Success!!

So our garage sale was a huge success...two days prior to the actual sale a couple stopped by and asked if we would sell our weight lifting set early (we advertised in the paper) and we said HECK YEAH! Then a day before the garage sale a different couple stopped by and asked if we would be willing to sell some of our baby stuff a day early...SURE!!! And then yet another couple stopped by and asked if we would be willing to sell our elyptical machine early...No problem!! SWEET! So before we even opened on our sale day we already had $121 in sales!! YES!

Christy came down for the event to help me out...mostly to keep me company out there and we opened the doors at 6:30am (listed in paper at 7am) but the first customer didn't show up until close to 8am!! I was worried I sold all I was going to sell in the days prior to the actual sale. But it picked up and we ended up selling over $320 worth of stuff! YES! So it was a good day! Oh and I met some neighbors! Even better! Super nice people here I tell ya!

So we closed up shop after no one came for over an hour!! Last sale was our jogger stroller at like noon...and then nothing...we had a couple people stop by WAY later and ask if we sold our stroller...too late! So we have our basement back (no more boxes full of garage sale fodder!) YIPPEE!! I'm so excited!

Ok, off to chat with my sis again!

So Camden is now our little commando crawler! He doesn't use his entire hands and arms yet...just digs those forearms in and scoots along...super super cute! And he is FAST!! Decovin is already not liking his ever moving brother...because now his toys are NOT SAFE! haha! We are still working on sharing...oy! But never-the-less...I would constitute this as crawling. He started doing this the day after we came back from the lake...so sometime on the 21st of September. Insane how this is already happening! He still only has two teeth but the way he has been acting I wouldn't be surprised if another one pops in soon! Hope you enjoy my little video!

Oh boy!

Last Tuesday Bob and the kids and I headed to the Lake of the Ozarks for a small vacation of sorts. Bob's grandparents own a cabin down there and we try to go at least twice in the summer...so we were pretty excited about going!

We leave at o'dark hundred on Tuesday morning and arrive by noon to the cabin. We were greeted by Bob's grandparents who were already down there. We have a great afternoon and the boys seem to be having fun too!

We did a couple of boat rides during the week and it was wonderful...during the week and in late September there is hardly ANYONE down there so the water was like glass, so smooth and the breeze was even better! I actually had to wear a jacket for part of the ride!

Well then on Friday morning Decovin woke up and was acting normal and around 11am he starts whining and grabbing his lower rib cage area and saying to me: "Ouch, ouch, it hurts, it hurts"...and his stomach was rock hard...so I tell Bob and we decide to take him to the closest town with a clinic, Versailles, and get him looked at. We pull into the clinic (which is about 30 minutes away) and we get settled in and Decovin seems to be acting fine again and we ask him if he is feeling ok and he says: "I'm ok" and starts running around the seating area. Great! We have gone for nothing, but we figure we should get him looked at anyway...so they have a nurse look him over and check his temperature and ask if we can come back in about an hour and a half to see the doctor. Fine...there is a walmart and McDonald's we can kill our time in...when we get to walmart d starts acting like he is in pain again...we are now thinking...he has bad gas pains...he hadn't pooped yet that day so maybe??

We go back to the doctor and they do a chest x-ray to make sure he doesn't have pneumonia and tell us that they don't have the capabilities to check his blood or stomach and reccommend that we go to the ER in Jefferson City...an additional 40 minutes away...ok.

So we drive to the hospital and when we take him in there he starts screaming and crying and he just looks awful...they take his temperature and he was 99.7 which had gone up from the clinic where it was 98.9...but techincally still not considered a fever so they make us wait before taking us back to the ER rooms.

Finally he was called back after passing out in my arms of exhaustion and they put in an IV to get blood just in case he was admitted this way they didn't have to poke him twice. This is what he looked like after they were all done getting the blood and wrapped it up so he wouldn't play with it and accidentally pull it out...look at his little rosy cheeks...he did not feel well at all.

Then they took more x-rays only to discover that he has a lot of gas in his intestines and some poop too...so he is constipated and needs to fart really bad apparently??? So by the time the doctor gets in to see him (about 2 hours later) he was acting all happy and fine again and saying he was hungry. So the doc says that since he was presenting normal at this time he would just reccomend a glycerine suppositorie and watch for fever and vomitting. (oh and they ruled out appendicitis)...

So we head to Colton's Steak House to go eat and the minute we walk in the door he starts complaining of his stomach hurting again. Great...so we get seated and our drink orders have been taken and then he got this look on his face and hollered at Bob (who was sitting with him on that side of the booth) and say, "He's gonna throw up!"...so Bob catches it in his hand (what we won't do as parents eh?!) and gets him and Decovin cleaned up and then D passes out on the booth while we eat our dinner. We get done with dinner and then go to Walgreen's to get the meds and we gave him the suppositorie and he never produced a poop for us until the following morning around 9:30-10ish!! He pooped 4 times that day!

Ah...but wait, it's not over. So he acts tired but better the next day and then that night we were planning on getting him to bed ON TIME but Bob's cousin and his family showed up around 8:25pm with their 3 kiddos and Decovin is now wired and wants to play...so we don't fight it and let him run around...well he didn't get to bed until 10:30 that night and then woke up at 7:30 the next morning...I feed him cereal and he eats only a few bites and then wants to get down to play. Ok, fine. Then later on after lunch (which he didn't eat either) the family goes on a boat ride and we put D down for a nap...he sleeps for 3 hours and wakes up BURNING up with a temp of 103.4!! So we drug him up with some tylenol and he is really lathargic and acting whiny and clingy so I tell Bob, let's just pack it up and go home so we can A) be near a hospital and B) he can be in his own bed and be in more familiar surroundings...

So we pack it up and get out the door about one hour later and we made it about 20 minutes out when Decovin throws up in the car...we think this could have been due to the curvy roads plus him not feeling well already...then we stop in Warrensburg to eat b/c he is saying he is hungry again and he barely nibbles on his taco and then we decide to leave in a hurry b/c he is looking green again. We get on the road and no sooner than we get down the road Camden starts screaming...OOPS! We forgot to feed the poor boy at the restaraunt b/c we were so distracted with Decovin...so Bob makes up the bottle and starts feeding him from the front seat when he looks over at Decovin and notices something on his face...we turn the light on and lo and behold homefry has picked his nose so hard that he made it bleed! (This has happened before)...so I have to pull over and clean him all up and then we FINALLY made it home around 10:30pm and I have never been happier to be home!

The next day he seemed back to his old self...he ate a TON all day yesterday and today he is still seeming ok. He had a wee bit of a temperature today but for the most part he has been good. So we shall see...lovely stomach virus I am assuming! And he hasn't had trouble with the pooping since we got home in case you were wondering!! OY! LOL!

Doctors...sigh...

So today I jam packed my day with doctor visits b/c Bob had the day off to watch the boys. So this morning I started out visiting the dermatologist for my ever peeling skin on my fingers and toes...he said it was a form of excema (which is really hard to get rid of...yippee!) and prescribed a cream called Urea (anyone else reminded of urine when this is said?!) Anyway, it is supposed to help sluff off the dead skin and the best part is I don't have to wear stupid gloves all day and night! I just have to apply it after everytime I get my hands wet, etc...check, I'm down to get rid of this! I will have a follow up appointment with him in 6 weeks. Ok...

So from there I meet up with Bob and the boys at the library for story hour...it is technically for ages 3 and up but the lady said it is fine as long as there is an adult present with them...so we go...yeah, he is DEFINITELY not ready for story hour. OY! He spent most of the time with daddy outside crying b/c he wasn't listening or behaving...so we will try again in a few months...maybe by then he will be more interested in following along with what other kids are doing...or not...he is such a boy!

Then it was off to my second appointment of the day at the regular doctors office for a check on my back. I have had chronic pain in my back for years but since I have had Camden it has gotten progressively worse...so I went to the chiropractor last week and he said that I have one leg longer than the other and that it was causing my hips to be not level and therefore making my back hurt, etc...blah blah blah...he gave me an insert to wear and then cracked my bones and I was off...so my mother told me I ought to get a second opinion so I figured it couldn't hurt...yada yada...

Well, this doctor said that the only true way to know what is really going on back there is to have an MRI. He poked on me a bit and had me bend over, bend backward (which hurt), bend from side to side, then had me lay down and lift each of my legs...it hurt when I lifted my right leg...so he thinks I might have a bulging disc...YES! So I got me an MRI scheduled for the 23rd of this month and we will see what it reveals. Oh and I really like this doctor...very personable, young, and didn't herd me out of there! Love that! So he told me to take Ibuprofin for one week three times a day to get the inflammation down (which means I will be constipated for a month! haha!) and see how that helps. He also gave me some drugs for my allergies...yay!

Oh and he told me that I should wait to go back to the chiropractor until after the MRI to see what it reveals and that going to the chiropractor is fine as needed but when you start going on a regular basis then he sees a problem there...so I called and cancelled my appointment that I had set up for this afternoon.

The only thing that was a downer for me at the second doctor was that he was running like an hour behind!!! I was there from about 10:30 until well after noon!! It was an exhausting morning...and now it is raining...AGAIN! Boo!

Ok, that is all for now...oh and FYI I have officially lost 51.4 pounds...I had weigh-in this morning! YEE HAW!!

Fall is approaching!

I have been very excited about the weather getting cooler...however, I was not up for a week of no sun!! But alas, the sun has returned, for at least today, and the weather outside is not frightful! It is fantastic!

Last Saturday I took the boys to the Olathe Old Settlers Parade and Decovin had a BLAST! He LOVED LOVED LOVED the bands and gets really excited when he talks about them...he loves the drums and trumpets! Kept going on and on about them for a couple of days afterwards! He might be in the rhythm section in band one of these days! ha! Camden slept through most of it...lazy bones...hehe!

Today I took Decovin in to get his hair cut, he always sits like such a good boy while they buzz away. I like how this guy cut his hair this time (he was quite the perfectionist at wanting it to blend just so) but he charged $8! For a kid!! Guess if you like the result you just suck it up and deal right?! Wish I could cut their hair but I am not good at clippers at all!! Aunt Judy...want to teach me some tricks?! Maybe I could save some money for their college! LOL!

At any rate, he looks good! And just in time, we are getting a Plummer Family photo at the very beginning of October so it will have grown out just enough for the picture! :) And when I say family I don't mean just the 4 of us...this will include Bob's parents and siblings and all the grandkids and significant others, etc. So it will include Decovin, Camden & Abby...we haven't had a family portrait done since like 2001!! Crazy! Definitely time for an update!

In baby news, Camden is so close to crawling it isn't even funny! He gets up on his knees and rocks back and forth and he acts like he wants to move forward SOOO bad...it is actually quite humorous to watch. He is doing so well, he is much bigger than Decovin, I feel, and he is a solid chunk of baby! :-) He is so cute and snuggly (much more than D ever was/is!) and he is quite possibly going to have wavy/curly hair! YAY! One of them got their daddy's locks!

In other news, Bob and I are having a garage sale on the 27th of this month to get rid of some infant things and other items we no longer need/want/use...whatever money we make will go towards our 10 year anniversary trip next year! That's right...Bob and I will have been married for 10 years next December! Since we never got a honeymoon, we are going to try to do it up right for our 10 year! :-) We would like to go to Hawaii, but we are just going to see how much money we can save up over the next year and go from there. I'm excited no matter where we end up going.

Weight loss...it is going great and I am less than a pound away from losing 50 pounds! I just couldn't be more thrilled and darn it, I'm proud of myself. I have been working really hard since March to shed the pounds and I feel great! I am in a size I haven't been in since college!! I have some confidence back and love dressing up now. Bob is always saying to me: "Why are you so dressed up to go to the library/store/etc?" And I tell him...b/c I feel great about the way I look right now and plus I don't often get to go places, even if it is to just the store, it is getting out of the house! Staying at home all day with the boys I tend to wear t-shirts and sweatpants, etc...so whenever I can put on my jeans and a nice top...I GO FOR IT!! I say, why not?

That is it for this week...until the next time...

Yeah...this is bad...

So, as usual, Camden went down for his first nap of the day around 9:15 and I put a show on for Decovin to watch while I went upstairs to take a quick shower (and I don't mess around, I'm in and out in like 5 minutes!)...I always check on him immediately after I get out of the shower and I hop out into the hallway and holler for D...I don't hear him or see him so I go down the stairs only to find the front door open and no Decovin!! I run back upstairs to grab a robe b/c I am NAKED and I dash out side and start screaming his name and I am thinking the worst and I run to the back yard to see if he fell in our little kiddie pool...he's not there...I yell some more and nothing...I am at a loss and I can't see very well b/c my glasses are upstairs on the toilet where I left them! Finally I hear him and he is across the street in the neighbor's yard...apparently he wanted to go see their puppies that are caged up...well I grab him and then the tears start coming from me like I was niagra falls...then Decovin thinks I am mad at him and he starts crying...after I get him calmed down...I find a corner where he can't pay attention to me and I just sob and sob thinking of what could have happened to him! I mean he crossed the street for the love! I stressed to him that he must NEVER go outside without mommy or daddy but I don't think I can reason with a VERY curious 2 year old...so I scrounge the house and found two more of those door knob covers and quickly secure us inside! I immediately texted Bob and told him that we need two dead bolts like yesterday! I am still in shock that it even happened and I don't think I could produce another tear naturally right now!! I'm scared to go to the bathroom without hauling him in there with me! Oy!

The rest of my day has gone a wee bit better...got an appointment set up with a chiropractor here in town as I have been having more and more back pain than I care to deal with...so we will see if he can fix me! Then I called the church next door to us that offers preschool for 3-4 year olds and signed D up for next fall! He has to be potty trained by then...so I have a year to get him there! Oh boy! I am excited for him to go though...I just know he will thrive and LOVE getting to play with other kids his age! They offer the school on Tuesday's and Thursday's for one hour each of those days...and you can pick morning or afternoon...I picked morning b/c D is so much friendlier in the morning and then I don't have alter his nap time, etc. So he will go from 9-10 and I just have to walk him across the street...of course I will make sure it is WITH me as opposed to without me...ha! Oh and the best part?! It is only $45 a month! YIPPEE! Phew!

That's all I got for now...

Fun, yet busy weekend!

So Friday night Bob took me out to dinner at a restaraunt in KC, MO called KC Sushi...it was sushi-rific! Mmmmm...how I love sushi! Then we went to a friends house that lives nearby there for her b-day party. We stayed for a couple of hours and visited and then headed back to Bob's parents house. We stayed there for the weekend.

We got up at 6:45am Saturday morning with a LOUD THUNDEROUS BOOM!!! It set off Dad P's car alarm and we were all up! LOL! We got ready and took the boys up to Bob's grandparents house for a visit. Then off to his other grandma's house for some more visiting and lunch out. Then we went back to home base and were there for maybe an hour and then it was off to Belton, MO for a mini car show. Bob's dad took his old car (couldn't tell you make, model or year) and we all followed in separate cars...Camden managed to sleep most of the day on Bob's back in the pack...and Decovin rode around in a stroller. He was fine with that for most of the day until towards the end when he was getting restless...then it was time to go! :-) It was really fun and we had a great time.

Then Sunday Bob and his dad went to a National Fiddlin' Contest or something like that in Lawrence for the afternoon. He said it was pretty boring as the contestants were not that great to begin with. I guess last year they attended a bluegrass festival which was apparently much more enjoyable...so anyway...when he got home we packed it up and headed back to Burlington with one more pit stop in Ottawa to visit my grandparents for a bit. We got home around 9:30 and I went to bed almost 20 minutes later! haha! I was pooped!

Today, our real estate agent's husband came by to pick up the washer and dryer that came with this house...they bought them for a cool $150! LOL! But when Bob un-hooked the hot water hose, the water kept gushing out even after he turned the nozzle off so we had water all over the floor down here and he had to go turn off the hot water all together! Ugh! So that was a fun mess to get cleaned up. He hooked up our washer and dryer and now I need to clean them before I can use them...lots of dust and dirt everywhere from being stored for so long!

Oh and on top of that Decovin decided to push Camden over from a sitting position in what I am hoping he was considering "play" (but I was in the kitchen trying to make breakfast so I didn't get to see the action take place)...but in doing so he fell over onto his face and bit his little lip with his only 2 teeth and his little lip bled for about 5 minutes...had to get ice and tylenol! LOL! It was a crazy crazy morning! Anyway, I am hoping this afternoon is calm and relaxed...but I'm not holding my breath! ha!

Hope you all have had a great weekend and I hope you have even a better week! Love ya!

Here is a video of Camden eating peaches...HYSTERICAL!

Not much new...

Life is same ol' same ol'...
Camden is getting bigger and bigger everyday and he has WAY more personality now...which is nice b/c for awhile I thought he was just going to be a cryer...all day...cry...cry...cry...but he is now giggling and smiling and jabbering and drueling and drueling and drueling...ha! He still only has two teeth but I think one should be popping in anytime now seeing as how grumpy he has been lately + the drueling factor...he sits up really well now and is learning how to "fall" gracefully...doesn't always happen but I would say 9 out of 10 times there is no harm no foul. He LOVES LOVES LOVES his brother...if Decovin is in the room, you better believe that Camden has his eyes beamed in on him, studying his EVERY move...he just smiles and laughs at Decovin any chance he can get. It is quite amusing really.

Decovin loves Camden too, I think he is finally realizing that he isn't just a blob anymore and he can "play" with him. Although play is limited to Decovin handing him a toy or showing him how a toy works, I think he enjoys it just the same. He also has a hard time figuring out how to play gently with the baby...I'm sure in his little head he is thinking: "Well, daddy rough houses with me, why can't I rough house with Camden?!" We are working on it...can't leave them alone together though...came upstairs from getting a load of laundry out of the dryer to find Decovin sitting on Camden...watching TV...apparently Camden didn't mind TOO much b/c he didn't make a noise and just smiled at D...oy! Boys! ha!

Bob is liking his job and is working really hard. I don't think he is extremely fond of shift work but he is getting used to it...as are we. ;) Tonight he is taking me out on a date! I have goosebumps...I have already strategically picked out an outfit and plan to have my hair done just so! :-) I'm such a dork but we don't get to go out alone, just the two of us, very often...so I'm totally excited!

We will spend the rest of the weekend at his folks house as Bob is going to a Banjo thingy with his dad on Sunday in Lawrence. They went last year and now I think they are trying to make it a tradition??? Whatever...they have fun, that's all that matters! :-)

Ok, that is all that I have for now...ta ta!

I wish I could get motivated...

To clean my stinkin' house!! I could be doing it right now, right this very second, but instead I choose to cruise the internet while my boys take their naps! Why can't I just be advantageous enough to do it!?! Ugh...Oh well...

Oh and RUTHIE!! OH RUTHIE!!! Where did you go?! What's new with you?!

Ewwww!

So I was reading the paper when I came across and article about a local family (with 2 little kids) who lost EVERYTHING in a house fire and they did not have insurance...they gave a couple of people's numbers to call if you had things to donate...well the woman is a size 12 and needed clothes, obviously...and I thought "hey!, I was going to just try and get rid of my size 12 clothes at our garage sale, why don't I donate them to her instead!!"

So I call the lady and she says she is in town and can drive by to pick them up right now! So I quickly go downstairs to rummage through our garage sale pile of things to find all the clothes I had packed up...When I look over and see THE LARGEST SPIDER I have EVER seen in my house EVER!!!! I screamed initially b/c I leaned into the web then I saw him on the ground...then I used the closest thing to me to kill the SOB! Closest thing was a set of car ramps in our garage sale pile...those things are NOT light and not easy to maneuver...so I gouged our wall (which we eventually plan on tearing out anyway) in the process and took like 10 stabs to kill this sucker! FINALLY I got him good and alas, he is no more...I hope I NEVER find another one that size EVER AGAIN!!! I still have the heebie jeebies!!

Have a clue? "Mrs. Plummer, in the basement, with the car ramps:"

HOLY COW, I'VE DONE IT!!

I have officially made it into my skinny jeans!! You know, the ones you keep in the bottom/back part of your drawer, hoping one day you will fit into them again...well, I DID IT! They fit perfect! Not too tight, not too big...PERFECT! I was SHOCKED when I tried them on...I almost cried! I have been working so hard to lose the baby weight and I am now back into my old wardrobe again...it is so exciting...thrilling, I can't even begin to express the feeling that I have! Butterflies in my stomach almost!! Ok, I am done rambling...I was just so excited, I wanted to shout it from the roof tops! WHOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Things that make you go awwwww....

Decovin looking like a big boy with his hat and back pack! It was really super cute! Camden wearing his Red Sox gear looking all cute!!
Bob & I all geared up and ready to go to the game! It was so fun!
Bob with the boys in the pool at Jim & Mendy's in Arkansas:
The four of us getting ready to take a tour of the War Eagle Cavern in Rogers, AR. It was ok, but not as stroller accessible as they led on to believe!! Oh well, we made it!!

Arkansas

So Bob & I decided to take a road trip to visit Mendy & Jim again this year. We started off on Tuesday and headed to KC first for our first Red Sox game...This was Bob's bday present...we had awesome seats and only got chastised for our Sox gear a couple of times...no biggie...to be honest I would say the stadium was filled equally with Red Sox fans and Royals fans...kind of sad, but whatever. SOX WON!!! 8-2!! Whoo Hoo!

We got up the next morning and made it out the door by 10:10am! We made it to Mendy & Jim's house a little after 4pm!! We made good time with the boys! We were expecting to stop several times and we only stopped twice...once for walmart/gas and then one last time for lunch. It was a good trip down and the boys did AWESOME! We put Decovin in his new car seat and he loves it...it uses the seat belt instead of a 5 point harness so he has more freedom to move around a bit...I think it was our salvation for this long trip or he would have hollered to get out of the car more...it was very nice.

Since we got here around dinner time I offered to grill some chicken and veggies...I grilled again last night too...this time I grilled T-Bone Steaks...OH YEAH!! So yummy...and tonight...Mendy is cooking up a leg of lamb!! My mouth is watering already!

We got to use the pool the first night we got here but then it rained all day yesterday so we didn't get to then...but we should be good today...we plan on swimming this afternoon! It is so nice!

Tomorrow we head out and are going to hit a cave on our way home...we think Decovin will think it is cool...we made sure it was stroller accessible so we could push Camden around too...should be fun...will let you know when we get home! Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Random Cuteness

So Amanda was AWESOME and came down on Saturday to give me a break due to an awesome sinus infection that took over my whole body...I got to nap and not worry about the boys! It was so great! Thanks again for that Amanda! Heart!!

While she was here she snapped this uber cute picture of my boys on her cell phone...I just love it!

I took this picture this morning with my cell phone in the dark...so quality not so good on two accounts...but man it made me laugh! My kids watch way too much TV...but when you are sick...you could care less what they do!!!

Goodbye July!

Well, another month has come and gone and it doesn't seem possible!! Where did the time go?! This month, Decovin turned 2 1/2, Camden turned 6 months, & Bob turned 29...WOW what a month!

Christy stayed with us for the past few days before she starts back up to work...we had a good time and even started her stay with a trip to Wichita to see one of her good friends from College, Jennie, I took the boys with us and Decovin had a blast with her 3 kiddos, Sophie, Blake & Graham...Camden just observed most of the day...ha! We had a great time, ate at Japan Express (Christy's fave restaraunt of all time I think) and then I grilled Pork Tenderloin and Veggies for dinner at Jennie's house later that evening...Jennie knew a girl that sold some purses and sunglasses and the gal happened to be in the neighborhood so we all got something and it was just FABULOUS! *wink* It was really fun, wishing I lived closer to all the cool people with kids! :-( We also got to see Sam and Amy! They met us for lunch and then came over to Jennie's house afterwards for a couple of hours to hang out! It was so good to see them too! Here is Decovin, with Sophie and Graham...Blake is being put in by his momma:


Here is Blake & Graham with Amy in the back...Jennie's head got cut off...oops! Aren't they stinkin' cute?!?!
Oh and I can now officially say I have lost over 40 pounds! 41.2 to be exact!! I'm so excited about this and just can't believe I have lost that much...WOW! Anyway...that is pretty much the excitement of the Plummer household...looking forward to August...we have planned to go to a Royals/Red Sox game on the 5th for Bob's Bday present (SO EXCITED!! GO SOX!!) and then we plan to head to Arkansas to visit my Aunt Mendy & Uncle Jim for a few days! Should be fun! Plus she makes the best esspresso EVER! *muah*


Plummer, out!

Hi...

So, how are all of you doing? It is so nice that everyone seems like they are blogging regularly again...with the exception of Amanda...but since she works like 80 hours a week, I will forgive her. Heart!

I'm now down 39.8 pounds! I was seriously hoping for that additional .2 pounds to just say I have lost 40! Grrrr...next week, next week! :-)

I have been trying to keep busy with the boys...I try to take them on a walk every night but sometimes that doesn't always happen. Yesterday I needed to run uptown to get some things and I decided to take the boys on a walk then and kill a few birds with one stone...DUMB IDEA! It was like five million degrees out and the boys were loving it of course b/c they just get to sit in the stroller and enjoy the breeze...while I have to do all the pushing and pushing a double stroller is not a walk in the park i'll tell ya! haha! But we made it there and back but I was really sweaty! ewwww!

We are, for the most part, moved in...we just have a few boxes left and a pile of garage sale items that are keeping us from being "completely" moved in. :-) Decovin has adjusted well and he loves his room! We are still working on potty training...but it is slow going...he finally is telling us when he poops in his diaper now...that is progress! haha! I bought some training pants...basically underwear made out of cloth diapers and the plastic pants to go over them...I plan on trying that soon. We'll see what happens...

I wanted to welcome my friend MEAGAN to the blogging world! We are so excited to have you jump on the blog bandwagon!

That's all I have for now...keep on blogging people! I love it!

The New Me...

This is the new me...38 pounds lighter...notice I have a collar bone again! Whoo hoo! Oh and the outfit I am wearing is something I've had in my closet WAY before Decovin was around! YES!

Camden Rolled from Back to front!!

He did it, he did it! Yay! Twice in the same day! What a big day for a big boy! I was so excited...oh and he got his first tooth on the 1st of July and 2 weeks later #2 popped in right next to it...both on the bottom! So as you can imagine he has been captain cranky pants working on teeth and all!

I met up with Amanda on the 11th to go swimming at the Gardner City Pool...and can I just say wow...check it out: http://www.gardnerkansas.gov/parks/park-pool.php make sure you scroll down to see pics of this place! AMAZING...the boys were free (under 3) and Amanda and I were $5 a piece. We only stayed for a little over an hour before Decovin had a Terrible Two Fit and we had to leave...I wasn't going to condone that attitude! YIKES! They both slept really well on the way home! haha!

Bob and I are slowly getting more moved in...trying to decide where things will go is always a challenge especially since we have less storage space inside the house than we did at our old place...we have more square footage but because we lost out on our basement for storage, we have to get creative...oh, that, and we are going to have a garage sale to sell the stuff we have been storing and not using for the past 3 years! haha! So all is well.

Our guest bedroom is all set up so feel free to come and visit if you like! We would love to have ya!

We have internet again!

Happy late everything! I feel so lost not having internet for 2 whole weeks! haha! What did we do before internet? Oh, that's right...play! Anyway...glad to be back online and connected with everyone. I just gone done reading all the blogs and getting "caught up." Sounds like everyone is doing well and keeping busy.

We are 100% moved out of the crap rental and free and clear of its bug problem! Except we have swapped ants for June Bugs! WHERE THE HECK ARE THEY ALL COMING FROM?!?!?! I don't remember them being so bad?! I find dead ones all over our house and it is quite disturbing! Anyway...all our boxes and things are here at our new place...address by the way: 918 Osborne St., Burlington, KS 66839. We have unpacked quite a few boxes but still have several to go that are in the big garage! "...And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep..."

Oh and P.S. I love Burlington so far...I guess I was always a small town girl! Who knew?! Anyway...the small town is growing on me and I have already met some people and have bumped into them twice since being here around town. See, told you it was small! ha! Although I hate the hours of business here (everything effectively closing around 8 or sooner) I do think it has its charm. The schools are apparently fantastic so that makes me excited to raise the boys here. It's all new and exciting for now.

We got to "get away" for the holiday weekend. We spent it with Bob's family at the lake! It was fun and we got to see some fireworks too! :-) We went out on the boat a few times and ate...a LOT! lol! It was fun and Decovin especially had a good time this year! He LOVED the boat and kept telling Papa to "PUNCH IT!" He loved going fast and laughed the whole time...except for the last boat ride he fell asleep! It was so cute! :-) Camden went swimming but no boat ride this time...too choppy for baby. :-) It was an excellent weekend if I do say so myself!

Now we are back to reality and I am busy keeping up with the kids, doing laundry, dishes, unpacking what I can, etc. Hell, it took me over 3 hours just to do this post with how many times I had to stop and start! LOL! So enjoy!

We're on the move...

We close tomorrow morning on our house! And start moving our things immediately! Well, we are going to bug bomb the new place first before we start bringing our boxes over to make sure the ants don't make a new home in our new home! Then we will start moving things!

My dad is going to help us on Wednesday and is brining his truck, trailor and a couple of dolly's! Should help quite a bit! Yay!

I was in a wedding this past weekend and I made my goal of fitting into the dress! I have lost 35 pounds so far and I feel great! I plan to continue my diet and would like to lose an additional 15-20 pounds. Although after this past weekend I might be set back a few pounds due to the amount of food and alcohol I consumed! haha! The wedding was beautiful and we had a great time! Here are us girls going Charlie's Angel Style:

The boys are getting bigger all the time. It is so hard to believe that Camden will be 5 months old then end of this month! Crazy! Decovin is talking in sentences for the most part and potty training is slow going but it is going...he has gone poop and pee on the potty several times now. He still isn't asking to go necessarily (a few times) but he is at least getting used to sitting on the toilet. It is going to be a process I feel. :-) Anyway...that is all that has been going on lately.

Will let you all know when we get internet access and all that jazz. This could be it for awhile. Hope to hear from you all soon!

And they're off!

Well, mom and dad decided very last minute to get away for a week. Dad had some vacation to burn and he deserved it as he has been working that outage for like 2 months at least (7 days a week/10 hours a day or more!!). So they packed up their car and headed west to Wyoming! They are going to go visit my dad's Uncle John Sackman. They will have a good time and I think they are so far...mom is having fun taking pics with her cell phone and texting them to Christy & I. It is cute. They seem to be more relaxed already...with the exception of mom forgetting her bathroom bag with all her meds in it! Oops! We were going to overnight it but the pharmacy was able to hook her up at a pharmacy out there so she was able to get by on that and just purchase the other toiletry items she needed.

Christy is staying at the house with me so the boys and I aren't alone at night, etc. Not that I am scared but I like the company.

We made lunch today, pork chops, corn on the cob, potatoes, potato salad, & beans! I grilled the pork chops and Christy got the other stuff ready. It was DELICIOUS! I have a thing for grilling! I can't get enough of it. So much so, that I even moved dad's grill up by the house again so I don't have to travel so far to use it! :-)

Other than that, nothing much new to report, just felt like updating. OH, well, Decovin has now peed in the potty a few times! Now, if I could just get him to tell me when he needs to poop, we will be on a roll! I need to get in the habit of asking him if he needs to go and pop him on the toilet every hour or so! Just gets tiresome and annoying with diapers...need to go purchase some pull-ups I think. Easier. I'm all about easier. haha!

Love to all! Can't wait for some new updates!

Just some of my favorite pics!

What mother doesn't love a little helper?!

My boys:
I love kisses!

Still living with my parents

Nothing much has changed since the last time I blogged. I'm still at mom & dads and we are still hoping to close on the house by the 30th of June.

There is a crack in the foundation that the sellers have to get fixed first. We will also have to re-roof it sometime this fall. (This is also why we negotiated with the price.) So there are some things that will need to get fixed but we can do most of it as we go and as we can afford it. (we hope anyway) :-)

Camden is now eating cereal and I just started him on veggies last night. So far so good. I think he is getting a bit constipated and I need to go get him some Karo syrup to put in his bottle. Other than that, he is doing great with eating and is so much better natured than his first two months of life. His colic is effectively gone. Yay! He can still scream and make your ears bleed but it doesn't last very long! :-) He also went to the doctor last Friday (May 30th) for his well baby check up and his shots. He is doing great and now measures 26 1/2" long and 16.2 lbs. He is right in the 50th percentile...so right on track. :-)

Decovin is now obsessed with Toy Story. It is the only movie so far that we can put in and he will watch about 90% with no problem. It is hysterical to watch him watch a movie! He's getting so big! Hard to believe he will be 2 1/2 next month! Crazy!

Well, that is all that is new. Look forward to hearing from all of you!

House Sold! New House under contract...babies growing up

So our Warrensburg house sold and we got our money already so that is a load off our minds...hope the new owners have fun with their new clay dirt and grass that is impossible to grow...hehehe!

We are under contract with the Burlington house and are filling out last minute loan paperwork and once that is submitted we can get the funds approved and close on the house on or before June 30th...have to get those renters out of there...

The ants are still winning at the rental so we are still here at my parents house. Stupid ants! Grrrr!

The boys are growing up and it seems the most evident in Camden...he is now eating cereal and has recently started to put himself to sleep...last night he talked and talked and talked and finally fell asleep on his own after about 20 minutes...then today I put him in there and he whimpered a bit and fell asleep for a nice cat nap! Yay! He is also holding himself up really well in the baby walker...he will sit in there for a long time before he is ready to get up! He is chewing on everything too...the teeth will be on their way soon!

Decovin is enjoying the country life it seems. He loves to go on walks with
Aunt Linda & me...Aunt Linda & Uncle Eddie taught him how to throw rocks in puddles...his new favorite past time! I think he could do it all day if I let him! haha! Bob took him out on the 4-wheeler this past weekend and he loved going through the "tall gwass" as he liked to call it...the fields are getting tall right now so he loved that! He cried and cried when Bob brought him back inside...but then we discovered that D truly has allergies...his eyes were blood shot and puffy...eye drops and some children's claritan cleared it right up! He is still snotty today though...but I think that could have been curtious of cousin Amanda! *wink*...She got it then I got it and now the boys have it...ha! We love to keep it in the family! Camden isn't quite as snotty but I still have had to suction him out! Fun, fun!

Well, that is all for now...hope to hear from you all! Keep up the blogs!

Weight Loss!

So I am now down 26.5 pounds and down to my pre-pregnancy weight from before I was pregnant with Decovin! I doubt I can still wear my clothes from before him b/c of my now widened hip area but I can still get there and plan to keep trying! I started this weight loss to orginally fit into a bridesmaid dress and now I am just excited to try to get back into my old wardrobe! Wouldn't that be nice! :-)

Still at mom & dad's house and it seems to be going well. Bob is still fighting ants! He is now trying a new method of killing them...hopefully this will work. *sigh* Hopefully we will close on our Warrensburg house today (May 21st) and will proceed with the purchase of the home in Burlington and then we can move back in as a family soon! Keep us in your thoughts that this all goes over well!

Hopefully everyone will post something new soon! Miss hearing from everyone!

Alzheimer's Walk

Don't forget to donate...click on the donation page to the right of your screen! :-) I still have at least $100 to go! :-)

Craziness is a good word...

So relating to Melodie and her stress...here is mine: Our rental house has ants...not just a few here and there...a BUNCH in the kitchen and front door area and a few here and there in the bedrooms/bathroom!! Raid isn't working and neither is a bug bomb...so my g'ma Stenzel is sending me an "ant plant" to put in certain spots that they are coming in at to see if that works...I guess the whole town is being invaded with all the rain that we have been getting but still! YUCK! Oh and the boxes of stuff have overwhelmed the small space making room for only paths to each room...literally!! So Bob told me to call my mom & dad and see if they wouldn't mind me and the boys crashing for a bit...so here we are in LaCygne. Thanks again mom & dad! Oh boy do we owe them BIG...just not sure how to repay someone for something like that! Stress!

So then we found a house we love in Burlington and we put in an offer and after many counters we finally agreed on a price and are now going through the process of getting our loan approved, etc...our house in Warrensburg should close on the 19th of this month and then we can move forward with the house in Burlington which is scheduled for a closing on or before the 30th of June. Stress.

Oh and then there is money. Which is draining quickly with having mortgage/rent, dual electric/water bills, good faith payment, storage unit (small house not big enough for our stuff) & random things that you have to buy in between. Oh and of course the driving back and forth from Burlington to Warrensburg...GAS SUCKS! Stress.

Did I mention that my husband and I are not living together and haven't really since he got his job back on the 21st of April!! And won't be until our new house closes probably. Stress.

Mother's Day was nice. Bob gave me a gift certificate to Old Navy and said congrats on my weight loss and told me to buy some new clothes! How sweet! I am now down 25 pounds! And two sizes! :-)

Here is the link to the house we are trying to buy:
http://www.anewrealtyllc.com/content/listdetail.html/58516811?proppos=3&ag_id=3448353&startpos=1&endpos=10&ids=66887000,54270905,58516811,62588006,66318948,62678389,59987598,54472146,65913456,64462636&propertyCount=28

Blogger Out!

Not sure when I will get a chance to look at Blogs again or write one for that matter. Internet will be down after tomorrow and our computer will be all packed up today! The movers just called me and they will be here in about an hour so I am trying to get all my loose ends tied up. I had to pack up clothes/diapers for Camden and some toys for Decovin, he is currently staying at my mom & dad's house while the movers are here...thank you again mom! Camden is with me and he is being good so far (knock on wood). I think I pretty much have everything I want set aside done. The only thing I might have an issue with is our last minute bag(s) of trash as our last trash pick up is today. Maybe our neighbor will let me give them my last bag. :-) I also will be depositing some frozen goods to her too...if she wants them that is! :-) Hopefully everything goes smoothly today. I am not looking forward to this evening when Camden and I have to sleep on the couch...well, he can sleep in his swing...but I get the lumpy couch. ha!

Well, that is all I can think of right now. Oh we did go to the zoo yesterday. Decovin & Camden's first time! Decovin was interested in all the animals but they only caught his true interest when they were RIGHT up against the glass by him. The chimps were the best! :-) I am not sure when I will get a chance to upload those pics so just imagine the cuteness. Ok, love to all and hope to see you all again on here soon!

Getting up early SUCKS!

I have come to determine that since I have had kids that I am STILL not a morning person, even though they make you get up anyway! This morning, at 4:50am, Camden starts to stir...I quickly get up to pop the pacifier as this will usually help him sleep an additional hour or so if I am lucky! Phew! Got it! Then no sooner than I get back to bed Decovin is crying?! What in the world?!? Ok, so I go in there and tell him it is still "night-night" time and that he needs to go back to bed which he didn't like but usually after hearing this from one of us he will eventually fall back asleep...NOPE! This went on for over thirty minutes before I got up to get him a drink of water and then I decided I better hop in the shower while I can...when I get out of the shower they are both crying/stirring...can't a girl get some time to herself in the morning?! Guess not! Needless to say, I'm tired and my eyes are BURNING! All I can say is thank goodness for coffee!

Oh and to date I have now lost 20 pounds exactly on Weight Watchers! Which means I have lost 10% of my weight! WHOO HOO! I would ultimately like to lose an additional 40 pounds but we will see. Just taking it a day at a time!

Romeo & Juliet & Cousins

So Jeff & Marianne babysat the boys last night while Amanda & I went to her beau's high school play that he was asst. director of. They did Romeo & Juliet. I wasn't expecting much since it is Shakespear and usually the language throws the young ones...even I get confused sometimes. So I was quite impressed when everyone knew their lines and did a great job! There was even some funny moments too! All and all it was a good show!

Jeff & Marianne said the kids were all really good and they all played together really well. Yay for cousins! Decovin ended up sleeping in the same room as Katrina, they had their first sleep over! :-) It was super cute when I got up with Camden at 6:30am and as I am coming down the stairs I see Decovin & Katrina sitting side by side watching cartoons together! It was the cutest thing EVER! I am glad they get along so well! I only wished I had my camera! Blast!

We are planning to do a bbq picnic later this afternoon outdoors! Should be fun!

I heart Google

I look forward to holidays and google...they are so creative with their artwork. :-) Even on no-big-deal holidays like today, Earth Day...if you read this today, the 22nd of April, Earth Day 2008, then go to www.google.com and see their artistry at work. I don't know why I look forward to it, but I just do. :-) A little something to look forward to.

So did anyone else get woken up at 4:30am by the VERY LOUD thunderstorm?! It was hailing and POURING down HARD! I couldn't believe that it didn't wake the boys. It was the loudest storm I can remember! Just the rain hitting the windows, pavement, etc was loud enough to wake me up and then the lightening and thunder just added to it. It was insane! I am still shocked as to how we didn't lose power!

Sad am I

Well, Bob moved down to Burlington today. I am all alone with the kiddos. He starts work on Monday and we won't move down there until the 6th or 7th of May b/c that is when the movers are coming. So there you go. I'm sad, and lonely, and busy, and I need to clean my house before the "open house" tomorrow! Oh and b/c I am sad and lonely and depressed a bit...I really could care less how the house looks right now. And I hate that feeling b/c I am usually pretty anal about preparing for said events. Especially since I have no idea how many people will be coming to look at it. I really want someone to give us an offer soon. That would be nice wouldn't it? Still trying to think positive on that one! :-) Well, if you too are bored and lonely...give me a call or pop by for a visit.

Oh and I need to know who all wants to get their hair cut/colored/pedi/mani, etc. one last time and when so I can arrange baby sitting, etc.

Here's your blog...

Volunteer work...
I don't mind volunteer work, in fact, I used to volunteer for things ALL the time especially in 4-H, etc...Even when I worked at UOP...I did things for the community with them as sponsors...I will even volunteer to help do odd jobs around my parents house if they need the help...like painting...don't mind it...so I volunteered! :-) Now, I do have a problem when I am volunteered without my knowledge and guilted into doing something for a family member...it feels so dirty and doing the said volunteer work then becomes a chore instead of a delight...I hate that feeling...but because I am a family member I will probably do it anyway...but Grrrrr...I would have rather been asked and then volunteered my time...but instead the time has already been set up and planned and we are expected to be there. *sigh*

Crazy Busy

I don't feel busy until I stop and think about all that still needs to be done before we move...and then I can't breathe. So then I try to stop thinking about it and then I feel anxious like I forgot to do something! I hate that feeling...oh and our house is still for sale...fyi...maybe someone will be interested when the weather warms up...*sigh*

So Camden is doing MUCH better...he is back to eating 5 oz in a sitting and can actually breathe without too much trouble...I didn't have to give him a breathing treatment today which was a first or suction him out! I just realized that just now sitting here typing...WOW! He really is doing better! Here are a couple of pics from when we were doing his breathing treatments:

Decovin is much better also...an occassional cough here and there but not too bad. He has also learned that when he coughs to use the back of his hand to cover his mouth...it is really cute! LOL! Grandma entertained Decovin with the Alien headband while she stayed with us after we got back from the hospital...

******************************************************************

Bob's "V-Day" has come and gone. We will no longer be able to have any more children! We are definitely done! The Veterinarian says he will be fine in two days...heh!

What a week...

Sunday: Went to Burlington to check out one last housing option to rent...lucked out and it will do. It is small & old, but it is cheap and will work until our current house sells and we can find another one. :-)
Bob's parents watched Camden & Decovin for us and Decovin had already been coughing and stuffy nosed and Camden had JUST started coughing the day before but not bad...he wasn't eating a whole lot but I figured it was just b/c he didn't feel good...no big deal. We take them home and go to bed.
Monday: In the wee hours of the morning (4:30am), Camden wakes up and I try feeding him...he gets down 3 oz. before he throws it all up everywhere b/c he was choking so bad on his snot...had to change him, me and bed sheets. He goes back to bed and we all get up at 7ish...deciding I need to call the doctor to set up an appointment for him. 7:30am, I call the appointment desk and they can get us in at 8:45!
Ruthie is at our house b/c we were supposed to go get our hair done but I couldn't go so she held Camden for me while I hopped in the shower. While I was in the shower, Decovin throws up all over the couch and himself...great! I get that cleaned up and the boys ready to go out the door. I grabbed both the boys a change of clothes just in case. THANK GOODNESS! I no sooner get on the highway and I hear wretching in the back seat...Decovin is throwing up all over himself and everything on the floor board with his amazing projectile-like vomitting! I pull over on the side of the road, in the rain, and try to wipe him up as best as I can until we can get there...I decide against changing him right then for fear he will just do it again and the fact that the car seat was now wet...awesome.
So I rig up a walmart sack under his chin and tell him to use it if he is going to get sick again (like he knew what I was saying/asking...ha!)...on the road again...at this point I call Bob immediately and tell him to COME HOME NOW! I was supposed to actually pick him up from work that evening b/c he was turning in the government car he was borrowing since he is all done recruiting now but it wasn't going to be until late because it was "mission day" (meaning the last day of the month to get as many people in the NAVY as possible for that month)...and you just don't leave early on Mission Day...but he figured out a way to get home, thank goodness!
Ok, so I get to the base and I park in the "15 min" parking b/c I am: 1. late; 2. I still have to change D's clothes b/f we go in; and 3. I just didn't care if they towed my car at this point! I get D changed (while standing in the rain...again) but I don't get his shoes on b/c I am running late so I just threw those in a bag and carried both boys in!
They get us in pretty much right away. They take Camden's stats and information and then the doc shows up and says that he is dehydrated and will need to be hooked up to an IV to get some forced fluids. They can do this in the office and send me to the "treatment room" where they then proceed to poke Camden 5 times (twice in the head and three times in the hands) before giving up on the IV idea. They have me try just bottle feeding him. Well, he is so exhauted from crying from them poking him that he won't even wake up to eat...so then they try syringe feeding him...this sorta works and he gets about 20cc's (which is like nothing...a couple teaspoons I think they said)...they tell me, sorry, he has to be admitted to the hospital and has to be transported via ambulence per their policy! Great. So about 2pm, I think, we were on our way to Children's Mercy South in Overland Park, KS. It took the ambulence like 2 hours to come and get us...since we weren't a real "emergency"...fun times I tell ya...
Decovin, all the while, was sitting on the floor next to me about to fall asleep (which, if anyone knows D, this NEVER happens...he really wasn't feeling good!)...Bob got there finally and spent most of his time cleaning up the car and car seat as best he could before Decovin had to sit in it again. He also moved my car from 15 minute parking (which the male nurse that weighed and measured Camden took care of for me so I wouldn't get towed...bless him!) and then switched the car seat into the Jeep. He came back in and took D home so he could get some rest and apparently he threw up one more time in the Jeep on the way home...poor guy! He was fine after that though...he slept for awhile and then he was pretty much back to his old self apparently.
Christy, Mom, Dad, & Amanda came up to the hospital that night and Christy & Dad ended up driving to Warrensburg. 1. So Christy could stay with Decovin while Bob went to work the next day and 2. so dad could go and get my car off base and bring it up to me at the hospital along with some clothes. Mom stayed with me while they did all this.
They all go home and Camden & I stayed at the hospital. They had to deep suction him a few times throughout the night but they said he was getting better.


Tuesday: The doctor finally rounds around 9:45am and states that he has to stay another night b/c he has to be "deep suction" free for at least 24 hours. Great. I only had Bob pack enough clothes for one day and Christy already took a personal day to watch D for us...so back up mom & dad came and they drove out to Warrensburg to drop mom off and Christy stopped by the hospital on her way home to give me more clothes. I really have an awesome family that will pull through no matter what...not many people can say this.
Wednesday: We are released from the hospital a little before noon and we head home. I called my doctor on base and set up a follow up appointment (per hospital's request) for the next day. Good thing too b/c Camden was really snotty throughout the night and we had little to no luck sucking out the snot that plagues him.
Thursday: I leave mom home with Decovin while Camden and I go to his doctor's appointment. The doc says he is still a bit "rattlely" in the chest and so she prescribed a nebulizer/breathing treatment. She told me to use saline first and see how that works and if it is still not getting the snot loose then to use the medicine she prescribed instead. I got home and set up the nebulizer and mom gave him the breathing treatment and afterwards I was able to suck out quite a bit and then he napped the rest of the afternoon. Poor guy is just tuckered out!
Friday: Let's hope it is uneventful shall we? LOL!
Sorry this was so long...just wanted to document my week for future reference. Thank you again to Christy, Mom, & Dad for driving all over and back and for watching Decovin, etc....love you!

Something in the air...

Last night Camden slept for 8 1/2 hours! YES! Maybe it was because he went to his 8 week appointment yesterday and decided he was a big boy after getting his first set of shots! One can only dream! LOL! It was nice though, I'm not gonna lie! But I am still exhausted...waking up at 5:30am is not my idea of "fun"! LOL! But, I'm not complaining!

So he is now 12lbs 3oz. and 22 3/4" long and these are both in the 50th percentile...his noggin is just like his daddy & brother's...BIG! It is in the 75th percentile...he'll grow into it! LOL! Take some cuteness:

Easter has come and gone

So we spent Easter with Bob's side this year...it was fun and the food was good too! Decovin & Camden were spoiled rotten (*sigh*) and came home with an extensive amount of candy (which I choose not to eat due to my diet and needing to fit into a bridesmaid dress by June 21st) and Easter baskets...like seriously I think between the 2 of them they came home with 8 baskets of some sort. YIKES! We need to set some limits!!! OY! It was like Christmas in March!

Onto a different subject:

Bob & I went rental house shopping in Emporia on the Saturday before Easter with little to no luck. The price range that we were trying to stay under (and what we thought would have been reasonable considering the area we were looking in) was apparently the "ghetto" listings...the first home we viewed we pulled up and I didn't even want to go in...Bob said not to judge a book by its cover so we went in and then almost immediately turned back after the smell and size of the place...our King Size mattress would have had to go in storage b/c it wouldn't have even fit in the living room! Onto the house #2...it was O.K. but very outdated and needed some work...next! House #3...all I need to say here is cockroach infestation....NEXT!!!!!!!

House #4, near "gang park"...MOVING ON!!!! House #5, in a nearby town, was doable but it was also really old and outdated and needed some patchwork here and there on the walls and not to mention there was only one bathroom and you had to SQUEEZE between a small wall and the sink to get to the tub...it was even hard for ME to get through there! I had to turn sideways! Plus it had a weird access door from the stairs to get to it...awkward! House #6, the guy showing us around apparently doesn't have the keys to it but was hoping they "left it open"...WHAT???!!! Next...House #7, quote from the agent: "The owners are actually trying to sell this place but I bet they would rent it out"...OH. MY. WORD.! House #8, home-fry tells us, "I don't have the keys to this place either but it was in the paper and the owner used to be a pharmacist so it should be cute inside"...WHAT THE F***?!?!? See ya later weird real estate agent man, who reminded us of Harry Carey by the way! OY!

So then I remembered there was a house on the outskirts of town that another agent told us about but at the time I thought was too high in rent...so Bob suggested we go look anyway...the guy told us it was an old schoolhouse converted to a house and they owners built on an addition and turned it into a duplex...so we go in and it is clean at least, it is weird though b/c it was an old schoolhouse there is a "stage" and that is where the kitchen/dining room are...the carpet is old school (hehe) and a different color for every room, but it would work, plus the basement is HUGE and has LOTS of storage...so this is our best option of all the ones we looked at for the day.

Then we drove down to Burlington to see if there were POSSIBLY anything available there for rent (there is an outage going on right now so a lot of them our being rented out currently to the outage workers...figures!). So a real estate agent was nice enough to give us a tour of the town and we find some brand new apartments for rent but they weren't open so I gave them a call on Monday to see if Bob could view them on Tuesday (since he had his physical then, which he passed) and come to find out AFTER Bob waits on the lady for 2 hours to return from her lunch break that they are low income housing!!!!! Thanks for letting me know that when I was on the phone with you STUPID WOMAN! Last chance is this Sunday, we are going to view a house that a local narcotics cop is renting out...he is currently "fixing it up" and says it looks terrible from the outside but that we are more than welcome to come and see it...so cross your fingers that it is livable b/c it would be ideal to live IN Burlington so Bob doesn't have to drive an hour round trip everyday on top of working a 12 hour shift.

Ok, I'm done...

Crossing Fingers...

We have two appointments coming to view our house today and tomorrow! Let's hope we get an offer! Wouldn't that be nice?!

Doctor anyone?

These are just cute:

Decovin after a chocolate chip cookie:

Camden wearing G'ma Long's crocheted hat:

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So I have been in and out of doctor's offices since Friday trying to get all my last minute stuff taken care of...Friday was the dentist...no cavities...whoo hoo! Monday was my 6 week post baby check up, everything is fine! Monday afternoon was my eye appointment, no change but my glasses were a bit old (~5 years) and they had scratches on the lenses and my sunglasses were just as bad if not worse. So I bought new ones on Tuesday after my regular doctor appointment on base for my peeling fingers that I haven't been able to get control of since about mid-November! She called it some kind of dermatitus and I am to put on a steroid ointment first followed by lanolin (the stuff you are supposed to put on your nipples while breast feeding) and then white gloves and I am to minimize my exposure to water...which to her means only washing my hands twice a day if possible. (GROSS!) So I had to buy latex gloves to change the boys' diapers and to use when I use the bathroom also. Gloves are also required for dishes, etc. *sigh* Fun times.

Anyway...enjoy my new glasses:

Our House on MLS

http://ginger.reeceandnichols.com/Public/Listing/ListingDetail.aspx?Search=10399383-404f-4e42-8b72-7e5334486fd9&Listing=29444345&Image=1&First=1&Last=10&pagesize=10&Sort=6&SearchType=&ListingDistrictTypeID=&FirstLetter=&Cookies=

A Rush of Sadness

So the real estate agent dropped by yesterday and we signed paperwork to get our house on the market to sell...she took pictures and said it should be on the market by sometime today??? We shall see, I will send out the link as soon as I know.

Today, after all the cleaning has been done and all the stress to get to this point is over, I finally relaxed a bit. Then I realized, this is the first home my boys have ever known and Decovin has been here long enough to know where things are...like silly things such as the silverware drawer...he knows where I need to go to get him a "poon"...he knows where HIS bedroom is, where the bathroom is, where everything is! *sniff*...just thinking too much I think. I never thought I would be so sentimental about a home.

Man, my girls HURT!

So I've decided to start the weening process off of breastfeeding and man are my boobs BIG and painful! I figured I should do this now so that by Saturday I am able to bowl with ease...hehe! I don't need 3 bowling balls, thank you very much! So I just have to get over this hump and soon be back to normal! But until then, OY!

Also, our Real Estate Agent is coming over Wednesday afternoon to take pictures of the house and we still aren't ready! I still have to fully clean the extra bathroom and vaccuum all the floors + stairs and clean the kitchen floors and the landings at the base of the stairs! All the while keeping the other rooms that we have cleaned clean! This is really tough with a toddler! My kitchen, I think, is the hardest to keep clean b/c it is used SOOO often. Anyway...I have a lot to do today so I better get off of here and hop to!

The only way to get sleep...

Is to put Camden in bed with us. *sigh* He will actually sleep longer than 2-3 hour stints...hmmm

More about me...

• I love the smell of my babies heads...I just want to sniff it all in and eat it!
• I love gummy smiles from a newborn...the way their lips concave and make such a cute dimple...why can't it be that cute when we lose them later in life?
• I love little button noses and little ears.
• I love the little fingers and little toes.
• I really love watching Decovin run from the changing room to the bathtub...his little tush makes me laugh.
• I love that we gave Decovin a playmate, too bad he doesn't play with him yet. hehe!
• I mostly love that I don't have to be pregnant ever again! I wish I could say I enjoyed being pregnant but really, it was just painful and uncomfortable...
• I love that we named our children after people in our family...it seems so traditional, yet we were still able to make them unique.
• I love sleeping babies, just wish it was for longer periods of time. :-)
• I still love butt paste
• I love change but fear it at the same time.
• I love that family is so close and am scared to lose that.
• I love TV and hate it at the same time...
• I love Spring and wish it would get here sooner than later.
• I love to shop but wish I had more money to shop with. :-)
• I love having plans for the weekend.--this weekend should be a blast!
• I love that we had a mini family reunion at my house last weekend
• I also love that no one mentioned how dirty my house was to my face. :-)

That's some more about me...thought I would try to keep it on the positive side today. Today is going much better than yesterday. :-)

Still not sleeping well...

Except for Decovin we are all up in the middle of the night! Bob is nice enough to help me out and swap with me occassionally throughout the night. We are still not seeing a good sleep pattern yet, but are hopeful in the next few weeks he will start to sleep better as he gains weight. Currently it is still only a maximum of 3 hours of sleep. The 5 hour sleep only happened one time!
He confuses me, he will be well fed (will have just eaten 5 oz.) and diaper is dry but still cries a lot...I wouldn't call it colicky but it is really hard to have him "awake and happy." I can remember with Decovin we could put him anywhere and he would generally be happy and alert and carefree. Not the case with Camden. We can't hold him all the time so sometimes we get to listen to Decovin yelling over the baby crying while Bob and I are trying to have our own conversation! It can get really loud in here at times and really stressful! My lack of sleep gets the better of me sometimes and I am one cranky individual. And before you say it, I know that every baby is different and can present different obstacles, but I just want to vent.
On a fun note, Camden is starting to smile a bit if you tickle his lips, it is really cute and he is focusing on objects more. I've noticed over the past couple of weeks his intensity staring at the mobile in his swing. He is getting better and better at following it.
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Decovin is now in his "naked phase," he strips every chance he gets...so this is usually when I am in the computer room and he is watching cartoons...I will get up to check on him and he will be stark naked running around! *sigh* What's a girl to do? He is not ready to potty train, this is obvious b/c he still will sit in his poop until we notice it...he won't tell us and he is still waking up from his naps with really wet diapers...we have a ways yet. So I guess we have to deal with the strip downs! It is kind of funny to walk into a room with a naked baby! LOL!
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As for Bob, he has several interviews set up over the next month or so! They are all over the U.S. as we are keeping our options open, we would ultimately like to stay in the Midwest of course, but we have to take what we can get. Keep your fingers crossed for the ones around here to go well and offer enough money so we can stay! :-)

Bathroom Makeover

So I have begun to "stage" my house for potential buyers and for our pictures for the MLS website...I went to Walmart tonight and decided I needed a new guest bathroom look...this is what I went for...what do you think?

Butt Paste ROCKS!

This stuff rocks! Camden has had a butt rash pretty much since the day we brought him home. The doctor prescribed hydrocotosone...that did nothing...Amanda prescribed something else, it helped a BUNCH but I couldn't get it to completely go away...my sister-in-law told me about this butt paste and so I said..."why not?!" Within 24 hours his butt was completely healed...I'm not even kidding! It was amazing! I would be pissy too if I had a butt rash for 4 weeks straight...poor buddy...he is better now! WHOO HOO!

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Today was our girls day out of beauty! It was so much fun! Grandma, my mom, Ruthie, Melodie, Christy, Lauren, & myself all went to my hair dresser's place and got our hair and nails done! Grandma got a perm and it looks really nice. Ruthie & Melodie got the works-hair color/cut , pedicure, & manicure. My mom got her hair cut and a mani and pedi. I got my hair colored/cut & a pedi. Christy got her hair colored/cut and a mani and Lauren got a manicure! We took pictures (my mom will surely share them!) It was 4 generations of ladies getting dolled up together. Fun times.

Afterwards we came back to my house and ordered pizza and the kids played outside b/c the weather was AWESOME! A good time was had by all I think!

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Our next order of business is getting our house spic & span and set up for potential buyers to come and view. *sigh* I am going to hate having to have to keep things tidy ALL the time. Oh well, if it helps sell it, I will do it and like it! LOL!

Anyways...that all I got!

Busy weekend and busy week to come...

Friday night Amanda came over for a visit and we had a good time. She brought the wine! (Thanks again for that lady!) The next morning we got up and got ready and were out the door early to meet up with my parents at Chris Cakes Kitchen in Leawood, Decovin loved watching the pancakes getting flipped. Then it was up to Babies R Us to buy a double stroller (thanks for pitching in on that one mom & dad!). I also swung by and picked up my bridesmaid dress for the wedding I am to be in in June. I have a lot of weight to lose if I am going to wear that thing...(cross your fingers for me that I can do it!). Then we had a quick stop at Target so I could exchange an outfit that was the wrong size for the season for Camden and got both boys a new outfit/shirt for pictures that we are going to have taken this week and I bought a new purse too. :-) Then home...

Got home and Bob decided to take us out to dinner at Mazzio's Pizza place and we had a good meal (not good for my figure of course) but whatever...lol. Then the sleet and snow came.

I got up Sunday and took my time getting around and ready before I headed down to LaCygne for a baby shower I was invited to. Made it in time to eat lunch, change the boys' diapers and head out for the shower. Got back from the shower and visited for a couple more hours and then left right after Camden was done eating (and pooping of course!)...

It was a busy weekend and I am really tired and my week is just starting...Bob will be working late today & tomorrow so I am left with taking care of the boys in the evenings as well...makes for super long days. Then Wednesday Ruthie is coming and we will pack up the car and head down to LaCygne for bunco! :-) WHOO HOO! I will be staying until Thursday or Friday and then heading back this way...I think Ruthie is staying until Saturday and then riding back up with Christy, Mom, & G'ma to here so we can go and have a day of beauty! We are all getting our hair done and nails (whether it be toenails or fingernails). Should be a fun day!

I feel like a first time mom again!

How long is it ok to let a baby cry for?

I feel like we are constantly holding or picking up Camden whenever he starts crying really badly...He has a hard time "going to sleep" on his own w/o some kind of comfort...such as Bob holding him for 30 minutes or so and then putting him down or sitting in the bouncy chair with the vibrator thing on...this is starting to become a routine and I don't like it. I liked just putting Decovin down in bed wide awake and letting him put himself to sleep...it's becoming really frustrating because I have yet to just set him in bed awake and walk away knowing he will fall asleep. HELP!?! Any suggestions?

I've tried swaddling him and that sometimes works, I've tried music, we even elevated his bed to mimic the feeling of the bouncy chair angle, I'm running out of ideas!

I'm tired...

Today was day two alone with the boys and it went fine, nothing too big to fuss about. But later I have the obstacle of baths...both the boys need one and I haven't given Decovin a bath in FOREVER b/c Bob has been doing this for me since I got to big to bend over! LOL! But tonight, Bob has to work late, so lucky me gets to do it all. :-) I just hope the baby doesn't wake up and want to eat while we are in the bathroom bathing. :-) Anyway...

I feel like Decovin is still on his schedule, nothing has really changed there but I can't get Camden on one to save a life. The only thing he routinely does is eat every 3 hours and poop every 30 minutes. It's no wonder I can't get his butt to heal. We are still tackling a wee bit of a diaper rash that won't go away due to the constant pooping this boy does. SERIOUSLY! I have never ever seen an infant poop so much! It's a bit disturbing really. Anyway...off to tackle bath #1!

Feeling good...

So tomorrow is D-Day...the first day alone with the boys. I'm thinking it will be fine and go ok. I fully expect a small break down from Decovin when I can't be at his beck & call right when he wants a "nack" (snack) or when he wants me to play with him or whatever while I am feeding Camden. I'm ready for that. I just keep taking deep breaths and know it will be fine...millions of women in the past and present have done this and they all lived. I also keep trying to tell myself that no one has ever died from crying too much so if all 3 of us cry tomorrow, it's ok. :-)

I'm feeling really good though. It's like I get spurts of energy and I am feeling more and more back to normal. I am already in some of my pre-pregnancy clothes and will continue to try to get into my pre-pre pregnancy clothes from before Decovin was born. I was getting awful close right before I found out I was pregnant again. But I have motivation. I have to fit into a bridesmaid dress by June that is equivalent to a size 14...so here's hoping I can do it! :-) I plan on going back on Weight Watchers again real soon. I think I am waiting to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight before I join back up again. I am doing good so far. I only have like 10 pounds to go to get to that weight and then I will be off and running. Once the weather gets nicer I will be able to start walking again with the boys during the day, etc.

So anyway, I am feeling very positive right now and am looking forward to the future.

Well, I need to go make lunch. Love you all and thanks so much for your words of wisdom and believing in us. :-)