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?!