Mommy Lauren, RN

My Favorite Emma pic to date......

2009-11-08T21:57:00.001-05:00

More Catching Up...

2009-11-08T20:07:00.004-05:00

One of the reasons I completely abandoned my blog last spring was that I became obsessed with gardening! I mean that I became a total plant geek. I never knew how fun and therapeutic it could be to play in the dirt. I just fell in love with planting things and caring for them and watching them become beautiful....in a way, I find it similar to being a mom! All I read for months was gardening books so I could learn as much as possible about what I was growing. I would get up early so I could go work in the garden before anybody was even awake. Jack and Emma learned to love it, too! Jack would ask everyday if we could go outside and garden! It turned out to be a very rewarding hobby......but also an expensive one, and at times, a frustrating one! Don't' even get me started on how I loathe Japanese beetles! I have included some pictures of some of gardening pride from this past spring. I am already excited to get out in the dirt next year!
Last Spring also brought another new baby to one of my dear friends! Keira and Brandon welcomed their first child, Aiden, on May 5, 2009. Jack and Emma's circle of friends is growing bigger every month it seems!

Catching Up....

2009-11-08T19:25:00.004-05:00

Last February, one of my best friends since high school became a first time mommy! Michelle and Brian welcomed Mariella Grace on February 13, 2009. The day they brought her home from the hospital, I flew to NJ for 4 days to be with my best buddy and her new family! It was such an honor and a privilege to be there with Mariella at the very beginning of her life, and to watch Brian and Michelle step into parenthood! I got to watch them give Ella her first bath and go to the first pediatrician appointment, too. And, of course, I missed my little family while I was away, but I got to talk to them on the webcam everyday!

In March, the new family came to Ohio for a visit, and Jack and Emma got to meet Ella for the first time! They thought she was so cool! Rachel, Michelle and I also went out for our annual Christmas dinner (yes, in March), which has been a tradition since we were sixteen years old!My mother-in-law, Linda also celebrated her birthday in March, and Joel painted the most beautiful watercolor for her! He took a picture of the two of them that was taken on the day he graduated from the police academy in 2001 as his inspiration and created the most beautiful painting ever! I was so impressed and I really wanted to keep it to hang in my house! This photo of the painting doesn't even do it justice! My hubby is so talented!More catching up posts to follow......I have way too much to say to include it all in one post!

Hi, my name is Lauren, and I have been a very bad blogger.

2009-11-08T19:13:00.003-05:00

So, it has been 8 long months since I last updated my blog......such a bad girl am I! My friend, Mary has just started a blog, and I am now remembering how fun it is to blog about the little ones! So, thank you for re-inspiring me, Mary! To bring my blog up to date is going to be a huge project! But, I must start somewhere.......hope you like my new template.......that is, if anyone even looks at my blog anymore! More posts to come!

Lovin' the Fresh Air!

2009-03-06T23:57:00.002-05:00

Just had to post this cute pic of my babies. It was so wonderful to open the windows and smell the fresh air today! Jack and Emma obviously liked it, too! Emma was standing there and Jack walked over and threw his arm around her shoulders as if to say, "Isn't it grand, sis?" Of course, I immediately went for the camera! Here's hoping spring is here to stay!

Daddy's Girl.

2009-01-01T23:10:00.005-05:00

When I married Joel, I loved him so much and knew he would be a great dad one day. My mom told me once that you have a whole new love for your husband once you see him as a daddy to your children...and she was so right! I just had to share these pictures of Joel and Emma because they are just so sweet. I look at the two of them often and think about the day Joel will walk her down the aisle, and then dance with her at her wedding reception. It is far off, I know, but that is a special memory I have with my dad so I look forward to Joel and Emma sharing that, too!

One Thing I Forgot to Mention...

2009-01-01T22:32:00.004-05:00

This is exactly why I need to write more frequently! Thanks for the reminder, Rachel! And for everyone who wasn't there...a couple days after I hurt my back and couldn't even function in my motherly role, Rachel came over to play! She had brought Jack's birthday present over, which he is still obsessed with. It is a police helmet with a handset that has flashing lights and makes lots of noise!

It came with a police badge and a speed limit sign and 2 tickets for "breaking the law". It is the perfect Jack gift since he worships his daddy, the policeman! After playing for awhile, and me whining that my back hurt the whole time, Rachel offered to stay to put the kids to bed for me! So when bedtime rolled around, Rachel took the kids to wash their hands and brush their teeth and I just got to watch, which was great! The funny thing is, Jack will NOT ever let me brush his teeth. He thinks sucking the toothpaste off the toothbrush and then drinking water from a dixie cup and spitting it all over the counter is adequate oral hygiene. I have to pin his arms down at his sides to be able to barely get the toothbrush over his little teeth! But when his buddy Rachel comes along...he is the perfect angel who gives her the toothbrush and lets her brush his teeth! I think Rachel may have had a magic wand in her pocket.

Emma is obsessed with her toothbrush, too. She uses it more as a teether, though. She keeps a death grip on it and sucks on it until you pry her little fingers off of it and take it away. Once you take it away, she screams as if you have taken her whole arm with it....but not with Rachel! Emma actually handed her toothbrush over to Rachel! I have to fight that toothbrush battle every night at bedtime when Joel is at work!

So then Rachel got the kids in their jammies. We said prayers in Emma's room and put her to bed and then went into Jack's room to do the bedtime song medley (Happy and You Know It, You Are My Sunshine and then the ABC's). I think Joel and I are pretty cool when we do the medley together, but Rachel and I were incredible! Jack actually sat on the edge of his bed and danced and clapped while we were singing! Of course, Rachel and I jazzed it up with some of our own cool dance moves, so I can't really blame him. Jack thought Rachel was so cool, in fact, that after we said good night he came right back out of his room! I think he thought we were going to have big fun without him and he didn't want to miss out.

It was a very fun night for Rachel and I, and especially for Jack and Emma! Jack talked about Rachel the whole next day...and a couple days ago there was another friend of ours over here named Jen, and Jack kept calling her Rachel! Doesn't that say it all? :)

What We Have Been Up To...

2008-12-28T22:15:00.013-05:00

First of all, I could kick my own ass for not writing on a more regular basis! Something cute, funny and memorable happens everyday and I worry if I don't write it all down that I will start to forget some of it! I will be a better blogger in 2009. In fact, I was at the bookstore the other day and I bought something there to also help preserve my memories of motherhood. It is called a promise journal and it has little quotes and sayings and scripture about mothers and children, and it is in a journal format so I can write in it for Jack and Emma. So whenever they do something cute or funny that I want to remember I will write it down in my new journal. My other 2009 goals are to cook more often...I have a great kitchen...I should probably use it. I think I may quit wearing bras altogether, too. They are uncomfortable and I really don't have anything to put in them...I am going to own and be proud of my 12 year-old boyish figure in the new year!

But back to the present...since I last wrote a lot has happened! Jack turned 3 and he has since pooped on the potty a whopping one time! He has very little interest in the potty. He asked me the other day, "Can Jack poop in his pants?" Yes, he talks in the third person, and he really said that. I said that I would not be mad if he pooped in his pants but that it would make me really happy if he would poop on the potty. My happiness obviously means very little to him. He proceeded to poop his pants and then politely asked me to change his diaper. At least he said please. So, anyone who is wondering about Jack's potty training...it is still a work in progress. Emma however, makes such a production about pooping her pants that we have enough time to put her on the potty and she is happy to deposit her treasures there.

She is 15 months old and she poops in the potty more than her 3 year-old brother! She is 15 months old and also refuses to walk on her feet, though. She is a knee-walker. I have never seen a kid do this before, and it really is funny to watch. I really think she walks on her knees so that the fall to the ground is shorter when Jack knocks her over. She is a very sturdy knee-walker, and she can walk on her feet all by herself, she just prefers not to! What's funny is that Joel and I will refer to her as "knee-walker" instead of "Emma" and Jack has picked up on it. Occasionally you will here him call her knee-walker like that's her name. It is hilarious.

We had Jack's 3rd birthday party earlier this month, too. It was a Thomas the Train party. It was not near as chaotic and crazy as Emma's party! There were a lot less people here for Jack's party. Partly because everyone was coming down with the flu, and also because the snow that day made it hard for people to get here! We had a great time, though, and more importantly, so did Jack!

Jeff, Janey, Gabe and Katie couldn't make it the day of the party, so they came up the next day and we had a great time all together! I was so happy that I finally got a picture of all 4 kids together! Jack and Gabe are both 3, born a week apart exactly, and Katie is 6 months older than Emma. I am going to treasure this picture and that memory forever!

About a week after the party, I hurt my back! Not an injury that is conducive to mothering and housekeeping! And I am so embarrassed to say that I did not hurt my back working out or doing something fun...no, I was simply bending over to plug in the Christmas tree! Isn't that pathetic? And it got to the point that I had to go to the doctor and get medicine in order to function because it hurt so bad! I will admit that I am the worst and whiniest patient ever. Nurses are not good patients. As soon as my back started feeling better, both kids and I all got sick. There was so much snot in this house! Thank goodness that is all in the past! Everyone here is feeling good now.

We took the kids to the zoo to see the Christmas lights earlier this month, too. It was so cold that I could not feel my face! Emma was so bundled up that her arms were stuck out to the sides and her hat kept falling over her eyes. She was probably wondering why we had her wrapped up like that since she couldn't even see anything! Jack had a good time, though, and so did Joel and I. We went to see the zoo lights on our first date 6 years ago. I remember it was so cold that night, too, but I didn't complain because it was our first date and I didn't want Joel to think I was a whiner! Of course, I have no problem complaining now since he married me. After 2 hours of almost freezing to death, we called it a night. The lights were very cool and pretty, but thinking back on it, I don't remember seeing a single animal!

I had a memorable experience at work this month, too. Have you ever felt like you were in exactly the right place at exactly the right time exactly as God had intended you to be? It was that kind of experience.

I got my assignment when I got to work at 7 and learned that one of my patients had been made a hospice patient that day, but since there were no beds available on the hospice floor, he was going to stay where he was on my floor. I had no problem with this as I feel that a nurse is a nurse is a nurse and I will care for any type of patient. I'm happy to take care of anyone who needs a nurse. I read in the patient's chart that he was expected to live 2-3 more days. I went to see him first after getting report, and although he didn't make any sense when he was talking, I know he understood that I was there to take care of him. I gave him medicine for pain and to relax him some, got him comfy and went to see my other patients while he rested. I peeked in at him every 20 minutes or so to make sure he still looked comfortable.

Around midnight, he was stirring a little so I went in and washed his face and brushed his teeth. I put a little pink pillow that one of the volunteers had made behind his neck. I combed his hair and even put some Blistex on his lips. He looked so peaceful and comfortable when I was done that I just had to stop in his doorway on my out to look back at him again and it made me smile. About 20 minutes later, I went in to the room next to his to check on my two patients in there and one of them asked for a sleeping pill. So I went out to get it, and as I walked by, I glanced into my buddy's room like I had been doing all night, and I noticed that his breathing pattern had changed.

So I went in and put my hand on his chest to see if he was breathing, and sure enough his chest rose and fell under my hand. And that was the last time. His last breath. Right under my hand. I left my hand there for a bit to see if there was anything more and then put my stethoscope on his chest to listen for heart tones, even though I knew he was gone.

I stayed with him for a few minutes before I went out to the station to ask another nurse to get that sleeping pill for my other patient. And then I went back in to see my buddy again. It was really special to know that in the 86 years he was here, I was the very last person he saw, heard, and felt.

I like to think that he was so comfortable in my care that he felt like it was okay to let go. The only thing about the experience that really bothers me is that his wife will remember getting that phone call from me that night for the rest of her life. I told her everything I just told you, though, so I hope that she found comfort in knowing I was right there with him. It was actually a very spiritual experience being there with this man as he took his last breath...it kind-of felt like while I was holding one hand, God was holding the other.

My job isn't always like that, of course. Sometimes it is frustrating, and sometimes it is fun...it is never boring...and sometimes, like that time, it is a true honor.

I promise to write all about our Christmas fun very soon. Right now, though, I must call it quits for the night! Christmas has turned my house into a disaster area, so I must go to bed so that I have energy for disaster recovery tomorrow. In these three days since Christmas, I have had to look at the poem I keep on my fridge quite frequently in order to keep my cool amidst this mess! And so, I will leave you with that...

Thank you, dear Lord,
for things to do;
Tasks to complete,
that are never quite through.
Thank you for the laundry,
that piles up so fast;
For the tub I just cleaned,
though I know it won’t last.
Thanks for the toys,
That litter my floor;
For the mud-caked shoes,
that sit by the door.
Thank you for the fingerprints,
On once-clean glass;
Thanks for my carpet,
Now covered with grass.
Thanks for the kitchen,
That never stays clean;
For the skillets to scrub,
That lay in my sink.
These things in my life,
Just prove that I’m blessed;
God gave me a family,
I can live with the mess.
By Sheila Hammock Gosney

It Was 3 Years Ago Today...

2008-12-01T21:59:00.005-05:00

...we met Jack Steven Vogel for the first time! It is almost impossible to believe that there was a time when I didn't even know Jack...a time when he didn't even exist! How amazing it truly is to fall in love with a perfect partner and then go on to create actual people that love you, too! I know, I sound so cheesy, but I am so emotional today. It is my anniversary of becoming a mother, after all, and that is what I wanted to be for as long as I can remember! I didn't decide until I was 20 that I wanted to be a nurse, but I think I knew I wanted to be a mom by the time I was 6.

We had such a wonderful day celebrating Jack today! Emma spent the day with Grammy so that Jack could have Joel and I all to himself! He asked a couple of times where Emma was, but I really think he was just checking to make sure she wouldn't be imposing on his day anytime soon. We went to lunch at Cane's, which was sooooo good.

Then we went over to the party store to get the supplies for Saturday, and we let Jack pick out a balloon. He picked Scooby-Doo. Joel clipped the balloon to Jack's coat and he looked so cute walking out to the car with that balloon blowing in his face! We had plans to go to the movies at 1:00, and it was only 12:15 at this point, so we went into the pet store and looked at fish and birds and bugs and lizards and turtles. Jack thought this was so cool. He asked if we could go there again tomorrow! Finally, it was time to go to the theater. We bought our tickets and then let Jack pick out whatever candy he wanted...BIG decision for a 3 year-old! He decided on Gummy Bears. Before we went into the theater, though, the three of us stuffed ourselves into the photo booth there and got the funniest pictures! Jack was hilarious...he was looking at us like "why the hell are we sitting on top of each other?" And then our faces showed up on the screen inside the booth so we could see if we were sitting in the right place and Jack looked so surprised and excited to see us there! The machine counts down from 5 before it takes each picture so Joel and I were posing for 5 seconds each time and Jack was just laughing! The pictures turned out so cute...I am going to keep them forever. The movie was very cute. We saw "Bolt" and I would so recommend it! It was very funny and a very good friendship story.

After the movie, we finally came home and Jack took a 3 hour nap! When we left him in his room it was obvious he was so tired, but not ready to stop having fun. Once we came downstairs, we could hear him singing happy birthday to himself. He really likes that song. While he napped, I finished decorating his birthday brownies, and Joel worked out and then started dinner. My parents came with Emma and we all had Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder that Joel made. It was delicious! My birthday brownies were quite good, too! Jack was so funny when we sang to him, he just grinned and grinned. And he blew those candles out so fast that my dad and Joel didn't even see him do it! We gave Jack a (Fisher Price) digital camera for his present and he loooooves it! Hopefully, he loves it enough that he will quit trying to take ours! He has already taken a good amount of pictures, and it came with a USB cable so I can upload them onto the computer!

He also got his first set of real golf clubs from my parents, the golfers. He practiced putting here in the living room and it was so cute watching my dad teach him how!

It was easy to see that Jack had a wonderful birthday today. What makes me happiest is to look at his face and see there that he knows how much he is loved. It is amazing that you can know someone for a time as short as three years and yet love them more than anything else you have ever known.

Once things had quieted down, I sat in the recliner and rocked my tired little Emma, and then Jack crawled up on my lap, too. Having the two of them still in my lap lasted only for a moment, but it was a wonderful moment and I soaked up every bit of it.

Jack and Emma are sleeping now, and I am excited to go to sleep, too! This was one of those days, though, that I had to write about so I would not forget how wonderful it was!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T22:56:00.004-05:00

I have a countless number of reasons to be thankful today...and everyday. I love this picture so much...my two greatest accomplishments...and two of the many things I am thankful for!

The World According to Jack...some of his favorite phrases these days!

2008-11-09T18:08:00.003-05:00

"OH...MINE...GOD!" He hears me say this when I am talking on the phone...of course, I say "Oh my God", but I like his little take on it.
"NOOOOO, EM!" this is commonly heard when Emma comes remotely close to anything that Jack considers to be his. This phrase is always accompanied by outstreched arms and his little hands waving wildly as if to keep Emma away like she is a disease. His new favorite possessions are the catalogues that come in the mail and advertise toys!
"Can Jack have that toy?" usually followed by "Can Jack play with that toy?" As he pages through his catalogues or watches the commercials on TV, this is what we hear at least 100 times a day. Joel and I have been telling him that when he poops on the potty he can pick out any toy he likes...and yet I am still changing diapers full of toddler goodness. What's funny is that when Jack asks now, we say "What are we going to tell you?" and he smiles real big and says, "Poop in potty!" Yes, Jack, that is right, just do it already!!!
"CHECK IT OUT!" This phrase is also used as he thumbs through his catalogues. This is one of my favorites, because he is so excited when he says it!
"THAT'S COOL!" Another phrase he picked up from me. In my world, everything is cool. I didn't realize how much I said it until he started saying it, too!
"DAMN IT!" My fault...oops. The funny thing is that he uses it in the appropriate context.
"I want sumpin!" translation: I want something. The annoying thing about this phrase is that he never specifies what it is that he wants! He will just hang off your leg and whine repeatedly "I want sumpin, I want sumpin!" These are the times I wish Jack had a mute button.
"Get out your big bed!" This is what Jack says when he walks into our room in the wee hours of the morning. Usually followed by, "I go downstairs!" Once downstairs, he blesses us with a symphony of "I want sumpin."
"I WANNA GET OW A HERE!" translation: "I want to get out of here." Frequently heard during time out or nap time.
"You go to work and be a nurse?" This is what Jack says to me when he sees me in scrubs. I taught him to answer the question, "What do nurses do?" The answer is "take care of people." Jack says it "take cow a pople". Very cute.

The other day I was sitting in the recliner just watching Jack and Emma be, and I thought how much I love Jack's little language. I laugh to myself all day when I hear him talk, and I thought I had better write down all the cute things he says now before he learns any more! Emma is certainly developing her own little language, too. Right now, though, it consists of "Mama" and "yeah". She will answer "yeah" to any question you ask her. It is so cute when you ask her something like, "Are you going to love me forever and ever, and always think I am the coolest person you know?" and she smiles a shy little smile and replies "yeah".

Halloween cuties!

2008-11-01T10:53:00.002-04:00

There is no time to write anything at this moment because Jack is hanging on my leg begging for more candy. But, I just had to post this pic...my new favorite! Have you ever seen a sweeter Spiderman and Snow White?

Dinosaur cuties!

2008-10-30T19:56:00.004-04:00

I actually got Jack and Emma to sit still together long enough for me to get these pics! I had to bribe Jack with popcorn, of course. Heaven forbid he do something merely for the fact that it would make me happy! Though, I should add...the other night when I was leaving Jack's room after putting him to bed, he said, "I love you, Mommy" as I was about to pull his door closed. Usually, I have to say it first, but not that time! I thought my heart would explode right out of my chest! And he said it so genuinely. There are no sweeter words in the English language than those three put together and said by a child. I am so blessed!

It is so fun...

2008-10-28T23:35:00.004-04:00

...to play with my blog! So many templates to choose from...this is the one I like best today! Here is our latest attempt at a family picture. One of these days, I will get a picture where both of my children are smiling and looking at the camera at the same time!

Why...

2008-10-19T22:57:00.003-04:00

does part of my last post look single-spaced and the other part look double-spaced??? I did not do that! Are there any superstar bloggers out there that know how to fix that? Here I am making my blog all pretty with my new template...and now it is being a pain in my ass! This is how I feel right now...Emma will illustrate my frustration for you...

Long time, no write...

2008-10-19T21:08:00.008-04:00

I have a very good excuse for not writing in a while...I have taken up reading! Michelle recommended some books to me, saying how they were sooooooo good, and she was right! It is the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. I am on the second book now, and I have my mom reading the first. Thank you, Michelle, for the recommendation! I had forgotten how much I like to read! I also recently read James Patterson's "Sunday's at Tiffany's" with some girls from work. It, too, was excellent, and I would highly encourage you to read it!

Since I last wrote, we have done some exciting things! Emma had her first birthday party, which was very fun! She was much more dainty when eating her smash cake that Jack had been at his first birthday party.

When she was done, though, it was easy to see why it is called a "smash" cake.

Emma had zero interest in opening presents, so I did all the work with my little helpers, Jack and his girlfriend, Elena. Elena is the daughter of one of my best friends, Jamie. So, I am sure you can imagine what it is like having two 2 year-olds help with opening gifts. They fought over every toy! It really was funny! Joel and Jamie played referee and eventually both Jack and Elena went to time out. I even had to take one toy that they refused to share and put it in time out before Emma even saw what it was! It was very classic birthday party chaos. Once all the party guests left, Jack and Elena played much nicer together, and Emma was content playing with a pink bow that had been on one of her gifts. It really was a very nice day!

Later that week, Emma went to the doctor for her 1 year check-up. She is in the 75th percentile for height and only the 20th for weight! She doesn't even weigh enough to move up to her big girl car seat yet! When the doctor asked if she was walking yet and I said no, he seemed stunned. Based on how early she started crawling and cruising along the furniture, he expected me to say yes. He said she probably was capable of walking but was just lazy! I agree! Her majesty, as we call her here, is sooooo lazy! That girl still won't even hold her own bottle! She can hold toys, a sippy cup, and feed herself, but she refuses to hold that bottle! Now that she is one year old, we are switching her from formula to whole milk, which she is tolerating well....a lot better than Jack did! But, she will only drink the milk from a bottle, and she won't hold it. When we ate dinner tonight, we put her in her high chair and gave her chicken and strawberries, which she was happy to feed herself. We also gave her a sippy cup of milk and she screamed for a half-hour at it! I let her win and finally poured the milk into a bottle. I thought my head may explode if I didn't. And that would've been one more mess for me to clean up.

The following Saturday, we went to a local pumpkin patch. Joel and I were so excited...Jack and Emma seemed bored. Joel and I were walking around and talking real excited like "Ooooooo, look at this cool pumpkin!" and our kids were looking at us like we were losers.

We picked out two pumpkins in the patch, which I thought was really fun, and then we got to take a hayride back up. Later that day, Jack and Emma were both acting real pitiful...runny noses, watery eyes and the most pathetic little cough you ever heard. Jack understands "blow" when you hold a tissue to his nose, but Emma just does not get it. With her, you just have to wait for the snot to start dripping and then wipe it off. And you have to get it before she takes her hand and spreads the snot into her hair and her eyes. If you don't get the Jack snot in time, he either uses his shirt sleeve or the curtains or he walks along the couch and drags his nose on the cushions. I am not kidding...it is gross. I cleaned the sliding glass doors in the kitchen today, and found lots of little boogers on the glass. I could tell who they once belonged to because some were down low, like Emma must have done a crawl-by boogering, and others were grouped together on the edge of the door near the corner of the kitchen where Jack stands for time-out. I guess picking your nose is a good way to pass time when you are bored and stuck in one place. Maybe that's why people do it when they are sitting in traffic? Have you ever noticed that? You are sitting in traffic and you look to either side of you and in your rearview mirror and everyone is discreetly "itching" their nose.

So my week has consisted mostly of snot, with poopy diapers thrown in here and there, as well. I had to work Monday and Wednesday, which one may think would be a nice break from the cooties, but remember...I work in a hospital. In my world, there is no escape from the cooties.

Something wonderful happened on Thursday when Jamie gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Owen!! Elena is now a big sis! Joel and I went to visit them in the hospital on Friday night. Owen is soooooo adorable, and he looks just like his beautiful mommy. I am so happy for Jamie, Greg and Elena now that their family has one more! And of course, holding a sweet angel of a baby in my arms totally made me want another! I think Joel may have felt a bit of a baby itch when he held Owen, too, but he certainly isn't looking to start pro-creating again just yet!

So, that's my story...hopefully, my babies will be feeling better before I have to go back to work on Wednesday...and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Joel and I do not catch this cold of theirs! That is one thing I would be okay with Jack and Emma not sharing!

Do you...

2008-10-19T10:35:00.001-04:00

like my new template??? :) It is very Lauren, I think!

Emma's first hair cut!

2008-10-05T22:56:00.008-04:00

I decided to take Emma for her first haircut on Friday. Now that she is a year old, I figured I would get those wing things she has growing on the side of her head snipped so that all her hair can grow out at the same time. The sides have been growing since she was born, but the back all fell out and then started to grow again and she was left with a head of hair of about 10 different lengths. So anyway, that is why I wanted to get it cut. I explain because you know there are always people that will say "Oh my gosh, why did you cut her hair???!!!" and they will say it like I chopped her whole head off. To which I would like to respond, "I pushed that head of hair out of my girly part last year, so I think it is up to me what I do with it now." I don't say that, though. Honestly, though, I did feel weird after seeing Emma with her new do...she suddenly looked like such a big girl...all those teeth, and her new cute little bob...where was my baby girl? I am getting used to it now, though, and she does look really cute. She was such a good girl while getting her hair cut, too. I was very proud...but then I had to claim Jack, who was screaming to high hell during his hair cut. :) One day, Emma will probably do the same...probably about the same time Jack learns not to mind it. That way I will always have a screamer. Yay. Here's a before and after shot of Emma...

She got to sit in a car, and what was so funny was that she didn't even realize she could play with that steering wheel until the very end, and then she looked up at me like "Oh my gosh, I could've been driving this whole time!?" She's so cute. Here is a look at how well Jack tolerates a haircut...
That poor woman...she was so sweet and patient! I can not imagine listening to all that screaming all day long! There must be liquor behind that door that says 'Employees Only'.

One Year Old!

2008-09-30T08:43:00.004-04:00

I just can't believe my baby girl is a year old already! The time really does fly when you are having fun! And this last year has been so fun. Being a mother of two definitely brought new challenges to our lives...but also more joy and love than I thought possible. It is pure magic to form relationships with your children. Watching them form a relationship with each other...just priceless. Not to say they always get along, but Emma's smile is so genuine when Jack is around! And I love the way Jack talks to her. I think most of the time he is being a mimic to me. The other morning I heard him say "How you doing, Emma?" and when she cries, he says "Oh, honey!" Whenever Emma is off exploring the house Joel and I will say to each other "where's Emma?" or "what is Emma doing?" Now about 50 times a day, Jack will ask me "what's Emma doing?" even if she is sitting right in front of him. It is really cute.

To celebrate Emma's birthday on Saturday, we also made a point of celebrating Jack's anniversary of becoming a big brother. So there was a present and a balloon for each of them.

Jack did such a good job of singing "Happy Birthday to you" to Emma, and he even helped her blow out her one candle. I made birthday brownies with cream cheese icing and tons of sprinkles. I wrote "Emma 1" on the brownies...tried to keep it short because I totally suck at writing with icing...it looked more like Erman 1. Oh well, she can't read yet. So we put Emma in the highchair in just a bib and gave her a brownie. She looked at it, tasted the icing, and then just picked the whole thing up with her little fist and went to town. That poor brownie didn't stand a chance against her. She was simply adorable covered in icing! She went straight to the tub afterward and then fell asleep in my lap while she was having her bottle. Too much birthday fun for that girl! We got her a baby stroller that will also help her learn to walk as her gift. She looked just like a little mommy pushing her baby around the house. Jack got a John Deere tractor that pulls four animals. When you push the farmer's head, it plays "Old MacDonald". Jack thinks it is the coolest toy. What was funny was when Emma would take a break from walking her baby and come over to see what Jack was doing. She is so sneaky. She would snatch that farmer and then crawl like hell to get away with it. Jack would stand there and yell, "No Emma! That Jack's farmer!"

We had a wonderful little birthday celebration just the four of us that morning. Emma's party is this next weekend. It will be fun to see what she does with her smash cake. I remember at Jack's first birthday party when we gave him his cake...he was very slow to examine it, slowly tasting the icing, and then it was like a light bulb went off in his head and he thought, "What the hell am I wasting all this time for? Let's just get down to business!" And he leaned in towards his cake and using just his little mouth, destroyed it. It was classic. I am excited to see if Emma uses that same method!

So now I am the mother of two toddlers. Wow. I want the time to slow down! I love them little so much! I know I will love them as they grow up, too...but there is something so special about being able to pick up your child and put them on your lap. I love knowing that right now whatever problems they face I can fix, just by wrapping my arms around them. I wish it would always be that way. Having Emma turn one has made me such an emotional little mommy this past week! Not only that, but my 10 year reunion was also this past Saturday, and seeing so many old faces made me so nostalgic. I loved seeing how much people had changed, but also stayed the same. I had a wonderful time catching up with old friends. It was a great weekend...and then I got sick. Too much fun, maybe? Jack had a little cold and I am sure he just passed it on to me. If only he was so good at sharing toys! Like I had told Kristi, there is no such thing as a sick day once you are a mommy! Today, I think Jack and I are both feeling a little better, and Jack and Emma are both being perfect little angels...so far. Well, my big girl is now tapping my leg with a big old grin on her face. She is simply irresistible...I must go play!

What a week!

2008-09-18T22:37:00.003-04:00

As anyone in the Columbus area knows...wind can be one hell of a bitch when she wants to! That wind storm on Sunday took out the rest of the tree in our front yard that had been struck by lightning only a couple months ago, and it also beheaded my lilies. Guess I won't have to cut those back this fall, as Mother Nature has already taken care of that. Keeping things in perspective, though, the damage done here was so small compared to what we have seen and heard of happening to others. I feel blessed that we all remained safe and still have a place to call home! We did lose power Sunday night...and it did not return until Wednesday! Poor Joel...Sunday was his 30th birthday...what a way to celebrate! We spent Sunday night here. Getting two small children ready for bed by candlelight was a bit of a challenge...for all of us! I was a nervous wreck having so much open flame around my babies, and we only had one stinkin flashlight! And I am one of those people that must sleep with a fan blowing on me...oh, it was so hard to sleep that night with the only noise being the snore of the birthday boy! I hoped and hoped the power would be back on by Monday morning...no. Joel had already gone to work and I was thinking I would just roll with the punches. I would go with the whole 'when life hands you lemons, make lemonade' way of thinking. I thought we could have a nice quiet day coloring and doing little projects that don't require electricity. Then I realized that I couldn't make coffee. Big problem! Screw lemons! I need coffee! Especially because I had slept horribly, Jack woke me up at 7 a.m. and I had to go to work that night at 7 p.m. and stay up until the next day! I went to call my mom to see if we could go over there and found my land phone was dead and I had no signal on my cell phone! So I packed up some things, put the kids in the car, and headed over to my parents house...of course, stopping for coffee on the way.

My parents live only about 7 miles from us and they never even lost power! Good thing, since we invaded on them and stayed til Wednesday! Everyday, I would come back home and pray for power. No such luck. When I came on Tuesday, though, I did find a whole lot of standing water in my kitchen from all the ice that had melted in the freezer. That was a super fun surprise. It was easy to see that Jack, too, was getting frustrated and also missing home. I had asked him, "Do you miss our house, buddy?" to which he replied, "No! I miss my bed and I miss my fingset!" That was the cutest comment! Thankfully, the 'fingset' had not been affected by the wind storm!

Wednesday morning was when Joel came home to find the power restored. Yay! So we packed up again...our three loads of laundry, our 7 bags of refrigerated food, our two kids, and what was left of our sanity. I know my mom loved having us there, but I am sure she was quietly dancing inside at the thought of peace and quiet as we left! In the short time we were there, Emma had pooped in her bath tub, splattered macaroni and cheese all over her walls, and had some fun in diet coke that had spilled all over the kitchen floor. Jack found her bottle of Oxy-Clean and soaked himself and their leather ottoman within minutes of our arrival on Monday! All the chaos did provide much laughter for my mom and I, and it was really fun doing everyday mommy things with my mommy.

After coming back home on Wednesday, it was back to the usual. I love electricity, and I love my house! I had to work last night, too, so tonight is really the first night I have spent relaxing in my own house since last Thursday! I also had worked last Friday and Saturday nights, and then Sunday was when the wind bitch came. Whew. I am very happy to be sitting here blogging, knowing that soon I will get to go to sleep in my own bed with my hubby, with my fan blowing in my face, and that tomorrow when Jack wakes us up, no matter how early, we can make coffee!

Trying to keep that kid in his bed...

2008-09-11T22:43:00.003-04:00

...is proving to be quite difficult! The first few nights Jack slept in his big boy bed, he actually stayed there. I knew it could not be that easy. Maybe it just took him a little while to figure out that he is not confined by the four sides of a crib anymore. I imagine this as his thought process: "Holy shit! I can do whatever I want in here and as long as I'm quiet they won't have a clue! I can finally turn this room upside down! Hooray!" And off he goes. Yesterday I put him in his bed for a nap, as is our routine, and he got all snuggled up in his bed like he was going to go to sleep. I shut his door and went down to my room so I could put clean sheets on the bed. After about 10 minutes, I heard hangers banging together. So I go into Jack's room and find him in his closet, using a box of diapers as a step stool, taking all his shirts off the hangers. When he saw me in the doorway, he held up his little hand and waved at me and said "bye!" That's his way of saying "get the hell out". I told him it was nap time and to go back to his bed, and he looks at me all confused and says, "oooohhh, okay." He was playing like that was new information to him. So he gets back in his bed and I told him to stay there, and he agreed. Five minutes later, I hear more noise...I go back to his room and find him taking all the dirty clothes from his hamper and piling them into one of his dresser drawers. All the clean clothes that had been in that drawer were now on the floor. Again, I put him back to bed and I said, "I don't want to hear any more noise, you need to take a nap." Sure enough, I did not hear anymore noise! After about 15 minutes, I went back up there, thinking I was going to find him asleep. No. I go to open the door slowly and knock over the laundry hamper he has put in front of it! He thought he was going to keep me out of there! I had to stifle my laughter, because that was just so funny, but I didn't want him to know that! So I find him laying in the corner reading a book. I figured that was fine...at least he was quiet and not creating another mess. So I told him to finish his book and then take a nap. And he did...when I went in a couple hours later, I found him sound asleep...on the other side of the door.

Last night, I thought we would go through the same thing when bedtime rolled around, but we didn't. I think he was so tired...his short nap on the floor must not have rejuvenated him much, that he went right to bed and we didn't here a thing out of him. Joel's alarm went off at 5:30 this morning and I was a little worried when, after hearing Joel roll out of bed, he came over to me and said, "Lauren, I'm sorry to wake you, but you have to see this." I got out of bed and followed him to the doorway of our bedroom...where a little boy slept, using his teddy bear as a pillow. It was so cute. We nudged him a little and said, "let's go back to your bed", and he picked his head up and said okay. He went to back to sleep in his bed until 9:30, which was a nice treat for me! Luckily, we have been putting a gate at the top of the stairs so if Jack gets up in the night, he can't come downstairs to party. Well, after he wandered last night, I started worrying that he would wander into Emma's room one night and scare her. So tonight when Jack went to bed, we put the gate in the doorway of his room instead. I told him "when you wake up, or if you need something, just call me." And he practiced for me..."I call mommy, MOMMEEEEE!" So he totally understood what I said. Well, about a half hour after Jack 'went to bed', Joel went upstairs to brush his teeth and I heard him say, "what do you think you're doing?" Oh, that Jack is so smart. He had pulled his little rocking chair over to the door and already had one leg over the gate. Never underestimate the intelligence and creativity of a two-year-old.

Look at all my new teeth!

2008-09-10T10:53:00.002-04:00

Emma only had those two little teeth on the bottom for months, and now she has six more making their way through!! It is no wonder she has been drooling like a fountain and chewing on anything she can get to her mouth! Thank goodness these are only baby teeth that will eventually fall out because they sure aren't growing in very straight! It is so funny how different babies look with teeth...suddenly she doesn't look so much like a baby anymore. I cannot believe Emma will be a year old in just a few weeks. I was telling her last night as I gave her a bath that this past year has really been the best one of my life so far. What could be better that Joel, Jack and Emma? I am one lucky lady...and, oh so thankful!

My baby boy in a big boy bed.

2008-09-09T22:16:00.006-04:00

I knew the day would come...the day when I could no longer doze in my own bed and listen to my children happily play in their cribs as I slowly woke up and mentally prepared to start my day. Yeah...those days are over! After learning that Jack could, and had been climbing out of his crib, we converted it to a toddler bed. So once he wakes up he doesn't have to wait for me to come get him! He just walks his cute little butt into my room and tells me "get out your big bed." Still a nice way to wake up...but, oh, I do not do well getting up before 8! Emma still sleeps til around 8:30 or 9, but Jack wakes up with the sun. He always has, but when he was still in a crib it was like he knew he had to stay there until I came in to get him, and smart person that he was, he would entertain himself til about 8:30. I would wake up to the sound of him talking to his teddy bear or singing a song...and he would patiently wait for me to get my sleepy self in there. Well now, he knows that he doesn't have to wait for anything...he just gets up and is ready to party! Today he even brought me my pants that were on the floor, and said, "here your pants, get out your big bed, mommy." He really is impossible to resist. I am happy I have at least made him understand that Emma needs to stay asleep even though he is awake. A couple of days ago, he went in and woke her up at 7:30 and then came in to get me! Emma was not pleased. And neither was I...waking up from a dead sleep to a screaming Emma and a Jack who was already bouncing off the walls! Emma was a total crab all morning til I laid her back down at 9. I was so jealous of her that she got to go back to sleep!

Now that Jack and I are up at 7 together, it does give the two of us more special time together that we did not have before. As tired as I am...I am grateful for that.

To celebrate the fact that he is growing into a big boy, I let him pick out the new bedding for his toddler bed. We looked at different stuff online and he was so cute sitting on my lap telling me which ones he liked. We decided on Thomas the Train. It is very cute. I got his new bedding washed and put on his little bed on Sunday night. When we took him in there to see it, he was like, "TRAIN!!!" and he ran and jumped on his bed and did a little bucking bronco routine he was so excited!

When I go in to look at him each night before I go to bed, I am overcome with emotion that that sweet boy with the face of an angel is mine...that he was once my baby boy, and now is almost 3 years old...that there was a time when he didn't even exist in my world, and now he is one of my best friends. It has to be one of the most common things parents say, but seriously, they grow up too fast! I took this picture the other night, and it will be one of my favorites forever...easy to see why, don't you think?

Check out our new toy!

2008-09-09T19:10:00.009-04:00

Needless to say, Jack is absolutely ecstatic that he now has a slide of his own in the backyard!! There are also swings, a glider, a climbing wall, and a picnic table on this cool new addition to our home! Joel started the assembly process in the garage...putting the different parts together and such. He would go out there during nap times and after the kids went to bed to work on it. Joel is great in the sense that he can figure out how to do anything! I can not learn how to do something from reading directions...Joel is great at it...and of course gets lots of practice since everything you buy for kids requires assembly! Anyway, everyday, Jack would ask to look at his new swingset...so we would open the garage door so he could look at all the parts and he would say, "wow, my new swingset!" He was so sweet and patient waiting for Joel to finish it. One day, he sat out in the garage with Joel and ate his lunch because he wanted to be with that swingset so bad (and probably his daddy, too)!

My Uncle Chuck and Aunt Susan were here when Joel was ready to move the swingset to the backyard, so they got to help! Susan hung out on the porch with Emma while Chuck and Jack helped Joel with the final construction. Jack was so funny...taking the screwdriver and holding it to a screw like he had seen his daddy do...it was priceless!

Jack's little friend, Brady, who lives behind us was watching out his window as they worked on the swingset, and you could tell he was so excited! He was yelling out the window at Jack, "you gotta new swingset?!" And Jack would yell back to him. It was so funny...and a conversation that I think only the two of them understood!

Having Chuck and Susan here to help and enjoy the new swingset experience was so wonderful!! Chuck taught Jack to yell "yee-haw" while he was swinging...and Jack does...every time!!

We are enjoying the new swingset very much so far! Brady came over last night to play for a little bit. He and Jack mostly just chased each other around, but they also spent a lot of time on the slide and they rode the glider together, too. When it was time to go inside, it was so cute to hear them say good-bye to each other! And on Sunday afternoon, Linda, Jeff, Janey, Gabe and Katie came over to celebrate Joel's birthday. It was a beautiful day, and Jack enjoyed sharing his new swingset with his cousins.

Please don't be blinded by the color of the chairs I bought for the patio...I ordered them online and thought they were butter yellow...not the seizure-inducing yellow they actually are! It looks like I bought them to match the swingset! Oh well, they are very comfortable!

From dirty...to flirty!

2008-09-03T23:03:00.002-04:00

Emma is really into feeding herself now. It is great for Joel and I because then we can all eat at the same time. We just put her in the highchair, give her some little peices if food, and let her go! She smiles the whole time...so proud of herself. She does a pretty good job. It is so cute to watch her take her tiny fingers and use them to pick up her little food and put it in her mouth. And once she gets the food to her mouth, she giggles like eating is the funniest thing she ever experienced! I'll tell you one thing, though...that girl is a slob!!

This is what she looked like after she fed herself some cheerios and a little baby biscuit. I don't even know if she ate any or if she is wearing it all on her face, in her hair and on her clothes! Her hair is actually stuck to her cheeks! I had to take her straight from the highchair to the bathtub! After her bath, I thought I would play around with her hair...she actually let me put these rollers in her hair!! I tried to blow dry it so it would have more volume, but she was not a fan of that. You can see the finished product here at the end...so pretty, even in her hand-me-down jammies from Jack!

The joys of nursing...

2008-09-03T18:49:00.006-04:00

At work last night I had the pleasure of precepting Heather, a new nurse who totally rocks at nursing already. She took care of all of our patients and I just floated around helping out and keeping myself available to answer questions for her when she had them. Precepting Heather made my night a breeze. The best part for me was that I had more time to really take care of our patients on the floor who were sad, confused or just in need of a little extra TLC. One of our patients was very confused...talking to people who weren't there, and making no sense whatsoever. He was incredibly hard of hearing, too, which also complicates a converstaion! When I went in to introduce myself to him at the beginning of our shift, I said "I'm Lauren, I'm going to be one of your nurses tonight." And he gets this big grin on his face and he goes, "No, I'm not married!" I think he thought I was hitting on him...so cute. As I was talking with him...and by that I mean that I would say something and then he would say something back that totally didn't make sense...I held his hand, as I usually do. His fingernails were soooo long and there was so much shit (literally, as in poop that was once on his butt) under his nails. Ewww. In the hospital, we are not allowed to cut patients nails....so I thought I would just have to give him a manicure. So early this morning, when all the patients were staring to wake up I took in a basin of soapy water, some little sticks to get the poop out with, and some toothbrushes to clean under his nails. My fellow nurse, Katie, who is one of my absolute favorite people in this world, was also precepting a new nurse so she had some extra time on her hands, as well. She came in as I was cleaning one hand and asked if I wanted help. So she took the other hand of my patient and got to work. So the two of us stood there, one on either side of this sweet man, scraping old poop out from under his long nails. It was thouroughly disgusting, but definitley necessary, and I was glad we had the time to it. Katie and I were so into our new roles as manicurists that it totally caught us off guard when from the other side of the curtain, the patient's roommate ripped the biggest fart you ever heard! Katie and I looked at each other and cracked up as quietly as we could! Nursing is such a glamorous profession. But, glamour aside, I wish I could spend more of my time at work doing things that make patients feel more like people, and less like patients.

Once we finished up his pretty manicure, I put lotion on his nice clean hands and then we had other staff members come in to see his pretty clean nails. This patient was just so cute...he sat there with a big grin on his face putting his hands on display. In those moments I felt so much satisfaction as a nurse. Anyone can understand how it would be satisfying to do CPR on a patient who is crashing, or get that IV that no one else can get. It's being satisfied to do something so simple as to clean an old man's hands that lets me know I chose the right path professionally. It is how I know I was meant to be a nurse....and why I'm so happy I am.

My big helper!

2008-09-01T22:10:00.006-04:00

Jack saw me get out the Swiffer the other day and he just thought it was the coolest thing ever! He walked right over to me as I was sweeping the floor and said "can Jack sweep?" I thought it was a great idea...he could have fun and sweep up crumbs in the process!! He was so cute....just sweeping the same area of floor over and over. I kept asking him to go around the whole kitchen, but he really liked that one spot! And he kept saying, "I'm a good boy! I your big helper! I sweep up crumbs!" I let him sweep for about 10 minutes...until he went for Emma's head with the crumb-covered Swiffer...and that was the end of that. I just love how sweet he is in this little video!

If You're Happy and You Know it...

2008-09-01T21:50:00.003-04:00

Here's a little story...for the past couple of months or so, Jack is really into singing songs. He sings all day long (like his mommy), and especially likes to sing at bedtime! Anymore though, when bedtime rolls around he prefers to sit and listen while Joel and I perform for him. He smiles so big and just claps his little hands and cheers like we are the coolest people he knows. We always do a medley of "if you're happy and you know it", "you are my sunshine", and the ABC's, and when we finish all three songs, we do jazz hands and say "ta-da". Jack seriously thinks we are so cool. He applauds so loud! I can't blame him...we are quite a treat for the ears and the eyes! :) Tonight, Jack was so excited to play with his little train at bedtime that he practically dove into his bed. He barely looked up as we said our prayers because he was so into playing with his trains. So Joel and I were both thinking we were going to get a night off from our concert tour. We had just walked out the door when we heard Jack whine, "sing happy and know it!" So we went back in, stood together next to his bed and performed our medley. Jack did not look at us once!! He just sat there and played with his train and we were just background music for him!! I think we probably look silly doing our medley with an audience, but when no one is even paying attention, I am sure we just look ridiculous!! We do 5 verses to "happy and you know it"...clap your hands, stomp your feet, give a hug, give a kiss, do all 4. So I am sure you can just imagine Joel and I...ahhh, sweet parenthood!

To Michelle...

2008-08-28T00:24:00.001-04:00

Hey, blog stalker...I promise to write an update for you real soon!!!

Our newest family photo...

2008-08-13T00:23:00.003-04:00

Attempting to capture that perfect shot of all four us is proving to be impossible! Joel and I went on a date on Saturday, which was wonderful!!! When we took the kids over to my parents, I had my mom try to get some family photos of us...and believe it or not, this was actually the best one! It is a pretty good representation of our family, though! At least Jack is smiling and not trying to climb out of the picture yet. :)

Don't ever let me help you paint...

2008-08-13T00:04:00.005-04:00

I am a wife, a mother, and a nurse...I think I am pretty good at playing those roles. One thing I am definitely not, though, is an artist! I got a great idea that I would sponge paint the back wall in my kitchen to make a more interesting back drop for the family room, since you can see that wall from the family room. So I went to Lowe's and I asked a staff member for some help. He told me that sponging a wall with a glaze was fool-proof...well, call me a fool then. As you can see, I turned the wall into a disaster! I hold the Lowe's guy partly responsible! He told me it was so easy, and I showed him the paint that was already on the wall and he picked out the glaze for me and everything! Isn't the slogan for Lowe's "You can do it, we can help."? Yes, it is!! I guess there is truth to the slogan if I wanted to make a big mess and waste my time and money...well then, they were definitely helpful! I am not bitter, though. Live and learn, right? I have learned that I am not good at sponge painting. And more importantly, I have learned that Joel is a wonderful and understanding husband! I think he was quite pissed at me at first. He said I had to leave the mess on the wall for a week and look at it everyday so that I would stop coming up with creative home improvement projects. But then he helped me paint over it the next day. :)

So, my next idea is to paint stripes on that wall to give it some more pizazz! I will send you my new address when Joel kicks me out.

Oh, that Jack...

2008-08-03T23:24:00.005-04:00

I just could not resist putting this picture on display because it is so typical of Jack! At two and a half years old, he is brilliant. He learns so many new things everyday, and I swear he understands everything he hears and is so wonderful at verbalizing his own thoughts, too. Of course, he is still at that point in life where instant gratification is the only way to get anything. In his world, there is no sense in waiting for something in order to enjoy it later. He wants what he wants and he wants it now! Obviously, in this picture, what he wants is the camera! He was so excited when he saw me take it out to get some cute bath pics of he and Emma. Then he was like, "Jack take pictures! I need that camera!" He said it once in a semi-whiny voice and then it became a big old fit. I think it is funny that he thinks I am really that dumb that I would give him the camera in the bathtub! And his use of the word 'need' totally cracks me up. According to Jack, he 'needs' things like candy and crayons and a slide. So I just had to keep taking pictures because it was so funny! And while Jack is standing there wet and naked in the tub throwing a fit because he needs the camera, Emma is just sitting there splashing in the water with both hands while she chews on a toy duck. She was just enjoying her bath fun so much that she was not going to let Jack ruin her good time! In fact, I don't think she even paid him one bit of attention! And as far as Emma chewing on the duck head... she has taken to using her mouth as a third hand now. If ever she wants to take a toy from one room to another she just holds it hanging out her mouth so she can use her hands to crawl. It is hilarious!

So anyway, once we were done with bath time and Jack was dry, I let him take some pictures and he was happy. Then we went through and looked at the pictures that I had taken of him throwing his fit and he was like, "Jack mad cause Jack wants take pictures!" He was telling me this like I hadn't been there. Then he was showing Emma the pictures on the camera and he was like, "see Emma, Jack mad there, Jack want camera." Duh. I'm sure even Emma could have figured that one out!

Emma in action!

2008-07-27T21:23:00.000-04:00

Emma just looked so cute in this outfit with her little ponytail, that I just had to grab the camera and snap some pictures! As she kept crawling toward me with excitement, I thought it would make an even cuter little video! So here she is on the move...quite the little firecracker on all fours!

My talented hubby...

2008-07-27T17:27:00.000-04:00

Check this out...Joel is not only a wonderful husband, father and friend...but also a talented artist! This a drawing he did of a picture of Emma. Is it not the most beautiful thing, ever? Next, he is going to work on a drawing of Jack and Emma together...I can't wait!

Such a proud, happy girl!

2008-07-26T10:39:00.000-04:00

Everyday it seems she does something new! Babies are amazing that way. I just have to share this adorable picture. I had just changed Emma's diaper, and Jack needed a clean one, too, so I put Emma in her crib to keep her from crawling away, and went into Jack's room to change his diaper. When I came back to get Emma, she was just standing there in her crib looking so proud and happy that she had pulled herself up there! It was too cute not to share! I really do think this girl will be walking before she's a year old...and that is just two months from tomorrow!!! My favorite thing about watching my children grow up is seeing how proud they are of themselves when they accomplish new things. It makes me so proud as their mom!

Creative Jack...

2008-07-26T10:15:00.000-04:00

One other thing worth mentioning...Jack is now at that age where he is getting very innovative. If something is not going as planned, the little wheels in his head start turning and he devises a plan in there of how he is going to make things go his way. For instance...Jack has this obsession with the camera...as the photographer. God forbid he smile nice when I am trying to take his picture, but you put him on the other side of that lens, and he is totally in his element! So I let him use the camera to nurture his creativity, but only when I can watch him. Well, yesterday morning while I was at this work class, Joel tells me a story about Jack. Jack was downstairs eating breakfast, and Joel had gone upstairs for a quick second to grab something. Jack saw the camera up on the kitchen counter where he couldn't reach it...and obviously decided he was going to get his hands on it. Joel said when he came downstairs, Jack had the camera and was just clicking away. Then Joel said he saw Jack's breakfast still sitting on the table, and the chair he had been sitting in had been dragged into the family room for use as a step stool so he could get to that camera! We are running out of safe spots in this house to put things we don't want the kids to get!! As Joel told me the story, I was sooo wishing I had been here to see Jack so proud! Joel reassured me not to worry...there were plenty of pictures Jack had snapped in those moments he was alone with the camera! This picture cracks me up because you can tell that Joel is so confused as to why he is having his picture taken!

Family Day!

2008-07-26T08:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a great one...although I did have to get up super early to attend a class at work! It was actually nice starting the day so early, despite the fact I was so tired! Once I got home, Joel and the kids were up and ready to go. The four of us went to the zoo. We left about noon, which made us a bit nervous since it was so close to naptime. And although Jack looked sleepy, his excitement over seeing all the cool animals seemed to keep him from turning into a tired terror. When we pulled into the zoo, Jack was yelling "yay!!! yay!!!" and clapping his hands. It was so funny! The 4 of us hadn't been to the zoo together since Halloween, so Joel was very excited to see how much more the kids enjoyed the sights now that they were a bit older. The first thing we saw was a wolf. Jack was not impressed. He looked so bored with it and he said so simply, "go see different animals." As we continued through the North America part of the zoo, we came across the petting zoo...something Jack had not yet experienced. It was only goats walking around in there...and they look so dirty and gross! But Jack seemed interested in being up close to them, and they did appear so laid back considering all the little people running and screaming around them! So Jack walked up to the first goat he saw and was like "hi goat". He was very gentle and kind towards all of them, which made me proud. As he was standing there talking to this one goat, another one walks right over to me and starts taking a poop! Jack turns around just in time to see this spray of pellets shoot out the goat's butt and barely miss my feet! I tell you, I can not get away from poop! So we move Jack along to some goats that are just resting and pet them a little and then we move on to our next adventure. Jack didn't want to ride in the stroller so he walked some of the time, and Joel carried him the rest of the time, which they both love. So I moved Emma to the front of the stroller, and she looked so cute sitting up there...like such a big girl! She found most of her entertainment that day in chewing on the stroller straps and her hat. I kept trying to keep that hat on her head to keep the sun off her face, but she is too smart and she figured out she could take it off her head and make a chew toy out of it. So 4 hours and tigers, lions, elephants, snakes, penguins, monkeys, gorillas, manatees, and alligators later...it was time to go. We had two hot, tired and grumpy children on our hands!

Once we got home, Emma got her bottle and Jack played inside for a little while. Then we went to pick up our pizza at Papa John's. They don't deliver out here so we hardly ever get it. It was sooooo good, Joel and I agreed it was totally worth having to drive to pick it up! Jack loved it, too! And we let Emma try a little garlic sauce...she seemed indifferent about it!

At that point, everybody needed a bath, so to save time and water, all 4 of us hopped in the shower together! And no, we do not have a big shower! That was whole adventure in itself, but in the end, everyone was clean! We put the kids to bed, and then Joel and I had big plans to stay up and watch a movie. It seems like forever since Joel and I were able to spend some quiet time together. We were so tired by the time the kids made it to their beds that we decided to skip the movie and go to bed, too! Yes, we are getting old. What a great day we had, though! And, of course, the best part being that we all did everything together!

A nice end to a long day...

2008-07-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

Monday was the longest day ever! I got up around 8, got ready for the day, got my cuties up and got them dressed and fed so we could make it to my 10:30 dentist appointment on time. We were all in the car ready to go when I spilled my coffee all over the car! Then as we were backing out of the driveway, I looked about 100 times over my shoulder to make sure there were no kids back there and failed to notice the big green garbage can that Joel had set out already! So I hit the trash can and knocked a weeks worth of garbage into the street! At this point I was thinking, oh, no this is not a good way to start a long day!

So we end up getting to the dentist right on time, and I had asked when I made this appointment if it was okay that my kids tag along since it was only a 10 minute appointment, and I was told that was fine. Well, as it turns out, it was not fine! Jack and Emma were perfect angels there in the waiting room, but once we got back there, I think Jack got really scared by all the unfamiliar equipment. So, like any 2 year-old who is scared, he cried and clung to me. Well, this crazy, neurotic receptionist comes running back there and she's like "do you need help? I really need him to be quiet." Well, that pissed me off. And then she got in Jack's face and said "do you want to come with me and get a toy?" and I was like, yeah right like I'm going to let my child go anywhere with this nut! And Jack obviously sensed she was crazy and didn't want to go with her anyway. So I was trying to comfort Jack, who was basically trying to climb me and cut off my airway in the process, as this dental assistant is trying to force these new retainers in my mouth. She said "go ahead and try these out so we can hurry and get you out of here." This office staff was so put out by my crying little boy that you would've thought I had walked in there with a crack pipe hanging out of my mouth! I mean, come on, he's 2! And I had even asked when I made the appointment if it was okay to bring them and they said yes! Did they think I was going to bring my kids with duct tape over their mouths to keep them quiet?

So anyway, the dentist checks out my new retainers and how they fit for all of 2 seconds and literally did not say a single word to me! Then the assistant person ushers me and my kids up to the front desk where that crazy lady is sitting and she's like "you don't need another appointment, you can just go." Great customer service in that place. Well, being the polite and considerate person that I am, I say "please apologize to your staff and the other patients here for the disturbance. I am so sorry, I think he is just really scared." And she says "oh, thankfully, there aren't very many people here right now." Ok, so if anyone needs a referral for a dentist, I can tell you where not to go! I am mad at myself now that I even wasted my breath to apologize. Because you know what Jack said when I asked him why he was scared there? He said, "hurt Mommy". That little doll was so upset because he thought they were going to hurt me! So then I wanted to go back in there to take back my apology and say "I don't apologize, because I am NOT sorry that I am doing a good job at raising this little boy to be a caring and loving young man!" But of course, I did not do that. I'm over it now...for the most part. And I would so much rather have the love and concern of that little boy than common courtesy from that uptight office staff anyday!

So then I took the kids to the park for some well-deserved play time! Once we got there, I was mixing up a bottle for Emma in the car...and I spilled that darn thing, too! In the same place where I had spilled the coffee! I just laughed at that point. So I fed Emma what little formula was actually left in the bottle as we watched Jack play. He was having so much fun! And I was so glad...I was really hoping that he had forgotten that dentist office drama already, because I certainly didn't want him to feel like he had done anything wrong. While he was playing, I chatted with another mom there, and I always enjoy that.

Once we left the park, I was so happy to be heading home because I was so tired and it was almost nap time! I had to pick up all my garbage that was still in the street and put it back in the can (yes, I had left it there in hopes that the garbage man would come while I was gone and do it for me! I was not so lucky.) So we had some lunch and then all laid down for a nap. And everyone actually slept, thank God! Joel got home from work after we woke up and then it was time for me to get ready and go to work. I enjoyed my quiet time in the car on my way there, despite the smell of spilled coffee and formula mixed with the mulch we hauled a few months ago and a rose scented air freshener. Yes, if you want to experience a real treat for your nose, take a ride in my car! As usual, I was busy at work, but I really liked my patients and enjoyed taking care of them. I picked up charge at 11, which is always a huge headache, but I told myself "just make it til 7:30, you'll survive it, you always do." And I did. I didn't actually leave until 8, but I am much happier leaving a little late and knowing I took great care of my patients and all the things I was responsible for, than clocking out right on time, regardless of how tired I am.

So I finally get in my car to leave the hospital. Oh, how I love that stinky car after being up all night! I just had to stop at the grocery store on my way home. We were almost out of formula and coffee...two things we cannot live without in this house. So I go into Kroger and there is hardly anyone shopping, so I was just walking along, enjoying the fact that I was alone, that I was not at work, and that I was not in a hurry (my mom was here with the kids because Joel had had to be at work at 6:30 am). I ended up buying a lot more than was on my list because I was starving! And then I chose the check-out line with the chatterbox cashier, but I didn't mind, she was cute. She saw I was buying baby food so she was asking me all about my kids, and I love talking about them! :) And the lady bagging my groceries was so cute. She was probably in her late 70's and she took so much pride in her work...sorting all the like items together, tying the bags closed that had the little things in them, and then putting the bags in the cart so perfectly so that there was no wasted space. Of course this strategy of hers took FOREVER! But I enjoyed watching her, because she was so happy to do it her special way. So, I was trying not to fall asleep and I could see the lady behind me was looking a little annoyed. When the sweet bagger lady was done, she said, "thank you for shopping at Kroger. Have a great day!" So cute.

So finally, I get out to my car with my perfect cart. I hated to unload it! And the lady that had been behind me in line came out while I was unloading my groceries to her car that was parked right next to me. I smiled at her and she said "are you a nurse?" I am sure she assumed I was as I was wearing scrubs and looked like a zombie. And I said yes, and she said "thank you for all you do." She was so sincere when she said it, it was so sweet! I said "thank you for saying so! It is my pleasure always." And that is the truth. And then I cried all the way home. Needless to say, by the time my head finally hit the pillow at 11:00am, I slept great...for a whole 5 hours!

Road Trip to Spencerville.

2008-07-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

After our fun day at the zoo, we had more fun plans to take a road trip to Spencerville to see my grandparents. My mom came along, too, since she is on a hiatus from work. :) It was a beautiful day for a drive, and Jack and Emma are just the best little travelers! We got to Spencerville around 12:30 and had a yummy lunch of pizza and salad with pudding and fresh raspberries for dessert! Jack was being difficult...wouldn't sit still in his chair, and wouldn't eat his pizza because he didn't recognize the black olives that were on it! Then he insisted on having pepper on his pudding. I think he was just really excited about being in a new environment, and couldn't concentrate on eating. So Jack had raspberries and tomatoes he picked out of the salad for lunch.

After that, Jack got to go outside to the fruit and vegetable garden with Poppy to pick some raspberries himself! I, of course, tagged along with the camera. Jack had so much fun picking raspberries. I had Poppy and Jack pose in front of the apple tree for a picture and Poppy told Jack not to pick the apples because they weren't ripe yet...do you think Jack listened? Of course not!

We could only stand the heat for so long before we went back inside. Nana got out a deck of cards for Jack to play with, which was a great idea, and Jack had a blast naming all the numbers! Aunt Babette came over for a little while, too. Poor Emma has been working on some more teeth for some time now, and she started to get quite upset that her little gums were so sore. Wonderful mother that I am, I had not even brought a teething ring with us! But I brainstormed a little bit and finally decided that we could put an ice cube inside a hanky and let her suck on that for awhile...and it worked like a charm! Thank goodness for that!

After some coffee, it was time to head back home. It was such a nice day. I am so happy that my grandparents are able to enjoy my little ones so much! And Jack just thinks that they are so cool. He is still talking about our visit to Nana and Poppy's!

After our 2 busy days, I thought for sure that these kids would sleep like logs that night. And Jack did. But poor Emma was in a bad place with her new teeth trying to poke through! Once she went to bed, she woke up 3 more times crying and gnawing on her little fist. I got her out of her crib each time and put the Orajel on her gums, which helps for all of 10 minutes. I gave her a cold teether and rocked her til I thought she was asleep. But each time I went to lay her down, she would open her eyes and look at me as if to say "you aren't going to leave me here, are you?" Talk about tugging at your heartstrings. So the third time I laid her down, I sat on the floor right next to her crib and looked at her through the bars. She seemed to like that. She smiled her soft, sweet little smile at me as her eyelids got heavy. She looked so adorable laying there with her wild hair, in her little boy hand-me-down jammies, just sucking away on her little teether. Each time it looked like she was going to fall asleep for good, her heavy eyelids would shoot open and look right at me as if to say "oh good, you're still there". It didn't take her long to slip into dreamland, but after she did, I sat there for a few more minutes and just watched her sleep. I felt so much success as a mom in those moments. It was nice. As much as I had wanted to crawl into my own bed after our day of travel, it was so much sweeter to have rocked that little girl, quiet her pain and watch her fall asleep. I am sure it is obvious, but I love being a mom!

Trip to the Zoo!

2008-07-18T10:18:00.001-04:00

Such a busy week we have had here...Monday night I had picked up an on-call shift at work from 3-11. So on Tuesday morning I thought my feet were going to fall off from how busy I had been, but we already had plans to go to the zoo with some friends. We had a total of 4 adults and 7 kids in our zoo group! It was me and my two babies, Julie, Arin and Henry, Rebecca, Tyler and Samantha, and Jamie and Brady. Of course, as moms, we tried to get a picture of all our kids together...yeah, not so much. As you can see above, there was little cooperation from the kids!

Despite the heat, we all had sooooo much fun! Tyler and Arin walked through the zoo holding hands like a little pair of lovebirds. The coolest part of seeing them walk together was that I remember so well when Julie and Rebecca were pregnant with the two of them at the same time! And now they are 3 years old and such good little friends! I tried to get Jack to hold hands with them, as well, but he wanted to hold my hand! Go figure. Jack never wants to hold my hand, but, of course, when I am pushing a double stroller in 85 degree heat, then he wants to hold my hand.

We saw lots of neat animals at the zoo. It was extra fun this time because Jack's vocabulary has grown so much since the last time we went and he had soooo much to say. I love that I can have a conversation with him now, and it really makes sense most of the time.

After we made the long trek back to the car, Jack was rubbing his eyes and yawning and I said "you tired, honey?" and he said " I not tired, honey!" He always calls me whatever I call him. Anyway, he tried to convince me that he was not tired, but by the time I had Emma back in her carseat (a whole 30 seconds later) Jack was passed out cold! Emma had been sleeping in the stroller, and she fell right back asleep once she was in the car, too. I absolutely love, love, love driving the car, glancing in my rearview mirror and seeing two precious sleeping angels in the backseat. I think when you watch your children sleep, you simply forget that they can sometimes be so rotten. You completely forget all about how they whine and scream, color on your table and poop in your bathtub. When they are asleep, they are perfection.

So we came home, had some dinner and told Joel all about our zoo adventures. What was funny was that when Joel asked Jack what animals he saw at the zoo, Jack told him that we saw pigs, cows and a camel. We did not see any of those at the zoo. We did see elephants, lions, tigers, turtles, snakes, penguins and flamingos, to name a few. But as far as I remember, there were no pigs, cows or camels! Oh, sweet imagination!

Funny poop story.

2008-07-10T21:47:00.000-04:00

As a nurse and a mother, I probably see more poop than a toilet. Such a glamorous life, I know. Well, tonight was no exception. I was giving Jack and Emma a bath, and Joel was downstairs watching some TV. After I had the kids clean, I called Joel upstairs to help me finish up. He held Emma up in the air so I could wash her butt and legs. As my soapy hand went under her butt, I felt a lovely surprise in my hand. I yelled, "she's pooping!" and Joel was like "what do I do?" and I said "put her on the potty!" So as Jack stands in the tub looking confused, Joel whirls a wet, naked Emma over to the potty...but not before a turd leaves her butt, smacks Joel on the leg, and lands on the floor I had just cleaned! Emma finished her big poop in the potty like a big girl...though she did not like it! I had put a hooded towel around her so she wouldn't get cold. So if you can just imagine that tiny little thing on the toilet! I wish I would've had the camera! Sometimes I think I should just keep it in my pocket all the time to catch unexpected funnies!

So once the pooping had ceased, I finished washing her and then she and Jack got all lotioned up and in their jammies. We asked Jack if he was proud of Emma and he said yes. So maybe seeing his baby sister use the potty will inspire him to do the same!

As gross as it sounds, it was funny...and one less diaper to change!

My Big Girl!

2008-07-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

Check her out! Emma has only been crawling for about a month, and just like that, she has learned to pull herself to stand and cruise along the furniture! I think she will be walking soon! She is such a fast, mighty little crawler already...exploring...and eating everything in her path. Joel found her exploring around the front door the other day with a bug in her mouth. It about made me gag, but little Emma was just happy as can be!

I got this little video of her standing against the ottoman, and as you can hear, she also had a lot to say. She loves the sound of her own voice! I have no idea where she got that from. :) When Jack realized that I was making a little video of Emma, he jumped in to start making her laugh. I don't know when he figured out that growling and roaring at her would make her laugh, but that is what he does, and she just loves it!

Jack's 1st Movie!

2008-07-07T20:33:00.000-04:00

Jack went to see his first movie in a theater this past Sunday morning! Joel and I took him to see "Kung Fu Panda". It was such a cute movie...Joel and I loved it! We were a bit nervous about how Jack would do in the theater...he did great!!! He was a little scared at first because it was dark and so loud in there. But he sat on Joel's lap the whole time, totally engrossed in the movie! We got him popcorn and candy so he could have the complete theater experience. He sat on Joel's lap and occasionally he would reach over and rub my arm, just to make sure I was there, too, I think. He even held my hand for a few minutes! It was such a fun experience! Emma hung out with Aunt Melissa and Grammy Kim. We'll take her when she is older, too. I think Jack also really enjoyed having Joel and I all to himself. When we walked back to the car from the theater we each held one of hands and let him "fly" through the parking lot. He thinks we are so cool. Of course I had to take the camera and get some pictures since this was a first for Jack. I really wanted to take pictures of his little face while he was watching the movie, but I don't think the other movie-goers would have appreciated my camera flash in there!

Not only did we have a great time at the movie, but we had a great weekend all together. On Saturday Grammy Linda, Aunt Janey, Gabe and Katie came over and we had such a nice visit! Katie is the best cuddler, and Gabe is so well-spoken and smart! It was so fun to see them all together in one place. I really wanted to get a picture of all 4 kids together, but that was merely a wishful thought that did not happen! Jack and Gabe colored a picture together while Katie and Emma decided to reorganize the toilet paper rolls in the bathroom! They're always up to something!

Later on that night, Jack and I ran to CVS and he was such a good little boy. He got to pick out some stickers for being so good. He picked stickers of M&M characters playing musical instruments. Very cool on their own, but even cooler plastered on his shirt. He wore them to the movie on Sunday.

I had to work last night, but it was not a bad night at all. My favorite thing about work is coming home to see my little sweeties in the morning! My mom was here this morning to watch them because Joel had to work early, and Jack had us rolling with laughter. I was hanging out with them for a little bit before I went to bed and Jack was reading me a book. Well, there was a picture of a cow in the book and you could see it's pink udder, and Jack pointed to it and said very simply "cow take a big poot." He thought the udder was a big turd!! It was sooooo funny! I corrected him and told him that is actually where a cow makes milk and that poop comes out your butt. So now he will point at my butt and say "you poot out your butt?" I hope he doesn't ask any strangers that out in public!

My favorite hug yet.

2008-07-04T23:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I got an idea for Jack and I to do something special since Joel had to work late. Joel had to be downtown to cover red, white trash, and boom, so he wouldn't be home until around 2 am. So I told Jack early in the day that after we put Emma to bed, he and I could watch the fireworks on TV in the big bed (our bed). And he talked about it all day! I'm not sure if he really even knew what fireworks were then. I think he was just excited that we had plans together. So all day I got him to behave by saying "only good boys get to watch fireworks in the big bed" and he was a perfect angel. So we put Emma to bed around 9:30 and then Jack got ready for bed. We crawled into the big bed to watch fireworks at 10. Jack was more interested in reading his little books, though. I watched the fireworks and I kept saying "oooooo, look at that one!" He was not impressed. So I was a little bummed that I had got him so excited all day and then he seemed ho-hum. After the fireworks, we watched an Elmo video in my bed, and I figured he would fall asleep. No. He kept looking over at me and smiling. Such an onry, yet adorable little smile. I told him he could sleep there with me since Daddy wasn't home yet. But Jack said, "no, I go to Jack's bed." So I took him to his room once Elmo was over.

Now, usually at bedtime I have to ask for a hug and a kiss, and when I say "I love you", Jack says, "ok". It is funny, but I so badly always want to hear him say those words back! Well, last night, as I stood by Jack's bed holding him for the last time that day, he put his little arms aroung my neck and squeezed me so tight! I never wanted him to let go! And when I said "I love you", he smiled real big and said "I love yooooooooou." My heart about exploded. I remember when I was pregnant with Jack and I bought the book "Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul". I love all those books. But anyway, I would read from that book just about every night and just cry...at the thought of being a mother...at the thought of having a child that I would love more than anything in this world. There was one story called "The Hug", and it was about a mom who had a very trying day with her daughter. One of those days where nothing makes them happy, they throw a fit about everything, and you feel like the worst mom ever because you get so impatient with them. So this mom in the story was so exhausted that she went to put her little girl to bed early and when she stood her on the changing table to get her in her jammies, the little girl initiated her first hug ever! And the mom felt so lucky that despite her hard day, she had earned that little girl's first hug! So I read that story over and over and I just cried and cried every time. And I remember thinking then that I couldn't wait to know what that was like...to have your little child hold you in their arms. And now I do. Of course, I've probably hugged Jack thousands of times...but it was different last night. It was like Jack was saying "thanks for making a special memory for just me and you tonight, mommy." He is such a sweet little guy.

So that was my favorite hug yet, and I know there will be lots more to come! It's moments like that that I try to remember on those challenging days of parenthood, and remind myself how lucky I am. This picture is Jack and I on the day we brought him home from the hospital. It is one of my favorite pictures of all time...in fact, I have it framed right here by the computer so I can look at it at least once a day! As he grows up and I have more and more pictures of him, I think I will always keep this one on display where I can see it every day. Ok, now that I am going on and on about my little man, I have to go look at him sleeping...so cute.

Sticker-mania...the movie.

2008-07-02T23:11:00.000-04:00

Here is a little peek at a typical conversation with Jack. He is still obsessed with those alphabet stickers! He wears them everyday! I really do think that they are helping him learn letters, though, so if he wants to wear stickers in his hair or up his nose, so be it...I just hope I don't find any in his poop. That will put an end to the sticker fun.

Sticker-mania

2008-07-02T23:03:00.000-04:00

I got these alphabet stickers free in the mail from some new magazine that wants me to buy a subscription. I gave them to Jack because he looooooves stickers! Everytime I go the store, I buy him some cool stickers and he puts them all over his toys and playroom. Well, these alphabet stickers seemed more appropriate to wear, I guess. I was at work and Joel called me to say that he went upstairs to put Emma to bed and when he came back down he found Jack covered in stickers! I said, please tell me you got the camera! And, good little hubby that he is, had grabbed the camera and got some cute pics! I was so glad...I hate when I miss cute things! This picture is my favorite...Jack's like "What? You've never seen a 2 year-old wear stickers before?"

Funny!

2008-06-29T23:20:00.000-04:00

So I was letting Jack take pictures with the camera and he was just walking around clicking away having a good old time. Well, he is much smarter than I thought...there is a video function on our camera, too, and I just discovered some little movies he made! I was looking through my pictures on the computer here (instead of mopping the floor) and I saw all these little movie icons...so I opened one, and I about peed myself. Maybe I only think this is hilarious because I'm his mom, but watch this little clip with your volume up, and I think you will smile, too!

This weekend...

2008-06-29T22:29:00.000-04:00

Since I cut my hours at work back to 2 days a week, this was my first weekend where I worked my 2 twelves back to back. My gosh, I missed my kids so much! Where it is nice to leave the house and have a purpose somewhere else, I always find myself wishing I was at home doing mommy things. I love being a nurse...some days more than others, but not near as much as I love being a mom! I had 9 days off before I went to work this past Friday, and I think Jack was becoming a little tired of seeing my face! So when I got home Saturday morning and went into his room to get him, his little face just lit up and he said with a big smile "you home! You a nurse and you home!" Whenever he sees me in my scrubs he always asks "you go to work and be a nurse?" It is so cute! Now Saturday morning as I entered his room, I had to remind myself that I was, in fact, at home, and not at the hospital, because THAT SMELL when I opened Jack's door hit me in the face like a ton of bricks that had enclosed a port-a-pot for 100 years! Yes, that's right, my darling boy, with his sweet glowing face had cooked me up a good morning poop. Not only that, he had peed through his diaper, his jammies and his sheet! Poor guy...not that he cared. I have seriously wondered if he even has a sense of smell. So that was nice.

Then I got Emma up which is always fun. Jack climbs in her crib and they giggle for a little bit. So cute...I love watching them develop a relationship with each other. I think they really are each other's favorite person right now...I hope they always are.

So Saturday night, I went back to work, had a good night. I had very sweet patients and genuinely enjoyed the company of my co-workers. My co-workers are my favorite part of my job. Nursing really is like a team sport, and I've got a good team. Sunday morning I came home, had some coffee with Joel and watched Emma crawl through the house. I went to bed, got up and Joel made a yummy dinner! He is a great cook...I really lucked out since I don't know squat about being in the kitchen! We played with the kids and watched some TV...my favorite kind-of day. So now everyone is in bed except me! I need to mop the floors now that they are Emma's new playground! But I am doing this instead because it is more fun and it doesn't require me to get up from the couch. As it turns out though, I guess I really don't have much else to say...hard to believe, right? :)

Busy Emma!

2008-06-29T17:55:00.001-04:00

Now that Emma is crawling, she is absolutely everywhere! She is so excited all the time at all the sights from her new perspective! Jack sure likes her moving around now, but I think he wishes she could move a little faster. He tries to nudge her a little bit but always ends up knocking her over! I was very excited to get this cute little video of Emma on the move. She was so funny when she came across the AC vent blowing air at her. And with her long hair, she looked just like a little Marilyn Monroe! And, of course, I am even more excited that I was able to post this video! Hope it works!!

So big!

2008-06-27T12:19:00.000-04:00

Baby Emma is 9 months old today! I just can't believe it! The time really does go so fast once you have kids! I feel like it was just yesterday we brought her home! And Jack is just such the little man! It makes me both proud and sad at the same time to see them so big already! Emma's only been crawling for a few days, and she is already becoming an expert! She is getting better at it everyday! Jack is such a sweet big brother, too...well, today at least. Emma crawled right into a table and bumped her head, and Jack walked right over to comfort her. He rubbed her back and kissed her head and said "You OK, Emma?" It was precious. I am glad Jack is learning to be more polite and considerate. He is getting much better at saying please and thank you. When he hears someone sneeze, he usually says bless you. In fact, the other night, we had just put him to bed, and Joel and I were downstairs and Joel sneezed really loud, and we heard Jack yell from his bed "Bless you, Daddy!" It was so funny!
So now that Jack is getting the hang of using manners, I have hope that he will soon get the hang of using the potty! Toddler poop is so gross!

My first mommy bouquet

2008-06-24T22:21:00.000-04:00

It may look like just two little carnations picked from the neighbor's yard...but really, it is one of those things that all mommies of little boys look forward to...my first bouquet from Jack. I really did wonder when Jack was a baby about the first time he would pick me some flowers. Of course, I thought it would be dandelions, but pink carnations...even better. Even if my neighbor actually cut them and told Jack to give them to me...it is still so cute! He had been out playing with Joel and I was inside playing on the floor with Emma. When the boys came in, Jack walked right over to me and dropped the two little flowers on my lap and said "here". Totally tugged my heart strings! I never want that little boy to grow up...I mean, I do, but he is soooooo cute like this! Of course, he is also so onry...but I will take the tantrums, the diapers, and the messes in exchange for that sweet little Jack lovin' anyday!

Way to go, Joel!

2008-06-24T21:56:00.000-04:00

Not only is Joel the best husband and father one could imagine, but he was also recently recognized by the city of Columbus for his work on emergency vehicle operations and ethics. The data he collected and presented to his classes was very well recieved. He was awarded Outstanding Police Officer of the Month! Yay, Joel! I know that Joel sometimes feels like he is less of a cop because he no longer works patrol, but everyday he walks out that door and heads to work, I feel tremendously proud to be his wife. And to Jack and Emma, he will always be their hero!

Jack

2008-06-24T11:40:00.000-04:00

I realize there are no pictures of Jack on here yet!! He is at a point now that when he sees me with the camera, he either covers his face with his hands or squeezes his eyes shut real tight. I think his thought process is "If I can't see you, then you can't see me." Much to his dismay, I can see him and have a nice collection of pictures of Jack with his hands over his face or his eyes squeezed shut! But, here is one of my favorite Jack pics of all time...GO BUCKS!

Emma on the move...

2008-06-24T10:21:00.000-04:00

I knew it was going to happen eventually...I was going to be the mother of two mobile children. Yes, that's right, Emma is crawling! Now, for awhile, she was simply laying on her back, kicking her legs up and using the momentum from her swinging legs to move around. It really was quite entertaining to watch. Then she took to rolling everywhere. The past two weeks she has been up on her hands and knees rocking back and forth, with such force sometimes that she ended up planting her face into the floor! And the child who was once so quiet, mellow, and care-free, has now adapted her brother's impatience and poor tolerance for things not going as she planned. Jack is definitely an "I want what I want, and I want it now" type of guy. And now my sweet Emma is quite the pistol when she doesn't get what she wants right away. And what she really wants is to walk! I think she just resorted to crawling because as much as she tries, she just can't pull herself to a standing position on her own yet! The other day, she was trying sooo hard to pull herself up on the ottoman, and when it didn't work out, you can see that she decided to make out with the ottoman instead! Sooooo funny! So these days, there is a lot of whining and screaming going on here! And I am a nervous wreck now that Emma is mobile about having to go through the house again and childproof the things she can now get to. That girl wants to put everything in her mouth! So, I may crawl around my house, pretend that I am 9 months old, and remove anything that looks enticing...which is just about everything. Ah, the stress and joy of parenting!

Emma and her coffee...

2008-06-22T21:17:00.000-04:00

So, every morning, Joel and I have coffee, and Emma has this obsession with Joel's mug as she sits on his lap while he sips his coffee. He gives her the mug when he is done, and she thinks that is just the coolest thing ever. So this morning, she was playing with the empty mug, as usual, only this time she actually brought it to her mouth like she was drinking it! So cute! So I grabbed the camera and got a picture. Then, while I was clicking away, I caught her in mid-yawn, still holding the mug, as if she was saying "I need a refill." I swear...everyday is more fun than the last in this house!