Monday = BLAH

I cried this morning when dropping Coleman off. Today a lady that mom knows from church is keeping him. She keeps 2 other kids, and she seems like a very nice lady. (Her name is Toi.) Well, she goes to the house of one of the little girls she keeps every morning to get her ready and then take her back to her house. The house she goes to is a LOT closer to my work than Toi's house, and the timing is right, so I just met her in the Tara Village parking lot and put Coleman in her car there. TOTALLY weird putting my son in someone else's car and watching them drive away. She was going to Callie Joe's house, and then in a couple of hours they will be back at Toi's house for the day. I am just praying that he is safe, and trusting my instinct that tells me that everything will be ok. But, I definitely have reservations about having someone else drive him around!
Thankfully, this is just a temporary situation. Toi is going to watch Coleman 2-3 days a week during the month of May. Then June 4th Coleman gets to start going to Carolyn Daniel's in-home daycare. I am so thankful that she had an opening and called us. She's been doing the in-home care (with her husband Danny) for 20 years. She lives about .2 miles from Jeff's work and less than a mile from our house. Then once Shelby starts at TCC in August, hopefully we will have the kids in semi-permanent care for the next couple of years. Good care is so hard to find but we have been so blessed so far and always find the perfect situation for us at the time!
It's Monday morning and I need to get to work. I am SO exhausted from the weekend. Yesterday we spent hours working in the front yard. I used the electric hedger (?) is that what it's called? I trimmed so many bushes and ground cover---and today my back is killing me. When I wasn't hedging, I was holding Coleman. That boy just wants to be held. Period. He won't sleep during the day without being held. He won't sit more than just a few minutes without fussing. I don't like it only b/c I am not sure if something is wrong w/ him or if he is just fussy for no reason. If he's hurting somewhere I want to know so I can fix it! But, usually picking him up and bouncing him does the trick, so there can't be something too terribly wrong with him if that fixes it, right?? Well, that's what I'll keep telling myself as long as the dr. says he's healthy!
There's so much more I could write but this is going to be a LONG day. It's 7:40 am and I've already been up for 2 hours. I have dinner with my friends in Grapevine tonight. Maybe I'll write more later after I wake up some and get some work done.

Just rambling...

Ah, the days are just flying by! I find myself wanting to just SIT and do nothing in my free time (which is late at night when I really should be sleeping.) But it just feels like I need to have some awake time that is not spent being MOMMY or EMPLOYEE or HOUSEWIFE but just relaxing. So, if that time is at midnight, then so be it. Then some days I am just so exhausted that I have to go to bed just as soon as possible. Our schedule lately has been all crazy because of Jeff and I working different work schedules to try to make sure Coleman is cared for. I have been going in late (11) on Mon & Fri and therefore working until 5:30 every day to make up that time. Jeff has been going in late on Tues & Wed and working EVERY Saturday to make up his time. It is starting to wear us both out and I can't wait until this is over and we are back to working normal hours. However, summer is upon us which means I will be going in early and working late EVERY day in order to work 40 hours in 4 days and have Fridays off (which is a requirement, not a choice.)
There is some good news though. Last night I talked to Toi, a lady from church that Mom knows, who keeps 2 children in her home. She told Mom she'd really like to keep another baby so I called her. She sounded extremely nice and normal (YAY!) and said she'd be happy to hold Coleman all day :) So we are going to meet her tomorrow night and see her house and she is going to keep him for a few weeks to see how it works out. I am just not sure about the distance- She lives almost all the way out to the airport. It might just be too far but we'll see how it works out.
And today Debora and Jasmine came to clean our house! YAY! I know I'll be able to relax more and be happier knowing that we are not living in filth, and not feeling guilty that I just simply don't have time to keep the place clean. I am not a clean freak but clean sheets and clean bathrooms are certainly a necessity every couple of weeks! :)

Shelby's conversation

Shelby can now have conversations:

Shelby: (Finding a dvd- taking it out of the case) "Baby Einstein!" "Let's watch it."
Mommy: "Ok, do you want to watch it in the playroom?"
Shelby: "No, Big tv. On big tv!"
Mommy: "Oh, ok"
Shelby: "Here ya go" (Handing me the dvd)
Shelby: "Here's remotes." "Here's remotes." (Handing me 2 remotes.)
Mommy: "Ok thank you!"
Shelby: "I want blanket" ... "On! OOooooon!"
Mommy: "Ok get up on the couch and I'll put it on you."
Shelby climbs on the couch and snuggles under the quilt to enjoy Baby Shakespeare so Mommy can write about our conversation! :)
My smart girl! hahaha

Another weekend done

Well, another weekend came and went so quickly. I have yet to figure out how to take care of 2 kids AND get anything else done. We still have a garage full (SERIOUSLY FULL) of crap to go through, another coat of plaster to put on in the bathroom, and then the kitchen walls to do. Then after that I'd love to paint the hallway and the kids rooms, but WHEN?!?! When will any of these things get done? I keep telling myself that it will be easier once Coleman and sit in an exersaucer or jumparoo and enjoy himself. He is still in the stage of just laying there, and he wants to be held (and I don't blame him!) I love holding him and loving on him, but I'm afraid I'm missing enjoying these parts b/c it is so hard to just sit there and do that, without my always-going mind racing, thinking about all the things that I need to do once I'm able to put him down. I wish my mind wasn't always so on-the-go. Can't it just relax sometimes, like a man's? :)
This weekend Coleman ran a 102 fever on Sat & Sunday. So, he was a little more fussy and needy than usual. Poor baby! I think the fever is about gone (it was just 99.9 this morning, so once you subtract some since I took it in his bottom, it is close to normal.) I brought him up to work w/ me to meet Anna (she is keeping him in the afternoons) and he was all smiles and coos. I love having my happy baby back!
Shelby was of course completely adorable and enjoyable this weekend. We played and played. She likes to grab your hand and make you go into the living room, then tell you, "HOP." Then she starts hopping around saying, "Ribbit." She wants you to do it, too. If you are sitting down but she wants you to stand up, she sure does tell you. "STAND UP!" while pulling on your hands. She loves doing sommersaults and the splits. She loves dancing. Must get her in a gymnastics class!
Last night we were hanging up clothes on our bed, and Shelby kept picking up hangers w/ clothes on them and saying, "Dis a cute" - translation "this is cute" - while holding them up for us to see. I called Mom and told her that Shelby must have been paying attention to us when we shop! :) haha

This or that?

I need to stop asking OR questions. I think that most things I ask are like that, with choices. They are not Yes or No questions. However, Jeff almost ALWAYS answers Yes or No, and I have to make him specify, "Yes to this or Yes to that????" Now I just emailed my manager, asking, "Do I need to do X or can I just do Y?" And her reply email back says: "Yes." WTH??? I guess this is one of the negatives of email- now I have to go talk to her to clarify :( I was really enjoying not getting up! :)

Our babygirl is TWO!!!

Yesterday was Shelby's birthday. I seriously felt weepy last night when I was putting her to bed. She has changed so much in 2 years and I love her so much. It's that simple- pure LOVE.
We had a wonderful day. Jeff and I both took off work. My day had to be off UNPAID since I used all my paid leave during my maternity leave, but some things are just more important than money and work. I just really felt like we needed a family day and needed to take time to celebrate and spend time together, since our weekends have been so crowded with house stuff, parties, etc. We went to the zoo and Anna, Tyler and Heather all went with us. Shelby was in a great mood the entire time, and she thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. I was kind of surprised at how well-behaved she was, especially considering the short 1 hr nap she got in the car before we got there. She did get tired toward the end of the journey, but at that point we strapped her into the front seat of the stroller where she could sit back and relax, and she even enjoyed that part. Who would've thought she would EVER again enjoy being strapped down?!?! :) The sit-n-stand stroller was a huge hit. She sat in it like a good girl, and she also stood in it where she's supposed to, and it was very easy to get her in and out of so she could look at the animals. Here they are in the stroller:


Another lifesaver was my sling. It was awesome- I wore Cole in it probably half the time we were there, and it certainly made feeding him a bottle while we were walking around about a million times easier. Here's a family pic showing off the sling:


We got lots of other really great pictures but they're on Anna's camera- and she better send them to me soon! =)

So I will write more about everything later, but wanted to say
HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY TO OUR SWEET SWEET LOVE GIRL!!!

Mrs. Piggy

I already at lunch. Jeff picked me up at 11 and we went to La Bistro, a great Italian place right by my work. I had Beef Medallions Romana, which is 2 steak medallions w/ a great sauce and peppers, onions and mushrooms. I also had about 4 pieces of garlic bread and a salad. Why, then, am I already thinking about eating again??? I am hungry all the time! But seriously, a lunch like that should last me a good 4 hours AT LEAST. Good thing I brought me some tangerines and almonds to snack on. I already finished off my grapes this morning. It's time to go shopping and stock up on these healthy snacks again! I've almost eaten an entire bag of oreos in a week, just because we have them. At the store Jeff says, "Look, oreos are $1.88." So I buy them. Has he eaten even ONE of them? I don't think he has! Ugh.

Shelby's on one of her "no meal" phases. She wants to eat candy and cookies all the time. It's so weird b/c I have hardly ever given her candy. Maybe it's from the treats they had at school for St Patty's day and then Easter, and then her birthday. Yeah, she's been on a sugar run for the past month. But we are sticking to the rule of no candy and cookies before bed. Last night she didn't eat dinner and was crying for cookies around 9pm. When she finally realized I wasn't giving in, she gave in and ate some graham crackers instead. Still not healthy but it's better than oreos! :)

Crazy Beautiful

It was a crazy cold weekend- but beautiful because of the all the fun we had and all the friends and family we were surrounded by!
Shelby's bday party was on Saturday at our house. Amazingly, it wasn't TOO crowded. Everyone seemed to have a place to sit, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Nana, Garland, Mimi, Millie, and Luke all came into town for the occasion. I can't wait until Mill is here for good! We sure do miss her! Today I bought Shelby some water sandals from Children's Place, just for Millie. Mill wants to take her to NRH2O this summer- and although that worries me to death (can't I just keep my babies safe at home with me forever?!?!) I know Shelby will LOVE it and she will need water shoes so she doesn't burn her feet! :)

Saturday was April 7th. In Texas. It SNOWED!!! That's the crazy part! Sunday it was in the low 50's I think, but Shelby still managed to go swimming on Easter, like she did last year. She got a new swimsuit in her Easter basket (CUTE!) and I had her try it on. Of course she thought that meant she was going swimming and of course the loving doting grandparents couldn't bear (bare?) to see her disappointed, so the hot tub was heated up and Poppy took her swimming.

Once we got home, Shelby took a 3+ hour nap. I had to wake her up at 6 b/c I didn't want her to be up all night! Jeff and I got a nap too. WOOHOO! I think giving my body a little extra rest with naps on Saturday and Sunday has helped me stave off this sickness that I feel coming on. I think I should nap every day! Don't you?

Oh phooey!

It has been quite a gorgeous March and early April. Minus a couple days of rain, it couldn't have been prettier. Guess what the forecast is for Shelby's bday party? High of 56 (but in the 40's in the morning, when her party is scheduled) and rain. Nice! I went over a month ago to reserve and pay for that dang pavilion at Chisholm. Now it looks like we'll be stuffing people into our barely moved-into house---which still has a lot of work to be done. I wish I hadn't starting pulling the wallpaper off in the guest bathroom last night! It doesn't look very pretty. :(

Oh well, it will all work out and Shelby will certainly not know the difference.

I have been so absent-minded lately. Yesterday I ordered tickets for a Rangers game. Jeff and I planned on taking Shelby and Coleman, but when I get to the site, all I think about is how it says tickets are required for people over 36". I know that Shelby is not that tall, so I proceed to purchase 2 tickets. Did I even stop to consider that Jeff, Shelby, Coleman and I (plus all the baby stuff we have to take) will certainly not fit in the vicinity of 2 seats?!? No. So, I had to purchase a separate 3 seats together. We now have to try to sell the original 2 seats.
Then, I left all the milk I pumped yesterday out in my car for 3 hours. Not good! Today both times I've pumped I just finished and got busy on the computer and completely forgot to put it in the fridge for over an hour each time. WHERE IS MY HEAD????

I better stop writing in here and start thinking about what else I could be forgetting today.... ;)

It's Monday

What a great and tiring weekend it was! It is such a blessing to be able to spend 2 whole days with my babies. It is exhausting and sometimes frustrating, but so fulfilling also. And then Monday comes and it is the only day of the week that I feel a little relief while driving to work. After a weekend full of 2-yr-old tantrums and hundreds :) of diaper changes, it really does feel pretty good to drive to work, by myself for the first time in 3 days, and know that all I have to do all day is sit at a desk. Then Tuesday comes and I'm wishing I was home with the family all day again. So Mondays really aren't all that bad. I'm gonna say that Tuesdays are worse!

This weekend Jeff had to work on Saturday at noon. Gram came in the mornin-time and visited and played w/ Shelby for a few hours. Then it was a miracle- I got Shelby down to nap without much fuss at all. She wanted brother to lay down with her, so I put him right in her bed next to her, under the covers, and she laid there and fell right asleep with Mommy rubbing her arm ("Hand" as she says.) Then about 30 minutes later Coleman went back to sleep and I got a ONE HOUR nap! WooHOO! After naptime we went to Nonnie & Poppy's house. I went shopping w/ nonnie & Cole, and Uncle TyTy and Poppy watched Shelby. She was such a good girl- she pooped TWICE in less than 2 hours for poppy to change! :)

Sunday we had Easter and family pictures taken by Jeff's coworker. We haven't seen them yet, but I hope he got some good ones. Coleman was doing lots of stretching and freaky baby faces, so maybe he got one or 2 of the little man sleeping and looking peaceful. Then we went and had "brunch" at Los Potros. YUMMY! They have this huge buffet line of all kinds of Mexican food. We all ate for $22, and that is several servings each! Their buffet starts at 11 so Jeff and I are thinking, "What a great after-church weekly tradition!"

Jeff did lots of yardwork yesterday. I spent the afternoon trying to get Shelby to nap (that took about an hour and a half) and then she finally slept for about 3 hours. Then we hauled the whole fam up to Kroger and proceeded to spend $240 on groceries. We better not be eating out with all that food in the house!

Well, that's our weekend synopsis. Pretty basic and boring. Next weekend is Shelby's bday party and Jeff is off on Saturday, so 2 full family days. Yay Daddy!