Getting things Done

There is no better feeling than getting things done. Bret likes to joke that one of the reasons I love to create lists is the satisfaction of crossing completed items off of it.

The last few weeks our house has been a disaster. We have been sorting through our storage unit and organizing everything. We have made piles (sell, get rid of, and put back) and slowly dwindled those piles. We have rearranged our bedroom to accommodate the baby's crib and changing table. We have sorting through baby things galore.

Some would say we are crazy...in fact at first Bret was in that same boat. However, please know that I know how much time we have until the baby comes (18 weeks). Most of this time is the holiday season and part of Bret's two worst rotations. The weather will get worst, school and outside activities will increase, and saying that we are going to be busy isn't even the half of it. Bret and I are renowned procrastinators. We always are hurrying frantically at the last minute to try and get things done. I don't like that feeling and am really trying to turn over a new leaf. Not just because it is a good thing to get done but because we have to.

My determination seems to be contagious as we are very close to be done..for now. Our bedroom is 85% complete. The baby furniture needs to be cleaned and touched up some how, we need a night stand, and I plan to make a floating headboard. The rest of the house is clean and laundry is completely caught up. Tubs of newborn clothes have all been sorted and labeled. We have a few purchases to make but otherwise are pretty much ready for the new arrival. Last night while Bret was working on a presentation for work I watched a youtube video and learned how to crochet a baby cap. The first try was OK but too small but the second turned out awesome.

It felt so good to know that we have accomplished a lot lately. Bret, however, has insisted that next weekend we do something fun. Camping maybe? We will see.

Welcome Freshman!

The new incoming freshman students are moving onto campus today. The atmosphere is festive, apprehensive, and exciting all at the same time.

Dear freshman,

Welcome and congrats! Going to college has become one of the most awesome milestones in the journey of life. After years of working with college students not to mention being one for the typical 4 years here are a few tidbits of information that will only help to serve you as you venture to seek who you are and who you want to become.

Go to class. No really...go to class. It is amazing how just being in the same room as your professor for the standard number of assigned hours per week will naturally absorb into you and only help your grades. Seriously, going to class alone will increase your odds by 40% (there have been studies done but I don't have any handy to quote) of passing the class.

Do everything. Students who get involved with clubs, organizations, work on campus, and just participate in activities like attending the sporting events are more connected and feel more ownership of their college. You (or your parents) are paying a lot of money that is giving you more than an education (which is also important). Get your butt out there and try something new and don't be afraid to meet new people all the time.

Check your campus email and mail box. The various departments on campus send you important information to these two specific locations. It is important to not only check these things but to open and READ the information in there as well. This also means that if we ask you to do something (like fill out a form and return it) that you should take care of that as well. You are an adult and are you now responsible for things like paperwork, forms, and your bills.

Don't wait to get help. If you are not doing well in a class, emotionally, or financially there is help for you. Too many times we don't get the chance to find out what is going until you are already leaving campus or it's too late. Again remember that money you (parents) are spending? This is part of where it goes towards.

Savor it all. The next 4/5/6 years will go so quickly you will wonder where it went. Remember each day is a gift. Be smart but have fun.

Sincerely,

Your Dedicated Financial Aid Counselor (that will be sure to tell you when you are being an idiot if necessary)

Neutral

When it comes to newborn things I think that the idea that there are such things as gender neutral clothes is not completely true. Everything looks boy to me. It may not look girl but it looks much more boy.

After looking through the mountains of clothing, blankets, sheets, burp clothes, etc I realized that I have very few (maybe 2 items) gender neutral clothes (aka white, yellow, green, and don't forget the inevitable rubber ducky). So while out getting some fall/winter clothes for the kids I browsed by the newborn section. LOTS of cute baby stuff but nothing that I was really crazy for that could be considered neutral. I am just not that crazy about the rubber ducky thing and that leaves not much else to choose from. The only things that I really liked were all white. While this is a possibility it is much more likely that I will simply purchase a "take home from the hospital" outfit for both a girl and a boy and just deal with it. The other option I have though about is going with the all white outfit and getting a hat for both a girl and a boy so that people can easily tell which it is.

I always thought the take home outfit was funny. Besides the pictures you take no one really sees it...yet we had this for the first two so we should probably have it for the third. What I am super excited about is the "big brother/big sister" shirts for my other two kids. They are old enough to know what that means and are super excited. I was on another blog the other day and saw pictures of their kids (including a newborn) and there were all dressed up in teddy bear hooded jackets (I think I remember seeing something like that from Gap). CUTE! I have my eyes peeled for matching clothes. Boy or girl I am all about the matching outfits. I remember when my sister and I were young and how much I hated the matching outfits my mother would force us into for Christmas and family photos. I would never have guessed how much I was looking forward to subjecting my children to the same. LOL

I can't believe it is almost September...where did the summer go? Usually about this time I am picking through the pattern books at Joann's and making decisions on Halloween costumes. I have made both of the kids' costumes every year so far. I am really wavering on making them this year. Emily has gotten a little choosy and I almost think she would rather pick something out from the store or online than have me make it. I hate waiting till the last minute so even if we do buy something we will start talking about it soon. I also want to come up with something creative for me to wear (since a dressed up prego is always funny).

Big Decisions

Here in PA school starts for most next week. This has causes a little anxiety in our house as of late.

Bret and I have talked AT LENGTH about whether or not we should send Emily to kindergarten this year. The decision was to send her to our daycare's kindergarten this year and then to kindergarten the next year (not sure whether it will be at the Catholic church's school or public yet). Then a few weeks ago one of Palmer's teachers mentioned that she might be interested in being a nanny. We talked about sending Emily to the preschool at the same place she would go to kindergarten and how this might be a way for us to afford daycare after the baby comes. Long story short the teacher decided that she was not ready to commit as she wasn't sure what she wanted to do either (go back to school, etc).

Then Bret reminded me that one of the residents in our apt complex's mom was living with them to take care of their newborn baby and her daughter had mentioned that she would be interested in watching more kids. So last night we went and talked to her. She is great and we love her. However, there are still somethings to think about.

First she wasn't real keen on the idea of taking and picking up Emily from school. Who can blame her? Taking a tiny baby, Palmer, and Emily back and forth twice a day three times a week is a lot. Bret thought that one of the other neighbors (who have twin 4 year olds) were looking into preschools in the area. If we sent Emily to the same school they would probably be willing to give her a ride back and forth. Complicated enough for you yet?

The crappiest part of all of this is that school starts in the next two weeks so our window of getting Emily into another preschool (if that is what we choose to do) is very small. We also have to figure out how much to offer to pay. I want to pay her what she is worth. However I also have to take into consideration how much I pay now. If it is not going to save me any money then is it worth it? The center provides food, education, and doesn't have sick days. Besides paying for the babysitter we also have to pay for Emily's preschool. I want what is best for our kids. The kids are happy right now and I am very anxious about changing that. The status quo is working for us right now.

This is where Bret and I come at odds. He thinks we should plan ahead for the baby and make sure we have arrangements in place so that we can afford our future. I, on the other hand, am still praying for a miracle. I would like things to stay the same for now and as the time comes closer answers will become more obvious. I would ideally like to stay home. However, we have to figure out a way for us to supplement our income by something close to what I bring home now (after taxes, insurance, and daycare). I am not sure if that means finding something I can do from home, Bret getting an amazing contract that will start paying out his signing bonus now, or winning the lottery.

The Lord has always provided for us. We didn't know how were going to pay our bills when Emily was born (Bret was a 1st year med student and I made next to nothing) but we figured it out. We didn't know how were going to move across the country and afford to live on one income after Palmer was born but again we figured it out. There has always been "enough". Not knowing the right answers and the desire to do what is best for our children drives us to constantly worry and fret about what we should be doing.

We have even second guessed our decision on not sending Emily to kindergarten. We continue to have faith that things will work themselves out and that we are making the best choices.

Baby #3

Thursday was my 20 week sonogram and it went very well. Bret had surgery and couldn't make it but Emily was a great companion to go with. She was very excited to see the baby.

On Friday after Palmer's surgery I took him to the hospital to have lunch with daddy. Palmer was thrilled to see him and had been asking for him all morning. The kids love eating at the hospital caffateria with daddy. It is always a special treat.

I too got a special treat when Bret asked if I wanted to see if any of the sono techs were free in the maternal fetal medicine department (which is the rotation is currently on). While all sonograms are special their 3-D machine is AWESOME. Also b/c there were no measurements to take we could be sure to steer clear of the unknown domain and still be surprised to find out what the baby is when it is born. The pictures turned out so good and it was funny to hear everyone's response. On facebook everyone was convinced that the pictures look just like Palmer. Bret and I agree. Being the mom that I am I pulled out my scrapbook and actually compared the the 3D sonogram of Palmer to the new baby and yep they look very much alike. We laughed and said that it is either a boy or a little girl that will have to grow into her looks. Either way we were thrilled to have a very healthy baby so far and rather proud of ourselves to have kept the sex a surprise.

This weekend also marked what Bret jokingly referred to "as the nesting beginning". We worked on sorting through our storage unit and organizing everything. I have now created a tub with 0-3 month clothes for each the girl things, boy things, and things for either sex. I noticed very quickly that we don't have many gender neutral things at all. This is fine since we have so much of both already. Although we still have 19 weeks left (or closer to 18 hopefully) it feels good to start having somethings done. I know first hand how once we get closer to Halloween and all of the other holidays time with pass me by.

A Glimpse

Palmer had minor surgery on Friday. He had his tear ducts probed. They have been blocked since he was born. The surgery was nothing major although they did give him anesthesia to make him sleep through the procedure. He is fine and everything went OK.

Bret had to work and he had dropped Emily off early that morning at daycare. As I was going through the entire process with Palmer (getting his ID badge, changing him into the hospital gown, etc) I started to think about the millions of parents who do this regularly with children much much sicker. It was heartbreaking to me to have to hand over my child crying out to his mother so that they could carry him the rest of the way to the OR. It was also heart breaking to have him not understand what was going on when he was coming around after the surgery was over.

I am very very grateful that we have never had to go through anything like this before with any of our children and that even this time was for something not deemed serious or dangerous. I pray that we will never have to be back in that situation for something more serious. I also pray for all the parents who are not as sure of the outcome of their child's surgery and the fears that they face.

Twinkle what?

Last night after dinner Bret and I took the kids to buy new shoes. The months of flip flops and crocs willing coming to an end shortly and we have been putting off the purchase of new sneakers for a while now.

Two things during our experience caught me off guard. The first of which was how much Palmer's feet have grown. He is wearing an 8 1/2 shoes size. I guess this was surprising to me because Emily only wears a 9 1/2. When it came to buying shoes for Palmer he wasn't very concerned with which pair he got but at his age independence is key. I can't tell you how nice it is to tell your kid "get your shoes on" and not have to sit down and do it for him. I LOVE Crocs for this very reason. Not to mention the fact that you hose them off when oh I don't know he accidentally pees down his leg into his shoes during the first few months of potty training. So Palmer got a nice pair of Nike tennis shoes that he can put on and take off by himself (ie no laces).

It goes without saying that my little diva Emily was in shoe heaven. She loves shoes (I have no idea where she gets this from) and was at first having a hard time deciding which pair to try on. Then she saw them. With a squeal of delight I saw her grab a pair of shoes off the rack and say "mom these are Twinkle Toes...I have to have these...PLEASE mom!". Then seeing a similar pair next to the ones in her hands that were pink she quickly switch the blue ones in her hand for the pink ones.

Bret and I kind of looked at each other going "WTF are Twinkle Toes"? I have never heard of or seen these shoes before. Although Emily is close to reading there was still no way for her to have read the box (which were labeled as Twinkle Toes). After looking at the price (which was actually lower than some of the Nike's we were looking at) and seeing how she had no intentions of parting with these shoes we caved. They are not exactly what I would have thought she would have gone for. They are not ugly but they are certainly not what I would have chosen. Then it hit me. They are not for me. They are for my five year old. This was the first time I can think of when Emily's "style" was becoming her own and not what I was choosing for her.

I had several flashbacks to my own childhood when I argued with my mother about everything from sagging jeans, holey jeans, the slicker jump suits, and when girls were wearing boxer shorts as shorts (for the record my mom was horrified that her teenage daughter wanted to wear men's underwear for anything other than PJ's). Emily's "style" has popped up a few other times in the last few weeks as we have been preparing for the start of the school year. I was surprised at how insistent she was to have knee socks to wear with her skirts and dresses instead of the tights I had assumed. Flipping through some of my magazines I have also been surprised to see how accurate her style has been with what is being advertised (we don't have TV anymore so the commercials can't really be at blame).

On the way home from the shoes store Bret and I laughed about the differences in our two kids. Someday we will be giving Emily strict dollar amounts allowed to be spent on school clothes and trying to stay out of the way. Palmer on the hand will most likely need to be drug to the store to try on new jeans. Although watching Emily put on her new shoes and feeling like a rock star this morning was enough to make me smile and be glad that we are not yet at the point where this need to be trendy doesn't cost us much much more $.

1/2 way

This is my 20th week of pregnancy. That means I am officially half way through. Whoo hoo! To be completely honest it has been the easiest 20 weeks of any of my pregnancies. Yes there was a point in the first trimester when Bret was on his 4th week of nights that I thought....will this ever end? But with no nausea, sore boobs, or heart burn to complain about I am a happy girl. As of last month my total weight gain was 1 lb. While this may surprise many of you I am actually right on track with my weight gain. I *ahem* had a little extra to start with so the "ideal" gain for the entire pregnancy is between 15-20lbs total. I need to save up for the end when I know I'll be packing the weight on.

Today is also my 20 week sonogram. After much ho-humming we decided to not find out the sex of the baby. We found out with both Palmer and Emily and were super excited to do so. In fact I could barely stand to wait as long as we did both times. I barely slept the night before both times I was so worried they weren't going to be able to tell me. I had made Bret swear he would sneak me in to one of the hospitals and do another sonogram if we couldn't tell. This time around I am curious to find out (cause I have NO CLUE) but am more excited about waiting. Bret is still convinced that I think it is a boy and just want to hold on to the dream that it is a girl for a while longer.

The decision as to whether Bret would go or not has been taken out of our hands. He is scheduled to work clinic so he can't leave early to make the appointment. No big deal cause Emily is WAY more excited than he was anyways. She has been talking about it non stop. To say she is excited is such an understatement. She is overjoyed and so in love already. Just listening to her talk about the baby makes me smile as she is always thinking about a blanket that she found that would be perfect for the baby or what we should name it. Her excitement makes Bret and I even more excited.

I am just a smidge nervous about today. I know that this sonogram is when major problems/conditions are diagnosed. Getting through today with no concerns is a major hurdle in pregnancy. I pray for a healthy baby but am already in love with whatever God grants us. I opted out of the panel screening (tests for down syndrome) this time. I had the test the first two times but for whatever reason I just never went to get my lab work done.

Sometimes I think that the next 20 weeks are going to take forever but I know better. With the start of a new school year, lots of birthdays, and several major holidays on the horizon, January 4th (or hopefully a week sooner) will be here before we can blink twice.

*Update- I just got a call from my doctor's office reminding of my appointment that is scheduled for TOMORROW at 3pm...not today. I blame the pregnancy...it has captured my brain. LOL

Conclusion to the Mattress saga

Sears came through...finally. After many unreturned phone calls and being transfered all over the place I finally talked to someone willing to help me. They waived the extra $100 charge for the plush over the firm and will pick up the current mattress and drop off the new one free of charge. Although I am a little weary from all the effort to make something so simple happen I am satisfied with the end results. Studies show that the majority of the time no matter how bad the means were it is the end results that people remember and pass on. I believe this to be true. My back is once again counting the days until I get some restful sleep.

Buyer Beware

About a week ago Bret and purchased a new bed. We got a great deal on it and were super excited. This past Sunday the bed was delivered and we got it set up. Expecting the most amazing night's sleep I was literally "sorely" disappointed the next morning. I noticed that night when first laying down that the bed did not feel as comfy as the one we tried out in the store. Chalking that up to it being a "new" bed I let it go.

Last night was my second attempt at loving my new bed. At some point during my restless attempt at sleeping I had the strangest dream. I dreamt that the bed we received was in fact a firm mattress instead of the plush we ordered. I also dreamt that it was the biggest hassle and ordeal trying to get the situation resolved. So lo and behold this morning while getting ready to hop into the shower I was discussing with Bret my disappointment in our new mattress when I asked him if somewhere on the mattress or our invoice or something did it actually say plush or firm.

Bret took a second closer look at the invoice that came with the bed and of course it showed that the mattress was in fact a firm not a plush mattress. Strange I know.

So started early this morning I have been on the phone with said store. Come to find out that we were actually charged for a firm mattress not the plush one that we had thought. We also found out that they want to charge us an additional $ for the difference in price of the plush vs firm mattress.

Here is the thing that is so distressing to me. We checked and double checked with the sales rep at the time of purchase to be sure that were ordering the mattress we had chosen. The new reduced price was unexpected at the time of check out and we verified with both the sales rep and the manager that had to override the system to allow for the discounted price that we were getting the mattress we had chosen. When I went back to all of our receipts there is nothing but a product code identifying a mattress that does not specify brand or whether it is firm or plush. So now it has become a very specific sales associates word against ours. To say that I am beyond frustrated is an understatement. I am not letting it go because just one more night on that stupid stiff bed is enough to bring me to tears. The story is on going as I am to receive a return call this afternoon from the manager. Stay tuned to the conclusion of the mattress drama that ensues.

Bad Day?

My college room mate and her daughter are in town for a few days visiting. Yesterday I had a half day and we planned to go out and explore the area around Lancaster (Amish country).

For some reason my kids were just off and driving me nuts. I hate it when they don't listen or can't stop whining. The biggest problem yesterday was Palmer. My sweet little boy is usually very easy going and happy the majority of the time. Yesterday, however he was a total nightmare.

Nothing made him happy and he didn't know why. It was hard to see him get so upset so easily. As a mom it's not always easy to remind yourself as your two year old is crying/whining/throwing himself on the floor that this is not normal behavior. It could be that he is catching a cold, cutting a tooth, or is just having a bad day.

We all have them. We are not sick and nothing is really "wrong" but we are just off. Either we didn't sleep that well the night before or we are just in a bad mood. I think sometimes when it comes to kids we forget that they are human too. They can't be your perfect angels all the time. Sometimes they are going to be bratty, whiny, and have short fuses. So what do you do when your kid is having one of those days? I guess for me it is a personal effort to remember to "have patience" while not rewarding the bad behavior I try to just let it roll. A couple of times yesterday I had to just pull Palmer aside and just ask him "hey, what's wrong? what is going on?". The sad part is that he didn't know...or at least he didn't know how to explain it to me. To me these are critical parenting moments. When you want to yell and send your kid to timeout and you have just had it....you have to remember that you are the parent. Instead I try to give him a minute by himself or with just me to calm down. Just this moment to breath and regroup helps to diffuse a tantrum or fit and let him regroup instead of increasing his frustration. The Palmer that was freaking out yesterday is not my normal Palmer and I know that. Hopefully today will be a better day.

Decisions

I have always been pretty good at identifying what I want. Probably too good sometimes. You never had to work very hard to figure out what to get me for a present on my birthday or for Christmas. I don't hum and ho over a menu trying to decide to what to have. I usually just know. I know myself, my likes, my dislikes, and although I am pretty flexible when I have a choice you are not going to sit around waiting for me to make up my mind.

Except here lately I feel like I am at a crossroad and I am not sure which way to go. I have been here before. When I was in college trying to decide what I "want to do" with my life I didn't know. Instead of trying out different majors and switching career fields I figured out a major that I was OK with that had GREAT job potential. I liked business...wasn't into marketing, had OK skills in accounting (but found it dull), and wanted to be able to find a good job right out of college. So I ended up in finance. Turns out that finance was a much harder major than I first anticipated. It also turns out that during the end of my sophomore year in college the economy and the financial world was in a much different place than when I graduated. I don't like selling things so a lot of the "intro" to finance jobs were out for me. I didn't want to sell mutual accounts or retirement plans. Lucky for me I worked in financial aid in college as a workstudy student so when a job opened up for a counselor in a town near where we were living I jumped at the opportunity and never looked back (OK, maybe looked back a few times).

So fast forward 6 years in life and I find myself at another crossroad. Life as I know it has changed a lot and I have changed too. I married a doctor (although so far he has just been a very poor med student and now resident) whose work commitments, income potential, and lifestyle has direct repercussions on me and my children. Sick days, doctor appointments, school activities, and a lot of other day to day activities fall on me.

As we prepare to welcome our third child I have been doing a lot of soul searching as to what makes me happy. When we first moved here I stayed home with the kids for 9 months while actively looking for a job. I was surprised how much I enjoyed being home with the kids and being able to participate more easily in their activities. I also enjoyed the extra time and energy to keep up with the household chores and daily errands. It felt good to have dinner on the table when Bret got home from very long days at work. It was also very nice to be home during some of the tougher rotations like nights. We could more easily shift our daily routines to fit his schedule which everyone happier.

On the other hand I figured out that I needed more than just staying home with the kids to put myself into. Part of this came from not knowing anyone in the area and not having any friends when we first moved here. But I also need reasons to do things outside of taking care of my families. Part of recognizing what makes me happy was being OK with the need to be involved with the church, PTA, volunteering, or even the possibility of part time work from home. Of course money is still of concern. While my income potential does not reach that of Bret's even as a resident it is still a nice cushion for us to pay off some debt, ease the burden of "extras", and it keeps me from becoming the budget crazy lady. We have gotten used to not worrying about unexpected expenses (like an upcoming surgery for Palmer's eyes or inspections for our vehicles).

So on the table as far as decisions we are trying to make is the daycare issue (keep the kids where they are, hire one of the teachers that approached us to watch the kids in our home), whether I want to continue working, and when these decisions should take place. I don't want to change Emily's school in the middle of the year. If she stays home we plan to enroll her in a preschool (which starts the 1st of Sept) or keep in her the kindergarten program for the rest of this year. We also have to figure out what would be best for Palmer. He is doing great in his current program. Can we afford for me to stay home soon. If we can afford it is that what I want? What happens after Bret finishes residency and money isn't a deciding factor anymore. I know that I am only a part of this decision making process. I am praying that the right decisions come and make themselves apparent (and soon too).

At the end of the day I think this decision is partly so hard because I don't know what I want. If I went to Bret and said "I want/need to stay home" he would say OK. If on the other hand I said "I want to try and keep working" he would figure out a way to make that happen too. I guess worse case scenario is that I change my mind. I just don't want to be kicking myself months later if I realize that I shouldn't have quit my job.

Peace and Thanksgiving

Last night in the brief moments before Bret and I fell asleep I realized something. Things are good now. Are we rolling in the dough? No. We live in a crappy two bedroom apt and I need a bigger vehicle to transport our soon to be growing family. Nor are we completely without stress (trying to figure out how to either pay for daycare when the new one comes or how to survive on one income once again). But we are all healthy and we are all happy.

I am thankful for the everyday moments in my life that remind me how good things are right now. Laying in bed (albeit it will be much better once our new mattress arrives on Sunday) next to my husband and hearing my kids laugh when they were supposed to be sleeping in their beds I realized that we are so blessed. The Lord is good.

Returning to Normal

The kids and hubs returned home yesterday afternoon. MIL came with to help with the driving and is home with the kids today to allow for one more day to get back into the swing of things for the kids. She has an early flight home tomorrow.

It was awesome to have the kids and Bret home. I missed them so much and I think they might have missed me a little too.

You will laugh but I think they have changed just a little since they have been gone. I keep looking at Palmer or listening to him tell me something and I think to myself...man, was he this big/grown up when he left? Emily is still Emily although she has a little attitude that will fade with time and getting back into routine.

Bret and I went and bought a bed yesterday afternoon. We are both super excited even though it will take a week for it to come in. My back is counting the days. My college room mate and her daughter are coming to visit this week for a few days so that should be a lot of fun doing some touristy things in PA.

I am looking forward to things getting back to around here.

Baby Loot

The first time around with pregnancy Bret and I were overwhelmed at how much STUFF a baby needs/gets. Between the nursery, bathtime, feeding, clothes, and toys it is overwhelming. The second time around we needed a few things we went without the first time, updated a couple of things, and mostly just boy clothes/blankets/burp clothes/etc.

This time around we don't need much stuff. We don't the room for a nursery and the baby's bed is going to be in our room for the time being. We also already have a boy and a girl so we don't need a lot of the basics for clothes either.

That doesn't mean that I am not still shopping around. It just means that I am being a little choosier and that I have a better idea of exactly I want. So since my mind has been on all things baby lately I would share some of the things that I am in love with. (Read: in love with but may not justify spending the xtra dough on..we will see).

I know I said that we weren't going to do a nursery. However, this adorable set from Pottery Barn is hard to pass up. I actually already have the mobile from this set. I got it for a gift and then never got around to mailing said gift. I know I'm a bad person. Since bumper pads are kind of up in the air as to whether or not they are necessary/safe I just want the crib skirt, quilt, and crib sheet from this set.
The carseat that we have is now five years old. It has not been recalled but the manufacturer has said that the latch "may" break off because it is made from plastic. This specific carseat goes with my jogging stroller and is from Babies 'R Us.

This diaper bag is made by Amy Baby. She is a woman who lives here in Reading and hand makes these. A friend got the red one and I just fell in love. They are a little expensive for a diaper bag but hey...this is a wish list.

With two little ones already at home it is no wonder that I am going to need my hands from the get go. I have the Baby Bjorn carrier now and I LOVED it with Palmer. Except one thing...you couldn't nurse in it and I don't think it was really comfortable for sleeping little ones. So after much research (cause there are millions of baby slings/carriers) I have decided that the Maya wrap is for me.

Well there you have it...my wish list for this new addition. Although I never tell anyone about it I do register at the places that I am going to get things from. Not because I expect anyone to buy me anything but because you get a discount on anything you buy after you deliver. So what I do to save an extra 10-20% is set up a registry and put some fun things on it then move the expected date up so that I get my coupons in time to go buy the things I want myself. Every little bit helps.

Motivation- HA!

So far this week I have accomplished nada. I'm OK with that too. Last night I had dinner with a friend and then we went for a long walk. By the time I got home I didn't feel like doing much so I watched an episode of Merlin on Hulu and went to bed and read till I was tired. Oh, and I talked to my kids and Bret too.

They are having the time of their life. They are fishing, riding 4 wheelers through the Colorado mountain trails, and went to a dinosaur exporation place yesterday. I can tell that they are just in heaven. I miss them a lot but am thrilled that they are having such fun. I talked to Emily this morning and she told me "it's a beautiful morning for fishing" lol. Tonight will be the first night I don't have anything planned. I will be the first to admit that now more than ever before I wish we still had cable but I will survive. I have several baby blankets to get made for upcoming showers and still a few other projects I would like to work on.

I am looking forward to it. In other news I am pretty sure I can feel some kicking/movement going on. It's still in the "huh, I wonder if that was the baby or just my stomach" phase but each day I am noticing it just a little more. It is always such a relief when you can actually feel those flutters as reassurance that everything seems to be doing fine.

Front Page news

Last week I got a call from my kids' daycare center director. She had a family lined up to be interviewed for the local newspaper and they backed out at the last minute. She wanted to know if I would be willing to talk to the reporter and have our picture taken that evening when I picked up the kids. She said the exposure would really help the center so of course I agreed. The topic of the article was something to do with the economy/recession and costs of daycare.

The interview went well (I thought). We talked about the costs and weighing whether or not it was worth while for me to work. We also talked briefly about the quality of the daycare being a priority for us (there is nothing wrong with licensed care in a babysitters home...we had this for Emily as a baby but I think that the daycare facility is more aligned with a preschool and learning). Long story short it was on the front page of the paper yesterday and the response has been a little surprising. Some of the comments took me by surprise (things like if we are having to sacrifice then we shouldn't be having more kids, etc).

I love how the article quotes that over 80% of the families with kids in daycare in our area are receiving some sort of subsidy or assistance for daycare yet we (the two income family) are the family that gets criticized for having more kids. I wasn't complaining. I was saying that we make the choices and set our priorities. The economy is not easy for anyone. We have two steady jobs and for that we are grateful. HOWEVER, my job has a salary freeze, raised the insurance rates, and the daycare had a slight increase in costs too. That means the same money has to be stretched further. Still not complaining. I just deleted the next paragraph that I wrote because it wasn't nice, it was judgemental, and those thoughts should be kept to myself. Instead I will let you read the article for yourself and tell me what you think.

KS Dreaming

I had a dream last night that last Thursday night Bret and I decided at the last minute to book me a one way ticket home from KS for yesterday. That meant I would of had to call in sick on Monday.

In this dream I got to drive home with my husband and kids (so that he didn't have to drive back by himself. We had a safe and relatively uneventful trip back. We stayed with some family friends in Tipton and spent a glorious day at the infamous Tipton church picnic with Bret's immediate family.

On Sunday (in my dream of course) we went and spent the day at the lake (after stopping to pick up just a couple more famous Tipton church picnic burgers). I got a little sun burnt, Bret and the kids had a blast on the jet skis, and relaxation was had by all. Late that afternoon I (in my dream) rode back with his sister who met my sister on the highway to take me back to my mom's. After a quiet dinner at home and going through some stuff that had been stored there we headed off to bed. The next morning I had breakfast with my dad and sister. Then we went and visited my aging grandmother who was quick to correct me that she was born in 1918 and is only 91. In my dream she had failed much since I saw her last about a month ago but was much better than a few weeks ago when my sister had last seen her. I then went to the airport and took a flight home arriving back in my bed about 1 am this morning.

This morning when I woke up from this dream I was still tired but felt that the weekend was well worth calling in sick for in the dream at least. The kids, Bret, and my mother in law will be back in town during the early hours of the morning on Sunday and I miss them a ton already but I know they are having a great time.