WE DID IT!

We must be nuts! It was SOOOOOO cold! But, we did it! I think my legs are still numb!! It was totally fun though! Bob & I agree that we would both do it again, if it was held in July! haha! Just kidding!

Saturday was also the day I had to help host a baby shower for Bob's cousin so I had to leave right after I plunged and hurry over there! Then when I got done with that, I went to pick up Mandy at Melodie's apartment and then we went out to eat at American Bandstand...it was YUMMY! We all shared the Oooey Gooey chocolate Oreo Orgy! I have proof!

Melodie & Mandy Looking pretty! I sat alone on the other side! :-) We had lots of laughs...see Melodie's blog for more on that! haha!

A joke as told by an 8 year old piano prodigy, Marc Yu (paraphrased by Jen Plummer-ha!)

As you know, the Great Ghandi walked barefoot a lot of the time. He also had a poor diet as he did not eat very much which made him really weak. Due to this poor diet he also suffered from severe bad breath...This made him a Super Calloused Fragile Mystic Hexed By Halitosis

Too funny, not to share...enjoy!

Scrapbook Queen!

You can easily replace the words "Dancing Queen" with the above title! B/C that is what I felt like yesterday! Mandy, Christy & I went to a "scrap-athon"! It was so much FUN! It started at 10am and ended at 11pm! We were there pretty much that whole time! IT WAS AWESOME! I got 10 pages done! Did I mention that it was fun?! Anyway, once Mandy figures out her new schedule, we are going to TRY to do it again next month! SO MUCH FUN! Oh and I also got my name drawn for one of their "give-aways"!

Mandy, did you notice my air ""? :-)

Happy Birthday!

Well, D finally made it to his very first Birthday parties! Saturday was celebrated with my side of the family and with cousin Katrina who turned 3! It was a sight to be seen, let me tell you. Chocolate cake was EVERYWHERE! I just hope that Bob cleaned out Jeff & Marianne's bathtub good enough! LOL! The second party was celebrated with Bob's side of the family and he got a rainbow cake...it was finger lickin' good apparently! I'm sure you have all seen my Kodak Gallery pictures...if not, let me know and I will re-send them to you! :-)

Mandy is coming over tonight for a sleep-over...YES! She has tomorrow off and since she missed the bday party she is coming over tonight to see Decovin and wish him a late Happy B-day! It will be loads of fun! I still need to finish vacuuming but other than that, I think we are ready for her! Oh and I might need to run to the grocery store for last minute food items, etc.

Decovin must be going through a growth spurt b/c he is currently going on 3 1/2 hours of napping...I am waiting on him to wake up so I can finish the vacuuming...lol! He got a LOT of clothes for his birthday, which is good! I washed them all up and I packed away all the ones that don't fit him any longer...always sad to fill up a tub of those! Currently we have 3 tubs full of baby clothes! Hopefully, if we have another kid, we will have another boy...otherwise...what will we do with all those clothes?! LOL!

Well, I guess I will hop in the shower since Decovin is still asleep. Love you all! Leave me a comment! :-) I love those!

OUCH!

Poor Decovin. Yesterday was his one year well-baby visit...and although he is well, they still had to immunize him and take his blood...

We started at his doctor's office and we were running a bit late due to the mile and a half back up to get onto base! But evidentally all the medical staff was in line with us so we weren't as late as we originally thought. So anyway, we get there and the nurse starts typing in the computer and was about to ask us the "milestone" questions, when, crash, the computer's went down! So we had to wait for those to come back up, but in the meantime, she weighed him and measured him. He is now at 22.05lbs, 29 1/2 inches tall & an 18 1/2 inch noggin! So, after a little panic attack from the nurse about the computers, she runs around like a chicken with her head cut off and finally comes back in the room and the computers are working again...she starts asking us the "milestone" questions, like: Is he walking? Yes. Standing up without help? Yes. Saying 1-3 words? No...No? Ok, we will let the doctor know. GREAT! I panic a little...

The doctor comes in and she says, well we will have you back in at 15 mos. to check on his vocabulary...if he still isn't saying any words, then we will have to get his speech evaluated...BLASPHEMY! I have a Speech Therapist as a sister and my son can't talk?! Great! So then I remember...Hey, he can sign 2 words...does that count? She says, YES!, since he is trying to communicate and to not worry and to come back for the regular 18 mos well baby check up. So, now I am repeating words like crazy to the poor boy and I am hoping he will "say" one soon. She told us to teach him "mom" & "dad" in sign...so I got out the ol' sign language book last night and started showing him "mom" & "dad" over and over again...the other word I am working on with him is "Up"...he always grunts and whines until we pick him up...I don't want a grunter...so I am really enunciating my words with him and showing him my lips and tongue so he knows how to do it himself...this morning it looked like he was trying to mimick my mouth movements on the word "up" but it kept sounding like "ub"...so cross your fingers for us!

So then we move onto to get his blood drawn to test for anemia...common at one year well baby visit...but I did not realize that now that they are at this age, they get stuck just like you and me, in the arm in a vein, no holds bar! They had Bob hold him in such a way that he couldn't move or jerk out of position, but Decovin didn't even move! He just barely made a wince face when they swabbed him with the alcohol and then that was it! He was such a brave little guy! Then it was off to Immunizations...where they proceeded to give him 5 different shots! Yeah, this one did not go as well, he screamed at the top of his lungs for a minute or two and then once he was bandaged and dressed, he was fine! And, really really tired...but we can't leave yet, no, no...I still had my doctor's appointment waiting for me!

So, I get in and tell this new fabulous (and I might add...kinda cute!) doctor that Zurtec (sp?) is not working, I've been having severe sinus headaches and drainage and sneezing and itchy watery eyes, and blowing my nose every five minutes, and I can't breathe at night, etc...so he decides to put me on 3 different meds...#1. Flonase (AWESOME STUFF!), #2. Saline Nasal Spray, for the inbetweens, & #3. Allegra. So I start the regimine yesterday and I can I just say that I breathed through my nose for the very first time while sleeping since September!!! I was TOTALLY stoked! So much so that when I woke up at 3am to pee, I woke up Bob to tell him! He was like: "great" in a very drone voice...lol! I was excited! It is so nice to be able to breathe again! WHOO HOO! 3 cheers for Doc Gimel! :-)

So that was our exciting day...how was all of yours?

Decovin LOVES his food! He was laughing hysterically for every bite...it was really funny and cute! Oh and he kept giving daddy kisses...I think b/c he let him play with one of the remotes...bad daddy! But he got all kinds of lovin' b/c of it! Lucky! Too cute not to share...

So Decovin is one!

And yesterday he had a small bout of the squirts...poor guy...what a way to bring in the first birthday...he seems to be better today though...it at least has some consistency. Not sure what he ate that caused it b/c we didn't give him anything out of the ordinary...Bob mixed in some apple juice with his cereal but hardly any he said, but Decovin doesn't drink juice so I guess that could have caused it??? Anyway, he seems better now...

I, on the other hand, am not doing ok. I have been battling with sinus headaches and sinus pressure in general since September. I can't breathe out of my nose at night and I wake up sneezing and blowing my nose! It is getting really annoying! So I have a doc appt tomorrow, right after Decovin's...so it will be a Doctor visit day tomorrow...

Our driveway is a thick sheet of ice and when Bob left for work this morning, he slid down sideways...fun...NOT! So he is going to try to put some salt on it to help it...but we can't use our stairs at all as they are literally and completely covered in ice. You can't even see the stairs...LITERALLY...I took pictures to prove it...and Bob tried hitting it with a hammer and it only made very small dents...what are we trying to live like the Eskimos? What the h***?

Anyway...so far this has been a boring day for Decovin's bday...we MAY try to take him out to dinner...Maybe, depending on how I feel, etc...well, off for now...

Decovin was on TV!

I sent in his picture for the Fox 4 News channel that does a "First Birthday's" segment where they just show their pictures and names...really cute...anyway, I sent his pic up on Tuesday and it was on this morning at 7:45ish...I taped it of course! His first TV appearance...ahhhhh!

On another note! Thanks so much for those of you who donated...we are now only $35 away from our $150 goal...so if you feel up to it, even if it is $5 dollars...look to your right and click on the link! Love you all! ;-)

Polar Plunge!!!

Yes, Bob, Christy, I are participating in the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics on February 3...we are really jumping into a freezing cold lake to help those kids out! So please, please, please donate! You can do it online at: http://www.firstgiving.com/jenplummer

Bob & I have to collect $150 total...we only have $25 so far...please help us! If you do not wish to donate online, you can still donate cash or check...There is a tax break so please help us out!

Love you all!

It's happening so fast!!!

My little boy is growing up TOO fast! **sniff, sniff** Just in the past couple of weeks he has done so many new things:

He can now sign "more" during meal time & "all done"
He can stand up without the aid of any furniture in the middle of the room! (got it on camera)
He can blow kisses.
He can shake his head "yes" & "no", although he still doesn't really know what either means I think...grrrr! LOL!
And he will give you a hug and make an "ahhhh" sound when he does it...SO CUTE! (this one is not always on demand though)

I just can't believe how quick it is all happening! I hope to see all of you at the B-day parties...whether it is on Saturday the 20th for Katrina & D's Bday or on the 21st for D's bday with the Plummer's! Hope to see you all! Love ya!

Oh and strong work on the upping of comments & blogs updated! :-)

Oh & Stacy, I forgot to say "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!" for all the shoes you sent for D...they fit him and they are super cute too! Thanks again, I can't believe I forgot to say that when I called you earlier today! DUH...I'm a blonde at the roots! :-) Love you!

Scrapbooking

So I finally dragged all my stuff out last night to start scrapbooking again. I forgot how much I really like doing it. I am working on 3 different ones currently. One is from our trip home from San Diego almost two years ago and the other I started last night was Decovin's first year! I only got one page done b/c I didn't start until 8:30 and that was when I started dragging things out...so I actually didn't start scrapbooking until closer to 9 or a little after. I am also working on filling in the scrapbook that Judy made for Decovin. Needless-to-say, I am multi-tasking and that can be hard and stressful also...only b/c I make it that way...Can we say ADD? LOL! Anway, if you are ever bored or in the area and want to scrapbook come on over! :-) I love company!

How come?

Nobody posts hardly anymore? And how come when someone does post, hardly any comments are left? This used to be fun people! What happened? We are starting to fizzle! Step it up! :-) Love you all! Now leave me a comment damn it! LOL! :-)

Well, get used to writing 2007

I always hate the first month or so of the new year b/c I never can remember to write the year right. Anyway, Happy New Year!

We rung in the New Year by me watching Christy & Bob play Play Station 2 racing video game and I fell asleep at 11:30...woke up at 4 after and said: "Happy New Year, I'm going to bed!" Haha! Anyway, so far the New Year feels like any other. Decovin will be one this month...hard to believe! We are planning two b-day parties...one for the Plummer side and one for the Long side. The one on the Long side will be a combined party with his cousin Katrina who was born on the 18th...:-) Should be fun, she will be having a Princess theme and I am not sure what to do yet for Decovin. On the Plummer side he is getting "The Backyardigans" theme. Really cute show on Noggin for those of you sans kids under 4...lol! Anyway, I am in the process of planning that one and getting invites out, etc...lots to do in a short amount of time.

I took down the ornaments from the Christmas tree yesterday and all other decorations. It is always sad to see the Christmas season pass. It is my favorite time of year...oh well. Bob took the tree down and vaccuumed and everything...it was nice to have our dining room back without a baracade blocking it off! Maybe next year Decovin will know the meaning of "no" and not touch and/or eat the ornaments, etc.

Well, enough for now. Don't forget to hang up your new calendars! I have 3 new ones and I have hung 2 of them already! I love new calendars! Adios for now amigos!

Merry Christmas & Happy New YEAR!

Well, I hope all of you had a fabulous Christmas! We sure did! MY GOODNESS! This was the year of the kitchen appliances for me. I got a Toaster Oven and a KitchenAide Mixer! YES! I also received gift certificates to some of my favorite places!! YEAH! Bob received G.C. also and money! :-) Decovin, well, he made out this year! He got a really cool MEGA FORT from Jeff & the family and he got a really cool dump truck with contstruction hat from G'ma & G'pa and a Savings Bond also! He also got a Little Tykes Workbench from Aunt Christy. He received numerous other toys and clothes also! It was a good year!

Bob & I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary today. We decided to have a short getaway to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crown Center. Mandy offered to take baby boy for the overnight for us and we took her up on it like hotcakes to syrup! Thanks again Mandy & Judy for watching D! We really really appreciated it! We got home and unpacked and have pretty much just been REALLY mellow! I am so tired and really ready for my bed! I haven't slept in it since the 17th of December...so needless to say, I am ready!

Oh, forgot to mention that while staying at Jeff & Marianne's last week, Decovin has taken off walking...must have been trying to keep up with Katrina! They were super cute together! He also learned how to climb up stairs while we were there also which is kind of funny b/c Katrina learned to climb up our stairs in San Diego at the exact same age as D...it was all in reverse! So cool! Oh and we decided to turn his car seat to front facing today also...he is 3 weeks away from the "actual" turn around date, but he has met the weight limit since his 9 month check up...so we figured since we had to move the carseat from Judy's van to just turn it around so we didn't have to fickle with it again in 3 weeks...he is such a big boy!

Anyway, we hope you all have a Happy New Year and all that jazz. Leave me a comment if you have time...I miss those! :-)

Little Baby, Semi-Toddler & Toddler

Boy have I had my hands full and washed several times! I can't tell you how many diapers I have changed in just the past 2 1/2 days! OH BABY! I was supposed to have some relief show up later this evening but she will not be coming until tomorrow morning...hopefully bright & early. It will be quite helpful to have another watchful eye on 3 little ones! :-) This has definitely opened up my eyes to what it would be like to have multiple children...we'll see...haha!

Well, I better go!

P.S. I stink! I need to shower.

Ho Ho Ho!

Decovin had his first meeting with Santa Claus at Zona Rosa shopping center at an event called "Breakfast with Santa"...he was neither excited or scared...but rather really exhausted! He still looked super cute in his santa outfit I got him. He is such a cutie!
He is still working on walking but he doesn't do it consistently. Only when he wants to. The most he has taken consecutively is 7 steps. He will be zooming around in no time I gather...once he builds up enough confidence. I am still searching for the perfect shoes for him. I don't want them to be too heavy or stiff...the search continues. I know that letting him walk around barefoot (or in socks) is best as it helps develop his arch, but when we are out and about it is nice to put him in some shoes. Anyway...the quest continues.
We just got home from my in-laws this weekend. We had Christmas early with them as we are spending Christmas day with my side this year. Decovin received lots of clothes, books and toys! I agree with Stacy...stores should give out punch cards and after so many purchases, you get a toy box! haha! Bob got a Carhart jacket, book light, Bathroom Reader book (full of useless facts, he loves them!), and gift certificates to Sears and Lowes. I received a year subscription to US Weekly...my favorite magazine!!, gift certificate to NY&CO, some movies, & money! It was a good Christmas! We took lots of pics and I will try to upload them today or tomorrow.
Next weekend is my G'ma & G'pa Long's dinner...Bob will not be able to go as I am going down on Thursday for my Bunco party and we don't want to drive back and forth to pick him up...my sister graciously offered to go and get him, but I am not sure what we have decided to do yet. Then next week, I will be babysitting my brother's kids for the week as Marianne's parents are leaving on the 18th and they won't have any babysitters that week before Christmas. It should be fun! I am actually only worried about my son being the handful...haha! Christy will join me late Wednesday to help me out for the remainder of the week though...that will be nice! :-)
Well, I will try to get some more pictures out for you all to see. :-) Love to all and to all a good Christmas...hehe!

P.S. Decovin now has 5 teeth and can wave "hi"...but only when he wants to...go figure. haha!

He walked!!

Bob got stuck in the traffic mess on Thursday...it took him 4 hours and 50 minutes to get home from Kansas City...it was SLOW going the entire way home! Poor guy...I felt so bad for him.

I came down to LaCygne Tuesday night so that I could go to Bunco on Wednesday night but they ended up cancelling it so I didn't get to go and then I couldn't go home either...stuck...I plan to leave on Sunday early morning.

Friday night, I put together mom and dad's xmas tree and decorations. It looks much more festive here and will be more fun on Christmas Day...they usually don't go through so much trouble with decorations these days so it was up to me if we were going to have a festive arena. I think it looks good...we put the tree in the dining room for a couple of reasons, 1. we didn't have to move any furniture except for the table and chairs, 2. this way we don't have to fight Decovin wanting to constantly tug and play with it.

On a more fun note, Decovin got to meet Santa for the first time today. He was so tired by the time he got up there he didn't want to smile for his picture...he didn't cry though...he was just too tuckered out to smile...the picture still turned out cute though. Katrina didn't like sitting on Santa's lap...she cried the whole time, poor thing. But she still sat on his lap with McKendra...she just didn't like it...wonder why Santa is so scary at that age?

So that is all that has happened thus far...I plan to finish decorating my house when I go home Sunday. I got so far as putting up the tree and then had to leave and haven't been back to finish it yet...**sigh** But I love to decorate the tree so it will still be fun!

Decovin took his first stepS...not a step...stepSSS! He took 3 steps 4 different times this evening for the first time...he is amazing! Oh and he is also doing imaginative play...if you take a play phone and pretend to ring it then say "Hello" in a higher pitch voice, he will take the phone and start jabbering in high tones...like we do! SO CUTE!!! I love him!

Gotta go, baby boy just woke up from his nap!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Oh the weather outside is frightful...HELLO! 12" of snow anybody? Yeah...that is what we got...and a lot of deeper snow drifts...tennis shoes are NOT ideal for this weather...I had to borrow dad's boots (which, as you can imagine, were WAY too big, but what can you do?) just to get to the cars! CRAZY...oh well, hopefully it won't be too bad for our drive up to Zona Rosa for breakfast with Santa Clause tomorrow morning...we will be leaving at the butt crack of dawn!

Oh well...we are still having fun inside as much as possible...Decovin has been a hoot and has a new face...we call it his "Doh!-face" since he says DOOOOOHHHHH when he makes the face...it is too funny....

The next one is when he just got out of the bath and I had lathered him up with lotion...he gets all spikey...time for a haircut? You tell me...

Move over Turkey, Christmas is on its way!

So we spent the entire Thanksgiving weekend with Bob's folks. We had a good time and ate WAY too much! Per usual! Decovin had some turkey, ham, chicken & noodles, mashed potato & gravy and he got passed around to the whole family...gave me a nice day off...I don't think I even changed a diaper that day! whoo hoo! He was SOOO good the whole day too, didn't cry once! He was such a trooper.

I made a new cake recipe from one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks and it was a HIT! Everyone loved it! It was rather tasty if I do say so myself. It was a Mocha Cappuccino Cake...YUM-O (too much rachel ray!)! I also made sweet potato casserole, a recipe from my good good friend I met back in college. It, also, was a HUGE hit! :-) My mother-in-law, who hates sweet potatoes, LOVED IT! YEAH!

I was sad not to see my family though, mom was sicker than a dog and I didn't want to expose baby boy to that, so we stayed put. However, about 30 minutes before we are getting ready to leave, my stomach starts cramping up and I end up in the bathroom for over an hour and then when we leave we no sooner got to a gas station and I had to run in to their bathroom (barely made it!), then we stopped at my sister-in-laws house to get some drugs and for me to use her bathroom! It took us over 3 hours to get home...we originally intended to leave at 7:30, didn't walk out of the his parents house until closer to 8:30, but we didn't actually leave the KC area until closer to 9:30...putting us home just before 11pm! It was a long evening. Oh well, what can I say?! It was still a really good weekend...

Stacy, I was going to ask you, are you having a b-day party for your babies? If so, when, where, time? I need to start planning ahead...haha! My weekends are getting fuller and fuller! I hope we can make it, whenever it is...

Oh and if you are not sitting down, please do, you will never believe what I didn't do! I didn't take ONE picture the whole weekend we were there! NOT ONE?! I don't know what came over me! Anyway...TTFN!

Ohhh Baby It's Cold Outside!

So I went grocery shopping today on base and I forgot how much money you can save just by shopping there...only problem is, they don't have EVERYTHING I always need so it creates two stops, but I am really thinking about making it a regular habit from now on...especially for the baby foods...quite a bit of savings in the long run. So...

When we arrived at the commissary it was pretty cold and blustery but when we left HELLO!!! The winds opened from the depths of hell and unleashed their fury! I could barely hold onto Decovin and I was trying to get him to bury his face in my shoulder but instead he kept facing the wind and sleet-like rain and kept gasping! I hated that! The bagger lady had to jog slightly to keep up with me...I tipped her so I hope she wasn't too mad! :-) It was one of the few times I was thankful for those baggers b/c as I was buckling in D she had already unloaded my groceries into my trunk and I was on my way! Thank goodness! Decovin did get to wear his mittens and super cute hat that latches under his chin to keep the hat on. He looked uber handsome...:-)

So I called Bob on my way out and asked if he had eaten lunch yet and I offered to pick some up and bring it in to him. I wanted to go anyway b/c they just moved into their new office today. It is much more roomy and clean looking than the last one. Oh and the toilet doesn't reek of nasty butt funk! That's right the I said "Nasty Butt-Funk" and you can quote me!

Well, I guess I will be seeing you all, or most of you anyway, on the 25th for Thanksgiving...anyway...here are some pics of D that I just had to share!

Oh and...

Decovin went to the doctor yesterday for his 9 month check up...he is healthy! He is 20.3 lbs, 28.5 inches tall and has an 18" noggin. All in all, they said that the measurements were all about the 50th percentile...

They didn't have any flu shots available yesterday when we went so we have to check back in Mid-November...the nurse practioner said to check after Thanksgiving...so we shall see...

I totally voted!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's back to work I go

So I have been home a full week now and I forgot how much I was responsible for at home...being at home, I had Christy or Mom that I could just simply ask: "Do you mind watching D while I go..." Well, now I don't have that luxury and I have to time everything just right so as not to leave D in a room by himself for too long...not that he minds (generally) but I just know that if I leave him in a room for too long something will get knocked over or pulled or touched that isn't supposed to be. So I tried the pack-n-play for awhile...and that works SOME days but not often...he does not like to be confined for too long...so everything is a juggling act anymore...but I am getting back into the swing of things...Decovin adjusted almost immediately and loves that he has so much more open crawling space to explore...he already broke our only lamp that was left and we have had to remove everything off the tables and up high so that he doesn't grab them. We are still working on the stereo equipment...he hasn't quite figured out "no." Anyway...

Mom and Dad came up yesterday and met us at Powell Gardens and we had a really nice afternoon. It is a gorgeous chunk of land and even though everything was not in bloom, it was still beautiful...we plan to return in the Spring when it is in full bloom...should be GORGEOUS!

Today is a lazy day, I am going to work on some xmas gifts and Bob went to clean the basement and the garage...Decovin is napping and it is pretty quiet in here...I know it won't last long...so I better go enjoy it while I can. This is D's "Lean Back" picture and the "Whaaaaat's Uuuuup?" Enjoy!

I'm home!

I know my mom is sad that I left, and I am too, but I am also so happy to be at home. You forget what it is like to be in your home with free reign over the place, etc...I cooked spaghetti tonight and it was yummy! I got to use my pots and pans...the little things that get me excited...haha!

Tomorrow we are trick-or-treating with Decovin and taking him to see his grandparents and most of his great-grandparents...should be a fun night...plus, we get the candy...heh heh heh!

P.S. Our grass looks dead...what can I say? We are not grass/garden people...**sigh** Oh and our wall managed to at least survive the hard rains, but dirt is still washing away REALLY badly and still flushing our driveway...GRRRRRRR What the heck?!

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.