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Well, it has been a while and I am not sure how much I will get written in this post, but I'll try to update as best I can : )

Our computer crashed, not sure why, but it did and The Geeks had it for like a week. It ended up being cheaper to repair this one than get a new one, which was surprising, but good, I guess. However, it was a pain to get everything back on it. We did get a new external hard drive out of the deal. I really like that and now I can back up things properly. It really sucked being without the computer for sooooo long.

The first weekend of October, Andy came for a visit from Portland and we had a great time. He brought all kinds of fun toys for the kids, so they love Uncle Andy! He got to experience Russell's first soccer game of the season and I think we definitely reaffirmed that Andy does not want to have children, what with the tantrums, crying baby, lugging shit all over. Yea, he's probably never gonna ever have kids! Ha! Not that there's anything wrong with that, I am just saying our chaos can be convincing one way or the other! Andy is big Miami Dolphins fan and the game was on while he was visiting and they actually won. I have never seen Andy so emotional..... We also took him to the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas. A great desert living and green living museum with acres of trails and gardens and indoor exhibits, classrooms, etc. A very neat place. Oh, it also rained like 3 times while Andy was here and it never rains, so that was bizarre.

Rachel turned 4 on October 11th. We had a soccer game that day, which the opposing team did not show. So, our team scrimmaged itself. It was very cold - 50 degrees, rainy, windy, i can see why the other team didn't show. Did I mention I got suckered into coaching Russell's soccer team? Well, I did. I volunteered to co-coach with the guy that stepped up to coach and he flaked, so it is all me. There are 2 other dads that help a lot, so that makes it easier, but they can't always be there and they don't want the responsibility of being the in charge or the decision making. So, I have help, but limited. We are the Jedi Tigers and I'll be glad when it is over.

But back to Rachel turning 4. We had the game, that wasn't a game. So, we invited the Cannys to go with us to Chuck E Cheese and had a small celebration there. It was fun, bought tons of tokens and let the kids go nuts. I think Rachel went a little too nuts because she barfed in the car on the way home. Like all over barf - all over Adam, the car seat, the van. Adam finally appreciates the leather seats - so much easier to clean!!! So now Russell thinks that Rachel is allergic to pizza b/c she barfed it up. And she isn't a real fan of it either now.

She was so cute opening her presents and cards. She really took time to look at each card and admire the pictures on it. And every envelope and every package she'd say "I wonder what's inside? What could it be?" and then was genuinely thrilled to open each thing. "A dress!!!! It is so beautiful" "Oh, I love this fancy hat" "Little Pet Shop for me?" It was so cute.

Adam left for Oklahoma on the 14th of October and he is still there. He has to be requalified on the AWACS jet. So, he is there trying to get qualified. he's been there almost 2 weeks and hasn't even finished 1 ride and he needs to have at least 4. This has been a really hard time having him gone. 3 kids (well the baby) makes it harder, my cat, Kadie has been sick and she died this morning, not having very many friends here, trying to coach soccer and make sure Rachel and Rowan are being taken care of (Rachel goes to the Cannys and Rowan comes to practice and an older sister of one of my players helps me with Row). It has been rough.

And now Rowan is up, time to get dinner going... you should all feel lucky that I chose to spend 'my nap' time writing to you!!! ; ) More later.... If you haven't already - find me on Facebook - what a blast that has been!!!

Pictures

These are a few pics from Russell's first day of 2nd grade. Rachel didn't have school that day, but she packed her lunch and backpack just the same.

Rachel’s Week

No one disagrees, Rachel needs to be kept busy. She is at the age where she is truly interested in doing stuff. So, I started researching some classes and things for her in Vegas. One thing, private preschool is super expensive in Vegas. And the places that aren't – like a co-op or thru the city, fill up instantly. So, I decided to get her in preschool at the YMCA that is close by. Tracey's son, Jaime, goes there and they like it. It is reasonable, but only 2 hours, 2 mornings per week. It isn't ideal (the times make it hard for drop offs in the morning with Russ's schedule), but hopefully she'll be at the co-op next year. She has only been a couple of days, had no issues with the drop off and seemed to have a great time. It will do for now.

So, 4 hours per week, we've got school, but as I said before, Rachel needs to be busy!!! We tried out a dance class, which Rachel wasn't too keen on and at $40 per month, I wasn't going to pay that just so Rachel could stand there or be held by the instructor. I discovered that the City of North Las Vegas has all kinds of rec programs and they are really reasonable. Rachel is currently booked Monday – Saturday!!! Mondays we have a pee wee soccer class and that is so terrific. The coach is a mom who has coached her daughter's team for years, she is excellent with the kids and there is a real lesson in every session. I couldn't be more impressed. (And since it looks like I am coaching Russ's soccer team, I am going to start taking notes on her drills. More on Russ's soccer later.) Tu/ TH is preschool, Wednesday is gymnastics at the rec center. Again, another excellent class, tons of equipment and Rachel loves every second of class. Fridays we have 'creative ballet' which is more of a creative movement class. Gemma is her teacher and she is a free spirited kinda gal. But, I have to say, she is wonderful with the girls. She can captivate them with stories and then they dance the story, or like last week, they used instruments and danced their names. The structure is real loosy goosy, but they are always moving and groovin' and isn't that the real point? Saturdays we have ballet and tap. This class was sort of an unknown and we are trying it this session, but not sure if we'll sign up again. It is very structured and a lot of waiting in line. Which 3 year olds in tutus aren't too good at doing.

There you have it, Rachel is busy and loving it. I really am thankful to have a rec center so close that we can take advantage of all these fun things to do! I have met a couple of other moms too. One is an AF spouse who has a 1st grader who is going thru the same making friends at recess problems that Russ is having at a different school. So, it has been nice to have some other moms to chat with and learn from too!

Rachel has been an incredible big sister lately and lots of fun. Just want to write a few things she has been up to, so I can remember them later..

In the van, Russ usually sits next to Row (in the middle seat) and helps out/entertains him in the car. Now with Russ at school, Rachel is the only one back there in the other side seat. She'll stretch in her seat and peer over at Rowan and say things like "It's okay, Rachel's here. You don't need Russell, Rachel's here"

She loves to tickle Rowan and talk to him while she's doing it. She says things appropriately too. It is so funny to hear her repeat things I say to Row and I don't even think she is listening.

Rowan will be in his bouncy jumper/exersaucer thing and she line up across the room from him and say "I'm gonna get you, I'm coming to get you" Then she'll run across the room and stop in front of him and say "Gotcha!" and she'll tickle him and something like that. Rowan doesn't like that at all…. Just kidding!

If he is crying in his crib, she'll go right in and step up on the side rail and hang her arms in and give him his bink, talk to him, give him a toy and tell him that "Mom's coming, just a minute"

She'll sit with him on the floor and tickle him and say things like "Oh, you're such a cute baby! Who's a cute baby?"

Lately she's been my shopping pal. We grocery shop together, have been doing some clothing shopping and she's just so much fun. I remember when Russ was almost 4 and he started getting really fun too. I think 4 was my favorite age with Russ and looks like it will be with Rachel too. Just a great age.

What a Week… Russell’s Story

Well, time to blog about the first day of school and all the excitement surrounding that….

Most of you probably have heard about the chaotic first day for Russ at his new school. But, in case you haven't or you want more detail, here ya go! Russell's school has 2 starts times: Group A starts at like 8:37am and Group B at 9:42. Russ is in group B and that means he is released later than group A kids. So, 2 start times, 2 release times – can you imagine? And in all the classes, there are both A & B kids. So, it isn't like certain teachers start later than others, they all have students at 8:37 and go until the late release time of 3:53pm. Personally that isn't what I'd like as a teacher, but I don't work there so who cares what I think!

    

Russell was so nervous the first day of school. He's the new kid at a new school, who can blame him? We were nervous for him and all day I was watching the clock, waiting to go get him. Then at about 3pm I get a phone call from local number and it is a female voice asking if I was Russell's mom. Russ shouldn't be out of school until almost 4pm, so immediately I am panicking in my head? Did I screw up the time? What is going on??? Well, what happened is that he got released with the A group of kids and was walking towards where have parked at his school, he didn't see me and kept walking looking for me. He gets about a block away and these girls from the close by middle school find him. He was crying since he couldn't find me. They whip out a cell, ask Russ his number and call me asap. (Yea for middle school students and their cell phones!!!). I had originally thought it was parent that called, but later found out it was a teen. So, they offered to walk him to back to school and I sped over to school – furious. By then I had realized I didn't screw up any times, they did. I get in the office, no one has any clue about Russell being released early, where is he? Well, it turns out his class was on the hunt for him and met him out front and the girls let him go with his teacher, so he never made it to the office. They confirm he is indeed in class. I am so mad I am crying, in the office, with Rachel and Rowan. When the principal finds out what happened, her jaw just drops, like what??? So, the kids and I go down to get Russ out of class and bring him home. His teacher was embarrassed and very apologetic. After seeing how the kids get released at that school, I could see how Russ could get mixed up and think school was over. So, it was a crazy afternoon. What ifs play nasty tricks with your mind. It is over, I know Russ won't be 'lost' again and that is what is most important.

Okay, that was Monday. Tuesday was a great day all was well. Weds. – ugh he gets in the car and just starts crying. He has no recess buddies. They have about 15 minutes after lunch for recess. He's never had that before with like 150 kids. That situation totally overwhelms him and he couldn't find anyone to play with, he had asked some boy from his class to play, but he was playing with someone else and we think Russ got embarrassed and left before they could ask him to play (still not sure about that). Anyway, it was so sad – he said things like "All the 2^nd graders have their best friends by now and I am just the new kid" and the he said "Maybe if I wear my camouflage clothes like the other boys they will see that I like what they like". And then that night he was playing in the house and knocked out his front tooth. It was bloody. And by the way, the tooth fairy isn't afraid of bloody teeth that have been cleaned!!!

Thursday was better, he still played by himself at recess. And Friday was good, we think he played alone, but he had gotten fun Friday prizes in class, so he was thrilled about that! I wrote a note to his teacher and asked about recess and let her know our concerns when he went back to class on Tuesday.

So, here we are at Tuesday (day after Labor Day). On Monday night, Adam and Russ were playing soccer, barefoot, in the back yard. Russ jams his toes into Adam's foot. Mucho grande pain, swelling, etc. Tuesday not any better, looking worse actually, ugh. So, after many phone calls to and from the base hospital it was decided that he needed xrays. Then a day later (no broken bones) it was decided that he would need to see the podiatrist as Russ was still not walking right. He's fine and all is well. A funny about the podiatrist was asking him his pain level on a scale of 1 – 10 and Russ, without missing a beat, said that his pain level when it happened was 200. The doctor laughed and said no one had ever told him that before and said he was going to make sure he'd write that in his chart.

Okay… time to get this posted and write another about Rachel (ballet, gymnastics, preschool – activity galore!) and of course, all the fun and not fun things about Rowan.

If You Move Here, They Will Come

One thing people told us over and over again – if you move to Vegas, you'll have more visitors than you'd ever think! Everyone seems to always find a way, especially with free lodging. I can't say 'they' were wrong!!! In fact, we've have been here less than two months and my mom has been here twice, Adam's mom's 3^rd visit will be this weekend, and of course, my Dad & fam were here in July. My brother will be here some time in October and we have heard from lots of friends that travel to Vegas regularly to plan to see them too! It really is a lot of fun for us and we welcome everyone to come - especially after being so far away for such a long time. So, we are here and we want you to come!

I did get the chance to go to California last weekend. My mom flew in and we drove all 3 kids on Friday to my Aunt Kate's (mom's sister) house in Orange, CA. We stayed there Friday night and my Uncle Dexter, (mom's brother), his wife, Linda and their son Ryan came over to see us. We had a nice visit and it was good to catch up and show off the kids ; ) Some of you know, my Aunt Kate has incredible style/eye for design. Her yard is creative & immaculate and her home is beautiful and full of things that little hands like touch!!! Ha! Can you see where this going? Well, it is NOT going there because my kids did not break a thing!!! Well, we almost broke the fountain outside with bubbles – I know that sounds impossible, but it's true! Maybe I'll offer a prize to the reader that can guess how we almost broke the fountain….

Saturday we farted around at Kate's house and then went to see my Nana (90 years old) in Long Beach. Some of you may know that Nana is suffering from Alzheimer's. It has been frustrating for me because I have been far away and couldn't tell for myself how she was really doing. I call Nana faithfully every weekend, she repeats the same stories over and over, and she knows what answers to say to how they are doing – I still clean house (nope), I still make breakfast (no, again), we don't have a car, so I walk to Albertsons that's 1 mile away (never). My mom and Kate would both share their observations, but it is hard to tell what was really happening. I thought Nana looked good, healthy despite the fact she wears the same clothing every day and I don't think she bathes very often. I have argued over the last year to hire some in home help and even found a couple of agencies. But, what the hell do I know from across the country? Well, it was decided this weekend that they are going to hire someone to come in and help starting in September! Again, what the hell do I know? What has passed has passed and it is going forward. I think my mom has been the most forceful, making this happen, so I am relieved. It was good to see Nana and she loved seeing the kids and holding the baby. I look forward to being able see her again soon.

We drove home Saturday to give Russell the day on Sunday before he headed back to school. We had intended to stay another night at Kate's but decided to go on home. Now…. Russell's first day of school is a whole other entry, maybe I can do that tomorrow.

The Move Part III

Okay, I think I will get the rest of the move stuff into this post and then move on with the blog!!!

 

When we arrived in Vegas, we stayed for about 4 nights with the Cannys. Tracey was one of the first spouses I met in the Air Force that knew what Crate and Barrel was. So, I knew she was cool from the start! We had a great stay with them; they make you feel right at home! Tracey and I got to shop for some new furniture for our house and show me around our side of town so I'd know where everything is. We left Adam home with the kids and made him the manny! Tracey also looked at houses for us and helped us pick out the house we live in. She did a great job! We really like the house. It is big – 3100sf, 4 bedroms, 3.5 baths, gated, 3 car garage, huge closets, 2 living rooms (one and one down), and a built in grill/smoker outside. The neighborhood has a lot of foreclosures, including both houses on each side of us. Wish we were in a place to buy. Oh well!

We moved in on July 10^th and had the best crew we have ever had deliver our stuff. They were so nice, courteous to us and each other, and also pointing out what type of stuff was broken coming off the truck, (instead of trying to hide it). We had some broken stuff – not that long list that I had dreaded. Our computer desk got banged up and a few other things were broken, but not like we were expecting. The labeling of boxes was what was so annoying. The box marked bedding had maybe one sheet in it and the rest of the contents were like toys or books. The box marked pillows had 1 pillow and random stuff from all over the house. They dumped some of our files into boxes, so that took a lot of time to sit and go through and refile. You get the point. It was like every box was labeled like that, so it was hard to unpack b/c you never really knew what was in the box you were opening.

My Dad, Pam, Adelle and Pam's nephew Caleb came to Vegas on the 12^th to help and visit. They stayed in their RV at an RV park near the strip for almost 2 weeks. Caleb is a year younger than Russ, so that was great for Russ to have an immediate friend to play with. It was really fun having them here. We got a lot done, but also had to schedule in some play time too, which helped break up the monotony of unpacking boxes. We had all kinds of adventures – shopping of course, Adelle LOVES to shop, Circus Circus Adventure Dome (Rachel loves the rides and seemed to be a bit of a thrill seeker), visited the MGM lions, M&M World and the carnival games at Excalibur. We fit in a lot of swim time too, both at the RV park and our house has a community pool.

Adam and I also managed to sneak away for one night and celebrate our 10^th wedding anniversary early whil Dad & Pam stayed with the kids. We stayed at the Trump Tower – a 5 star hotel that we booked for super cheap on Hotwire.com. What fun! When we checked in and the clerk was asking us all kinds of questions – what brings you to Vegas, why are you staying, that kind of thing…. He gave us a major room upgrade, so we had a very posh suite facing the strip, outstanding!!! We went to dinner at someplace at Caesar's. We didn't make a reservation and should have. But, we managed to sneak in and get a table and it was fine. We wondered around the strip for a while, but really couldn't wait to soak in the huge tub with a strip view back at the hotel and drink some champagne. So, that's what we did! We ordered a ridiculous breakfast from room service and when it came, the attendant set the table with a tablecloth, centerpiece, china, etc. It was very relaxing and romantic and we were so thankful we had the opportunity to celebrate with some free babysitting to boot!

So, now as it stands…. We are pretty much unpacked. I am still hanging stuff on the walls. The kids' room isn't done yet. We ordered bunk beds for Russ n Rach, which came without the hardware. So we are still waiting on that. The guest bedroom has already been used – my mom and Blake – and it's ready for anyone else headed our way!!! So – I say so a lot, I need to change that… ANYWAY….. the finishing details will eventually get finished, but we have to live life too and not get to caught up in the house. On our agenda this week are doctor's appointments for Russ & Row, private swim for Russ, enrolling Rachel in dance and gymnastics, a new psychologist for Russell (who goes by Tom, not Dr. Jensen, I like him already!) and getting ready for school to start. Oh, real quick… Monday we went to enroll Russ at his new school and the records secretary was assigning him to a class and I said "We want a really good class!!". She says "Well, I have only 2 classes open. One in the A start, Mrs. Whoever. Or, you can have the B start, Mrs. Cayer". I look at her like I don't know, who should I choose???? She gets my look and mouths to me "You want B". So, I picked the B start and Mrs. Cayer. She nods with great approval. So, I was hoping we got the hook up and I think we did. I looked up Mrs. Cayer on the school website and she has her own website filled and ready for the new year. Yea! She seems really enthusiastic and creative and organized. I am liking her already!

Russ lost his 4^th tooth last night and it is truly lost. It came out, fell on his shirt, he stood up and we can't find it anywhere! The tooth fairy still came though, boy is she smart!

The Move Part II

More on the move. I realized that I forgot a few things in Part I, mainly our last days in Florida. Our last Sunday we spent at the beach, which was really fitting since that was what we loved to do on Sundays. It was an overcast day and ended up raining when we went out for dinner, but we had a great time. Other things we did during our last days – I had lunch with Betty & Marlene, self proclaimed Lucy & Ethel. We took Rowan with us and had a great time. Adam took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda. That was Rachel's first movie in the theater and she did really well, cracked up at parts that no one else did, and afterwards had this little Kung Fu Panda move she did. Too cute! We had a last dinner with the Boyntons which was sad when we left. Rachel talks constantly about Maddie, Jess & Monkey (Mike) now and thinks they are coming over any day. On our last night in Florida, we had dinner with Lois & Ray, our beloved next door neighbors. We had such a nice time and the kids were thrilled to eat a meal with them. We went to Uncle Ernie's, a local place that has been there for years and is right on the water. It was a beautiful evening, the weather was perfect and the meal and company were top notch!

Oh, one thing I have to mention about Rachel…. Rowan is not a fan of driving in the car, he'll start crying and sometimes the only thing that will help is if we sing some song to him. So, one day we are driving along and he is screaming, Russ is trying to give him the bink the bottle, any of the ol' tricks and I hear this little voice singing a song from Cinderella, "Sing Sweet Nightingale". It was so sweet. So, I start singing with her and Russ joins in and sure enough, Rowan stopped crying. She is such a honey.

Okay, back to the move… so we have the minivan, the 4Runner, 3 kids, 2 cats, one baby swing, lots of snacks, we are packed and ready to go. Who wakes up with a cold the day we leave? Rachel. UGH. Our first day, 7/2, Adam had to out-process officially from base and we were on the road by about 11am. I have the 3 kids and Adam has the cats. First stop Baton Rouge, LA! Oh yes, it is just us, no other adult, Jamie met us in Baton Rouge that night (Thank GOD). So, we thought it would be about 6 hours, not too bad. It seemed to take forever to get there. We didn't plan our stops very well and I swear Adam was worse than the kids, having to pee every 30 minutes. We made it, Rowan melted down at the 6 hour mark and our singing couldn't help him. He was done. Russ sat next to Row in the van that day and was such a huge help – feeding Row, entertaining him, doing the bink patrol. What a great kid! But, when Row is that upset, it gets Russ upset and he has a hard time. Six hours plus in the car with a baby is a lot for a 7 yr old. So, needless to say we were all very excited when Jamie arrived!!!! Yea for grandma!!!

The next day we headed for Dallas, TX. That was a longer drive than the day before, but we planned our stops better and it went pretty well. We actually stayed in Grapevine, TX which is a suburb of Dallas. We stayed at a beautiful Embassy Suites, attached to a Bass Pro, very nice and surprisingly crowded. There was a big wedding party and a separate family reunion group. Our room was not far from the elevators and it seemed everyone that got off the elevator would walk down a ways and stop in front of our room and talk loudly at all hours of the day and night. Then a fire alarm went off in the lobby, so everyone was out and inquiring about that and stopping in front of our room to talk about it, loudly. No fire, I suspect a prank. And then a man felt the need to stop in front of room and talk loudly on his cell to his dawgs at about 3:30am. It turns out he was our neighbor and his family was sleeping in their room, so he came out to talk and disturb our family. Nice. We let the kids be extra loud that morning.

So now it is the 4^th of July, we are exhausted from all the night's activity and we have short drive to Amarillo. What better way can you spend the 4^th than driving thru the great state of Texas??? Well, I think I could think of about a thousand things that would be better! We get to Amarillo, exhausted. I had wanted to get the kids out to do something fun, but that wasn't happening. So we decided to go to dinner at this steakhouse that has been on every food & travel show on TV. I think it is called the Big Texan. It's the place that will you give a free 72oz steak dinner if you eat it in 60 minutes along with all the sides. Otherwise it costs you $50. That was pretty tasty and no, we didn't try the 72 ouncer. We were so tired that Adam, the baby and I crashed – no fireworks for us. Jamie had Russ n Rach in a separate room and they watched fireworks on TV. How sad is that? The other notable about Amarillo is that one of the boilers broke at our hotel, so the hot water was limited. Lukewarm showers at best. That sucked.

Next we headed to Holbrook, AZ. An uneventful drive, we missed all the weather that was headed towards us and we stopped at the Continental Divide. Like I said, uneventful. Our stay in Holbrook was kinda funny. The cheapest hotel we had on our journey turned out to be the best. Hot showers, clean, comfortable beds, refrigerators, quiet and a decent freebie breakfast. You can't ask for more than that on a road trip.

The last day we were making great time, so we sidetracked to see the Grand Canyon. The kids really enjoyed it and I haven't seen it since I was like 10 yrs old. We definitely want to go back and explore more. We made it into Las Vegas around 5pm. The traffic around the Hoover Dam was excruciating. Stop and go for almost an hour and Adam had to pee. I told you, he's worse than the kids! Getting into Las Vegas and the traffic, the freeways, the speeding, it was all a little overwhelming. Especially coming from a small town in Florida where there really aren't any freeways. But, I have managed to adapt and the van and I zip around pretty well.

We got to Vegas on the 6^th and stayed with our friends, the Cannys (Jerry, Tracey & Jaime, oh and Benjamin due to arrive 9/26), until the 10^th. We hadn't seen them in almost a year, but just picked up right where we left off, like we hadn't missed a beat! Tracey went above and beyond for us – house hunting for us prior to our arrival and just being an awesome hostess. It felt so good to be in a house and not a hotel or TLF.

Jamie's help was priceless on the drive. We couldn't have done it without her. She pretty much had to sit in the 2^nd row of the van next to Rowan the entire drive and the other 2 Rs took over the back row. We got to catch up on all things Pricer and she got to catch up on some movie watching in the van with the kids. The thought of doing that trip without the van or Jamie is a bit scary. It certainly made the trip a lot easier.

Wow, so part II is written and next up is part III (duh). Let's see…. part III will be moving in, bargain hunting with Tracey, Adam becoming a 'manny', our new landlords and my Dad, Pam, Adelle & Caleb coming to Vegas in the RV for almost 2 weeks to help us get settled.

The Move Part I

This is the first of a four part series in which the writer chronicles her family's move to Las Vegas, Nevada in July of 2008.... Wait a minute! (Can you hear the record coming to a screeching halt?) One day while sitting around before we moved, I thought it would be funny to try to write about our move like it was a series in the newspaper, but I can't pull that off!



I have missed my little blog!!! I have to admit, I've taken notes over the last month and a half to remind myself what I wanted to write about.

So, here we go - the move, part one.

Okay, so this dates back to the end of May and beginning of June. I started getting ready for the move - organizing stuff and making a HUGE pile for a garage sale. As I am going thru old toys that are boxed up and have been for months, Russell is enthralled with all the toys he had forgotten about and wanted to keep them all. Since that wasn't an option, we bargained. You can keep that obnoxious Batman car, but you have to let go of 3 other things in this box kind of bargain. It was a win win for all - he got to keep a few toys and I still got to sell quite a few!

The garage sale was a big success, got rid of lots of stuff and had a lot of interest in the house as a rental. The kids would come out and try to make sales and sneak stuff back in the house.

June 9th, the packers come. I have most of the house organized and ready and am optimistic for a good crew. Well, the lady that packed the kitchen was awesome and that was it. The other three just rushed thru the job and missed some things. I was dreading getting our stuff, afraid that we were doomed for the one 'bad move'. Everyone in the military has the one 'bad move'. Was it our turn? (I'll give the spoiler, it didn't turn out too bad. More on that later. Maybe Part III????)

I splurged and had the house cleaned after it was empty, best $150 I have spent in a long time. We spent a lot of time at Betty's house across the street. Poor Betty, the kids and I brought all kinds of chaos with us those days! Betty has a little dog, Missy. The kids love Missy and she loves them. So, they all played very loudly all through Betty's house - chasing, barking, screaming, and throwing squeaky toys everywhere!!! Missy was worn out before we'd leave! Betty was a lifesaver during those days. While the movers were there we went over and hung out and I could nurse the baby, we'd take lunch and hang out when the cleaners came and while the carpets were being cleaned. It was nice to have some place to be while we had to tie up all those loose ends.

One Saturday after the house was empty, we needed to touch up paint and do a few things. Lois took Rowan for us so we could get stuff done. I tell you, I miss our neighbors terribly. Not only were they so helpful, but we became wonderful friends too. They were hard to leave.

So, you might be wondering where we lived from June 9th until July 2nd???? We stayed at TLF on base at Tyndall. TLF is temp lodging for those of us coming and going at whatever base your stationed. We scored a 4 bedroom house, which we thought we were getting a 3 bedroom, so that was a bonus. But then Russ and Rach shared a room and we never ended up using the 4th bedroom. Rowan had his own room and slept like a champ from the get go. The furniture was old and abused, the kitchen had no counter space, but the kitchen was stocked with all the dishes, cooking pans, crockpot, etc. and housekeeping came every day, yes EVERY DAY, to clean, make beds, take the towels and I loved it! It was such a nice break. Literally the only cleaning I had to do was wash the dishes.

We brought a few things with us; the Wii, the baby swing, some toys, books, and movies. And really the stay at TLF wasn't too bad. The only thing we missed was our computer. There wasn't internet access in the house, so that sucked. But, I did get fancy and my cell phone got our email, so then when something came up we could use the computers at the lodging office.

Adam had a big inspectionon base right after we moved in, so living closer to work was good for all of us b/c he had to work late and it didn't take him long to get home.

The disANTvantage of living at TLF were the millions of ants that were everywhere. There was no landscaping, just sand and the ants apparently thrive in that situation. It was hard for the kids to play outside b/c they'd crawl on you. They weren't the biting kind, but who wants ants ... well, you know! Bleh! Cringe.

I think it rained almost every day we were in TLF. We had something going on every day, so the time passed quickly - swim lessons, doctor appointments, private speech therapy for Russell, social outings, etc. The time really did fly by!

And then, about a week before we were going to leave and we were just thinking that we wouldn't have the house rented before July 1st, we had an interested party apply! We didn't meet them, but know they have a small child and one on the way (maybe born by now). It was a bit of a hassle not having the computer to do all the lease paperwork and the evening ended with us desperately faxing our signed copies from Office Depot, but we go it done and are officially landlords. So far no news is good news on that front. The neighbors watch the house and say that the tenants seem nice, have a lawn tractor to mow the lawn and they keep to themselves. Good enough!

Since we rented the house and had paid off Adam's 4Runner, it was time to buy a new car. After a lot of thought and consideration, we bought the minivan. Wait, what? Huh? Did you say minivan? Yes, I did say minivan and I'll own up to it. I drive a minivan! I actually kinda like it. It was a lifesaver on the drive here - but that is Part II. So, I got a black Honda Odyssey with the works - leather, DVD, XM, power everything and I think I got a pretty good price on it too. I hate buying cars, but it had to be done. We said good bye to my little Jetta. It was a good car but it was time to let it go. And actually, we bought the Jetta in Florida in March '00 and it stayed in Florida. Kind of fitting.

So, I won't be like Ed Olhava and say "It doesn't feel like a minivan". What does that mean anyway???? I drive it, it has tons of space, 8 people can fit in it, gets decent mileage, I zip along pretty well in it and I love the power / auto doors!

Well, that pretty much leads us to the DRIVE - part II, if you will.
BTW, Adam has decided to blog these days, I'll link him on my blog if you care to read.

Mother's Day : )

I just wanted to post what Rachel did at school for Mother's Day. (See the 2 images) She also made a hand daisy with her hand print and it is potted in a little ceramic pot. It is pretty cute! I have no idea what 'Mousey' is, but she thinks it is great!! And, Rachel's teacher thinks Rowan is Roland b/c the way Rachel says it!!! Ha! So that is a picture of me, Rachel and Roland/Rowan, hopefully we aren't playing ball with Rowan - ha! Also, that is her first attempt to write her name all by herself. Pretty impressive ; )

I had a great day - sleeping in, brunch, playing the Wii with the kids and Adam, swimming at the neighbor's pool (he was out of town and invited to come use it while he was gone), and great dinner made by Adam. A great relaxing day!

Swamped!

Here's a picture of the kids, before I forget...

Okay, we have been so incredibly busy and my typing fingers have been busy with the kids!! So, here goes a quick post and I don't know if I'll be able to post again before we move.

Adam is almost finished with his Masters Degree, finally. He is just putting the finishing touches on his Graduate Research Project and he'll be done. Yeah, Adam!

The movers will be coming to pick up our stuff the 2nd week of June (yikes). We'll be staying on base in a 3 bedroom house (temporary lodging) for about a month. (Double yikes!) So, time to get the house organized and ready.

We still don't have tenants yet, but our agents are pretty confident we will find some. We still don't have a place to live in Vegas, but our agent there is sure we'll find one. I am holding out that we'll get a rental with a pool!!! I have been researching Vegas schools with a vengeance. I think I have narrowed down some good ones that will present a suitable commute for Adam also. That's the trick - finding a school within an acceptable driving distance to base.

School will be out the Wednesday after Memorial Day. I have been busy at school too. The PTO does a lot of activities and helping these last two months, so I have been carting Row around campus (and Rachel too when she isn't at school). It has been a rough school year for Russ. The ADHD thing is hard and on top of that his language skills don't help him either. He's done well academically, but socially I really wonder. Hopefully in Vegas we can get in with a good psychologist and start some other therapies too.

I need a new car. I have been driving the4 Runner (Adam's car) and he's been driving my little Jetta. I like Adam's 4Runner, but not for me. And so begins the great car debate. What to get??? And so begins the great minivan debate. I love all the features a minivan has to offer, but the stigma kills me! What to do???? Adam wants the MV, a logical and economical choice. How I wish it was a hybrid, then I could totally get on board!!!

Rowan is still a pretty good babe. he has his days, but don't we all? He has the greatest smile, lights up when he sees all of us. He loves our neighbor, Ray. Pretty cute! We still have him in our room, which is hard b/c he wakes us up even though he is still asleep. So, we are looking forward to getting him in his own room and we can get some better sleep.

Trying to lose at least 30lbs on top of all of this. I just have to remember to look at it in 5 lb goals and focus on the small goal instead of being overwhelmed by the big one. It is hard and depressing! Oh well.

I caught another lizard in the house the other day. With the salad spinner! I won't miss the lizards.

I hate this period of in between - I just want to get the move behind us. Moving into some place new is exciting, but all the stuff that happens before is stressful and not a lot of fun.

There is so much more to write about - G'ma Rizzi (Linda Garland's mom) passed away and we loved her. She was truly every one's g'ma and I want to write about her and remember her. But that will have to wait until I can sit and take more time because she was one in a million and she deserves that time from me.

So, what else - a busy social schedule ahead - Adam's commander is moving, so parties for him and his wife, my bday, Mother's Day, other people are leaving and parties for them, end of school parties, PTO end of the year meetings, Father's day is ahead also. Just a busy time of year.

So, that is it. Are you tired just reading this? I know I am. Well, I am hungry too - salad anyone?

Vegas, Baby

This summer we are do for a move. Can you guess where we are going??????

Boy, it has been a while since I wrote and it looks like it is going to be a bit longer - just put the baby down and he's fussing.

Okay, bink in, swing on - type like the wind, Aim!!!!

We knew we were goingt o move this Summer, but we thought it was definitely OKC. Adam even had a report no later than date. We had always been interested in Vegas (Nellis AFB), but the right job for Adam never came about, so we had put it out of our mind. Then one day Adam gets a call and it turns out there is a new job that was posted and Adam fits is perfectly and it fits him. So, off we go to Las Vegas, Nevada!!! He has report no later than date of August 1st, but he still hasn't received his orders yet. So, we are waiting on that to happen and then we can really get to the nitty gritty of planning THE move.

We have our house on the market here. We've had it on for a little over a month and not one showing. We've had drive bys, a couple of picture takers, a call, but that is it. So, we are disappointed about that. Unfortunately, we bought at the peak of the market here and are trying to sell now. I think everyone knows what is happening in real estate now. So, we are looking at becoming landlords! That kind of sucks, because we have put a lot of work into this house. We did replace the counters and put in a new range with hopes of selling, but what can you do? We don't want to lose too much money with a sale, so we have to change our mindset as to this will be an investment property, keep it for some time, maybe even the rest of our time in the AF. Maybe the market will pick back up and we can sell, make some money to put towards living on the West Coast permanently.

So, there you have it! We are THRILLED to move to Vegas. We are looking at renting a house, although buying is tempting. Right now it is so fun to think of renting a house, having no projects to tie us up on the weekends so we can get out and visit friends & family and have them visit us! Right now we have our eyes on a home with a great fenced pool (gotta keep safety in mind!) and built in BBQ - how fun would that be?

If anyone is looking for a great house in Lynn Haven, Florida..... get in touch ; )

The Best Big Sis!

Well, it has been a challenge to sit and write, but I have record Rachel's reaction to Rowan. She was our wild card, we weren't sure how she was going to react to a new baby. Well, as most of you know - she has been awesome! We couldn't ask for better. Sure, she has her moments, I mean, she is still Rachel, but overall she has been an amazing big sister. I have to do this in list format to make sure I include everything!!!

• She loves to help change diapers. She runs and grabs her little stool and says "Wait for me!!!" She'll put the diapers in the garbage, soothe Rowan while he getting cleaned up, and is always amazed that 'he pooped again!!'.
• She repeats everything we say to Rowan if she is around and in the same tone. She'll remember what to say to him and say it on her own too. It is so sweet.
• One day I picked up Row and leaned him towards her so that his lips brushed her cheek. It was like she won the lottery! 'Oh, he kissed me!!!' Then she'd lean her cheek on to his lips and say 'He kissed me again!'
• She is fascinated with breastfeeding. She'll suggest which side to feed him from, she loves the breast pump and watching the milk go into the container, she tries to nurse her dolls and has even offered to feed Rowan for me.
• Rachel loves to hold and kiss Rowan and often wants her picture taken while she's holding him. This is very cute, but we have to be careful b/c sometimes she'll try to pick him up herself.
• Rowan adores her. he smiles at her, turns toward her when he hears her voice. He really responds to her.
• She helps pick out his clothes and a few times when he blew out an outfit she already had a clean change of clothes for him before I could turn around and get it myself.
• She'll hang out at his crib and talk to him while I am getting ready, put his bink in his mouth, and entertain him as best she can.
• She is constantly telling everyone how cute Baby Rowan is. And then she has to point out his 'tiny little eyes, nose, finger, tiny short hair, tiny little ears' etc.
• Unfortunately for Russell, she is still an annoying little sister!!!

Good Bye Riley

Our big gray kitty, Riley, was very ill and suddenly took a turn for the worse. It was a heart wrenching decision, but when the vet saw just how bad off he was, she was very reassuring that we had made the right choice.

Here is Riley and Rowan... We took this same picture with Russ & Rach : )

Around Christmas we had noticed that Riley seemed different. He was drinking a lot of water and had lost weight. His fur had changed some too. It wasn't as shiny or as thick. We had thought it was just feline diabetes - we have a friend whose cat is afflicted and the whole thing is very doable, so we weren't too concerned. Then we had him tested and it wasn't diabetes, it was something with his liver.

We tried some different medications, did follow up lab work, but he never seemed any better. To do any other tests, like ultrasounds, etc. was going to be very expensive and our vet felt like even if we did spend that money it didn't mean we could save Riley. She felt like his blood test results were so bad that he didn't have much time to live. And any surgery would be out of the question b/c she wouldn't put him under any anesthesia. She didn't think he would come out of it. She was right about his life span, he only made it a few weeks longer. Towards the end he wasn't eating anything and barely drinking. He just laid in our room and slept. Poor guy.

Because he had lost so much weight, the vet examined him and could feel a large tumor on his liver. She hadn't been able to feel it before b/c he was so plump!!

We had him cremated and want to spread his ashes in Vallejo near our old apartment, since that is where we got him.

We had Riley for over 10 years. He was always Adam's cat, he had a thing for Adam!! He was a great cat, very lovable, was terrific with the kids, had a super purrrrrrrr and could eat more than any cat we've ever known! We feel lucky he was ours for so long and that we could give him a happy home while he was on this earth. We really miss him though.

All About Rowan

So, now let me indulge in a little motherly bragging and tell you all about our precious bundle!!!

At the hospital right after birth - he peed all over the nurse!!! Too funny! He hated getting his bath in the hospital, but loved the heat lamp thing after his bath. He was never jaundiced at all, which was a bit surprising - Russ and Rach both were a bit yellow. Not bad, but we had to watch them.

He had his 2 week check up last week and he weighed 9lbs 8oz - so he isn't missing any meals!! I am breastfeeding him, which is going pretty well. We are still learning, well Rowan is, but I think in the next few weeks, it will be easier. He does seem to have some very painful gas and he spits up thru his nose sometimes. So, we are keeping our eye on that and hoping that will get better as he gets better at nursing.

So far he is a great sleeper. Now the first 2 nights in the hospital he was very fussy and didn't sleep, so that was rough and a bit scary - what was he going to be like at home??? It seems the kid wanted to be at home, he has settled into a pretty good schedule. At night he goes to bed between 9 and 10pm, gets up once at 2 or 3 and then again about 5 or 6. On weekdays, I get up at the morning feeding and get Russ ready for school, so that seems to be working out all right. Some nights it varies a bit, but that is pretty much how it goes. Adam changes his diaper and gets him reswaddled for me and then I feed him and we all get back to sleep. Rowan will sleep the first leg of the night in his crib, but prefers to sleep with us after his feeding.

Case in point.... One night I decided to put him back in his crib and he fussed and fussed. Adam - half asleep gets up changes his diaper and hands him off so I could feed him. Adam had forgotten we had just done this 30 minutes ago! ; ) But Rowan was chewing on his hands, acting hungry, so I thought, well, he must still be hungry. I swear the second he was in my arms, he was fast asleep. I guess he just wanted me. It was just one of those love moments, your heart bursts with joy.

This kid can poop like no other. I swear he poops all day, almost every diaper change. Rachel will just say - Oh, he pooped again! We have gone thru more wipes and diapers with this kid than I care to admit!!! He hates having his diaper changed too.

He hates the bath, but he loves to shower with Adam. His fussy time is usually the evening and nothing calms him like being in a warm shower with dad. It is so funny - he goes in with this look like, life sucks, I am naked and cold. And he comes out looking like he's, well in a way he looks like he's stoned. He's so mellow and happy, but then he has to get dressed and then he's cold and pissed again!!!!

He doesn't like his carseat, but always falls asleep in the car. He is following us with his eyes and does seem to recognize the 4 of us. He is turning his head to sounds, especially Rachel's voice. Probably b/c she is so loud!!!

He is such a sweet bundle! It is a bit challenging adjusting to life with a newborn, but you remember the tricks of the trade and the 3rd time around really doesn't seem as hard as the other two. I hope I didn't just jinx myself!!!

February 4, 2008 - On The Day That You Were Born....

Finally, a moment to sit and update the blog : ) You may have noticed the title change - one more R added!!! There is so much to say and I may have to do it in several short postings. We've had a lot going on. Besides Rowan's birth, we have finished updating the kitchen and put the house on the market, Russell turned 7 years old, our gray kitty, Riley, had to be put down due to liver cancer, and Rachel has been a joy to watch and listen to as she shows she is the best big sister in the whole wide world.

Let's start though with Rowan! Adam and I arrived at the hospital at 4am for the induction on the 4th as planned. Adam's mom was here and she stayed home with the kids. More on that later ; ) So, 4am.... We get hooked up to all the machines - IV with pitocin to increase contractions, fetal heart monitor, etc. Then we wait... Well, let me back up for a sec. We get with our nurse and she starts right in asking me about my lidocaine allergy. I am allergic to topical lidocaine. This is a problem b/c they use a form of lidocaine in epidurals. You see where this is going, maybe no epidural for Aimee - Dun dun dun. I had already discussed this with my OB and he said the anesthesiologist would make the final decision. Again, dun, dun dun.

Things are moving along and it is time to break my water, but they are pretty sure that when they do that, labor will progress very quickly, leaving no time for an epidural if I can even have one. Well, I wanted one if possible, I am not that brave. So, in comes Dr. whoever, anesthesiologist. After discussing the allergy, he thinks I am good to go (phew!) as there is one small chemical difference between topical lidocaine and the lidocaine they use to inject into your body for epidurals, dental work, etc.

In goes the drugs and after some adjustment it is working beautifully, they break my water at 8:30 am and 10am when they check me, it is time to push this kid out!! He was right there. Talk about fast. I went from like 4cm to 10cm in 90 minutes. I thought I had felt some pressure, but I was blissfully numb, so I couldn't be too sure. The proven pelvis got to work and again, quickly delivers a big baby!!!! 10:17 am, Rowan Andrew Bright joined our world at a whopping 9lbs 1 oz and 20.5 inches. He looked perfect, so adorable and we were instantly in love with him, of course!!!

His head was quite large and round and I tore quite a bit, so I had a lot of stitches and was very sore for a couple of weeks. So, that wasn't fun, but Rowan is healthy and perfect and that IS fun : )

I have to add that my OB has incredibly good relationships with every nurse that came in my room. They all are either patients of his, live down the street from him, their older daughters babysits for him; it was clear they all had a good working relationship, which made the process fun. These gals are just dishing out shit and teasing him and he's giving it right back. We felt like we fit right in. They are taking wagers on Rowan's weight, telling stories about some old school birthing techniques that OBs used to use, it was like social hour in labor room 8. I have never experienced that before or even heard of anyone having that kind of experience, but I can see why my OB has so many patients.

Okay, so then after having Rowan and moving into a recovery room, I became known as "Oh, you're the one who... _______________" And the blank is filled in with 'allergic to lidocaine', 'had the 9lb baby', 'had the 3rd degree tear and 2inches of stitches' and 'has that odd rash'. (On the 2nd day I got this bizarre rash, which was nothing, but no one knew what it was. The on call OB from my practice called it a pregnancy rash, which he followed up with, 'I know you aren't still pregnant' when I looked at him like are you nuts???? That wasn't my regular OB.)

All right, that is the birth story, and now Rowan is fussing and Rachel has been playing in my make up, so it is time to sign off for now and add more later....

The Proven Pelvis is STILL Pregnant

So, here's the update.....

• If I don't go into labor, I have an appt. to be induced on 2/4 at 4am (yyyyaaaaaawwwnnnn). The plan for that is to go in at 4am and get all the beginning stuff done. My OB will come about 6am and break the ol' H2O so that Rowan would hopefully be born by noon!
• They think Rowan is 8+ pounds already - holy cow! Oh wait, my pelvis is proven.
• I am dilated almost 3cm and you need to get to 10cm. With Russ and Rach it really didn't start getting too painful until about 5 or 6cm. So, I am lucky in that regard.
• I am having sporadic contractions. Usually a bunch all at once and then they sssslllllooooooowwww down.
• Everything seems to be in order here at home. Rowan's stuff is ready, washed, sterilized, etc. The Russ n Rach schedule is posted on the fridge incase the neighbors have to come over in the middle of the night.
• Adam's mom is coming Friday.

Man, I really hope I am not in the hospital for the Superbowl. That would kinda suck.

• And we can't forget that Russ's bday is on 2/12! Busy busy busy!!!!!

Hopefully the next blog entry will be written by a non pregnant, non sleep deprived (yea right!)Aim!

Pillsbury, Hmph!

I have been meaning to report that I did not make the final 100 recipes for the Pillsbury Bake - Off. Which I am fine with, but would love to know how close I was to the final 100 recipes. Mine was Thai Chicken Chimichangas. Now that the final 100 recipes are published, let me tell you recipes similar to mine in my category that made it:

Thai Style Wraps - not very similar to mine, it used curry.

Thai Chicken Burritos - hmmm.... this one is the closest to mine. A peanut sauce with chicken. The difference there is that recipe mixes PB and salsa (that doesn't even sound good to me) and they fill with rice and I fill with black beans, fresh grated carrots and cilantro. My PB sauce is more like common Thai PB sauce, but mine had cumin in it which we thought really added some depth to the flavors.

Picadillo Chimichangas - I think this was the only chimichanga that made it, but it bakes exactly like mine does. So, that was interesting to see - it wasn't the baking of my chimi that they didn't like.

So, time to reflect. Pillsbury really stressed the importance of an original recipe. I know my sauce was original, but maybe not original enough? I never found one with cumin in it that was published, but that isn't to say it isn't out there. When making my recipe and researching sauce recipes (mainly to see if mine was like anything else) I did find a PB & Salsa recipe on the Betty Crocker website, so they can't be too picky about originality. I don't think that a Thai Burrito is an original concept either. There used to be a great burrito place in Napa and my favorite was the 'Thai Me Down Burrito" - delicious!

Also an interesting observation for me - I played with a recipe using biscuits and eggs, etc. And you basically build a breakfast biscuit with those basic ingredients and some extras and use like a muffin pan to cook it in. I never got one quite right and I can't say that I worked too hard on it either. However, I should have because there are probably like 7 recipes of the final 100 that do exactly that and use those ingredients.

It was fun to get the recipe together and submit it. I still think it is an excellent recipe. But it just isn't my year, I guess ; ) Maybe higher powers think I have enough going on with the baby and moving in the summer, so it is a good thing I didn't get selected.... Yea, that sounds good!!!!

I may have to try the PB & Salsa recipe to compare it. Tomatoes and PB don't sound good to me, but maybe it is very tasty??? Or maybe Pillsbury and I have very different taste buds!!! And apparently, we have differences on what is original and what isn't. I would definitely submit again and am thinking I may have to put making the Final 100 on my 'Life List'. I really think this is a challenge I can take on.

Another Friend Leaves Us

Our neighbor, Don Everett, passed away last week. He had been battling cancer for the last 23 years, if you can believe that! He had survived two separate fights with cancer and his last fight started when we moved into our house in July 2005. They didn't give him much time at that point, but lucky for us, he made it until last week. He was 72.

We will miss Don. He was a terrific neighbor and friend. He never let an opportunity pass to tell us how glad he was to have us as neighbors and how much he enjoyed our young family. He seemed to get such a kick out of watching the kids and listening to them, especially since his grandchildren lived so far away.

Don was full of personality and had a great sense of humor. At his service, the hospice team that cared for him remarked many times about how they felt like Don gave them more than they gave him. He leaves behind his wife Betty, who is equally wonderful, and a son & daughter and several grandchildren.

Some Wookie Cookies

Andy gave Russ a Star Wars Cookbook for Christmas. Russ loves it and we do too! It is so funny and really does has some tasty recipes. Last night we made Wookie Cookies, which is essentially a chocolate chip cookie with 2 types of chocolate and cinnamon in the dough. Russell insisted that we have a Wookie in the kitchen while we made our cookies. And, who can eat Wookie Cookies without Star Wars? Tonight we made Han-Burgers. Again, your basic recipe with a few flavor additions. The best part of Han-Burgers is the illustration to go with the recipe - a Millennium Falcon shooting ketchup onto a burger. No telling what recipe we'll try next, but I suspect it may be Yoda Soda.

I have to report on our Fantasy Football year. And now is as good as time as ever, so.....
I am proud to report that all three of my teams made the playoffs in all three leagues. We run one league and have had a core group of people for 3 years. This year our group was pretty global - Germany, Canada, Alaska & Florida. My team, Vintage Crushers, barely made the playoffs, and ended up in 5th place. Quarterbacks killed me in that league. I had an injury to my first string quarterback and just struggled after that. Adam did well in that league, his Russell's Revenge, ended the year in 3rd place.
We also play in Adam's former boss, Chris's league. In that league our team names are Better Half and Worse Half. Chris had given us those names as a joke, but we thought they were fun and kept them. If you EVEN have to ask which team is mine, you are banned from the blog!!! Ha! Of all my teams, I thought this was my worst draft, but sheer luck won me 2nd place. Adam may have placed 5th or so, I can't remember.
And the third league was a Tyndall AFB league with a lot of Adam's coworkers. Nipple Maulers was my team, really my best team overall, and in that league and I placed 3rd. Which is nothing to sniff at, but I really wanted 1st. I just kept smokin those guys week after week. I lost once by .2 points (the WORST kind of loss) and then I lost on the Pats bye week. I had both Tom Brady and Randy Moss on that team; those were some sick points. But on a crucial playoff game for fantasy football, both Tom and Randy didn't get it done. That's the way the game goes sometimes and what can I say, the guys we played with know I should have been the champ ; )

So now that the NFL has hit playoff season - we are excited, but a little sad. The end of a season. Tom was good to me this year, so I am rooting for the Pats. But then again, I love Peyton, I'd like to see him win it all again. I haven't given up on my Niners, they are still my team, but ouch. Hey, at least they aren't as bad as the Dolphins. For now anyway!!!

Ready for Rowan!!!

Leading up to Christmas Adam and I kept saying after Xmas we'll focus on getting ready for Rowan. On the 26th, drinking our coffee, watching the kids play with toys, we made our game plan and then Adam caught Rachel's cold! But, no cold can stop the plan.....

I had an OB appt on Dec. 21st and made my Dr. promise that he wouldn't let me have a 10lb child. He promised that he'd try! But then reminded me that I have already given birth to 2 healthy 8+ babies and managed to push them out in record time. And for the record, I am a good pusher. LaDean (not sure if you remember this, LaDean) gave me a great tip about labor and pushing after she had Kari and I never forgot it. I did not want to be in there pushing for hours!!
So, back to my OB - he says to me you've had two big babies already, it's not like we were expecting you to have a 6 lb child this time, right? And then he says, (and I find this HILARIOUS, even in my 'bothered' state), he says "I expect you to have about a 9lb baby and I am not too worried about it because you have PROVEN PELVIS". (Yes, he said proven pelvis)Of course, that being said we still don't want a 10 lb child and he'll induce early if Rowan is getting too big, but I'm sitting there laughing to myself - he just said proven pelvis, a PP if you will. I have a proven pelvis. I have been having a lot of fun with it too - I'm just going to take my proven pelvis and sit in this chair to relax. Me and my PP want to go shopping. The list goes on.....
My PP and I went back to the OB last week and I am going to have another ultrasound on Jan. 21st to see how big Rowan is and then we'll talk about if we will induce early and the timing and all that. So no news on the when, I'll report back on that later.

OK, getting ready for Gigantor, Moose, Rowan. Our house is a 3 bedroom and for now Rowan will room in with us, which means some rearranging of things in our room and closets. Done! New dresser/changing table that can also double as a nightstand for Adam - bought and built! Got out all the clothes and things we have been accruing - washed and put away. New PacknPlay for Rowan to start life with - ordered and on the way (Thanks Mom!).
Rachel is sharing closet space with Rowan - generous of her, isn't it? So, her closet is organized and ready.
We needed a rocking chair for the living room. We had one of those baby glider chairs with Rachel, but the back was so straight, it was almost uncomfortable, I always wished it would recline a bit. So, I was determined that this time I'd get a chair that reclines and rocks/glides. Well, the kind they make for nurseries and babies that do that are like $500 and not that great looking. So, Russell and I ventured out for a day of local chair shopping, not sure what we'd find. (We left the sickies at home.) Russ is great fun to shop with and no surprise he liked all the red chairs no matter what they felt like! We did end up finding a good ol' LazyBoy, but it is a more petite size, not terribly ugly, but completely comfortable and affordable. So, I did have to abandon my distaste for recliners, but it was the right choice - even came in a color that works with our furniture, so we didn't have to order it. And I'll admit - I love that damn chair already. It is everything I wanted. So, rocking chair - check!!!

Next on the list is getting those last minute baby supplies - diapers, baby wash, that kind of stuff. We still need to tour the hospital, sterilize a few bottles and that kind of thing. But other than that type of stuff we are feeling ready. I am really ready to not be preggers!!!