My Little Monkey

Ok...so even Blogger comes up in French!

2010-03-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

Finally found some internet time--and an internet connection. It has been down in our hotel, so not wanting to hang out at McDonalds for any length of time, I have forgone it. But, we are in business now!

I have posted some pictures on Facebook. I think there are less than 30. I picked a few good ones--and left the other 200+ pictures out. But, I thought it might be interesting to put more of a journal on here and keep the pictures on facebook.

So, here is the first couple of days of our trip...

Friday, March 5th, 2010- Saturday, March 6th, 2010

It was a bitter sweet goodbye as I kissed both of my boys for the last time. They had spent the morning at the Phoenix Zoo with Nana and Granddad so Jim and I could have some last minute time to get things ready for our trip. I thought I was prepared, but dropping them off at Grandma’s where they would begin their overnight stays broke my heart. I cried as we left. I was excited for our trip, but sad that I wouldn’t see my boys for over a week.

Mom took us to the airport and we got there in plenty of time. We checked in with British Airways and our new passports worked just fine! Security was a breeze (much easier without strollers and baby food, etc). Our plane boarded about an hour late. British Airways offered complimentary drinks—including alcohol—and provided two meals. We were seated in Premium Economy which meant we had a little more leg room and seats that reclined back further. But, for ten hours, no seat is comfortable. We slept the best we could, which was minimal, and watched movies on our little screens in our seatbacks.

We landed in Heathrow, London about an hour later than expected. This was difficult for us since we already had our train tickets to Paris booked…and we would be cutting it close getting to the train station! We went through customs, collected our luggage, and got directions from a man at information. We had to take the “Heathrow Express” to Paddington station, then take the underground from Paddington Station to St. Pancreas. Needless to say, we missed our train. We had to purchase new tickets—58 pounds each! Bummer. But, we could leave shortly and still make it to Paris that night.

We worked our way to the Eurostar departure area. We survived our 2.5 hour train ride through the Chunnel—in much more comfort than on the plane! We arrived in Paris Nord train station and looked at the map to find where the taxis were. A man approached us and asked if we needed a cab. We agreed…and he said his cab was right outside—no queue… He said to follow him…and after a few seconds took the liberty of pulling my luggage for me. Terrified that he was going to take off with my suitcase, we followed quickly behind him. He led us to a taxi outside and asked for 20 euros. I thought it was for the driver, but he put it in his pocket and walked away. Our first experience in Paris was not a positive one. Then the cab driver then asked where we were going and off we went. It was further then we thought. The Royal Regency was dark from the outside—not very welcoming. The cab driver asked for 60 euros and I was pretty sure we were being taken advantage of again, but not much you can do when you can’t speak the language. I had researched before we left and the trip from the train station was supposed to be about 50 euros, so we paid and went into our hotel.

We checked in at the Royal Regency. Luckily the man at the desk spoke English, so check-in was no problem. He gave us the key to our room—a REAL metal key and pointed us in the direction of our room. We started down the hallway that was very dark and into another hallway that was even darker. I was worried and confused…We continued down the mostly dark hallways looking for our room which we were told was on the first floor. After no luck, we determined that we were on the “ground” floor and must go up to the first floor. We found the elevator and up we went and out into another dark hallway. We found our room right off of the elevator—and discovered that you have to push the little buttons in the hallway to turn the lights on. Who would’ve known? I suppose it makes sense—and saves electricity, but don’t you think someone would’ve mentioned that to us? Maybe? No…

Once in our room we unpacked a little. We were hungry, but I was in no mood to head back out into the cold. Jim was brave and went to a little store down the block and came back with two bottles of water, two cans of ravioli, and a can of Pringles. We had a quick meal (after cooking the ravioli on the stove as there was no microwave) and headed to bed. After traveling for so long, we were exhausted. We took an Ambien and went to sleep for twelve hours.

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

We had slept for so long thanks to our drugs, that we got a late start. Jim ran to the bakery down the street and came back with fresh croissants and a baguette. Yummy. We had breakfast and headed out. We found the Metro and was very glad that we had some cash as the ticket machines would not accept our credit cards. We took the Metro to the Louve gardens and explored there for a while. It was chilly and the gardens are not very exciting when it is not blooming or green. So we decided to take coverage in the Louve. It was nice because admission to the Louve is free the first Sunday of the month—perfect timing for us! We went up to the top floor of the Louve and started exploring there. So much art—and a lot of it we did not recognize, but could appreciate it for its beauty. We found the Venus de Milo…and went on a hunt for the Mona Lisa. The Louve is such a maze. We were on the correct floor to find the Mona Lisa, but you couldn’t get there from where we were. We had to go up a floor…across a hallway and take an elevator back down. I was so lost at this point, but we found the Mona Lisa! It was behind glass…so it was hard to see—and the painting is smaller than you think. But, we can say we saw the Mona Lisa in person. We also saw the Winged Victory of Somothrace and some other very cool things. After the Louve, we hunted down the restaurant “Breakfast in America” since the Frommer’s guide said that it served American food. I was homesick and needed a good meal that I understood. After a good walk we found the restaurant. We had hamburgers and French fries and coca-cola light. It was good. We took the Metro back to our hotel and crashed early again.

Monday March 8th, 2010

We slept in late again on Monday--but not due to the comfort of our bed, which was severely lacking. We headed out to McDonalds to grab some lunch and see how late they were open since they had WiFi and I had not yet been able to talk to my boys. We ordered at the Kiosk since you could order in English there. The food was pretty much typical McDonalds…but not as good as you get at home. We then headed to the Metro to head back into the city. We started at Notre Dame. What an absolutely magnificent building. The size is immense and the artwork inside amazing. The stained glass, the sculptures, the paintings…everywhere you look is beauty—and history.

From Notre Dame we headed to Saint Chapelle. Another church—much, much, much smaller in size, but no less wondrous. The stained glass was floor to ceiling and was currently being restored. Each panel of stained glass told a different biblical story. From there we headed to La Conceierge...which was a prison that held notable prisoners such as Marie Antoinette. After that it was time for a visit to the Arc de Triomphe. The outside was stately and magnificent. Then we went in. And climed all 234 steps to the top. The view was impressive--especially when I started breathing again! We went from there to the Eiffel Tower which was massive and beautiful, but we stayed firmly on the ground since we had just had a birds eye view of the city from the Arc. We found a nice little Italian restaurant where we had delicious pizza for dinner (Jim's pizza had egg on it and artichoke...strange). We made our long way back to our hotel switching routes on the Metro like pros!

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

We actually managed to get up and out of our room before noon. We grabbed a croissant from our little corner bakery and went to the Metro. We booked a tour to Versaille and had a quick lunch at a quaint little cafe. We had a window seat--and crepes! Oh they were soooo good! Our trip to Versaille was worth the time and money. It was only 12 miles away, but took us almost an hour on the bus. That is Paris traffic! I am not sure how there are not more accidents and we have been unable to identify and lane markings--or flow of traffic. Incredible.

The Palace of Versaille...beautiful. Each room more adorned and decorated than the last. My favorite spot was the Hall of Mirrors. There were the King and Queens rooms...Marie Antoinette's "apartments" the gardens, etc...it was all amazing.

Our trip to Versaille was about 4 hours. We walked through a few shops when we got back and found a little Italian place for dinner. No French restaurants that we can find--except for the cafes. But the pasta was warm and good!

The most entertaining part of Tuesday was that Jim had to pay to use the bathroom. It was like a store...seriously...and you had to pay 1 euro to utilize the facilities. Paris is not cheap!

Until next time...

Where does the time go...

2010-02-20T20:05:00.001-08:00

No clue where the time goes.

Zane is almost one year old. Only twelve more days and my baby will be one! How does that happen? I blinked my eyes and another year flew by! Even more astonishing is my surrogate nephew, Kole, is going to be SIX in the beginning of March. HOW? Crazy. For sure.

So, in honor of Zane's first birthday, I tortured my poor children with a trip to the portrait studio. Usually we go to Kiddie Kandids. However, the Kiddie Kandids in our mall closed...There one day and gone the next. I was totally astonished that it closed because I was pretty sure that I alone provided enough revenue for them. Apparently I didn't and Kiddie Kandids has filed for bankruptcy. Bummer.

I asked a friend for a referral and went to Portrait_Innovations. We had a great experience. They shot a ton of pictures (ALL of them are in an album on my Facebook page) and we bought a TON of pictures. The kids did great and overall I was very pleased with our appointment and how it all turned out.

You can see in Zane' picture he is still my "vampire" baby. But, it won't last too much longer as one of his front teeth is coming in.

In other news, Jim and I are quickly approaching our trip to Europe. We are defiinitely excited, and a little nervous to be venturing to another country. But what an adventure! I just hope I won't miss my boys too much..I know they won't miss us too much!

My Vampire Baby

2010-01-03T12:59:00.001-08:00

I know the whole Twilight series is popular right now.

In fact, I am pretty infatuated with the books and movies myself.

However, Zane has take this whole "vampire" thing to a whole new level.

In October, Zane got his first tooth. Right, front, bottom. So cute.

The next tooth came in right next to it. We were joking about Zane asking for his two top front teeth for Christmas. Sure enough right around Christmas I felt some more teeth coming in. But they were not where I expected them to be. Can you see them?

Look closely! Now you see why he is the "vampire" baby?

Luckily he seems to be limiting his diet to plastic toys right now...

Speechless

2009-11-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

I had a customer come in today for the H1N1 vaccine. Yes I have it in stock and no you can't have it. Unless you are in a priority group.

She was 18 weeks pregnant. Pregnant women are at high risk for complications so are in the priority group for receiving this vaccine. She said she had been going back and forth trying to decide if she should get the vaccine at all but finally decided that having a baby with autism was better than having a miscarriage. WHAT? Okay. Now I was beginning to understand. She was one of those...

Those? The ones who believe that vaccines are the root of all evil. That vaccines cause autism... Even though you can read on the CDC website and the FDA websites that several studies have been conducted and do not show an association between vaccines and autism. The FDA protects people. Keeps them safe from potentially harmful substances. They are not for promoting drugs--but for safety and health. I have a hard time believing that if studies were truly showing that vaccines may be responsible for autism that something wouldn't be done.

I don't want to downplay the importance of autism awareness and how serious autism can be. So, instead of arguing with this patient, I let her express her opinion and kind of kept my mouth shut.

So, as I was starting to give her the shot, she tells me she is afraid of needles. Which is why she had two kids without an epidural. I said, "Good for you! "

She said, "Yes, it was good. Epidurals just slow everything down. It was great!"

I smiled and said that I had had 2 c-sections. She said, "Oh, I'm sorry."

Sorry? Seriously? That was kind of offensive. Just because my labors didn't fall into her "Labor Plan" doesn't mean that they were any less miraculous or wonderful. I said that it didn't matter as long as my kids were healthy. I think she agreed with me. Maybe not...

I was kind of speechless after that.

Toilet Training Tribulations and Triumphs

2009-10-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

I think we have done it. We have found the right bribe.

We have been having issues with our stubborn-if -it- isn't- my- idea -it -I -am- not -doing- it- three year old and potty training. He just was refusing. When we took him for his 3 year old well check, the doctor said to give him a little time and try again. She suggested that even though we had tried different incentives maybe we hadn't touched on the right one...Well, I think we found it.

They were going to be discussing pets at preschool so they were asked to bring in a picture of a pet they had or a pet they wanted. Since there are NO pets in my house, my Mom helped Cade pick a pet he would like. Cade decided he wanted a fish. A goldfish like Dorothy, Elmo's fish. **LIGHT BULB!**

Cade was told he was not allowed to go back to school in pull-ups. He was not supposed to be wearing them, so when the teacher noticed them, we got a phone call. But Cade loves school and was doing well. Didn't want to pull him out over potty training--especially when he knew how to do it. So the bribe...the fish.

We bought a fish tank, rocks, plants, and little figures. We bought fish food. Every day that Cade was dry, he got another piece to his tank. He knows that when the tank is all ready, he gets his fish. We have had NO accidents. Amazing. We found the right bribe. We are still working on number two, but, one step at a time... WOO HOO!

Speaking of well check appointments, Cade weighed in at 43 pounds and 41 inches tall! In the 99th% for height and weight. Zane was over 17 pounds. He gained 5 pounds in the last two months. Guess he had some catching up to do! He went from being in the 5th % for weight to the 50th%. Now he is right where he should be. Happy, chubby, healthy. Love it.

Pictures--Cade 3 years, Zane 6 months

2009-08-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

I have a blog?

2009-08-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Wow. I almost forgot I had a blog... But, since I did remember, you can now suffer through my long overdue--and possibly long-winded update.

We were honored with a visit from our friend's the Peterson's for Cade's 3rd birthday. It was so much fun to have them here. Swimming, eating, drinking, card playing...it was wonderful. Cade LOVED having two boys to play with. They hunted dragons and bad guys with a strange assortment of weapons (foam swords, drum sticks, spatulas)... You can check out Jaime's account of their visit here. One of the best things we did was take the boys to Ridemakerz. It is like a grown up version of Build-a-Bear. Instead of making teddy bears, you make cool cars or trucks. Cade and Kole made the same truck--same color. I think the Dads had just as much fun as the little boys!

Cade turned three on August 17th! I am not sure how my baby boy is three. Is it really possible? Apparently it is. We had a fun party at Peter Piper Pizza. Backyardigan themed. For those of you who don't know who the Backyardigans are, well, no loss there! Cade had a great time and I didn't have a house to clean up! It was a win-win situation!

The weekend after Cade's birthday, we took a quick trip to California to go to Legoland. My parents came with us and we all piled in their car for the long drive. My two boys did very well considering we were on the road for about 7 hours each way. Cade liked Legoland. He loved driving the cars--but was NOT thrilled that he ended up on a roller coaster with me. It was pretty tame, but he said it was "scary, scary, scary, scary, scary". Most kids think it was fun after the fact, but Cade will NOT say that it was fun. Maybe in a few years...On Sunday we went to Sea Life. Cade loved the fish and Zane enjoyed them, too.

Cade started preschool. He is doing well--or he did in the first week. He seems to enjoy it!Of course, to be in preschool, he is supposed to be fully potty trained. However, that seems to be an issue for us. Cade understands the concept. He can even execute the concept when forced. But, the key word is forced. It is a full out raging battle to get Cade to go to the bathroom. I actually found an article on line about potty training REFUSAL. It isn't that he isn't capable, it is a power struggle. So, the recommendation was that you make the child in charge. WHAT? That is exactly what he wants. So, Cade is back in pull-ups for now. At least until we come back from vacation and see his pediatrician for his 3 year well check. Maybe we can get some good advice then.
After our trip, Zane will go for his six month well check. He has grown so much! He actually has rolls on his legs! He was sooo skinny for such a long time, that he has plumped up in like the last 6 weeks. He went from weighing 12 lbs 5 oz on 7/13 to over 16 pounds tonight! He had some catching up to do and he has done it! Zane has mastered rolling over to his tummy--but hasn't quite mastered rolling back over on his back. So, several times a night he cries because he is stuck. Great fun!
We leave for Hawaii soon! I can NOT wait. The long plane ride with two kids isn't as exciting, but the destination is well worth the travel. Maui here we come!

A picture worth a thousand words...

2009-08-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

I just had to share some images I took with my phone. Therefore the quality of the pics are lacking, however, they get the point across.

This is the clock in my car. This was at night.

This is a picture of the temperature reading on my rear view mirror at that time of night.

Yes, you are seeing it correctly. It was still 104 degrees at almost 10:00pm. Lovely, isn't it?

The second set of pics are a list I found in my house. When we learned that my Grandfather was very ill, my mother and I flew out to NY and took Zane with us. That left Jim and my Dad in charge of Cade, and my nephews, Brandon and Gabe who were visiting.

Brandon and Gabe stayed the night with Jim before they left to join us in NY. Jim, as I similarly do, made a note of things they needed to grab before walking out the door.

Do you see what I found funny?

Jim explained that the note was for Gabe's Nintendo DS. Not for Gabe himself. I am glad that Jim didn't really need a note to remember one of the kids...

He

2009-07-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

He was larger than life...

Even after his life was over.

He was a pillar of the community,

A judge that was fair and just.

He was a man that loved fully and faithfully

With no regard for the boundaries of this physical earth.

He was a believer.

One who shared his faith through his words and actions.

He was a family man

Whose family included more than those with blood ties.

He was a humanitarian

Who helped anyone in need by providing a warm smile, a firm hand squeeze, knowledgeable advice, or the items they lacked.

He loved to make other people smile

Even if it took corny jokes to induce those smiles.

He was an amazing man.

He was my Grandfather.

2009-07-17T21:39:00.001-07:00

Play Bejeweled! But Don't Beat me!

2009-06-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

What has kept me away from blogging?

Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook. There is a monster competition going on between my brothers and I. Well, it was initially just my brothers and I...now my mom is involved. And she keeps pulling ahead of me!

Books. I haven't read a book in so long. Having young kids means that I read more "Hungry Caterpillar" than any adult books. But, when Jim had his surgery, I had some time in the waiting room to start a book. I read, "The Shack" by William Young. It was an amazing book with such insights and explanations that opened my eyes. It was wonderful. So wonderful, I think that book needs a post of its own. Totally excited by reading a book again, I jumped right in to another. I read a book about the Columbine tragedy. It was an interesting book that dispelled a lot of incorrect beliefs I had about what had happened. Then, I started the Twilight series. Ohhhh...I am enjoying them immensely. I am on the second book. Wish I had more time to read.

Kids. Zane is flourishing. Sleeping pretty well at night and gaining weight finally! Tonight our scale said he was 12 pounds. Because he has gained so much weight, we had to go back to the GI doc to increase his Omeprazole for the stomach acid. He is much happier now that his meds have been adjusted. He will go for his four month check up next week. Cade is doing well, but seems to be having a little trouble with jealousy of his brother. Cade occasionally wants to "be the baby" and asks to be fed a bottle or pretends to have a pacifier. We are trying trying trying to potty train, but with little success. He is figuring it out, but...

Work. I am bummed out that I am being kicked out of my store and having to move to Sun City. The store isn't bad--slow, but I will survive. I will just miss my coworkers and my customers who I have known for over 5 years. Change is tough. But, I will continue my one day a week work schedule which is great.
Kim. Kim was here for a week visiting. What an awesome time we had drinking and just hanging out. We shopped and ate and went to the spa... We just generally had fun enjoying each other's company. Well, I enjoyed it anyway...you would have to ask Kim if she had fun. I hope so.

So, I have a new masthead up and a current blog. That's a start, isn't it?

If You Understood, You Would Understand...

2009-06-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

That statement was spoken by my husband.

"If you understood, you would understand." After mocking him for several moments regarding this seemingly un-profound statement, I realized that although it sounded meaningless, it held great meaning.

Jim was referring to his post hernia surgery pain. He had two hernias repaired a week ago and has been suffering ever since. He has an incision above his belly button and one in the groin area. He says the incisions are not really what hurt, but the groin. As he said, it "feels like someone is using his groin for a punching bag." Any men reading this are probably wincing and sympathizing with Jim. As a female, I am trying to be compassionate and understanding, but I have different anatomy that doesn't allow me to understand 100% what he is feeling. I was picking on him for whining for a week and he said..."If you understood, you would understand."

But there are two sides to every story. Jim has been miserable the whole last week and so have I pretty much. On Monday and Tuesday Jim was basically helpless. So, I had THREE babies. It has been a rough week being a single parent (but thank goodness for the family support of both of our parents). I have been trying to contain my resentment but it bubbled forth a couple of times. I just kept thinking of my two c-sections. I had my abdomen cut open and a baby pulled out and my "recovery" period included no sleep and feeding a crying baby every two hours. Jim, on the other hand, had no cares other than himself. I was angry and hated that I was angry. In trying to explain this to Jim, all I could think to say was, "If you understood, you would understand."

Makes sense, right?

Catch-up

2009-06-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have been long gone, but finally a few minutes to get on blogger! Not much to say, but pictures galore!

Mr. Zane smiles all the time. He is such a cutie!

After a bath, I was combing Zane's hair and fell in love with his perfect swirl on the back of his head. Picture worthy!

Cade loves to help give Zane a bath!

Dad, Jim, and Cade spent a morning trimming our two fruit trees. You can see Cade shooting the fallen grapefruit into the trash can.

Not much else going on except for Jim is recovering from his hernia surgery. Pretty sore and miserable, but getting better each day! Luckily he doesn't have to back to work for a couple of weeks.

HI HO! HI HO! It's off to work I go...

2009-06-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is it. The day I return to work.

When I whined to my older brother I was basically told "boo freakin' hoo" and to suck it up. Gotta love the support family gives you.

I did have to point out to him, however, that I have not been on vacation. Maternity leave is harder, I believe, than being at work. But the satisfaction is greater. So while I haven't been sunbathing on the beach in Hawaii (I CAN NOT WAIT FOR SEPTEMBER) I have been able to spend some precious time with my kiddos.

I am very lucky as I am only going back to work 12 hours a week, which means one long day a week and I am done. I am VERY lucky that my parents, my mom especially, are willing to be our daycare providers. Leaving your baby is never easy, but much easier knowing that the caretaker loves him.

And for those of you who care or notice, I am aware that my masthead has not been updated for June. I was half tempted to keep the same one and just put June on it, but I decided that was WAY lamer than being a few days late with a new one. Hang in there. June's will be up sometime before....July :-)

We're Growing!

2009-05-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Zane turned 12 weeks old yesterday.

He is now 10 pounds and smiling! What a sweetheart!

Short and Sweet

2009-05-25T21:18:00.001-07:00

Well, y'all agreed that for the time being I could get away with short, unimaginative posts--as long as they contain pictures.

Let's just say that it is a good thing we have air conditioning since this is the way Zane likes to sleep. All bundled up. I have a theory on that. When Zane was in the NICU at birth and PICU at two weeks, the nurses/doctors would swaddle Zane when they were done poking and prodding him. I think Zane associates swaddling with a break from needles, medicine, respiratory therapy, etc. Of course, it could just be that he is a baby. And lots of babies like to be swaddled. Doesn't really matter. Looks like a sleeping angel either way.

Just Not Feelin' It

2009-05-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't been around the blogging world much lately.

I could blame it on my crazy two year old, or my needy newborn. And while both excuses are valid and true, it isn't the whole story. I am just not feeling very creative or interesting lately. I guess what it comes down to is the fact that I am NOT interesting lately. I have said before that boring is good. Means no drama is going. However, it also means that I am boring. And boring, is, well, boring. See, I am boring you already.

So enough about boring me. I will just torment you with more pictures.

Here is Zane--getting bigger each day and so happy and alert--especially in the morning!

My friend's daughter came over to play this morning. Cade really likes Zoie but is usually very quiet around her. Not today! He was in his house, so must have felt more comfortable. That and he is finally reaching an age where you play WITH other kids, not just NEXT to them.

Here is Cade and Zoie sharing a chair--because why sit by yourself?

Cade and Zoie decided to take the toys out of the coffee table--not to play with them, but to make room so they could climb in. Who needs toys when you have fun furniture?!

Six Word Story

2009-05-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

In church today our pastor talked a little bit about Ernest Hemingway and how he was challenged to write a story in six words that would tell the whole story.

Hemingway said he could do it... His story:

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

I think Hemingway succeeded in creating an amazing story with depth and feeling in six tiny words.

If you search the web, you can find lots of people who have written these "short stories". Some fact, some fiction...and many very personal.

The favorite one I found: "Not quite what I was planning!"

Our pastor challenged us to write one for our Mom's since it is Mother's Day.

My story for my mom:

"I could never thank you enough."

Anyone else up to the challenge? Leave me a comment with a six word story regarding your mom or mother figure!

Have to Share

2009-05-10T20:26:00.001-07:00

I know I am biased, but I think my kids are cute.

Therefore, I must torture all of you with pictures--and lots of them. I apologize for that, but am aware it can not be helped!

What's New

2009-05-05T22:09:00.001-07:00

There are just not enough hours in the day.

Especially if you have house guests. House guests that make you stay up until all hours of the night drinking. It was fun, but it left me exhausted and no time to blog! So here is the deal in a few short words.

Zane's baptism went really well. He didn't cry at all!
Cade thought his role for the baptism was to pose like a diva on the stairs to the altar.
Josh makes me drink way too much.
I miss everybody already.
We are going to see Dave Matthew's Band tomorrow night. Hopefully I won't fall asleep and will really enjoy the night out with Jim and my parents!

Well, that is it in a nutshell. Enjoy the slide show in the previous post!

2009-05-05T21:42:00.001-07:00

All's Quiet

2009-04-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

I love to say that. Love even more to experience that.

Cade is sound asleep in his bed. Zane is sound asleep in his bed. Cade will hopefully be asleep until at least 6:30 tomorrow morning and Zane, well, hopefully until 10:00pm when he will want to eat again.

Tomorrow my older brother Josh is coming into town. Cade is sad that Brandon and Gabe won't be with him, but he is excited nonetheless to "rock out" with Uncle Josh. Cade will tell you that Uncle Josh is coming for "baptize". To put water on Zane's head. Not Caden's.

Many other friends and family are coming in for this special occasion. My Aunt Sue from New York, Jim's sister from Tennessee, my brother, Jeremy and his wife, Jenae who have agreed to be Zane's Godparents and Jenae's parents from California.

It is going to be a fun time--surrounding an important, blessed event!

Good For Something

2009-04-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Cade has now had two big attempts at potty training in underwear.

Neither one went really well, but we will get there eventually. In the meantime Cade has found a new use for his underwear. Accessories for all! Bracelets and head wear!

Medical Bills

2009-04-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

The cost of health:

Ambulance ride to John C. Lincoln: $875.00
John C. Lincoln: $4,302.00
X-Ray: $200.00
Doctor services at John C. Lincoln: $920.00
Ambulance ride to St. Joes: 974.00
ICU Stay at St. Joes: $20,333

PCP visits for GI Issues: $260.00
Lab work: $200.00
Ultrasound: $625.00
GI Specialist: $570.83
Prescription: $70.00/month
New formula: $28.99/can

Having a healthy, happy baby: PRICELESS

(Having insurance so we have only paid about $500 of this: Priceless!)

Rejection

2009-04-20T20:49:00.001-07:00

I know. That title seems unbelievable, right?

I mean, who would want to reject ME?

Apparently my own child.

After Zane was born, my parents and in-laws have been very generous and take Cade for a while so that all I have to do is focus on Zane. It has been nice to have some bonding time alone with my new baby and Cade basks in the attention from his grandparents.

I decided that I needed some time with my older son, too. To make sure he still felt loved and cared for by me--who has lately had to devote more of my time to his brother. So, I asked my parents to watch Zane for an hour or so tonight so Cade and I could do something fun. We got to my parent's house and Cade was ecstatic to be there. So much so that he didn't want to do ANYTHING with me. I couldn't even bribe him with the toy store. He volunteered his Granddad to go to the store with me and he was going to stay home with Nana and Baby Zane. Only after 20 minutes of playing outside with Granddad and me promising him pancakes at Cracker Barrel did he finally agree to go with me. I have never felt the sting of rejection like I did tonight.

We had a good time. It was really nice to have some one-on-one time with Cade. I think he liked it, too...once I got him in the car.