet (they get cold)...so I think I'll try those and next week (Monday) start putting her on the potty once every hour. Then...if there is still no progression...then the following week I'll put her on the potty once every half hour. Hopefully it starts to warm up a bit outside - because if I get to that, then I'm going to just let her run around in her diaper so I don't have to keep taking pants off of her...

Carson has really gotten the nack of crawling!!! He motors everywhere!!! This morning I set him down in the living room as I walked into the kitchen to get breakfast ready. Then I went to Kendall's room for something (can't remember for the life of me what it was...but it must have been important...) and when I came back - Carson was in our foyer on his way to the playroom/office. Before I know it...we'll have to gate off the stairs like we did for Kendall...

Jeff and I are both almost certain that we are done having kids. When Kendall was this age - we both knew that we wanted more...and two months later - we got pregnant with Carson. Jeff said to me the other day "I'm DONE" after a particularly rough day at the office and equally rough time upon arriving home and finding a screaming Carson (gas problems) and hyperactive Kendall (I swear I don't give her sugar...). I'm not ready to say "I'm Done" yet. Although I really think I am done...I'm ready to get back to being "Amy" again...and discovering myself and having some independence away from kids again...just the thought of not sharing the love I have for my two kids with another child just about breaks my heart. And then I start thinking about not toting a child on a hip at all times and not being interupted 15 times while talking on the phone (or typing a blog) and I realize I really don't want anymore. But I'm just not ready to say it out loud yet...what is it about not having more children that depresses normal women. I have several friends that are in the same situation as me...that think that they are done having kids...but are depressed at the same time at the thought of never being pregnant again...or never having that beautiful, slimly, screaming thing laid down upon your chest the moment after it is born...or never having those tender moments when they are asleep in your arms or on your shoulder. This is the primary reason that Jeff and I haven't made any "permanent" adjustments that would forever inhibit us from having more children. Just because we both think we're done now...doesn't mean we both will think the same thing a year from now... And then...there are some very dear friends of ours that had kids the same distance apart as our two...and then they got pregnant again...with TWINS!!! She is currently 32 weeks along...with a 3 year old and almost 2 year old... She is going to have 4 children under 3 1/2... To be honest - given the high probability of twins in our family - that is one of the reasons that we are leaning against getting pregnant again. I don't know how she does it. Honestly - she really is an inspiration - they are handling everything with such grace and such a good attitude - it is so obvious how much God is involved in their lives. I am normally a very upbeat and positive person...but I really don't think I could be in the same situation - although I also believe that God helps you to rise above who you would normally be to be able to handle the gifts He gives you. If God did decide to bless Jeff and I with more children - I know that we would love them and care for them as God intended us to do - and I would surely be afraid and nervous - but with God's help, as in my friend's case - I would also be excited and look forward to sharing my love with even more dear ones.

Anyway - now I'm just babbling...

Hi ho hi ho...back to potty training I go...

I've got a feeling...

"mmmm....the bubbles taste good!!!"


"I swear Mommy...I can hear the ocean through the bubbles!"


"Come on Mommy...I'm trying to keep a low profile here..."

What a cutie!!!

My happy boy!

Kendall on her "fort" (her Christmas gift from Santa). Makes you wonder what she's thinking doesn't it??

I've got a funny feeling that my darling girl is going to get sick... She woke up with a small cough and sounded a little congested (which isn't surprising as Carson and I are just about over our colds that we had last week and over the weekend). But now after school...her voice is pretty raspy...just like it was right before she got croup around her birthday. So...I have a funny feeling that tonight is going to be a long night...

I've attached a few pictures that I've taken recently. I didn't realize how many pictures I still had on my camera's memory card - some still from Christmas were on there. So...I've attached them for your enjoyment. :)

His smallest fan??

The last time I posted a video - you oculd barely hear Kendall in the background talking about Tim Tebow. Well...in this next video - you can see where the heart of my daughter is. :)

In this next video...she is singing some of her favorite songs... enjoy!! We sure did! :)

Now...before the producers of Ellen DeGeneres or Oprah Winfrey start calling me and asking me and Kendall to come onto their show because Kendall is so cute...I will admit that the Tim Tebow thing is a bit...ahem...coached. But she really does like all those songs...so okay - count us in as long as we get tickets for the four of us to fly out to L.A. or Chicago!!! :)

The light at the end of the tunnel???

DAY 1 of Potty Training!!!

We decided that we were going to start potty training Kendall instead of just letting her initiate it. So...when Kendall woke up this morning - we took off her night-time diaper and then went and sat on the potty for 5 minutes (I have an egg timer in the bathroom now...). Three little drops later...Kendall got a M&M. We will try to sit on the potty every two hours for 5 minutes...and every time she goes tinkle or poopie she gets a M&M. I can already tell, though, that I really need to buy some pull-ups...as it is a little difficult to put a regular diaper on right as your child is standing up... Thank goodness I have Carson who will eventually fit into size 5 diapers...because I just bought a huge box of them for Kendall...and now I see how pull-ups will be very useful. So anyway - please pray that Kendall gets the hang of it relatively quickly (I know she wants more M&Ms...so if nothing else - that might be motivation enough!!!). If she does - not only will her Daddy and I be happy...but so will our garbage man...

That is all for now...but I will be back on to download a video of our little girl singing...she is so incredibly cute!!! The video takes forever to download...and I still need to get stuff together to go to her MusikGarten class this morning...and do another potty sitting...so I'll have to download it when the kids are sleeping...

He's mobile!!!

Uh oh...its all over now...my little guy is a movin' and a grovin'... On Sunday he started to crawl. Not the typical on hands and knees crawl...more of an "army" crawl...but he is definitely moving and getting to wherever he wants to go. So I recorded him crawling for you all to see...isn't he so cute??? Also - Kendall is on there demonstrating her "tiptoing" technique...and telling everyone how great Tim Tebow (2007 Heisman Trophy winner) is. Enjoy!!!

Monday morning the kids and I had to take Jeff to work as his truck was in the shop. On the way - at one point I had to stop quickly... "Wow! Hold on tight!" was what was heard coming from the backseat. Jeff and I couldn't stop laughing. Of course, he made a remark that it was my driving which prompted the comment from our little blondie...

Well...as much as I'd love to continue...my little man won't take his nap and is currently crying for me to get him out of bed... Hopefully more later...

Diaper Wrestling

I know that my memory of Kendall at 6 months old is not very good (which is sad since it was just 19 months ago)...but I swear that she was not nearly as challenging as Carson is at changing diapers - especially poopy ones...

Just getting down to his diaper can sometimes be a challenge in and of itself. Between him constantly kicking, then grabbing your fingers, then bending his legs so that he can get a toe in his mouth...it is normally a miracle if you can get down to the diaper quickly. Removing his dirty diaper is an experiment in calf wrestling. First you have to hold onto both legs at the ankles, then try to grab hold of each wandering hand. (Let me take a moment to say here that I know that Kendall never played with her "junk", as Jeff calls it, as much as Carson does. The minute his diaper is off of his body, either one or both hands is reaching down to tug and pull on that certain area of his body. When we are cleaning it, he has even been known to smile or giggle...is this a sign of things to come in the future??) If you don't grab a hold of each hand, then you risk having a hand dip into the poo, or grab hold of the diaper and swing (this has actually happened to me on one occasion...prior to me learning to old each hand...when he swung his diaper filled hand around, the poo inside of it then proceeded to fly through the air and land on his shirt...no kidding...). If you don't grab a hold of each ankle, then you run the risk of having his ever kicking feet land in the poo as well. So...there you are with two hands and two ankles in ONE hand, as the little body beneath you continues to wiggle and try to kick and break free. As you are struggling holding on with one hand, you must then figure out how to get a wipe (or four or five depending upon the consistency of the poo - which could be a whole other post in and of itself) and wipe away all traces of poo and pull the diaper out of arm's (and foot's) reach, and then try to get a clean diaper at least in the general vicinity of the now clean bottom. If you can make it to this point...you are normally in the clear...and just have to put his new diaper on and wrangle his clothes back on his twisting and turning and kicking little body. Thankfully, Carson is no longer peeing every time his diaper is removed...so most of the time you don't have to worry about being sprinkled on (although he still does occasionally surprise us...).

Let me tell you...I really look forward to when he is not only longer...but stronger... This must be why most women I know that have little boys end up doing most of their diaper changes on the floor by the time their sons are a year old...

Twas the morning before Christmas...

Twas the morning before Christmas
And the only one up and around
Was a sleepy headed Mommy
No one else was to be found


The child that had beckoned her
At a quarter till five
After a diaper change and an hour rocking
Was once again a sleeping child


Her husband was snug sleeping
Safe and sound in their bed
With visions of football bowl games
Being played in his head


The blue eyed blonde sprite
Who filled their days with much chatter
Was sleeping soundly in her bed
Not a pitter or a patter


Chance, the brave protector dog
Of her family of four,
Didn't even twitch a muscle
When earlier she had opened the bedroom door


"Now that my boy child
Is back to sleep with much fuss
What shall I do with this 'free' time?
A question many moms ponder I trust."


"Shall I spend it doing something
I can't do during the day
Because two little children
Demand all my attention away?"


"Shall I go back to bed
for some much needed zzz's?
Just a little more sleep would make me
Much more easy to please."


"No," she thought to herself with a laugh
"Who needs sleep to get through the day?
After a few cups of coffee
I'll be most ready to play."


"So I'll log onto my blog
And send out a cheer
To wish all my family and friends
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

Really? A day off??

I realized that one of the reasons I haven't been posting more regularly - is that I feel this pressure (which I put upon myself...I know) to go over anything that happened since the last time I wrote every time I post a blog. Well...all this causes is procrastination...and here we are, 2 weeks have flown by again from the last time I posted. So...if I can get to a computer to write about what happened that day or that week - I will. If I can only jump on for a minute here and there...I will. If not...oh well. One more thing off of my to-do list... :)

My parents are AWESOME!!! (and I'm not just saying that because I know they read my blog...haha) They drove down from Jacksonville today to watch the kids so that Jeff and I could get our Christmas shopping done and go to a movie. So about 10:30 this morning, Jeff and I left and brought a carefully constructed list and several valuable coupons with us. Thankfully we had gotten a lot of our shopping done on-line this year - so we didn't have too many stops to make. Plus - we found ways to combine gifts for people all at just a few stores. Unfortunately...we did have to go to the mall...uggghhhh...but including a stop for lunch around noon - we were done by 3pm. After a quick call home to make sure everything was good...we went to see a movie. ("I am Legend" starring Will Smith - pretty good - worth the price of admission - which, by the way, is ridiculous these days - $8 for a matinee/student ticket!!! I remember when a student ticket only cost $3.50!!!...but then again...I digress). So...we arrived back home around 5:30 to find two incredibly happy children and two happy grandparents...and since we were so relaxed from having the whole afternoon "off"...we all started singing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands"!!! haha Just kidding...

I can't believe Christmas is only a week and 3 days away. How did that happen??? Christmas this year should be fun for our family this year. Kendall is really starting to understand the whole "presents" idea...and every morning she runs into the living room to see the Christmas tree and a life-size (well...at least to her) Santa Claus. I can't wait to see her face Christmas morning with all the presents under the tree...and one very special present in the back-yard (assuming Jeff and I can figure out how to put it together on Christmas Eve that is...). Next year should be even more fun. Kendall will be 3 and Carson 18 months...I'm sure there will be lots of squeals of excitement a year from now. :)

Well - I need to get to my Christmas cards. If I stay on tract...they should actually be in the mail by Tuesday morning...keep your fingers crossed for me! haha

As I haven't posted any pictures of the kids in a while...here are a few I thought just needed to be posted!

Jeff and I LOVE this picture...Carson just happened to be starting to fuss and I snapped the picture right as he was looking at Kendall. Although this wasn't an intentional look at Kendall this time...we know that someday soon in the future - she'll be getting lots of those looks! haha

Our family on Thanksgiving Day (poor Kendall was sick - with an ear infection and croup...).

My little girl being goofy on the porch.

Our happy little guy!

Daddy and his little girl.

On my way taking Kendall to school this morning, I was smiling as she rattled away about the cars and trucks and trees. Pointing out the "big 'ruck" and the "white car" and "green trees" and school "bus" that she saw outside of her window. I realized that there are some things, about both my children, that I really want to remember. So...I have decided that I need to rededicate myself to my blog... I've been HORRIBLE about writing on it...obviously. But - in the knowledged that my A.D.D. might kick in again and I will have another two weeks go by before I write again - here are some of the things that have been on my mind lately:


Kendall - she knows just about all her main colors: red, black, white, green, pink, purple, orange. However...for some reason she gets blue and yellow confused. We ask her what color the school bus is and she says "bue". We ask her what color the sky is and she says "yeyow". I know that she is still young learning her colors - but I find it so cute that she gets those two completely opposite colors confused.


Carson - he kisses me! Seriously! I know that at only 4 months old he really doesn't know what kissing is...but as I'm holding him close to me, he will grab hold of the hair on the back of my head, pull my head to his mouth and open mouth kiss my cheek or my chin or my nose - whatever gets close to him. And it isn't like he is searching for food...because he doesn't suck or gum on my face - just open mouth kiss, every once in a while I'll even feel his little tounge touch my face. It is so completely endearing!!!

********

Ok...so the above was actually written 2 weeks ago...on the 16th (today is the 30th)...and then I got distracted...and never finished what I was writing or posted it. So...hopefully if the ADD doesn't kick in again...I'll have a new post right after this one (at least within a day or two...)

Focusing on the positive...

I think that one of the unfortunate traits of being a human being...is always focusing on the negative things in day to day life. I know not everyone does this...but the majority of people, such as myself, do. I find myself, especially on days that are challenging, only paying attention to the "bad" or "frustrating" things that my children do, instead of the good and exciting and cute things that they do. Therefore - I'm going to take a minute and reflect on some of the moments of being a mom to two beautiful children that I want to remember forever:


Mornings in my house, I honestly think, are the best part of my day. Normally, Kendall will wake us up around 7ish (this is after Jeff hits the snooze on his alarm from 6:30 on forward - so we are basically awake - just delaying the inevitable). Most of the time she is happy when she wakes up. We can hear her talking to her animals in her crib - just jabbering away. So Jeff will get up, go out and get the paper, then go to Kendall's room. If it is a day that he knows we (me, Carson & Kendall) have no place to be right away, then he will just change her diaper and leave her in her pajamas. If it is a school day, then he will change her into her outfit for the day. Then I will hear them in the kitchen as he pours her a cup of juice and coffee for each of us. Squealing as she runs, she will appear in the doorway, hair flying and a huge grin on her face. "Nommy!" she will yell as she sees me still sitting in bed across the room. She will run to my side of the bed and say "Up. Up." I will lift her up and hug her and kiss her and we will talk about how she slept. Jeff will wander in, a hot steaming cup of coffee in each hand and the morning paper tucked under his arm. He will hand me my coffee, which I accept greedily, then walk back over to his side of the bed and sit down. Somewhere, either right before this or right after, Carson will wake up and the four of us will sit in bed watching TV ("The Wiggles" at 7am, followed by "Higglytown Heroes" at 7:30am), reading the morning paper, Jeff shaving his face with his electric razor. My whole world is right there in that room, sitting on the bed, at least for a little while until Jeff realizes he needs to get in the shower and get to work and the kids and I need to get dressed and moving.

As much as I complain about the fact that Kendall talks nonstop...and I mean nonstop...while we are driving somewhere, I wouldn't change it for the world. Besides pointing out every car and truck on the road (especially those that look like her Daddy's), she loves to sing with me ("Wheels on the Bus" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "Five Little Speckled Frogs" are a few of her favorite right now) and make sure I know that she sees everything outside her window. It is amazing how far she has come from just a year ago...you could say that we almost carry on conversations. No, the conversations aren't complex by any means ("Car!" "Yes, Kendall, it is a car. What color is it?" "White!" "Yes, Kendall! The car is white! Good job!"), but they are conversations nonetheless and she relishes the fact that I can understand most of what she is saying now. Plus her "sentences" are getting more and more complex. "We go Nommy's new car!" "More juice peas!" "Daddy's ruck white!" It is amazing that not so long ago, she is where Carson is today. He is verbalizing like crazy! There are days that he coos and gurgles all day long. The only thing that stops him is if he is asleep or has a bottle in his mouth.

Carson is such a happy baby. I've been told that I "smile with my eyes". Until I had Carson, I don't know if I ever really knew what that meant. If you were to cover up his face from his nose down, and he smiled - you would know it! His whole face lights up. He giggles and coos and smiles so easily. He is also trying to figure out how to work his little pudgy fingers. I love when I am holding him facing me and he is standing up on my lap. He will reach out and touch me all over my face, grabbing my lip or my nose - whatever he can figure out how to wrap his little sausages around. I've never met a blind person (at least not well enough for them to want to "look" at me by touching my face), but that is what Carson reminds me of when he is doing that. It is like he isn't only memorizing my face by looking at me...but by feeling me too.

On the way home from dinner tonight, we turned off the radio and sang songs all the way home. One of Kendall's other favorite songs is about visiting the farm. It goes "I went to visit the farm today. I saw a _______ across the way. What do you think I heard it say?" So...if the animal was "cow", you would sing "Moo moo moo." We were having Kendall pick out the animals for me to sing, then she would sing the animals sound. You could just hear her little gears in her head turning as she came up with more animals for me to sing about. In fact...she threw out "cars" and "trees" as well...I'm still not quite sure what the "tree" said...

Anyway - there are so many times during the day I can get frustrated so easily...and unfortunately - it is those frustrating times that I tell Jeff about when he comes home at night. I need to try harder to forget the frustrating times and remember the good times. Like tonight - Kendall went to bed so easily. We did her normal bedtime routine and put her down...and even though I gave her a quick tickle as I was lying her down...she still went right to sleep. Or this afternoon at the Gator Homecoming parade - Carson was just so darn cute in his little outfit and matching hat (I really should have taken a picture...I'm getting bad about taking pictures again...). Or the other day when I was holding both Carson and Kendall on my lap, and she was hugging him and kissing him and he just smiled and cooed at her and tried to touch her face as he stared at her. There are so many moments that I smile at my kids...and I really do smile so much more than compared to the "rough" times...

Being a mom is hard. Really hard. It is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year...even if you aren't around them...you think about your kids. I have had to learn to sacrifice my own quiet time...my own "work" time... I don't normally watch what I want to on TV. I've eaten more than my share of grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese and hot dogs... I don't have much of an outlet to "challenge" my mind on a regular basis. Being a mom is really mindless work in a lot of ways...which makes it that much harder. Unfortunately, when I am tired and frustrated, I think of all the "things" I've given up to be a mom. I need to "rewire" my brain to start thinking about what I've gained becoming a mom - more love in my heart than I could have ever imagined.

October is already over???

So...as much as I had planned on updating my blog time after time...a month later I finally am attempting to do so. And what a month it was!!! So here are some brief snippets of October:

The first weekend of October we went to Jacksonville to take my Dad out to dinner for his 60th birthday. We went to Roy's - GREAT food and atmosphere!!! After dinner my sister and Mom played with Carson - here are a few pictures.

The next weekend Kendall, Carson, Jeannine (Jeff's mom) and I went to the High Springs fall festival...which took all of 30 minutes... BUT Kendall did get to go on her first pony ride (not too sure if she really enjoyed it...) and she got to ride in someone's makeshift train. Plus we saw some friends who have a daughter who will be 3 in January. Kendall is already bigger than her and she isn't even 2!!! But aren't they adorable together??? There was a few musicians playing - and Kendall even got to dance. When we left to go to the car to get lunch...Kendall kept crying "dance dance"...do I sense a vocation in her future already???

The next weekend was an away football weekend...and the only weekend that was available for Carson to be baptised (it seems that our lives revolve around Gator football in the fall...). So...Saturday afternoon we had some friends over to watch the game. One of our friends made some moon pies (aka "whoopie pies") and Kendall just LOVED them...as you can see from the cream all over her face. :) I also am putting a picture of our friend's son Wyatt - who will be one this week...this will give you an idea of how big of a kid that Carson is...he is only like 2 inches shorter than Wyatt...

Anyway - Sunday the 21st (my sister's birthday as well) Carson was baptised. Here is a pictures of my mom and dad with Carson and a few from the ceremony.

Finally...the last weekend of October was the Florida/Georgia football game in Jacksonville. So...of course we went to Mom and Dad's and got free babysitting! haha Actually - they had intended going and my sister and a friend of her's were going to watch the kids - but both Denise and her friend got sick...so Mom and Dad offered to watch my two kids and the 3 kids of a friend (13, 10 and 1 - although only the 10 year old and 1 year old came up). Lets just say that although all the kids were good for Mom and Dad...they were definitely ready for us to get home after a full day of watching a 10 year old...2 year old...1 year old...and 3 1/2 month old... In my books - they are saints!!! And of course...I forgot to take pictures even though I toted my camera along with us to Jax.

Halloween!!! Kendall was supposed to be a "fairy princess" all set with wings and everything... But she refused to wear the wings - I only got one picture of her with them on. Carson was a "cowboy"...I was a black cat. And again...I didn't take hardly any pictures - so not much to show. Kendall was so cute though. This year I got her to run up the walk to each house's door...knock on the door and wait. She would turn around and face me while she was waiting - and I would say "Turn around Kendall" and she would start spinning in circles. It was so funny. She was so cute though...running up the walk with her pumpkin in her hand...what a big girl! I can't believe how fast she is growing up!

Ok...so I think I covered everything for the month...oh!!! RIGHT!!! I almost forgot - we have a new addition to our family! We traded in my Toyota Camry for a Toyota Sienna (mini-van). I LOVE my new van!!! It is great!!! So many bells and whistles - I just love it! No pictures of it yet...but I'm sure I'll get a couple here sooner or later...