Rock-a-mama cookies....

Here's a picture of the kids from this morning. I figured I better take a picture while I had happy kids.

Bug went out for her first "real" Halloween tonight. DH went out with her first, while LM and I sat on the steps and handed out candy. I can't remember the last Halloween that I was able to sit outside in a short-sleeved t-shirt...it sure was nice though. After Bug and Daddy got back, I took her to our friends, Dave and Jen's house. Dumbo had to use the potty as soon as we got to Dave and Jen's house, then we headed out to some houses in their neighborhood. Every time she would get a treat from a house (after she said thank-you), she would say..."One more, Mommy!" I kept telling her "ok, one more". Finally, the wind picked up, and it got cold, so that was it for us. She still didn't want to go home though, and threw a "terrible two" temper tantrum in the driveway of Dave and Jen's house....O-well.

So, we get home, dump the loot (pictures will follow this entry), and she talks to Little Man. Little Man FREAKED OUT! He started crying, and not just fussing, seriously crying. I could not console him. Every time he looked at her his bottom lip would come out, and he would just scream. I think he could hear her voice and see her face, but was scared by Dumbo??? Who knows, but as soon as the "Dumbo head" came off, LM beamed a huge smile at her.

Another funny thing....Bug repeats EVERYTHING she hears now. I was looking at a ad for the local grocery store, and they are actually selling Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin cookies (yes, the cookies actually have their faces on them!!). I made a comment on how ridiculous it is to have their faces on cookies. The next thing I hear is: "Rock-a-mama Cookies"!! Bug calls Barack Obama, rock-a-mama. Pretty funny....

I think that is all for now...I will leave you with some pictures from this week:

This is the same face she made every time she put her hand in the pumpkin...hilarious!

From left: Little Man, Bug, Mommy and Daddy

Would you believe this was only the second picture we had to take to get a good one?!

Bug and her pumpkin

Little Man and his pumpkin

Bug reading her teddy bear a catalog...(this chair was Great-Grandma Polly's favorite, now it's at our house)

Dumbo is taking a horsey ride

"I LOVE HALLOWEEN---CANDY, CANDY, CANDY!! (dentist, fillings, cavities!)"

"I don't know what Halloween is, but it is 70 degrees outside and Mommy has me dressed in this silly outfit, and I am hot, so I will just smile so I can be done with this!"

Kiddos playing their first board game, and LM body slamming baby gigi...

He loved this game....what a big boy!! He is sitting up so well...

Bug trying on a new dress that she might wear for her Great-Uncle's wedding (it is a 4T!)

Bug and her friend, Curt. He stopped over while out Trick-or-Treating

The Loot
This picture was taken to show just exactly how big the "Dumbo head" was...this costume was a size 18-24 months. (???)

A new home for a cherished piece....

Well, I had a wonderful weekend visiting with my family. I did all I set out to do this weekend--meeting my friends new son, Samuel, picking up the desk my Grandma wanted me to have, going to a craft fair with Mom and my sister, and much more. I stayed at my parents house one night, and my Grandma's house the other night. While staying at my Grandma's house, it wasn't as emotional as I thought it would be. I think because we were always busy. We did come across something very dear to me. When I was little (between 2 and 4 yrs old) my grandparents used to record me on audio tape singing. Singing anything-prayers, nursery rhymes, basically anything you can think of (my mom told me that when we used to go to a store, I would sing the entire time we were walking around..). So, we found three of those audio tapes. We listened to them, and one song in particular brought me to tears (in addition to the first time I heard Grandma's voice on the tape). It was of me and Grandma singing a song together, when I was about 3 or so. It went like this:

"Two little eyes to look to GOD,

Two little ears to hear HIS word,

Two little feet to walk HIS way,

Two hands to serve HIM all the day."

There was also a tape of my Grandpa talking to me when I was 4 months old (and me cooing/talking). Even then, I wouldn't stop "talking"!! It was neat to hear my Grandpa's voice, since I don't really remember it. He passed away when I was four-in December of 1980.

We also cleaned out the secretary desk (pictured above, in it's new home) that my Grandma wanted me to have, and loaded it in my van, along with her glider. She only bought her glider about 3 years ago, but it was her favorite, and every time we were there, she was sitting in it. It was weird seeing so much open space in her living room...just another reminder. I held it together pretty well during the trip, but on the four hour drive home, is when it seems to hit me. When I have nothing to do but drive and think, I start remembering all the fun times, the conversations we had, memories as a child, and then the tears come....

DH said he had a good weekend with the kiddos (honestly, we have barely talked in depth about his weekend, because after I got home last night, it was so busy). On Saturday, they went to visit Little Man's birthmom and her family for a few hours, then some friends who live in the same town. Both kiddos were good, and Bug had very few accidents. For that, I am glad--both for Bug and Daddy! More messes would have just stressed him out.

Anyway, I think that is about all. This week seems full again. Tomorrow afternoon, we are going to the pumpkin patch (yes, we are late this year!), then I have bible study at night. Wednesday night we are carving pumpkins (and I am roasting pumpkin seeds!), Thursday I am hosting a playgroup (so I also have to clean Wednesday night) at our house, and Friday is clear!! YAY for a open day! Saturday, LM and I are heading to a local baby store to sit at a Bethany Christian Services booth to answer any questions prospective adoptive parents might have (November is "National Adoption Month"). That really is all now...here are some pictures from the weekend:

LM cuddling with his big sister in her bed

Being goofy... Watching Sesame Street together....peacefully!! Little Man with his biological Great-Grandma, Kit LM and his birthmom This is my new "nephew" Samuel David. He is two days shy of being one month old in this picture, and he still hasn't hit 6 pounds yet. What a cute little peanut!!! Holding him was such a change for me, from lugging around a (almost) 18 pound four month old. I came over to their house to take this picture to use in his birth announcements. Isn't he so cute!?!?! This is my Grandma's house. It has so many memories, so each time I go back I take a few pictures. It will be a sad day when the house is sold, but it will ALWAYS be my Grandma's house.

Playing in the leaves...

Wow...how time flies. Doesn't Bug look so old here??? Makes me want to cry....my babies are getting so big!!!

Well, another crazy week under my belt--or maybe it just seems crazy since I am still doing a fair amount of "accident" laundry, and it is amazing how much that can fill your days. Bug is doing pretty well with the P.T (potty training). We had a exciting moment yesterday--she realized she had to go (#2) and went up to the potty, and got on all by herself, before I could help her. I asked her if she had to go (#1), and she said...."NO MOMMY, BIG UCKY POO POO!!!" For the sake of retaining any readers I still have, I won't tell you what she calls her "business".

I got a chance to get outside to take some more cute "jumping in the leaves" pictures (or in L.M's case, laying in the leaves" pictures). I will post them at the end of this entry.

Little Man is getting so big...he is eating rice cereal and bananas at lunch AND dinner now. He still isn't too fond of the cereal, but likes the bananas ok. He can almost sit up on his own already...the little dude is strong!

Well, I am heading to "home" in about two hours. I am excited, yet I know I will miss my kiddos so much. This is the first time I have been away from Little Man. Needless to say, I have a feeling I will be calling more often than I would like to admit. It's a mom thing, I guess. On a more somber note, I am not sure if I will stay at my Grandma's house. It will be pretty lonely there, and I know the emotions will flow....since I don't have my two kids there to keep me busy (like the last visit). On the flip side, I only have limited times to stay there, then the house will be sold...so what do I do? Part of me knows I need to stay there, just to deal with some of the emotions, because it isn't good to avoid it. I haven't dealt with it really, since her funeral. It is amazing how much time you don't have (to grieve) when you have two little ones. I think about Grandma daily...many times, but then someone needs a bottle, hands washed, undies changed, diaper changed, etc. I will just go with the flow, and enjoy my weekend.

Here are some of the pictures I took the other day of the kids in the leaves:

Cuddling in the leaves....LM tried to eat the leaf in his hand

LM not liking the leaves too much... I LOVE this picture... This was the face she made after I took a leaf out of her mouth... Ya know how many pictures I took of this pose?? This is the best I could get!! Our sweet Little Man making leaf angels.... Every time he got a handful of leaves, they went right to his mouth! It was funny trying to get a picture, and trying to keep him from ingesting some extra fiber... Looking up at the tree...

That is all for now...Happy Friday!!!

Crazy week...

Well, our week started out at Little Man's birthmom's basketball game. We had a good time, and "H" did a pretty good job! This is a picture of LM's birthmom's mother.

Thursday brought a 4 month check-up for Little Man. He got two shots, and he wasn't too happy about that at all. He checked in at 17lbs 4 oz, and 28 inches long. He is in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. Yikes...he is about a week from being out of his infant carseat. That should be interesting going grocery shopping. I guess it will have to be LM strapped on the front of me, and Bug in the cart I guess...

Friday, DH and I had our 10th anniversary celebration (about 2 months late...). We went out for dinner, then to a play. We had a good time, and actually talked....funny how that works when there aren't any diapers to be changed, hands to be washed, bottles to be washed, etc. It was weird though, going out with no diaper bag, and having a purse that only had necessities. No extra diapers, undies, travel potty seat, wipes, bottle, bib, snack cup, no extra outfits when the diaper can't hold what a 8 oz of formula does to a baby...shall I go on?!? :-) Anyway, it was just good to re-connect. Every time we do our date nights, we always say we should do it more often....that just never happens. In a perfect world I would like to be able to have date nights 2-3 times a month...hmmm, probably not gonna happen!

Saturday, I attended a Bethany adoption class...that was very emotional. They had a panel of birthmom's and the class just listened to their stories, and asked questions. It really hit home for me too...I think I was grieving a bit for our birthmom and her family knowing what a blessing and joy our Little Man is to us, and how much we cherish him each and every day. During parts of the class, there wasn't a dry eye in the entire room . I will definitely be attending again...


This week is fairly open. Ahhhh, a week of nothing going on! I will be getting ready to visit my family this weekend. I am going by myself for the weekend for a few reasons: meeting my best friends baby boy, Samuel, going to a massive craft fair with my mom and sister, helping to clean a little at Grandma's house, and bringing back some of the things she wanted me to have. It will be bittersweet, but I am really looking forward to staying in her house--being close to her stuff. I do miss her so much...and some days it feels like I just have to take time and grieve. It is sometimes hard to do with two little ones though....so for that reason, I am glad I am going by myself. It is a much needed visit...

Well, I am STILL trying to figure out our new computer (and Windows Vista--Grrrr, don't get me started!!!), but DH figured out how to resize our pictures to email and put in the blog. :-) I still haven't figured out how to add new email addresses to my address book. Another oopsy we did is we didn't copy over our old address book to the new computer. So, I have no email addresses of anyone. If you are reading this, please email me a note, just so I have your email address, and I will put it into our address book. Gracias!

Now, here are a few pictures from the past week. It was quite busy, so I don't have alot--actually barely any. Most of these came from today. Unfortunately, LM was sleeping during the leaf pictures, so I will get some leaf pictures of him and his sister and post them later this week. Enjoy!

At the basketball game on Tuesday..."H" is the last one on the "bench"
LM flirting with Bug's baby doll (that pees after you feed her some water in a bottle). This baby also randomly coos, and moves her arms and legs. I sat the baby there to keep him happy, and it did--I got to eat lunch in peace!
Playing in the leaves today


Taking a ride on her "sit and spin"
...and taking a spill from her "sit and spin"

Trying something new...

I am actually blogging from our new computer. My DH worked like crazy to get it up and running over the weekend so that I didn't have to worry about little fingers messing with two computers for days on end. It is nice....I can get used to it for sure! I have a fancy little program that makes movies from your pictures. I can make a movie in about 15 minutes now!! So, my first movie is below--from our trip to the zoo yesterday.

I actually have lots of new pictures to post, but I have to figure out how to reduce them in size, so as not to use up all my space that blogger allows...As soon as I figure that out, you will be able to see them.

Not much else going on here--potty training is going very well. Tomorrow night we are going to one of Little Man's birthmom's basketball games. We are exited to see her play--I am sure she is very good! Thursday brings Little Man's four month check-up--any guesses on how much he weighs??? My money is on 18 pounds. Friday night is date/celebration night for DH and I. We are going to a play, and dinner to celebrate our 10th anniversary (belated due to my Grandma's passing). And to finish off the week, Saturday I am going to a four hour adoption class from 8am-noon. It is a required class for those wanting to adopt through our agency, and DH attended in April. I was unable to attend on that date, so they gave me another "assignment" in lieu of going to that class, so that we could get approved. Well, DH raved about this class, and said I should go to the next one, even if we do get placed before that. So, I am going to go. It is a class that stressed the importance of the adoption triad (adoptee, birthfamily, and adoptive family). The majority of the class is a panel of people in the adoption triad and it is open questions to those people. Now, having been through the adoption process, and having a good, open relationship with Little Man's birthfamily, it will be interesting to hear everyone's stories (since the people attending the class will likely not have ever been through adoption before...).

I think that is all for now...until I can figure out how to resize the most recent pictures, enjoy the video!

It may be awhile...

Here is Bug while we were playing outside last night. Daddy was trying to teach her to hit a ball with a bat. She had more fun swinging the bat at the bubbles DH was making, until she smacked the side of the garage door and actually dented it. Daddy said, " Ok, we are done with the bat now.." Did I mention the bat was plastic?? We will be signing her up for T-ball for sure!!

Well, potty training is coming along very nicely. We all ventured out to Walmart this morning. Bug went potty at Wally-world with no problem. Yay! I was afraid she would get scared with the loud flushing, and be traumatized...but she did just fine. No "#2" messes in two days now, so this Mama is happy!!! Nothing a little bribery with ice cream can't do, right?

We booked our Florida trip...I can't wait!! We are going to be visiting DH's grandparents for three days, then the rest of the time, we are plopping our heinies on the beach! We might possibly throw a visit to a Disney Park with our friends who live in Tampa, but we aren't sure of that yet. We are staying at the same place we did a few years back, when Bug went on her first trip (at 7 months old). It is perfect for us--lots of old people, not really a party place, and it is right on the beach. Ahhhhh. I wonder how Little Man will like the sand. I remember Bug hated it at first. She cried till she got used to it, then it was just fine! (Here is Bug experiencing sand for the first time in February of 2007. Note the pouty face.)

Anyway, we just got a new computer, so it may be awhile before you see another entry from me. I have to spend my spare time the next few days transferring over all our pictures (and files)...and those who know me well, know how many pictures I take....See you in a week or so! Here are a few more pictures from yesterday...

From M&M's to Grapes

Awww, how cute is this?? Bug loves her baby brother so much!!


Not that I want to turn this into a Potty blog, but getting your child potty trained is a huge deal, right?! Well, we went one day with no "accidents" (except for the poo-poo--which she was refusing to put in the potty!). Today, for the first time folks, she went poo on the potty!!! I was so excited!! (side note: I knew I always wanted to be a Mommy, and knew obviously, that someday I would be potty training, but I never expected to be so excited about poop before!!!) Anyway, she is progressing well. We are done doing M&M's for rewards for going pee-pee. We went to using grapes (obviously, more healthy--plus I didn't want to look like a bad parent at her first dental appointment!!), but now she doesn't even ask for those! Yay!! Now, we just have to master going "#2", and I will be a happy camper!!!


Other than that nothing much else going on here. There isn't much going on because we have been home for a whole week (potty training)--I am about to loose my mind. What am I going to do during the winter??? Yikes... Anyway, on Sunday we are going to the zoo for a NICU reunion. Bug was a "graduate" of the NICU at our local hospital after her birth, so the hospital hosts a "reunion" every year at different places. This is the first year we have attended, and it is at the zoo. So we have a free day at the zoo, courtesy of our local hospital. Thanks WMH!! This will be our first visit to the zoo this year. Bug will love seeing the animals, and will really love the carousel and the train ride. It will also be interesting seeing her do her potty thing at the zoo...I am guessing I should probably bring lots of pairs of undies and jeans!!

One Plump Pumpkin....

So, here is our Little Man practicing for Halloween. I had to go buy this outfit, because the pumpkin costume that Bug wore for her first Halloween was too small. He is wearing 6 month clothes, and will be in 9 month clothes very soon. Little Man will easily pass Bug up in weight, we are sure of it! What a plump, happy little pumpkin!!

Well, Day 5 of Potty Training Boot Camp, and we are doing ok, I think. Each day, Bug gets better about going on the potty. Today, so far, we have had no accidents. :-) She still isn't telling me that she has to go, but I am hoping that will come soon. Right now, I am just watching her body language (tippytoe walking, fidgeting, etc), and then telling her it is time to sit on the potty. She gets REAL excited when she gets a M&M after doing her "business". We are coming along....sometimes I just wish it would go a little quicker. I know, patience-patience-patience.

We have our yearly Florida trip planned out--now I just have to book it. I am waiting to hear back from DH's grandparents to make sure they will be around that week, before I buy 3 airplane tickets. I ended up finding airfare for 3 for $772, SUV rental for $300 (for a week, with DH corporate discount!), and 4 nights at the hotel (right on the beach) for $330. Not bad, I don't think. The only thing that makes me a tad nervous, is that Tampa will be a disaster around that time, because of the Super Bowl. We are planning on flying back home the day before the Super Bowl....bad plan??

Anyway, I better get scrapbooking--must utilize nap time! I will leave you with one more picture I took this morning--it reminds me of how blessed I am to be able to be a stay-at-home Mom.

Potty Training 101...

Here is a picture of my best friend, her daughter Brie, and new son Samuel David. He was born on September 28th, at just 5lbs 3oz...what a little peanut!! I can't wait to meet him! I am going back "home" on October 24th for the weekend, and one of the things I will be doing is meeting Samuel. I am sure Brie is an excellent big sister, too!!

Well, we embarked on a new journey...Potty training. Yikes. Talk about stress!! We decided (basically, I decided, because I was sick of changing poopy diapers of a two year old, that I believe can go in the potty) to start this messy process now, since we have no travelling on the schedule for at least a month. We cleared alot of our calendar, and are going for it. We started Saturday morning (when I knew DH would be home all weekend), and the first victory for us was Sunday night. We are going with absolutely no disposable training pants, 24/7. I was quite overwhelmed Sunday afternoon, after I felt that I was doing something wrong, because Bug just wasn't getting it. Then, FINALLY, SHE PEED IN THE POTTY!! After that, it seemed to click more for her. She told us a couple of more times that she had to go, then went on the potty. We were so excited!! (I never thought I would be so excited about peeing...) Anyway, here we are today with a score of: Made it to the potty=2, accidents=2. Not bad for Day 3 with no diapers...

I will update again with more potty stories....I am sure there will be plenty! Here is one more picture of little Sam: