Christmas is around the corner along with the end of a great year & fresh new beginning!

Wow, is it really Christmas time, already? Last year I had a two month old, who barely stayed awake from more than a 20 to 30 minute stretch at a time and slept for hours straight. Christmas last year was a lot more fun for Sean and I then it was for Michael. It was so special because it was our first Christmas as a family. It was a beautiful time and one I will always remember. This year has been fun. Just because I witnessed my son's every move and stage and that was AMAZING. We didn't get to do all the things the Gandy's usually do but next year I think the story will change. We were only able to go camping one time and that was at the end of September and we had to call it quits because it was sooooo cold and rainy. Michael was completely bundled up and miserable. Last year I was looking so forward to 2010 but things didn't work out the way we had hoped. We have big plans for 2011 and we are looking forward to that. When things are fully set it stone I will blog about it but right now it's still in the works. 2011 is definitely bringing us a new gift, one we were not planning on but are excited about and that's a new little baby. We are not going to find out what we are having. This was completely unplanned and what a surprise it was when we found out so I think I am going to leave this baby as a surprise. I have a girl name picked out but we are pulling our hair out for a boy name but we have plenty of time to figure it out. I am happy where our family is at and that we are solid. Life is crazy but it's a ride we have to enjoy. I am looking ahead with my family and excited!

Round 2

Surprise Surprise. The Gandy Family is expecting a new little bundle of joy around July 19, 2011. Right now I am a week shy of 2 months. This was definitely unexpected and NOT planned at all. I was extremely weary at first and my husband held me and said "Hun, we're going to be ok. We are having another BABY!" That alone brought the focus back to babe #2 and I have slowly each day accepted it more and more but I'm still not quite 100%. I am still in utter shock. My focus is solely on Michael and it's hard to think that soon there will be 2 of them. When I was pregnant was Michael. That's all I could think about everyday was the miracle growing inside me. I took every step I could to take care of myself for my baby's sake. So far I have been taking my prenatels but haven't been what some would call dedicated to this pregnancy. I am not drinking my water like I should but am trying to jump on that bandwagon. Hopefully soon, my baby brain will sink in, and I will become super excited, but for now I am happy and to be honest scared but like my dad said all we can do is take it one day at a time, so for now, that's what I am going to do.

What a Cutie, Not LION

For Halloween Michael was a Lion. I found his costume at Once Upon a Child and fell in Love with it. Once I had it one\ him I knew that was the outfit. His smile and his shy attitude was just priceless with his costume on. On Halloween I worked all day but My mom was able to swing by and see the little lion. Sean took Michael to the mall later on and walked around and Michael got to see tons of kids in costume. Later on they went to the park and Michael got to run around for a while. We were hoping to go to Woodland to visit my aunt after I got off from work but that didn't happen so we just played the rest of the night at home.

I know it doesn't count but....................

 

Why shouldn't it? October 29 marked the day that my hubby and I met. We were introduced through a co-workers daughter. We chatted on the phone for a while until one day we decided to see how meeting would go. October 29, 2010 marked us being together for four years now and I can hardly believe it has already been that long. If we never would have met we would have never gotten married so I think it is a day to still celebrate and remember. After being together for almost 2 years we tied the knot and 2 years after that we have a one year old together. It's amazing where life brings you. Wonder where the next 4 years is gonna take us?

Missing Newport

I am baking pumpkin bread right now and yes my house smells heavenly. It brings back memories of my in laws place in Newport and how much I miss it there. We haven't been up there since we were freshly married so its been well over two years. *SIGH* I hope we can save up enough money and find the time to drive out there and visit for a week. This time of the year is so beautiful to. The snow should be falling soon and it just turns into a winter wonderland and amazing snow playground.

We take the quads and race around the property and sometimes drive down to the mountain and go exploring. It's not just the snow. Its the smell in the air. The freshness, and cleanliness, the bliss of taking a deep breath of feeling like you just took your first breath. You just don't realize how much the city air is bad until you in the middle of nowhere with hardly any cars or people and its just pure. And the SKY it's like being in a spaceship and looking out the window in space. It is so clear and the stars are everywhere. It's like they were just dumped out and just flooded the sky. Its amazing. Oh and the wildlife. You can be sitting on the porch freezin your butt off and the most beautiful dear will come up on the property.

In the background you can hear bears and elk but I have yet to see them yet. I hope hope hope we can get out there not only for us but for Michael as well. He needs to know what country feels like and what it looks like. He also needs to see his grandparents. Hopefully another adventure northeast awaits us soon!

Cleaning out my(his) closet

Finally, Today I got to Michael's room. FINALLY. I have been pushing it off BIG TIME. Since he was born I have been really good at keeping up with his clothes but I have been in a slump and don't want to touch his never ending pile of clothes. Well today I DID IT. I rearranged his room. We live in a triplex and recently got new neighbors and I didn't want his crib on the wall next to their room. He sometimes cries at night when he doesn't want to go to bed. Well back to the clothes. I hung all his shirts and jackets up. Got his socks matched together and put away, bibs hung up, pants put in drawers, etc. I also managed to sort through all his summer clothes and go through everything that wouldn't be used, or no longer fit. I made two piles. One for keeps, and one to take to the consignment shop. I was really proud of myself for getting rid of as much as I did. I am really REALLY bad at keeping things because of sentimental value. I have tried so hard to weed things out, and in time, I eventually get rid of something, but it does take a while. With Michael's cloths especially I am super attached. Its like I flash back to the first time he wore the specific outfit, or what special outing we took in that outfit. I had to sit there and say THESE ARE JUST CLOTHES! So with that frame of mind I stuck to my guns and weeded out the unused and unwanted. I kept some being they were good clothes, expensive clothes, and unisex clothing. Michael was a blessing and we plan on having another someday. And if we don't I can always get rid of them then. But for now My son's room looks normal again and I am very happy I made the progress I did. Lets just keep our fingers crossed it stays that way, haha "wishful thinking" 

Burnt Popcorn

Today at one of my clients house while washing dished I started to smell burnt popcorn. My heart started racing. The smell became more and more overwhelming and I couldn't help but panic. Let my explain why. Before I knew I was pregnant with Michael, this was my very first symptom of pregnancy, the smell of burnt popcorn EVERYWHERE. So you can only imagine what this smell was doing to my mental state, haha. I nervously said my clients name and told her I was going to ask her a question and it may sound odd. She was curious and said "Yea?" I then asked her if by chance she had made any popcorn earlier and maybe have burned it?

 pause......pause.....pause

.......................PANIC PANIC PANIC...........................

"Yea I made popcorn earlier and it did burn, I've got it right here with me"

I had an AWWWWW like the sky had cleared & light just shown down on me alone kind of moment.

 "Whew what a relief" My client asked me why I was so nervous about asking her about the popcorn and I filled her in on the story. She said "Well I can tell you I have burnt popcorn but as far as the other thing, I have no idea." I laughed and said "I think we just need to leave it that you have burnt popcorn, haha". 

Burnt popcorn. It will forever linger in my senses.

Letters to God

Today I was able to watch a very touching true story. It was about a little boy that was 8 years old that had developed brain cancer. The whole point of sharing his story was this little boys out put on life. Nothing was negative and even the worst questions like why me, were taken with a grain of salt. There was a point in the movie where the little boy was sung to by his older brother that had written a song about him. This was the point in the movie that really brought his story to a sea of emotions for me. I'd like to share the lyrics to that song.

I look at your smiling face,

Your so weak, yet you have such strength,

You take a glance around this place,

You make the best of everything

You give me hope, in spite of everything,

You show me love, even with so much pain

So I'll take this life and live like I was given another try

We laugh, we cry

Sometimes we're broken and we don't know why,

I'm tired and I lose my way,

you help me find faith, oOo

You give me hope, in spite of everything,

You show me love, even with so much pain

So I'll take this life and live like I was given another try

Just give me another try

You give me hope, in spite of everything,

You show me love, even with so much pain

So I'll take this life and live like I was given another try

You give me hope, in spite of everything,

You show me love, even with so much pain

So I'll take this life and live like I was given another try

Just give me another try

Just give me another try

The opening lyrics really hit home. It reminded me of my grandmother who died from cancer. She had suffered for years from numerous cancers and I had no idea. She never showed that she hurt. She always smiled and was the most alive and upbeat person I have ever known. Her outlook on life is what motivates me. Some days my motivation is gone and watching this story, kinda rekindled that flame. It just reminds me to be happy, to not sweat the small stuff. Don't care about whats going on other peoples lives and just live my own, to be happy, and most importantly

I find it so inspiring that the little boy was able to inspire so many people by writing a simple letter, to god. That he helped so many people with just a smile.

That he continues to leave a message even in death. 

Thank you Tyler, you give me hope

One Year

Well, Today has finally arrived. Today my little baby turned 1. ONE, I can hardly wrap my mind around that. It's crazy how fast life is. Well to celebrate my little guys 1st birthday we started off with a morning surprise. Daddy couldn't be here( he was on the road).I woke him up to his favorite sprout version of Happy Birthday. He loves the part where we sing, your good to grow, so count the candles and blow, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, TO YOU, TO YOU! He had the biggest grin on his face.

Once he got up and ready we snuck through the hallway and I made sure to go really slow. He peaked his head around the corner and was curious and I asked him what that was and he looked at me and SMILED. Surprise. The living room was decorated and he was greeted with new toys to play with. He was so excited.

 I had placed all the toys in one area and he kept his eye on the corn popper and was really animate about getting to that toy, haha. I let him play for a while then got him dressed and fed him lunch. We went out to the car and I switched his car seat to face forward(which he does not like at all)

 and drove over to my moms and visited and we got back into the car to head to ester short park to play on the playground but as soon as I got there and looked back and little man was fast asleep. So instead of going home, I drove for a little bit to let the little man get his rest, and then we drove to my brothers work to visit. After that we drove to the dog, skate, playground park to play. Michael enjoyed the swing.

 We then tried to go for a walk through the park but Michael kept stopping to Pick up every single dead leaf. Haha. We just kept going in circles.

 We left the park and drove back to my moms to pick her up and we went over to Jantzen Beach to ride the carousel.

(The exact moment he turned ONE)

 Michael LOVED it. He was squealing and laughing and just had a blast. My mom and I on the other hand got super dizzy standing there. I never realized how fast the darn thing went.

 After the carousel we went to babies r us where Michael got a birthday balloon and crown and rode on small ride by the front doors.

 We dropped mom off at home and then went back home so Michael could have his birthday cupcake which was chocolate with orange frosting(terrible idea).

 Michael dove in and just gobbled the cupcake right up. It was everywhere. He grabbed a big handful of frosting and smashed it between his hands and it oozed out the top and plopped into his lap where he preceded to try and grab the glob thus smearing it all over his belly, legs, and everywhere else. Haha.



After he looked like he was going to go in sugar overload and picked him up and carried him away from me as if he was covered in some nuclear chemical and put him in the bath tub. The orange frosting just got wet and kinda melted into everything in the tub. WONDERFUL. haha. Got little man dressed and drove over to our friend Nikki's to visit her and her bouncy girls. All in all I think Michael had a great first birthday and one we will remember. I am looking forward to Saturday for his party!

11 months!

Michael, my sweet, sweet Michael. My have he grown quickly. Too quickly. Michael is almost 1 year. It's hard to believe. This has been the most exciting year of my life. Every day has been a new adventure and my how much has the little one learned. It's amazing. It's almost like you can watch their mind working on trying to figure out how to do something new. Michael is walking all over the place and it really is funny to watch. He reminds me a lot of a drunken sailor. He uses his right hand for balance so it's always in a fist and held up at his side and the left arm just flails away as he walks to wherever he wants to go. We are still in a size 4 diaper. I thought about switching him to a 5 because I don't like things to fit just right, to me just right, is just to snug so I like things to be a little loose. Well I tried out a size fit and instead of being a little loose Michael went for a swim so I decided to hold off on the 5 for a while. Michael is in 18 to 24 months size clothes, 24 months/2T. He hates drinking water on his own but if it's from my bottle or from my glass with ice he's right there gulping it down. I have been a nervous ninny with introducing real food to Michael. For some reason I just don't want to cause havoc in his tummy until after he's a year old. I want to make sure his system is ready, well I wanted to anyways. My hubby's parents were here visiting for about a week and well, Michael tried a lot of different things. Not only because of my in laws, but because I thought, well what's it going to hurt, a little of this and a little of that. Well a little of this and that caused a lot of gas in the little ones tummy and I couldn't figure out what was wrong until it just finally dawned on me. I haven't had to deal with his gas issue since he was 3 months old. Not much has really changed from him turning 10 months to 11 months except we are off the bottle, and he's walking. My next post with be the big 1, literally!

Costco

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Costco? Well I do. I love the prices and the value. I also don't understand why I wasn't a member before Michael came along lol. Diapers are sooo much cheaper at Costco, and you get sooo much more. The number one reason I love Costco is because of their formula. For 10 months of Michael's life I was a stay at home mommy meaning we were a one income only family trying to support 3. I don't know about you but I sure couldn't afford a 30 dollar can of formula on my own. A friend told me about the Kirkland brand and they were the same, so I compared and for the most part they were. So for 20 bucks I got 2 cans of formula instead of paying 25 for just 1. Michael has been on the Kirkland brand his entire life except the one month we were out in Ohio (my aunt brought me enfamil ). I think Kirkland is right up there with the name brand stuff. My only guff is that the kirkland formulas powder is a little thick compared to the similac or enfamil power. Those ones are super fine and don't fome up the bottle, but other than that, I think its great. And I haven't gone down to wic to try and apply for that, because then I know I would get coupons for the more expensive name brand stuff, and I know that I can get by, and that there are more needy people out there than me. Anyway I am going off into a whole different subject. So it's getting to be birthday/holiday/fall/winter season so toys and coats are out for purchase. I knew we were going to have to get Michael a coat and I have been looking at the used baby clothes stores but wasn't really finding anything that I liked or didn't think it was a good deal. Well let me tell you. We went to Costco and my hubby picked up this really nice red jacket and it was only 20 bucks! I was like I like that one, but then I saw a darker blue with some thin black stripes and really liked that one so we ended up getting this thick terrific winter jacket for 20 bucks. I walked around and started talking with my hubby that the jacket was going to be great for really cold days but wouldn't it be to much for not so cold days. My hubby agreed and we ended up finding a carters reversible jacket for 17 bucks! Man it feels like winning the lottery, haha, I know its sad, but when your on a budget and can't afford a whole lot and find great things like this, you get excited, what can I say? Anyways so we got the two jackets, and of coarse I still looked around and found mittens! These cute black mittens, with the softest lining. I had to have those to. 11 bucks. Good deal. I know this is a ramble but I was just feeling happy about my find and wanted to share.

~Excitment in the air~

Bear with me, this post is a bit of a ramble *Sigh* A little over a month, Michael will be one, ONE! Holy moly where has this year gone? For months I have been dreading this, because my baby will no longer be a baby but a little boy. I can however say that the dread has gone away and my excitement has come full force. I am so excited for his big day. So excited to relive my memories of the day he blessed us. I am so excited for his first birthday. The planning and trying to figure out what to do and where to have it. Today I finally got some things ordered and where we are having his party booked. I wish we could just do it at our house but we hardly survive in here let alone a whole truckload of people.

I took Michael to Cafe' Sip N Play today and met another mommy who had a 9 month old. Michael and him played and it was super cute to watch. They would both squeal with excitement and then their arms would start flying and the smiles, oh the smiles :) But besides that, haha, off track there, another mommy came in with her little girl and then I saw the car seat she was carrying with the most precious cargo, a newborn, ahhhh. Now usually my heart aches because of how much I miss Michael being so small and how much I wish I would have wrapped myself into that stage more, not that I already wasn't, but just enjoying and remembering every moment. Well today my heart didn't twist, my throat didn't dry up, and I didn't get choked up, instead I thought isn't she adorable? looked at Michael and said "That's what you used to look like, so tiny, but your a big boy now, your almost 1!" I was so proud of myself for being able to stand my ground and not emotionally break down seeing a "newbie" I know I am not the only one in the world who feels like this I am sure, and I am surprised at how many people can control these feelings of wanting another "little one" until they know the time is right and not just having one to handle their feelings.

So anyways the planning is officially started, the date and time is set! Now just got to gather decorations, and figure out if I want to attempt to make Michael his first cake or have someone make it for me, and then presents, ahhh what do I get the little one. He loves to make noise and loves to dance and loves to push things around and LOVES TO BOUNCE, is there a gift that combines all those into one, maybe two? I may sound crazy but I want my son to have it all, to enjoy life, and I know that he doesn't need presents to be happy, but I want him to look back when he's older and say my mom really cared about my happiness, just thinking about it warms my heart :) Ok I'm done rambling my odd thoughts

Say Wha???????

Michael cracks me up, and I mean really cracks me up. I have said that he talks and talks and when he opens that mouth you better be listening, cause it's serious and important :) My brother watched the little man while I was at work today and when I returned the little munchkin was asleep on the couch, looking so peaceful. My brother and his girlfriend shared that he had just fallin asleep and that he was very active the entire time. I told him to go on and they both said that he was just non stop talking, that his eye brows would kind of angle when he was on a role, and if they looked away for a second he just got louder like HEY LISTEN TO ME! Haha. I am going to try to record him talkin away so you can share this joy with me. I really wonder whats hes talking about and whats so dog gone important. I look forward to when he is older and those babbles are actual words, that should be exciting.

Friends

I know people with kiddos, but all those kids are older than Michael. He does love being around other kids though. He is so intrigued at what these bigger "little" people do. Lately however I have been wanting to find more people who have babies that are Michael's age, if not a month or so older or a month or so younger. I just want him to know what it's like to be around babies who are on the same level as him. I am not sure where to go to meet mommies with babies. I love going to cafe' sip n' play. Maybe I can figure out a weekly play date with at least one person just so Michael has a buddy. I want more for my son than I had growing up, I just need to put myself out there and meet some mommies!

That lovely baby fever

Every month that goes by, I find myself (and my husband to) missing that newborn stage. One week I will be talking about another baby and my husband is right there to bring me back to reality. Then the next week he will be talking about another one, and I right there to bring him back. It's nice that we balance each other out this way. We want another baby, but know right now is not the time. I would love to lose some weight before another one comes along. Not only for my health, but for Michael as well. I want him to see a mom who has control over her life, and not see a mom who's life is controlled by her weight. I would also love to have more financial stability. Not feel so freaked out everyday about money. If another one happens sooner than getting these goals set, then it happens and we will just have to adjust. But as long as we keep grounding ourselves in "reality" I think we can hold off for a while longer. But for now, looking back at this "Oh so precious moment, and sound" will help keep my baby fever at bay.

Iwo Jima; Notes by PFC. Paul Rodocker

My grandfathers funeral was today. I wasn't able to attend, but to honor his memory I thought I would share a letter he had written to his family during his campaign in Iwo Jima. His letter was published in the 2001 edition of "Veteran's Magazine".

A Zanesville marine on Iwo Jima has written a vivid account of his trip to the island and his battle experience on "The eight square miles of Hell". He is Pfc. Paul Rodocker, whose wife, Margaret, lives with their two children, Mary Margaret and Paul Jeffrey.

February 17, 1945
Please excuse this writing if it is hard to read because I am writing under very poor conditions. I'm on a ship and it seems like we're riding a roller coaster at times. The boat I'm on is headed for a big "party". I guess you know what that means. In this outfit, it means someone is going to get hurt. By the time you get this, the papers will no doubt have all the details for you to read. I can't tell you where we are, but I can say it's a hell of a lot farther from home than I care to be. We have been aboard for over a week now and are really getting the "itch" to put our feet on some solid earth - even if we do have to dig a hole in quite a hurry to enjoy it more and longer.

Ever since I joined the corps, I have wondered how I would feel when this time finally came. I thought I would be unusually nervous and fussy, but I don't believe there was ever a time in my life when I was more calm or composed than I am now. Maybe it's just the lull before the storm. After it's over with I'll let you know it it was or not. All the fellows are taking it good. One would think we were just going out to enjoy a day of deep sea fishing to hear the guys cutting up. Everyone of us knows that a lot of marines are going no further than the beach, but I guess we all figure the same way, that it was probably be some other "Poor Joe" and let it go at that. Anyways, if a guy lets himself dwell too much on that angle, he'd crack in a hurry.

The weather had been treating us rather kindly, but this morning we ran into a few squalls. We sleep out on the open deck and at nights it's quite cool, but wonderful sleeping. The only thing you have to do is keep your fingers crossed that you don't get conked on the head by some heavy object that lets loose with the roll of the ship.

We're eating very good meals/ I can't understand why they are feeding us so well. I know it's not because they like us. Ha! Ha! (We are on a Navy ship). All joking aside though, we got plenty of respect for our navy and without them to protect us while we make the landing, it would be impossible.

While we lie around and wait, we have some nice poker and dice games. When I say nice, I mean if you are lucky enough, you can win yourself enough to buy a home in one afternoon.

February 28Th
Well, gang, here I am back again and the worst is over... I hope! I', well secured in a foxhole while finishing this letter and believe-you-me, in your foxhole is one place it pays to stay. In the daytime it's not so bad, but when night falls you can expect most anything to happen. The first couple nights were really hell and everyone of us thought it would be our last. The damn mortars dropping all around our hole really makes me want to pray. That's where these Japanese really get dividends and they sure take advantage of their skill. We don't consider rifle fire anything, it's the heavy artillery and mortar fire that keeps you sweating.

I'm on Iwo Jima, one of the Volcano islands, very close to Tokyo's front yard. On the end of this island is a volcano. It's mostly black sand and easy to dig but not very good protection once you do get a hole. I sure hope this volcano doesn't start acting up. I'm afraid the Marine Corps couldn't do much about that, but I'll bet you couldn't make the Japanese believe that. The other night, Tokyo Rose said that "Japan didn't declare war on the Marine Corps, anyways she declared war on our Army and Navy." We sure got a laugh out of that one. All joking aside, though, we all know that one is just as important as the other.

I had my hands on lots of things I would like to bring back, but I got so damn much gear of my own that I can't take advantage of the opportunity. Well, gang, hope this find you all OK. When I get home you are going to see one of the most satisfied guys on earth.

Your buddy,
RODIE

_________________________________________________________________

I am more than proud of the man I called my Grandpa. He was a strong man with a delightful personality and a heart made of gold. He loved his family. I am going to miss him but his memory will forever be alive in our hearts.

The time has finally come for you to reunite with grandma, we love you.

Paul V. Rodocker 1918-2010

Paul V. Rodocker, 92 of Zanesville, OH died 7:26 pm Monday, August 16, 2010 at Emeritus at North Hills Zanesville Ohio following a sudden illness.

He was born Tuesday, February 26, 1918 in Martins Ferry Ohio. The son of Robert L. and Clara(Winland) Rodocker.

He was a member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church. He was employed by the Zanesville Mould Company having retired in 1980. He served his country during WWII as a United States Marine in the Pacific Theater where he participated in the Iwo Jima campaign. His military experience was published in the June 29, 2001 edition of the "Veterans Magazine". He was a lifetime member of the VFW. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family, grandchildren, and friends.

Paul is survived by three daughters: Dr. Mary Margaret (Robert) Rodocker-Badame of Palo Alto, CA; Catherine (Dr. William) Martin of Zanesville, OH and Debbie Rodocker of Vancouver, WA; two sons: Paul (Sharon) Rodocker of Pataskala, OH and Stephen (Candy Brooks) Rodocker of Worthington, OH; eleven grandchildren; six great grandchildren with two more on the way and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Paul was preceded in death by his wife: Margaret F. (Greten) Rocdocker who died September 4, 2004, two brothers Otto and Walter, a sister Mary Jane Chaffin;

(HILLIS AND HARDIWCK FUNERAL HOME OBITUARY)

Pit Time

Michael Loves his new ball pit. It came with 20 soft flex balls but when we put them in there it looked so empty Haha. He had to go out and buy some more and Michael has a blast. He has all these toys that makes noise but he is in and out of the ball pit throwing them all over the place!

And the Winner is..............

Nuby No-Spill Sports Sipper! Finally, one the actually works! At least one that works for Michael that is. We have bought literally every single sippy cup brand to see if one worked better than the other. We were at winco and saw a munchkin brand sports sippy and tried that and we were really close with that one. He would use it but the flow was so fast he would get his formula everywhere. We went to wal-mart and found a nuby sports sippy that we had not seen before and tried that and right away Michael took to it no problem. I used it half the day yesterday and he was content with just that, no need for his bottle. Eureka! I went out and bought a couple more today so maybe by tomorrow this little guy will no longer need his bottle! I didn't make my 10 month goal but it looks like we didn't go to far past my imaginary deadline.

10 Months!

Saturday August 14, the little one(although not so little anymore) turned 10 months old! I just can't wrap my mind around this yet, I still see my baby, so new and dependant, but everyday I am realizing that he is curious, & growing more and more independant. I am sure 2 months from now I will be worse off than I am now, I will have a one year old and my gosh, has this been the fastest year of my life. Well here is what Michael is up to at 10 Months.

He is still on the bottle. I had a goal to have him rid of the bottle by this time but it hasn't quite crossed over completly. We try everyday and sometimes he does great and other days he doesn't want anything to do with it. One of these days I am going to put my foot down and not let him have his way, but for right now, as long as he is trying, I can deal with it. We have almost every kind of sippy cup out there to see if he perfers one over the other. He likes the one with the straw but thats hit and miss. There is one that he does great with (more of sportsbottle top) but the flow is so fast it gets everywhere when he drinks, but he's got that one down. The kinds with the spouts he is not interested in AT ALL. He just chews.

Diapers are a size 4 but I have a feeling size 5 will be here sooner than I had thought

Clothes are 18 months and up, we have started going into 2t jammies

Michael eat cereal around noon and jarred baby food in the evening, but I think its time to start feeding him 3x's a day instead of the two. He isn't satisfied like he used to be. He has defently become aware that our food is different than he and he wants it. He always stands next to us while we are eating with his mouth open like a little birdy waiting to be fed. He really like "our" food. He is not a fan of applesauce at all. I thought it was because he has tried the kind with cinnamon but we got the regular stuff and it was the same face "what was that?!?!?!?!? and get it out of my mouth!!!!!!!"

He is almost walking. So close to taking those first steps with no help or support. For two months he has been walking along the couch using both hands and has been using two hands to stand up, but now he's down to one hand and cruising along the couch no problem. He reaches the end and tries to take a step but plops down. We bought him a push walker, @ first he would just stand up, then he would take a step then plop down, then he would take 3 or 4 steps and tip over, but now he pushes that thing all over, and fast.

He has discoverd his hands make noise when he hits things so now he hits everything and just giggles.

He has become more interested in everything else but his toys(stereo wires, shoes"favorite")

He pulls his bib off when he is done eating

Sleeping, has been a challenge. I had it easy the for a while when he slept through the night, but now, he doesn't go to bed until after 11 and wakes up about every 3 hours. He takes multiple short naps through out the day. I know he is waking up because he is hungry, this confirming that I need to start feeding him more fulfilling foods throughout the day.

There is more, but I'll post later.

Plan, Plan, Plan, HOW EXCITING!

So for the past I dunno 5 months all I can think about is how fast the next month comes about and how soon my little man is going to be 1! I swear yesterday I just found I was pregnant and now I almost have a 1 year old? Where did time go! In just a few short day I will have a 10 month old meaning in just 2 even shorter months I will have a 1 year old. I have been trying to figure out where to have his little b-day party. Our place is just much to small and will not do. I have also been trying to think of a theme and pretty sure I figured one out that's completely matches his bright personality. I am excited to start planning for this and saddened by this at the same time. Everyday I remember the day he was born, the day my miracle came, and everyday reminds me how thankful I am to have such a wonderful baby boy in my life. I remember that first minute he was here and how frightened I was that he wasn't breathing and the overwhelming amount of joy I felt when he finally cried. It was amazing and a memory I will cherish forever. I miss those days of little itty bitty fingers and toes, the days where I had to worry about tummy time, but I look forward to those first steps, the first sentence, the first everything from here on out.

It's a new day!

I had an interview this morning. It went really well and she wanted to get me started as soon as possible, so I'm thinking I got the job! I haven't worked in almost two years and its going to be an adjustment getting back into the working field but I think I can manage. Lately I have been super stressed about finances & everything else, and still wanting to go to school. I was almost to the point of dropping out and then this job came about and I think I will still be able to go to school, work, and have money to pay our bills. What a huge stress reliever. I try and take things day by day but I can't do that anymore, not when I have this little innocence that depends on us. Today is a new day, a new beginning, a day I can finally sigh with relief, thank god. I knew he would lead us in the right direction.

2 wonderful years!

Today marks Sean and I's second wedding anniversary. I am still in awe over this fact. Almost 4 years ago I was alone and thought my shining star would never come and then out of no where, it did. Now my skies are lit up for miles with no ending in sight and I am so humbled by this. It still feels like yesterday when we first said hello to one another. Now here we are celebrating two amazingly wonderful years together and with a baby at our side. I am so blessed to have such a strong support and foundation in my life, someone who I can speak my mind to, not have to PRETEND to be anything but myself around, who I can feel beautiful everyday around, to smile and laugh, and live life with everyday around. From the moment we met, to the day we said I do, forever and ever I will always love you. Happy Anniversary Honey!



It starts in my toes
and I crinkle my nose
Wherever it goes I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for a while now
Just take your time
Wherever you go

Sippy Cups

So we have been working on the whole sippy cup thing. It's been a very bumpy road. I don't think the suction in the sippy's we bought work very well or if Michael isn't getting the hang of it. It could be one or the other or it could be both. We have the Nuby sippy cups and the gerber sippy cups. I am wondering if I should stick with these or if I should try a different brand. All I know is that I want to keep my goal of getting him off the bottle at 10 months and right now that goal doesn't look to promising. Anybody have any suggestions for a good sippy cup?

He's 9 months old now!

Our little Munchkin, Bruiser, Little Man, Michael, Dada's boy, whatever you want to call him turned 9 months old on the 14. I took him to his well child check up yesterday and here are the stats.

21 Lbs 4.5 oz & 29 in. Long

Michael has been crawling like crazy. He is super quick. Sometimes you get up to go somewhere and you think that he is across the room and surprise "mama" I'm here, where ya going!

He climbs on everything. He scales the length of the couch and then when he reaches the end he lets go, stands there for a couple seconds, then plop!

~Since crawling he has been falling quite a bit and I have realized I can't run to his rescue every time he falls. Funny thing is, he doesn't really need me. The kids a champ and gets right back up and moves along. That's where he gets his nickname "Bruiser"

He is very talkative and smiles at just about everybody. He growls in this deep voice, and then will get this high pitched voice. He has also learned to scream, but hasn't figured out the right times to do it yet. An example would be that I am in another room and he screams and I come to find that he is just playing with his toys.

He has learned how to give Eskimo kisses, which I LOVE, and it's so cute when he puts his little noise against your face. When I ask him for a kiss its open mouth for a big wet slobbery one. But that's OK. He understands what a kiss is.

This kid Loves BIG OL BEAR HUGS. My dad always did that to me when I was a kid and still continues to do that to this day. I loved it and always wanted to continue that, so I am extremely happy that Michael enjoys the bear hug just as much as I do. He gets the biggest grin on his face and just cracks up which cracks me up.

He has two bottom teeth and is currently cutting two top teeth.

He is in size 4 diapers and 12 and 18 month size clothing.

He claps his hands and loves to make noise.

He dances to music.

I have got to say that this has been my favorite age so far. He is so independent. He is learning and discovering new things everyday which makes me happy and super excited for him.

It's so neat to watch him look at something on the floor, then so delicately with his little hands figure out how to pick it up.

I swear it's in children's genetics to go somewhere they know they are not supposed to go. Like the entertainment center. No matter how many times you pick him up and say that's off limits, he's right back at it.

When he is upset, which is very rare, I say come here, and he is right there. I love it. I love how I pick him up and everything in his world seems to be so much better. This kind of love is amazing and truly unique & stamped to each parent.

Well that's Michael at 9 months. I wonder what he will be like at 10 months?

Bath, Baby, and Bubbles

Bath time is getting to be so much fun now. Michael sits up now, and doesn't throw himself back like he was, so we now have toys in the water. Michael LOVES his toys. He loves his bath time. I love that kid :)

Gate

Michael has been standing since he figured out how to crawl. Everyday he has been more and more adamant about getting to where ever we go. When I am in the Kitchen he wants to be there, so he stands at the gate and either just has a grand ol time playing, or throws a major fit. Today he just wanted to play. Enjoy!

Lewisville

My hubby couldn't be here for my birthday so when he got home we had a late celebration but it was more like a fun day with our little family and friends. We went to Lewisville and had a bar-b-q. While Sean cooked, the kids played, and I caught up my visiting with our friends. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out, the air was warm, and there was a nice cool breeze. The afternoon couldn't have been any better!

(Hubster and I)

(Munchkin and I w/ daddy in the background)

(Cresap & I)

little Man

Karlee and Her Best Bud & Michael with His Best Bud. They adore each other, can't you tell?

24

July 7, my birthday. I am now 24. How do I feel? Blessed. My life has changed so much since I turned 23. It's hard to believe. I have an amazing husband who works very hard to support our family and the most wonderful little man anyone could have ever asked for. I am excited to see where this next year takes me. I have no regrets. Every decision I have made was made for a reason and it was exactly what I wanted at that moment in time. Of coarse I have goals and want to succeed in life and also to become healthier not only for myself but for my family. I want to be around for as long as I can to enjoy every moment I have with my family. I am looking forward and living for today!

Keeping up with Michael

So................The Boy is Crawling, EVERYWHERE. Since crawling has began we have also discovered how to throw a major meltdown, any and every time mommy or daddy leave the room. So now, we are being followed, everywhere, & now live in a barricaded living room. He is also standing on everything. He grabs the couch or the edge of anything and pulls himself up. He did this in his crib the other day so we had to drop his bed down to the last notch. That was hard to grasp. This had to happen on the day I was going to through clothes, weeding out what wasn't fitting, what he wasn't going to wear that did fit because it's too warm, and pulling out all the clothes that we have to grow into. The last of them. I just sat in the chair in the room watching my growing boy and looking at all the clothes we have grown out of. Just taking him in, and wondering where this past 8 months has gone. Seems like yesterday I was screaming at the doctor just to get him out of me and now here we are, 8 months later with a crawling, almost walking(I swear) little boy. I know that is part of life, and he is going to grow no matter what, but right now, one wish I have is for him to just slow down. He took his time with learning to roll over and everything else but now it seems like he has pushed the fast forward button and is on the move and is not stopping, for anything.

He's a movin!

Yesterday Michael officially started to crawl! He knows he has Independence now and goes for anything and everything he wants. He wasn't feeling good yesterday however so every time I had to leave the room he started to cry but started to crawl in the direction I went. Melted my heart. I recorded this video today. Michael loves the cell phone. He has been so fascinated with it since pretty much birth. It's been in his life since the beginning and that's because we keep in contact with daddy while he's on the road. Enjoy!

Michael @ 8 months

Today Michael is 8 months old. I can't believe we have already made it to this point! I am so thankful and blessed and extremely proud! Here is a little about Michael at 8 months old!

He is starting to crawl! Yikes......  He gets up on all fours and starts rocking back and forth, like he's trying to get his engine started haha, and then he moves on knee, then one hand, then the other knee and plop! Down for the count. But he's up again and try try try again. Most of the time he will be just a scoot away from getting to one of his toys so he gets up on all fours, scoots once, reaches for the toy and plop, but he's got the toy in his hand, haha. It's so cute to watch.

Clothes-Where do I begin on that! This boy is growing like a weed! He is in 12 month tee's but those are starting to get too small. He has a very brod upper body & is long. I have put 18 months on him here and there and they hang a little but not much. He is in 6-12 month pants. He has a small waste. I found a pair of 3-6 month shorts in his drawer the other day and put them on him and they fit, haha. Just were a bit short and showed off those cute baby roll thighs of his! I had gone over to a friends house with Michael and the weather had cooled down quite a bit and Michael was in shorts and I didn't have any pants for him so she gave me a pair of 18 months for him to wear and the only issue with those were was the waste was too big but his legs fit just fine.

Food-He is eating 4oz of some kind of cereal a day(we change between rice, oatmeal, multi grain, and oatmeal w/ fruit). He has some sort of fruit to go with that. He is still going for the bottle multiple times throughout the day and I know he shouldn't be but I really don't have a problem with that. He is teething and when he gets his bottles half the time he doesn't finish it or doesn't want to eat it because his mouth hurts. In the evening around 7 he gets his dinner. We have an entre', veggies, and what I call desert(fruit). I make sure he eats all his entre' then all the veggies next and if he has finished both of those I give him his desert(fruit). I tried to make my own baby food one night and let's just say it was a disaster! I have not been brave enough to try again but I will one of these days. So for now its the Jard baby foods and hey if Michael likes them no loves them then hey I can't complain. I also have given his mashed potatoes from a resteraunt and he hated them! Gave him a lemon for the second time and he loves it.

Juice: I started giving Michael juice about a month ago. He likes it and is picky when it comes to which ones he will drink. I found this really good organic juice at babies r us that Michael loves and it's purple carrot with blueberry. I only pour two ounces of the juice into a bottle and add four ounces of water. He doesn't know and doesn't mind.  He also likes white grape juice and pear juice but isn't a big fan of apple juice. I tried to give him a carrot and banana juice but he wasn't into that at all. I do the same watering down with all his juice. I don't want too much sugar to get into his system so I give him a little and a lot of water. I have tried giving him bottles with just water but that doesn't work, he'd rather drink water out of my water bottle than be forced to drink his own water.

Teething- So I though he had 3 teeth on the bottom because that's what it looked like when they were coming in. Turns out it's only 2 teeth and one of them is fused which is why I though there were 3. The one that is fused has a u shape cut out and then below that the tooth is connected. I wish I could draw and show you what I mean because it really is hard to explain. He chews on everything including his thumbs. I tried the teething tablets and they weren't working and a friend suggested I try using 3 instead of 2 so I tried that and they finally worked. So far I don't feel any more teeth trying to break through.

Sleeping: Michael totally knows his momma's sced. and is sticking to it. I am but no means a morning person. I never have been and never will be. He wakes up about 6 or 7 and wants his bottle. I make his bottle, change him, and bring him back to bed with me, and right to sleep his goes for another hour or two. {Thank You Michael :)} Once he wakes up its time to play for a while and then about noon he eats his cereal and almost right after he is ready for a nap. That nap can last anywhere from 30 mins to an Hour depending one how tired he was. Then he's up ready for a bottle and play for 2 hours and then another nap. It's like this all afternoon. He is sleeping a lot but I see the changes in his body everyday. Hes a growin. At night I have been laying down in my bed with him until he falls asleep and this hasn't been happening until 11 or later at night. That's usually when I go to bed so that why I said he knows my sced.

Bottles: We switch between bottles and sippy cups throughout the day. I am trying to get him used to the sippy cup so hopefully by my 10 month goal he will no longer be on the bottle. I hope to get him off the bottle sooner than 10 months but the goal is to be off at 10.

Swimming; We have taken Michael swimming every Sunday for the last month and that boy is a fish. He has no fear of the water and I love it. We will just support him under his belly but his arms and legs are free and he kicks and splashes! One day he was not into swimming at all and so we got out and baby went to sleep, poor guy was tired and I didn't even realize :( 

Diapers: He is still in size 3 diapers but I am going to switch to size four once he is done with this batch of diapers.

Talking: It's all about the "Dada, Mama, and Ba Ba" oh and let's not forget the growling. Don't know where he got that from but he loves doing it. He makes it a point to start talking loudly when he gets in a shopping cart. He just gets so excited and he can't contain himself so the world has to know how excited he is. People always laugh and smile and comment on what a happy baby he is. When I have to wipe his eye goup off which he is hating more and more he starts to fuss and whine "Dadadadadada" He knows.....

Eye Update: We took Michael to his eye appointment to see what they can do about his blocked tear duct. She said she doesn't want to take any dramatic steps(surgery) until he was a year. She said it can be one of two problems. Either the nasal cavity where the tear canal drains is blocked or the tear canal is to narrow. If it doesn't correct itself by the time he is a year they will do the surgery and all they would have to do is unblock the nasal cavity or they would have to put a tube in the tear canal in widen it.

Bath Time: Kid still loves his bath time. We ditched the baby tub a month or so back and we are in the big boy bath tub. I don't have him sit up in the bath because he still gets too excited and throws himself back. So he lays on a towel and kicks and slashes in the water.

I know I am forgetting a bunch of things but I think this is long enough and I will add more when I think about them or remember.      

Baby Steps

Last night I wanted to share my thoughts about my dreams for my future. One of those dreams was to go to college. Well my husband and I talked this morning and he said, "why don't you just go down to the college and talk to them, it's not going to hurt just talking". I was nervous and wasn't sure if I was going to do it or not but I decided to go. I ended up filing an application to be a student at the college, got my student id #, filed for financial aid @ home, and took 3/4 of the placement test. I have to go back tomorrow to finish it but I took my first step at becoming a college student and it feels great. My husband is very happy for me and proud that I am working on a goal. I have no idea what I am doing as far as what I need to do but I am sure there are people at the college that will help me along the way. I know I am a late bloomer with the whole college thing but it's better late than never.

1st Tooth!

I keep forgetting to blog about it but it's better late than never. Michael cut his first tooth about two weeks ago, I think. A few days later, another one came through, and then a few more days after that yet another one. Total of 3!  So far things have slowed down and I don't see or feel any more. Little guy sure is not liking it though. His personality has changed since he cut his first tooth and I am not used to my little guy being so fussy. His hands are constantly in his mouth biting down on his fingers.

I wish wish wish I knew where my camera was hiding and believe me I have tossed this house up, down, and around looking for the darn thing but I just can't find it anywhere! So until I find it, I just have to make due with typing everything and no visual images.

Dreams?

I have been thinking about my future a lot lately and what it will bring. I wonder how long I will be at where I am at now in my life. I usually like to things day by day and not worry about tomorrow and bite my teeth about yesterday. Whats done is done and what is going to happen will happen but............I can still wonder about the future and how I can take steps now to help bring on a new tomorrow. I have one big goal and that right now is to move into a larger place. We are so cramped in this tiny little place. I am so grateful that my son has his own room but our living space is nothing to crack a smile at. So far I have hosted 2 thanksgiving meals and x-mas days with family here and does the heat go up fast and the space lessens even quicker. Now that Michael is on the move and rolling ALL OVER, my urgency to want to move outta here grows stronger and stronger EVERY DAY. So when we do move, where do we go? Do we stay in Vancouver or the surrounding area? Do we move further up north more towards my husbands parents? or Do we say goodbye to the pacific northwest all together and start a new chapter somewhere else, but where would that somewhere else be? I love it here but I want to try something new, but I'm scared. My husband doesn't care where we go, just as long as we get away from the big city. I'm not sure what we will end up going,  but like I said before, just one day at a time. Another dream/goal of mine is to go to college. I am so scared & frightened of trying to tackle that mountain. My high school memories always come flooding into my mind every time I get the thought about wanting to go to school. I was a terrible student. I was lucky to even graduate. I really walked on thin ice my senior year. If it hadn't been for my high school counselor I wouldn't ever have gotten my HSD. I can only blame me for the poor decisions I made back then but I can also be grateful because they taught me a valuable lesson, don't give up and fight for what you want. I hope that when I finally decide to make that leap and go back to school that I am able to keep my head held high and remember those words. So besides taking that leap, what do I want to do for a career? I know it will have something to do with medical. Since I can remember, everything I was interested in involved something medical related. Kids watched cartoons, I watched surgery, and was fascinated! My mom has always told me I have a knack working with geriatrics's. She said there is just something about the way I interact with them that is humbling and it takes a very unique person to do that. Those words always made me feel better about who I am as a person. My dreams of becoming a brain surgeon are just dreams, but I do long to become a nurse. Working in Activities also gave me a strong urge to want to become a social worker. Don't ask me how the two are combined, but a feeling deep inside me wants to have a voice for those who need it the most. I want so much to be able to heal and to help. I know I can't have my cake and eat it to, but who says I can't try? So hopefully these dreams are not just dreams and maybe just maybe someday they will be my reality, but right now, just one day at a time.