KC Bryans

I'm here, I just not HERE....

2009-02-14T22:28:00.000-08:00

So I started another blog in the hopes of keeping a journal for myself. I am so terrible at keeping a journal, I do great for like a week and then life goes and gets all busy, I get lazy, we have no pens in the house, etc. So I heard about a picture a day blog and thought "I can do this!" Take one picture a day to represent your day, your life, etc. As I started keeping up with that one, it got a little more redundant to keep this one going as well. I am going to keep this one for WFMW at Rocks in my dryer and other reasons, but if you want to see what is happening with us KC Bryans, check out:

www.everydayinoz.blogspot.com

Take care!

I think I see the dust settling...

2008-09-15T23:18:00.001-07:00

Hello out there in computer land, it's your long lost friend, dusting myself off and getting back into blogging mode again. I am pretty excited that I have been able to keep up with my photo blog so even during those weeks when thing are hectic, I still have a visual of what is happening in our little world. I'd like to say that I was off doing exciting things like taking a vacation, traveling the world, or potty training Monkey before he turns one, but alas, I have just been busy managing, arranging, and rearranging my life. Quick breakdown of big events missed over the last month or so:

The Hubs came down with a monster case of pneumonia and was hospitalized for a week. He was running temps of 104 and it took 2 days to bring them down. Our first Saturday night with a baby sitter was spent in the ICU, watching TV and sleeping in a recliner, but he was a trooper. He is finally feeling better and is back to work.
Monkey is now waving, playing peek-a-boo, saying "Dada," is getting teeth #7 and #8, and walking all over the place with his push toy...not quite on his own yet :). We had to lower his bed after he found his way out of the crib and onto the floor. He is also a big fan of toothbrushes ad likes to take them everywhere :).
Monkey had his first overnight trip away from home to stay with his grandparents... and putting him in the car and seeing him leave was one of the hardest things I've ever done! The rational side of my brain knew everything was going to be fine, but that pesky emotional side just keeping butting in...
As of October, I will be coming off of weekend option at work, which has been a very big, complex, scary decision. Working weekends has been great, giving me 5 days a week at home with Monkey, but it doesn't allow for much family time with the three of us together. Monkey was getting lots of time with me and lots of time with the Hubs, but very little time with the three of us together. So it was with a few reservations and great worry that I started looking for a daycare. Luckily, since I work 12 hour shifts, I would still be home with Monkey 4 days a week and my bosses were willing to work with me about my schedule and so I will be working the same three days every week. Monkey started at his daycare last week and I can honestly say I cried more than he did. He was oblivious when me and the Hubs left, but cried when he saw the other kiddos crying (one burst into tears at the site of the Hubs, the teacher reassured him it was because he missed his dad and not because the Hubs was scary looking!). There is a lot of guilt that comes along with taking Monkey to daycare but I realize he is in a great place that is very well structured and he is with kiddos his own age, which is doing a lot for him as far as socialization. Once again, if I could just get that rational part o my brain to communicate better with the emotional side :).
Monkey's 1st birthday is coming up and to help us celebrate my parents are flying in, my in-laws, Monkey's Great Grandma, and our good friends Erin and Ben are driving in to help us celebrate this weekend!

It's good to be back, thank you for your continued support and blog patronage !

It's lovely, I'll take it!

2008-08-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

If you are ever having one of those days when you feel your house is a mess, you've found a leak in the basement or a crack in the drywall, then head over to It's Lovely, I'll take it! to feel better about your situation. I promise you will at least smile and probably laugh out loud at least twice, especially if you read "How I Spent my Summer" by the Chair" (click here). Hope you are having a great day and go ahead and give your house/apartment/trailer a little love and appreciation for not being listed here.

Mommy needs a time out

2008-08-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt I love being a mother, but every so often, even Mommy needs a time out. Monkey has been sick, teething, and generally not thinking too highly of sleeping, napping, or eating right now. On top of that, poor Hubs is also sick and I sprained my already stress fractured foot, buying myself five more weeks in my lovely orthopedic walking boot. I had a perfect evening of hanging out in the steamy shower with Monkey to clear up his congestion, then the Hubs fed him so I could enjoy a nice long shower (hands down the cheapest form of relaxation in my opinion), and I got to feed and tuck Monkey in. After that I was off on my time out, complete with a an ice cold Pepsi, a quick stop by Walmart, and a little drive with my windows down, singing Joshua Radin's "Sky" and "Lovely Tonight" loud and off key. I think a lot of us feel guilty at times asking for the things we need, but I know that I was probably a much more pleasant person by the time I got home and although I was only gone for about an hour, it was precious time I needed to refuel. So, to me, time out isn't always a bad thing :).

Thanking my lucky stars

2008-08-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today Monkey had an appointment with a neurologist about the size of noggin. During Monkey's 6 month check up his pediatrician was concerned because his noggin was measuring off the charts (just housing a big brain, right :)?). To be on the safe side, she ordered him to have an ultrasound through his soft spot since it was still open. The ultrasound reading was unclear, which meant on to a CT scan. I kept Monkey up all morning and kept him entertained since he couldn't eat or drink to avoid having to be sedated and he slept through it like a champ. We got a call from our pediatrician that night that the radiologist had read his CT and everything looked fine. Big sigh of relief...until the next morning. The radiologist said that she'd gone home and thought more about his scan, had another radiologist look at it and although they didn't see anything like a tumor or mass, they felt an MRI was needed to be 100% sure. In a way I was grateful that this person took a second look if they were unsure, but our sense of relief was gone. We were told Monkey would have to wait 3 weeks for his MRI. I would look at him often, take a deep breath, and remind myself that he would be fine. He came into this world almost two months early and has been catching up ever since. But the cloud of worry and the "what ifs" wouldn't be gone until we knew for sure. The day of Monkey's MRI, I drove home feeling postitive that we would get the reading and everything would be fine and finally we could put it behind us. However, we received a phone call from our pediatrician (whom we just love) saying that the MRI showed that Monkey either had slight excess fluid around his brain (no big deal) or brain atrophy, or shrinking (a very big deal). I finally gave myself about an hour to cry. I cried out of frustration , fear, and worry...and then I cried for the parents who get life changing results from this instead of unclear ones. So we packed Monkey up early this morning and took him to his appointment. They checked all of his developmental milestones, they asked questions and took notes, and they left to review the MRI again. And finally they came back and told me what I knew in my heart when we started this process months ago: "Your son is fine, he is right on time for his age...he just has a big head." A big noggin, just like his Daddy, that's all. And for the first time in months, I feel like I can breath again. I offered up a little prayer, packed up my sniffling, blue eyed boy, and realized that Monkey truly is my heart walking around outside my body :).

Warning!

2008-07-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Bill Engvall's "Warning Signs," I am always on the lookout for interesting warnings on products. Today I noticed that on the back of a container of Clorox wipes it says "Do not use for intimate cleaning or diaper wipes." Umm, ouch??

Greetings from the gimp

2008-07-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging lately for your safety...really, the ramblings of a sleep deprived woman would tend to be a little hard to understand, might lack humor, and would inevitably contain a paragraphs of nothing but "qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq" from where I dozed off with my fingers on the keyboard. Since I am a little better rested, I thought I would hop in the old blogging saddle again :).

Monkey has decided that sleeping through the night no longer fits his agenda. Poor baby, it's not because he wants to get up and play at 3 .m., but more likely because multiple teeth have decided to peek through at the same time, including the one in between his little gap tooth smile. But he is a good sport during the day, despite his lack of sleep. He is crawling all over the place, pulling himself to stand on everything that looks stable, as well as giving high fives and the occasional wave. I can't believe it but we are starting to plan his first birthday (just a quiet little shin-dig with family at this point I think)!

I currently sporting one of the hottest looks in fashion right now: a knee high orthopedic boot! Yes, I think there is someplace in the market for "Bling my Orthopedic Device" on reality television. Hopefully I won't be wearing my new shoe for too long, but if so, I am thinking of ways to bling it up a little with a little spray paint and some big gaudy jewels. The weird thing is I worked a 12 hours shift Friday and felt fine. I headed to work Saturday for another 12 hour shift and by then end of the night I couldn't hardly bear weight on it all. The ER doc thinks it's a stress fracture. In the mean time, I am trying to come up with a much better story for the cause of my injury. So far I have "So I hear yelling and I broke the door down with my foot..."

I am also loving the new season of Project Runway! I love how Suede talks about himself in the third person, after a day of doing that myself I can see why he likes it :). I also think that Suede's real name is Steve. I started a Facebook group (yes, I am a Facebook junkie) for my small group of friends who also dig it and reaing their thoughts has been hilarious. I am off to bed now, keeping my fingers crossed that the growing teeth take a break tonight and let me and the Monkey get some sleep. Sweet dreams!

Lazy days of summer...

2008-07-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was returning home from running errands, I was struck with the thought that summer is already half over. At what point did time start moving so quickly? Remember when we were kids and days seemed to last forever and summer felt more like 6 months long? Now I have my own little human calender marking off the months for me (has it really been 10 months since Monkey made his big debut?), and I am shocked how quickly time is going by. I remembered my favorite summer, the year before my sophomore year of high school. I was too young to work yet and so my day was spent volunteering at the nursing home or doing chores in the morning and floating around the pool all afternoon. So I realized it was when my schedule became hectic, a balance of work, school, activities, and tasks that time started to pick up. Time slowly picked up momentum through college and now that I am balancing being a wife, a mother, a nurse, and other things, it's humming along like a freight train. But these activities are what make my life meaningful and exciting, so I am grateful for that. I am also grateful that every once in while, God reminds me to stop in my tracks, take it all in, and live in awe of the moment, be it exciting or mundane. I hope your summer is treating you well and just for today, it slows down a little bit for you :).

A day in the life...

2008-07-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

I got this little survey from my friend Laura's blog, A Blessed Life:

Outside My Window...it's a beautiful, sunny day and my lawn is begging to be landscaped, hopefully we will be getting started in September!
***
I am thinking ...about Monkey's MRI and trying to be confident that everything will be alright.
***
I am thankful for ...being married to a man who may not be perfect, but is perfect for me; the miracle of Monkey and the simple, overwhelming joy he brings me each day; the fact that I have a roof over my head and food in my belly every day; the wonderful group of friends and family I've been blessed with, I am a very lucky girl.
***
From the kitchen ...the kitchen is clean! After I am done with this, I am going to go mop the floor. A clean kitchen makes for a happy Stephanie.
***
I am wearing ... black knit Capri pants, a teal blue short sleeve shirt with a little pocket, and my very favorite LL Bean slippers.
***
I am creating ... our home! I am getting pictures up on the walls, finding furniture and accessories, and admiring each new little thing that makes our house feel cozy. I am also trying to create memories for us and traditions for our family :).
***
I am going ...to be productive today. The Hubs and I seem to alternate days of motivation to get house stuff done. Last night he did so much and I had no motivation, today we've swapped. It's difficult not having weekends together for both of us to work on a project at the same time.
***
I am reading ...Mainly all I am reading right now is Monkey's books to him and the occasional People magazine and blog. I have some books lined up that I'd like to read.
***
I am hoping ....that everything will be alright :)!
***
I am hearing ...Baby lullabies playing over the monitor while Monkey takes his nap.
***
Around the house ...Planning the landscape project for September, getting the basement set up by finding a desk, hanging some pictures, etc.
***
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ...Swim date with Jenny and Davis tomorrow, dermatologist appointment for me and Monkey, walking to the park this evening, and working this weekend. We are just packed full of excitement!

Tag, you're it!

IDK, my BFF Clinton

2008-07-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, if today's title needs translating for you, click here for the commercial I am referencing....I am only fluent in texting acronyms because I am lucky enough to have an 18 year sister that keep me hip and cool, or at least she tries :). Today I was watching a rerun of "What Not to Wear" on TLC and I decided that if I could pick a BFF for the day, it would be Clinton Kelly. This is such an ironic choice because I have no clue when it comes to fashion, but I think is Clinton could bash my style, throw away my clothes, kick me in the knee, steal my wallet, and yet I would still just want to hug that man. I want to be able to vent my frustrations about being a 6'0 tall, apple shaped, plus size girl in this world and have him explain to me why plus size clothes makers think that if you are plus size, you possess the world's shortest torso and the worlds largest thighs. Oh well, after hearing the complaints of my slimmer counterparts and seeing more episodes of WNTW than I can count, I know I am not alone in my frustration. So I will not give up on fashion and resort wearing this or this. I will keeping trying, I'll listen to "Big Girls (You are Beautiful)" by Mika when one of my shirts gets dried and winds up half as long and twice as wide, and I will keep secretly hoping that maybe Clinton will show up here in Oz and offer to be my BFF and fashion guru for the day :).

Who would you pick as your BFF for the day?

WFMW - My favorite kitchen things...

2008-07-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Two little gadgets I couldn't live without right now are the teething feeder and the Pampered Chef steamer. The teether is perfect for my 9 month old who is gnawing on anything he can get his little hands on. The plastic ring and mesh bag unscrew and you can put in fresh fruit or veggies and let them chew away (with supervision of course). I like being able to give Monkey something besides plastic teethers and processed baby food. They do do just fine in the dishwasher and I got two for about $4. The Pampered Chef steamer is my go to gadget for veggies, fresh or frozen. You can toss the veggies in with some salt and pepper, cook for about 5 minutes and you are good to go. It is also great for reheating leftover hamburgers, barbecue etc. It retains the moisture when it's warming it up and you'd never guess it was leftovers. It was $10 and well worth the money for me :).
These little gadgets worked for me, check out other great stuff at Works For Me Wednesday at Rocks In My Dryer!

Some drama and bad dancing...

2008-07-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

The festivities of the 4th of July holiday and my slightly wacky work schedule lately has prevented me from being a good little blogger...well, that and sometimes I sit here and stare at my screen and think "How can I make the fact that all I accomplished today was vacuuming, making dinner, and fooding Monkey with 75% accuracy interesting??" Sensing that our life was a little low on drama, Monkey woke me up with a loud scream at about 3 a.m. last night. The next 9 hours were full of very little sleeping, some snuggling, LOTS of crying, and more bodily fluids than I care to talk about. So at noon we packed up and headed to the Urgent Care and learned he had two issues: a viral flu bug and constipation (which, to keep it G-rated, I would have sworn was impossible given what I had seen the night before). So one X-ray and minimally invasive procedure later, I was heading home with a much happier, still feverish Monkey. It made me realize how spoiled I am with a happy baby, I didn't get my first smile of the day until this afternoon and by then I really needed it :).

Todays new slang term is "time suck," which is used to describe sites that you sit and read or play when you know you should be sleeping, using the restroom, doing something MUCH more constructive, etc. My current time suck is iTunes. Inspired by "Top 100 hits of the 90's" on VH1, I found a few songs I had forgotten about to download (just try to sit still while listening to "Groove Is In The Heart" By Dee Lite!). I keep my iShuffle plugged into speakers in the kitchen and had a big realization yesterday: I have to enjoy this small window of time when Monkey actually enjoys my singing and laughs at my dancing, because soon he will embarrassed by both :).

Hope your week is drama free and full of sweet dance moves!

Tag, you're it!

2008-07-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

Just some fun....

10 Years Ago:
I was a freshman in college, having a blast as a student athletic trainer, living in the dorms, and enjoying typical rowdy college behavior. Sure, people bash on the whole JuCo thing, but I can honestly say that those were two of the funnest years of my life :).

Things on my to do list today:
-Pack for our trip this weekend!
-Mop the floor, it's been the victim of flying baby food
-Study for my CPN (Certified Pediatric Nurse) exam while Monkey is napping
-Get a picture of the day for our picture blog
-Run to the store

If I suddenly became a billionaire:
Pay off student loans for us and our siblings, send our parents on vacation, take another cruise, build a new house, and make big donation to Children's Mercy (Hrmm...Bryan Tower has a nice ring to it!). I'd also like to start scholarships in honor of a few friends and family.

Three of my bad habits:
1. Biting my nails when I'm nervous
2. Being slow to call/e-mail people back
3. Speeding...not all the time, mainly on my way to work without Monkey in the car :)

Five jobs I have had:
Town East Square/Castelton Square Customer Service Desk
Bank Teller
Flint Hills Lanes Snack Shack Goddess
Nursing home CNA (Nurse's Aide)
Pediatric RN, Relief Charge Nurse

Five things people don't know about me:
1. I'm a little OCD about certain things, I will check my curling iron 4 times before I leave the house, I have to have towels folded a certain way, etc.
2. I like most kinds of music but I am sucker for oldies (1950-1960's)
3. If I had the chance to move anywhere in the world, I would probably still stay in the Midwest
4. I'm scared of heights
5. I'm bound and determined to see all 50 states

You've been tagged!

I need to be watered...

2008-06-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Monkey and I headed to our local pool today and I realized that the days of a pool with just a diving board are becoming a thing of the past. When I was little, we'd beg my my mom to drive us to the neighboring town 20 minutes away because they had an awesome waterslide. You stand there for 15 minutes, inching your way up the flaming hot metal staircase just for that 30 second ride, and then climb the ladder and get back in line again, The pool we went to today had at least 5 slides, a lazy river, a big tower that doused you with buckets of water...basically what you'd only see if you went to a water park back in my day. Since I am a total water loving fish, I was in heaven. Of course, Monkey and I were relegated to the kiddy pool, which with it's synchronized fountains was definitely not boring. But I have decided that some people take yearly trips to Vegas or go skiing in Colorado, but my ideal yearly vacation spot would definitely be more of the sun, sand, and surf persuasion. Give me lots of sunscreen, a boogie board, a shady place to rest when I need a break and I am in heaven. So for a brief moment today, I imagined I was on a beach somewhere, soaking in the sun, and the roar of the pool crowd was replaced by crashing waves. If I can't be on the beach, our pool will suffice, but I need to be watered (beach watered) next year :)!

Todays new word is...

2008-06-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Bagglers. Bagglers are the heap of French fries that wind up at the bottom of the bag when you get fast food. Similar to the etiquette of calling "shotgun" to get dibs on the front seat, the first person to call "Bagglers" gets the displaced fries at the bottom of the bag. And that, ladies and gentleman, is your fun fact of the day.

Wonderfully random misc.

2008-06-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am currently singing along with "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations, feel free to sing along...

As I was fooding Monkey this weekend, his mouth full of carrots or prunes or another stain inducing puree, he paused and then had the biggest sneeze I have ever heard/seen come out of the little guy and instantly, the floor, the table, the baby, and I were covered in a fine mist of whatever Monkey was eating. I am tempted to write in to Resolve carpet cleaner and let them know that I think this is a much more realistic situation for their next commercial, plus it is a lot more realistic than their commercials with a mother who yells from the kitchen "That's okay!" when her child spills grape juice on the pristine white carpet (she may have said "That's okay," but you know she was thinking "can't I have anything nice?"). I didn't figure they would go for my other suggestion, which occurred when I approached our Christmas tree with a glass of wine only to see our cat project himself out of the middle of the tree. My wine glass got tossed in the air in the chaos and as the Hubs was helping me clean up the carpet, he wasn't saying "that's okay." He did show his forgiveness by getting me a new glass of wine...in a cup with a lid and straw :).

We had a great weekend, our friends Joel and Angela came to visit and had never been to Legends, one of our favorite places in KC, so we got to give them the tour. We did some shopping, got some wine, had a great dinner, and played arcade games at Dave & Busters. The Hubs was happy to have someone who enjoyed playing games that involve killing space aliens and flying virtual helicopters and I had someone who'd play the less violent, skillful games like Skeeball with me. Monkey had so much to watch and see, which kept him entertained, plus he got his first taste of ice cream. Monkey had his 9 month well child check today and I set up his appt for his 1 year appointment and that hit me like a ton of bricks. Has it really been 9 months? I know I have enjoyed each day, but it is amazing how fast they have come and gone. Monkey is so close to crawling, has just sprouted his first tooth with a second one getting ready to cut through, and on Thursday he said "Mama," well, more like mamamamamamamamama, but I will take it :). Thanks for peeking in on us, have a great week!

I am the luckiest...

2008-06-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Six years ago in March, my friend told me would really like to fix me up on a blind date with her brother in law and after a few days of thinking it over (and a phone call to another friend of mine who was from the same tiny town as my "would be date" who assured he me he was "exactly your type,"), I said I would. Five years ago in May, my blind date turned boyfriend took me to the centerpiece of the KC Plaza, the J.C. Nichols fountain, and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him, and I said I will. Four years ago today, doors opened up and I heard the Trumpet Voluntary and saw almost everyone I treasured in my life in the same place at the same time. And then I saw that wonderful man from my blind date at the end of the aisle...and I said I do. I won't bore you with sentimentality, but I have to say that from our first date and phone call (and the 7 hour marathons that followed), I was in awe of two things: 1) The Hubs simply fascinated me. I loved the 20 different paths our conversations would take and how he was a bottomless wealth of useless information. 2) Prior to The Hubs, I always felt self conscious of certain personality traits I felt I need to play up or play down about myself. With him, I was just myself...wonderfully, comfortably, not always glamorously myself. And he loved me that way. I remember thinking, "How do I know if he's the one?" and one day it hit me as I was driving to see him: No matter what happens in my life, good or bad, he is the one I want by my side. And as we danced to our first song as husband and wife, these were the lyrics that played and remain forever in my memory of my Hubs and that wonderful day:

"Where was I before the day, when I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it every day, and I know that I am the luckiest."

Learning with the Bryans

2008-06-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, children, gather round the glow of the magical computer screen and be prepared to learn the meaning of two new words and a discipline strategy. They (whomever they are) say you should learn one new thing each day...since you are learning 3 things today, I give you my full permission to read this posting then go to bed or lounge around for three straight days...I'm sure "they" would approve also. Okay, put on your remembering caps, here we go:

Burgle (burrrrrr-gul): To take or "permanently borrow" a possession from your spouse. This would include money found on the counter emptied from ones pockets, ones favorite football shirt being used as one's spouse's favorite sleeping attire, etc. ex: "Please don't burgle the money I left on the counter, I need for coffee to start my pulse in the morning."

Fooding (foo-dings): The act of feeding someone who is distracted or has just learned how to spit, spray, or smoosh the food back at the person doing the feeding (usually used in reference to infants or inebriated friends). "The fooding isn't going well, I think Monkey has only ingested 4% of the two containers I have attempted to food him."

When I was growing up and my brother, sister, or I were not being perfect angels (this happened twice...maybe three times), my dad would look at us sternly and say "Do you want a mushishik?" For the life of me, I have searched the net to find the right spelling, but it was a Lithuanian or Polish word for spanking. Now this made my father look great because he certainly didn't sounds like he was threatening us, all people knew was that none of us wanted a mushishik and we seemed much more reserved and somber after it was offered to us. The only time mushishik backfired was when it was offered to my then 2 year old sister who replied from the back seat, "No Daddy, no monkey s**t." My dad is not made of stone, I swear I think it is the only time I have ever heard that man giggle :).

Thank you for learning with the Bryans, now go enjoy your three days off!

Father's Day

2008-06-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

May I begin by saying that one of the best songs for this day is "Gracie" by Ben Folds and although it's from a father to his daughter, I listened to it every day as I drove back and forth to the NICU to see Monkey. It's a pretty good sentiment for any parent to their child, check it out here.

I am in awe of the whole parenting thing in general, but I love how The Hubs brings something to my son's life that is completely different than what I do. Granted we both contribute love, teaching, and songs with silly lyrics usually involving his name and personality traits, but there is just a different dynamic between mothers and fathers. I love that The Hubs and Monkey have their own little routine on the weekends while I am at work and that when we went to Indy, it was the first time The Hubs had been away from Monkey since he came home from the NICU... and how rough that was on him. And it makes me realize that part of what makes The Hubs a great father is the example he had from his father. And part of the reason I chose such a great guy to spend my life and raise my kiddos with is because I had such a great dad. Physically speaking, you can't get more opposite than my father and The Hub's father :). But I am so incredibly grateful that we both were raised by fathers who took a lot of interest and pride in being a dad.

Happy Father's Day!

WFMW: From diaper bag to purse

2008-06-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

A woman can never have enough purses and I seem to follow that rule. I have a my
"you'd never guess I was a mom" purse, my gianganto purse that doubles as a diaper bag (awesome deal from Target for $14.99), and my work bag I take when I work on weekends. I get a little tired of switching the essentials (wallet, keys, phone, etc) from bag to bag and only a few times of missing one of these things lead me to my solution:

I bought an inexpensive black make-up bag from Target that I throw all of my essentials into and that way when I switch bags, I just have to grab that and put it in the new bag. It also works if you are hauling the diaper bag and just running into a store, you can grab the make up bag and take it in with you.

For other great tips, check out Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer!

We're baaaaaaaaaaaack...again :)!

2008-06-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, we got back from our Indy trip a week ago and I have been a very naughty, slacker blogger. I have been keeping up with my other "picture-a-day blog," Everyday in Oz, which has been a lot of fun. For those of you life me who have started endless journals and been so diligent in writing in them for a week or two, this is a great alternative. I know that at the end of the year I will have a lot of great pictures of our every day life to scrapbook (oh don't get me going on that...I still haven't scrapbooked my wedding and I will be celebrating my 4th anniversary next week!). I am hoping to get super motivated and print the pictures out, put them in a scrapbook or album and just write under them what I've written on the blog.

The Indy trip went well, Monkey did great on the flight there and back and was spoiled with all kinds of love and attention from his Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie Jess, Uncle Bub, Aunt Tara, and cousin Mare Bear. It was great to have a whole week to really enjoy time with my family, usually we are in town for a holiday or event and it feels like we leave wishing we'd had more down time to just sit and relax. Auntie Jess's Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation were great and she looked beautiful. She did an amazing job of juggling graduation festivities and making time for us, which meant the world to me. My favorite was the day after graduations she stayed at friends and came home at 6 a.m., put on a cute little sparkly dress and proceeded to sleep on the couch for 6 hours... but she looked fabulous :)! We went to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, which has been one of my favorite places since I was a kiddo, went swimming for the first time, and went to the park with Mare Bear. I got to drive around my mom's little PT cruiser while we were there and let me tell you, when you drive an SUV, driving that feels like driving a go cart around town :). Check out Everyday In Oz for pictures if you'd like :).

In Monkey news, he is sitting up on his own, is SO close to crawling, teething like no other with NO signs of teeth yet, and as of this weekend, has started saying "bababababa." It is amazing to me how much he has grown and fast his first year is going! I can't believe we go for his 9 month pictures at the end of the month!

We got some comments while we were away, and I appreciate them so much! Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings and share your thoughts!

My baby is all grown up...

2008-05-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

No, not the baby I gave birth to but the one that I have been practicing my mothering skills on for the last 18 years is graduating from High School this week. I can't describe how amazing it is to have known a person for their whole life the way I know my sister, from the sit down talk at the dinner table about "how would you two feel if we decided to have another baby?" when I was 10 all the way up through getting a phone call on Prom night about her last high school dance. The amazing thing is, I have learned more from my baby sister than I feel I have taught her. She is one of the funniest and most creative people I know, one of the first people I want to call with good or bad news, and my source of great new music and bands. I love that no matter how old she got, she still wanted me to come lay on her bed when I came to visit so she could show me yearbooks of her friends to put faces with the stories she'd tell me. I am waiting for the day when she realizes that I am a 29 year old married mother with a job and mortgage and soo not cool...but she hasn't yet and I am going to enjoy being cool while I still can! I feel so lucky to have been a part of the every day little things in her life, and blessed that even when we are miles apart, we've stayed as close as if we lived right by each other. I have been flooded with memories of her growing up these last few weeks and although her graduating is a little bittersweet, I am so excited for what lays ahead for her. Watch out world, here comes Auntie Jess!

WFMW - Mamasource.com

2008-05-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

I have found an awesome website both for the mom in need of advice on anything from calming a teething baby to where there is a good hair dresser in your area : www.mamasource.com. The website description is : "Mamasource is a safe and easy way to connect with other moms in your local area. Find the advice, referrals and insight you need, in a supportive community of moms helping moms." I love it because I can post a question, such as "How can I help my 6 month old make the transition from sleeping in our room to sleeping in his crib?" and I get back replies offering tips, words of wisdom, and reassurance. I also like being able to help other mom's who have posted questions. Specifically, a mom who was moving to our area from out of state asked "Does anyone have a pediatrician they would recommend?" I would have loved to have had information like that when we were picking out a pediatrician and an OB! You get daily e-mails with 4-5 requests and you can read other replies. Check out Mamasource by clicking here and look for other great tips at Rocks In My Dryer!

The soundtrack of my life...

2008-05-20T20:27:00.001-07:00

My friend Quinn passed this along to me and being a music lover, I had to try it out...and if you are reading this then *TAG* now you have to try it too!

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool..

Opening Credits: "Light In Your Eyes" Blessid Union of Souls

Waking Up: "If I had $1,000,000" Barenaked Ladies

First Day At School: "London Bridge" Fergie (Can you see me strutting in for my first day of Kindergarten to this :)?)

Falling In Love: "The Stone" Dave Matthew's Band

Fight Song: "Undone" Lifehouse

Breaking Up: "The Hardest Part" Coldplay

Prom: "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend" Mary Chapin Carpender (I swear the last two were completely random!)

Life's OK: "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In a Small Town" Pearl Jam

Mental Breakdown: "Expectations" Belle & Sabastian

Driving: "Swing, Swing" All American Rejects

Flashback: "High On You" Survivor (80's rock flashback!!)

Getting Back Together: "Juarez" Better Than Ezra

Wedding: "Build Me Up Buttercup" The Foundations

Birth of Child: "These Arms" Matt Costa

Final Battle: "One Sweet World" Dave Matthew's Band

Death Scene: "Songs of Love" Ben Folds

Funeral: "Sampson" Regina Spektor

End Credits: "Blackbird" Sarah McLachlan

Now you can see how diverse my music collection is and judge me for having bad 80's love songs, however keep in mind this is just a small sampling of my completely eclectic collection :).

Lazy blog day

2008-05-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

The ether today is stunning! Beautiful clear sky & slight breeze, so we hit the side yard to lay in the shade, blow some bubbles, and play in the grass for the first time...

Basking in the sun...aint' life grand :)?

Wow, Craig's List has everything!

2008-05-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Mine eyes were violated today and I didn't even see it coming (pardon the pun). There I was, innocently perusing the pages of Craig's List when I saw an ad for **Nice Antique Bedroom Set Over 100 Years Old**" I took a look at it more to see what 100 year old furniture looked like, not that I am in the market for it. So I open it up and see a very detailed description devoid of typos (a CL rarity!) and three pictures: one of the vanity dresser and chair, one of the bed...and one of a crack pipe. Yes, a crack pipe. So I know you are wondering a few things: Why do I know what a crack pipe looks like? I admit I have seen my fair share of episodes of Intervention, that's about the closest I've come. Is the pipe included with the set? I don't think so, I checked it again tonight and the pipe has been replaced by a dresser. Are you surprised that an person who has a 100 year old bedroom set has a crack problem? Yes. Yes I am :). If anyone is interested in seeing this set or better yet, asking if the crack pipe is included in the set, here is the link.

This is almost as good as the post I saw for a coffee table in my area. I clicked on the link and the picture provided was of a topless man sporting a rather impressive mullet chasing a small child dressed only in a diaper...the corner of the table could be seen in the background of the picture...at least I think that was the table...

WFMW: Bath Aprons

2008-05-13T19:14:00.001-07:00

I got the most wonderful gift from my friend Jenny after Monkey arrived...a hand sewn bath apron. She took a towel, sewed trim around the edges to create two straps to go around my neck and fasten with velcro, and two straps to tie around my waist. It keep you dry when the little ones are splashing around in the tub and when it's time to get them out, you pick them up, hold them to your chest and wrap the bottom of the apron around them! There are several sites that sell them, including online at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Tubby Bundle. There is a really basic pattern on Martha Stewart for those of you who like to sew.

This awesome gift works for me, check out other great tips at Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer!

My new photoblog

2008-05-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

As I had posted earlier, one of my 43 Things was to create a photo journal by taking one picture a day for a year. Since I am like most people with a digital camera and have roughly 1,235,789,591, 697 pictures in my my camera and have printed off maybe 40 in the last year, a actual album isn't very likely. So I found a group on Flickr that is posting them and creating a photoblog, one picture a day for year. It can't get much easier than that for me, so I have hopped on the shutterbug bandwagon. You can check out my photoblog at http://www.everydayinoz.blogspot.com/ (the link is also listed over here ---->). I would love to see if this catches on with others, I am such a sucker for pictures :).

Take care!

I learned from the best...

2008-05-12T17:01:00.001-07:00

I have never been one to take a compliment well and I think I am as critical of myself as most people are. But I absolutely love who I am as a mother. I love that I treasure each moment of being Monkey's mom, I love sharing my silly sense of humor with him, and taking care of him. And I know that I am only the mother I am because I was raised by a wonderful mother. I was raised by a mother who wanted to hear about my day, who made me feel important and loved, and who made me laugh. That woman can still make me laugh so hard I cry thanks to the magic and technology of cell phones, e-mail, and web cams. I have always appreciated and thanked my lucky stars for her, but now that I am a mother, I love her even more.

Two Mother's Days ago, I was facing the reality that I may or may not be able to have children. Since I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) as a teenager, I knew it would be difficult road. Yet it was an experience I treasure now because it deepened my love for my husband as he supported emotionally and it makes me treasure every moment with Monkey in a way I might not have. Last Mother's Day I had officially been pregnant for two months and was so excited and so scared at the same time. This Mother's Day, as I held my beloved, sniffling baby boy while he wiped his nose on my shirt and got my sick husband medicine and Kleenex, I realized that I may not be having the most glamorous Mother's Day but I get to be a mother and that in its self is my gift :).

Happy Mother's Day!

iLike my iPod

2008-05-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful friend whom I will call Shleby (inevitably when I attempt to type her name, I always wind up typing Shleby instead... and from what we have seen on company e-mails, I am not the only one). Shleby is my carpool buddy to work since we are neighbors & have a 35-45 minute commute and let me tell you, when you have worked a 13 hour shift and are driving home after being up all day with your little one and all night with other people's little ones, having someone to talk to (and keep you awake) is wonderful. When Shleby learned that I was without MP3 technology, she offered me an iPod Shuffle she'd won at a company party...and it changed my life! I can't believe that the Walkmans of yesteryear have morphed into this tiny little machine with amazing sound quality. And if you don't yet own one, beware that iTunes will suck you in and steal precious hours of your day! I do love how you can buy the "essentials" of an artist, or their top 15 or so songs. Right now I am digging "Sky" by Joshua Radin & Ingrid M ichaelson. Joshua Radin (in my best NY accent) "has a voice like butta." My hubby and I have the agreement of a "Celebrity Free Card." You can pick one celebrity and one celebrity only. If this person randomly shows up at our doorstep, you are allowed to run off with them no questions asked. I am thinking I may have to bump Ryan Reynolds from my #1 spot to make room for Joshua Radin...that man could sing "99 bottles of beer on the Wall" and I would dig it :). In case you are wondering, The Hub's Celebrity Free card is Gwen Stefani...

In Monkey news, he has had a very eventful week. He started his first full day of daycare (he is only going one day a week) and had a great time. I had to wait for the three lovely ladies he spent his day with to finish loving on him, giving him hugs, and finish saying goodbye before I could take him home :). He had a great time but it was all he could do to stay awake for dinner and he crashed a good hour earlier than usual. Today we went and hung out with our friends Meshellyn and Little Miss. I have a lovely picture of Monkey trying to show his affection for Little Miss by gnawing on her (it's teething, I promise he's not a vampire!) and she is trying to get away. Day care and playdates wear the Monkey out (and a more accurate bib would say "Where's my afternoon snack?").

Thanks for peeking in on us, have a good weekend!

Embracing diversity

2008-05-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

So I know we have all heard about the terrible effect the media has on people's, especially young girls', self esteem. There is even a video on YouTube (click here to see it) about what the model on the Dove billboard really looks like before, during, and after the make-up, photo shoot, and digital enhancement. That's why I was so glad to see this:

Finally! People with horrible posture and skin the color of anti-freeze are being made cool thanks to the wonderful people at: Way to embrace diversity! Now, if they could just find a manikin with MY physique and occasional skin imperfections, maybe I'll be the next one on display at F RE ER 21!

WFMW - Fun link!

2008-04-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Not that my WFMW tip will change your life, but it will help you in those times of need when the name of an actor or actress just won't come to mind, or your viewing companion SWEARS that David Hasselhoff plays the dad in the Brady Bunch Movie and you know that it's really Gary Cole. Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) to the rescue. You can look up actors, movies, tv shows, and even enter the name of your favorite book to see if it is becoming a movie any time soon. You can also look up your favorite movies and find trivia and errors.

**WARNING: I was showing my good friend Jenny this magical site and said, "pick a movie, any movie." She picked "Savannah Smiles" and said, "I was wondering whatever happened to the sweet little girl that played Savannah." My demonstration didn't go so well when we learned the actress had died of a drug overdose. Poor Jenny, I ruined her favorite movie for her. So IMDB with caution**

Check out other (more productive) tips at Rocks In My Dryer!

Lazy blogging...

2008-04-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

So on days when posting pictures with minimal words seems to be what I have the time (and energy or brain capacity) to do, I will henceforth refer to it as LAZY BLOGGING :). Today we headed to the park, bundled up in our sweatshirt that was a little too large. Monkey had a great time, as did I :). Thank goodness it is finally Spring!

Lovely view on our walk!

Monkey loved this, since he is all about flipping over and over now :)

Kinda like the swing at home only much colder :)

Question Game: 5 Senses

2008-04-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

When I was in High School, my friends and I would play the Question Game: everyone anonymously wrote a question (simple, funny, awkward, or otherwise) on a piece of paper, put it in a bowl (or what ever was handy), and each person drew a question. Sometimes we'd all answer the question, sometimes you'd just answer the one you drew. I am hoping to keep that little tradition alive by posting Question Game questions from time to time. If you read this, you must leave your answer, or else...well, I 'll think of something intimidating :). So to kick it off, we have a five part question:

What are your favorite things to see, smell, hear, taste, and touch?

And my answers are:
See: My husband and son, people being nice to one another
Taste: Warm bread, ice cold Pepsi
Touch: My husband's hands, my son's skin, & soft fabric (fleece and flannel)
Hear: Laughter, ocean waves, & music
Smell: Rain, Swiss Army cologne, & anything associated with laundry (clean laundry that is!)

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

WFMW - For book lovers

2008-04-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

I had written a WFMW tip a few weeks back on gift giving...the ultimate irony is that the man that I love, the man I know so well, is the most difficult person to shop for! However, my husband had this amazing ability to read (and actually remember) an book in an evening. So for his birthday I got him a subscription to booksfree.com...think Netflix, only for book worms :)! The most inexpensive membership is 2 books (or audiobooks) at a time for $10 a month. They send you a bag with the postage already on it to return the books for the next two off your list. The site has everything from fiction and young adult to self help and religion. The books are used paperbacks, so they don't always have the most current books out in hardback, but they have over 100,00 titles.

Booksfree.com works for me (and The Hubs), head over to Rocks In My Dryer for more WFMW ideas :).

It's good to be good...

2008-04-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that my three favorite TV shows right now (I only see them thanks to the wonderful invention of DVR) have one thing in common: they show people trying to do the right thing and show that it's good to be a good person. My three shows are:

Eli Stone: Money hungry corperate lawyer with no morals suddenly has a vision of George Michael singing "Faith." Odd hallucinations follow, and Eli realizes he wants to change the direction of his life and the hallucinations offer him insight into the underdogs he needs to help. He remembers that his father, who also had these visions, told him "You're meant to do great things... speak inspired words... you're going to help people." Interesting factoid: Jonny Lee Miller (who plays Eli Stone) was Angelina Jolie's first husband.

Samantha Who?: Love, love, love Christina Appleg ate in this show. She plays Samantha, who after a hit and run accident and an 8 day coma, wakes up with retrograde amnesia (translation: she has no memory of friends, family, or her own history). She finds out she hadn't talked to her parents in years, was cheating on her boyfriend with a married man, and tended to be vain and selfish. She is trying to be a better person while learning what kind of person she used to be. Absolutely hilarious and insightful.

Miss Guided: I'm cheating, here is the discription from the home page: "Having finally conquered the awkward, traumatic world of high school, Becky Freeley (Judy Greer) returns to her alma mater as a guidance counselor with her insecurities and orthodontia a distant memory." Becky Freely is any person who was self conscious or awkward in high school, and yet despite her embarrassing moments, she remains optimistic and positive :).

Musicwise, I am currently enjoying the music of a little known artist called Monkey's Papa. He has a very unique spin on alternate lyrics to childhood songs that keeps me giggling and has Monkey memorized. However, we have learned the hard way that Monkey's Papa cannot wear hats or bandannas when performing because these items cause the audience to become confused, then scared, and then inconsolably upset until the headgear is removed (hint: it's not me, I actually love the sight of The Hubs wearing a hat). The other day I walked in to hear him singing (to the tune of the ABC's): "Monkey looks a little like me, won't he be as sweet as mommy..." I don't know for sure what swooning is, but I think I did it then :).

Silly Monkey :)

Here's your sign...

2008-04-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

So as I am wiping down Money's bib after a feeding that left rice cereal on the floor, table, child, curtains, and I am pretty sure at least one of the cats (totally my fault, I dropped the bowl of rice cereal and it sprayed like a fountain), I noticed something on the tag: DO NOT IRON. Never mind the fact that this is a vinyl bib we are speaking of, what I want to know is...WHO IS IRONING BIBS?? I think I am doing fantastic to even have the bibs clean! I know that comedian Bill Engvall of "Here's Your Sign" fame says that companies post these warnings (like the warning on the Auto Shade, "Do not drive with Auto Shade in place") because someone out there has actually attempted it. I am glad that I have that little nugget of knowledge though, before I go trying to iron my vinyl pants before my next Girls Night Out.

In Monkey news, he is now sitting up like a proper gentleman, as well as eating baby food (we were side tracked with some GI issues and had to stop), and sleeping in his crib (big step for me). I am still in awe of how fast he growing and how much he has changed already. Here's a pic of him before heading out to play pick up basketball with the the other kiddos (Bibs vs Onesies) today:
Thanks for peeking in on us, take care!

We're baaaaaack...

2008-04-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

No we did not win the lottery and skip town nor were we abducted by aliens...we headed to Indy to see my family and have Monkey baptized! The word road trip strikes fear in the hearts of some, but the Hubs and I are perfect road trip companions. You have to be compatible when it comes to your choice of entertainment (books on tape, comedy CD's, the license plate game), number of and severity of need for bathroom stops, and a shared point of slap happy, road trip delirium when everything becomes funny. I can honestly say that we have had some of our best conversations and created some of our best inside jokes on our trips to Indy :). Monkey did a stellar job on his first road trip to Indy, granted he was 2 months old and did what he did best...sleep and eat. A now 6 month old Monkey is a different story, and I was a little fearful at what point he would say, "Okay people, no amount of toys, distraction, or singing will deter me from from my mission of removing my heinie from this car seat!" But alas, Monkey travels like his mama...he sleeps :). He slept a record 8 hours both trips, waking for the last 2 hours of the trip. The ceremony was wonderful from what I could hear, our usually mild mannered, smiling boy was screaming almost the entire time (how dare we schedule the baptism during lunch time!). When we leaned his head over the baptismal font, I had to ask the Hubs to help hold on since Monkey was attempting to kick off my stomach and dive right in. He did show his true colors in the beginning, when the priest knelt down and said that we were here for the baptism of Monkey, he laughed :). We had a great time playing with Grandma and Grandpa and our cousin Mare-Bear, and seeing the rest of our Indy family. It is always hard to leave but it makes it easier knowing we will be back next month for Auntie Jess's graduation!

Cheesing with my grandparents

Snoozin' on the road

Remember when our folks did this when they were driving and not stopped for gas :)?

Playing with Mare-Bear

WFMW Premade baby scrapbooks

2008-04-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

One of the best ideas for a baby shower gift I have seen was a pre-made baby scrapbook! The gift giver had taken an 8x8 scrapbook album and done pages for each month of baby's life up to one year! This way, a busy mom can keep up by picking one photo per month and placing it in the already made photo album. I made one for my son over a weekend before he was born and used 8x8 paper (Michael's and Joann Crafts have a great selection, Joann's also had a 8x8 baby theme scrapbook stack with paper, stickers, vellum quotes, etc) and Mat Stack 4.5x6.5 cardstock sheets. Place the 4x6 piece on as your picture (it is slightly larger than a photo and will frame it nicely) and create your page around it. I also included pages for holidays, first bath, etc. A weekend's worth of work to keep up on a year of scrapbooking works for me... check out other great tips at Rocks in my Dryer!

I'm not avoiding 30, I really am 29!

2008-04-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

Although I am no longer 21 and I am a mother, I can still pull an all night birthday party with the best of them! However, the only the reason I was up all night was because my dear Monkey decided he wanted to celebrate my birthday by only ceasing to cry when I held him. He has not done this since he started sleeping through the night, but he decided his gift to me would be lots of snuggle time and very little sleep for his Mama. Bright and early, the Hubs took Monkey out of my arms, put him in his swing, tucked me in, and told me "Happy Birthday!" I promptly told him "Happy Birthday" and passed out :). We had a lovely dinner at Cheesecake Factory, remembering that it was the place he took me for my first birthday that we were dating and also where we ate right after he proposed. Good memories make great birthday presents :). I got the new Jennifer Weiner book, "Certain Girls" and the music edition of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader (laugh if you must but it is awesome to read aloud on road trips, since it is made up of short stories, and our very favorite: mindless factoids!). We also got Jennifer Weiner's "Little Earthquakes" to listen to on our road trip, I got to pick in honor of Birthday Week. The Hubs is letting me try out Birthday Week without much complaint, yesterday I declared "Birthday Week" to get out of changing a poopy diaper but realized if I do that too often, I may not be married for my next birthday.

I look at how my life my has changed in just one year: I became someone's mother, I watched my husband become a father and fell more in love with him than I was before. I had times I treasured with my families and friends. I had the chance to comfort a child who was scared or hurting. I truly am in awe of the every miracles I get to witness and participate in and am so excited for another year of that! The following is a song I listen to when I am having the best or worst of days, to remind myself that I am blessed and lucky :).

"These Are Days"
by 10,000 Maniacs

These are days you’ll remember
Never before and never since, I promise
Will the whole world be warm as this
And as you feel it,
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you
Are touched by something
That will grow and bloom in you

These are days that you’ll remember
When May is rushing over you
With desire to be part of the miracles
You see in every hour
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you are touched
By something that will grow and bloom in you

These are days
These are the days you might fill
With laughter until you break
These days you might feel
A shaft of light
Make its way across your face
And when you do
Then you’ll know how it was meant to be
See the signs and know their meaning
It's true
Then you’ll know how it was meant to be
Hear the signs and know they’re speaking
To you, to you

More misc musings...

2008-04-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Musing #1: As I am driving home this weekend, I am greeted by a huge electronic sign over the highway stating "AGRESSIVE SPEED ENFORCEMENT APRIL 1 - APRIL 15." This leads me to ponder several things: What exactly do they mean by aggressive? Why are they letting us know the cut off date...April 14th, be very careful, but April 16th, it will be like the Fast and the Furious on I35! However, maybe the Kansas Highway Patrol is submitting to the Livingston theory of Birthday Week and that is their gift to me...make everyone else slow down so I can get to work a little quicker :). I also saw a large billboard for a Psychic fair and it made me wonder if they have to let the Psychics know the fair is happening or if they just have a premonition of the location, time, date, etc.

Musing #2: When I was little my mother told us that we could have some Pringles chips but only when she opened them. So my brother and I would check them from time to time and they wouldn't be open yet and then they'd be gone. No, my mother wasn't having a Pringles binge nor did she have willpower of steel...she would peel back the seal halfway, remove some chips, and put the lid back on! Brilliant really because what 10 year old is going to look through the clear plastic lid and double check that the seal really is intact? Flash forward several years, I am an adult and perfectly willing to share Pringles with The Hubs...yet I still only peel the seal halfway back. It drives The Hubs crazy yet for my sake, he leaves the seal on :).

Musing #3: I have learned this week that scented baby wipes are fine as long as they are not food scents. After cleaning up Matthew's "artwork" (a 10+ wipe affair), I don't think I will craving cucumbers or melon any time soon, if ever again. I have also learned that a 13 work shift is way to long to break in a new pair of works shoes.

Just a few of the many things on my mind :). We have a busy but very exciting week ahead, we're making our second Indy road trip with the Monkey and can't wait to see the other half of our family. I have a feeling I am not going to be seeing much of the Monkey once we get there :). Have a wonderful week and thank you for peeking in on us!

WFMW: Project Linus

2008-04-01T22:38:00.001-07:00

This weeks WFMW theme is posting your best idea to date... since I have only posted 2, I thought I would just go ahead and post something new :).

This is an idea for those of you crafty and not so crafty people looking for a summer project or something to do with your kids. I am a pediatric nurse at a large metro children's hospital and one of my very favorite things is receiving blankets from Project Linus. Named after Charlie Brown's friend Linus with his trusty security blanket, this group has chapters all over the US. "Blanketeers" can make and donate any kind of blanket (including quilts, tied comforters, fleece blankets, crocheted or knitted afghans, and receiving blankets in child-friendly colors), which are used for seriously ill and traumatized children, ages 0-18. Their website provides all the specifics as far as preferred sizes and local chapters (click here to see their homepage). From my personal experience, there is nothing more wonderful than giving a child something made with love to snuggle up with during a very scary time. Sometimes I have it waiting on their bed to greet them when they arrive, sometimes it "magically appears" on their bed when they are asleep at night. And I know for a fact that the teenagers appreciate them as much as the little kiddos :).

Project Linus works for me (and lots of other people), check out more great ideas for WFMW at Rock In My Dryer!

The little things...

2008-03-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

After waking up Friday to ankles swollen past the point of kankles, and my face and hands resembling that of the Michelin Man, I headed to the walk in clinic and got checked out. I am still not sure what exactly happened at this point, but I am back to my normal "fluffy but not quite so Pillsbury Dough Boy-esque" self. I had to call in to work on Friday and ended up sleeping off and on from about 6 p.m. to 3 p.m. the next day. It was like Christmas and my birthday all at once. I was a big fan of sleep before Monkey came along (I used to say it was the cheapest hobby you can have), and it's even more treasured now. So anyway, I emerge from my coma to a smiling Hubs, who said, "Did you see what I did for you?" Keep in mind I am trying to remember what day it is, if I missed the bus for school, etc...I am not at my most observant. After several feeble guesses, he took me and showed me my closet. Yes, some women get flowers, some women get jewelery...I got my closet organized. And I loved it! I once told my sister (poor kiddo, being 11 years younger than me, she gets a lot of words of wisdom) that if you expect big, grandiose signs of affections, you might be disappointed, but if you appreciate the little things (like making the bed because they know how much better you sleep in organized sheets), you'll rarely be disappointed. Yep, I have a pretty big crush on the Hubs :).

I am trying to get Monkey used to sleeping in his crib in his room. I think Monkey will do just fine, I think we might need to replace the carpet in the hall as I walk back and forth to make sure he's okay. After a couple of "pick up screaming baby, console baby, put drowsy baby back in bed," he was out! And I laid down thinking, "okay, I have his monitor set so loud I could hear his stomach gurgle, I can handle this." Since we normally have the door closed to keep the cats out of our room, the cats were having seizures of joy that our door was open. They climbed Mount Hubs, tried to sleep on my head, etc. But sure enough, about 15 minutes in, they started meowing. Not just cute little meowing, but more like sitting at the foot of the bed with a bullhorn, Ty Pennington style, screetching, "MEEEOOOOOW ("Good morning Bryan family!)!! MEEEEEOOOOOOWW ("We're going to let you guys get up and feed us now!"). No one was going to get sleep that way. So out went the cats and in came Monkey to his Pack-n-Play. He did get a nap in his crib today...baby steps (for me more than him) :)!

Oh my goodness, it's April already :)???

A whole lot of misc...

2008-03-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been a little hectic, here is a little update in case you'd like to know:

TUESDSAY: The Hubs called in sick. Since I am pretty sure they will never close the hospital on account of snow, The Hubs staying home sick is the adult equivalent of a snow day for me (we call them Snick Days). We get to spend time together, and most importantly, we get to let each other take naps. I also met up with my friend Jenny for a Costco & a Churro date. Let me tell you, a good friend will offer to hold your kid. A GREAT friend will pluck up your kid, plop them in their purse and carry them around like a priceless accessory. The churro comes in a close second to time spent with Jenny, she is hilarious :).

WEDNESDAY: Monkey had his 6 month pictures in Topeka, so we got to take our first Mommy and Me road trip. How I treasure these days when he hasn't yet realized how terribly I sing. I bought an oldies CD to listen to, my slow transition to The Wiggles, Backyardigans, etc. I have the Oldies station on during the day when we are at home and shock my mother in law with my musical knowledge. Anyway, I was excited because of the song "Calender Girl," a catchy favorite of mine. However, I have a bone to pick with Mr. Neil Sedaka. February gets to be his little Valentines, July is his little firecracker. What does April, my birth month, get? "You're the Easter Bunny when you smile." First of all, this is the mental picture that the Easter Bunny brings me (sad, I know), and the only other thing I can think of is that he thinks I am either hairy, chubby, or have buck teeth.

THURSDAY: Monkey had his 6 month appt on Monday and is greater than 97% for head circumference. Yes, my baby is growing quite a melon (just like his daddy, trying to find a fitted hat for a man with a size 8 noggin is no walk in the park!). Our doc sent us to get an ultrasound just to be on the safe side and sure enough, everything is fine. Monkey was a little disgusted that they messed up his hair with the ultrasound goop, but he had a bottle and was right with the world again. Tonight I went with my friend Michelle to a Just Between Friends consignment sale, translation: huge garage sale full of kids clothes, toys, furniture, etc. Overall it was great, although when they opened the gates to the public (we got to shop early), it was a little like the running of the bulls. Some of the shoppers are hard core, I was a little greatful I had my stroller (and Monkey) to allow myself some room to move. I have learned that there is too much of a good thing and scheduling two big outings in one day is a little much for a little Monkey. Oh well, we'll all sleep good tonight. Take care!

WFMW

2008-03-25T22:07:00.001-07:00

I am a habitual gift giver and a firm believer in "is better to give than to receive." But it isn't all selfless giving, I get a little happy buzz from seeing the expression on someone's face when you have taken the time, even with something small, to remember them. Here are some of my gift giving tips:

I have a plastic tote of gift bags, tissue paper, ribbon, and fun padded mailers that I keep filled from things I get on sale. Usually after holidays, there will be tons of solid color or pattern bags on sale for 50% off. Bath and Body Works also has awesome and unique gift containers and bags that they mark down a few times a year. Wal-Mart always has print and solid colored bags for $1 in several sizes and Target usually has padded mailers in bright colors and patterns. Michaels sells a box of 50 cards made with fun, scrapbooking cardstock that can be used for any occasion. Plus you can dress them up or make them specific to a holiday or birthday with scrapbooking material in no time.

Some great sites to check out for personality specific or personalized gifts are Zazzle, Gifts.com, Personalization Mall, Wal-Mart (Personalized gifts are under the gifts and flowers section), Walgreens Photo, and Shutterfly.

Since I am trying to declutter around my house, I have been trying to give my family things that they can use and enjoy, but not have to find a place to keep it. For the ladies in my family, I like to give candles, Tastefully Simple, and gift cards for things like manicures and pedicures. I even bought a gift card for a massage for The Hubs and set the appointment so he would go. He came home and asked when he can go again :). Guys are always a little more difficult, but sports tickets, car wash booklets, and Borders or Barnes and Noble gift cards for books and music work well for me. Also, several of us chipped in and got my dad golf lessons for his birthday, which is something I thought he really enjoyed. Magazine subscriptions also work great for almost everyone.

A family my parents and sister are friends with recently had a child who has been hospitalized for several months. My mom got four $5 gift cards to places like McDonalds, Subway, Chipotle, etc and gave them to them so that they could get a meal while they were traveling to and from the hospital or to give to their other children, who were at home and attending school. I learn gift giving from the best :).

Hopefully these are some ideas you can use, for more ideas, check out Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer!

My Two Easters

2008-03-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

So I am driving home from work on Easter Sunday morning, psyching myself up by saying "You are wide awake! You could run a marathon! You don't need sleep, sleep is for the weak!" and pondering if the amount of caffeine in a Viverin could be matched by just eating an entire package of sugar packed Peeps (much tastier). I got home and for the first time in my life I was too tired to take a shower...I had to take a 30 minute power nap to muster up the energy :).

We left to see our other Bryans and had a great time. My sister in law actually played matchmaker for me and the Hubs, so it's awesome having your friend as your sister in law. Monkey and his cousin, whom I will call Blue Eyes until a snappier code name is found, are almost the same size and the first time we laid them side by side, they reached up and grabbed each others hand and simultaneously stuck their other hands in their mouths. The Hubs's cousin brought over her newborn and we got a picture of all the boys together. My niece, Goose, is the only girl for now, but I have a feeling she will have those boys following her lead :). We had a great meal, lots of baby holding, and socializing...all in all a pretty great day :).

My second Easter was in Indy with my family. After getting off the phone with my mom and my sister, my mom "cloned" me and they brought me along to all the Hupp events. I got smooches from my sister, hugs from the Easter Bunny, and at one point, my niece, Mare-Bear, took me in the bathroom, covered me in toilet paper and announced that I had pooped. Luckily we will be seeing them soon, but the pictures made my day :).

Hope you had a good Easter, I am off to find Peeps on sale. Omm nom nom nom....

Carboholic

2008-03-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

Whoever said "Man cannot live by bread alone, " had either never met me or never been to Panera. Being Catholic, we don't eat meat on Fridays during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) and it is the only time of year that I, a true bread junkie, have the excuse for having bread as a meal. So where is all of the carb-loading conversation coming from? I found the absolute, be-all-end-all recipe for banana bread that I am going to pass along to you (click here for the recipe). I had to share with the neighbors so we didn't eat all 4 loaves ourselves :).

We are heading to the see the other Bryans for Easter, I think my niece will clean up on the Easter egg hunt since the only two other kids are 6 months and 4 months :). I finally realized one of the perks of parenthood: buying candy for the kids and having a little yourself. Since we don't make each other easter baskets, we each put into Monkey's Easter basket what we really wanted. For The Hubs, it is Cadberry Cream Eggs, for me, it's Peeps, and both of us will share the Reece's Peanut Butter Cup eggs. I am sure Monkey would rather us eat the candy now and get him fresh candy when he is able to have it rather than put this years basket away for a year. Plus he has a few things in there he can enjoy now, so I don't feel quite so guilty.

For my fellow K-State fans, how about that game last night?? Here is a little something to tide us over until football season, click here :).

Dare I say it??

2008-03-19T23:33:00.000-07:00

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!! I think at this point if Mother Nature delivers yet another sucker punch of snow after a 70 degree day, I will be okay. Today was beautiful and as Monkey and I headed to pick up the Hubs from work, it was great to see the park full of kids, people out walking, and driving with the windows down. I was a little afraid at this point that Monkey would never get to spend more than 2 minutes outside and be scared to death of the sun (aka Big Shiney), but he is adjusting nicely. The Hubs has been working hard trying to get our lawn looking a little nicer this year and Monkey tagged along as we walked around the yard, getting landscaping ideas. I printed out 8X10 pictures of 4 angles of the house as my own personal coloring pages to try out some landscape ideas on. I am ready to get my hands dirty!

One more random topic to touch on and then I really need to get to sleep (darn WFMW for keeping me up so late!). My friends Sara and Jenny and I were so excited about our Girls Night Out to see my favorite comedian Mike Birbiglia. He is well versed in the silly stupid humor I like, as opposed to the aggressive, mean, or "make a rock star blush"comedy varieties. So as we counted down the days, debated whether or not to make custom T-Shirts at Zazzle, and debated how early to show up for the show, I was hit with a e-mail letting me know the show was cancelled. Was he sick? Did he decide to trade his career for something in advertising? Was he going on sabatical? No, our dear little Birbiglebug is going big time...he had to cancel his show to film the pilot of his new TV series based on his Secret Public Journal. And although I wish him the best, I feel a little cheated that he broke our date via e-mail, I mean, he could have at least called. Oh well, if you truly love something (or appreciate it's humor) you'll let it go, right :)?

Nighty night, kiddos!

Works for Me Wednesday

2008-03-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Michelle, I happened across a great blog called Rocks In My Dryer. Every Wednesday, readers post tips they've learned on any (G-rated) topic--anything that has "worked for them" in making their life easier. Snaps to this site for the countless great tips and websites I have been referred to, slaps for the hours I have spent looking things up instead of sleeping :). This is my first time posting a tip, so here goes:

I have never been accused of being anal retentive, but I do have certain things that have to be done a certain way. One of these is that I keep my closet in color order. The perk of this is I always know exactly where the item I am looking for is and have a good idea of when I am getting low and need to step it up on the laundry :). This really doesn't take much time, just come up with a system that makes sense to you (I have mine arranged from darkest to lightest, shirts on the top bar and pants on the bottom, and if I am really in an organizing mood, I sort each color so it goes from tanks/camis, short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, and long sleeve). Even if you have a hectic week, it doesn't take much time to get things back in order. Also, when I was pregnant, I took everything out of my closet that I couldn't wear and put it in a plastic tub I the corner of my closet. Again, it saved time because I knew anything in the closet was something I could wear and feel comfortable in. I have kept this going as I work to lose the baby weight, and since the tub is in the closet, I can easily pack up "too big" clothes and switch them out for "slightly smaller" clothes.

As for keeping my son's closet organized, I love these plastic dividers that you can put between sizes so you can see exactly what you have for them to grow in to. The basic ones (plain yellow plastic, blank for you to customize) can be found here . A cuter version of the same thing can be found here.

Check out Rocks in My Dryer for more WFMW!

Happy St. Patty's!

2008-03-17T20:46:00.001-07:00

How exciting are we?! Monkey and I are both sick so our St. Patty's consisted mainly of blowing our nose (me), eating (him), and sleeping (both of us). Oh well, we have on our green :)! Hope you had a good St, Patrick's day, free of pinches!

Happy St Patty's from the Irish Monkey!

And my new, much shorter hair cut

What I have learned this week...

2008-03-17T00:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a collection of random things I learned this past week (hint: click on underlined words for links/pictures):

I AM PARANOID: As I become a little more Blog savvy, I noticed that some of the professional bloggers choose nicknames to refer to members of their families, just a little piece of mind against the internet creepers I guess. So as you can see, my DH is now The Hubs and our little guy is Monkey. Why Monkey? I tried so many cute nicknames out and the only one that stuck is Monkey. However, the nickname brings mental pictures like this... and not this:

WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY: I am hooked on a blog called Rocks in my Dryer and every Wednesday she hosts Works for me Wednesday. People post helpful tips ranging from websites to recipes to party ideas. Last Wednesday was my first time reading it and I am hooked. Some of the awesome sites I found because of WFMW are

Free photo editing sites: paint.n et and GIMP (both of these are a lot like a free version of Photoshop), and Picnik (which is very easy to use and fun).

www.organizedhome.com has lots of great ideas and I love their printable planner pages.

Freecycle is an organization where people post things that they are giving away at no cost to whomever is willing to come pick them up. People can also post things they need.

SONG OF THE WEEK: "Breath In Breath Out" by M at Kearney (thanks Jessi!). I am always on the prowl for new artists and songs, so feel free to pass them along when you find tunes or artists that you dig :).
LOUD NOISES AND BUBBLES: I found out that yelling the cat's name to get him off the table while you are holding your little one makes for a traumatized baby. On the plus side, bubbles seem to make everyone feel better:

We love Quasi-Aunt Erin!

2008-03-11T21:43:00.001-07:00

Oh happy day in KC, we got a visit from my good friend and Monkey's Quasi-Aunt Erin! Erin is well trained in the art of being an auntie, she has triplet nephews and is hip to what is fun for the 2 and under set. We did all kinds of fun stuff including putting Monkey in our beloved Kansas State purple for the first time, kickin' it old school with Super Mario Brothers on the Nintendo, and Erin's sport of choice, shopping. I feel like there are people whose sense of humor you a.) don't get or appreciate, b.) get and appreciate, or c.) have the exact same sense of humor they do and find everything they say amusing. Erin is one of those people for me, in fact her boyfriend says when we get around each other it's we like talk in clucks and whistles. Monkey just stared in awe and wonder when Erin would sing to him (she is a classically trained Karaoke singer), I think because this would be his first time hearing someone singing in tune. We sang him a medley of Grease songs, but his favorite was when Erin serenaded him with "You Give Love a Bad Name," by Bon Jovi. Erin also helped me name Monkey's favorite toy, a stuffed turtle attached to some teething rings, which is now named Andre. All in all we had a great time and are keeping our fingers crossed that Quasi-Aunt Erin moves a little closer someday :).

In other news, today we played peekaboo, had a bath, and enjoyed some tummy time:

I was NOT a naughty 8 year old...

2008-03-10T02:03:00.001-07:00

The animal mascot of the awkward moment

Awkward Turtle Moment Of the Week: I was at work this weekend and as I am required to check the ID of each my patients as I assess them, I always ask them (or their parents) when their birthday is and check it against their ID bracelet. One particular patient, a 10 year old, had the same birthday as my son.

Very Nice Parent: "oh neat, the same year?"
Me: "Nope, about 10 years apart. My..."
Very nice Parent: "So you have a 20 year old?"
Me: (smiling, attempting not to look shocked/dejected) "Umm, no actually, I have a 5 month old."
Very Nice Parent: (immediately horrified, attempting to back pedal), "OH, because I was going to say that you don't look like you could have a 20 year old child!"

The other thing was it was the beginning of my shift and I was at work...this means make up is on, hair is done, I probably look the best I do all week. As for parenting at 8 years old (which is how old I would have been if I had a 20 year old kiddo), this was the extent of my knowledge:

Last week flew by for me, I walked into work Friday thinking, "Wasn't I just here?" Monkey and I went to a meeting of moms and kiddos in our area and had a little St. Patty's day meet and greet. It was a great chance to meet people in our neighborhood and for Monkey to meet some new kids. Here in a few weeks we are also starting Parents as Teachers and Mommy and me swimming (I wonder if he will be a fish like me!). I am hoping to get out and about walking with our neighbor and her kiddos soon, IF Mother Nature doesn't sucker punch us with more snow after a beautiful 60 degree day again. I had some great time with my favorite boys today, one of those "ahh, life is good" days :).

Misc Musings...

2008-03-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

On the TV: I have no idea how I (who isn't what one would refer to as a "fashion icon") fell in love with "Project Runway," but I have seen every season. Even more suprising, I can get The Hubs to watch from time to time! Maybe it's the creativity, or maybe it is because I am lucky enough to have my own personal fashion guru, Erin, to rehash things with :). My first impression of the winner, Christian was "who is this scary little man with the crazy haircut and all the attitude?" It was a great finale and he had me as a fan by the end...although his voice is still a little nails on a chalk board. Another new show in my life, "My Big Redneck Wedding." I watch it in awe and amazement...and if The Hubs and I ever want to renew our vows at a demolition derby or a flea market, I have lots of ideas. Tom Arnold's commentary is pretty amusing :).

On the Radio: Click on the song to be connected to the video on youtube.com
"New Soul" by Yael Naim (thanks Melanie!)
"All My Lovin" by Jim Sturgess (thanks Jessi!)
"Ordinary Miracle" by Sarah McLachlan (thanks CVS Pharmacy!)
"All I Want Is You" Barry Louis Polisar (thanks Barry!)
"I'm Yours" Jason Mraz (my current ringer at the moment...)

On the Computer: A new version of the old classic Oregon Trail! Instead of oxen, you are driving your SUV/Trurbo Wagon/Hybrid and trying to get your crew to a music festival. And you can still hunt old school, but you are shooting tacos, pizzas, and fries. Very amusing :). Click here to play it.

In the Paper: A very nice little write up about the BCHS seniors and my sister Jessi :).

Just a thought: ""Write it in your heart that every day is the best day of the year.""

Teething bites...

2008-03-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

The title pretty much says it all, the pictures prove it...teething is no fun.

Unfortunately, this is how we looked most of the day...

finally smiling after some tylenol, oragel, and a cold wash cloth to the gums...

and snoozing about 3 hours later than normal, poor little guy is worn out!

Someone's in the kitchen with Mama...

2008-03-05T00:06:00.001-08:00

If ever there was a picture to completely sum up Monkey's personality, this one is it :).

After watching Monkey do crunches in his bouncy seat, I decided he is ready to move up to the Bumbo seat (or the "Butt Mold" as The Hubs calls it). However, sitting in the Bumbo after meals is a lot like the old "wait thirty minutes after you eat to swim" rule...better wait or you will have to go change his clothes and wipe down the counter. Since he no longer has anything is front of him to play with, he gets to do really exciting things like watch me wash dishes and sing off key. I realized when we were done that he is small enough to fit neatly under the cabinets...just about the size of the mixer :). Now we are working on learning our cooking utensils so I can say "Spatula..." and have him hand it to me. However, by that time I am sure it will just go straight to his mouth :).

I am also working on finishing up some projects around the house like our picture wall and some other things I have the supplies for, just not the time :). One of them was something I had wanted to make for Monkey's room before he was born but ran out of time since he was so early:

Some scrapbooking supplies and clip art from Microsoft word...

And a metal Christmas card holder 70% off at Pier 1 :).

Hugs, kisses, and a new baby!

2008-03-03T22:54:00.000-08:00

After I got off work Sunday morning, we headed off to Topeka to see the newest addition to the family, baby Liam! The Hubs's cousin Katie and her husband Dan had just gotten home from the hospital that morning, but had already had a lot of visitors. In all of the excitement, I forgot to take pictures...very unlike me!

After seeing baby Liam, we headed over to see the Bryans. We always start off with "Musical babies," I grab Sam, Tara gets Monkey, and The Hubs chases after Lucy...and 5 minutes later, we all switch again :). Sam has grown so much and I have a feeling Lucy will hold her own very well against the boys as they get older. Lucy was passing out the hugs and kisses and telling us what the animals say. After being up for about 40 hours, I got a nice nap in on the way home (trips go MUCH faster that way!).

We have two trips planned to Indy this Spring (for Monkey's Baptism and Jessi's graduation), so we are looking forward to seeing the other half of our family!

Grandpa, Monkey, Sam, & Lucy

You're #1 in our hearts!

2008-03-03T22:41:00.000-08:00

Aunt Jessi's team lost by just 1 point but it was a great game. Jessi and some of the other seniors have been playing together since middle school and although I know she is glad to have some time back in her schedule, she is going to miss playing with her friends. We are so proud of all of them and have loved watching all of them play over the years. We wanted to send Jessi a little something to let her know we were thinking of her before the game, she she enjoyed her pregame breakfast from this:

Go Lady Tojans!

2008-02-26T22:21:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of Auntie Jess (#55)! Last Saturday her team, the Bishop Chatard lady Trojans won Semi-State, for the first time in school history! They will be playing for the 3A State Championship on Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse (where the Indianapolis Pacers play)! Good luck, we love you, mwaaahhhh!

The mystery baby and good burrito reception...

2008-02-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

I had laid Monkey down for a nap and tried out his monitor for the first time. I had one of the receivers on the wrong channel and after I got him up and in his bouncy seat, I heard the cry of the Mystery Baby. Crying baby on the monitor, perfectly quiet Monkey in front of me. Seems we are picking up our neighbor's frequency. Better watch what we say when ours is on, I guess :)

I found a tasty and quick recipe that I am passing along to you. I took a picture of my creation after realizing it resembles the reception bars on a cell phone. Obviously there is great burrito reception at the Bryan house :). Enjoy!

Chimichitos
(Original recipe by Sam the Cooking Guy, changes made by Chef Stephanie)

4 cups cooked chicken, shredded (great tip, buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it while it's still warm, very easy!)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can black beans
Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Sour cream
Optional: enchilada sauce, picante sauce, jalepenos
4 flour tortillas, burrito size

Heat oven to 400
Saute onions in a little oil or butter in a skillet
When softened, add chicken and black beans.
Heat tortillas to make them pliable (I put all 4 between moistened paper towels and microwave for 15-25 seconds)
Spoon 1/4 mixture on each tortilla, top with cheese and roll up restaurant style.
Place on a greased pan and rub top of burrito lightly with oil
Bake until golden, about 10-15 minutes
Cut in half, top with cheese and sour cream. If using warm enchilada sauce or picante sauce, spoon sauce onto plate and place chimichito on top.

Things I've learned as a mom...

2008-02-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

Some women are football widows, meaning that once football is on, their husbands are physically there but mentally thousands of miles away. I love football as much as The Hubs, so I am a "Lost" widow. Not only do we lose The Hubs completely for an hour each week, we have to watch the poor tortured soul wander around, speculating and muttering about plot twists :). Today I overheard them say the date the plane crashed, which happened to be Monkey's birthday. When I pointed this out, The Hubs looked at Monkey with genuine envy...how lucky that Monkey gets to share part of the plot line!

Since Monkey is snoozing and The Hubs is trapped on a desert island in the middle of nowhere, it's given me some time to reflect on a few things I have learned as a mom:

No matter how many books you read, nothing prepares you for motherhood. On the flip side, nothing feels better than when you can finally decipher a hungry cry from a tired cry and what makes them happy.
When your child has reflux, NO shirt is safe. My winner was 5 shirts in one day. I felt like a human burp cloth, he seems to aim right where the burp cloth isn't.
Baby boogers are the stickiest, most mystifying things I have ever seen. You try to wipe it from their nose or face but all you really accomplish is moving it around (much to their disapproval) until you finally give up and give them a bath...and then you find it on their leg.
You think nothing is better than the day you see their first smile...until the day they smile AT you. That is worth everything (labor, c-section recovery, midnight feedings, and being a human burp cloth).
Baby laughter is contagious.
People tell me all the time how lucky I am to be a pediatric nurse as a first time mom. On some ways this is true, I like being able to listen to his lung sounds and know that he has a little cold rather than flipping out and thinking it's the beginnings of whooping cough. But in some ways, all you know about nursing goes out of your head when it's your own kiddo. And I have to admit that going back to work and seeing kids in less than ideal situations breaks my heart in a completely different way now.
Sometimes you forget that you are actually a mom. When I took Monkey for his x-ray, the tech said, "Awhh, we're all done, you can pick him up Mom." I was like, "Who? Oh wait, that's me." I guess I will get used to it when someone (besides a very nice older woman) is calling me mom.
Just when you don't think things could get any better...they do :).

Lost is over now, I must console The Hubs and listen to his take on what is happening...maybe I should be nice and find Cliff Notes so I can understand??

Some new friends...

2008-02-20T10:08:00.002-08:00

So yesterday we had a play date with our friends Davis and Jenny and I have a feeling that Monkey will be a little more entertaining for Davis when he is able to run around with him :). Although Monkey wasn't old enough to be very good host, his toys did a great job. Sadly Davis fell asleep on his way out to Costco, so Jenny and I had to cancel our shopping date, but I am sure we will enjoy buying bulk groceries and most importantly, eating a churro, very soon :).

So our excitement for today was going for an Upper GI series at Children's Mercy South. Monkey couldn't have anything to eat 4 hours before so I was expecting a very unhappy little boy, but he was so memorized by the waiting room and the other kiddos running around. For the X-Ray, they put him in this thing that looked just like a rotisserie. Poor Monkey was strapped down with his arm up over his head and being rotated while he drank some formula with barium in it. Luckily it only last about 10 minutes, and he got to eat right after. He was awarded a new friend, Dean the teddy bear, for all his hard work. Then we got to go up and see my friends Megan and Christy in the inpatient part of of the hospital. We've been shopping and home for a while and the poor guy is still out. I guess that will count as our 20 minutes of rigorous exercise for the day. Have a great day, try to stay warm!

Oh no, not again...

2008-02-18T09:21:00.001-08:00

Is anyone else ready for Spring :)??

It's the little things...

2008-02-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

So we did manage to avoid the ER this Valentines Day, however we initiated Monkey to our tradition by having a doctors appointment. Poor little guy is having some tummy troubles and has to go for a GI series at Children's Mercy next week. Because of the last minute appointment and trying to get his prescription filled, I wasn't able to put together the fancy dinner I wanted, but we had a great time anyway. There were the lavish gifts:

(Monkey's Love Dovey book is illustrated by Mary Engelbreit, my favorite, and I got the mega pack Papermate marker pens I'd been lusting after...I have an unusual love for school supplies!)

and there was snuggling...

And there was the luxury of a "take your time, I'll watch the baby, don't worry about the waste of water or damage to the environment" insanely long shower. Pens, a shower, and the love of two great guys...I am a very lucky girl :).
Happy Valentines Day!

A look at Valentines Day...

2008-02-14T00:28:00.000-08:00

Hopefully this finds you all having a very happy Valentines Day and if I could find a way for the little paper cards we used to get in our mailboxes made out of shoe boxes in elementary school to shoot out of your screen, I would. Perhaps I should mention that to the Blogger people...

As for this lovely picture, it is a shout out to my Indy family...hopefully there is still room for those last minute reservations! Nothing says romance like a candle light dinner of White Castle!

So The Hubs and I always remember our first Valentines Day every year. I had big plans, I was a poor college student and he was working in KC. I had saved up my money and was going to take him to a nice dinner for a change. However, a few days before, the dentist I made the mistake of going to (everyone from Emporia was like, "Who did you go to? " When I said his name, they all got this look of pained sympathy and said, I wouldn't have gone to him...") decided to do 2 root canals and an extraction...all in the same visit and on either side of my mouth. I couldn't eat anything and whatever I could eat, i couldn't keep down. I don't really remember much of the next few days. The Hubs showed up on Valentines Day and found me passed out in bed, looking terrible. While he was getting me some shoes to wear so he could take me to the ER, I passed out and smacked my head on my dresser. So we spent our first Valentines Day in the ER for dehydration. And spent our second one in the ER again...with The Hubs's brother :). This year The Hubs's folks came up and watched Monkey and we had out first "date" since Monkey was born. It was great, we saw "Juno" and went out to lunch, but mostly we got some catching up time which was nice :). I realize how much I took "dinner and a movie" dates for granted before Monkey arrived :).

Speaking of "Juno," I almost spit out my water when her step-mother uttered the line "Well, honey, doctors are sadists who like to play God and watch lesser people scream..." And although I can say that this is not true for about a majority of the doctors I know, I think this may hold true for a small percentage :).

May you have a root canal/ER visit free Valentines Day with someone you love!

Look what I can do!

2008-02-14T00:27:00.000-08:00

43 things

2008-02-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

There is the awesome website called www.43things.com where you go and enter 43 things you'd like to do and find other people who are doing them also. It can be as simple as "I'd like to learn to yodel" or "I'd like to see Paris." Currently I have 14 things I'm working on, one of which I stole from someone else (they give you ideas and also have a search option. Once you find something you can add messages for other people who share your goal to read). I have always wanted to keep a journal and would be very good about it for a week or so and then find it several months later. So one of my things is to keep a photo journal...VERY easy since I seem to be 1/8th paparazzi. So you just a take a picture a day and write a little blurb about it. It gets to be pretty fun trying to find your picture of the day, you tend to look at your surroundings a little differently. For example, the other day I took a picture of my favorite tree (a weeping willow) in our neighborhood and of course random things like burnt out signs (yea, Wale Hose!) and the Weiner Mobile.

I am now reading a book called "The Daring Book for Girls." It is an awesome little eclectic mix of random things girls should know. For example: Hand clap games, words to impress, important women in First Aid (shout out to Florence Nightingale!), and how to whistle with two fingers. There is also "The D angerous Book for Boys," which The Hubs is currently studying and bidding his time to go over with Monkey.

And I leave you with my picture of the day...a very sleepy boy and his bouncy seat. Good day!

A little late night excitement

2008-02-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

For the last two days I'd been having random dizzy spells and they got a lot worse (room spinning, ears ringing, nausea, dizzy spells) last night. So the nurse in me refused to go to the ER until I had done some assessing. After all, I'd feel like a wimp walking (or stumbling) in and saying, "I see you have major traumas and seriously ill people, but I'm dizzy." Several blood pressure checks and a negative pregnancy test later (just wanted to make sure, I had dizzy spells with Monkey), we packed up and headed to the ER at 11:30, just after the snow started falling. Who says there is no late night excitement after you have kids! In our action packed hour there, I was walked in on by 3 people while trying to collect a urine sample, given the equivalent of a sobriety test (walk the line, finger to nose, etc), and diagnosed with an inner ear infection. They put me on medication to help with the dizziness until my ear heals up and I am supposed to call if I have any "stroke like symptoms." The Hubs and I thought that was amusing, "Well, we are thinking either ear infection or stroke..." is kind of like "Well, we could put a band aid on it or amputate it." Another amusing thing was that I might have to get tubes in my ears, a procedure I had done a lot as a child and that they normally only do on kids to alleviate pressure in the ear. My niece Lucy just had this done and was a trooper, so if I so much as complain, I will get set straight I am sure :).

So speaking of dizzy, I am completely in awe of the new sport of Zorbing. They put you inside this huge plastic sphere and roll you down a hill...sign me up! Hydro-Zorbing is where they put water in the inner chamber you are in so you are just slipping and sliding around. My hats off to those wacky New Zealanders for coming up with this one!

Yummy, yummy, I have food ON my tummy...

2008-02-04T22:45:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it just coincidence, but Monkey tried rice cereal for the first time and was the happiest child I have ever seen all day long. It also seems to have cured all of his GI issues...I am thinking of having a bowl of rice cereal myself tomorrow and see what magic effects it has on me :). Some of the rice cereal actually went in him, more of it just went on him. He loved sitting in his "chair" in nothing but his diaper enjoying the breeze from outside considering it was 73 degrees outside today! And it is supposed to snow tomorrow...gotta love Kansas :).

For all you moms out there, you must check out a book called "You are My I Love You"by Maryann Cusimano, I have yet to make it through a reading without getting a little faklempt. To risk sounding a little sappy, it finds the words to explain being a mother in a way that my heart just couldn't find words to express.

We had fun watching the Superbowl Sunday, I have a little crush on the Manning brothers so I was glad to see the Giants win...and of course, there is always the commercials :).

It's ok, I da pappy

2008-01-31T22:04:00.001-08:00

Yesterday poor Monkey was out of sorts, everything made him cry and nothing made him happy. He must have gotten it all out of his system because today he was down right giddy. He's stop eating to smile, laughed when I was getting him dressed, and was giggling non-stop when I put his new hat on him in the car. The above picture his him emphatically telling The Hubs about his new hat while waiting for me to get his bath ready :).

The shirt The Hubs has on is an inside joke with his family. The Hubs's parents wanted a signed, notarized note from The Hubs's brother saying that they could take our niece Lucy to the hospital if needed while they were watching her. Dan and his dad debated back and forth on if a note was really needed. Finally The Hubs's dad demanded a note, whether one was needed or not. Dan simply wrote: "Dear Doc, It's ok. I da pappy."

It's still hanging on their bulletin board, just in case :).

7 Randomly random things...

2008-01-30T23:00:00.000-08:00

Write 7 random things , "tag" seven people, blah, blah, blah...put links to their blog, and make a comment on said blog letting them know they're fair game on the playground. (only because you told me to, Jenny!)

Random thing #1: Last night for the first time since Monkey was born, he and I both slept for about 6 hours! Ironically, The Hubs (who snores like a chain saw) told me this morning that I was snoring so loudly that I woke him up. I was wondering if this means he hears me snore so rarely that the sound startled him awake OR if I was snoring SO loud that it did in fact drown out his snoring AND wake him up. I tend to think it's the first one, but the most important thing is that Monkey slept right through it :).
Random thing #2: I am amazed by people who talk on their cell phones while in line at the grocery store/Target/Wal-Mart and then act annoyed when the poor checker tries to collect their money. I don't know if they think that the checker is going to think Rude Cell Phone User (RCPU) is very busy and important and won't charge them that particular day. Either way, I think I might make up cute little cards that say "Have you smiled at your checker and asked how they are today?" with the "10 Commandments of Cell Phone Use" on the back.
Random Item #3: I am secretly hoping that I have dropped enough hints and that The Hubs will hook up the old school Nintendo to our TV this weekend while I'm at work :).
Random Item #4: I am not a North, West, East, South person, I am a Right/Left person. If I am giving you direction, I will tell you to go left at the stop sign, not proceed East at the stop sign. I am trying really hard to become directionally functional, The Hubs quizzes me constantly on road trips. Perhaps I can invent a watch with a compass on it so I look cool and and knowledgeable :).
Random Item #5: My first CD was Vanilla Ice...word to your mother.
Random Item #6: I have a knack for misinterpreting song lyrics. This started when I was a kid and my mom loved this song called "The Leader of the Band" by Dan Fogelberg. The states "The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old." I heard "The leader of the band has died and his eyes are growing mold." This would expain why I would run screaming from the room when my mom would play it...bad mental pictures. Recently I heard "Apologize" by Timbaland on the radio and had to go home and double check that they were NOT saying "It's too late to find a job" instead of "It's too late to apologize."
Random Item #7: I love finding typos, bad grammar, and random hilarious pictures on Craigslist. One time I saw a posting for a coffee table and the picture was of a man with a mullet/mohawk chasing a small child wearing nothing but a diaper and in the dark background was the corner of the coffee table. Ahh, people amuse me :).

Silly boy

2008-01-28T21:42:00.002-08:00

Monkey had his 4 month check up on Friday and is in the 25% for weight, 30% for height, and 75% for head circumference... he is packing quite a noggin'!

I can't tell if Monkey is being a good boy or if his defenses have been warn down by so much picture taking that he knows it is futile to fight it, better to smile at the camera and get it over with :). The Hubs on the other hand should be on American's Next Top Model for his creativity with poses, I think Tyra would be most impressed :).

Awkward turtle

2008-01-24T21:42:00.001-08:00

It's kind of like walking in on Brad Pitt taking a poo or hearing Heidi Klum rip a toot...you know these glamorous people do these things we all do but you'd never imagine actually witnessing it. This is how I felt as I rounded the corner and was astounded to see the illustrious, timeless Wiener Mobile stopped at the 7-11 for a fill up and a slurpy. I don't know, I guess I imagined that it might try to be more discreet or maybe there was a "members only" filling station stashed away in a gated community where roaming Weiner mobiles could stop and...ummm..."top off." But alas, the Weiner mobile taught me that despite it's celebrity, it fills up just the same as you and me...although I can't imagine it's driver set the gas cap on the hood and drove off without it. I did stick around for a minute or two to see if the Weiner Mobile was going to do the full monty and go through the car wash, but the cops shooed me off. Now I know how the paparazzi feels! Ahh, Weiner Mobile, it was a very special albeit awkward moment I shan't soon forget :).

I can tell that we are gonna be friends...

2008-01-20T14:24:00.001-08:00

Auntie Jess sent Monkey a new friend this week (we love Auntie Jess!). After intense scrutiny, Elmo passed the test and got some hugs from Monkey :). Seeing Monkey with the Elmo brought on a realization for me...soon I will have to start watching cartoons that do not include Futurama or the Simpsons. Granted I was once a big fan of Blues Clues (such suspense! And I almost always guessed what the clues meant, not bad for a 21 year old!), but despite what Barney might think, I did NOT love him. Can I learn to love children's cartoons? In the words of the wise, knowing Bob the Builder, "Yes I can!" I hope :).

Poor baby...

2008-01-17T22:44:00.000-08:00

This morning I packed up Monkey and a slightly loopy The Hubs (they had him take Valium prior to the procedure) for a fun adventure to have The Hubs's wisdom teeth taken out. I kissed The Hubs goodbye, fed Monkey a bottle, and the nurse cam back out and said they were done! Here you see The Hubs has an ice pack to one side of his face and the patented Baby Heat Generator on his shoulder. Monkey and The Hubs pretty much had the same kind of day: eat, sleep, repeat :).

Paparazzi

2008-01-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

Me thinks perhaps I doth photograph too much :)??

Wale Hose & The Hoe Carnival

2008-01-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

One of the best things in life is having people in your life who truly get your wacky, unique sense of humor. For years, my sister and I have had this running joke of texting or calling each other when we find signs with letters burned out that spell something MUCH more fun. Examples include but are not limited to:

Wale Hose (Waffle House),
The Great Chin (Great China Buffett)

Hoe Carnival (Shoe Carnival)
Dependence Inn (Independence Inn)
Wal-Art (Wal-Mart)
Half Price Boos (Half Price Books)
The Red Lob (Red Lobster)
The Golden Orral (Golden Corral)
and our personal favorite:
The Village Panty (Village Pantry)

Now I challenge you to find some new signs, it's great fun on road trips :).

You've come a long way, baby!

2008-01-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

After seeing the witty, everyday thoughts and pictures of my friends Jenny and her adorable family, I have decided to join the ranks of the many, the proud...the bloggers :). This is a little easier said than done, but if I can figure out myspace and facebook, I should be able to figure out how to post a blog. It may not be pretty, but I will get it done :).

I wouldn't have believed 6 months ago that I would rejoice in making another human being burp or find myself asking a very puzzled little face "Who's a silly monkey?" But alas, such are the new joys of my life :). It is amazing how much a baby changes your house, your life, and your view of the world. Your husband is not only the sweet, wonderful guy you fell in love with but is also now your partner in crime against the evils of spit up, fussiness, and super stinky diapers. With fertility issues, an emergency delivery, and a NICU stay behind us, we are glad to have Matthew here safe and sound. He has come a long way and is growing more every day. His first smile was amazing...granted he smiled at the curtains, then at me, then at the wall, but still, to me it was a little "Hey thanks for being my human burp cloth and getting up with me at 3 a.m."

Ahh, life is good :).