Sunday Nov. 30

Today was kind of a lazy day for us. I got up around 7:30, temped, took care of the dogs, and then went back to bed. I cleaned up some and then got ready to go to Virginia Beach to pick up Spencer.

After I got Spencer, I came home and picked up Tim. Then we went to Toys R Us, to return the cars I bought for Jack. Don't worry, I got a better deal on Black Friday. Then we went to Lowes and got some keys made. Then we drove by Mandy's and dropped off the keys.

When we got home, Tim took care of Spencer and I made some toasted sandwiches for lunch. Then I fed Spencer (love my Boppy!) and played Spore. Tim's working on a job application.

Spencer is asleep...hopefully for a while.

That's about it.

Would You Rather...

Here's another edition of Momdot's Would you Rather...

Choose ONE!

Hope you all enjoy this weeks questions, remember you have to pick one!
Would you Rather: Have extremely bad tourettes or uncontrollable orgasms
Would you Rather: Skip Christmas for a year or skip your birthday for 5 years
Would you Rather: Be a member of the opposite sex for one day, or have sex all day?
Would you Rather: Be in prison for a month or be in a mental hospital for a month?
Would You Rather: 1 great Christmas gift or 5 mediocre presents?
Would You Rather: Always be 16 or always be 30?
Would You Rather: Have free entry to all theme parks or to get rental movies free forever?
Would You Rather: Have a personal shopper or a personal fitness trainer?
Would You Rather: be able to have sex but never kiss, or be allowed to kiss but never have sex?
Would You Rather: Have a constantly dripping nose or uncontrollable farting?
Would You Rather: Never be scared again or never be sad again?
Would You Rather: Have your pants rip in public or pee your pants in public?
Look forward to seeing all of your answers this week.




Here's my answers!

Would you Rather: Have extremely bad tourettes or uncontrollable orgasms
Would you Rather: Skip Christmas for a year or skip your birthday for 5 years
Would you Rather: Be a member of the opposite sex for one day, or have sex all day?
Would you Rather: Be in prison for a month or be in a mental hospital for a month?
Would You Rather: 1 great Christmas gift or 5 mediocre presents?
Would You Rather: Always be 16 or always be 30?
Would You Rather: Have free entry to all theme parks or to get rental movies free forever?
Would You Rather: Have a personal shopper or a personal fitness trainer?
Would You Rather: be able to have sex but never kiss, or be allowed to kiss but never have sex?
Would You Rather: Have a constantly dripping nose or uncontrollable farting?
Would You Rather: Never be scared again or never be sad again?
Would You Rather: Have your pants rip in public or pee your pants in public?

Play by Play Day 3

Well today has been a doozy.

I've been fighting stomach and back cramps all day. I'm bleeding pretty heavily right now.

I've done several loads of laundry, vacuumed the entire house, cleaned the bedroom, office, guest room, living room, and kitchen. I've don laundry, dishes, and taken care of the trash. I also made a yummy pot of chicken noodle soup. I just ate some dinner. It was good.

I'm planning on bumming until Tim gets home. I might get a shower. It's been like 52 hours since I had one. My hair is pretty nasty.

Gear Live Awesome Contest!

Check out this amazing contest! Gear Live and HP have partnered up & are giving away their own "Christmas of Dreams" for the techie! Tim and I would LOVE to win this contest pack & share all the goodies with those we love!

So, a few days ago we told you about our HP Magic Giveaway, and how we’d be giving away an absolutely ridiculous amount of prizes to the winner. Now, we are announcing the the contest has officially started, and we’ve got the details on how you can enter to win. First, though, a refresher on what we are giving away:
HP TouchSmart IQ816
HP HDX18 Premium Notebook PC
HP Pavilion dv4 Entertainment Notebook PC
HP Mini 1000 (Windows XP)
HP MediaSmart Connect
HP Photosmart C6380 Wireless All-in-One printer
HP 564 Photo Value Pack
Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 with 3 licenses
Microsoft WIndows Live
Corel VideoStudio X
Kung-Fu Panda on Blu-ray disc, and two DVDs
Yes, you do see four computers listed, as well as a Media Center Extender. No, you aren’t dreaming. Yes, we (and HP) are awesome. You want the goods? Visit Gear Live to enter!

She's here....

Well, last night sucked big time.

I was ready for bed around 9, but Tim wanted to watch Soprano's. So I laid my head on his lap & watched part of an episode with him. I fell asleep part of the way through, though. We went to bed around 11. I fell right out. At 4:30 I woke up in extreme agony. My lower abdomen was CRAMPING like crazy. More so on the right side and it was awful. I could barely move. I managed to get to the bathroom, took another preg. test (negative) and had a bowel movement. Before I made it back to bed, I was in the bathroom again doubled over in pain. After that, I got into the bed, smooshed myself up against Tim and curled up into a tight ball. I used Tim's side to keep me curled up.

After a long time of laying there in pain, I finally fell back to sleep.

I tossed and turned from about 8:00-10:00, and then I got up. I temped (still above the cover line) and went to the bathroom. I had heavier pinkish/red spotting. Since then it's turned into full on flow. There are some small clots coming through but mostly just pinkish red blood. (Sorry if that's TMI) My back is sore from cramps and I keep having some on and off stomach cramps.

I'm still sick with this head cold. I feel like my head is in a cloud. I've been busy trying to straighten up some. Spencer and Grayson are going to be here this afternoon. Tim is on the road, taking Beth back to school.

I'm surprisingly ok with this. I believe that I was pregnant and that I'm having an early miscarriage/chemical pregnancy. I just hope that Dr. Morgan can confirm that I was pregnant on Monday.

We'll be taking a break after this. No charting, temping, drugs, nothing... Depending on the bloodwork there may be tests that need to be done and we'll take a break while we do them.

I'm just ready to move past this.

Journal

I'm feeling very overwhelmed right now. I keep wondering, why would God have shown me a positive if only to be followed up by negatives? There's still no real sign of AF coming. I'm having a little bit of colored tint to the tissue when I wipe, but no real blood.

Tim and I are talking about it as if I am pregnant. We are hoping that the desires of our heart will be given to us. We are faithful that God hears our prayers and that He knows what we want.

I don't know if Tim prays on his own, but sometimes I say a prayer for both of us when I'm holding his hand. I've been talking to God a lot the past few days. I'm so thankful for all that I have. I am so happy that we can afford to start our family.

Tim and I have been together for almost 5 years! Can you believe that!?! It's crazy. If I think back to where and who I was in 2004....it's amazing. I've changed and grown up SO much in the past five years. I've met so many of my goals. 1. Be a teacher, 2. get married, 3. buy a house, 4. buy my car, 5. have a family (the dogs count right!)

I'm starting to feel a bit better, but I'm so TIRED. I'm counting that as a preg. sign.

Do you think, that someday, when my baby is all grown up, they'll find this blog & be like, "Mom, you're a fruitcake!" ? Do I really want my child to know all the things I felt/dealt with during their life?

I don't know. I'm pooped. Tim just said he wants to watch a movie. So, I'm outta here!

I'm sick.

Well, it started yesterday. I thought maybe I was having an allergic reaction to something at Tom and Peggy's because my nose got all sniffly & runny while we were there. Then it got progressively worse today. Now, my nose is running (like a FAUCET!), my ears BOTH hurt, my throat is sore from post-nasal drip, and I have a headache (that I've had most of the day).

Fortunately for me, my doctor has a 24 hour on-call midwife and she was super sweet and wonderful to me. She recommended rest and steam/vaporizer the most, but also suggested hot tea w/honey, menthol steam, regular Tylenol (which we had from the 2WW last month), plain sudafed, lab created sudafed (which is what we have in the house), benedryl (50mg), and more rest. She said those drugs are OK in the "embryonic" stage--she didn't really elaborate as to whether or not they're ok later on down the road.

As of now, we're going ahead with the assumption that I am pregnant. Pray like crazy people. (Literally!) Thanks!

Play By Play Day 2

Well, we got up at 5:30 and were out of the house by 6 am.

Tim dropped me off at Target & I got 2 of the 3 things I went in for. He went to Wal-Mart. He got 2 of the 3 things he went in for.

Then he dropped me at K-Mart & went to Toy's R Us. We both got what we wanted at those stores.

Then I walked to Micheal's and Tim met me there. We got what we wanted & a couple other things. Then we went to I Hop for breakfast. When I used the bathroom there (around 9:30 am) I had some light rusty brown spotting. About a dime wide and 3 inches long. (That may be TMI, but I need to record it somewhere!) Then we checked Wal-Mart by the house and picked up a few things for each other & another gift that wasn't on sale.

Then we went home.

When we got home, I scored the Guitar Hero dual pack from Wal-Mart.com! Yay! Two games for the price of one! Tim's Christmas isn't looking so bleak any more. Then we took a nap. I slept for 4 hours & woke up with a head ache.

Then we ate Bagel Bites & watched an episode of Prison Break.

Now, we're going out to Mandy's to take care of her cats.

I've had either LIGHT pink or rusty brown tainting to the wipes when I wipe myself all day.

No AF yet & she was due this morning. My nipples are still tender & my breasts are still sore. I can't tell if I'm bloated b/c I'm wearing jogging pants. I have 2 dry patches on my breasts, excema on my BOOBS people. It doesn't get much worse than that! (or at least I hope it doesn't!)

-I'm out!

Another negative

this time on the "elite" First Response Early Response...which is suppose to detect 25 mIU.

Tim and I have decided until I get my period or the doc. confirms that I'm not pregnant, we are going to assume that the first test was accurate. Planning for the best.

-Steph

Play By Play

So, today I got up around 6:30, temped and tested. The test was negative & I was bummed. I spent about 30 minutes on the computer & then went back to bed.

When I got up again, Beth was up. It was about 9:00. I farted around on the computer, chatting on DS and Ovusoft with my friends there. I ate a bagel with strawberry creme cheese and started a load of laundry. Beth went home around 10:30 and I went back to bed with Tim.

I told him about the test and we snuggled and talked for a while. Then we got up. We spent some time on our computers and I made the pie crusts. I also tended to laundry. Then I cut Tim's hair. Around 12:30, I noticed brown, muddy, creamy, lotiony discharge in my underwear. After my shower, it was gone.

I put some make-up on while I was getting dressed and then we packed up and headed to VB.

We went to Farm Fresh, but since the pharmacy was closed, we couldn't get any pregnancy tests. We did get the groceries we needed and the paper though.

Then we went to Tom and Peggy's. Carl and his family were there and Beth too. Tim and I got right to fixing the salad. Tim told his parents about the positive test & then the negative test too. Their response was basically, "Well, ok, let us know when you know for sure." No excitement or happiness, no congratulations or "we'll pray for you" or "so sorry", nothing. We ate in the living room, on our laps or on the floor, as usual. Then I looked at the ads while we watched Christmas with the Kranks. Around 6:30 Tim and I went to the kitchen table to look at the ads and make our lists for shopping tomorrow.

At 7:00 I went to the bathroom & noticed some pinkish/red blood in my underwear. The spot is smaller than a quarter and it was very wet but not sticky or thick. When I wiped there was a small tinge of pink but nothing more.

After that we went back to our ads. We ate some chocolate creme pie (which never got cold, so it wasn't very good). Then around 8:30 we got ready to head home. We went to WaWa and got gas for the truck & then to Rite Aid to get some pregnancy tests and a big bucket of popcorn. We haven't been home long and we'll be going to bed soon.

I'm going to wait until the morning to take a test. I probably won't have time to publish the results. I'll add them to my chart though. My temp is going to be all kinds of wacky b/c we have to get up so early.

Our plan of attack is Kohls @ 4, Wal-Mart @ 5, (Me) Target @ 6, (Tim) Toys R Us @ 6, K-Mart, A.C. Moore, Sport's Authority.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up or down. I'm praying and asking God to please let this little baby grow. I love this baby so much already. I've been bloated and tired since 2:00. I was literally falling asleep around 5 tonight. I've also got the sniffles and a touch of post-nasal drip.

Anyway, I'm off to bed. Good night & thanks for all the prayers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today, I am thankful that, no matter what, I have friends and family who love me.

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband who understands and loves me, no matter what, just as I am.

I'm thankful that I got a positive pregnancy test and I definitely conceived, even if I don't keep it. Being able to get pregnant is part 1 in the infertility battle. Staying pregnant is part 2 and we'll cross that bridge as we get to it.

I'm thankful that my Mom and Dad, MIL and FIL, SIL & BIL, Sisters, Brother, Grandparents, Nieces, and Nephew all love me and Tim. And that I get to see them on a regular basis.

I'm thankful for our jobs, even if we don't always love them, because they help us have what we want and need.

I'm thankful for the dogs and the joy they give us.

I'm thankful for our great friends. Rob & Mel & their kids are great and I don't know what we'd do without their support. James and Missy & Trevor are great too, and we really cherish their friendship.

I'm thankful for lots more, but I can't keep going or I'll be here all night. I've been praying and thanking God all day.

I hope you enjoyed your day & that you are safe on Black Friday and that you have a great holiday season.

OK, so I'm not freaking out

Just yet.

Another friend on Diaperswappers is in the same boat. We've been looking around. Apparantly the test I took is 50 mIU sensitive, but at 13 DPO I should be btwn 17-48. So, yesterday's test could have been slightly more sensitive & I could have had a better concentrated pee. (I had soup for dinner followed by at least 3 glasses of caffiene free soda & a cherry coke at the movies, last night.)

So, the plan is to go get some tests that have a better sensitivity & try again.

I'm not going to even BELIEVE that I could have miscarried or had a chem. pregnancy. I am just going to take some more tests.

-Steph

And just like that it's gone....

Bad news. Today's test is a glaring NOT PREGNANT.
I highly doubt there's a mistake. I probably have LOW progesterone (like I've thought all along). If I did lose it, it would be considered a chemical pregnancy. I had some faint, faint, pink spotting around midnight last night & this morning.
UGH.
I'll try another test as soon as we can go to the store & get some, but I'm inclined to believe it.
So we got 1 day of excitement. And at least a month of anxiety coming up.
UGH.

OMG OMG OMG!

OMG!

I cannot believe that I am actually and truly PREGNANT! I will test again tomorrow, JUST TO MAKE SURE!

So of course, my blog is going to be my pregnancy journal! If you don’t want to hear about it, don’t read it!

Okay, so up first are the pregnancy symptoms.

Days Past Ovulation= DPO

4-5 DPO-Eczema on legs broke out & got awful very quickly…still bad at 12 DPO
5DPO-Lower Back Pain & Pimples
6-12 DPO-Vaginal Irritation
7 DPO- Irritable/Cranky
7-10 DPO-Fatigue/Tired all day
9 DPO-Insane crying thing at church
11 DPO-Neg. Test & Painful gas
12 DPO-Pos. Test & Cramp in upper left abdomen

So, I got up this morning, late again, and took my temp at 6:30. Then I turned off the alarm system and put the dogs out. Then I went potty & saved some urine. Then I went into the office & entered my temperature into my chart. Then I started the pregnancy test. (I’m using EPT Certainty Digital tests.) Then I started checking my blogs and boards. Then I remembered the test was going (I literally didn’t look once in 2 minutes!) and was SO shocked to see PREGNANT! I actually lifted it up to my eyes & double checked it! Then I snatched it up & RAN into the bedroom, jumped on the bed, shook Tim and made him wake up. Then I stuck the test in his face so he could see, he said, “I can’t see that.” And I said “It’s pregnant!” and he was like WHAT! REALLY! Then we hugged and kissed and snuggled. All of that was within six minutes of me getting up. Yay!

We snuggled for a minute or two, then I hopped up, posted on my boards, changed 1 of my signatures, made a Wordless Wednesday post, and then it was time to get in the shower and race to work.

Here’s the order of who found out. Tim, Melanie (through the blog & email), both message boards (Ovusoft & Diaperswappers), Chloe, Mrs. White, Mrs. Moose, my Doctor, my Mom, and then my Dad. We’ll tell our families & my 2 best-est friends only for a little while. I’m already 4 weeks along…and we’ll probably try to wait as long as possible before telling work friends.

I’m at work, its 10:52, only another 45 minutes until my kids go to lunch. Then the day is basically over. I can’t wait to go home & celebrate with Tim. I am so happy!

Here’s the Baby Center blip about where I am in the pregnancy:

How your baby's growing:
This week marks the beginning of the embryonic period. From now until 10 weeks, all of your baby's organs will begin to develop and some will even begin to function. As a result, this is the time when she'll be most vulnerable to anything that might interfere with her development.Right now your baby is an embryo the size of a poppy seed, consisting of two layers: the epiblast and the hypoblast, from which all of her organs and body parts will develop.The primitive placenta is also made up of two layers at this point. Its cells are tunneling into the lining of your uterus, creating spaces for your blood to flow so that the developed placenta will be able to provide nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby when it starts to function at the end of this week.Also present now are the amniotic sac, which will house your baby; the amniotic fluid, which will cushion her as she grows; and the yolk sac, which produces your baby's red blood cells and helps deliver nutrients to her until the placenta has developed and is ready to take over this duty.See what's going on in your uterus this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:
Sometime this week, you may be able to find out whether you're pregnant. For the most accurate results, wait until the end of the week to take a home pregnancy test. (You can try one now if you like, but you're more likely to get a correct result a week past your expected period.)If the test is positive, call your practitioner's office and schedule your first prenatal appointment. Most practitioners won't see you until you're about eight weeks along, unless you have a medical condition, had problems with a previous pregnancy, or are having symptoms that need to be checked out.If you're taking any medications — prescription or over-the-counter — ask now whether it's safe to keep taking them. And be sure to alert your caregiver to any other issues of concern.You should already be taking a multivitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid. Once you're pregnant, you'll need a bit more — 600 mcg a day — so switch to a prenatal vitamin if you haven't already.The next six weeks are critical to your baby's development. The rudimentary versions of the placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already functioning. Through the placenta, your baby is exposed to what you take into your body, so make sure it's good for both of you. I like their pictures and charts of the baby’s development.

I am still so excited. I cannot believe I am pregnant! There is a tiny little poppy seed sized BABY in my belly! I’m going to be a mom! A little BABY is going to be living with me and Tim! UGH. I am SO excited!

It’s 11:25 now….only 20 minutes until lunch time for the kiddies. We’re going to tell Tom and Peggy and Beth tomorrow!

Ugh, it’s dismissal time & we just had a fire drill. UGH. I hope Tim gets a new job where he makes more money, so I don’t have to work full time next year. I want to be able to stay home with the baby! My little Isaac or Jacqueline!

Wordless Wednesday!

The BEST EVER Wordless Wednesday!

How many...

Well, I haven’t blogged a “real” blog lately, so I figured I’d type one out while I’m at work. It’s 4:05 and I should be working so I can get home…but, ya know.

Anyway, I decided to respond to one of Trisha’s blog starters today.

This one is “How many did you date before you found “the one”?”

Technically, none! Tim was my first date ever. I was his too! We went to his Homecoming Dance, on Halloween night, in 1997. (Whew it’s been a long time) I was 14. Tim ended up puking & we went home early. That relationship lasted maybe 2 months. But they stuck with me.

While I was “talking to” Tim I started to like a guy on the swim team. His name was Lewis. He was a senior and although he told me he liked me, he refused to “date” me b/c he was 18 and I was 14. (My dad probably wouldn’t have let me “date” him anyway.) But, we hung out every day after school while we waited for the swim team bus and of course during and after practice too. Then he graduated and that was that.

During my sophomore year there really wasn’t anyone who caught my eye. I thought a few boys were cute, but I didn’t date anyone.

Then in my junior year I met Ryan, through church. We started going out by going to concerts for a band called G.C.P (God Centered People). We dated for about a year, maybe more, maybe less. We were broken up before the end of my junior year.

In my senior year, I dated a guy named Archie Wyville Bryant III. Yea. That’s one I try NOT to remember. We went to prom and then that was it.

Within a week of going away to college I had a new boyfriend. His name was Alec. I technically stole him, from a girl I had just met in the dining hall. Oh well. We dated throughout my entire freshman year of college. He gave me rides to and from school and I enjoyed the time I spent with him. I probably wouldn’t have had a reason to break up with him so I don’t know how long the relationship would’ve lasted, but he was in the Reserves and was called up to go to Iraq. (This was in early 2002.)

After Alec, I didn’t really date anyone in college. I flirted a lot. I had some “friends with benefits” but I wasn’t really attached to any one guy. The guys I remember are Phil (just friends, never anything more than that), Matt (BF of a friend from Chi Alpha that came onto me once, when I was sick…I never really knew what that was), Damian (A TKE frat guy, who I was dazzled by. He was a cheerleader, but in a good way. He could lift me up and carry me! We never really did anything & we weren’t dating…although there were parties we both attended.), and then the last one, who I won’t even name b/c it brings back bad memories that I don’t want to share.

Then I swore off guys…..until Jan. of my junior year, when I met Tim.
I made my best friend, Lauren, go on our first 2 “dates” with me! Tim doesn’t count those 2 as part of our dating life. Tim is my one and only and I love him more than anything in the world.

So you count them up. How many before I found Tim?

Now, I tag YOU to go on your blog & tell about all of your "significant others" before your CURRENT SO.

2 Things

1. During the first song at church this morning, I had an unexplainable crying fit. Like literally felt the tears coming, rushed out of the sanctuary, and then burst into tears in the narthex. I spent 5 minutes in the bathroom SOBBING for no definable reason. When I finally pulled it together, I washed my face and went back to church. I have NO idea where it came from. I wasn't UPSET about anything. I had really no thoughts of WHY I was crying. Just sobbing. WTF!? It was so bizzare that I'm still kind of riveted by it.

2. Twilight the movie....total let down. Robert P. doesn't do "Edward" for me. Kristen did a good job of portraying Bella. They COMBINED a lot of scenes and butchered a bunch of others. There's VERY little dialogue and the movie feels both SLOW and RUSHED at the same time. Tim was not impressed...but it was a B movie anyway, so expectations weren't super high. I liked it, will probably buy it & see it again, but, I don't think it did the book justice. I think if you were on the fence about whether or not to read the books & the movie was going to make your decision for you, you probably wouldn't read the books.

Picture Post!

These pics of Caro in dressed up are from 2 weeks ago. This is her maniac ha-ha, I've got the phone, grin!
Here's one of Caro last night. She's wearing hand-me-down Baby Gap pjs from Mel. Aren't they cute! You can KIND OF see the bruise on her right cheek & eye in this picture. The flash pretty much washed it out.

Here's another one from 2 weeks ago...what a cutie!

Sorry this one is so washed out, I took it without the flash, so you could see the bruises.

Well that's all for now. I'm sure I'll have more after I get her bathed and dressed for today.

Oh, I also wanted to add that now Caro has a split lip. When I was changing her diaper, she wriggled wrong and my finger nail (on my thumb) hit her lip and it bled a little. She's so fragile.

She didn't even cry & I gave her some super cold milk to drink. I'm hoping it doesn't swell at all.

Hereyago!

Hee hee...well we've got kids again....

Chrissy called on Thursday to ask if I'd keep Carolynn from Friday to Saturday so she could work. I of course, said yes, even though we were trying to get out for a bike ride. Tim has completely vetoed my hopes of buying a bike seat & helmet for the crew of kids we watch. Oh well.

So work sucked big time yesterday. I was tired and cranky. My kids were OK. I had an observation done on me but I quickly whipped up some plans so all things are good on that front.

I had a conference at 3:00 and by 4:00 I was on my way (McDonald's in my belly) to Virginia Beach. I stopped by Rock-A-Bye-Baby and Misty let me have my $0.60 worth of pacifiers, nipples, and sippy cup valves for free. That was cool. Then I went to Chrissy's house & grabbed what little clothes I could find for Carolynn. Then I drove to her job site & got Caro's car seat, then to the babysitter to get the kiddo to go in the seat. Carolynn was pretty cranky & hungry so we decided not to go grocery shopping. Instead we swung by Melanie's house to pick up the sippy cups.

There are 21 sippy cups in all! I just sterilized them & am sorting them out now.

Chrissy is getting: 3 Graco cups, 1 Munchkin (Blue's Clues) Cup, and 1 babyish cup
Mandy is getting: 2 Straw cups 1 is Playtex, the other is Cars, and then 2 Playtex Sippies one Cars and one with fishies on it

I am keeping the bulk of them b/c I'll still be able to use them when I have kids and sometimes I have 3 toddlers here at once!

From the Playtex cups I have 3 Princess, 3 Cars, 3 Babyish, and 2 with animals. I am also keeping 1 Colorchange Graco cup from Mel and I already had one, I also have my babyish Playtex cup with handles still. I don't really NEED that many cups, but I can't just GIVE them to Chrissy to ruin & Mandy doesn't need or want a bunch of them.

After I ran in to grab the sippies and a cupcake, Carolynn and I headed home.

Caro has a bruise on her right cheek and her right eye from a babysitter. URG. She is a super-klutz. She got another bruise on her forehead last night when she nose-dived off the couch & Tim couldn't catch her. She was quite cute last night....up until around 10. Then she was just being a cranky-I-don't-wanna-go-to-sleep baby. She didn't go to bed until midnight!

When we were in the guest room, I was sorting clothes out of the pack n play. I had set a sweatshirt on one of her toys, she walked over, picked it up, and handed it to me, with a tsk..tsk...in her voice, saying "hereyago!" It was cute but naughty too. She has learned the AWFUL word---MINE. Everything is MINE.

I took some pics, but haven't uploaded..I'll make them their own post later.

I'm in the full-on 2 week wait mode of my cycle now. I plan on testing on Thanksgiving depending on my period and my temperatures. (I'm due to start on Black Friday!)
Wish me luck!

Harry Potter Mania! (Round 2)

Guess what! Momdot is giving away another 5 Harry Potter prize packs!

I am SO excited! I want to win this so badly! Tim and I both LOVE Harry Potter & we really want to buy that box set of all of the books, but it's over $100 and we can't spend that kind of money on ourselves.

So, in honor of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" being released on Dec. 4, 2008 Momdot is giving away 5 copies of the book! One lucky winner will get the Beedle the Bard book & the Box Set of Harry Potter books!

AMAZING!

Now that I've blogged about this contest....I can enter as much as I want on the contest post! Yay!

Help Trisha--Help Me!

Hey faithful readers!

Please take a few minutes to help my friend Trisha out again...

She is participating in a Wal-Mart contest for FREE GROCERIES FOR A YEAR! I wish I'd known about it, because I would have entered! But, its in the final stages now. It's down to 20 videos & you have to vote for Haasiegirl!

I'll COPY and PASTE the directions for voting...

"This is how you vote. You have to go their youtube page at www.youtube.com/walmart. They have not made it easy to get to each video and there are no permalinks I can direct you to. There is a link called NEXT VIDEO and you need to scroll through till you see HAASIEGIRL/Walmart TIp and then give me a thumbs up. There are only 20 videos, so you shouldn’t need to go far. OR you should be able to type “haasiegirl” into the find box there and hit enter, then click on my picture and it comes right up now.
My actual video link is at Your kitchen can be a spa but you cant vote there."

Trisha is so awesome! She totally deserves to win the groceries!
ANYWAY, because she's cool, she is offering her Nokia E-71 Smartphone as a prize to one of her readers if she WINS! She won the Nokia & because she uses a local small-town cellular provider, she can't use it! So, just for blogging about her contest, I get 10 entries! Woot Woot!

So PLEASE go out and vote for Trisha! I'd love to have the chance at winning this phone.

OMG OMG OMG

I am SO freaking glad that it is almost FRIDAY!

I had another CRUMMY day at work!

I'm tired & my house is a FREAKING disaster zone.

Got to get back to work!

Real blog later if I'm up to it!

Blog Party Day 6

Brianna (now almost 10!) last Christmas Carolynn (now 16 months) last Christmas

Another of Carolynn...

Ashley (almost 8!) At Christmas 2006

Tony (now almost 12) at Christmas 2006--Doesn't our mall Santa look SO real?

I missed a few days in there folks & I apologize!

Welcome to the sixth installment of the Momdot Christmas of Dreams Blog Party!

Nov. 19, 2008

Topic: We would like to know what is your favorite holiday memory from your childhood.

Sponsors: Day Five Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Flying Colors Baby, Uncommonly Cute and Lollipop Book Club.

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

Also, for more Blog Party fun, go on over to Momdot and check out what everyone else had to say about today’s post!

So, from my childhood....

My favorite memory would have to be the large family meals. I distinctly remember a Christmas when I must have been about 15. My sister had 2 kids by then, my nephew, Tony (Macaroni) and my niece, Brianna. Bri was just a little one then. My sister had the kids all dolled up & she and her husband were also dressed up. I can't remember if Mom and Dad made Mandy, Frank, and I dress up or not. We all ate dinner together and then shared 1 gift. It was Christmas Eve. All of us kids (Me, Amanda, Frank, Tony, and Brianna) got pajamas from my Aunt Nunny. She ALWAYS gets her nieces and nephews (even the greats and the in-laws!) pajamas for Christmas. We also gave Tony and Bri their gifts from our family. We ate our traditional, mini weenies, Italian sausage, stuffed artichokes, and other small finger foods. I have a picture that we took that was one of the first family pictures of my sister and her husband with both of their kids.

Well...off to join in the Blog Party Fun!

Help My Friend win a Wii!

Hey Faithful blog reader(s)!

Help my friend Trisha (who co-runs Momdot!) win a free Wii for Christmas. She's way behind in the standings which is totally UNCOOL because she's awesome, sweet, and funny too!

You can click on over to www.momdot.com to learn more about Trisha & get to know her better!

If you can visit... Classy Mommy, and really quickly vote for Trisha Haas...I'd love you forever!

If you think you've got enough friends, enter for yourself! I know I'd never get enough votes, so Trisha gets mine! (and yours too hopefully!)

Thanks!

Blog Party Day 4

Welcome to the fourth installment of the Momdot Christmas of Dreams Blog Party!

Nov. 17, 2008

Topic: What is your favorite Holiday recipe, describe your Holiday table, biggest holiday cooking disaster…

Day Four Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Bottlewise and Glow Mama! Be sure to show them some love and check out their pages!

Also, for more Blog Party fun, go on over to Momdot and check out what everyone else had to say about today’s post!


My favorite holiday recipe is for Chocolate Drop cookies. The recipe came to me from my Mother (a childhood holiday favorite), who says the recipe came to her from my Aunt Dolly, who got the recipe from my late Grandma Covato.

Here’s the recipe:
Chocolate Drop Cookies
By Dolly Rudolph (Aunt Dolly)

1 & 2/3 C. All purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt

1 C. firmly packed brown sugar
½ C. shortening
3 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate

2 eggs
½ C. milk
½ tsp. vanilla flavoring

Spoon unsifted flour into dry measuring C. level off and pour measured onto wax paper.
Add soda and salt to flour, stir to blend.
Cream sugar, shortening, and chocolate thoroughly.
Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
Stir in vanilla.

Drop by tsp. onto greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350degrees 12- 15 minutes.
Frost while warm.

They are super yummy and delicious and we have them from Nov. 1-Christmas or maybe even a little longer if they last. My mom always makes a whole bunch and freezes them so we have them for the entire holiday season.

Our holiday table varies by house. At my In-Laws, they don’t really do anything special. We often eat in the living room, on the couch, in front of the t.v. Boo! At my parents house decorating the table is half the fun of getting ready for dinner. We always have a ton of people present, so there’s plenty to set up. We have special Christmas table clothes and place mats; we also have special center pieces. We use my mom’s holly decorated dishes and the good silverware. We have fancy folded napkins and candles too. Then, when it’s time for dinner, we fill every CREVICE with food. Literally the entire table, the china cabinet and the bar are FILLED with food. It’s GREAT! I love holidays at my house.

I think the biggest holiday cooking disaster I can remember would be when my little brother was standing on a bench, “helping” and the bench tipped over. It was Christmas Eve. We were making our traditional Italian fare. He ended up crushing his finger (thumb maybe?) under the bench and Mom and Dad spent the night in the emergency room. He was maybe 3 or 4 at the time. He’s 16 ½ now. We haven’t had any FOOD related emergencies, because my Mother is an AWESOME cook. She doesn’t make anything excited or amazing, but she almost always cooks what she is making perfectly. Again, another reason I love dinner at my parent’s house.
That’s all for me! Head off to Momdot to visit all the other blogs!

Weekend Blather...

Well, with the Bloggy Party & the Christmas of Dreams going on, I haven't done a lot of REAL posting. So, I figured I'd spend a few minutes tonight, going on about the last few days in the life of STIM. (That's Melanie's nickname for Tim and I.)

Thursday was the day I played hookie to babysit for Melanie. I couldn't seem to do anything right though. I nearly put Jack on the wrong bus, another mother caught me and told me we had to wait for the 2nd bus. Then, I was locked out of the house, with Sophia sound asleep upstairs. Rob had to come home from work & I was out in the rain for 30 minutes. Then, the bus driver didn't let Jack off the bus, because there wasn't a car in the driveway, so I had to go to school to get him! Poor guy, he was just chilling in the office. I took a nap while Sophia and Jack slept though, so that was nice.

Friday was a boring day. I got a dressing down at work. Oh well. I hate my job anyway, and I am defintely not going to be there next year. I have to change positions or something. That was first thing in the morning. The rest of the day was fine and I got a lot done. I stayed at work until something insane like 6:45. I had Grayson and Spencer for a while and that was OK. Mrs. White got a kick out of Grayson, but then, most people do, because he's freaking adorable and he's smart.

Saturday was SUPPOSED to be a kid-free relaxing day, but that didn't happen. We ended up sleeping in, getting up, eating, rushing out of the house and then running all day. When we left the house, we went to Tim's folks, dropped him off, then went to Chrissy's, visited for a while, then left with the girls. Chrissy had to take Tony to the hospital because he hurt his foot. The girls and I went thrift store hopping, trying to find an infant carrier and a helmet for the bikes, so we could take Carolynn for a bike ride. We never did find one. Wal-Mart had a Bell helmet for $10, but Tim said no to spending money on it. The girls and I (Brianna, Ashley, and Caro) then went back to Tom and Peggy's and just hung out until around 5:30. Tim was working in the garage with his dad. After I took the girls home, we all went to CiCi's for dinner. I am starting to lose my love of CiCi's, for real. After dinner, we all chilled for a bit, then Tim and I went to Tropical Smoothie Cafe to get smoothies on our way to Melanie and Rob's. They headed out to Kincaid's to do a mystery shop and we babysat the kidlettes. When they got home we headed home and to bed ourselves.

Today, we got up early and headed to church for the Family Life Center Grand Opening Inaugural Worship Service. It was nice. After church we went to Toys R Us. We bought Christmas presents for Chloe (a Klutz Cat's Cradle book), Jack (10 Hot Wheels Cars), and Sophia (Ming Ming Stuffed Animal, Wonder Pets coloring book, Downloadable video game), Ashley (moon sand set and extra sand), and Carolynn (Barnyard Bowling).

Here are some of the goods we bought. Left to shop for we have, Tony and Brianna (who are both getting Bakugan toys), Trevor (who we have to ask J & M what to get for), Frankie (who will get some part of his new computer from us), Loren, Beth, Mandy & J.C., Chrissy, Rob & Melanie, James and Missy, and then both sets of parents. If we manage to get all of the children bought for, we'll probably do gift cards for most of the adults to various places. My Mom wants village stuff and Tim's dad wants a new drill, so we shall see, what we can afford.

After going shopping, we headed to Tom & Peggy's to get our bicycles. When we left there we went to McDonald's for lunch. I left my pocket book there on accident. After we got home, we just chilled and relaxed. We ordered Pizza Hut in extreme laziness for dinner. Then we watched an episode of Season 2 of Prison Break & drove to VB to get my purse from Tom and Peggy's. (They picked it up for me.)

Now, it's bedtime. I have to be on time to work, or else, so I really need to get to bed.

On a TTC note, I don't think I've ovulated & I'm scared that my irregular sleep over the last few days & stress from work may have caused it. Wah. Tim and I talked and we may be taking a break from drugs/meds/doctors. We'll see.

Goodnight!

Blog Party Day 3

Welcome to the third installment of the Momdot Christmas of Dreams Blog Party!

Nov. 14, 2008

Topic:
Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Do you budget for the holidays? Do you always stick to your budget? Share with us any budgeting tips you may have!

Day Three Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Appledonia, Hippos Toes and My Bag! Be sure to visit their homepages & check them out.

Also, for more Blog Party fun, go on over to Momdot and check out what everyone else had to say about today’s post!

Christmas shopping is normally a lot of fun for me, but not so much this year. My car accident cost us almost $500 that wasn’t planned and then we spent about $200 helping Chrissy out with her car accident. So, needless to say, we are broke. We haven’t really bought anything for Christmas yet.
I picked up a little something for my FIL at Halloween time and a trinket for my Mom last week (it was on sale for less than $3). But, other than that, we haven’t bought anything.

We desperately try to budget for Christmas, but it always seems like something comes up. We planned on $1,000 this year, but never actually saved the money up.

We do have a budget for the rest of our expenses, though. Tim manages our money. He tells me when I have money to spend and when I need to be frugal. I mostly listen. I don’t really want for much. (Except a baby!)

We follow the Dave Ramsey principle of paying off your smallest debt first. We started over a year ago, paying off our lowest loan as quickly as possible. We put a tiny bit over the minimum on all of our other bills except for the target bill. Then on the target bill we put all of our extra money from each pay check. That way we were able to pay it off a lot faster than expected. Then we moved to the next lowest loan. We’ve done pretty well this way.

Well, that's all for today, I'm off to go blog hopping!

Christmas of Dreams

Momdot is hosting another fun event right now, that I just MUST tell you about! It's their Christmas of Dreams contest. One amazingly lucky winner is going to win a huge (over $1,000 value) prize pack to make this truely one amazing Christmas!

The super wonderful and awesomely generous sponsors are (and subject to be adding more as the month goes on):
Dyson
BabyPop
The Shrunks
Soda Club
Kadi Prescott
Uncommonly Cute
Lollipop Book Club
Kuster
Silly Monkeez
LA Plates
Natitys Design
Little Black Box
Koshas
Kidz Sunglasses
jaC Jewelry
Appledonia
LeapFrog
Mutsy
Kushies
Huddy Buddy
Mimsi-Bags
BottleWise
Lets Go Strolling
DaBib
Sassy Baby
Baby Legs
Scentsy
FeeFiFoto
Randi100
Organic Blankees
Shi Shu Style
Georgie Tees



My favorite sponsors from that list include:

1. Dyson! We LOVE our Animal. We bought it almost 3 years ago and it's going strong. We had to buy a new vacuum because our apt. flooded (on Christmas Eve 2006, essentially ruining our first Christmas as a married couple) & we got new carpet. Our little "dorm room" vacuum couldn't cut it against the new carpeting. If we win the prize pack we'd be passing the Dyson portion on to my MIL or one of my sisters. My little sister has 4 cats and three stories in her home. A Dyson would be SO great for her! MIL has 3 small dogs (nonshedding) and could use a new vacuum! The DC25 Animal would be the vacuum I'd buy myself if I could go out and get a new one. Ours doesn't have the cool ball thingy that makes it turn on a dime.

2. Soda Club! Wow that is cool! I didn't even know they made do-it-at-home soda! That is awesome! And GREEN! I love it. Now that's one toy I know my friend Melanie would love too! We are the "hippies" in our group! Hee hee...

3. Kuster (ModernTots) Awesome! The question should really be, what DON'T I love on their webpage! I love it all! The bamboo swaddling blanket is adorable. The merino G blanket would make a great Christmas gift for my niece Carolynn. My Godson, Trevor, would love the Melissa and Doug cutting foods. There are so many awesome things on this webpage. I even already had them bookmarked for a few baby items I want, when I have a baby!

4. Natitiy's Design-Cocoa Blue Paisley Baby Sling....oh beautiful! I don't need a sling & I don't know anyone that does either but this thing is GORGEOUS! It even has an innovative pocket that the sling folds into...nifty!

5. Leapfrog--Leapfrog has great gifts for all of the kids on my list. I especially think my nephew would love the Fly Fusion pen! I'm sure he'd love it, Dh even wants one of those! Hee hee...I don't think you can go wrong when you give a Leapfrog toy as a gift.

6. Appledonia--Cute hand embellished tees! These would be perfect for using with longies!

Now, the wonderful women who run Momdot have asked me to explain why I think my family deserves to win this awesome prize package.

I know that Tim and I are not the most needy people on the planet, from first hand experience.

Tim and I are blessed beyond belief. Tim and I both have good paying jobs, nice cars (a 2005 Toyota Corolla and a 2008 Toyota Tundra), we have a warm house to live in, we make all of our bill payments. We have a few creature comforts, like Digital Direct TV with HD recievers and even a DVR box in the office, we have our cellular phones, which were top of the line when we bought them (Palm Treos), we have our puppies and Blondie. All of those things are bonuses. We don't deserve them and we sometimes struggle to keep them, but they are just that creature comforts. If times get too tough, we'll start cutting from that list. (Pets last!) We live near the majority of our family and have lots of friends who love us. We have a wonderful church family that supports us and prays for our well being. We are trying to concieve our first child and God willing we can afford to pay for all of my fertility treatments.

I would love to win this prize package because it contains many things in it that I could never justify/afford to buy for myself. It also has some things in it that I'd love to be able to share with those around me. Probably the biggest benefactor of the package would be my older sister. She has 4 kids, but only has custody of her baby. Her husband (their STILL in the process of getting divorced after 4 years) recently took all of the kids from her. Tyler (11), Brianna (9), and Ashley (7) all live with their dad and go to their Mom's every other weekend. They see their baby sister 2 weekends a month. Carolynn (16 months) lives with my sister. She was in trouble in the past, but she's been clean and sober for over 2 years and is making a decent effort to get her life together. She is a painter and so her work is seasonal. She struggles every week and is always behind. I know a lot of the things in this prize pack would make her Christmas amazing. I'm sure there will be things in the prize pack that the kids would enjoy as well.

One reason that Tim and I deserve to win this is because we LONG to be able to give all of our friends and family nice Christmas gifts, but this year it just won't be possible. My car accident (Sept. 25) and then Chrissy's car accident (end of Sept/beginning of Oct.) set us back a lot. We had to pay our entire deductable and then we paid to get Chrissy's car towed and Tim helped her get it fixed up. That was basically our entire Christmas budget out the window. We'd be able to bless a lot of people (if not everyone on our shopping list) with this Christmas prize pack. To me, that would be a great thing. It breaks my heart to know that we can't go above and beyond (like I'm so used to doing) this Christmas. So, this prize package would enable me have the Christmas of MY dreams because I'd be able to spread the love and give NICE gifts to all of my friends and family. I'm sure there will be things in there that Dh and I would love as well, so that'll be a nice touch!

Anyway, most of all, whoever wins this contest will be a very lucky woman/family! The sponsors and all of the women who run Momdot have put a lot into it and I think it's awesome!

Thank you Momdot for this GREAT opportunity.

I hope, if you read this, that you go on over to Momdot and check it out. You can even enter for your friends and family, so be sure to read up on it!

I'm a doofus!

Well, Rob had to come all the way home from work. I managed to lock myself outside, in the rain, when I took Jack down to his bus. Ugh. It wasn't TOO bad. I talked to Rob for about 10 minutes on the phone, called Tim, and played Solitaire on my phone. At least I had my phone! No bra...but I've got my celly. Hee hee...now I'm too awake to take a nap, so I'm going to eat and then maybe snooze on the couch until Sophia wakes up. When she gets up, I think I'll shower and get us both dressed. Anyway, I'm a doofus.

Good Luck Chloe!

Well, I'll be getting up at 3:15 am. I am going to go over to Melanie's to babysit Jack and Sophia. Chloe got an audition for a toy company in LA! She fits the bill to a tee. Melanie and Chloe will fly out in the wee hours of the morning and get to LA around 12ish. Then the audition is at 3 something. Then the next morning they'll fly home and be back here around 9 am. Crazy times. I hope she gets it!

Go Chloe!

Urine or You're Out

Got this one in an e-mail from my Dad...love it!

I doubt that you'll find this on the political agenda - it
makes too much sense.

While I don't have to pass a urine test for my job, I
still agree 100%......

THE JOB - URINE TEST

(Whoever wrote this one deserves a HUGE pat on the back!)

Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit.


In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test.

Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them?


Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their A--, doing drugs, while I work. . . . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? I guess we could title that program, 'Urine or You're Out'.

Isn't that just a good thought!!!

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party! Day 1

Welcome to the first installment of the Momdot Christmas of Dreams Blog Party!

Nov. 12, 2008

Topic:
Intro to Blog Party, Introduce us to your family and share Holiday pics or videos of past years (Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving)

Today’s Party is hosted by La Belle Toile and This and That by Randi! Be sure to visit their homepages & check them out.

Also, for more Blog Party fun, go on over to Momdot and check out what everyone else had to say about today’s post!

Well, to me, the Blog Party is a great way to learn more about all of the bloggers I love and share information about myself. I sometimes find it hard to blog daily, but when I find a meme or a topic starter I like, I can write a lot. That’s why I know I’m going to enjoy participating in this Blog Party. With the Momdot Christmas of Dreams Blog Party, you get chances to win great prizes. It’s really neat because you get rewarded for doing something, you probably would have been doing anyway! I know I spend a lot of time reading other people’s blogs and working on mine daily. So, if you want lots more info on the Blog Party be sure to head over to Momdot and check it out. Momdot is a GREAT webpage and I love it.

My family is quite large. I have my immediate family, my family, Tim’s family, and then all of the friends that I include when I think of family.

My immediate family is just Tim, 10 pets, and myself. Tim is my wonderful husband. We have been together for almost 5 years. (Our “anniversary” of our first date is Jan. 23, 2009.) We are just perfect together. We met each other as children, went on our first date at 14 and 15 years old, and then fell in love forever when I was 20 years old.

I’ve always loved Tim, and I’ve blogged about how we met before. In the years that we lost touch of one another; I used to hum the jingle to “Oh Christmas Tree” for comfort. I never really put a lot of thought into it; it was just something I did. Once we re-met and I started to think about it, I realized WHY I hum that jingle when I’m stressed. Tim and I met at a Halloween camping trip. We sang a Halloween version of that song, called “Oh Jackolantern.” The woman whose funeral we met at was the author of “Oh Jackolantern.” I thought it was fitting that we’d meet at her funeral; when that song she’d written had brought me comfort over the years, it made me think of how good I felt being with Tim that weekend.

Tim and I have 10 pets. I have 3 dogs, their names and pictures can be found in my side bar. I also have 3 cockatiels. I also have 4 fish. My fish don’t have real names, but I have nicknames for them, like ShyOne, Fatso, Speedy, and Where’dhego. Obviously, there names reflect their fish-onalities.

My family includes Grandmom, Mom, Dad, and my baby brother, Frank (16 1/2). They live in Pennsylvania. It also includes my sisters Amanda and Christina. They both live here in Virginia. My sister Christina (Chrissy) also has 4 kids. They are the reason behind my blog handle. The kids are Carolynn (16 months), Ashley (7 ½), Brianna (almost 10), and Tyler (Tony) (almost 12). My brother has our family dog, Tippy, living with him. We’ve had her since he was about 4, and she is the puppy of our old dog, Blondie. My little sister has 4 cats. She and her boyfriend J.C. are really into cats.

Grandmom-in 2004

My little sister Amanda.

My older sister, Chrissy (30), last Christmas Eve.
My Dad last Christmas Eve.

My husband’s family includes his Mom and Dad and their 3 dogs. Their dogs are Mocha (Blondie’s mate), Peaches (another one of Blondie’s puppies), and a new baby named Mia. They are all poodle mixes. I also have a brother in law and a sister in law. My brother in law, Loren, is in school with the Navy to be an electrician. He is also trying to become a Navy Seal. I am not sure exactly WHERE in the United States he is right now. My sister in law, Beth, is in culinary school at Johnson and Wales University in North Carolina. She’s in her second year there.

Beth!

We have several close friends that I count as family as well. Melanie and Rob are like family to us. They have three beautiful children, Chloe (7), Jack (5), and Sophia (3). We love them! James and Missy are also like family to us. Tim is their son, Trevor’s, godfather. That’s a funny story. James wanted Tim for the godfather; Missy wanted her friend Jennifer for the godmother, so Trevor has 2 sets of Godparents. Charlene and her husband Jim are like family to us as well, even though they live in Richmond. They have a bunch of kids too. Their son was our ring bearer. Their kids are Paige (about 24) (who has a daughter named Amberleigh and a son whose name I’ve forgotten), Anna (about 20), Caitlin (16), Chelsea (about 9), Carleigh (about 6), and Nathan (4). Next up is the Corbin’s. Mike and Elise were like second parents to me in High School and College. Their girls are like my adopted baby sisters. They have Candice (about 16), Angelina (about 15), Ginny (about 14), and Hannah (about 12). They also have a couple other kids, but I don’t know them because they are older than me and were already gone from home, by the time I met the Corbin’s.

Well, now you know all about my family and friends. I’ll try to include some pictures now from past Christmases for your viewing pleasure.

Wordless Wednesday!

This is my Dad. He obviously LOVES the gift! (It was Die Hard 3.) It's RARE to get a picture of my dad smiling, so I was glad to catch this one.

Click on over to Momdot.com to see more Wordless Wednesday posts as well as to join in the Christmas of Dreams party!

TTC Update

Well, today was my check-up consult with Dr. Morgan. He's good. I like him. Basically he said even though I got negative OPKs last time, he thinks I did O and that the Clomid worked. Yay! He also hinted that I should be using them this time (but he never told me to)...he also said since it's so late in my cycle not to bother with them this cycle. If I go another cycle, he said to use them, though. He said I should O and get pregnant this cycle as long as there isn't anything wrong. As we were leaving, I hope to hear that you're pregnant this month! I like that he's optimistic but also realistic. He gave us clear directions as to what to do if I don't get pregnant. Step 1 is Tim will go for a Sperm Analysis. We are going to start looking into what this costs & where to go, now. Just in case. Step 2 is we'll take a month off of the Clomid. Basically to see if I O on my own & wait for Tim's test results. Step 3 is we'll assess Tim's results. If Tim is A-OK we'll procede with Step 4. Step 4 is to check to make sure my tubes are clear. Now, he didn't say how they do this, but I'm pretty sure it involves something going up my who-ha. If Tim is not OK, then we have to decide what to do based on those results. We didn't discuss that option, because frankly we don't want to hear that there is a problem with Tim. So, I'm hoping my darn temperature goes up tomorrow and I O'ed today. The only other thing the doc said was that we should be doing-the-deed (my words not his, he's very Frank (ha ha) and just says having sex) every other day. He actually said that daily will wear Tim out! (Tim blanched at that one! Hee hee.) You probably want to know why I laughed at my own joke up there, the doctor's name is Frank Morgan. Hee hee...Tidewater Physicians for Women, if you want to know. He's good, I recommend him.

PS, I just realized how bad the grammar & editing in this post are. I'm tired. I'll fix it tomorrow afternoon.

Preemie Presents!

Wow! This woman is putting together an amazing project. I read about her Preemie Presents project from the Crankypants Blog. She is making 30 gift bags to give to the parents of preemies who have to leave their babies in the hospital over the upcoming holidays. She is asking for donations of money, cards, gifts, and hand-knit or crocheted products. These parents are going to be SO blessed by the generousity of strangers.
I'm hoping that my few readers will be able to help spread the word. That's one way I know I can help. I don't have a lot of money right now and certainly not any to spare, but I feel like I should do something.
Please post about this on your blog is you feel like its worth it & if you can help her out, thanks a ton!
-Steph

Diaper Cake!

OK, so these pictures aren't the best, BUT, you can see the totally awesome diaper cake I made. Mandy helped me with the finishing touches. The next one will definitely be EASIER to make.

-I hope she LOVES it!

Little People!

Well, I just had fun sorting & setting up all the Little People I earned babysitting last weekend. They are SO cute. Carolynn is going to make a mess, I mean, have a blast, playing with them!

Here's a customer photo of the Robin Hood set. I have Robin Hood, his horse, the dragon (which is trash 'cuz Rosie ate it's head), the unicorn and Maid Marion.

The night, king, queen, and horse, you see are part of the castle set. (which I don't have) I also have a not pictured Dragon Cave.


Here's the Nativity Set.

Rosie ate the angel. Lily ate the corner of Baby Jesus. Dogs. What can you do but love 'em.
I'm missing the king in red.



Here's the Playground. Fisher-Price doesn't sell this anymore.
I'm missing the little girl with the balloon. Here's the SUPER COOL Learning A-Z Zoo.




Here's Noah's Ark.

I'm missing both elephants and the bottom half of the ark. Mel you got the boat part around there somewhere?

Here's the School Bus!

Here's the Air Plane!

Here's some more Noah's Ark characters. I have a kangaroo & the two leopards.

Here's the Barn.

Here are some more barn animals.

Anyway, I love them! Thanks Mel!

There are also 5 misc. boys, 6 misc. girls, and a misc. dog. Fun Fun Fun!