It has been a while

I usually can only jump on the computer on the weekends and then only for a second. The job is going great. Brie seems to be adjusting well. She is refusing naps, but other than that she is doing well. I love the greeting I get when I come home from work. It is awesome to hear, "Mommy!" and then she wraps her arms around my legs.

We went Christmas shopping today. We got Brie a play Hoover vacuum complete with real sounds and attachments. We also got her a DVD of the "Wiggles". She'll be pleased as punch. I am also going to pick up a cheap piece of costume jewelry for her. She loves the "bling bling"! LOL

We also sort of had a date night tonight. Brie stayed with my mother-in-law while we shopped and had dinner out. I actually got to drink an alcoholic beverage....oh my!

After getting to three different stores, we found a digital camera we liked. The first store it was over priced, the second was out of the camera, and the third time was the charm! We are now a proud owner of our very first digital camera. I am so excited! I can now post pictures after taking them. WOOT!

We won our case against Rick's former employer. We had to go through the county attorney, but the original check, one check fee, and the filing fee were paid. We then called the bank to see if we could possibly get the last two fees waived to bring our account to a zero balance.

They thought we were nuts since our balance was on the positive side. Rick looked and sure enough, a direct bank account transfer had been made for ALL the fees that were incurred when the check bounced. We took the money out and closed the account. What a relief!

Cha cha changes

Boy how my world has changed. Rick hasn't had any luck finding a job, so I found one. It is a temporary position with Werner Enterprises. The position does have the possibility of becoming permanent though. I like it and so if it is offered, I'll take it.

The last company Rick worked for is messing us over big time. The first paycheck they cut him bounced. Our checking account is overdrawn and fee-ed to the hilt. We've had to just let it go and are using another account so that we have access to some money. Meanwhile, we have turned the case over to the county attorney in the area the company resides (Greeley). I certainly hope the company comes through, but we aren't holding our breath.

The lawsuit will only get us the face value of the check and the one returned check fee from the bank. But at least it is something. To get the rest of the fees paid, we'll have to take the company to small claims court. This is going to take a long time to fix, but we have to t do it.

Rick is at a job interview right now. It is with Walmart and he'd be unloading trucks from 4-midnight. This would be ideal as then Brie would only be in daycare a few hours a day. That will cut down on costs and we'll be able to pocket more of our paychecks.

I am hoping this is the turning point in our dark days. I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and am praying that something doesn't block the light once again.

I'm a working mom now

Last night was my first night away. I had orientation from 5-10. I had to leave the house at 4:30pm. I did get out early, but she was already in bed. :(

We looked at daycares and found a really nice in home daycare. She'll be there on Fridays for about 9hrs. :( She really liked it there and jumped right in. She's the only girl. She thinks that is just fine!

She won't go this Friday as I don't have to work, but she will be there next Friday. She seems to be adjusting just fine to things. I on the other hand, am adjusting at a much slower pace.

I'm no longer a stay-at-home-mom

Well, not technically. I'll still be home 4 days a week. I am now working part time at Target. On a whim I filled out an application on Wednesday and got an interview immediately after filling it out. Then, I had my second interview yesterday and they offered me the job.

It is contingent on a clean drug test and background check, but I'm pretty confident. I stopped off and picked up tan pants and red shirts and a pair of shoes. I'll be working in the produce department.

I have to start looking for daycare on Fridays for the little monster. I'll be doing preliminary searches. Since I don't know my schedule, I don't know if she'll be there all day, part of the day, or what hours of the day. But, I'll be looking for openings, pricing them, and going to visit them.

Wish us luck!

The word "No"

Why has it become her most favorite? Everything is "no". Any question you ask her is met with a resounding "no". It is truly a fascinating word.

We've also entered the world of fears. Vents are something she can't walk over. Walmart has become a very scary place for her, because of the vent at the enterance. Drains are much the same way. She spends her shower time avoiding the drain.

Then, we have bridges that you can see down between the slats. She treats them much like she does the vents. She crouches down and will not move. Next, we have the fear of falling. She is constantly saying, "I fall". Our world is a joy these days!

Birthday fun has come to an end

Yesterday was party day. I spent the morning picking up last minute items at the grocery store. We still had to make one stop on the way into town for ketchup and mustard.

Brianna loved being the center of attention. She greeted everyone with a hug and a kiss, then she was off to play with the kids. She had no interest in eating...she wanted to play with the kids and the dog toys. She carried a rubber dinosaur and chicken that squeaked around all evening long.

We finally convinced her to take a break and open her gifts. She got 3 baby dolls with bottles, an animal puzzle that makes animal noises, several outfits, duplos, 5 videos, butterflies for her room, a kitchen w/dishes, play food, a big stuffed bear, playdough, an art set, 3 books, a sticker book, and I think that's it. She loved it all. She sat and fed the baby for quite a bit.

She wrestled with a little boy that is her age and a girl 1 yr older than she is. They had such fun chasing each other around. She had a blast! You would have thought she'd have fallen asleep on the way home, but nope. She was wide awake then entire ride home. And she was up bright and early at 7! She's still napping though, and it is going on hour 3.

She had a doc appt on Friday. She is 33lbs, 38" tall, and perfect according to her doctor. We discussed her feet turning in and the doc thinks she will be flat footed (comes from daddy) and may need some inserts when she gets older. For now, just wear supportive shoes with arches in them. She didn't get any shots this time. We don't have to go back til next year. That seems so odd after having to go every month, then 6 months, and now 1 yr. Wow!

Cold weather a brewin....

It has turned chilly here. It has been dark and dank and drab. I miss it being so bright and sunny, the sun not setting til well after 8pm. I love fall, but I don't like the days shortening so much.

I've been checking the weather report for Thursday and it is looking like it is going to be a very cold one. Possible flurries, a high of only 45. Looks like we'll be wearing winter gear to the pumpkin patch. :( I hate that. It was pretty cold last year when we went too.

Birthday week

Today is the start of Brianna's birthday week. Thursday we have her actual birthday with just us. We are going to Vala's pumpkin patch. We started this tradition last year and it was a lot of fun. A great way for us to have an activity as a family.

Friday, she has her 2 yr well baby visit with Dr. Mosemann. We are also going to stop by Walmart and see if her pictures are done. There was a chance that they would be in early. Otherwise they'll be in by the 18th. We are hoping for Friday, though.


We are also going to stop off at Gigi and Papa's house. Gigi is making the birthday cake...a bear.
That picture is of a peanut butter one. Ours won't be pb, but that's the general appearance we are going for.

Saturday is party day! Party starts at 4pm. She is going to have such a fun fun time. I've already gotten calls asking for sizes and such. Rick's mom has already gotten her two videos: Elmo and a princess one. Rick and I got her some duplos and 2 videos (Frosty the Snowman and Veggie Tales).

I will post pictures as I get them. I don't have a digital camera, but Rick's mom does. So we'll get some pics right away. Then, I'll have to remember to drop off my 35mm film to be developed.

Birthday planning

Well, we are in deep into party planning. You know, I really dread the day she actually has friends she'd like to invite. I don't know what we are going to do. My side of the family is huge enough as it is. UGH!

We've decided on doing a potluck like we did last year. We'll provide the meat, they provide the side dishes. I'm still up about the cake. Cakes are so expensive especially large enough for the crew I need to feed. So I may make one and then buy one or make a bear one and buy a plain one. I don't know. EEEK!

We've bought her gifts. She's seen them, but has forgotten by the time we get home, so it'll be all new when she opens them up. I've already had one aunt call to get her clothing size. She was amazed that she was in a 4T.

Her 2 yr check up is scheduled for October 13th. Her 2 yr pictures are tomorrow. Go Portraits claims that they may be in by the 14th, but likely not til the 18th. So, we'll hope by the 14th and then I can just pass them out while I'm at Brie's party.

Tomorrow evening we are going to a birthday party at a pumpkin patch. A hayrack ride is included, but we may opt out as it's a spooky haunted one. They do the same one during the daytime, but it's without live actors. Since the party doesn't start til 6, I am thinking our ride will be with the live actors. We'll see once we get there.

I can't believe that she's almost 2!

Grey's Anatomy and ER

Season premiers tonight for both. I was so excited and made sure I had snacks, comfy clothes, and a blanket. I was set to go!

Those shows did not let me down with the season premiers. I am hooked all over again and am waiting for next week to come! Yay!

On other news, Brie was in rare form today. She refused breakfast and her nap. Managed to dunk her head and a bear in the dogs' water dish this morning. An all around naughty whiney day. Here's hoping for a different outcome tomorrow.

Tongue update and other news....

Tongue is healing beautifully. The purple hue is gone. She still has the raised group of buds that bug the daylights out of her, but she deals with it.

We went to a grandparent's day thingy on Sunday and she got to pet a sheep and a bunny. The bunny was so behaved! blink.gif Brie poked its nose and it didn't even flinch. Awesome!

Then we went to pick up her toddler bed. Yeah, mommy's not quite ready for it yet, so we'll be painting it and getting it ready for when mommy is ready for it. We also have the side rail to prevent falling. Although, if she falls from the toddler bed it is gonna be a heck of a lot shorter distance than the top of the crib railing!

We also got a whole bag of clothes, video tapes of Barney, and shoes. Can't wait to sift through that...which reminds me, I need to get that from the car. We also got a rusty red wagon....but it works! Next time, we are picking up a trike.

While at Gigi's we went grocery shopping with her. Gigi bought her some plastic food and dishes to go with her kitchen. We havent' had a chance to play with them, but I'm going to get them ready for her to do so tomorrow. I also found invitations for her birthday! They have bears on them and everything. I nabbed 2 packs and they were $1 each. Woot!

We stayed at Gigi's and Papa's and had dinner. We got home after 9pm. She's exhausted. It was a no nap day. Although, she did climb up on the couch, layed down, grabbed Papa's blankie (fleece tag) and rested for about 20 minutes.

Today I cleaned off the porch. I have a bazillion iris bulbs that I plucked out of various areas of the yard and put them on the porch. I moved them to the delapidated chair and cleaned the dirt off the porch. I organized the chairs and put a junk lamp and such into the garbage. It looks nice!

I must rave about the Magic Eraser. I bought one as Brie decided to color our front door and some walls. It took it right off! So, I tested it on my grungy kitchen walls (it was there when I moved in). Where I cleaned, it looks awesome!

Oh the boo-boo's

We went to my parents' house for Labor day. This meant no nap for Miss Brie. She won't nap anywhere but at home. She was pretty tired but doing well.

She was messing around with my brother and turned and fell. She fell down onto a plastic tub and hit her chin. This caused her to bite her tongue in three places. She did pretty good with it although it hurt and made eating difficult.

Then, she followed my mom into the kitchen and as my mom opened the fridge door, she bonked her head on it. My mom was afraid she'd have a black eye, but she doesn't.

She's still recovering from the tongue incident. Its a nice shade of purple on one side. She's eating and drinking just fine. Talking too.

Then Tuesday night, she woke up crying at 4am. I thought it was weird, so listend to see if she'd settle down. Nope. I go in there and she has her hand in the loop of a bow on her stuffed dog. It is wrapped tightly around her wrist. I try to untie it, but I'm sure its a safety feature that it doesn't come undone.

:sigh: that was a long night. We all went to bed early Wednesday night. I still feel super tired.

Still sick

Brie and I are both still sick, but on the mend. Now, Rick has it. :( I love Fall, but my allergies do not.

Brie has entered the terrible twos. Everyday is a battle of wills to see who's is stronger. Most days, its hers. I started the no blankie or binkie downstairs rule and she is not liking it. I explained that the blankie and the binkie still needed some more sleep and they needed to stay upstairs. She cried all the way down the stairs. :(

She finally perked up with a snack and some Baby Einstein. Soon, both were quickly forgotten and she was off to play. Then, 7pm rolled around and she was getting fussy. She wouldn't eat dinner so she was hungry. I had to feed her left over chicken nuggets. She kept crying for "blankie". :( I'm such a mean mom.

I don't mind that she uses them, but the blankie is adult sized. She drags it through water, dirt, pet hair. It gets very gross very quickly. She also doesn't like to part with it to wash it either. So it is best that it stays upstairs!

Too bad she won't use that nice bear blanket my brother bought her.

It's Harvest time

On the way to get groceries today, I saw that the University is harvesting already. That would explain why I feel like I have a hairball in my throat. Thus begins the hell that will continue til the very first hard freeze. UGH.

It is also apparent that Brie has inherited this affliction as well. I will be discussing this with her doctor. They've been hesitant to diagnose her as allergic. They claim they don't do that til they are 2 yrs old. Well, she's close enough! :D

We went grocery shopping today. She did really well beings she felt like crap. Her eyes were all watery, she was droopy, and her nose was runny. But, she was a very good girl!

She also napped for me today, unlike yesterday. I predict an early bedtime today...for both mommy and baby!

Crankified!

Oh my! Brianna woke up in a tizzy yesterday and it seems to be only slightly better today. If she wasn't whining, she was being naughty (namely getting into the dogs' water dish).

I don't know if those 2 teeth are finally coming in or if she is just dealing with some allergy issues. I do know that she isn't sleeping well. Tuesday night she was up crying at 11:30pm and then again at about 12:30. Last night, I heard her about 3-4 times.

I certainly hope this is all short lived!

UPDATE:
Back to naughtiness. She just came to me and burped up a bubble. She had gotten into the dish soap and drank some. Pretty funny to see 2 bubbles escape from her mouth. Under the kitchen sink is now cleared out of all the "fun" stuff.

Update on yesterday

First, I don't think she napped. She was quiet upstairs, but when I went to get her at three she popped right up with no whining. She didn't look like she had just woken up.

Then we were off to my friend's house. We were slightly late, but oh well. She loved being the center of attention. I'm the only one with a baby. Julie has 3 teenage step children, but they weren't there.

Brie enjoyed playing with the keeshond puppy. She's a little ball of fur, the dog, not Brie...LOL They loved chasing each other around and taking toys from each other. Yeah, Brie doesn't like sharing with a dog. *eyeroll*

My friend Jill has a playset out in her backyard from the previous owner. It is about 6-7 ft high and only has a wooden ladder going to the top, no steps. So Brie decides she really wants to slide and doesn't come and tell me...she just starts up the ladder. So I help her a few times and then she's off and running with the dogs (there were also 2 beagles and a greyhound there).

Soon, I'm talking with Julie and Jill and I can see them watching something over my shoulder. I turn around and Brie is 2 rungs from the top. I jump up and run over to finish helping her. I think I yelled "Oh my god!" before running over there. My little daredevil. Julie and Jill just laughed at me saying they were watching her and she was doing just fine. EEK!

We didn't get to stay long, we had to go to my parent's house. Brie threw a fit. When I opened the car door, she threw herself in the grass crying. I had to bribe her into the carseat with Teddy Grahams.

We get to my parent's house and my brother gives her his gift. Its a really soft bear attached to a blanket. Brie looks at it and starts crying "Bear". But she is mad that the blanket won't come off of it. She tries to rip them apart saying, "Stuck". She gives it to my mom to "fix" and then my dad to "fix". When that fails, she throws it on the floor and stomps off crying.

If you bring the blanket near her she freaks out and starts crying. She'll actually run away from it. So, we put it away for a while and my mom gives her the plastic pail and shovel. She likes that! She calms down and righ before dinner I try the blanket again.

Its still "stuck". She's not freaking out over it though. It was still "stuck" when we got home and she showed her dad. I gave it to her to sleep with and it was outside the crib this morning. I brought it down this morning, but she'll only look at it.

Its a really pretty soft blanket and it was expensive. Apparently, Brie doesn't care!

Here's the bear:

Puppies and Kitties Oh my!

The whole weekend consisted of puppies and kitties. On Friday we went and saw the neighbor's 6 puppies. They are poster children for mixed breeds. The mom is a schnauzer, terrier, and something else mix...kinda looks like Toto, but more silver.

Her puppies are all different. There is a tan female that looks like a wirehaired terrier. There is a male that is a tan mottled color...sort of like a daschaund. 2 males are like a keeshond all fluffy and silvery. And the final two sort of look like her. They are about 6-7 weeks old.

Then we went across the street to the park and a girl had 5 kittens. 1 orange tabby male, 1 tabby male, 2 black and white males, and a calico female. I, of course, had to sex them for them. Brie liked playing with the kitties more than the puppies.

Then on Saturday I drove to Mead to pick up a basset puppy to deliver to my friend Jill. He is cute! He's all skin and legs and ears. He's white with brown and black spots. He has the cutest little face. His name is "Scamp", but he doesn't know his name and he's 4 months old.


I was going to keep him at our house til Monday, but it just wasn't working out. Brie was scared of him, my dogs hated him, and he didn't want to be left alone. I felt like I had 2 toddlers and I was exhausted after 4 hrs! So I took him to Omaha on Sunday. What a relief!

Jill was going to try and find him a home, but it wasn't working out at her house either. Her dogs were not liking the puppy at all. So, she had to take him to the pound. Once she turned him over, a co-worker of hers came down and said that his dad had been wanting a basset puppy. So, puppy has a home! Yay!

Today, we are going to Omaha to hang out with Jill and Julie. Its been so long since we've all been together. I am so excited! We are going to have a blast. Then, I am going to head over to my parent's house to visit with them. I guess my brother bought Brie something. He won't tell me what, though. Scary!

Long time no blog

We have been so off schedule its not even funny! Brie has been sleeping in til about 11 everyday which totally throws the whole day off. Today, we've started a "normal" day by getting up at 8 (I had to set the alarm).

Not sure what the deal is, but its probably just her recovering from being sick last week. At least, that's what I hope the deal is! She went to bed at 7 ish last night and was still sound asleep at 8 this morning.

We will be rescuing a basett puppy this weekend. I will be taking it to Omaha to be fostered there. The puppy is 4 months old and its previous owner can't house break it. At four months, its not going to be potty trained yet, but whatever. I'll be picking him up either Friday or Saturday.

Brie's presence has been requested at grandma's house. Unka dunk bought her something and he won't tell me what. That sorta scares me since he keeps saying he wants to get her a power wheels motorcycle. EEK! I know its not shoes since he mentioned that they forgot to look at those while they were out and about. We'll probably go over there Saturday or Monday...not sure yet which.

That's about it from this end. I'm dragging today since I've been used to sleeping way in! But, I have to do some stuff around here and it was harder than hard to do with her "help" yesterday!

Back to the store

Went back to the store today, but remembered everything this time! Yay!

I woke up with a horrid headache. I believe it came from the trip to the vet the other day. Whisper is a short haired cat, but when he's nervous, he can kick up quite the fur storm. That vet office was covered in a layer of white fur. While I was at the store, I grabbed some allergy meds and took them right away....RELIEF!

Brie is back to her charming self. I love having my girl back. Her schedule is still messed up. I think I'm going to start weaning her off of the benadryl...its doing a number on her. I don't think she needs it anymore. The rash is almost gone and it doesn't bother her during the day.

Well, that's my uneventful day. Much of the same tomorrow. Whoooppppeee!

Also, Brie turned 22 months today.

The Grocery store and more

I decided we NEEDED to go to the grocery store since we had no milk in the house. Brie was feeling pretty good, so I thought we'd make a quick trip. Well, as quick as you can living 30-45 minutes from town...LOL.

We get to the store, she'd munched on dry cereal and drank 1 sippy of kool-aid. I thought about changing her diaper, but decided to just get to the shopping. I hate shopping, so the quicker we can get out the better!

I pick up a Tracfone since my last one took a swim in watermelon juice. When the clerk tried to scan it, it wouldn't work. I had to follow them to two other checkstands before they could ring it up.

By the time we got done, I went to change her diaper, but it was too late. The diaper had leaked. Of course, beings this was just going to be a short trip, I didn't pack extra shorts. I felt so bad leaving Walmart with just a shirt on her...but what was I to do? :D

We get home and I try to put her down for a nap, but she'd rather chat up there and say her ABC's and count. Finally, she falls asleep at around 3:00pm. We are so off schedule I'm not sure we'll ever get back on track. Granted, the 10:30 am wake-ups are great!

Oh and I forgot the butter, razors, and to return the toilet seat while I was there. Guess who's going back to the store tomorrow?

Wow, no trips to the doc or the ER

We made it a whole 24 hrs with out a trip to the ER or to the doctor! However, we did make a trip to the vet. One of the cats, Whisper, has a bump on his lower lip making it swollen. Turns out its like a human canker sore. He got a shot of steroids and has to have a fish oil supplement in his food.

Fun times at our house!

Tomorrow, I believe, we will be grocery shopping. I have to pick up canned cat food so that I can give Whisper his supplement. It has to be added to food and we do free-feed for all the cats. Its imperative he get the whole dose. Its not bad if the other cats get it, he just has to get all of it. The joys of a multi-cat household!

I got to see an old friend today. She works at the vet we go to. She actually pulled strings to get us in today and at a convenient time for us. We have tentative plans for a girl's day on some Monday. People used to refer to her as my twin when we worked at the same place.

I think that's it for now. I need to go let the dog's outside to potty. I should shower too.

Back to the ER again

We had to go back to the ER again last night. She had developed a rash and after calling my mom, she thought it may be scarlet fever. Great. So off to Children's Hospital we went.

After waiting almost an hour, we get in to see the doc. He asks if there is anything new in the house and we tell him now. He asks about her illness and we tell him. He looks at the rash and determines that it is just part of the virus that she has.

He assures us the rash isn't contagious to the touch, but her excretions are. So, if she coughs, sneezes, pees, or poops on you...she'll spread it to ya. My hands are dry and peeling from all the hand washings....ugh.

We have benedryl for the itchiness. Hopefully we are on the downward trend of this stupid super bug, whatever it is. I am now going to be anal about wiping down those shopping carts!

Road to recovery

I think we are on the mend. She woke up this morning and didn't insist on bringing down her blankie or her binky. Yay! However, last night was horrendous! She was up at 1, down at 2, up at 2:30-4. Yeah, not a fun night. Mommy is a walking zombie that feels like she has a hang-over.

I did get the bathroom sanitized and most of her cloth diapers wshed up during the nights escapades. I also was able to watch 1/2 a movie. We listened to the storm outside. Thankfully, she's not afraid of storms, even the loud ones.

Today, she ate much better...still less than normal, but she's not refusing very much. She's also drinking all liquids even plain water. That's a good thing, I wasn't liking the kool-aid!

She is down for a nap, which took some convincing. I am hoping that she is trying to get back to her schedule. I don't think I can handle another night like last night. I just might have to crawl into bed when she does, just in case!

The sickies continue

She is getting worse. She has brief periods, usually when the motrin kicks in, where she feels like playing. Then its back to wanting to be held and moaning. She slept from 11am-4:30pm yesterday. Then, she was back to bed at 8. She barely drank and we got bits and pieces in her to eat (pudding, jell-o, baby cereal).

I went to bed around 11:30 last night, I was exhausted. As soon as I started drifting off to sleep, I heard her start crying. I knew something was wrong, so I went in to her room. I picked her up and could hear her trying to swallow and could tell she was having a tough time of it.

It was time for more motrin, so I gave her a dose. I put small squirts in so that it wouldn't be as hard to swallow, but she had a tough time anyway. She started gagging and then threw up. I took her into the bathroom to clean her up, then deposited her on our bed so I could go clean her room.

After her room was clean, I called my mom (she's a nurse) to see if I should take her into the ER. My mom was concerned that if it was pharyngitis it could swell and she'd have trouble breathing. So off to the ER we went.

I don't drive well at night, but had to do it. Rick had to get up in a few hours to go to work and we can't afford for him to take time off. It was raining which added to my stress driving into town, but we made it.

The ER doc did a brief exam and then discharged us saying that it was just an upper respiratory infection. I think its more than that, so we are going to the doctor's today in about 15 minutes.

I certainly hope they can help us out. She isn't eating and barely drinking because her throat hurts. That's not good on a little body and I know they can get dehydrated super fast...especially in the hot summer time. Wish us luck!

Doctor update
Its a virus. Fabulous! All I got was to keep her hydrated. Yes, I already know this....now tell me how to get it done. *sigh*

I did manage to get about 24 oz of kool-aid down her (not the best, but the only thing she'd drink). She ate 1/2 a hotdog and some mac-n-cheese. She also had a bite of pudding.

The light has returned to her eyes, the fever is down, but diarrhea has come. I am hoping its just her body ridding itself of the virus. She's talking more and not whining as much. Hopefully tomorrow will be back to normal.

She's sick

She was running a 100.1 temp and it was taken axillary. Poor kid! We pushed fluids and eventually got food into her. The motrin worked its magic and she's trying to sleep. Which isn't going well. She keeps crying. I forsee a doctor's visit in our future on Monday.

I was able to get some things done today, but the schedule was way off due to her not waking up until 11am. It was nice to sleep in, but boy that throws you for a loop! Our morning routine turned into the afternoon one and then it was just a mess!

I hope today goes a little bit better and that she starts feeling a tad better. I have a feeling it is her ears. She is teething which usually means ear infection time. I'll be so glad when she has all her teeth.

Today was another hot one. How I long for a place that has 78 year round. I want to live there!

Productive day

This morning I decided to grocery shop. It was a beautiful day outside, so there would be no melting in the car on the way to the store. Brie and I had lunch at Taco Bell. She didn't eat much as she had a peanutbutter sandwhich right before leaving home. She did eat a bit of cheese, some tomatoes, and some taco meat. She helped me eat the cinnamon twists.

Then we went grocery shopping. She did really well until we hit the check out lane. The checker had did something wrong with the guy's check and he had to be re-checked out again. How frustrating. Meanwhile, Brie is getting whiney and clingy. I try to keep her entertained so that the whines don't escalate to howls and screams.

On the way out of the store, I stopped to change the diaper. Last time, I made the mistake of not doing that and she had an uncomfortable ride home. Not cool to have a wailing toddler in the back seat for 1/2 an hour.

She starts to drift off to sleep when we are 10 minutes from home. I don't want that to happen. So I start talking to her and I give her something to chomp on. Then she got messy, so I handed her a wipe to play with. She stayed awake til we got home, thankfully!

While she is napping, I cleaned out the 2nd refrigerator. Not nearly as gross as the 1st one. I cleaned off the back of the stove and cleaned and arranged my canister set. The kitchen is shaping up!

I'm pretty proud of how productive I was today. I also bought a seat to go over the big potty. We'll see if that makes a difference to her. A mom can hope, can't she?

Seeking Haven

That's the name of my message board that I run with a friend. It is taking off! We currently have around 15 active members. Tonight we had a record total of 8 on at one time and it was so much fun!

I like having a place of my own. Its kind of like that "Cheers" theme song. This is the place where everyone knows my name. They are always glad that I came. I hope they feel the same way!

Today Brie "used her words". I am constantly telling her to "use her words" when she starts to whine and point at something. Today, she came to me and said, "Munch". That is her word for lunch. It was only 11:00am, but apparently she was ready for some lunch. I was so thrilled and I praised her.

I've started introducing the potty to her. She is less than thrilled. She'll sit on it for 2.2 seconds and then she wants into the bathroom (her potty is in the playroom). The only reason she wants into the bathroom is so that she can go into the shower to use her shower crayons. *insert eyeroll* I tried sitting her on the big potty and that scared her more. She is so not ready for potty training. :(

Hot once again

I had to run to town to get some mac-n-cheese for dinner. I have no a/c in the car. That equalled one hot ride and one cranky toddler. To my defense, she was cranky before we left, so it was inevitable even if it were the perfect temperature outside.

She was cranky today because she thought that a 2 hr nap was plenty. Not exactly. She woke up rubbing her eyes and by the time we hit the last step she was whining. It just sorta escalated from there.

I started a new cleaning regime today. My bathroom is now sparkling. I am pretty pleased with my efforts. Tomorrow is the living room and diningroom and possibly the upstairs bathroom. I hate doing the upstairs one as it is under construction (and it probably will always be).

Another hot one

Its another hot one out there. Thankfully, we have a day filled with being indoors. Dinner is cookin in the crockpot (I love those crockpot sensation meals). Laundry is mostly caught up. I'm going to have to fold a load of diapers soon, but that goes really quickly.

I have to pick up the front room and clean the bathroom. Of course, there is always dishes to do. Why is they never go away? j/k I know the answer to that one.

I filled up Brie's swimming pool. Later on before bed, I'll take her out for a swim. She loves swimming. She splashes and runs around. She just loves the water....as long as none of it gets on her face.

That's about it for us today. Another lazy Sunday!

HOT HOT HOT

We went to the zoo today with my parents. My mom insisted even though it was sweltering outside.

Today we visited the Wild Kingdom pavilion: lots of bugs and creepy crawly things. :blech:

We visited the jungle. She just likes to try and touch the waterfalls. :eyeroll:

We visited the Budgee Experience: a large caged enclosure that you walk into and its filled with budgies and a cockatiel or two (weird). Anyway, you can actually get them to perch on your finger. They were so hot, though that they weren't real interested in that. You can also purchase birdseed sticks. Some lady gave Brie one to use and she thought it was so cool the birdie would eat off the stick she had. She is fearless! I hate birds.

Lastly, we visited the aquarium. She likes hugging the fake penguins. She even says penguin. Then in the gift shop, she went shopping. Gigi already said she'd buy her something so Brie picked out a $14 penguin, which I put back on the shelf. Then, we went back through a second time and she latched onto $5 turtle. She hugged that sucker for dear life!

Anway, it was a no nap day except for the hour trip home. Then she cried when we pulled in and up until we laid her down to sleep. Then she chatted up there for about 45 minutes and is now sleeping.

cheerleader3.gif It was so hot outside though.

Playdate

This playdate went really well! We met with a mom of twins. She has a boy, Max and a girl, Lucy. They are about 4 yrs old. Brie had fun being bossed around by Lucy. Not much play going on between them all, more parallel play than anything. But Brie really likes being around kids. The mom and I sat and chatted for the hour we were there.

It was hot out, even though it was only 9am! Brie was sweating and then rolling around in the sand. She had sand everywhere! But, she had fun, so that's all that matters.

We then went grocery shopping. Walmart must be having an anniversary of some sort because they had Kelloggs there, Chester Cheetah, and cake and lots of food freebies. Brie wanted nothing to do with the blow up costumed Chester. She didn't much like Tony the Tiger either. She did like the free cookies! :D

Now, its nap time. She is exhausted. She ate an excellent lunch, but could barely keep her eyes open. Yay for playdates!

Pleasant Surprises

A friend of mine told me that she sent me a package yesterday and to expect it at the end of the week. It came this morning! She packed presents for Brie and I in there. It was so sweet and a great "pick-me-up".

I spent the day scouring the internet for yummy recipes for the message board. Now, I want to make them all and eat them. Alas, I have to settle for the bbq ribs I am currently making.

Remember all the hype about choxie. Yeah, not quite sure why. I got some in my package today and its different. Not sure I'd spend that kind of money on something that is just "eh".

Sorta bummed

It looks like the first mom I had a playdate with isn't interested in doing another one. *sigh* She lives so close it would have been perfect. I will continue to plug along to find someone for Brie to play with, at least on a weekly basis.

The message board a friend created is plugging along as well. We are now up to 11 members, I think. The board itself, is shaping up. I like how invisionfree has such a great support network. You can ask any question and recieve an answer within minutes.

They will also create a board logo for you. Some, even do signatures for you. They point you in the right direction if they can't help you. It makes running a message board so easy!

I bought shoes for Brie yesterday and they are size 7/8. This kid has HUGE feet! It seems like I buy her shoes or clothes and 4 weeks later they don't fit. Sometimes she's only worn them once or twice before I have to pack them away. It starts getting expensive!

Well, I think that's about it for today. I may come back and add in some more!

Manic Monday

Not really. We had a pretty mellow day. We went to pick up the mail at the post office and then ran into town for some last minute groceries. She is now napping and I cleaned up a bit.

I've scheduled another playdate with another mom for later on in the week. I am excited! Brie loves these and I like talking with another mom and getting out of the house!

Long day yesterday

Oh my! First was the shopping excursion to the outlet mall. I love that place. We stopped off at Lane Bryant, but I didn't find anything that screamed "take me home". So we then headed out to the Leggs, Bali, Playtex store.

I walked right in and asked for a fitting. I took Brie in with me and she loved looking in the mirror. The girl measured me and then we were off to look for bras. Apparently everyone in the general area of the mall had the same bra size, so there were slim pickins. She found me 4 to try on.

I took Brie back in with me to try them on. She played with the mirror again. Then, she tried to open the door, ring the bell, touch the lamps that lined the mirror. So, I sang "Twinkle Twinkle" with her. I could vaguely hear the tune as she was babbling it. She does really well!

I narrowed down the selections to 2 and we were on our way!


After nap time we headed out to the park for our playdate. She had a complete blast. She hit it off with the older boy (about 4 or 5 yrs old). But, she did take time to chase them both around the play yard! By the time we got home she was exhausted. I loved it! I certainly hope we can do it again.

Big day today

After breakfast is done, we will be heading to the outlet mall. Lane Bryant is opening up and I also want to do a fitting at the Leggs, Bali, Playtex outlet. I am so excited!

Then we'll come back home for a nap and then at 4pm, we have a playdate in another neighboring city at the park. It looks absolutely beautiful outside, so it should be a fun time. I really hope we click so that Brie can have some friends! The little boy we are meeting is 2 yrs old and has 3 older siblings.

Road Trip

We had a trip to the BIG city today. Okay, not really big, but bigger than where we live. We went to lunch, just us girls, and then grocery shopping. She did pretty well beings it was so very close to naptime.

She loves going to the store and seeing all of the people. She loves to talk to everyone even if they can't understand her. And the sample ladies were out pushing their wares today. She really liked those ladies! Free food, Brie's favorite.

She had a rougher time on the trip back home. She tried to get out of the carseat effectively getting her right arm caught between the belt and her chest. I am trying to drive and untangle her (yeah, I should have pulled over). Then she starts fussing because her pants are dirty and we still have 15 minutes left in the trip. Oy Vey!

Now, we are home safe and sound. She's clean and in bed for a much needed nap!

ETA: It is beautiful outside today. I have the windows open and there is a nice breeze blowing through. Such a nice break after the record breaking heat the past few days.

Pictures:

Photo from July 8.


Doing a fashion show of an outfit Gigi bought her.


Sitting with Gigi and Papa on July 8.

Cooling down

We've gotten a break in the heat! Its only going to be 90 today. I can actually use my oven without heating up the entire house. Well, it'll still heat it up, but it won't be as bad.

My window air units need a break. They have been working overtime and its starting to show. The master bedroom doesn't cool off til the wee hours of the morning. My husband is a perpetual furnace.

The baby's room cools off around 10 ish, to at least bearable. But since her bedtime is usually 8, her schedule is way off. Her room is on the west side of the house, so the afternoon hot sun just beats on it.

The livingroom has no circulation to it. We have a ceiling fan, but the air unit is in the diningroom. We now have an occilating fan pulling the air into the livingroom.

How I long for fall.

Even newer beginnings

Well, I've foraged into the world of message forums. Now, I'm not new to these. I've been on a message boards since 2004. Recently, though, a friend and I opened our very own message board.

We decided that we'd only be truly happy if we were at the helm. So, we've begun. We don't have that many members, but we are doing the best we can with what we have and know we will slowly get there.

Stop by and check us out: http://z14.invisionfree.com/Seeking_Haven/index.php?

New beginnings

A good friend is currently experiencing contractions with her second baby. He is on his way soon! I am so excited. I was there when she go the positive pregnancy test and now I get to hear that he has come into the world. Its all exciting and new for me! Yeah, I'm a mom, but I never experienced the whole labor and delivery thing! Yeah!

Update: She had a baby boy! His name is Ezekial.