I went goth...yeah! lol!

So what do you think...I have had mixed reviews...but personally I love that it is shockingly different...I'm just sayin'

Overly Nervous First Time Mom...

So I started to get nervous about Decovin's first cold on Saturday as he started to tug at his ear quite a bit...I am thinking: "Great, here comes the ear infection!" So instead of just waiting it out, I thought to myself, I will take him to the ER (b/c I am no where near Whitemant AFB to get him checked out by his Primary Care Manager) and make sure I am being proactive...well I get there and check him in and of course he was happy as a lamb and flirting with all the nurses who were going goo goo over him and even put in the computer system: "Smiliest Baby" and all the nurses came into his room to check him out...of course he obliges...the doctor comes in and checks him over and says that he is fine and that it is probaby from teething and just to keep giving him tylenol and nasal spray for the stuffy nose...after he leaves another nurse comes in and asks if she can take him around the nurses station to show him off...I was like, "Ok"...I am sure they were secretly inside rolling their eyes at the "First Time Mom" who doesn't know anything! They were all nice enough and just doted over D but still, I was embarassed. We left with a couple of stickers and mommy's pride crushed a little bit...haha!

Decovin attempted his first step on Saturday...I wasn't in the room but Aunt Christy and Grandma were...they got to see it. He hasn't attempted it again, but I am sure it won't be long.

On a more positive note, mom is done with radiation for now and possibly for good (check her blog for full details) and so that means D and I get to go home to daddy! Bob is very excited to have us back and I am too...mom will be sad to see us go, but we will be back to visit at least once a month! :-)

Bob has some good news also...beginning November 1, he will no longer be a recruiter, he will now be an assistant Nuke coordinator. Basically he will be in charge of persuading those that are pre-qualified to become a Nuke to join the Nuke program like he was in. He will have less stress and hopefully will actually enjoy his job again. YEAH!

Oh and have I mentioned that Jeff and Marianne are now living in KC, MO? It is very nice having them so close, and fun to see Decovin with his cousins! I know they will all be friends...it is also fun to actually make plans with them too! So exciting!

Last weekend Decovin got to ride a tractor for the first time with his Pappy Plummer. It was cute to see him on there with him...I think Pappy had a good time too.










Stace: I am not sure why everyone stopped blogging as much...it makes me sad too...even though I am just as guilty...maybe we can kick it into gear again?! :-)

Hmmmm...

Well, I have either a head cold or an allergy cold, either way, I am blowing my nose so much it is raw and my head is FULL of snot still even after all the blowing and sneezing...
I was trying to avoid Decovin for fear of giving him the cold but I am not sure I suceeded...this afternoon D woke up from his nap and sounded snotty and his nose was runny the rest of the day...but he was also cranky like his teeth were hurting him so I gave him some tylenol and that helped for a bit...so I am not sure if the runny nose is due to teething or from catching whatever I have...either way this is Decovin's first "cold"...he made it 9 months...so that's not too bad.
He is trying to stand on his own and gets braver and braver each day...he is also getting better about "learning to fall" without hurting himself...he seems to know to curl his body upon landing...most of the time...I try not to react either way except with a "YEAH, you did it!" Oh and that is the other thing...I think Decovin has learned to say "I did it"...if you ask him to say it, 8 out of 10 times he will say it...or at least it sounds just like it...not sure he KNOWS he is saying it but it sure sounds like it...if anything he is at least mimicking(sp?)...cool huh? He tried "Pa, Pa" the other day and said it at least 3 or 4 times...it was cute. He also says "Ma, ma", "Da, da", and "Nana". I can't believe he is 9 months old already...CRAZY! Where has the time gone?

*Plans for Halloween* *Topsy Turvey*

Plans for Halloween include one cute bumble bee and some candy for me! :-) Hahaha! I couldn't resist putting it on him early! He is so cute! There is even a little stinger on the butt! I can't wait to show him off! :-)

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Topsy Turvey...last night, Christy left at 9pm, mom went to bed at 9:30, and Dad stayed up past 10:30! There must have been something in the water...weird!

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P.S. I decluttered my mom's bathroom Monday! It was 3 trashbags full of removal...the office is what truly scares me though...wish me luck!

He sat up!

Decovin pulled himself up to his knees all by himself today! It was SOOO cool! He is so amazing...pretty soon he will be pulling himself up to stand! How they grow! He also has 3 teeth now...the 4th is working its way out also...
We are currently baracading everything in sight from him! He crawls to EVERYTHING! It is quite the task to keep him contained! :-) Bob better get the baby gate ready for when we return!

Crazy Busy...

I arrived at my parents house on Friday night...we attended the LaCygne Fiesta...yeah...exciting...really...NOT! We entered Decovin in the Baby Contest and he got 2nd out of 2! He was robbed! Oh well, I have decided that I can't enter him in any more contests...too much drama...and I don't want to be a "pageant mom"...EVER! So there you go...

I had to go to the DMV to get our tags for our new car yesterday and I figured it would be 20-30 minutes tops...yeah right! 2 hours later, I had my tags...yeah, fun! I met mom and dad at the Olathe hospital to wait for dad to have his heart monitor removed...it was also supposed to be an "in and out" procedure...but his turned into 6 hours...he wins! Anyway, the finally released him around 8pm...then we ate at Chili's, mostly b/c I needed a place to feed D...then we made it home by 10! I was TIRED!

I had to get up early today again to be at Christy's to wait for the furniture people to deliver her couch, etc...then tomorrow I take mom up for her first round of radiation...then back home to go to BUNCOOOOO! Thursday is no better...up for radiation, meet my friend who is giving me some clothes for D, then drop off D at Aunt Taba's house then off to the Dinner Theatre...Then Friday, up for radiation, and then I am going to World's of Fun with Mandy (my dad scored tickets from work)...so busy, busy, busy!

Well, that is all I have for now...

11 days till Autumn!

So today is the perfect day for opening the windows! I am actually almost chilly! I love when you can open the windows...it means that fall is here! I am bummed to find that it will be in the 80s the rest of the week, but today...today it is only in the 60s! I love it...this, this THING! :-) (Reference for Christy)

Decovin actually made his first successful attempt at moving forward...it wasn't actually crawling b/c he wasn't on his knees...but he would have done the military proud with his commando crawl! :-) WAY TO GO D! It was so cute, he actually made it to the toy he was wanting...his other, more effective method, of rolling is quite humorous...he just steam rolls everywhere...and to all the places he shouldn't be, you know...near the Entertainment Center with all the sharp corners and metal fixtures, near Bob's computer cords, etc...it's uncanny how they know they can't have it, yet go for it everytime anyway! Too funny! I am up and down a lot with him now...maybe that should be my motivation to lose weight...hmmm...anyway...here is a "nanny nanny boo boo" face for ya:

Fun times!

So Mandy came to stay with us this past week and we had a blast! Her and Judy showed up on Monday and they both spent the night...Tuesday Ruthie, Stacy and kids came over also and we had a grand time! Wednesday we ran a few errands but nothing exciting...but Thursday...well, Thursday was different!

We started out our day at the Amtrak station...arriving 30 minutes prior to our departure time as per the suggestion on the tickets...well...it would have been no big deal waiting around if it were just the two of us but unfortunately a female shows up, with a horrible case of verbal diarrhea! She started dropping the f-bomb at 8:30 in the morning! HELLO! Mandy and I agreed that there should be some form of rapport developed between individuals before the f-bomb can be dropped...especially b/f morning coffee! Oh MY! So she continues to drop cuss words left and right and then asks to borrow a girls cell phone so that she can call her grandma to let her know the train is going to be late. Well, she was nice and let her borrow the cell phone...what seemed like 20 minutes later, she was finally done...but not after YELLING and CUSSING at her grandma first! YIKES! Anyway...we board the train and off we go...we stop in Jeff City to catch a bus to Hermann...they took us the most bass ackwards way through the hills of Missouri! Seriously, they could have stopped the bus, shot us all and they wouldn't have found the bodies for weeks! It was a bit scary! Anyway...we get to Hermann and Mandy & I are the only two that get off the bus...haha! They must have thought we were a bunch of winos! :-) YES! Anyway...we proceed to walk over a mile uphill to Stone Hill Winery and we only had time for a taste test b/c our train was so late getting in and we had to give ourselves enough time to get back to the train station to catch our train back...well, we did eat lunch there and then walked back toward the station and found another winery and had some more taste tests...we each bought two bottles of wine and then we got back on the train...we had a really good time...on the train back there were some other interesting characters...more verbal diarrhea, etc...really funny stuff...oh and there was a kid who totally tried to buy a beer and when asked for his ID he said..."I thought you didn't have to show ID on trains?" What a doofus! HAHA! Anyway...we ended up talking with this girl who was studying for her medical boards...the same one that Mandy just took...so they went back and forth with the where did you go to school at, etc...then we just chatted about whatever for the rest of our trip back to Warrensburg...she was totally nice and we had a good time! It was fun! All in all, it was a weird day but fun...or interesting, one of the two!

Oh and Bob had Decovin all day except for two hours when he had to have his boss's wife watch him for a bit while he went to a meeting...his first babysitter and I have never met her before! I was a bit nervous but he came home alive and well...he is cute as ever!

Dart boards are fun, budgets are not...

So Bob finally hung up our dart board that has been in storage for over 4 years b/c we never had a good place to hang it...well it is up now in our basement and Bob and I must have played 10 times or something! It was SO much fun I forgot how much I love playing darts...Thanks Jeff & Marianne for that board...it is AWESOME!

Budgets suck! When reducing your income and gaining an expense (a BIG expense) budgets become a necessary evil...oh well, we will adjust! I just hope we can shake it after we get our spending habits under control...lol!

Well...all for now!

Addicted much?

I am officially addicted to blogging or checking blogs or checking comments on blogs! I'm addicted...I check the blogs at least 5 times a day to see if anything "new" is posted...am I pathetic or what?! I need a new hobby...actually I need more yarn so I can finish a project that I started over a year ago! It might still fit the person it is intended for by the time I am done! GEESH!

Oh and I got a job...well, sort of...mom hired me! :-) I will be cleaning their house once a month and I plan to purge also (she doesn't know this yet) but their house will be clean and organized by...well soon! Since I will be doing this once a month, I also decided to join my sister's bunco group! So my trips will be for a triple reason...1. Mom and Dad and Christy can dote on baby boy; 2. I get paid to clean a house (my favorite part...well not cleaning necessarily but the money fo' sho!; 3. I get to play BUNCO! WHOO HOO!!! What fun we shall have!

I will be living with mom and dad for 6 weeks while mom goes through radiation so Dad and Christy do not have to take off of work. Bob plans to visit on all possible weekends so it should be interesting to say the least! I'm just glad that I have a bed to sleep on and not the couch or air up mattress...that might have been a deal breaker for me...maybe! ha!

Well, I am done now...feel free to comment away...I love reading them!

Suburbia HELL!

Whoever said living in a Sub-Division was awesome...LIED! So today our next door neighbor, who is the VP of the Homeowner's Association for our hood, came over and asked Bob when he was going to finish the retaining wall...she said someone in the neighborhood brought it up to her and wanted to know. She was totally nice about it b/c she knows the whole story with Bob having had hernia surgery and working 50+ hours a week at his job, etc...but still...the nerve of someone to judge us b/c we don't have the time like they have to finish up such a tedious project, on top of which, had our original builder noticed the slope there and thought to put in a wall like he did all the other neighbors yards, this wouldn't even be an issue to begin with...I hate sub-divisions...grrrrrr
I'm done venting now...

What's New Pussy Cat? Whoa whoa whoa!

Ok, so I haven't posted in awhile but it is only b/c I feel nothing exciting has really happened since I posted last.

My mom still has one more doctor appointment until she figures out what she will be doing...she has narrowed it down to getting just radiation or getting a reduction with radiation...she will know more after Tuesday. Anyway...

I went to LaCygne Monday and took dad to his G.I. doctor on Wednesday b/c he had to be sedated...he needed a driver. I ended up staying until Thursday b/c Christy invited me to play Bunco with her group on Wednesday night. It was SOOO MUCH FUN! I wish I knew enough people here to start my own group! SO FUN! So I am thinking about going next month b/c Christy says there is something "special" happening and that it will be even more fun! I can't even imagine! SERIOUSLY?! Ok, enough about Bunco.

Well, I am on hold with Embarq...they messed up our bill...awesome...story of my life I tell ya! Well, nothing else to report oh except for Decovin has now figured out how to make is walker move forward...it is so cute! He bounces until he gets enough momentum to lean forward and push! It is hilarious!

A short visit.

Well, Stacy came up on Friday and stayed the night with us. It was really fun...we even got an "Abbyism" to share! We had bought some snickerdoodle cookies and Abby wanted one...so Bob gave her one and then told her what kind of cookie it was. He said..."Go tell your mom what kind of cookie it is"...so she runs over to Stacy and says, "Mom, I have a cookie noodle"...Bob LITERALLY fell to the floor laughing...it was hilarious!

Nathan and Decovin got some play time in...it was so cute...also took some of Ruthie clogging...I must say...I was glad it was her and not me...it was H.O.T. and I would have HATED to be dancing around on a stage in 103 degree weather...forget that! But they did really good!



After the fair we departed our separate ways and Bob, Decovin and I headed down to LaCygne to "surprise" my mom for her birthday...she was VERY excited to see Decovin...lol! She had a good birthday bash too...all the neighbors showed up and we ate a lot of junk food...it was great!

Well, that is all for now.

I now know who you are...haha!

I won't mention any names but it starts with a R and ends with a "uthie"...hahaha!

A Tooth!

So Decovin got his first tooth that broke the gum surface! It is on the bottom row and you can really feel it with your finger...I tried to take a picture of it, but they were all too close and blurry...

Anyway, nothing else new to report...

Thanks for stopping by...still don't know who my anonymous poster was, but now I am filtering my posts...so if it doesn't show your post right away it is b/c I have to approve them now...

Peace & Love!

Anonymous Poster...

Will the mystery guest please sign in? Who are you? :-)

Whoever said crawling meant you had to use your knees?

So today, August 7, 2006, Decovin decided to lift himself onto his toes...I am assuming this is his way of "learning" to crawl. He ends up pushing himself backwards...it was SOOO cute! It was really hard to capture the picture so enjoy!

Maybe he is destined to be in the military (I hope not) but it kind of looks like an attempt to do push-ups! DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY! Isn't he cute?! haha!

My baby, my baby....my baby and me!

Well, let's see...My friend Julie left on the first and we had a really great time! I miss her already! She got to see Lawrence, KS for the first time...she loved the town! While we were in Lawrence I got to see my best friend, Kim while we were there also...it was fun!

On a sadder note...my mom found out that she has breast cancer. The good news is, she has low grade cancer and it is non-agressive. They caught it super early and they are going to take care of it with either a mastectomy or a lumpectomy & radiation. Either choice, the doctor said, has the same success rate so hopefully all will be ok.

Anyway, to make this a "not-so-depressing" blog, I am attaching some cute photos of my baby to brighten the mood! :-)


Look at that face, I mean how do you not want to squish those cheeks?! You can't tell that grandma loves him at all can you? :-)

What fun!

My sister stayed with me last week and we had a really good time. She loved hanging out with Decovin...I don't think she wanted to leave him...:-(

Now my friend from San Diego is visiting me until the 1st and so far we are having a jolly ol' time! She currently lives in Savannah, GA and hates it...she can't wait to move back to SD. I hope she finds a job back there so she can go home...she misses her family lots!

Decovin is getting more adventurous...he rolls everywhere and he is getting VERY good at sitting up on his own for longer periods of time. He has also discovered the joy of splashing in the tub! And when I say splashing I should say SOAKING! He gets me, the wall, the floor and anything else in splashing distance wet as can be! It is crazy how he can get his foot going!

Anyway...that is all I have for now...I don't have any new photos b/c Aunt Christy took them all...will have to wait for her to post some! :-)

6 months!

I can't believe my baby is 6 months old! It just seems like yesterday he was born! Where has the time gone?

So Decovin's new thing is rolling over and over again but only in one direction so he then makes one big circle...so I guess this is his method of "getting around" the house! I definitely have to pay a lot more attention to him especially if I have to leave the room for a minute to go cook or use the restroom...I guess we need to dig out the baby gate! It's all happening so fast!

We also got Decovin's 6 month pics taken...most of you have probably seen them on Kodakgallery, but I will share them here also. Enjoy!

Bandaids are cool!

Decovin had his 6 month shots on Monday and he got really cool Spiderman bandaids! His very first shots he received snoopy bandaids...as you can see, he's very grown up now...

You know what Decovin needs? A glass of water!

Sorry Mom, had to tease you...we FINALLY let Decovin have his first taste of water the other day and we got it on camera...just for you! ;-)
The first attempt he hit it with his hands and soaked daddy...it was pretty funny...we went out and bought him a sippy cup yesterday and hopefully he will like it...I tried today but he only took a couple sips and he was done...we shall see. Tomorrow he gets his 6 month shots and check-up...poor guy...I know he will fight this one...well, until then...ttfn!

Swim, Swim, Swim

So we took Decovin swimming for the very first time this weekend. It was a little cold yet and he didn't like the initial dunk in the water. He gave us the OH MY GOSH IT'S COLD face and then he cried for a minute and then he seemed very mellow the remainder of the time in the pool. We tried taking him under water for just a second but he didn't like that and choked on the water a little. Poor guy. We did take him back again a day later and he seemed to like it a lot more the second time. It had a couple of days for the water to warm up a little...he splashed in the water the second time, he had lots of fun! Just needed to warm up I guess.

On a different note: He is acting like he wants to crawl, he will hike his feet up and push on the ground but he hasn't figured out how to actually move his body forward. He just turns in circles. It is quite humorous. I expect crawling any day now. I thought for a little while he would skip the crawling and go straight to walking but I think he has changed his mind! This should be fun...time to baby proof the house! Any suggestions from mothers about baby proofing besides the obvious of covering up electrical outlets and locking cabinets and blocking stairways? Any ideas are better to hear about instead of experiencing them negatively...

Colon what?!

So today I had to have the dreadful colonoscopy! As most of you know, I have what is called Ulcerative Proctitis (basically, little ulcers in the last 6" of my colon) since I was in 5th grade...fun, fun! So anyway, my doctor has advised that I get a colonoscopy every 7-10 years since my grandpa had colon cancer and recently my cousin had it also. So as a precautionary, I get it checked out regularly. Anyway, all was well...he actually only saw 2" of concern and he thinks it is due to having a baby (take a guess). So anyway...I am ok and glad to report nothing severely is wrong or gotten worse...it actually has gotten better. I have to check in with the G.I. doc again in 8 weeks for a follow-up. So, fun, fun in the Plummer house! How was your day?

Yeah!

3 days before he turns 5 months and he rolled over from his back to his tummy today! It was so awesome! I had the video camera in my hands and turned on but he did it to quick for me to catch it on camera...**dang it** happens everytime! Oh well!

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Bob came out of his surgery ok. It was less invasive this time as it was done through 3 holes they made instead of cutting him open like they did last time...basically he had a c-section procedure before. This time he was up and walking right after surgery, no problem. He would have been released sooner but they won't release you until you pee and he couldn't due to the anesthesia (the nurses said it happens sometimes) so they ended up having to put a catheter (sp?) in him....OUCH! Poor guy, but all is well...he is pretty sore today but doing well.

Third Times a Charm...

So we can't seem to get our decorative wall to stay put...it keeps getting washed away with a good rain...this is the third time it has happened too...it runs all across our driveway and the stupid part is, the actual retaining part of the wall is staying put so that part is fine...any ideas?

On a positive note: Our grass is FINALLY growing and it actually looks nice...we still have some patchy places but we will fix those this fall.

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On a different note: Bob has to have surgery on Monday. They found another hernia (or to be exact, an idirect inguinal hernia)...this time on his right side. He went in initially to have them look at his left side b/c it had been bothering him recently...so the doctor was checking around and found the one on the right side...anyway...she is going to patch the one on the right and then take a look at the left side patch to see if it has torn or whatever. If it has, she will fix it up then, if it is not she would suggest that he might have to go through Pain Management, in other words...shots into the nerve directly. If after the series of shots do not work then they will have to go in and kill the nerve all together. Fun, fun. So he will be out of commission for the next two weeks at minimum...I think he will be fine though after 2 weeks, only b/c she is going to do lapriscopic (sp?) surgery instead of like last time where they just cut him open like a c-section...they did do it on the ship, so what do you expect...anyway...gotta run!

Just a few of my favorites...

Family, Family, Family!

So for the first time in 6 1/2 years we are all together at the same time in the same house! Crazy that it took this long but it was always bad timing in the past for one or more of the members of the family. It is nice to see my brother and his wife and baby girl (who isn't a baby anymore...she is 2 1/2 and has a mind of her own...she is so big and talks in sentences and loves to sing and dance). It is so cute to see her around Decovin too, which she likes to call "Covin", she will hug and kiss him and try to entertain him...she will be a good big sister! Good thing too, b/c she will have a little sister in August! :-)

Anyway, I will try to post some pictures later of everyone when we upload them...we are getting a family portrait taken on Thursday...should be interesting with 9 people...TTFN!

4 months

So Decovin is offically 4 months old today! I can't believe it! He is already eating cereal (still learning a bit) and soon will start veggies. We will hold off on the fruit so to make sure he eats the stuff that is good for him first. Sweet stuff comes later. CRAZINESS!

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Sunday was Mother's Day and it was a great day. Bob gave me the "day off", if-you-will and got up with Decovin and fed him so I got to sleep in a bit...then I got to scrapbook all day while he watched him. I didn't have to change one diaper all day! It was awesome! He made me breakfast too! He wanted to do "breakfast-in-bed" but I woke up too soon. **oops!** Well anyway, we went to dinner that night also and had steak and shrimp, it was really yummy! So for a first M-Day, it was pretty great. Oh and did I mention that Decovin got me a card?! :-) It was so cute!

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Also, Grey's Anantomy ROCKED! I can't believe the season is over, but I won't say anything in case some of you missed it...but let me just say...WOW!

Cinco De Mayo

So, this past weekend was fun. Mandy, Stacy, Ruthie, Judy, Nathan and Abby all came by for a visit. We had Enchiladas (American Style, I'm sure! haha!) and Spanish Rice and Guacamole and SALSA! It was a true Cinco De Mayo...well for us anyway! It was fun and we also semi-celebrated Amanda's 26th B-day too! There was no cake but Snickerdoodles were present!

Today, Decovin went to the pediatrician for his 4 month well-baby visit and got some more immunizations. It went well. He is now 15lbs. 8 oz. and is 25 1/2" tall. He was in the 75th percentile for his height (this shocked us b/c we are both so short), 30th percentile for his weight (surprised both of us b/c he likes his food) and 50th percentile for his noggin. :-) Lots of brain matter I suppose...
Anyway, he is healthy and we like to hear that. She said we could start him on rice cereal and in two weeks add fruits and veggies...I can't believe he is ready to eat food! Where did the time go? He also has a bit of dry skin she called something like Pseriosis, but different...can't remember the name...anyway, it is on his ear and above his eyes and she prescriped some hydrocortazone (sp?) to put on it twice a day...hopefully this works...
Well, this is all I have to report at this time.

My New Favorite Pictures

Isn't he cute? I just want to squish him all the time! :-) He's my little guy and I love him!

Weekend Update

This past weekend we headed south for my grandparent's 25th wedding anniversary party. It was fun to see family on her side that I haven't seen in almost a decade! Anyway, we also bought a new Digital Video camera that records on the mini dvd's...it is AWESOME and we already have filled up one disk! It is so light and compact, easy to use and awesome quality! We are still trying to get Decovin to roll over on camera...it's like he knows it is there and freezes up! He will get it soon enough! Well, anyway...enough of me rambling...nothing real exciting to tell.

Roll over, good boy!

So today for the very first time, Decovin rolled over from his front to his back like it was no big deal. I, of course, squealed in excitement causing my husband to jump straight out of bed to see what was the matter! It was so cute...now I need to finish baby proofing the house...oy vay!

3 Months

Well, on Easter day, Decovin turned 3 months old. On that very same day, he started to semi-grip things...it was like he knew it was a milestone month so he better get on the ball! It was hilarious and awesome at the same time. He is also getting VERY close to rolling over from his tummy to his back...you can tell he wants to and he gets real mad, but can't quite figure out how to get his shoulders to move out of the way...it is quite cute really...minus the frustration cry!

Easter was fun though, I am sure you all saw the pictures...it will be more fun when he can hunt for the eggs though! Can't wait for that! Abby looked like she had fun Stacy! Anyway...

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On a completely different note...we are attempting to fix our yard...if any of you remember...last summer I was in my first trimester and usually trying to find the nearest restroom to yack in! Sooooo, the yard was put on the back burner and it died...so now we have to till and lay top soil down and seed the whole thing...**sigh** What a pain the @$$! Well, it would be nice to get this done, and we could probably wack it out over a weekend or two, the problem is, Bob hasn't had a Saturday off in FOREVER!!! Stupid recruiters aren't making their goals nationwide so they all have to suffer! HELLO, who wants to join the military right now?! It is becoming obnoxious and I think I saw him more when he was on the ship and out to sea! Ridiculous! Anyway...just wanted to vent...I am better now...gotta go feed the little man!

Baby Fat

Well, I am getting closer to my pre-pregnancy weight and I can't believe it! I put on a pair of pants that I haven't worn since July of last year! I was totally stoked when I slipped them on and they were comfortable, and not tight! YEAH! A few more pounds to go and I will be back in my jeans! I can't wait for that! Hopefully before summer hits!

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Decovin is still gaining weight, I am not sure exactly what he weighs right now, but I am gathering close to 14 pounds or so...he's my little eater. I dread the day he starts eating cereal! YIKES!

Toe Discovery 101

Decovin found his toes/feet today...he stared at them like he is in the picture for at least 5 minutes and kept moving his toes and kicking his feet...it just cracked me up...Oh the wonders of the anatomy! I'm just not looking forward to when he discovers his you-know-what...**groan**

Spongy

My son is already addicted to TV! He LOVES to watch Baby Einstein and surprisingly will sit in the living room by himself for about 30 minutes w/o a peep...just staring intently at the TV. Amazing what they must be learning...I wish my brain was still a sponge.






=

Milemarker!!!

Today, Decovin lifted his head for the first time unassisted with his arms! He held it for quite a little bit too, as I had to scramble around for the camera just to get this shot! I am so proud! :-)

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On a different note, can I just say how much I was disappointed that Grey's Anatomy was a repeat on Sunday?! I am glad next week will be new...but what a waste of a Sunday...they should be new every Sunday! Geesh...the agony of waiting to find out what is going to happen with Meredith and Dr. McDreamy...come on!!! I'm pathetic...haha!

We are breaking records here!

Last night my baby boy slept for 9 hours!!! I felt like doing a conga line! It was awesome! Well, he is up now so I have to go and tend to the boy...YEAH!

First day of Spring or was it winter?!

HELLO! We had snow fall in Warrensburg on the first day of Spring! Blasphemy! What is that all about?!?!

Cousins, Cousins, everywhere

We had a good time this weekend. We got to see my cousins Amanda & Stacy! We also got to see our 2nd cousins and so on and so forth. We had a really good time!

Here is Nathan & Decovin in their bug outfits from cousin Amanda! Aren't they cute?! :-)**********************************************************************
Here is Amanda and I looking H.O.T.! :-)

Milk Coma

This is Decovin hittin' the hard stuff: **Do not try this at home**









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Current Musician Obsession: Kate Havnevik
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=31073649&MyToken=6E21D632-1236-1470-3362802DF0C8179C18105188

Recent place you might have heard her music: Grey's Anatomy episode 17 "As We Know It", during the Code Black at the end when Meredith has her hand on the ticking time bomb! So GOOD! The song is entitled "Unlike Me"--

2 month well baby visit

Well, I am happy to report we have a healthy boy still! :-) He is now weighing in at a whopping 12 lbs. 8 oz. and is almost 23 inches long. He had his DTaP, Hib-Hep B, IPV, and Pneumococcal Conjugate shots ...now what all of these are, I am not sure...Mandy? Anyway...he started crying before the shots began b/c he didn't like being held down and one of them gushed blood pretty bad but stopped almost immediately after the guy put gauze on it. After the shots were done, he calmed right down and actually fell asleep. I did give him Tylenol 1 hour before hand so that might have helped. I am also happy to report he received his first bandaids also...Snoopy! :-) Oh and he slept for 7 1/2 hours straight last night as well...maybe getting shots is a good thing for him...just kidding! Well, that is all for now.

Smiles!

Decovin is finally smiling consistently when played with! I love it! Especially his gummy smiles like the picture shown! Don't you just want to squish him! **squish**

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Pampered Chef is going well, so far I have two shows under my belt and I have one to do tomorrow and another on Sunday...With each show, I know it will become more like second nature! I am so glad I got into it now! Fun way to earn money!

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Still dreading Friday as Decovin has to get his first set of shots...I hope he doesn't cry, but I know that is wishful thinking! Well, time to go tend to the boy...

Pampered Chef 101

I have my first show tomorrow and I am a little nervous. Mostly nervous about my show and tell presentation of the food. I am not the greatest cook in the world so this should be interesting. Anyway, wish me luck! And if anyone is interested in hosting a show, let me know! **wink, wink**

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Decovin is getting bigger and bigger and he goes in for his first set of shots on Friday. I hope he doesn't cry too much! That will make me sad!

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Today we got to chat online with Jeff (my brother) and Marianne and their daughter Katrina on the webcam. Katrina is 2 years old now and is looking more and more like a little girl instead of a baby. I can't believe how much she has grown up. She saw Decovin on the 'pooter' (computer) and said..."BABY!" and tried to kiss him on the screen...then she grabbed one her baby bottles and put it up to the screen to try and feed him...it was so cute!

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My little prison inmate...:-)

Isn't this outfit cute?! I just put it on him today for the first time. It is courtesy of cousin Amanda! Thanks lady! He looks so cute in it! I just want to squish him all the time! :-) **squishes**

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P.S. Secretly: I can't get over the hat, I want to put it on him everyday...he is going to hate me when he is a teenager isn't he?! haha!

Our little baby is growing up...

So Decovin is already starting to grow out of his newborn clothes and it is sad to me that he is getting that big! I wanted him to stay small forever...he is so cute and I just love watching him develop. He is starting to smile when you play with him a bit...not always but sometimes...it is so adorable when he does! The cooing is SLOWLY coming around...occassionally we will hear him coo but nothing consistant. It's hard to believe that 5 weeks ago I had him...seems like yesterday!

I go in for my 6 week check up next Monday and hopefully I will be good to go! (In more ways than one! haha) I am still having to wear, for the most part, my maternity pants and some shirts...I wish the weather was warmer, as I was enjoying taking walks with Decovin, but since it got bitter cold recently we have been house bound for the most part and I am not motivated enough to pop in an exercise video and work out! I just want to sleep still. When will the state of exhaustion pass? I miss sleep, a lot! However, I can't complain too much. Decovin is starting to sleep for 5 or so hours at a time and for that I am GREATFUL! I am hoping that soon he will be closer to 6-7 hours! Wouldn't that be a dream?! Well, Bob just put short stack to sleep so now I too must go to bed!

Sorry for the delay in post and sorry I haven't sent more pictures. Our computer has a virus of some sort and Bob is trying to destroy it without killing our computer completely...anyway...

Oh and did I mention that I am now a Pampered Chef Consultant? Anyone want to host a party? Let me know!

Our First Outing!

So this weekend was Decovin's first outing (and mine since he was born)! We went to Grandma and Grandpa Plummer's house. They live near the city so we figured if we forgot something or ran out of something they would be the closest to the a 24 hour shopping facility. Good thing we went there b/c we did end up running out of baby wipes!!! At least that was all we ran out of. I packed enough clothes for him for a week! Our car was full of all his stuff...babies require lots of things! I always knew this, but you never REALLY know until you have to pack it all! Geesh!

Anyway...we had a good time and Decovin got to meet a bunch of his relatives. He was all tuckered out by the end of the trip on Sunday. He slept and slept and slept! I was so thankful too b/c he had previously been really cranky and gassy so this was a relief for Bob and I. He slept so good through the night Sunday night that I couldn't have been any happier! :-)

Here is a 4 generation photo of Decovin, Bob, Bob's dad, and Bob's grandpa:

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Oh and I got a new haircut...Bob now says I look like a mom! haha!

2 weeks old!

I can't believe it has already been 2 weeks. He already looks different and is getting a personality all his own. He makes the funniest faces, which means he will be a lot like his dad!

He lost his umbilical cord on Saturday and he has the cutest little belly button! Now we just need his little parts to heal and he can have a real bath instead of a sponge one! He hates being cold and naked (I mean who does right?!) but it just seems worse to keep him exposed out of the water instead of submerged in it partially...We shall see...so far the boy hates being naked period!

Snip, Snip...

So yesterday was "D-Day" for Decovin. He was snipped and clipped below the waist! Poor guy...we didn't stay in the room for the procedure and surprisingly I only cried a little. When they brought him out to us he was calm but every once in awhile would wince and cry. Made me sad. She said we could give him Tylenol every 4-6 hours and to put gauze with vasoline on it for 5-7 days. So far it hasn't been TOO terrible, but it has caused for horrible diaper leaks since we can't put his pee-pee downward like we were doing. So needless to say we have been going through a lot of clothes and blankets! He goes back to his pediatrician on the 2nd to have it looked at and to make sure everything is A-OK. Anyway, thought I would give ya an update.

Here is a picture of my little Punky!

Breastfeeding Update...

Ok, so now we are doing MUCH better!! After getting some prescription ointment for the cracked skin (yes, it cracks and bleeds folks!!) they are healing up nicely and Decovin doesn't feel like he is ripping them off of my chest now! He still has some work to do on the initial "latch on" process but other than that, he and I are doing great! I am so thrilled I stuck it out because I wasn't looking forward to the thought of having to buy formula already and have to wash and clean bottles all the time! So this is a good thing! (I feel like Martha Stuart saying that...haha)

Anyway, if you are pregnant and are thinking about breastfeeding, know this, IT CAN BE HARD TO DO! No one tells you these things, and you think all will be hunky dorey! Just stick out the pain and you will succeed! I promise! :-)

Isn't he squishy! :-)

Exhaustion, Frustration, & Insurance...

So he is 1 week old today. Our growing little bundle of joy has been so much fun to learn yet has also brought on an emotional roller coaster for me that I can't describe other than tagging it as "the baby blues."

I was hoping not to be one of "those moms" that can't control her emotions after birth, but I have just been an emotional wreck and I think that there are things that aided in this that were out of anyone's hands...

1st: Breastfeeding is not easy, so whoever said it was, is wrong. It is a "learned" skill that baby has to learn, no one tells you this and you safely assume they will just latch on and boom, everything is hunky dory! Well, not for me. The beginning was good...he took a bit to latch on but when he did, he ate really really well. Then we were sent home and my milk came in the next day...can we say "ENGORGEMENT MUCH?!" OUCH! My boobs would make Pamela Anderson jealous! Seriously! With this came frustration of getting Decovin to latch on at all...I was so engorged that he couldn't get a good grip (if you will). So I struggled with then having to "prep" my breast for him to eat. This included a very painful use of a breast pump just to get the nipple supple for him. Yeah, not cool! On top of ALL of this, I have dry/cracked nipples which started to bleed even with the use of nipple ointment...it got so bad, I had to get a prescription for a special steroid ointment specifically for this. They are feeling better but still hurt when he first latches on. I am happy to report that we no longer need the breast pump to prepare the nipple and he is getting much better at latching on. This is where knowing that this is a "learned" process would have been useful. I wouldn't have gotten so frustrated with myself and him and tried to relax more. I was so tense that he sensed it and he then became frustrated and wouldn't latch on for his life! This too shall pass.

2nd: Insurance is a bitch! Excuse my french, but it is. The rules are just enough to make you want to punch someone. For example:

We were told that our insurance would not cover his circumcision on the day of our releasement from the hospital (which is when it was set up to be done). They tell us this AFTER the fact...so we have to pack up and leave w/o having the procedure done and they tell us to contact Whiteman Airforce Base and set it up with them to do it there. (I am thinking, ok whatever, they must have to tell military families this all the time so they know what they are talking about). We go home, and I call them the next day (Thursday) to set up the procedure only to find out that, no, they in fact DO NOT do the procedures on base and now that we have been released will need a referral to have someone else do it. So some doctor at the base in the Pediatrician department informs me that b/c it wasn't done in the hospital, now he will have to wait until he is 6 months old to do the procedure!!! So of course, I freak out and cry so much I make myself almost sick. Then the phone calls went back and forth between the Insurance company (of whom tell me that they would have in fact paid for the procedure on the day of our releasement and were apalled that we were told otherwise), the Pediatrician office, my Primary Care Physicians office on base, my pre-natal doctor's office, and the hospital. Until FINALLY on Friday afternoon at around 5pm, I speak with a nice nurse who was kind enough to help me through my hysterical phone call to her...she said that one of the doctor's in the office would do them up until they were 1 month old so we should be able to get this done next week no problem. Sooooo....

She called me back Monday morning and we have his appointment set up for this Thursday at 9am with my pre-natal doctor in her office. **sigh of relief** I am really dredding the trip though as I know he will be in a lot of pain and I am worried this will throw him off his awesome sleep schedule. He currently is eating every 2-3 hours and sleeps in between some and at night sleeps for 5-6 hours before waking up again! He is awesome and I hope this doesn't traumatize him. I know I will be traumatized for a few days and I am sure my emotions will overcome me for a few days after that as well. So be thinking of my son and me when this happens, I am sure I will cry the whole day.

Enough rambling for now. Enjoy this photo of me and my son:

He is FINALLY here!

Welcome Decovin Joseph Plummer, Born: January 16, 2006 at 1:13pm weighing in at 7lbs 9oz and 20 1/2 inches long!




It was an eventful day for all of us. After posting my last blog, I thought the day would never come, little did I know it would be a few hours away from "starting!" At 1:45am my water broke. I woke up to go to the bathroom, like I always do and when I got up from the toilet more fluid continued to come out...I was like..."What is going on?!" Then it started coming out a lot more rapidly and I knew it was on like Donkey Kong!

So I called the hospital and they confirmed that I should come in to be checked out. We arrived at the hospital about 2:15am and sure enough, I was already dialated to 3 cm and 50% efaced. So then we were admitted. We called the grandparents to be and then got settled into the hospital. I had solid contractions from the time I got there until he was born and they were consistently about 2-4 minutes apart. Around 5am I finally could not take the pain anymore and requested an epidural. I was at 6-7 cm dialated and 100% efaced at this poing. Epidurals are a beautiful thing! After that was in place I took a nap and felt much better.

I didn't start pushing until a little after 11:00am and so I pushed and pushed and around 1pm the nurse was finally ready to call the doctor, she said "After this next push, I am going to call the doctor in so we can deliver this baby!" Well I pushed and apparently with all my might b/c I couldn't even wait for the doctor to arrive...they tried to make me stop pushing but that lasted all of about 2-4 minutes and I couldn't take it anymore...one more small push and his head came out and then next thing I knew he was laying on my belly in all his glory! It was AWESOME!

He had a hard time breathing at first and had to take him back to the nursery to give him extra oxygen but within 5-10 minutes of being back there he was up to 100% and so they brought him back to us! It was so awesome and I can't describe it other than amazing! I got to watch the whole thing with the aid of a ceiling mirror! Bob didn't get grossed out either in case some of you were wondering and my mom got to be there also. It was truly helpful to have the extra support that I thought I wasn't wanting or going to need.

For those of you with a weak stomach, do not continue to read this blog...

The afterbirth was a bit painful but not as bad as I thought, the only time it really hurt was when the doctor kept pulling on the remaining umbilical cord to try to get it out. I was like...hey, if you want, I can still push ya know! But I am sure there was some reason she was doing it...anyway, it was cool to see. Bob said, ewww, it looks like a liver! HAHA! It did kinda look like one though!

I only tore a little but did require stitches. They said it was a 2nd degree tear and that that was no big deal...After the epidural wore off completely, you might say I disagreed with the "no big deal" statement! I was up and walking about 30 minutes after he arrived and that was painful in and of itself. But, I am doing much better now...still a bit sore, but what can ya do?!

Anyway, all and all, I have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it wasn't the most pleasant thing either. But man, are they worth every pain you get!