S Club Mama

If you or someone you know has extra baby bottles please direct yourself (or them) to this link . This woman is my amazing best friend, and you'll love her. So please go to this site if you have old bottles and help someone who needs them. Also, if you are a mother or trying to be a mother, you will appreciate that link. You understand the importance and desire to be a mother...the desire my friend has. If you would like to just make a donation on behalf of my friend and her husband (the Spiderlegs I mention a lot), please contact me or her via commenting. Her dream as long as I've known her has been to be a mother and you could take part in the process of making her wish come true.

After a day of no rest and a night of great rest, here's how I'm feeling today: Thankful to those that commented on my situation and made me feel like less of a freak REALLY thankful to my husband who I again woke up last night (this time with the vomit....stupid crap) REALLY REALLY thankful Moose slept through the toilet flushing REALLY REALLY REALLY thankful that God has helped me realize that I need to trust Him I also have realized a few things: I'm not trusting God like I need to I'm not praying like I should be I NEED to exercise to center myself, focus, and relax (a lot of my stress has been since I stopped regularly working out) I need to practice on being patient with Tristan (I get annoyed with him so easily when if I just embraced whatever it is he's doing, I'd be just fine)

I posted about this WAY earlier today (almost 12 hours ago), but I realized it was a weird post so I'll rephrase now that I'm a little more sane. Last night we went to a shrimp boil (which I honestly didn't have that much fun at because a lot of those girls that were there were girlfriends/wives/fiancees of Anthony's (old) friends. I like them, we just don't have much in common. I'm the only one with a kid....they don't want any for, like, at least 5 years. Among other things. Anyway then we hit a friend's wedding reception on our way (or rather out of our way) home. That was a drunk-fest but we said hi to people we haven't seen in a good while (and some we won't see for a very long time again). I did get asked by another couple to do a Scripture reading at their wedding, so that's fun. On our way home, Big A downed some No Doz (caffeine pills) so he could stay awake to drive. I took 2 so I could stay awake to help A stay awake. I stayed awak

Moose is almost a year old (4 days!) so..... sometimes I dress him in onesies to make him still look like a baby. He loves that baby in the mirror (he even says "bebe" to him) Even though he's giving himself a weird look in this one High five, baby! I always love this view...his hair is so precious And he looks tall in those stripes Enjoy your time Enjoy your time on earth moment by moment Too soon things change Precious moments become faded memories Time flows like a river Rushing with a current Make a dam in your heart to cherish little moments

13 Things I Love About Scrapbooking: 1) You can step back in time 2) Putting the perfect picture in the perfect place on the perfect page 3) Stickers! I love feeling like a kid 4) The organization of it all (I'm totally Type A) 5) If I have time, I can always make one for someone else 6) I can have all the time in the world or 5 minutes & still get something done (even if it's just picking out the right paper to use) 7) There are whole stores devoted to my one hobby 8) The dream of actually selling scrapbooks for someone some day - they would make great graduation, confirmation, baptism, new baby, wedding, etc. gifts 9) Glitter pens - reminiscent of high school 10) The look on people's faces when they look at scrapbooks....memories rush over them that are enhanced by the designs behind the pictures 11) Not only can you capture the moment in a photograph, you can tell what's happening through the scrapbook page 12) It is a neat and organized way to be a pack rat! 1

If it isn't one thing, it's another, right? I called my older sister (we'll call her Party Animal or Animal for short) to tell her about the tubes being put in. We talk about that, she reassures me he'll be fine. Then I mention his party and say I'll post pictures for her (she's stationed in Hawaii with the Air Force in case you missed that somewhere down the blog). She says "yeah, I heard you planned it the same day as Michelle's wedding." I graduated high school with Michelle. We weren't best friends, but we've known one another since we were young (at least Kindergarten and we lived a few doors down from one another growing up). I said, "yeah, I just wanted everyone to be able to come." The party is planned for July 5 so everyone has that weekend off (my dad, Big A's mom). My sister says, "yeah, I know you have other people coming and you had to plan for that." Me: "well, it's dad. I wanted him to be able

Moose & I went to the doctor's office today to meat with the ear/nose/throat doctor. His nurse was really really nice, first of all, so that was great. Doc came in and checked Moose's ears. Diagnosis: double ear infection. He wrote us a script for more antibiotics to last him two weeks. Now in 2 weeks, Moose will have his first surgery (oh no!): ear tubes. I know this is a fairly commonplace surgery and isn't that big of deal, but the idea of them cutting into Moose's ears just makes me want to cry. Yes, he'll be asleep and he'll only need Tylenol to treat the pain. But my mommy heart just cries when I think of them making an incision in his ears (or anywhere on him, for that matter). Yikes! Hopefully he won't get an ear infection and his body won't reject the tubes as foreign objects. Of course, I will keep you updated. Please be praying for this little surgery and my little guy, especially since he is supposed to have his one-year-old check-up and

I am a sucker for survey-things like this I found on Mama's Losin' It . If I had a dime for every ...time Tristan fell down, I would have enough money to retire now. If I could catch a star I'd ...probably be arrested; they don't even like paparazzi. Watch out Brad Pitt! If you saw me cry you'd ...hopefully give me a hug and listen to my story. If you could read my eyes they'd tell you ...I need more sleep. If I could go back 5 years I would ...listen to my mom about certain guys I dated (they sucked). If you saw me walking ...images of Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality would flash through your brain (pre-makeover...ok maybe not so bad). If I could fly, I'd fly to ...wherever we end up moving to....it'd be a lot faster than driving there. If I had a black cat sitting in front of me, I'd ...cuddle up and talk to it (cats make the best therapists). If I could live in the Big Apple I'd ...take Moose to museums and Central Park and Broadway. I woul

Apparently if you are reading this, I am going to assume you like to write (if not love it), so....If you could write a book, what would it be about? Don't worry about posting on my comments, I want to know all about it. Would it be a children's, adolescent, adult, or mature novel (please no details on the mature ones...ha)? A picture, photography, poem, short story, novel, devotional? For women only or gender neutral? *Edit to add: There has been a question about what I would like to write. I would love to write a novel but I don't exactly know how to make the storyline complex enough to be interesting (like Wuthering Heights or Spring Came on Forever). I write some poetry, I just think it's all a bit elementary. I've written some short stories for classes (my favorite one being one I wrote in 5th grade, no joke). And I really would love to do these 2 things: write a Christian book for adolescent/mid-twenties women dealing with actual issues women face as Christian

I called the doctor this morning around 9:30 to see if she wanted to see Moose. I left a voicemail saying I thought he had ear infection, that he's been rubbing his ear, hasn't been himself, and that she had said we needed to put tubes in. I waited and waited. 12:30 a nurse called to ask what his symptoms were (that I left on the message) and she said she had to talk to the doctor to see what she wanted to do (don't they talk to the doctor beforehand?). I waited and waited and waited. 4:30 rolled around and still no phone call. I want Moose to feel better, darn it. So I called back, got pushed from the receptionist to the scheduler to disconnected back to the receptionist (who acted really annoyed that I called back) to the scheduler to the really nice nurse. She said that the doctor had just gotten to look at the notes (thanks, I've been hovering my phone all day. wish you could have told me I'd be waiting ALL DAY). Then the nurse wanted to know if I wanted to see

Yesterday, we took Tristan to his first pancake feed, then to church, and (after a much needed nap) out to Laura's parents' to swim (and a cookout for her older brother). We put a Little Swimmer on under his trunks and put little arm floaties on him. I don't think he was too sure at first, but I swam around with him (and passed him on a little bit). We put him in a baby innertube thingy with a place for him to sit and just lounge - he loved that. But the second time we put him in (I don't think he wanted out the first time), I didn't put floaties on him & just held him. He was kicking and it was just so cute! He kicked his little legs like a pro! I had a lot of fun, too, except I totally need a new swimsuit. Then we had a cookout with SO much meat!! The food was really really yummy (although I'm pretty sure the fruit salad was my favorite). Overall it was probably one of the most fun days I've had in awhile. (Sorry no pictures; I didn't take my camer

What a nice hubby I have.... yes, I love to post about how wonderful he is. Eat your heart out all of you women who passed him up (*whisper* and thank you!). ANYWAY, he is skipping fishing tomorrow to give me some time to be the secondary of Moose's parents (usually, I am first in command, darn it). This week has just been brutal to my sanity (have I mentioned the wad of hair I find in my drain after each and every shower?) and my body. Have you ever had a week where you can FEEL your back just tense up at the thought of it lasting one more day? I know a massage would do wonders for me right now - where is Phoebe Buffay when you need her? I'm thinking of taking lil Moose to the doc. I'm not sure if it's just teething that's bothering him, but he's also been messing with his ears lately, too. My thought is, of course, ear infection. However, I did read Parents or Parenting the other day & a pediatrician said that the most annoying thing parents do is bring t

Sometimes I feel like I'm ill-equipped (yes, I love Juno , get over it) to be a mother. I love my son and I've done a (pretty) good job with him (I think and so I've been told - thank you dear Mrs. Spiderlegs and my dearest hubby). However, I'm always at a loss to what the next step is. My dilemma now is: weaning from the bottle. Moose does NOT understand the sippy cup. I've even tried different kinds. I don't want to use a sippy anyway (at least not most of the time), but I would like him to know how to use one. But he understands the cup, but is NOT good at it. I'm so afraid that he won't get all of the milk he'll need once we take his bottle away. Plus, he's really attached to the bottle! Our 8 oz bottles are on the fritz (I don't know) and so I've switched to giving him 4 oz in his 6 oz bottles (after I dug them out of the basement). He doesn't even like me to take away the empty one for the full one! Also, when do I stop giving

Ok this sounds like a braggy post, but, honestly, I'm seriously humbled by this. I know...I didn't win the Pulitzer or Nobel, but a necklace. But to know that someone picked me to win something really beautiful just kind of amazes me. If I had to choose who would have won, there were a lot of amazing women who entered the contest. But....thank you, Kristen & SITS , for choosing me. I really appreciate it, especially today (my day hasn't been that bad just a hard day for T with a darn tooth coming in). I'm really excited!!!

Ok, for once I'm up before lil T & I'm watching GMA. Apparently there is a high school (wherever The Perfect Storm is set) where there is an epidemic of teen pregnancies. They say that some of the girls are making a PACT to get pregnant together. Wow, do these girls understand what they are doing? Babies are a miracle and a joy, but being in high school and WANTING this to happen? Finish high school, get married, settle down a little bit. Babies aren't just fun and joy; they are work (yes, they are a blessing but, please don't just go right over the work put into them). It's not Juno , where you get to give the baby away! This baby is YOURS FOREVER! Now, I know some girls are amazing and graduate high school while being a teen mother (like my very own mother - who didn't plan it!), but why make high school more difficult than it already is? Parenting is much easier when there are two of you (I honestly would not have wanted to do this by myself). And of cou

13 Things I Take For Granted & I Shouldn't 1. God (this includes Jesus & the Holy Spirit) -We often think "what would life be like without _______" but how often do we think, "we wouldn't even have life without God." 2. My husband -Read my post from a few days ago; you'll see I'm probably the luckiest girl alive. 3. My son -A kid who sleeps through the night, loves me to pieces, and isn't mobile enough to get lost yet. 4. Sleeping past 6:00am -T has been sleeping until at least 6:30 (the other day it was 9!)....he used to be up at 5-5:30am...every. day! 5. Life in the USA -How many freedoms do we enjoy that we otherwise would not have elsewhere? 6. My college degree -So many people can't afford to go to college or just can't seem to pass the classes. 7. Our vehicles -They run. Even if the car is gold. 8. Our apartment -We have noisy neighbors, yes. We have a roof over our heads, yes. We have a basement to go to in the event of a t

My lovely boys taking a hot nap the day before Father's Day.

Reading Insane Mama 's post made me think deeply about how much I love my husband, especially how sensitive he is. Don't get me wrong, he doesn't always have the compassion down to a tee; but he understands me better than I do myself sometimes. This is my favorite of our wedding pictures. Big A's tears started the night before at our rehearsal. Then when we met before pictures (just the two of us), he cried. During the ceremony, he cried while walking his grandpa, my grandma, my mom, and his parents down the aisle. He cried as my dad walked me down the aisle. And, oh boy, he cried off and on throughout the whole thing. And I wiped as many of his precious tears away with my white gloves as I could. I thought it was enchanting and one of the most manly things he could ever do. The moment Moose was born, Big A cried. This is one of my favorite pictures of that entire day (thankfully me and my pregnant puffiness are not in this one). I don't know why men don't usu

Here's the deal. We're having a small birthday party for Tristan, so I'm making cupcakes & a cake. The theme of this party is the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The cupcakes will be (fairly) simple. Frost some cupcakes yellow and use yellow Jelly Bellies to make them look like corncobs. The hard part will be the cake. I bought a small cake pan to make a baby-sized cake. However, I want to frost it with the Nebraska "N" on it. I'd love to write Huskers like they do but I know that will NOT work. Any ideas on how to make this "N" turn out well? I did think about making him a football-shaped cake, but I don't have a football-shaped pan.

Me and the boys packed up for the weekend to head to my parents' house. We did stay at a hotel to avoid ( the smoke from my mom's cancer sticks ) my sister's really uncomfortable ( and probably 20 year old ) mattress. This was one of the first times we came back home & weren't just tired of being around my family. We were tired, however. Is it just a Moose thing or do other babies not sleep well ( or at all ) in playpens? Goodness. Honestly, on Friday he slept in there for about an hour ( maybe ). Saturday for a few hours ( he was totally zonked, though ) and then for about 4 hours with us in the bed. As much as I love Moose, I love it when he sleeps in his own crib. Naps are nice together... bed time is MY time ! I also got to meet the little sister's boyfriend, V. He was actually kind of cute ( she usually goes for bow-wows ) and was really nice! I stalk her Facebook wall, I know what kind of dirt bags she usually dates and this guy was just nice. He even hel

First of all, a happy birthday shout out to Buttercup! I hope your 1st birthday is all you've dreamed in your tiny tot dreams. This is a contest, of course, click on the link below or to the side to find out more details. Prizes include: clothes, jewelry, gift certificates, wipes & cleaning stuff, a chair, & a princess wand. How fun is all of that? Go....enter....now.

More storms last night. My heart goes out to those Boy Scout mothers & fathers who lost their sons last night. I can't even imagine how devastated they are. We fared well. Tornadoes went around us again (praise God)! We did spend time in the basement. The Spiderlegs came over & brought the kitties. The boys were being stubborn & wanted to stand outside. I think Laura & I were more content where it was safe. I coerced Anthony to come down with us after awhile After everyone went home & to bed, I had a long talk with Big A about standing out in the storms. I know he thinks they are fascinating, but, to me, storms aren't anything to mess with. I want him to have his fun, stand outside & gawk (he is a total gawker at everything). But when I feel it's necessary or at least more safe to go downstairs, I need him to come with me. Not only to calm me down (I HATE storms) but to help me with Moose. This kid was awake 2-3 hours AFTER bedtime, AFTER he'd be

Maybe this sounds weird, but I think Moose took his first steps today. Now, I know you're thinking, "you think?" Yes, I think. I stood him up across from Big A & I this afternoon. Then he put a little foot out and fell down. Usually, that's all he does is fall down or just stand there with his arms out like, "honestly, I'm just going to fall so pick me up." Later, he did the same thing; just moved a foot but then fell. That time it was awfully cute when he fell because he caught himself with his arms but stuck his butt all the way in the air. Too cute to handle. I will keep you updated on his walking attempts. Only 20 days until my baby is my big boy!

Today was MOPS playgroup at a park across town at 10ish. So around 9:15 or so I decide we'll walk there and stop by the bank & library on the way to and from. I slather the boy with sunscreen & off we go. We stopped at the bank about halfway there & put A's check in the bank & talked to our favorite banker! We got to the playground a little bit after 10. By this time, Tristan is just tired. He was up at 7:45 & hadn't taken a nap yet. So we talked to our friend TA & I let him climb some of the stairs on the playground and go down the little slide. Then he was hungry so I gave him a bottle. He decided to be cuddly & lay on my shoulder until he heard baby R crying (TA's daughter) & so he played with her a bit. Then we sat around with his little "girlfriend," J. A little after 11 we decided to head home. We stopped by the library (which is about halfway home) & got a few Dr. Seuss books, a movie for Moose (Peter Pan), & a mo

Alright, I didn't win the SITS contest (congratulations to Jackie !). So here's another I'm entering in hopes of winning. It's by the designer EightCrazy Designs . These creations are truly beautiful, so, of course, I'd like to win so I can have a pretty blog. Enter here to try to beat me to the punch.

The Missouri River just east of town is flooded...and I mean FLOODED. Anthony says at least 50 acres (which I don't know how much land constitutes an acre) are covered in water. I just know it's a few fields...a lot of land. The water is over the road (as of yesterday at least), closing the road. We ended up in the basement last night. Apparently there was tornadic action a few blocks from us, but we didn't get a touch down (praise God!). I hate being in the basement; then I know things are serious and that freaks me out. I don't do a good job of staying calm. Good thing is that Moose doesn't notice when I cry; he's too little. But it passed & the rest of the giant line of storms went east. Praise God for a restful night and no tornadoes!

Sometimes Moose is a tough boy...other times, he's, well, a baby. If he hits his head, it's one of two reactions: wailing or perfectly fine. Two days ago, I was on here (big surprise) & Tristan was standing by his stroller. His stroller was beside our computer table (not desk, table), blocking his entrance to the stairway (yes, I have a baby gate up, but he climbs the other 3 stairs not blocked off). So he's playing with the buckle in the stroller. I heard the stroller fall over but no cries came out so I didn't think anything of it. I turn around. Where's Moose? Under the stroller! Not making any sound. I pick the stroller up off of him...and he crawls away. NOT ONE TEAR! NOT ONE CRY OR WHINE! Hilarious.

My mom called me & said the English teacher at my high school quit suddenly, so they are in need of an English teacher. So I scoured Facebook to see if I knew of any English teacher that needed a job. There was only 1 and he's not the brightest crayon in the box, so I wouldn't recommend him. So I told my mom that if I didn't need a certification, I'd at least consider doing it. I mean, I have the training to be a teacher, just not the certificate. She was on the phone with the school secretary as we were speaking, & AK said there was a provisional thing they could do. I think that means that if they are desperate enough, they could hire a person without a certificate as long as they were working towards it. The superintendent is out of town until Thursday, so I won't even know if they would consider that for a few days. I'll keep you updated. But how weird would that be to go from staying at home with Moose to teaching at my old high school - a place I s

Check out this blog ! They are having a contest...and nothing that involves how fast you can change a diaper! The prizes are as follows: *a blog makeover *an awesome digital camera *digital voice recorder *sweet t-shirt *comfy mouse pad *chocolate (who doesn't love that?) Go over to the site & check out the rules. It's really easy to enter...trust me, if it were complicated, I wouldn't have taken the time to do it.

Today was our first BBQ of the summer! It was so nice to sit in the shade & eat good food while Tristan took a nap in the house. This BBQ was at the J Crew house; they had a TON of people there. Dad J pastored (is that a verb?) at church today & they invited a lot of their friends to come to the service too. That equaled a lot of children at church. It was nice to see so many pews filled, but different to share the nursery. Moose seemed to like watching the little girls play around in there, though. I like getting him around other kids; he does pretty well. Jorja is really good at sharing & playing with him...just sometimes he tries to lean on her or she'll try to pick him up. Very cute but doesn't quite work. But the cook out was great fun. The A-Fam came too and so did TA's brother & fiance, H. I like her a lot so we chatted it up. I got to chat with S, too, & hear about her new job with Crusades. I did get to talk with a few moms (I don't think I