The Wonderful Garden

Spring is in the air

2010-03-07T16:50:00.003-06:00

Fun at the Circus

Finally Mom feeds me - I was so hungry and Pizza hits the spot

Wildlife Sanctuary - fun learning about the animals that live in the trees

My son takes after me with how much he LOVES animals. Here he is enjoying a cute little bird

Leaning how to animal proof his house

Well we are actually starting to wake from months of hibernation. Today it actually hit 50 degrees and everyone was out either exercising or cleaning their yard and/or garage.

I realize it has been a few months since I updated my blog which has bothered me nearly every day. I spend a great deal of time on the computer at work so it's really the last thing I want to do when I get home.

To wrap up our 2009, the holidays we wonderful. We went to Calgary and celebrated Christmas with Lynne, Steve, Brian & Jeni their darling children and Brian & Robin and their cute kids. It was a full house but isn't that what the holidays are meant to be? It really means the world that Steve and Lynne include us in their plans. I couldn't imagine the holidays without being surrounded by family.

As far as the past few months nothing very exciting to report. Oh I almost forgot... Bailey turned 14 in January. I am so blessed he has done so well all these months. He is still my BFF and is so cute with Ryan. They are great little buddies and of course Ryan has already figured out that when he throws food his little co-pilot jumps in the air to catch the yummy morsel.

So it's official after watching my brother complete the New Zealand Ironman two days ago I've decided to set a fitness goal for myself. Of course Dan you will forever be my idol too. I've decided to run a 5k in May and a 10k in June. Yes I know this isn't the Ironman but for me it's huge. I haven't regularly exercised since before Ryan was born and I can't even remember the last time I jogged - I think my early 20s... I was talking to my girlfriend Rhonda this week and we both agreed that underneath our current figure still exists an athlete - it will take some time to chip away at the blubber but I'm determined to try :)

Birthday Redo

2009-11-02T16:10:00.000-06:00

Although my original Birthday celebration wasn't a success, Tom made it up to me last weekend by taking Ryan and I to Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. We have come to realize that our upbringing is partially responsible for challenges in our marriage and the way to celebrate birthdays fall into that category. Unlike Tom, I grew up with the whole day being a "special day" and spending time with my family doing something memorable. Of course I love gifts but some of my most cherished gifts haven't always been the most expensive.

Anyway, Tom planned the whole weekend - which was awesome. Everything from a dog sitter for Bailey to packing the car. Our road trip was only 1 hour and we were able to check in right away. From there we headed to the water park and played for a few hours. Back to the room to clean up for dinner. They had a special trick or treat maze in the main lobby and were also offering horse drawn carriage rides to the edge of the property where you could get a great view of Lake Michigan. Ryan loved the horses and would giggle as their huge nostril would blow warm air across his little arm. Grandad would be proud :)

After dinner Tom pulled a b-day cake from the fridge and we all jumped in with forks. Ryan was funny - he ran from one side of the room to the other only stopping long enough for a bite and off he would go. Once the sugar rush wore off Ryan was fast asleep and Tom and I enjoyed watching the Incredible Shrinking Woman - talk about a blast from the past :)

Thanks Tommy D for a memorable birthday weekend - I love you!

Moose Sighting

2009-10-19T09:32:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful weekend! The sun was out and the crisp air was taking a slight break so we spent a majority of our time outside. The hat and gloves didn't last long because it was rather warm however for the sake of this photo opportunity Ryan modeled his new winter gear.

Face Painting

2009-10-15T16:16:00.001-05:00

Last weekend Ryan and I went to a Fall Festival that our company put on for the community. The little man was too young for the balloon hat station so we took a crack at the face painting clown. As you can see in the picture above Ryan is really enjoying this experience. I though his having the gourd to chew on would distract him - clearly I was wrong.

This was the end result - a messy clown face...

The best part was that he feel asleep on the way home and took a two hour nap. When he got up our first stop was to the mirror - I have never laughed so hard in my entire life as when I saw his expression.

Fall Festival

2009-10-15T16:15:00.001-05:00

Hunting for a pumpkin.

What do you mean... something is on my head....

October 3rd Heart Walk

2009-10-15T16:13:00.001-05:00

This was my fifth year leading the Appleton Heart Institute Heart Walk Team. We had over 300 walkers on our team and although it was freezing cold the event was a great success. In this picture I am handing out red boas to all our walkers.

A good friend from work Julie and her awesome pooch Riley.

Our team photo.

Good Times

2009-10-15T16:11:00.001-05:00

Deborah and I took the kids to Bay Beach, a small amusement park here in Green Bay. There are only a few rides the kids could ride but it was something different to do. Only $3.50 for tickets to keep the kids entertained for hours - I have no idea how the place stays in business. I was a bit nervous that Ryan would try and crawl out of the rids but he didn't. Regardless I had one foot on the chain link fence in preparation of a needed "wonder woman" jump to save the kids from a nasty fall.

Bay Beach

2009-10-15T16:07:00.000-05:00

Our little pumpkins

2009-10-15T16:05:00.000-05:00

Birthday Fun

2009-10-15T16:02:00.000-05:00

Gracee's Birthday

2009-10-15T16:01:00.000-05:00

2009-10-15T15:59:00.000-05:00

2009-10-15T15:57:00.000-05:00

Pure Beauty

2009-10-15T15:55:00.000-05:00

2009-10-15T15:53:00.000-05:00

Playing with my cousins

2009-10-15T15:51:00.000-05:00

Calgary - A trip to the zoo

2009-10-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

Delay in Posting

2009-09-29T21:07:00.002-05:00

Please forgive me for not updating my post since Ryan's birthday. I have been waiting for Jeni to send me the CD with the pictures from her mothers camera. Every day I rush to the mailbox and nothing...but sadness:( Ryan is also having baby Einstein withdrawl :( :( :(

Our camera died on our trip and we weren't able to take pictures of the last few days. I was however able to pull our memory card so I will post what I have this weekend. Our trip was absolutely wonderful and it must be recorded properly.

Jeni - I am eagerly awaiting the pictures...

In the meantime this is the outline of our trip:

Tuesday: Ryan & I arrive in Calgary - Practice our walking skills
Wednesday: Shopping - walking skills 101
Thursday: Our very first visit to the Zoo - More walking
Friday: Brian arrives - yummy lunch - emergency visit to walmart - Costco - Tom arrives - Family dinner and birthday celebration
Saturday: Steel Wheels - splashing in the lake - Chinese & a skip through the drive-in
Sunday: A day to rest
Monday: National Lampoons vacation to Lake Louise and Banff
Tuesday: Elbow Falls - Visit with Ian and Liz - Girls night out!
Wednesday: Our flight home

Birthday Party

2009-08-24T12:13:00.003-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday Ryan!

Birthday Party

2009-08-24T12:12:00.001-05:00

I know everyone must feel this way but I truly can't believe Ryan has been with us for one year already. We celebrated his birthday on the 23rd with family and friends and everything went off without a hitch. Of couse we had more food then we knew what to do with but everything was just perfect. The weather was perfect, Ryan was happy the entire day and all the kids got along.

Daddy, Mommy and baby Ryan.

Cute Arlene helping herself to something yummy.

Birthday Party

2009-08-24T12:10:00.004-05:00

The party gang. Hunter, Gracee, Keegan, Navy and Aubrey. Brooklyn had to leave just before this shot was taken.

Ryan loves his swing.

Swimming in the pool of balls with cousin Katie

Birthday Party

2009-08-24T12:10:00.000-05:00

Birthday Party

2009-08-24T12:09:00.001-05:00

Little man wasn't sure what to do with the little cake sitting in front of him so he was moving a bit slow to start.

The momentum continued.

And pure ecstasy was discovered

Birthday Party

2009-08-24T12:08:00.001-05:00

Ryan loved opening his gifts. He sat in his little chair while Navy helped him with removing the wrapping paper.

Ryan loved everyone singing Happy Birthday.

Yummy

Birthday Party

2009-08-24T12:07:00.002-05:00

Keegan and his mom Kara enjoying the slide.

Deborah and her granddaughter Gracee. Yes, Deborah is far to young to be a grandmother.

Of all his gifts he loved his forks. He didn't put them down once throughout the gift opening.

Birthday Party

2009-08-24T12:06:00.001-05:00

Brooklyn and Ryan catching up after not seeing eachother for a few weeks.

Navy striking a pose.

Chuck was a huge help the entire day. We sure are happy to have him in our life.

Happy Birthday

2009-08-24T10:16:00.000-05:00

Thursday, August 20th Ryan turned 1 years old. Unfortunately I had to work so the little man went to daycare. I couldn't possibly send him without doing my best to make his day extra special so in he went with a bouquet of balloons and a giant cookie to share with all his little friends. This week he moved up to the toddler room and needed a sleeping bag - no more pack and play. I still can't believe he doesn't crawl off during nap time but they tell me it works. Tom picked up Ryan from daycare and called me right away - he had a horrible bruise in the shape of teeth marks on his left wrist (again). Day two of the toddler room and the second time he was bitten. Tom questioned the teacher and her response was that sometimes the other kids get excited when someone new joins their class and acts out. OK, so I realize things like this happens but two days in a row and on his birthday - not to my kid. How about informing us of what is being done to help this other kid understand what he is doing is wrong - have his parents been notified - now that Ryan is learning to bite how do I teach him that biting is wrong? A little more explanation please. Friday I called and spoke with the schools director and she was able to answer all my questions. It seems there are two kids in the same class with this issue and a solution that was offered was to move Ryan to the other Toddler class - yes please. The next time this happens we're off to kickboxing class:)

So anyway, on to the festivities. For dinner we went to Happy Joe's for pizza. It is a family owned business with a few arcade games and a mini merry-go-round. Very kid friendly. The brought out a baby Sunday with a candle and placed it in front of Ryan. Out came a huge clown horn and the girl started honking the horn. "Attention everyone we have a very special birthday boy here today. His name is Ryan and he is turning one" the waitress yelled. The whole restaurant responded "awwwwwww" and all joined in to sing Happy Birthday. Of course my eyes filled up with tears and suddenly I realized that my baby was turning into a little man. The best part of evening was the look on Ryan's face. Between the horn, the sirens and the crowd singing, his expression was somewhere between a cry and a laugh - absolutely priceless!

1 Year Photo's

2009-08-24T09:53:00.000-05:00

So everyone needs a one year photo right? Well I think someone forgot to tell me that the older the child gets the more challenging the experience gets. I have no idea how they got this shot with Ryan wearing the hat. I think it was on for about .02 seconds before he whipped it off and flung it across the room. Between a 1 year old and Bailey who wanted to sniff everything, Tom and I were running around the studio like crazy sweaty chickens. You can't tell but we had strategically placed little puppy treats in Ryan's pockets to keep Bailey from running off which I guess helped a tad. All in all the pictures turned out darling and the ones with Bailey will be forever cherished. These two have become the best of friends!

Trip to the Emergency Room

2009-08-06T20:09:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday was a very busy day. After getting up with Ryan I quickly fed him breakfast and got us both ready for the day. Laundry, cleaning and Ryan down for his nap I jumped in the car and was off to the grocery store. Tom of course was home watching Ryan. I returned home to unload the groceries and grab the little man just as he was getting up from his nap. We went to a baby shower for Laura at the De Pere library which was very nice. Of course finding time to sit and relax was not on Ryan's mind - he was more interested in playing ball with the other kids and tearing apart the tissue paper as Laura opened her gifts. As the shower was coming to an end Ryan and I zipped home to pick up Tom and head to his parents for a graduation party for his sister. As we pulled into their driveway Ryan fell asleep for nap #2 which was great because this gave me about 30 minutes to recline in my lawn chair and gaze off into never never land. Before long the little man was up and ready to go go go. Dinner, cake and lots of chasing of the little one Jr. hit the wall. 8 PM and it was time to head home. Bath time is essential and helps Ryan unwind for his busy day so skipping this is just not an option. After story time and his bottle it was now 9 PM and he was fast asleep. I was finally going to kick my feet up and get some rest - yeeehaaaaa.

11 PM: I was praying to the porcelain god and experiencing incredible pain at the top of my rib cage - did I have food poisoning?

12 AM: More bonding time with the porcelain god and now the pain was spreading around to my back. Maybe I could sleep it off - perhaps pepto bismo will help.

1:15 AM: Burning pain through my chest into my back. I tried every position and the pain would not go away.

1:20 AM: After contemplating every possible option I woke Tom and asked him to take me to the Emergency Room. I don't know if he thought I was kidding but he couldn't even process trying to figure out what to with Ryan. There are a million people we could call but I guess at this time in the morning his brain just wasn't working.

1:45 AM: Aunt Pam arrived and we took off for the hospital.

2:00 AM: Checked in at the front desk. It is amazing how quick they move when you tell them that you have chest pain. When I checked in at the hospital with my finger in a towel and told them that I cut if off they didn't move half as quick as this weekend when I presented with chest pain.

5:00 AM: Blood tests, chest x-rays and an ultra sound the Dr. informed me that I needed my gallbladder removed. By now they had pumped me full for pain meds so I was no longer crawling up the wall in pain. They believe the hormones my body produced while I was pregnant caused my g-bladder to become infected and to produce stones.

7:00 AM: I was admitted into a room upstairs

10:15 AM: Wheeled to the OR and my g-bladder was removed

12:30 PM: Back to my room recovering.

Deborah came and took care of Ryan during the day so Tom could be at the hospital with me. Thank you Deborah I know our little man was in good hands and having a ball with his Auntie Deborah :) This entire experience really made me take a step back and realize that I can't do it alone. There was absolutely nothing I could do to prepare for this crazy experience and I had to rely on others to get me back on my feet. Sunday afternoon for some silly reason I was convinced that I was going home. I was sharing a room with a lady that was constantly throwing up and having other issues so my resting was extremely difficult. I was able to keep my fluids down, my vitals were perfect and I could get up and walk on my own. So why couldn't I get a bottle of pain meds and go home? The nurses didn't see a problem with my rational so they called the Dr. for approval. When they returned to tell me that the Dr. said I needed to stay the night I didn't take the news well at all. I had called Tom to come pick me up so there he and my little boy sat on the end of the bed while I cried. They pumped me full of pain meds and I quickly fell asleep. Later that evening Chuck arrived with a movie and butter cookies - yum! We didn't watch the movie since we had the neighbor in her feeble state next to us but we sat and chatted and ate the yummy cookies. It was so nice to have him there keeping me distracted from all the yucky hospital things.

Monday morning 7:30 AM: I buzzed the nurse and told her I would like to go home.

8:15 AM: The Dr. checked me over and gave me the green light to check out.

8:30 AM: Sitting on the end of the bed dressed with my bag of goodies waiting for Tom.

9:05 AM: Wheeling out the front door to the car. Free at last baby free at last!

I was so happy to be home with Ryan, Tom, Bailey and yes I'll say it Dottie. Before long I was fast asleep and not even a plane landing on the house could have woke me from my deep deep sleep :)

Recovery, now that is a different story. Why do men not understand that doing laundry within 24 hours of surgery isn't an option. I've become a bit of a freak about not wearing shoes in the house and keeping my floors clean with Ryan crawling around. As I sit here recovering I notice everything especially my messy house. I've been working from home all week so I don't have to use my PTO (thanks to Chuck for installing our wireless router) and between that and resting I don't have much energy for anything else. I do get out and walk twice a day and do as much as I can for Ryan plus I am feeling better every day put my patients for a full trash or things being left on the stairs is very low. Perhaps it's the medication. Thanks Tom, I know you are doing your best and I realize I am extra crabby but I hope you know I appreciate everything you do. If it isn't to much to ask would you mind taking out the trash? And no Brian a massage and nachos are not an option!

The Brew Crew

2009-08-04T14:46:00.003-05:00

To raise money the Children's Museum held a Parade downtown Appleton that ran down College Avenue just outside my office. A group of friends and I quickly pulled together decorations and the theme "the brew crew" which represents the Major League baseball team here in Wisconsin. There were over 1,200 kids registered to participate but it seemed like there was double that when we started walking down the street. We had 9 kids in our group and they all had a blast. After the parade we all celebrated in the park with music, goodie bags and food.

Blocking the sun from baby boy's eyes.

Tom rocking out to the "Jock Jams" CD

The Brew Crew

Happy Birthday Nana

2009-07-27T14:19:00.000-05:00

Today is a special day - Happy Birthday Lynne! We celebrate your day and send you lots of hugs and kisses. We have so many things to be grateful for and your love and kindness is at the top of that list.
You have given me the joy of knowing my mother through sharing your personal experiences which is priceless but equally you have filled a void as Nana that will be cherished forever. You recently mentioned a poem that you heard and enjoyed called "The Dash". You are such an amazing person and your example alone makes me want to be a better person and be proud of how I spend my dash. Thank you for the blessing of your love - Happy Birthday :)

2009-07-27T13:37:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful weekend! We cherish the summer and being able to spend time outside with our family. We worked outside for most the day on projects to get ready for Ryan's birthday party. 26 days and counting. We've had a long stretch of warm weather which hasn't helped the grass grow where the pool was last year. We have this massive patch of brown grass in the center of our yard which leaves a lot to be desired. Luckily this weekend we had a few short downpours and this week looks like another 4 to 5 days of occasional showers. We are planning a barbecue and backyard games for his birthday and it would be nice to have a well groomed lawn. I'm keeping my fingers crossed :)

Super baby!

Ryan loves his baby pool. He stands on the top step and at the count of 3 jumps in the center whether we are there or not. Of course we don't heat the jacuzzi over 95 for the sake of the little man - no worries!

How NOT to start your week...

2009-07-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

You may notice that my last few posts have been brief however I have a perfect excuse. Yesterday I and a coworker went off site to plan the logistics of an upcoming event called "Mandatory Fun". 4 times a year our marketing team goes off site and participates in some kind of team building exercise. This event Paula, Jason and I are responsible for planning. We decided to go with the "survivor" theme and are planning several activities around this theme. Paula and I went to her house, which is where the party will be to work out the details of the day. Before adding this particular basketball event we decided to try it out. Rule #1 get someone else to try out new activities. Part of the game is to try and knock another person's ball out by throwing your ball at their ball. Rule #2 never throw your ball at any one's ball. So I didn't know this was happening and as I was rebounding my own ball here came another ball flying at me top speed. Rule #3 always wear protective gloves when you are using your hands for any activity especially if you have a finger history such as mine. So, I was reaching, the balls were flying and POP, a combination of a jam and crush - and that's all she wrote. A trip to the Doc, an x-ray, one bottle of pain meds and a trip to the Orthopedic equals a corkscrew fracture to the third bone in my pinkie finger. That's right my right hand pinkie finger. Nothing compared to cutting off a finger mind you but not real comfortable... I pray for a speedy recovery or at least for Ryan to stop grabbing it in curiosity.

Drive In Movies

2009-07-14T21:21:00.001-05:00

Saturday night we went to the drive in movies. It's super clean, relatively new and a great family activity. Lots of fun things to do from wagon rides, mini golf, arcade games, swings, slides, volleyball and yummy food. Oh and you can bring your dogs! Ryan was a champ. He followed is regular routine and fell asleep around 9:30 once the movie started. I seriously could not have asked for a more "go with the flow" child. Very little upsets our little man. It's funny, looking at the pictures I took it appears that we have the whole joint to ourselves. Actually it was sold out and they closed their gates before the sun went down. Speaking of pictures, my camera is just crap. Not even two years old and it's producing fuzzy pictures. I want to make sure and capture every moment of Ryan's life and I'm not sure what to do about the blur. I cleaned the lens but still blurrrrrr. If anyone has any suggestions please help!

2009-07-14T21:07:00.001-05:00

King of the swing set. I count to 3 and Ryan jumps into my arms. This little man has no fear...

I've found that an empty inflatable pool filled with toys works as a great play pen and buys me lots of time to get outdoor projects completed. Watering, planting, weed pulling, relaxing in the sun - you take your pick...

The swing set is in place :)

2009-07-14T21:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend was very productive. Not only did I get flowers planted but we were able to get some help in moving the swing set to it's new home in our yard. It was absolutely beautiful all weekend and getting our yard in order helped us relax the rest of the time.

Helping plant flowers.

Ryan loves to swing. I think he would be happy to swing 27/7.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-06T12:29:00.003-05:00

Ryan and Gracee

Little Miss 4th of July

What a great weekend :) Busy but full of fun, friends and food - what more could we ask for - well family of course! Maybe next year :)

Thursday evening I finally went for my massage at the Day Spa. This was one of my Mother's Day gifts and not until I could barely walk did I decide to schedule an appointment. Why do women wait until something is falling off or in shooting pain to seek help? Anyway, pure Heaven is the best way to describe my experience. The therapist worked the knots in my back so hard in my back with her elbows I started to see stars. I'm not kidding when I tell you that she used all her weight and strength - at one point I actually saw her feet lift off the ground. After, I took a long hot steam shower I slipped into my cozy sweats and headed straight home to bed. Since before being pregnant this was the best night sleep ever :)

Friday was a day filled with chores, errands and grocery shopping. Working outside the home leaves very little time for errands during the week so to enjoy the three day weekend Tom and I worked hard to get caught up.

Saturday after Ryan's morning nap and a quick bite to eat we packed up the car and headed to the Boettcher's. We had such a great time catching up with everyone and watching the kids play and swim in the pool throughout the day. Linner (this is sometime between lunch and dinner) was fantastic. Dwight grilled out and of course all they yummy sides were readily available throughout the day. Deborah took me for an off road adventure on the 4 wheeler which was a blast. On our ride through the above head grass, out popped a coyote - OK I thought it was a coyote but it was only the neighbors dog - it seriously looked like a coyote. We stayed for an amazing bond fire which really topped off the evening. Thanks Deborah and Dwight for a great day!

Sunday was another beautiful day! We started our day off with a morning nap in the sun - nice :) The afternoon was shared at Chuck's for a build your own kabob BBQ with a small army of new friends of his and Nick's. We had such a great day - oh and let's not forget Chuck and Nick's help moving Ryan's swing set. With the pool gone and the grass planted we wanted to move the swing set to a better location in the yard. Unfortunately my request to Tom was not clear and it found its new home in the dead center of the yard. I was giving Ryan a bath at the time and didn't know the crew was over to help move the beast so when I came down they were on their way out. The crew will be back tomorrow to move it to the correct location :) Thanks guys!

Happy Fathers Day

2009-06-24T15:34:00.004-05:00

Daddy opening his Fathers Day gifts

Tom, Ryan and Grandpa Bill

Tom is an amazing father. He doesn't do everything the exact way I would but I'm learning that his love for his son is much more important than making sure his clothes match or his teeth are brushed.

When Ryan was 3 months old and I started back to work part time Tom started watching him 1 day a week. In march I had to go back full time and now Ryan goes to day care 2 days a week and Tom cares for him at home the other 3. The first few months of a baby's life is difficult for a father - they need there mom so much during this time. We are still adjusting to my working full time and if I think about it too long it will make me sad.

Tom and Ryan have such a cute relationship. I think they are still figuring eachother out but for the most part they have fun. Tom reads several books to Ryan a day and especially now while it's warm they get outside as much as possible.

9 Month Wellness Appointment

2009-06-24T15:28:00.009-05:00

Our little man is growing up fast. Ryan had his 9 month wellness exam on the 19th. He was scheduled three weeks earlier however his ear infection and flu like symptoms took priority and we rescheduled closer to being 10 months old. He weighed in at 23 lbs, 10 oz and is 31 inches long. He is extremely healthy and advancing at warp speed. The Dr. was extremely impressed with this strength and abilities. One thing the Dr. said to me at our 4 month check up was not to push him physically at this point. He will grow and develop at his own pace and once he is crawling/walking our entire life changes. I've tried to embrace this way of thinking for the most part. I'm fine if he doesn't walk right away. We play lots of games and read a ton of books every day - his little brain is growing faster then ever and we want to give him the very best start we can.

Our love grows deeper for our sweet little man every day. At 4 months he broke his two front bottom teeth and at 8 months he broke his top front four - almost at the same exact time. Once those were in, two more on the bottom sprouted. So today Ryan has 8 teeth - 4 on top and 4 on the bottom. At 8 months Ryan was a rolling machine and could get most anywhere and before long he was doing the army crawl. I was amazed how fast he could go and for some reason it was straight for Bailey's food and water dish. I found myself running to catch him before he could get a piece of kibble in his mouth or dip his head in the water dish. Silly little man. As of three weeks ago he is crawling everywhere and now pulls himself up on everything. Tom had to lower the crib to the lowest setting because when he stood the rail of the crib came to his waist and this was essential to prevent him falling to the floor. It made me sad to lower the crib as this was another reminder that our sweet baby boy was growing up.

We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful son!

Super Baby

2009-06-08T16:12:00.003-05:00

So here it is, what you have all been waiting for - SUPER BABY! I know some people may find this to be difficult to watch but I promise R-man had a blast. Ryan shared several rides with his Dad throughout the day but this time he wanted to show off how brave he really is at 9 months old. We also have some footage of him swimming which I will post soon.

Happy Birthday Navy & Keegan

2009-06-08T15:54:00.002-05:00

Matt, Keegan, Ryan & Tom

Ryan loved watching the kids shoot down the water slide.

Navy and Ryan enjoying a leisure swim.

This past weekend Ryan was invited to Kara's son Keegan and daughter Navy's birthday party. The party was initially scheduled for their backyard however the weather took a turn for the worse - big surprise for Wisconsin... Anyway they rescheduled for this awesome water park at a local hotel where all the kids had a great time. I am so glad we've taken Ryan to a few swim lessons and to open swim because he absolutely loves the water. Keegan is such a doll and Navy is truly one of the sweetest little girls we know. As you can see she was so good at holding Ryan for this photo. Later in the day after Navy opened a gift from a friend, she set her gift down and gave the little boy a huge hug and thanked him for the gift without even being asked. The funny thing was that she hugged the wrong boy and once they were notified of this mistake they both had the most confused look on their faces and didn't know what to do.

Snuggle Time

2009-06-08T15:51:00.001-05:00

Everything was perfectly relaxing at first and suddenly Gracee decided to grab Ryan's head with both hands and go in for the bite. Needless to say they aren't ready for a sleep over - perhaps in a few months :)

Friday Date Night

2009-06-08T14:38:00.002-05:00

Deborah and Gracee came over Friday for the kids first official date night. Dinner, playtime, tub time and a quick meaningful snuggle. Gracee is such a sweet little angel and is all girl. Ryan on the other hand is a little bruit. We couldn't keep him from flipping on his belly and nearly knocking Gracee over throughout the entire bubble experience. They are so cute together and I have no doubt they will be good buddies as they grow up. Since the addition to both of our families Deborah and I haven't been able to get together as often which I really miss. Hopefully now that the weather is warming up we will be able to change that.

Crazy Party Of One!

2009-06-04T15:29:00.002-05:00

My friend here at work sent me this picture today of me working at the Go Red Luncheon and it totally made me laugh. I share stories about things I do with Ryan so she thought I should included this shot in Ryan's scrapbook to remember his silly mom. If anything I feel like I'm old and boring and need new adventure in my life. It's hard when your husband likes everything to remain the same. If anyone has any ideas for lighting a fire under Tom to get him to embrace more change in our life I welcome your suggestions.

The girls here think I'm quirky but I feel completely normal...who doesn't slap a piece of spaghetti on their son's head at dinner to see if he can get it off and what mom doesn't send their son down the huge slide by himself at the park like a shooting bullet to see if he catches air on the bump...?

All My Babies Are Gone Now

2009-06-02T11:19:00.007-05:00

My awesome friend Kim sent me this story written by the Newsweek Columnist and Author Anna Quindlen,

Of course this brought tears to my eyes but at the same time was a huge wake up call. I wish I had read this 18 months ago when my Prego paranoia just started kicking in to gear. When you spend all your time reading books that make you terrified that you are doing everything wrong, exposing your kids to things to early or to late and watching for every little developmental milestone to make sure they are on track, it is so easy to forget to enjoy the moment.

Two weeks ago Ryan came home from Daycare running 103 temp. I know he wasn't feeling great since he was breaking four teeth on top and his third tooth on the bottom but the temp made it official. I got home, read my book and started him on Tylenol. Two days later and still running the same temp Ryan he was now throwing up so I decided to run in and see the Dr. Our normal physician wasn't working so we saw someone new and was sent home with medication to treat an ear infection. Later that night Ryan cried for nearly two hours straight and after trying everything humanly possible to help him without success I had a total break down. I felt completely helpless and like a totally failure. Tom was at work and I didn't know what to do so I hit speed dial and within two rings Lynne answered the phone. She was awesome and really helped me regain my composure. I know this sounds lame but I was now worrying about the swine flu. Lynne suggested I call Brian, which I did and it was the best suggestion ever. Brian was awesome - as a Doctor working in the ER he is exposed to everything so I was in good hands. Needless to say he had completely evaluated and explained every possible concern I had which was a tremendous help. Thanks Brian – you saved me from my wild imagination of Ryan having Swine Flu.

So anyway here is the story…

All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow, but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past. Everything in all the books I once pored over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach, T. Berry Brazelton, Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education - all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations - what they taught me, was that they couldn't really teach me . Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2.

When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome. To a new parent this ever-shif ting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow. I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China. Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.

Every part of raising children is humbling. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the "Remember-When-Mom-Did" Hall of Fame. The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language -mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?" (She insisted I include that here.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away with out picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking? But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.

I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less .Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.

School Pictures

2009-05-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

This second picture totally makes me laugh... Daycare sent home a note a few weeks ago informing us that school pictures were being offered and to send a second outfit to make sure the kids had something clean to wear. We aren't obligated to buy them but being that they are his very first class pictures I can't resist. Nana you'll be getting copies in the mail :) Ryan is really enjoying his time at daycare - I can tell the minute we walk in the door because he gets really happy. This weekend Ryan went for his first spin on a swing at the park and he absolutely loved every minute. You could tell his stomach would drop as the swing would return in my direction but nonetheless he would giggled and squeal with excitement. He also experienced the slide last night and was so darn cute. As he sat at the top of the slide I would count 1 - 2 and on the count of 3 he would lean his body forward and slide to the bottom - this I will capture on video this weekend, it's super cute :)

Go Red Luncheon

2009-05-08T11:44:00.003-05:00

This years American Heart Association Go Red Luncheon was a blast. It was held at the Performing Art Center here in Appleton and our company was the presenting sponsor. Instead of just having a plain old vendor booth we created a "Diva" booth where everyone who attended could get a fun and funky picture taken with friends and co-workers. These are some of the girls I work with. You may wonder why I'm not wearing solid red and the reason is because I was the point person for our company, the AHA and the media so it was easier to tell people to look for the black and white giraffe print jacket in the sea of 500 red tops.

I finally did it...

2009-05-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

I finally took the plunge and chopped off my hair. I feel like a new woman! The back is super short and sassy and as you can see I am training my bangs to lay to the side (no more big curls Libby - you should be proud:) They took off about six inches last night and I don't regret my decision at all. Some of you may disagree however you weren't spending 30 minutes fighting with my wild dew every morning. I found that most of the time I would let my hair go curly and I would tie it back in a clip - not real classy. Since this will be my very first mothers day I wanted to do something this week that would help me to become a better mom and this is my first step. You may ask yourself how cutting my hair would make me a better mom - well I'll tell you.

1) I will have more time to snuggle my little R-man

2) I won't get crabby when R-man pulls my hair

3) I won't look so much like a hill jack with out-of-control curls

My First Haircut

2009-05-04T16:57:00.001-05:00

We started our weekend off with attending a fund raiser and supporting Paula, a woman I work with in a Dancing with the Starts competition. She did awesome and came in fourth but the most amazing thing was that Tom actually agreed to take lessons together. Ryan stayed with Kirk and Arlene for the evening and I'm sure had a wonderful time. I'll need to remember to bring a plastic tarp to go under his chair during meals when he is staying with friends. Without Bailey licking up all the treats I actually realized how much of a mess Ryan makes at dinner. Thanks guys for taking such great care of Ryan and for giving us a little adult time.

This past Saturday Ryan went for his very first haircut at Snips and Giggles in DePere. Although there were lots of things there to distract our little R-man he squirmed around like a fish out of water. Every time they tried to use the clippers he would shrug his shoulders up and start to giggle - hence the name giggle. For the most part he did a great job and looked darling with his hair spiked at the end.

This weekend we also went for pictures at the Picture People but I can not release the full reason for our visit until after Mothers Day. I will post those pictures soon. Ryan was a true champ to hang in there for all our errands the entire weekend even though he was sick with a really bad cold and he was cutting his third tooth.

Ryan is sitting up completely on his own and has the strength of the incredible hulk. Seriously I can't believe how strong he is! He actually grabs my hand and pushes it out of the way when he doesn't want me to do something especially if it has to do with his nose. Tom had to help hold him down the other morning after several failed attempts. For the record two people mentioned they thought he said Momma when he reached his arms to me - so that would make a total of two words - the first being yaya which means milk :)

Media Pager

2009-04-19T20:59:00.003-05:00

This weekend I signed up to carry the media pager. In an effort to relive our PR person everyone on the marketing team was asked to sign up to cover the pager for at least one weekend this year.

Well this was my weekend. Megan reviewed the rules of responding to the media in the event that they called for a patient status of anyone taken to our hospitals. I had the worst anxiety the first night and woke up several times thinking that the pager had gone off. The weather really warmed up and I was told not to be surprised if there were a few accidents...

Friday morning just after 10:45 AM the pager began to ring. 10 pages and 8 calls to my cell phone later my head was spinning. There was a shooting in Grand Chute and the media wanted to know if the people were taken to either of our local hospitals. So my job was to call the ER. I was given ALL the details and was told that the family requested to be on a DO NOT PUBLISH status. So my job was to inform the media of absolutely nothing. Shortly after responding to FOX 11 I was notified that a film crew was on the campus of our Appleton Hospital trying to find out if one of the patients was there so I notified Security and they were quickly escorted off our campus. The calls continued for more then 24 hours and then the following story was released in the local paper. Although the media tried to trip me up with lots of questioning I did not release a single detail. So the following must have be released from the police and/or neighbors. The details of this story continue to run through my mind all day and night and my heart goes out to the children...

GRAND CHUTE — An off-duty Appleton firefighter shot and killed his estranged wife and wounded her mother Friday in the driveway of the home the couple once shared, Grand Chute Police Chief Greg Peterson said. Scott E. Schmidt, 38, of Chilton, parked his car about a half-mile from the home, 909 E. Edgewood Drive. Police do not know how long he was there or when he approached the home before the shooting at about 10:45 a.m.

Police say he shot his wife, Kelly Schmidt, 39, in the head and his mother-in-law, Barbara Wing, 66, in the chest. Kelly Schmidt was taken first to Appleton Medical Center, then transferred to Neenah's Theda Clark Medical Center, where she died at about 3:25 p.m. Wing's injuries are not life-threatening and police said she was released Friday.

An Appleton police officer was nearby when a 911 call came in reporting a possible shooting at 909 E. Edgewood Drive, just across the street from Fox Valley Lutheran High School. "He literally arrived moments later," Appleton police Sgt. Pat DeWall said from the scene. The officer and Schmidt saw one another. "As soon as he noticed the officer, he threw the gun down," DeWall said.

Schmidt, a lieutenant and decorated 15-year veteran of the fire department, has had a series of legal and marital troubles recently. He was convicted in September of domestic disorderly conduct. He previously had threatened to kill his wife, according to documents filed by his probation officer. His probation from the disorderly conduct conviction was revoked on March 11 and he was ordered not to possess guns. A judge also had ordered Schmidt to undergo alcohol and other drug abuse counseling and have a domestic abuse assessment.

Two young children were escorted from the home by authorities about 30 minutes after the shooting. Peterson said the children are the couple's, and they've been placed with relatives.

Snack Time

2009-04-15T15:40:00.002-05:00

It's crazy how many things our little man is eating these days. I can't think of anything he hasn't tried. I'm not sure what is more entertaining, Bailey never leaving Ryan's side during meal time or Ryan sharing his food with Bailey. Last night after I put Ryan to bed I heard this strange screeching sound coming from the kitchen. Tom wasn't home so to be honest I was a little scared, it sounded like someone was in the house. As I peaked around the bottom of the stairs there I found Bailey standing on his back paws with his front paws propped on the highchair and his head buried deep in seat licking all the small pieced of food that had fallen during Ryan's dinner. The screeching sound was the highchair rolling across the kitchen floor every time Bailey tried to get that last little morsel of food.

We had a wonderful day enjoying Easter with Bonnie and Jeff and the kids. I am soooo sad that my camera decided to freeze up Easter morning so I don't have any pictures of Ryan, our family or the amazing spread we fixed for dinner. We haven't had a true dinner party since my early prego days so all the gear came out this weekend. We even pulled out my Mom's china :)

Tom is busy looking for additional work and I continue to keep my options open. I maintain my faith that an opportunity to move closer to my family will present itself very soon. Of course we make the very best of our current situation and are extremely grateful that we both have work.

Happy Easter

2009-04-04T20:38:00.000-05:00

We started our day with Laura and the girls at a kids event at Shopko Hall. They had everything from a petting zoo to life sized trucks and tractors to learning how to care for your teeth. There was so much to do, honestly we could have been busy the entire day. Unfortunately we had to leave around 11 so we could meet up with Lois for lunch at Panera and from there meet up with Deborah for a pedicure. Since my feet haven't had any special attention since October I couldn't wait for the bubbles and vibrating chair. Britnee and Gracee came along and after our polish dried we took the kids to sit with the Easter Bunny. It's funny, now looking at this picture up close Gracee looks like she is pinching Ryan on the back of the arm. I experience her pinch and must say that little girl packs quite a pinch. Although I am exhausted I really enjoyed my day with the girls. I've been so busy and watching every penny that we haven't gotten together much but after today I realized how therapeutic spending time with the girls has been so I will be making more of an effort.

Our Flight Home

2009-03-20T14:17:00.001-05:00

I am really blessed with a little boy with such a sweet soul. We spent the entire day traveling to get home and he didn't make a peep until the last 30 minutes of our trip. The flight attendant was great in moving the man next to us so Ryan could have his own seat. Once we were in the air I fed him breakfast as he watched a children's movie. He actually sat still for over an hour watching the move - it was amazing.

I was so sad to leave, spending time with Lynne and the rest of the family made me realize just how important they are and how wonderful like would be if we lived closer. Maybe sometime soon....

Chinese Dinner

2009-03-20T14:15:00.003-05:00

Steve and Lynne took us all to dinner at Steve's favorite Chinese restaurant where Ryan enjoyed his first Chinese meal. I can't believe how many noodles he ate although nearly half of them ended up on the floor. I think Steve was getting nervous that we would never be welcomed back with the mess Ryan was making but of course before we left I cleaned up the mess. It was pretty bad - I couldn't just walk away from that without feeling bad.

Joey's and Costco - What more do you need?

2009-03-20T14:15:00.002-05:00

I had to post this picture of us having lunch at Joey's because it also reminded me of our earlier stop at the Mac store where Lynne and Libby tested the blush. Actually the girl that worked there applied their blush but it seemed that it was possibly her first day. Instead of brushing it along the cheekbone she put it directly on the cheek - interesting...

One of the things I miss most is not having a Costco nearby. I think there is only one store in the entire state of Wisconsin and it would take us at least an hour and half to get there. They have the greatest stuff.

New Baby Girl

2009-03-20T14:09:00.001-05:00

This darling picture of Drew, Ryan and Brayden would not have been possible without a good old fashion threat. For some reason the boys weren't real comfortable around their cousin. By the end of the trip they were fine but it took some time for them all to warm up with each other.

I was so excited to go with Libby for her ultrasound on Friday. Lynne, Sean and I were all convinced it was a girl but Libby was sure she was having a boy. Well guess who was right? Not Libby :) she is having another sweet little girl! I think deep down she wanted another girl but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

Here is the cute little mommy all choked up after hearing the wonderful news of another baby girl.

Ryan was also along for this exciting adventure and for some reason decided to have a melt down towards the end of the appointment. Perhaps because he realized that he would be losing the baby Jesus spot in next years nativity scene...

After the ultrasound Lynne, Libby, Ryan and I went to the mall and then for the second time during my visit we went to lunch at Joey's - it is spectacular!

Beautiful Banff

2009-03-20T12:58:00.000-05:00

Lynne took Ryan and I to Banff for the afternoon where we enjoyed a yummy lunch and had fun shopping in some really unique stores. We went into a store that sold fur apparel and found these beautiful cashmere wraps/ponchos (I'm not sure of the correct term) and Lynne had a great idea. I could take Mom's mink coat and have it used to make something similar. No matter how much weight I loose I would never be humanly possible for me to ever fit into any article of clothing Mom wore so this would be the best option.

Yum-o-lishous

2009-03-19T12:54:00.003-05:00

Every night I call Tom on my home from work and last night he asked if I could stop and pick up strawberries for dinner. He wouldn't tell me what we were having but told me it was a special surprise. He made a wonderful chicken dinner and I can't even begin to tell you how delicious it was. I brought the leftovers to work with me today and it is just as good as it was yesterday.

----------------------------------------------

Coconut Chicken Breasts with Fresh Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts Salt and pepper

1/2 cup flour

1 egg

1/8 cup water

2 T water

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

3 T oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Fresh Fruit Salsa Ingredients:
1 ripe mango, diced

6 diced strawberries

1 1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple

1/4 cup diced red onions

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley salt and pepper pinch hot pepper flakes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with flour, salt, and pepper. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg together with cold water. Place coconut in a shallow dish. Dip chicken breasts in egg wash, then in the coconut, pressing to make it adhere. In an ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes a side. Add lime juice to the skillet and place in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine mango, red onions, lime juice, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in hot pepper flakes. Place salsa on top of cooked chicken. Great with rice.
Serves 4.

2009-03-15T16:12:00.000-05:00

Fun in Canada

2009-03-15T16:03:00.000-05:00

Although we just got home yesterday, our trip to Canada seemed like a million days ago. We had such a great time with Lynne and Steve and were even able to spend a few days with Libby and Sean and their cute little family. Monday we had fun shopping for hours. Prior to shopping we had an amazing lunch at one of Lynne's favorite restaurants which is now one of my favorites. We had a delicious salad with lettuce wraps and yummy bread served with a hummus spread - yum!

Lynne added product to Ryan's hair to spike it up for a fresh sassy new look. Ryan had so much fun all week with Nana Lynne :)

Tuesday we went to Aunt Marilyn's (my dad's sister) for a yummy lunch. I sure love Aunt Marilyn, she is always full of energy and so much fun to be around. As you can see Ryan took to her right away and felt right at home.

After lunch with Aunt Marilyn we went to the pet store to get food for Sasha. As we were leaving the pet store we drove past the movie theater when Lynne asked if I wanted to see what was playing. She thought with Ryan fast asleep we should take advantage of this time. We decided to go see "He's just not that in to you". While Lynne was out getting some yummy treats I tried to get a picture of us in front of the movie screen however it didn't work out very well. The flash on the camera was blinding and although I took several shots keeping your eyes open is absolutely impossible. I really enjoyed the movie especially after Ryan fell fast asleep in his car seat. I can't even remember the last time I went to a movie - it's been years - thanks Lynne!

Jumping Bean

2009-03-09T22:23:00.003-05:00

Our trip on Friday to Calgary went well. The day before our trip Ryan came down with a horrible cold so he was a bit crabby but for the most part he was a little trooper for most of the 8 hours.

Saturday Lynne and I went shopping and then later that evening to stake conference where Steve gave a great talk. Lynne had a sitter come watch Ryan for the evening and she did a great job however I was very nervous since Ryan has never been left with a babysitter especially a 15 year old girl whom I had never met... We saw Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Don and their daughter Kathy and her husband Foster - wow has it been a long time since I saw that crew - it was great. After church we went to leave and were greeted by a massive snow storm at the door. It was an absolutely beautiful day so going from sun to blizzard in just a few hours was totally bizarre.

Sunday we went to Stake Conference and this time Ryan was able to come. At the conclusion I took Ryan to meet Aunt Marilyn and then made my way through the crowd back to Lynne. As we got to the back of the church Ryan put his arms out and dove toward this man whom we had never met. We started talking and the entire time Ryan kept trying to get to him so the man picked him up and when he did Ryan wrapped his arms around the mans neck and placed his little cheek against the mans cheek. Ryan has never done this, not even with me and what was even more bizarre was that he didn't move for almost 15 minutes. As we continued talking I learned that his name was Gerry Palmer. Now hold on to your hat - - - Gerry knew both my mom and my dad very well. He was at their wedding and had lots of wonderful things to say about them both. A few minutes later I met his wife Sheila who has been best friends with my Aunt Marilyn and also lived behind my mother growing up. I can't help but think that Ryan felt this connection to his grandparents, whom I'm sure he met before coming to earth. We also met another woman who after learning that I was Reta's daughter told me how mom was a total perfectionist - not a thing was ever out of place with her or the kids. She also told me how mom kept lists and was extremely organized. Although mom has been gone for 27 years, I feel like I get to know her better every time I hear her stories.

Wicked

2009-03-04T13:35:00.002-06:00

Two weekends ago Tom and I went to see Wicked at the Performing Arts Center and it was awesome. I loved the story line and Glinda the good witch was hilarious. I am so thankful that we got the tickets before Ryan was born otherwise there is no way we would have been able to justify this over a car seat or a jog stroller - it's funny how all your priorities change after bringing a sweet baby into this world.

Anyway, this was the second time Tom and I went out alone which was a huge deal. Lois and Jim were wonderful in taking Ryan for the evening so I was able to relax and enjoy our time out knowing he was in good hands!

Ice Walk 09

2009-02-26T10:49:00.002-06:00

I've now figured out how to upload video from our Flip video. This was taken last month so Ryan isn't true to size. Our cargo in the under compartment was suffering from frozen toe syndrome...

Our Little Bean

2009-02-22T14:12:00.000-06:00

We tried Ryan's sun gear out this weekend and he loves his glasses. Every time the glasses went on he would open his eyes as big as possible which was hilarious. I figure if we start believing spring is about to happen any day it will - isn't that they whole theory of the "Secret"

Friday the 20th was Ryan's 6 month Dr's. appointment and he continues to grow like a weed. He weighs 19 lbs 8 oz (85%) and 29 inches long (off the 6 month chart but the average height of a 9 month old) this explains the floods. We've been given the green light to introduce more foods and a sippy cup which we did a few months ago. With Ryan being one inch away from being to tall for his car carrier, the expense of two new car seats is knocking on our door. Looking back on things I think I would have gotten the seat that Ryan could use from 5 lbs to 65 lbs right off the bat instead of the carrier. He hasn't used it very long and it has really done a number on my back... We are also now taking swim lessons at the YWCA and Ryan really seems to love the water.

Today is the first day that I can actually speak and be understood. I've been sick for the past week and yesterday I hit rock bottom. If you can imagine trying to scream through a straw - that's what I sounded like - not good. The good news is that I've started feeling things slightly turn towards the road to recovery. Apparently this bug lingers for a few weeks, or so I've been told.

This is Kara's sweet little boy Keegan who is three months older than Ryan. We went over to their place for a play date a few weeks ago which was great fun for Ryan to play with new toys for the day. Kara is awesome and it's been a lot of fun getting to know each other through work but even more fun off the clock.

6 Months Old - Almost

2009-02-15T18:23:00.000-06:00

Next week Ryan will be 6 months old and I just can't believe it - time really does fly by. We took Ryan to have his 6 month photo taken yesterday - oh by the way don't ever go to the mall to have a photo taken on Valentines Day - what a crazy mess. Anyway, he was a little trooper and as you can see loves having his picture taken.

The past couple of weeks have been somewhat of a blur. I think the lack has sleep has caught up to me but to top it off everyone in the house has been sick. Today I broke out into a sweat so many times I feel like I need another shower. Today I was thinking back that I have only slept one 8 hour shift in six months, other than that the most I've gotten is 4 hours at a time.

Tom has been working very hard to find additional work. I can't even tell you how many applications he has submitted but nothing has come through. He has also placed bids to grow his janitorial business and continues to follow-up with the clients but a decision either way has not yet been made. We have everything crossed that something positive comes through. Tom is such a hard worker and really deserves a break - I have faith something good will happen soon.

Today Laura's little girl Olivia was baptized and we were so thrilled to have been able to share her special day. Today's message was on forgiveness and not holding a grudge. I have to say this is something I really need to work at in my life. I believe that some of the challenges I've faced in my life has caused me not to trust people and when hurt completely shut them out. It's like flipping a light switch, one minute you are in my life and the next you don't exist - not a good quality I know but it's somewhat of a defense mechanism learned when I was a little girl. I realize that people grow apart which is one thing but I really need to work on not closing the door on people like I do. Tom is one of the most forgiving people I know which is a blessing for Ryan to learn and share this quality from his father.

Anyway, my blogging has been a bit behind and I apologize for that. I hope that I start feeling better soon so I can get my life back on track and start working on things to improve the future of our family.

Ground Hog Day

2009-02-02T16:56:00.004-06:00

As most of you know I am one of the biggest animal lovers you will ever meet. When I was a little girl I rescued a rabbit who had broken its leg and cried until my dad took it to the neighbor who was a Vet to put on a cast to help with the recovery. HOWEVER if Punxsutawney Phil were here lets say I wouldn't hold Bailey back from shaking him by the neck... Of course he saw his shadow this morning and predicted six more weeks of winter. Let's all pray that he is wrong. So one of the web sites said to list 5 things that would help keep you going through mid march so here is my list.

1) Plan a trip to see Nana Lynne
2) Go to they gym
3) Make Ryan a toy box
4) Start Ryan in swim lessons
5) Go on a road trip

This weekend we were very busy. We went to watch Katie in a school play on Friday night - she was fantastic. We almost didn't make it on account of my husbands wonderful listening skills. Bonnie called with all the details which was that the event started at 7 PM and we needed to leave our house no later then 6:30 PM. What Tom heard was leave any time between 6:30 and 6:45 and that the event started between 7:15 and 7:30. Of course we were late and had to wait until a scene change before they would let us in - so the lesson learned is that I need to work with Ryan to make sure he doesn't take after his father with his listening skills.

Saturday I spent the day with my girlfriend Kara and her son Kegan who is just a few months older then Ryan. It was so nice to see Kara and catch up on what's going on in her life. She turned Ryan on to those little crunch bits for babies that dissolve in their mouth while we were there. It was hilarious to see his reaction when we put something hard in his mouth.

Oh, boy wonder has now broken his two front bottom teeth. They are soooo cute. I've tried taking a picture but he keeps running his tongue over the top covering the little white nubs. He seems to be fine other then saturating his shirts with saliva.

Last night Ryan was up more then usual with a horrible cough so I worked from home today and took him to the Doctor. Half way through the day he was as happy and full of smiles as usual so I almost didn't go but was relieved after I did. Everything looked normal and the Doctor had Ryan giggling up a storm even with the big wooden stick jammed in his mouth. When she checked his right ear she said "Oh my gosh he has an ear infection" she was very surprised because he was so happy and didn't have any other symptoms. His right ear was full of puss and his left ear was full of fluid - poor little guy. It seems because fluid was running down the back of his throat this was making him cough.

Sunday was the big Super Bowl - I must admit that I am more interested in socializing and watching the commercials but the game was quite entertaining as well. Kirk and Arlene hosted the party for a small group of people - it's always so nice to see them both.

Snack + Play = Sleep?

2009-01-26T12:03:00.002-06:00

So far I've read three books that contradict their suggestions for getting your baby to sleep at night. Although Ryan is eating about 4 to 5 tablespoons of food twice a day he still isn't sleeping much at night. As an example I'll share last night with you. We start with reading three books, a warm soapy bath at 7:30 PM, milk at 8 PM and down in the crib at 8:30 PM - so far so good. Up at 1:30 AM, 2 oz of milk and back to the crib. 3:30 AM up, 2 oz of milk and back to the crib. 4:45 AM, Nuk and kept in bed with me, 5:30 AM the Nuk was popped back in and we snuggled until 7 AM, tried the Nuk again which just annoyed him and made him scream even louder - 2 more oz of milk and up for the day at 8 AM. The only suggestion I haven't tried is letting him cry himself to sleep - I just can't do it....

On a more positive note Tom and I actually went out to dinner this weekend alone. Our friends Lois and Jim came over so we could get out and enjoy some time together. We went to A'Bravo, a place we use to visit quite regularly before Ryan was born, and had a very nice time. We talked a lot about what we wanted to improve in our lives and where we see ourselves in the next 12 months. I was also able to make it to the gym this weekend as well which wasn't easy. I couldn't find my shoes and after tearing the house apart I went to DSW and bought myself another pair. I'm not sure I felt any different but with time I hope to bounce back. Once Ryan starts sleeping through the night the world will be less cloudy and I'm sure I'll start feeling better. In the mean time I will keep my chin up and hope things start falling into place. Pray for warm weather!

Our Little Swimmer

2009-01-26T10:47:00.001-06:00

This weekend we took Ryan to the YWCA for his first little swim. The swimming pool is kept at 88 degrees which seemed warmer then bath water, key for a new little swimmer. I didn't suit up just in case our little man didn't take to the water. I thought it would be easier to pull him to safety and get him bundled up without having to worry about drying off and getting dressed myself. He loves the bath and this wasn't much different except that Dad was with him and some other kids who were very entertaining. We didn't dunk him under the water this visit especially after reading that there is suspicion that there is a tie to SIDS in children under 6 months. The boys swam for about 30 minutes together and then Tom went for a soak in the jacuzzi while I got Ryan dried off and dressed.

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-26T10:16:00.000-06:00

I've had this shot in the camera for a few weeks to show those of you without snow what a snow blower is and how it is used. The easy part is the driveway however the bottom of the driveway is a different story. It never fails that the plow trucks come through after the driveway is nice and groomed and launches a huge wall of ice and dirty snow at the end of the driveway creating an interesting challenge of getting the car back in the driveway at the end of the day.

We haven't had much snow lately however the current snow isn't melting due to the brutal cold. Today's weather calls for a balmy 9 degrees - burrrrrrrr!

Yum Yum

2009-01-13T16:47:00.000-06:00

Last week was Ryan's 4 month check-up and he passed with flying colors. On the 6th he weighed 17 lbs 13.5 oz which is in the 85% and his length is 27 7/8 inches which is more than 100% for his age. The pediatrician said that Ryan is the average height of an 8 month old and his head control and eye contact is also advanced for his age. She urged us to baby proof our house right away because she has a feeling that Ryan will start moving in no time. We were also given the green light to start feeding him cereal and to introduce vegetables and fruits. So far he loves the Rice Cereal and carrots and hasn't had any sign of allergies, thank goodness. I'm off to the store to buy a butternut squash to try tonight. Ryan has also started drinking from a sippy cup during meal time plus loves to drink from my water bottle when ever he gets a chance. I was warned of how quickly Ryan would grow up but this is ridiculous...

4 months & 16 days - Way to Go Baby Bean!

2009-01-05T19:54:00.001-06:00

That's right Ryan accomplished his first major event in his life today rolling over - yeah! Aside from being born of course... It's amazing, the first time he rolled over laying flat has become part of history. Each time we lay him down he tucks his knees to his belly, arches his back, flips his arms to his left and suddenly he's on his belly. I'm off to read up on what to do next... how do I keep him off his stomach when sleeping, how do I keep him from rolling off the bed - what else do I need to be cautious of ???

I promise to update the earlier pictures from our awesome Christmas trip. New Years Day I woke to a horrible case of the flu. I won't get into the Gorey details but imagine an elephant soaked in rotten cheese sitting on you with a jagged toe nail jammed in your throat for 5 days - that is mild to way I've felt.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-03T19:01:00.002-06:00

Reflecting back on our time with Lynne & Steve, Sean & Libby, Brian & Jeni and all the little munchkins I find myself wishing that I could turn back the clock for a second chance to enjoy every minute together again. Although we were only able to share 4 brief days together, Tom and I will forever enjoy the memories and traditions shared with the gang. A special thank you to Lynne and Steve for making this possible :)

Our sweet little man as he enjoys a relaxing evening watching TV.

Good Times

2009-01-03T18:57:00.002-06:00

I had so much fun with Libby and Jeni however the true nature of this photo will only be known between us. All I will say is that the milk machine was in rare form... Although the girls are younger than me they have both been awesome examples of they type of Mom I hope to be someday. Thanks for all the great advise!

Mini T

A memorable evening with Brian, Steve and Sean!

Bowling Fun

2009-01-03T18:51:00.003-06:00

The day after Christmas the family all went bowling and we had a blast. Was it ever nice to bowl in a smoke free environment. The day can't come soon enough for Wisconsin to go smoke free... We played two games which was just perfect especially for the kids, any longer and I think the melt down Olympic games would have begun.

Little Stephen showing off his awesome technique.

Ryan taking a little different approach.

I think Libby plays on a regular basis - she was good.

Family Fun

2009-01-03T18:49:00.002-06:00

Elmo absolutely mesmerized Ryan during our stay.

I love this shot although it is obvious that Ryan is growing up fast and looks more and more less like a newborn every day. We are truly blessed that he is a calm and happy little guy not to mention the cutest little thing ever. That reminds me of something funny. The day after Ryan was born the nurse came to check on us and I asked her if all moms believed their baby was the cutest baby ever or if Ryan was truly the best looking baby born. I was mostly joking but partially serious. I've since learned that all parents think their children belong on the jar of Gerber baby food :)

Lynne is truly the best Nana ever. I can only hope that someday we live closer or at least somewhere she can fly direct.

Jeni and Natalie warming up their bowling arm.

Christmas Day

2009-01-03T18:44:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas my sweet little boy - Mommy loves you!

Jeni had fun putting bows in Ryan's hair and wanted to paint his finger nails. Perhaps we should try for a girl next time to protect Ryan from getting dressed in pink.

Ryan 4 months and Stephen 5 months are almost identical in size. We tried putting the helmet on Ryan without success. You may be wondering about the helmet... he is wearing it for a few months to help round out the back of his head. He looks so cute and honestly it wouldn't be a bad idea for all little boys to wear helmets to keep their head safe from bumps and bruises.

Wrestle Mania 2008

Scotch Stew

2009-01-03T18:41:00.001-06:00

I stole this picture from Libby's blog.

Earlier in the week I called to check to make sure the gang had made it safely to Kingston at which time I told them not to do anything fun without us. I would like to think that this is the crew waiting on the couch for several days waiting for our arrival. Wishful thinking but I love this picture anyway.

Scotch Stew - it tasted even better then I remember - yum!

Our sweet little elf didn't nap much during our trip but slipped into a few cat naps thanks to this wonderful chair. Ryan loved sitting and bouncing and would sit absolutely quiet for extended periods of time. It was unlike anything I had ever seen.

Jeni was sooooo hungry and couldn't wait to dig in to the famous scotch stew.

Ho Ho Ho

2009-01-03T18:33:00.001-06:00

Our happy family not looking to bad after a day of travel.

"I'll take one of those and two of those and oh wait let me make a list for next year"

New Baby Announcement

2009-01-03T18:28:00.002-06:00

Christmas morning Libby surprised her kids by telling them that they were going to have a new baby brother or sister this summer. Libby is such an awesome Mom and I'm still trying to figure out her secret. Very little whips Libby into a frenzy however one thing that I learned this trip is that Libby would fit right in with drivers in New York. Note to self - wear a sports bra when Libby is driving...

Miss Suzie Homemaker aka Jeni made yummy cinnamon roles Christmas morning. Seriously they melted in your mouth - yum-o-lish-ous.

Sweet little Taylor in her princess dress on Christmas morning.

Don't ask me, I didn't see the movie or read the book but the guy looks a little pale for my taste.

Christmas Morning

2009-01-03T18:08:00.003-06:00

Christmas was amazing. The last Christmas I remember was the year Mom passed, she passed away the first part of December so the spirit of Christmas had almost been forgotten at this point in my life. The weird thing is that I didn't even know it until reflecting back on our trip for the blog. Of course I've celebrated Christmas since then but the holidays weren't anything real exciting other then getting time off of work and for years it also included going to the movie theatre to avoid the crowds. Sad... Anyway this year was extra special not only was it wonderful to spend it with the family but Lynne and Steve continue to practice all the same family traditions from new PJ's and the Nativity on Christmas Eve, to unopened Santa gifts, Scottish Stew for breakfast and a yummy turkey for Christmas dinner. The very best part of the day was feeling the excitement of the kids and watching their cute little faces light up as they opened their gifts and stockings. Although Ryan didn't quite understand the day he had a ball watching his cousins. Just a week prior to Christmas Ryan really starting reaching and holding things which made playing with his own toys so much more fun.

Ryan and Daddy in their new Christmas PJs!

Baby Jesus

2009-01-03T18:05:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve the kids participated in a family nativity and were absolutly darling. I think Steve read the scripture faster then ever heard before. The troops were growing restless and although sour soothers were used as bribery there was no telling how long we were away from a full breakdown. Ryan played baby Jesus and didn't make a single peep.
Featured Characters
Baby Jesus : Ryan
Mary : Taylor
Joseph : Drew
Wise Man : Brayden
Shephard: Stephen
Angel : Natalie

Baby Jesus

Twas the night before Christmas...

2009-01-03T17:52:00.003-06:00

Brayden and Drew were so nice to let us take over their room during our stay. One morning in a very sleepy state Brayden opened the door and just stood there looking around with the most confusing expression on his face. I don't know if he thought he had walked into the wrong room or was just freaked out at all the stuff piled to the ceiling. He finally told me that he needed clothes to get dressed and walked out. B is such a cutie and was so sweet with Ryan.

2009-01-03T17:43:00.000-06:00

The morning of Christmas Eve Tom, Ryan and I flew to Syracuse, NY. This was Ryan's first time flying and as you can see he was very relaxed and enjoyed reading a book with Dad. Other then some turbulence during a diaper change the flights were uneventful. Once we landed in Syracuse Steve picked us up and headed back for the border. We stopped for lunch and had a nice time catching up. We haven't seen Steve since our wedding which was over 3 years ago. Anyway, after reviewing the rules of crossing the border we headed North. I have a tendency to give "to much" information at the border which could prevent us from entering Canada. So my new rule is not to say a word at the border - it worked quite well. So we arrived at Sean and Libby's and quickly discovered one of our (key) bags was missing. It had all of Tom's belongings but more important my MAKEUP! After several phone calls the bag was located and a courier was on his way to deliver it - it seems we were all so excited to see each other that the bag was left on the curb. Good thing it wasn't destroyed by the bomb squad - I have no idea what they do with unattended bags.

Ryan's New BFF

2008-12-31T12:00:00.003-06:00

Ryan met Elmo this past week at Libby's and was absolutly mesmorized. Although big Elmo stayed back in Canada, Libby was sooo nice to let us take baby Elmo home.

I have lots to update and fun photo's to boot from our awesome holiday trip - keep posted...

Two Wolves

2008-12-22T12:53:00.003-06:00

This weekend we had company over for dinner and were sharing our holiday traditions. One that was shared that I would like to start next year can only be possible with your help...

Send me your favorite short story - whether it be your personal family story, holiday driven, inspirational, or humorous. With that I will create a book of 24 stories, one to be read with my family each night leading up to Christmas which means we start reading the stories on December 1st and finish on Christmas Eve. If you would like a copy of the final product let me know. For the sake of space instead of adding to my comment page, please e-mail your stories to me directly.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all my readers participate!

Love to you all and this first story was shared today at work...

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.

”One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

2008-12-22T11:05:00.000-06:00

We finally finished decorating our tree this weekend and I know you won't believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with the picture above. I was hanging ornaments on the tree and glanced over at Ryan napping on the couch and discovered Bailey had joined his baby brother for a nice snuggle. Bailey has really taken to Ryan and couldn't be more gentle. Ryan holds little snack sized treats in his hand and very gingerly Bailey nuzzles each snack from his hand. I never thought it was possible but I think I love Bailey even more for the love and respect he has shown Ryan since he joined our family.

Ryan's First Christmas - 4 months old!

So Sad

2008-12-19T16:30:00.004-06:00

The little man had his first official "sick" visit to the Doctor today. We woke up this morning and his eye was red, swollen and half shut - poor little man. Yep it was Pink Eye and there really isn't any way to tell how he got it however the Doctor said that it is very common to spread throughout the daycare system. We were prescribed drops which we've renamed "evil" as it must burn based on the shriek Ryan let out as it hit his eye. For the record he now weighs 16 lbs, 8 oz.

We were slammed with another 5+ inches of snow again today however the temperature actually rose to the mid 20s which was nice. It seemed like we slid the entire way to Ryan's appointment and walking to the front door was no easy task as the wind whipped snow directly in my face. In an earlier posting you can see Ryan in his car carrier which has a nice fleece cover with a little window that we can close when he is exposed to the outdoor elements. Anyway he now pokes his little hand out hole if the window is closed to see what's going on however this morning he quickly retracted his hand and pulled the window closed. I think the best part of the day was when I got home to Tom plowing the driveway. A patch was clear and he gave me the green light to pull into the garage. I however veered off the clear patch and got stuck in our own driveway. Blonde party of one your table is ready... After several attempts and a good push from Tom we made it safely home and in the garage. I must say that in this weather a fashion statement is impossible to make - the most important thing is to stay warm and safe from slipping and the things that make that possible do not come with frills or bling :)

- 5 with a wind chill of 19 below - WHAT?

2008-12-16T15:11:00.001-06:00

I can't even explain how cold it is here - perhaps if you imagined death you would be close...

Keeping a positive attitude in this weather has been a real challenge but knowing that we will be on a plane in 8 days and enjoying the company of our family makes it possible. I was trying to think back when I saw my brother Steve last and it was at my wedding three + years ago and my niece Jeni it was her wedding almost four years ago. We have so much to catch up on since we were all last together - I can't wait. I think the thing I look forward to most is for Tom and Ryan to experience a traditional "Miller" Christmas. On Christmas Eve Steve will read the story of Christ from the Bible and the kids will dress up to simulate the nativity scene - this in itself is quite entertaining. On Christmas morning Scottish Stew will be served for breakfast which is something we had as kids every year. Yes, Tom we topped it off with Ketchup - also a family tradition.

2008-12-16T15:08:00.001-06:00

This weekend was the Des Jardins family Holiday celebration. Tom's parents decided to leave for Florida early so his sister hosted an evening at her house. It has now been a few weeks since Ryan discovered his hands and uses them to touch and push things. His favorite is to hold the bottle while he is eating then push it away when he is full. I think he loved the tissue paper in the boxes more then the actual gifts.

This was a very long day for the little guy and I must say he was quite the trooper. He was passed around the entire time and as a result slept 6 hours straight that night - the longest stretch ever. It hasn't happened since but I am thankful for the one nights rest :)

Jeff and Bonnie have been wonderful to Ryan and very supportive throughout our entire parenthood journey. As you can see Ryan enjoying a fun new toy which he really needed. Anything with sounds, music, flashing lights and moving parts is an all time favorite.

Brad, Bri and Tom's Dad enjoying the festive evening.

2008-12-16T15:05:00.003-06:00

Prior to the Des Jardins family Holiday celebration we went to the Botanical Gardens and enjoyed listening to Bri (in the cute white hat) sing holiday favorites. They were absolutely amazing! In one of the songs they used two by fours in one of the songs to simulate the sound of a cracking whip. Every time they smacked the wood together Ryan would blink his eyes real hard and jump as the sound would startle him. The funny thing was that the crowd started watching Ryan and one man actually started filming Ryan's reaction. When the concert was over several people came over to tell us how cute and well behaved our little boy was - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this isn't just a phase but his core personality.

Ryan with one of his favorite cousin Jacob at the holiday gathering.

Tom's sisters Tamera and Lori with sister-in-law Bonnie.

Bonnie with her darling daughter Katie

Snow Day

2008-12-09T10:20:00.002-06:00

I am so glad that I'm not working in Appleton today (a 45 minute drive south) after waking to a yard full of snow. One of our very nice neighbors plowed our driveway this morning. I think it was Ken so when he gets home from work today Ryan and I will take him a plate of cookies as a thank you. I have an appointment today at the college to meet with a counselor to discuss a few potential educational interests of mine. We have so many decisions to make so we are looking at all our options. Anyway I should get cracking on my work so we have time to take Ryan out to play in the snow - it's a beautiful :)

This past Sunday I went to a cookie exchange at Robin's. We where required to make 9 dozen cookies to exchange which I couldn't have done it without Jessie's help. We worked on the cookies Friday night and I actually fell asleep as the last batch was cooking - thank goodness Jess was here to make sure they didn't burn. The cookies are coconut macaroons and I added green food coloring and dipped them in chocolate for a little extra festive zip - they were quite yummy.

2008-12-08T13:55:00.004-06:00

Tom called me at work today to remind me to leave the office early today because a "huge" snow storm is headed our way. They are expecting up to 12 inches between this afternoon and tomorrow evening and the freeway gets crazy when storms hit. So anyway I went online to check the weather radar and Jason who sits in the next cubical went to show me how to get a close up on the map. He was eating his lunch at the time and I notice this plastic thing on his desk... "what is that" I asked and he explained that its a wrap for his sandwich. They come in different colors and patterns and keep his sandwich very fresh.

OK you tree huggers go check it out - it's good for the environment and you'll save on having to buy zip lock bags! http://www.wrap-n-mat.com/Wrapnmat-Works-i-7.html

2008-12-08T11:56:00.002-06:00

This weekend was Bri and Jacob's birthday party. Bri turned 16 and Jacob 12. Ryan loves his Aunt Bonnie and she just can't seem to get enough of him. It really means a lot that she doesn't waste a single moment to give him lots and lots of love and kisses. It's interesting that at 3 months Ryan loves lots of affection and can sense people who are not sincere…

The minute we walked in the house the girls scooped up Ryan and had so much fun playing with him. I love this because it really helps with his socialization plus Katie does such a great job and Ryan just absolutely adores her. I really think that caring for Ryan has come so naturally because of my experience with helping out with all my nieces and nephews. Don't get me wrong there are things that still make me nervous (like taking his temp)for the first time that I'm still learning but overall I'm getting the hang of motherhood. Looking back I wish I started earlier - I could totally see myself having several little ones running around the house.

Ryan is getting so strong and love's tummy time. Here he is playing with his new puppy that sings the ABC song so loud that it makes Ryan squint his eyes - it's really funny. Bonnie and Katie gave it to him last weekend when we went shopping - he loves it :)

2008-11-29T12:51:00.002-06:00

Happy 1st Thanksgiving Ryan!

We went to Tom's parents for dinner. As we sat down for dinner I realized Bailey was no where to be found which didn't make sense with all the amazing smells coming from the kitchen. We started looking around the house calling his name and there was no response. I then started panicking thinking someone left a door open and he was wandering the streets looking for his way home - I called his name over and over and still no response. Now full panic set in... the only place I didn't look was in the storage room so off I ran downstairs flung the door open and there he was - he was sooooo happy to have finally been rescued. I'm thinking one of the kids went down to find a game or maybe even play hide and seek and Bailey followed them in - he was probably sniffing through all the boxes and then realized he was left behind :( poor pup!

Ryan shown here with Aunt Bonnie, Bri, Brad and Katie and he loved spending time with them all. It's funny how he already recognizes people he knows and the people he doesn't. Ryan also met his cousins Alex and Corey for the first time - their mom Lori saw him when he was born but the boys hadn't met him yet.

Ryan loves his cousin Katie - she not only makes him smile but she gets him to giggle as well. We ventured out with Katie and Bonnie for some "stress free" black Friday shopping but I actually think the day after Christmas offers better discounts. My goal was to get Ryan his 6 to 9 month clothes since his wardrobe is really thinning out. I think we have most everything we need but a few extra pair of pants until he turns 9 months. I can't believe how fast they grow out of everything.

Ryan loved snuggling with his cousin Bri as she sang him fast asleep with her beautiful voice.

Happy Boy

2008-11-23T16:46:00.003-06:00

I am sooooo bummed - my camera wasn't working last night so I totally missed documenting our girls night :( Last year a group of girls got together and went to Door County for the weekend. We stayed on the water in an adjoining suite with a full kitchen, cooked a spaghetti dinner the first night, painted pottery the second day, out to dinner the second night and went swimming and picked up our pottery the morning before we headed home. We had so much fun. This year with little Ryan joining our weekend plans everyone came here for the evening and to keep the tradition we made a yummy spaghetti dinner. Deborah, Arlene, Robin and I enjoyed dinner a roaring fire and a couple of total chick flicks. Deborah stayed the night and we had a delicious pancake breakfast. The rest of the day included a nice relaxing nap and a brisk walk. Tom should be home any minute - and we can't wait :)

Snow Bunny

2008-11-23T16:45:00.001-06:00

This weekend was opening of Deer hunting weekend. Tom left Thursday afternoon to head up North to get the cottage ready for his fellow hunters which included his brother Jeff and his friend Greg and Greg's brother. Because Thursday was Tom's day to watch Ryan while I was at work we were lucky to have Bonnie pick up our little rascal and take him for the afternoon. Bonnie took him to run her errands and to parent teacher conference and she said he was a perfect angel. Once she was home the kids, Ryan's cousins, had a blast playing with him and by the time I came to pick him up I could tell he was a very happy camper. I stayed for dinner and enjoyed catching up with them all. Oh I forgot to mention that night after work I popped the trunk to put a box in the back but because it was soooo cold the trunk wouldn't close. This meant I had to drive 45 minutes home with my trunk open. I think more then 10 people notified me that my trunk was open - they should really make flags that you could fasten to you car that says I KNOW... just so you don't look like a total moron.

2008-11-21T08:33:00.000-06:00

The cold has set in... This week we woke a few mornings to temperatures in the teens so it seems winter is here. Tom had to adjust the thermostat to avoid icicles from appearing on our nose. Ryan is getting so strong and just the fact that he sits in his highchair by himself is a true sign that he is getting to be a big boy. Although I am sad to be away from him when I'm at work it is an amazing feeling to see his beaming smile the minute I walk in the door and he realizes I am home.

Olivia has outgrown this toy that hangs down with flashing lights and fun music. We really appreciate her letting us borrow it for a few months. Ryan was so excited the minute he saw it - he started wildly kicking his legs and whipping his arms around and had the funniest expressions on his face. The picture below almost seemed like he saw some sort of UFO for the first time. Isn't it amazing that the simplest things bring us so much happiness - what a great reminder for us all.

Last weekend was Fall clean up as you can see Tom on his "Forrest Gump" mower in the back yard. I think he put in over 8 hours working in the yard - what a stud :) I know this sounds funny but I think it is very attractive when my husband works hard around the house...

This week I found myself on a hormonal roller coaster and thank goodness the ride has come to a stop - lets hope it isn't temporary... Anyway I really started to question our priorities in life, why do we have all this stuff, it means we have to spend more time working instead of enjoying each other - why is my hair so long, it takes so much time to style when I could be enjoying it with my son - why do we live in an area where the economy is in the gutter and the seasons are soooo extreme??? I have found myself missing my family to a point where my sole aches. I miss getting together for no reason, I miss taking the dogs for a walk along the beach, I miss Ryan not growing up with his cousins, I miss that Nana Lynn hasn't seen our little man smile yet and I miss that not one of my brothers has met Ryan. Ok, so now that I have shared the depressing facts I need to remember what Lynn told me when I first moved here. Especially at this time of the year I need to start the day with identifying something beautiful or positive around me. This should help lift my spirits :) Life isn't completely horrible, I have a loving husband, a darling little boy, some awesome friends and we're enjoying time with Tom's brothers family. I guess I was spoiled growing up - we had it all - a loving family, great friends and beautiful weather - what more could a person wish for... Ryan is reminding me to add milk to that list - gotta run the boy is calling for breakfast :)

2008-11-15T12:44:00.001-06:00

This week we had our pictures taken for our passports to travel to Canada for the holidays. I don't understand why they want us to look like we've been arrested but they do. I think the alien man on Ryan's shirt is hilarious. They had to take his picture about 50 times to make sure you could see both ears. What???

Yesterday was Tom's first day watching Ryan for more then 30 minutes, - try the whole day. I had to return to Hell again, oh I mean work, and daycare wasn't available so Tom was up for the challange. I was up at 5 am to feed and change Ryan and get him ready for the day. Once he was back to sleep I quickly showered and before leaving for work I left a detailed note. The first item on the note said "call me as soon as you get up so I know you are awake". He was working the night before until 2:30 am so I was worried he wouldn't hear Ryan get up. Well by 9 am I was starting to worry since Ryan is usually up between 7 am and 8 am so I called and there was no answer - now I was really worried. Shortly after Tom called me back - he was giving Ryan a bath and putting on a fresh change of clothes. I guess Ryan messed himself (up the back) and when Tom was cleaning him up #2 ended up everywhere including the door knob. Since Tom has never even watched me give Ryan a bath I'm sure that was an interesting event. I called several times during the day for an update and could hear Ryan squawking in the background. Everyone says this daddy and me day was good for them both but I couldn't help but worry. By the time I arrived home both boys were calm and playing in the family room. The house looked like a tornado hit it but both boys were safe and sound so it didn't matter. Once Ryan was laying in my arms he quickly fell asleep and his world was back to normal. I am soooo thankful it's the weekend!

The Worst Day Ever

2008-11-14T12:29:00.003-06:00

Wednesday was my first day back to work - which was absolute hell. I dropped Ryan off at daycare (aka Jail) and started on my 40 minute drive to work. Not until I looked in my review mirror and saw Ryan's empty carrier base did it hit me...30 minutes of hysterical crying and an enormous amount of guilt for abandoning my son :( Throughout the day I felt similar to the way a person feels after a car crash - dazed and confused - and all I could do was count the minutes until I could get home to my sweet baby boy. Thank goodness I didn't see any police on my way home since I think I averaged 80 mph. Once I arrived home I made it in the house with only three steps and immediately snuggled little Ryan in my arms. He was sooooo happy and giggling and after suddenly realizing his food source was home, started rooting like a puppy. We were inseparable for the rest of the night and both fell asleep early from pure exhaustion.

2008-11-10T09:54:00.001-06:00

Now who wouldn't want to kiss those juicy lips? The past few weeks have been very stressful with the thought of having to go back to work. Daycare is only available on a part time basis which I guess is a blessing in that I won't have to leave Ryan cold turkey. I won't have to worry about full time until January19th :)This weekend I was able to spend time with friends. Friday night Lois came over for dinner, a nice roaring fire in the fireplace and some good old fashion girl talk. It's been far too long... Saturday Deborah and I went for lunch at Panera (just opened here in town - yum) and walked through the mall. We didn't do any damage, which was good, but being that the weather has dropped to the 30s walking outside just isn't an option. Deborah and I could sit in a cardboard box and still have fun and find something to talk about - I think that is a sign of a true friend.