Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Last of the 20's

So today I turn 29, and as I reflect back I have come to realize that I have all I ever needed or wanted. I can't think of a single thing to do tonight other than stay at home, order take-out and play a game with my kids. That's my birhtday wish.

My birthday really started last night when my friend Crystal met me at her salon for an evening of girl talk, hair color and thai food. What a treat! Even more so was the realization that she and I have been friends for 11 years! Back in our collage days when we were both just trying to survive chemistry, before John, before our boys came along. I am really grateful for her friendship, honesty and love.
John left me a message first thing this morning on my cell phone about how much he loves me and misses me. He wished me a great birthday, and was excited to see me when he gets home. You know he made me tear up. {he says that's not hard to do these days} 11 years of birthdays with John and he never fails to amaze me with his love. A girl just never gets tired of being swooned by the one she loves.
Jordan greeted me with a "good morning mommy" before she ever got her eyes opened.
Chastin couldn't wait for me to open the beautiful all white pot holder he made me. Poor kids thought of it all on his own weeks ago, wrapped it and then had to wait......for my birthday to get here. He was so excited!
Shilo told me that I couldn't leave the house on my birthday. We needed to stay home. Unless- we were going to Fantasia! Cute how 5 years olds think.
My dear friend Paige helped me out with Shilo and a little boy I watch. She was a BIG help and I always feel like I owe her big time for always being there for me to call when I need help. She is always happy to help me and I am truly thankful to have her in my life.
Early this morning my good friend and neighbor came bearing a Macy's gift card with a beautiful card signed by their 4 year old. It was very special to me that they thought of me on my special day.
Next was a long time friend, Marcie. {who spells her name with an 'ie' too, so we were instant friends:) }One of those friends that you are blessed enough to have, that you can go months with out talking to, yet never feel like there is any space between you. She used her gift of service to come over and help me out in more ways than one. But the biggest way she helped me was that while I wasn't home she came in and did my dishes! She unloaded the dishwasher, reloaded it, then hand washed all the rest! To top it all off she gave me a book I had never seen before about flea market finds! I ' m looking forward to laying in bed with my little side light on and going over all the cool projects just waiting for me to do. Maybe I'll implement some of them in my baby's shabby chic room!

I'll edit later to add how the rest of my day went, I just have such bad pregnancy brain that I didn't want to forget.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

John- "I don't now if you knew this, but when we bought this house it had a tag that said
'some assembly required'.
Me- start laughing
Chastin- "Where did you find it?"
Me- laughing even harder!!!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Free Snapfish Book

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Edit Edit Edit Edit!!!!!!!!!!!
Due to the amazing popularity of our free book offer, we've extended the time you have to create your free book to 11:59pm PST on Saturday, November 22nd.

How cool is that!!!!!!! I just got this in my inbox! Now you have NO excuses!!!!

To help you get organized, Snapfish.com is offering The Oprah Winfrey Show viewers a free 8" x 11" custom-cover photo book!
This offer is only good for one standard 20-page 8" x 11" custom-cover photo book per household. Coupon dispersal ends at 11:59 p.m. PST Friday, November 14, 2008. Free photo book must be redeemed by 11:59 p.m. PST Sunday, November 16, 2008.
Here's the link: Photobook
Hurry!! This deal ends fast!

I hear a Christmas present being ordered!!! Who couldn't stand to save a little money on presents this year? This book is worth $30!
{glad my doctors sent me to bed yesterday so i could lay down and watch Oprah!}

Privacy Notice

So it has come to my attention that someone in my household is sharing my blog with someone i don't want it shared with. My bad for being so trusting. I will now have to go to being a private blog. I know this will drastically reduce my readers, but if you care to still read, e-mail me or leave your e-mail in the comment section and I'll put you on as a reader. For those of you who don't comment, yet read the blog, just let me know you still want to, and I'll take care of it. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but it needs to be. I will change it by 8:00am tomorrow.
Take care and hope to still see you in the blog world...

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born

it was october 31st 1999

the back ache began sometime in the morning

i was due two weeks earlier, so i thought that was the culprit of the pain.

jordan was dorothy from wizard of oz and still needed earrings to complete the costume,

so the 4 of us headed to alderwood mall, i had to rest at a kiosk, while john took her into clairs.

i did gain 60 pounds mind you, so i figured i was tired and uncomfortable, with good reason.

we lived in an apartment in edmonds at the time, and i never put much thought into how many trick or treaters we would have, i was rapidly running out of candy and sent john to safeway for lots more.

i had pinned the baby's costume on to my overalls upside down, because that's how the baby was facing. { a cute little pumpkin costume, complete with a hat shaped like a stem} all the while john was saying, "i think you're in labor," i pushed his worries aside, because it was halloween and i had false labor a week ago! and there was no way i was going to be embarrassed like that again!

well john came home from the store { while he was gone i ate, couldn't believe how hungry i suddenly was!}

he came home, asked how my pain was and i told him i was feeling 'better' i wasn't feeling that bad anyhow- remember- just a slight back ache. finally i decided that laying down for a few might help.

i called the hospital {because it was halloween and evening time, hence the dr. office being closed} the on call doctor told me i could take an ibuprofen, oh and by the way, how far apart are your pains? 'oh i don't know, maybe 10 min. apart or so...'

a little while later i thought maybe a hot shower would help more than laying down, and might help keep my mind off everyone telling me i was in labor. while i was in the shower, john decided to take alex and jordan to their mom's house so she could take them trick or treating, meanwhile i hung out in the hot shower ignoring the phone ringing off the hook.

how many people did john tell this story of me being in labor to? oh well. i wouldn't look stupid when it wasn't true. he would.

after sometime in the shower i emerged to find him waiting for me in the living room. what was he up to?

'let's go' he tells me

'let's go where?'

'the hospital'

'you know, if it will make you feel better, i'll go, but you'll see, i'm right- you are wrong'

he tells me that he has been through this twice before, and that it's not a good sign that i'm bleeding. {TMI- sorry}

so we head off to the hospital, no bags that i remember- just us. because i wasn't having a baby today!

we enter through the emergency and find a few people in line waiting for a nurse to come back to the counter.

i'm holding by belly because it is so large that there really is no other place for my hands to be.

people turn to look at who has come in the door.

they see me.

i remember someone saying "is she in labor?"

john says yes

i laugh at him, just like i did all the way to the hospital, denying anything having to do with labor.
{boy was i getting mad at him}

the woman takes his side and leaves the lobby to find a nurse for us...

all the while, others in line are saying that i can go ahead of them. this really can't get anymore embarrassing. or can it?

a nurse comes hurrying in- with a wheel chair!!! and if you know me, i am way too stubborn to sit in a wheel chair when i am completely capable of walking! so thank you very much but i'll pass on the sympathy.

i bid the fellow emergency room waiters good bye, all the while thinking 'i sure as heck hope they aren't still here when i have to leave out these doors with this baby still in me.'

so i insist on walking and the nurse pushes the wheel chair aside and reminds me that it's kind of a long walk.

and i reassure her that i will be just fine thank you very much.

we wait for the elevator, and i worry that i might still be bleeding, so i ask john to walk behind me in case.

he puts up with my insanity and does as i ask.

we get to the room and i have to pee...again! how many times can one person pee i ask to no one inparticular.

the nurses get me into bed to check me.

now remember that i am 19, i know how babies get here, i just have no idea what the process is like or what anything means.

"WOW! your dilated to 8 1/2!!!! is this not your first child?"

"what? yes it's my first child! and what does this 8 1/2 thing mean?"

oh! you only go to 10?!?!

well that means i'm in labor! and i'm not ready!

i know my sweet husband wanted to say those lovely words of "i told you so" but once again he was smarter than i give him credit and he kept his mouth shut.

still not in as much pain as i thought i would be, like i had seen on TV, i resisted any pain meds.

they insisted, i gave in, labor stopped.

baby's heart rate dropped

i was in danger

a c-section was needed

my baby was born at exactly 4:00am on november 1st



this little boy and i have a very special connection, we didn't meet for HOURS

he was rushed off to the I.C.U and i was knocked out from all the drugs

when i finally got to meet him, i was worried i wouldn't know which baby was mine...

would they all be laying in plastic beds side by side with no way to know whom belonged to whom?

as i was led into the icu, i instantly knew who my son was, the sweet nurse had him sitting up in her hands, waiting to meet his mom. all the tubes and i.v's and monitors connected to him made it hard to hold him comfortably, but we were determined to be together, he looked up at me and i knew he was my son.

5 long days later we got to bring our baby home

i sat and held him, he slept with me, i didn't want to share him...

and to this day, i don't share him.

we share a bond, and i can't believe we have shared it for 9 years,

i love this boy...

and so i share our story

our story about the night he was born


Thursday, October 23, 2008

Just a few things

I just wanted to let all you bargain shoppers out there know that Albertsons is having a cool deal!
Buy 10 two liters of A&W, Sunkist or Sprite and get a $10 mail in rebate. It's cool because the soda is 10/10 anyhow so it's free! No coupon needed!
So now your wondering what your going to do with 10 two liters of soda....
Tell me you never have to bring soda for a school party, or supply it for a dinner at your house.
Or you could do what I'm going to do, and drop some off at Hopelink Food Bank.
Happy Shopping

One more thing-
Thanks Audrey for putting our name on the prayer list at the temple,
Thanks Kelly for keeping us in your prayers,
And thanks Paige and my sis Joni for taking Shilo on last minutes notice for my Stat Ultrasound in the a.m.
I am now confidant after much time on the phone with health professionals today that all will be fine, and that maybe bed rest will be my worst case scenario.
I'll try to keep you posted...
"May the force be with us, and let this baby keep on cookin' "

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Hippo Birdy To You!

Shilo's 5 Today!


5 things you might not know about my shilo


  • she goes by 'scooper doo, missy mae, honey bunches of oats'

  • she has her own song john wrote her called ' shilo is a whiny butt face'

  • she is in LOVE with all things tiger and lion


  • she would choose to never wear pants again- only dresses and skirts


  • she could live on candy if it was legal in this house

5 things everyone knows about my shilo

  • she is a daddy's girl


  • she loves to listen to books for hours


  • she wants to do it 'herself!'


  • she hates socks and tights with feet


  • she ties anything she can find- laces on knobs, strings on legs, ropes on bars

i love this little big girl!