Good Bye 2007.....

Can't WAIT to see what 2008 brings!! :)

Free For All Friday

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!
If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

Answers for Friday

Sketchy said...
What was the best gift you received this year and what was the best gift you gave?

(And sorry if answering this question gets you in trouble from anyone who's gift you didn't choose as best.)

(And no answers like "the love of my Savior" or something like that, we know that comes first. I'm talking tangible, hold it in your hands kind of gift.)

Sketchy:

My absolute favorite gift I GOT this year was a jeans rag quilt that my mom made. She made one for EVERY one of her kids, and I live under my quilt when I'm downstairs!!

A few months ago she was making some of the quilts and I looked at her and said, "If all I got for Christmas was one of these quilts, I'd be happy..." Then she gave me THE look. She then told me that the quilts WERE for Christmas, so I shut-up. But you know, I think I was the MOST shocked when we opened them....just because my brain INSTANTLY forgot about them!!

The best gift I GAVE would have to be my "sneaky" gift. I drew my younger, rebellious brother's name for Christmas, and I had NO idea WHAT to get for him. So after thinking about it, I decided to make him a tile picture of the Savior. I don't know WHAT he'll think about it (he never came up for Christmas, and his gifts are waiting at my parents' house, because he didn't let us know he wasn't coming until Christmas Eve afternoon....) but I'm sure he'll THINK about it when he gets it!

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CareBearMommy said...
Another Christmas gift-related question... what did Santa bring for everyone this year?

And what is/was your favorite holiday treat? (I should know this one by now, but I don't).

Carrie:

Santa brought Cameron a skateboard and helmet (WITH the elbow and knee pads), in his stocking he got an orange, a coloring book, twisty crayons, matchbox cars, a tie, and a CTR ring. For Steve, Santa brought a bag of York peppermint patties. For me, Santa brought a box of chocolate covered cherry sticks and the directions for Cam's skateboarding stuff.

My favorite holiday treat of ALL time is my Grandma's fruitcake, but since she doesn't make it any more...I love fudge, or chocolate covered orange/cherry sticks. Either way, GIVE ME CHOCOLATE!!

Christmas Plans

We'll be spending Christmas Eve with my family for the first time in MANY years. I'm really excited about that.

Then we'll spend Christmas morning with my parents and siblings, then the remainder of Christmas day will be spent with my in-laws. I'm very excited about all this fun family time.

I apologize for the lack of communication from me, but I do love you all and feel blessed to have so many friends who truly care about my little world!!

Merry Christmas to ALL!! From me, little ol' Dawnyel!! ;)

HOLY COW!!!

Christmas Eve is ONE week away, and I don't even feel prepared!! (Although, all of my Christmas shopping IS done....) Where did the time go??

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And as an emotional moment from me....

Tonight I was checking on my Scentsy and reading some other stuff online, when I heard our doorbell ring. I was a little shocked since it was SO late, but I figured it was one of our neighbors. Anyway, I heard Steve open the door and then he INSTANTLY called for me. I came waddling (yes, I waddle now....ligament pains...blah...) anyway, I asked him what it was. He told me to just come down. As I came to the bottom of the stairs I saw our front porch covered with packages.

An easy way to make a pregnant woman cry!! THANKS to my anonymous giver!!

Brain-Dead, but It STILL is Friday

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!

If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

And please excuse me if I seem brain-dead....my pregnancy, medications, and my new job are all getting to me....but I'm STILL happy!!

Answers

Thoroughly Mormon Millie said...
Is Matt Damon yummy or what? :)

Millie: DEFINITELY!! (But don't tell Steve I said so!) ;)

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Elena said...
I know it's not my FFAF, but I do have to agree, Matt Damon IS yummy! :) So sorry I missed your party; I DO owe you. I really do want some. Things have been absolutely NUTS around here. I don't know when I'll be able to get over there to make an order. When are you doing it again? And did you have a decent turn out?

Elena:

Ready to play the smallest violin in the world??

I had ONE person show up to my launch party. I was bummed!! I had cleaned my house ALL day long and had TONS of goodies, and only one woman showed up. She's one of those talkers who talked my ear off the WHOLE night. She really wanted to come so she could see my mom, but SHE didn't come. Yeah, I was SO upset, but then I thought about it and it was in the middle of the week, short notice, and just BAD timing.

Thankfully, I've got tons of orders, and it's okay!! I just need parties....anyone wanna book one!? ;)

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One Scrappy Gal said...
Yay! Scentsy! I need some crap!

What made you decide to tackle on another job on top of being a mother, babysitter, and gestating?

Also...what's your most traumatic christmas experience ever? For my daughter, it's the Elf on the Shelf.

Scrappy:

If you want some Scentsy, email me....seriously, I'll hook you up!! (If you order from me by tonight, you could have it by Christmas!!)

I decided to sell Scentsy because I absolutely LOVE the product. It's something that just sells itself, and it's relatively new. So my usual Scentsy-lady, convinced me that if I signed up NOW, before January, that she'd benefit, and I'd get some pretty good deals as well, so I couldn't pass it up! But really, Scentsy is as busy as I let it get, so I'm not TOO worried about it at this point. The only thing that nearly stopped me from going forward with it was my extreme sense of smell. Can you imagine me at a party, YARFING in the corner because I'm overwhelmed by smell?? *giggle*

Traumatic Christmas?? That's one that I can't really think of an answer to. I was always HAPPY at Christmas, and not very many things (Santa, Elves, flashing lights....) freaked me out. But I'm curious about this Elf on the Shelf....

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Elena said...
K, I want the Treasure chest one. Is that one back ordered?

Elena: That's FINE!! (Ordered for you!!) :)

Another Doctor Appointment Down....Many More to Go

On Monday we (meaning me, Steve AND Cameron) went for my monthly check-up. We didn't wait too long when the nurse called us back. I was weighed (with shoes on, and STILL managed to lose weight...) and were ushered back to the room. Either they really like doing ultrasounds on big girls like me, or that was the only room available, but we were jammed into the teeny ultrasound room where Cam instantly found annoying, noisy toys.

The nurse took my blood pressure, which after being stuffed into that tiny room really wasn't the best. She then sent me to the little girl's room for a urine sample (the most fun part of ANY doctor's appointment, right? *eye rolling*) Anyway, once I came back to the room I read Cam the little board books that were there, and he loved it. Then Dr. H came in. She asked me how I was doing, and I told her about my little sleep problem (it's constant....even when I SHOULD be babysitting, cleaning or something else, all my body wants to do is sleep...) and she said it was normal with these meds and to get used to it. Then she added that I should probably be taking 3 pills a day instead of just 2....GREAT!! Just add to my sleepiness....*sigh*

Then she had me lie down and we did YET another ultrasound. This time it actually LOOKED like a baby. I could see it's little arms and legs, and I could even make out it's teeny face. She was pressing so hard on my tummy that the peanut JUMPED, or at least, that's what it looked like. Cam was so fascinated with it, and after she printed off the pictures and Cameron took them around, showing off "his" baby!

All in all, everything looks good, and I'm so relieved!! Only 2 more months until we can find out whether little peanut is a boy or a girl. :)

I'm an AUNTIE!!!

Baby Jayden Luis was born at 8:17 pm, weighing in at 5 pounds 15 ounces. He was 18 1/4 inches long. Mommy and baby are doing well!!

The new aunt and uncle are THRILLED, as well as the new cousin!!

Free For All Friday

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!
If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

Answers

Elena said...
Man, I feel like I haven't done one of these forever! First up, what play and what part for Steve? Second, What is one of your favorite Christmas recipes or treats?

Elena:

(I know about NOT doing this for a while, I took the last 2 weeks off....slacker, me!)

DON'T ask me about Steve's play!! (Because I don't know the details!) ;) All I know is that he's the butler in a murder mystery. The rest....???? (And to be honest, I don't care! Yes, I know that sounds bitter, but I am still a bit bitter over the whole thing....)

One of my ALL time favorite Christmas treats is my Grandma F's fruit cake. But I haven't had it for EONS!! She's gotten older, and she's so fragile that she can't make it anymore, and that makes me sad.

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Kim said...
What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time? What is your Christmas Eve tradition?

Kim:

My all-time FAVORITE Christmas movie is "It's a Wonderful Life." I get weepy just THINKING about that movie. My mom and I try to get together before Christmas and watch it together (since both our husbands don't like that movie...)

On Christmas Eve we visit grandparents, eat and laugh with cousins, drive around town seeing the extreme Christmas light displays, and then we come home, make sugar cookies, set out a plate for Santa, (eat a few too), and open our Christmas jammies. :)

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One Scrappy Gal said...
Any bizarre cravings yet?

Also... what's the world's fascinations with dipheads like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears? I'm tired of seeing them everywhere!

Scrappy:

No "bizarre" cravings, but I do crave things like chicken, cheese, eggnog (thank goodness it's in season!), or chili cheese fries. I do get my cravings at odd times though. Like the other night Steve and I were having a quiet evening just watching tv, and I suddenly looked at him and said, "Hawaiian PIZZA!!" *drool drool!*

I think people have SUCH a fascination with "dipheads" (*hee hee*) because they like looking at someone else fail miserably at their life, so that they don't have to think about the stuff going on in their OWN lives. For them, reading about idiots is a way to say, "Hey, my life's NOT so bad, look at how crappy those rich snobby girls' lives are!"

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Anonymous said...
I have a question for ya! Christmas cards. If i send them to people and do not get one back in return.( This has been going on for over 4 or 5 years) Can i take them off my list for next year. After all have way to many to send and it would be nice to save the money and put towards a gift for someone.Also what Christmas music do you like to play?

Rach

Rach:

Personally, I'm not usually one to send out Christmas cards. I grew up with the notion, that making them out, mailing them, blah, blah, blah.....was a waste of time. So I rarely send them out. (This year, I'm actually doing it though, and I feel pretty proud of myself!)
Anyway, every year we look forward to the cards we DO get in the mail from others. And I know that some of them are thinking, "Sheesh, that Dawnyel-Steve family!! We NEVER hear from them!!" But we can generally count on getting cards anyway.

So what all my rambling is leading to is this: Keep sending your cards, because you'll never know who truly counts on them! :)

Tidbits

• Steve just got the lead in a play. (Which I could have SWORN he told me he wasn't going to be doing again...) And he owes me BIG TIME!! The play is in a dinner theater and it will play in February....we believe.
• Cameron isn't immune to potty training stuff. Sunday, during choir practice....RIGHT before church (10 minutes or so) he came up to me and said, "Mama, I pooped." UGH!! I had to grab him and drag the kid home to change him. IT was NOT fun!! He even needed a quickie bath before returning!! ICK!
• Thanks to Cam's "adventure" on Sunday, we had a little learning experience on the Sacrament....since we were late enough to miss it.
• I'm now a saleswoman. I'm really excited for this new opportunity!! I've been saying I was going to do this for about 6 months now, and it's official!! YAY!!
• The doctor has prescribed me blood pressure medicine with some side-effects. On the label it says: "May Cause Dizziness or Drowsiness." Uh.....I think I have the drowsiness one DOWN!! (I've been sleeping 5 hours straight, DURING the day!!)
• I've also been waking up WAY early because when Steve leaves, I'm uncomfortable. Yesterday, I worried about financial things, then today I realized that Scouts is tomorrow, and I didn't have my things put together!! Thankfully, all is well in that department.
• Finally, I'm a slacker when it comes to reading other people's blogs. Holy smokes. I really apologize!! I do love reading them, but I'm just.....never mind....I was going to TRY to excuse myself, but I realized, it's NOT worth it!! :P

Baby Shower

Saturday was ONE crazy day. It actually started the night before the shower. Steve's brother (hereafter known as "bil") called to tell us that he and his girlfriend (hereafter known as "C") were in the hospital. Apparently, she'd done a Non-Stress-Test and the doctor, trying to be helpful, came in before the test started and told them all of the "worst-case-scenarios." Uh, there's a time and a place for THOSE kinds of worries, right before a machine measures your blood pressure is NOT one of those times. During the course of the NST, C's blood pressure SOARED to 162/101!! They immediately admitted her and scared both her and bil to DEATH!! The doctor was talking to them about inductions and all of the scary parts of having a baby. Thankfully, the next day they decided that she could go home for the shower, IF she relaxed.

That morning we drove to see what we could do to help. But before we left, we packed our van with as much stuff as we could stick inside (cooler, baby swing, Christmas tree, Christmas gifts, baby shower gift, game props...)

After arriving at bil's and C's apartment, we brought up the Christmas tree we had promised them. They were um....indisposed. Bil came to the front door wearing JUST a towel. (I really wanted to cover my eyes, but he left quickly enough, I didn't see much....except for the fact that this image WON'T leave my MIND!! BLAST IT ALL!!!) So Cam, Steve and I sat in their living room doing NOTHING for about a half hour.

Finally they came out of their bathroom, and I asked them where they had planned on sticking the tree. We decided on a place, and since I was BORED out of my mind, I put up their tree. Half-way through, bil decided it was time to go to the store and get the food for the shower.

We spent FOREVER at the local Walmart!! HONESTLY, I was getting sore and very whiny. So I took Cam (who was ALSO whiny) to the van, after paying for our small purchases. I thought that bil would pay for THEIR purchases and be out very quickly. Not so....

After 10 minutes they came out, more frustrated and annoyed. Mostly they were annoyed with C's sisters. (Who showed up at Wally's World, and immediately began bickering and fighting, NOT at ALL helping C's situation!) We packed everything up and went back to the apartment where we set off to set up the complex's club house for the party. The men went and rearranged the couches and tables, while I was STUCK in bil's apartment putting together a meat/cheese tray and a veggie tray. I did this willingly, really, I did. But bil came back FURIOUS. C's sisters brought their bickering attitude WITH them to the party, and were driving C crazy!! He had told them that the LAST thing that C needed was to be put back into the hospital, and that they should behave themselves. Thankfully, THAT chat stopped them, but he was NOT happy, and he brought his complaints to the family's resident venting board---ME!

It was about 20 minutes until the party started and Steve and bil had to pick up their parents. I shooed them off, and told them to hurry, because we were going to start soon, and they needed to be there. Almost an hour later, they showed up. (After I had hauled stuff to the club house and endured C's sister's foul language!! I also had to put up with the question, "Where's the host?" UGH!) As I mentioned earlier, bil had put me in charge of games. I would have gladly started the games before bil and Steve got there, but I, STUPIDLY, left the game stuff in our van, which was being used to haul ils to the party!! So a half-hour late, we started, and I think it turned out very well. Bil and C ended up with some really cute clothes, and TONS of newborn diapers (which I suggested that they return for bigger sizes....) and lots of memories. (I won't say fun, because I'm not so sure they HAD fun with all the stress...)

The one game that went over well was a bottle game where the people playing had to race each other in drinking a full baby bottle's worth of juice. My live-in vacuum, Steve, won!! And he even managed to rip a hole in the nipple. (I never said they couldn't....) We also played poopy-diapers (melted candy bars inside of diapers) and baby gift bingo.

I can happily say, I will TRY not to do this again, very soon!! I'm still worn out!! (Either that, or my new meds are making me that way....who knows....)

Oh, and just for your information, C went back to the hospital that night for another NST, and all was well!! (At least, until the doctor walked in, while the machine was measuring her bp....it soared again, but this doctor didn't count it. Thank goodness! Their baby is still in his mother's womb...where he BELONGS at 35 weeks!)

And if you REALLY wanna see my poky belly, here's a picture to satisfy you!! ;)

Christmas is Coming!!

And Cameron is "becited!!" Aren't you!?

And I'm just sitting quietly, being pregnant!! ;)

LONG Break...Well, for ME Anyway....

I've been TRYING my hardest to get over my head-cold, and for the MOST part, it's gone. Thanks to some online friends, I discovered pregnancy-friendly drugs to help me sleep. Benedryl is my FRIEND! ;)
Otherwise, I've been hanging out, babysitting, and stressing. The stressing is coming from my brother-in-law's baby shower this Saturday. He's been calling us OFTEN, and I, being dead-brain-preggo-woman, volunteered to help him with games, IF he needed me. Well, guess what, he "needed" me! So I've been dreaming of things that I just KNOW I'm going to forget. See, bil lives an hour away, and since we're not seeing them or my pils (hee hee...."pils") until next year, most likely, we're taking baby gifts, games, Christmas presents, our old Christmas tree/old star, and cooler with us. (Good thing we have a large vehicle...)
The only "new" news from me is that I've discovered that with my head-cold, I wasn't nauseous....AT ALL!!!! I would gladly take head-cold stuffiness over constant nausea ANY DAY!! Unfortunately, now that the head-cold is nearly gone, my nausea is back!! :( And it's WORSE than it was before. (Read as: I've been puking....boo hooo!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I'm grateful for SO much, but I'll list some of the highs here!

• I'm thankful for this little baby who's making my daily life a little more miserable. It's all worth it in the end!!
• I'm thankful for a healthy, happy, ENERGETIC son. He makes me think sometimes WHY I do it all, but then he also has those moments when he reminds me!
• I'm thankful for a forgiving, loving husband. There are SO many times when I've deserved a good chewing-out, or smack, but he NEVER does it. He patiently puts up with me, and I love him more and more for his patience....that I someday HOPE to have!
• I'm thankful for modern conveniences. Honestly, where would YOU be right now without flushing potties, computers, televisions, DVD/VCR players, debit cards, washing machines??? SERIOUSLY, I love all of these things that make my life easier AND happier!
• I'm thankful for tissues. (Right now I've got a major head-cold, and tissues are my friends!)

Happy Thanksgiving!! :D

Visiting Dr. H

Seriously I love my doctor, but MAN, is she EVER busy!!

Today I went for what was SUPPOSED to be a blood pressure check.....I didn't get back for an HOUR!! Plus, today I was babysitting, so I had to monitor every move that little J did (especially when there was a Christmas tree all decorated nicely in the lobby!)

Then back in the back, I was chasing that little boy ALL over the place....it was new, and he wanted to explore!!

The highlight of the visit?? Peeing into the cup! Yeah, anyone who's had to do this KNOWS what I'm talking about. Why do they make those darn things SO small?? And not only that, but I never knew that just being told I had to use the restroom could inspire SO much urine!! I filled that little cup nearly to the top!! (Yeah, more than you PROBABLY wanted to know!) Then I was asked to carry it to the exam room, while tagging along a curious little boy and his bag of fun. UH, I spilled....and THAT'S NOT pretty!! :P

Then when the nurse checked my blood pressure (which, of COURSE, had risen since I had been chasing little J all over....) it was HUGELY high!! The nurse was a little worried, but told me to lay back on the table and relax. Then she left me to "relax." Is it even POSSIBLE to relax when there's a one-year-old boy running around an enormous EMPTY room?? I tried laying back on the paper covered table, with pillow paper-covered as well, but everytime I did, the pillow would NEED to deflate!! This, in turn, caused a grin to cover little J's face, ear-to-ear!!

Soon (okay, so it was probably 20 minutes later) Dr. H came into the room and invited me to follow her to the ultrasound room. I was thinking to myself, "Do I NEED another ultrasound?" But apparently this is how Dr. H works! (My mom wonders if she likes to do ultrasound instead of finding the heartbeat with the little doppler-thingy...) She closed the door, neatly rounding up little J...who immediately proceeded to whine, and began the ultrasound.

Last week I could see the heartbeat SO easily, this week?? Uh....it was all blobs to me. Dr. H assured me that it looked just fine, but this time I noticed something else....the baby was spinning circles. Anytime she'd get ready to point out the heartbeat, the baby would spin!! It was CRAZY!! I hope this isn't a sign of things to come!!

All in all, I've learned a FEW things: If at all possible DO NOT take a curious child with you on routine visits. Peeing in a cup is a talent, but carrying the filled cup to the room is an art. And you will ALWAYS be surprised!! ALWAYS!! ;)

Free For All Friday

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!

If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

Answers

One Scrappy Gal said...
Do Doves really cry?

Scrappy:

I'm sure there's a reference here I SHOULD be getting, but I just can't...so I'm going to honestly answer you...NO, doves don't cry.

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One Scrappy Gal said...
Yeah..it's a song by Prince.

I couldn't think of what else to ask... seems like you've answered my most insane questions already!

But I will ask... doing any shopping on Black Friday?

Scrappy:

I should have known...I actually had words from a song (I'm assuming THAT song) running through my head all day yesterday!!

Steve and I took an opportunity yesterday (actually Friday) to go shopping withOUT Cam with us, so we did ALL of his Christmas shopping then!! ALL DONE!! The only gift YET to get for ALL of my Christmas stuff is for my mom, and I STILL need to figure THAT one out with my siblings. It feels SO good to have the bulk of my Christmas shopping done, and know that I can SLEEP in the day after Thanksgiving. (I don't think there would have been many better sales on the Christmas stuff we decided to get Cam this year, so Black Friday wouldn't have been good for me ANYWAY!) So to answer your question, after all my bragging....NO, I'm not shopping on Black Friday....if I can get away with it! ;)

My Infertility Struggle

My dear friend, Lei, has asked me to participate in her Woman to Woman discussion on infertility and recurrent loss. Now, I can't really talk much about recurrent loss, since I've only had 3 pregnancies, with one loss. But infertility, that's something I know.

When you're in the throes of not making a baby life revolves around your cycle. You're in one of these phases, AT ALL TIMES: disappointment (af is here), hope (beginning of new cycle...there's hope, right?), exhaustion (from trying to MAKE the baby), waiting forever (seeing if all your hard work really paid off), and finally fear/frustration/anxiety. You think PMS is bad?? Try living this cycle NON-STOP!! There are months where I felt like just giving up. I would think, "I should be grateful, especially where I have a child." Heck, you really couldn't consider me infertile if you knew that, right?? But secondary infertility is painful too. I can't say that it's the SAME pain as regular infertility, but it DOES hurt.

I know of someone who, like me, had SI, and when she went online to find support groups for infertility, she was shunned when it was revealed that she had a child. WHAT? Can we not all feel that pain of wanting something we DON'T have? The pain is there, whether you have one child, or none!

There were times when I felt betrayed by my body. How is it that a teen-ager, with NO hopes of becoming a mother, can sleep with her boyfriend once and get pregnant and I, an adult woman, married with a stable life, tries for YEARS and gets nothing? In those times I'd just cry and blame my body. It was letting me down, and I HATED myself for it!

During that time I even had irrational fears....I feared home pregnancy tests. Yes, in the 5 and a half years it took us to get THIS baby, I probably peed on 60 sticks and every time it was a bfn (big fat negative.) That was probably the hardest part of my own struggle, seeing one line!

The other hard parts came when my friends and family would get pregnant and announce it. Having a child is a miracle no matter who it happens to, and how fertile or infertile they are. It SHOULD be celebrated, but when you're in the cycle of pity, it's hard to feel the same excitement that others around you are feeling. Those nights I would go to bed crying and WISHING that I, too, could have that blessing! Why was my body doing this to me? It hurt SO badly!!

It really hurt when no one around me understood my feelings. I *thought* my husband would understand, but his feelings were VERY different from my own. My thoughts were: "Why is this not working?? Is there something SERIOUSLY wrong with my body?? Am I not worthy of this blessing in my life?? Should I just get USED to the idea of ONE child??" His were not so self-absorbed. (Maybe that's just the difference between men and women.)

The unknowingly rude comments hurt a LOT. I once confided in a good friend that I had been trying for another baby for a long time and was hoping that some new drugs would help. She emailed me back saying, "It will happen if the Lord wants it to." I wanted to smack her. Honestly, did she not KNOW that I had been wanting this forever?? (Of course, she is fertile-Myrtle...and was pregnant with her SECOND child in 2 years...) I know that saying that to me was her way of trying to "do good," but it hurt SO badly and I even refused to email her for a LONG time after that. (If was being totally honest, I'd tell you that I really don't seek out her advice anymore. I only email her when she emails me first...)

The pain is always there, and it's SO hard to overcome, but here's the new twist I've recently found. We tried for another baby for five and a half years....that's a LONG time! Now that I'm pregnant with a healthy child, it doesn't seem like those years were as long as they felt. But the one thing I DO feel....complete gratitude. When I was pregnant with my son, I worried about how labor would feel, and selfishly, I didn't want a baby! I didn't want to go through that pain. (Yes, it's something I've *NEVER* told anyone...) But this time?? Any little ache, pain, sick feeling, gives me a feeling of excitement, and joy! For the first week that I knew I was pregnant I prayed multiple times a night letting my Heavenly Father know of my gratitude for this blessing, and the strength to handle whatever came my way. And you know, I think He's blessed me!

Here's the Peanut

The doctor put the ultrasound on my tummy and announced, "Congratulations, you're pregnant!" (Can I tell you how much I LOVE this woman!?)

I did all of the first time tests, and paperwork, and now we're off and running....and ALL is well!! In fact, the Doctor's words to me when she saw the baby on the machine was, "Everything's PERFECT!" YAY!!

The little heartbeat was the most BEAUTIFUL thing I've seen in YEARS!!

I Can't Believe It's Friday Again!!

Honestly, where do the weeks go?!

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!
If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

Did you REALLY Wanna Know!?

Elena said...
What were you doing 10 years ago today? (Or around that time.)

Elena:

I was going to college in Rexburg. The place formerly known as Ricks. I was probably in class, or snoozing in my 1971 Pontiac Bonneville (seriously, MISS this car!) Either that, or begging my parents for money for gas! *giggle*

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Suzanne said...
Hmm... What do you like most about living in your state?

What qualities of your hubby attracted you to him when you met?

Which of your qualities were what attracted him to you?

Can you pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time?

That is all!

:)

Suzanne:

Are you SURE!? ;)

I love that in Idaho we get ALL four seasons. (Even if they are shorter some seasons....)

I loved Steve's outgoing personality. (And the fact that he was cute was a plus!)

He tells me that he fell in love with me when I was in a burping contest. Uh, I guess my wacky-attitude/the fact that I can burp like a man! *giggle*

I can pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time...then I can switch!! I'm SOOOOOO talented!!

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One Scrappy Gal said...
What is the scariest most terrifying movie you have ever seen? That...to this day... you still steer clear of?

Scrappy:

Okay, this sounds weird, because now this movie is SO outdated that it's not really *scary* anymore, but when I was little (between 4 and 6 years old) I watched Poltergeist. It FREAKED me out. Then one night, my brothers and I were watching it when my uncle was babysitting us. He has an unusual talent that he employed that night that added to the scariness of the mood. He flipped his eyelids inside out and chased us around the house. I remember screaming bloody-murder and running for ALL I was worth, and him trapping us in the corner of our living room. I was crying, and nearly peeing my pants when he flipped his eyelids back and tried to calm us back down.

Since that experience I'd REFUSED to watch it, until a few years ago....then I laughed at how cheesy the whole thing REALLY was!!

My Chopped Off Hair

Just realize, that today I was having FUN with it...so it's poofy and CRAZY! (But I absolutely LOVE it!)

Before:

Hormones

Last night, I was watching my usual Dancing With the Stars results show (anyone wanting to discuss the TRAGEDY of last week, feel free to do that here...) and when LeAnn Rhymes sang "How Do I Live" and the dancers came out I IMMEDIATELY cried....and it lasted for a while too!! And let me mention here, that I VERY MUCH dislike LeAnn Rhymes' version of that song....VERY MUCH!! I was just OVERWHELMED with feelings. I know I can blame them on hormones....but that's okay, right!?

Hormones have also caused me to do something pretty drastic today...I chopped off my hair!! AND it feels HEAVENLY!! (Steve has put our camera somewhere....and once I get it, I will post pics!)

I can't imagine what my hormones are going to do when I'm further along!!

So Worried

I can't believe the WORRY I go through!! I'm officially 8 weeks along today, and I haven't thrown up ONCE!! Honestly, I was puking up both of my lungs at this point with Cameron. Yes, I know each pregnancy is different, but not being sick is worrying me!! I do have constant nausea (unless I eat) but no pukage!

My belly is getting bigger, but I think it's more from eating constantly than from a growing baby.

The only thing that keeps me from completely worrying is the peaceful feeling I have about the whole thing. It's going to be okay!! I just feel it! But at the same time, I can't help but worry!

Hopefully next week my worry will be lessened by my first visit with my doctor!!

Free For All Friday

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!

If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

P.S. Someone ask me about Steve's Halloween costume....;)

Answers

One Scrappy Gal said...
What did Steve dress up as this year?

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

What's the creepiest cartoon character you have ever seen?

Scrappy:

Steve was a woman this year. He wore my blouse, my skirt, and my bra (stuffed with six PAIRS of his socks!!) It's GREAT!! *LOL*

Thanksgiving is always the same for us, we go to my mom's house, where many family members gather (we have been known to have a group of 70 or more people...) Usually all I'm responsible for is making a salad, and if my brothers get their way, then it's my pretzel salad!

The creepiest cartoon character?? Hmmm....maybe those weird characters on late night Cartoon Network. I don't know the show's title, or the character's name, but I know there's a red devil-type cup, and I think french fries?? Yeah, they're weird, and they creep me out!

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Elena Manwaring said...
What's worse, a spider, a snake, or a mouse?

Elena:

Okay, there are different situations when these are worse. If it's loose, a mouse is the worst, because they're SO fast, and I just KNOW they will eat me! If it's crawling around (again, uncaged) then a snake is bad....YUCK!! And if it's on me biting me (which HAS happened to me before...) then a spider.

But I guess you want to know which I'm MORE afraid of?? Snakes!!

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Suzanne said...
Since you are pregnant, I have a few questions!!! :)

When is your due date?

Would you like a girl or a boy?

Are you worshipping the porcelain god?

Suzanne:

According to Fertility Friend I'm due on June 16th.

Personally, I think having another boy would be GREAT!! But with our schedule...we're supposed to be having a girl. I've actually had MANY dreams lately that it IS a girl, but either way, if it's healthy, then I'll be happy!!

I have not thrown up yet. THANKFULLY!! I did spend an hour the other day kneeling in front of my half-bath toilet....sure I was going to be sick, but thankfully, it subsided, and I was fine. But don't think that just because I haven't thrown up doesn't mean I'm happy and energetic!! I've got CONSTANT nausea!! CONSTANT! :P

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mattsmom said...
FINALLY I can comment on this baby! CONGRATS! OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN! I KNOW how much you have wanted this...so I KNOW how exciting this whole thing is...no matter how painful it is or will be for the next 8ish months! Since I have felt pain with you I feel somehow a part of your pregnancy. I hope to help bouy you up when things are hard.

Secondly...I would ask about Steve's costume...but I fear that a picture might scar me for LIFE! LOL!

And finally...What is your favorite color? SInce I am not at all creative today, that is the most creative question I could come up with!

mattsmom:

Don't you worry, missy!! Those pictures WILL be worth the wait!! ;)

My favorite color is dark green....kind of the forest green.

Where Has the Year Gone!?

Doesn't it just seem like it was summer?? Where did the year go? I can't believe that it's already November!! I've already seen Christmas commercials on TV!! (Not that I mind...I pretty much pull out my Christmas music as soon as Halloween is over...)

Some of Cameron's favorite questions are, "What comes next?" In his world, usually that means, "What major holiday is next?" I can't believe I'm already saying, "It's Thanksgiving and then Christmas!!" WHOA!!

I guess having time move quickly will be helpful, when my maternity days move slowly, I should remember, time moves QUICKER than I expect. I still find it hard to believe that my little boy is seven!! I don't feel old enough to have a child that old!

I guess what I'm saying is that I just find it hard to believe that this year is nearly over. In the blink of an eye, it will be NEXT year, then next summer, then next fall.....It will all move WAY too fast!!

And anyone wanting an update on my preggo situation....I'm still nauseous, but surviving. I've stocked up on anything that I've heard is helpful for morning sickness: ginger snaps, peppermint hard candies, peppermint gum, peanuts, sunflower seeds, watermelon Bubble Yum....and so far, it's ALL working!! *whew*

Happy Halloween!!

From my family to yours!

News I've Been Sitting On....

I can't hold it back ANY longer!! I have been waiting to "announce" my news until I was able to see my doctor, but I can't stand it ANY LONGER!! (Did I already say that?? Then it MUST be true!!)

I'm pregnant!! (Yes, you may do a dance of joy!)

I've told many people I talk to on a daily basis, and so it seems like there are FEW people in the world who DON'T know my news....So I've decided to just "out" myself.

I've been feeling extremely nauseous lately, and at times worried that I'd lose it completely, but so far, I've been able to maintain. (The only thing that's keeping me from having full-blown morning sickness is when I eat. I SWEAR, by the end of this pregnancy I'm going to be a circle!) My pants are already causing problems, and I'm only seven weeks along!! I may have to make my own clothes, just to keep myself covered!! *snicker*

So if I'm not on, posting, or visiting you as much, you'll know why....it's not that I don't love you, it's that I'm trying to get some sleep, and maintain my composure!

Trauma!!

It started out innocently enough. Cam has had 3 loose teeth for about a month, and lately, the ONE has been SOOOOOO loose that he can make his face look a LOT like Nanny McPhee's! (You know, scraggly tooth hanging over the bottom lip??) Last night I got tired of it, so I grabbed the boy, and began making some head-way on pulling that sucker out!

After squeaking and squawking for a while, it CAME!!

After taking many toothless smiling pictures, and convincing the boy that the Tooth Fairy only comes to CLEAN bedrooms (so she won't break her neck on toys lying about.) He began doing the "Nanny McPhee" face with the REMAINING tooth!! Enough of THAT!!

Mom held the boy down, and after more screaming and crying....OUT it came too!!

All in all, I'm a bad mommy....I yank teeth out! (But the Tooth Fairy is AWESOME, she gives 50 cents per tooth!! Except for the fact that the Tooth Fairy LOST one of the quarters....oops!)

Oh, and I'm thinking his Halloween costume is SUCH a good choice now....he's going to be a redneck! ;)

Free-For-All-Friday

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!
If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

THE Answer

Elena said...
What's the best part about Fall?

Elena:

There are SO many parts of Fall that I absolutely LOVE!! The changing leaves, the crunch of fallen leaves under foot, the SMELL of the leaves, the crispness of the air, the kids going back to school, the fact that Cam was BORN in Fall and Steve and I were married during Fall, the pretty decorations that come out, the fun holidays....SO many to choose, I can't pick one! Sorry!! :D

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One Scrappy Gal said...
Got any good natural home remedies for bronchitis/chest congestion?

Scrappy:

I have NOTHING!! Sorry. I highly suggest a trip to your doctor though!

I'm ALIVE!!

I'm still here and kicking, but I'm just tired most of the time.

Steve is getting SO close to being finished with his play, and I'm THRILLED.

Cam has had all of his doctor appointments this month, and ALL is well there! (He's got THREE loose teeth, but won't let ANYONE touch them!)

And I'm engrossed in this book that I started reading last night. Sadly, with the kind of fast-paced life I lead (can you sense the sarcasm there?) I'm nearly finished with the book. When I'm finished with it, I will give you a more thorough description....etc.

I've also been trying to not be on the computer SO much....there was a talk in Conference that kind of made me realize that I've got an addiction, and it needs to be curtailed. So if I'm not on so much, don't worry too much, I'm trying to curb my habit. ;)

Scouting For Food....

Saturday was the day that little cub scouts all over the country went door to door dropping off sacks for people to fill with food for the needy.

The weather her has been pretty lousy all week long, and the weather wasn't predicted to be any better early Saturday morning. The Primary President called me on Thursday saying that she thought it would be better for our little scouts if we started depositing the bags early....on Thursday or Friday. Well, that really didn't work for me because I was super busy, and babysitting when I wasn't busy. So I had to stick with the original plan of Saturday morning.

So I got up early, took Steve to his pick-up place (he had play practice), and took Cameron with me to wait for scouts to show up at the church.

The first thing that was odd was that there was a hearse and little yellow signs saying that there was a FUNERAL! Well, there would be NO waiting in the church for us. So I sat parked on the road hoping my van would warm up. (Just the record, it never did...)

After a while one boy showed up. His mom asked if I needed help driving the boys around, and I told her I would be fine. She called another mom, and told me that they had thought Scouting for Food had been cancelled because they had gotten their bags earlier. So she went to pick him up, while I waited for any other boys to show up. Unfortunately, no others did.

Once the two boys got back, I loaded them up (they were both wearing roller-blades) and we were off. The rain was drizzling constantly, and the wind was howling, but the boys were in high spirits. I rolled down my window, turned on my hazard lights, and handed the boys bags as they delivered them. Cameron INSTANTLY began complaining. (I had him in the back seat in his booster, playing his Nintendo DS.) He told me to roll up the windows...but I told him that I couldn't. After a few houses, the boys got tired and red in the cheeks. One boy didn't have gloves, so when we passed my house, I stopped and grabbed some gloves for him to wear. While we were there, I also grabbed a warm blankie for Cam to throw over himself. Then we were off again.

The area we were assigned has TONS of apartments, and if there are houses, there are LOTS of steps. The boys were VERY careful, but in roller-blades it was difficult. Then the snow began to fall. It wasn't heavy, but it was bitterly cold!

Eventually, they began asking me, "Are we done yet?!" I told them that once we ran out of bags we could be finished.

We ended up running out of bags before we ran out of houses....which was fine, because we had been out in the cold for an hour and a half. They were troopers!!

When I got home, I went DIRECTLY to my bed, and tried to warm up. But NOTHING was working. I was shivering and miserable!! Steve got home from practice, and came to join me, but he wouldn't snuggle to help me warm up....he said I'd make him cold!! Eventually I piled 2 more heavy quilts on top, and was able to warm up.

All in all, I'd have to say, those people who get the food should appreciate the frostbite that was incurred in their behalf!! Because I'm STILL cold! ;)

New Look

Cam was able to get new glasses this week, and so far they're staying up better on his face than his last ones. (He DOES complain that they hurt, but I think he's just not used to how glasses are REALLY supposed to feel on his face!)

Before

After

I know you can't really see it from this picture, but I will get a better one soon! :)

It's Friday, Guess What That Means...

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!

If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

Answering your Ponderings

One Scrappy Gal said...
What's wrong with me and how can I fix it?

Scrappy:

You're pregnant, raising two kids and you're without a husband. There's nothing "wrong" with you, you're doing more than the rest of us EVER dream of!! *HUGS* Just keep swimming!! ;)

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Elena Manwaring said...
What do you know for sure?

p.s. read my blog first so that you understand my question. :)

Elena:

Sheesh, a tag for FFAF!! Sneaky!! ;)

I know that little ears, not only hear you (even when they don't act like it) but they retain it for later!!

I know that during nap time, you WILL get phone calls, and they'll be the ones you HAVE to answer!

I know that if you are DYING to keep something a secret, you won't be able to!

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Rachau said...
why are people so quick to judge?

And take sides.

You think there your friends but they turn on you as fast as sour milk!

Rach

Rachel:

I think it's because they *think* they know it all. I know that I was that way not too long ago. But growing up has changed that. Usually people who are quick to judge haven't learned to see people as children of God, and to love them for themselves.

I feel HORRIBLE that you're going through this pain, and hope that you will find peace again in your life soon!! *hugs*

The Things that Come Out of His Mouth...

Yesterday we went to see my parents and Cam instantly marched up to my mom and asked her how Grandpa was doing. (He'd been feeling REALLY lousy, and had told Cam EXACTLY how he felt.) Grandma informed Cameron that Grandpa was better, and then my son asked her, "He not feeling sh**ty no more?!"

OH MY GOSH!! Now, just for clarification, neither Steve NOR I use this word, so it HAD to have been the DIRECT wording of Grandpa!!

Then today, I told him that his doctor wanted us to take him back in next month to get his second round of Chicken Pox shots, and I guess he'd worried about it. Because, on the way home he asked me, "Mama, am I gonna get Pickin Pots!?"

What is a mama to do!?

More Paperwork on the Way

Tomorrow we're going to get our paperwork started on qualifying for financing for a house. I've got a TON of stuff to look up, and I'm NOT really looking forward to it.

Can't we just nap instead?? *sigh*

Happy News

I got a call from Cam's geneticist yesterday and ALL is well!! His MRI showed very little change (the tumors are growing with him, and not out of proportion, which would signal problems!) We don't have to visit that doctor again until next fall!! YAY!!!

Free-For-All Friday

It's time for Free-For-All Friday!
If you want to ask me a question -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

Answers

Rachau said...
Could you give me a recipe that is only made by you!

Something you might be asked to take to things.That you are well known for!

Also i would like to know why the sky is blue and we have bad rain?

;)Rach

Rach:

I so miss you, woman!! *kiss kiss*

I'm well known for my banana bread and my pretzel salads. My brothers often make requests for BOTH at family functions or whatever.

Since I've shared my pretzel salad, I'll give you my banana bread recipe...just beware, IT'S SUPER YUMMY!! :D

Dawnyel's Banana Bread

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

2 or 3 ripe bananas (my trick is to FREEZE the bananas, then let them defrost the night before I'm going to make the bread....it makes them mushy!)

1 tsp. vanilla

3 Tbs. sour milk

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

nuts (optional....but make it SOOOOO yummy! ;) )

Cream together butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients, and mix until combined, but NOT thoroughly....it can still be lumpy.

Pour into greased bread pan and bake at 300 degrees for one hour.

(If you double this batch, it makes 3 loafs!)

For your next question: the sky is blue because it would look funny if it was green. And I've NEVER seen a rain I didn't like! ;)

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Jami said...
Oh, this is a good one!!! I'll have to think on it!

Jami:

I'm waiting! :D

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Kim said...
Did you and Steve ever find time to properly celebrate your anniversary? Hopin' you did! ;)

Kim:

We DID find some time. We didn't really go out to dinner, but got some lunch and rented some movies. He also bought me a bouquet and a bag of Dove milk chocolate promises!! :D

He's a good boy!

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One Scrappy Gal said...
Do you still think about becoming a sign language interpreter for the deaf? What stopped you?

Scrappy:

It's still my dream to be a sign language interpreter! The thing that stopped (and is STILL stopping me) is my lack of sign language knowledge. When I met Steve I dropped out of school to be a wife and soon after that a mommy. But I hope that someday I will be able to finish college and get that degree....in the mean time, I've been learning a few signs here and there, and I'm an EXPERT on finger-spelling!

One Scrappy Gal said...
P.S. The first part of the song "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys goes like this:

I may not always love you

But long as there are stars above you

You never need to doubt it

I'll make you so sure about it

Wouldn't saying "I may not always love you" make you doubt it? Seriously?!

Scrappy:

Yes, it would make me doubt it! :S

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Elena Manwaring said...
Any idea why flags were at half mast in MA last weekend? And were they half mast here as well?

Elena:

I have NO idea why they were half-mast in MA...but they're half mast here for that soldier who died in Iraq. He grew up in town, and they are having his funeral on Saturday.

Craziness is Back!

Today's day "off" is filled....I can't even really do much here, but here's why I'm so crazy busy!

• Need to do some shopping for den meeting today. I was smart and planned out the activities LAST month, but forgot to buy the supplies! *D'oh!* (We're making 2 liter bottle piggy banks....so I need paint, little wooden spools, glue, scissors, felt, pipe-cleaners....) OH, and I still need to get some of our boys their rank advancement bead-things. I'm still learning!
• I have a meeting with our Service Coordinator....she's SO nice and helpful, but we have a LOT to discuss today!
• Then this afternoon we have the actual den meeting....uh, yay?
• Then tonight, almost directly after den meeting I have our annual Relief Society visiting teaching conference!! I think they WANT us to go or something.....I got an email about it, a hand delivered invitation, a phone call from my VT supervisor (the lady who wants to know what I'll tell the Lord...), and now a reminder from my OWN visiting teacher! (I'm HOPING I remember!! ;) )
• And finally, I need to actually celebrate my 8th anniversary with Steve. It's his last day-off this week, and he REALLY wants to do SOMETHING! (He mostly slept yesterday....working graveyards will do that....) and then he had play practice last night. :P

Update: I DID go to the VT conference....EXCELLENT!! But I missed Scouts....Five minutes before I was going to leave, Steve accidentally stabbed himself with a knife. (he was helping me get things ready for my 2 liter bottle piggy banks.) And sadly, we had JUST (like 30 minutes previously) had paid off that particular doctor bill!! :S (By the way, he's okay, ended up getting 2 stitches and his tetanus shot!)

Random Picture Day

Our "snow-day" from Saturday. The snow was very heavy and wet. And we've LEARNED why trees lose their leaves in preparation of winter!! There were MANY trees around town that had fallen limbs, and the clean-up is STILL going on! Branches in the street is NOT good on the car!

Oh, and underneath these branches are our power lines!! YEAH, we were worried for a little while!! These trees are NORMALLY about as tall as our apartment building, but as you can see, they were (and still are) saggy!

Cam's happy birthday! Blow, baby, blow!! (Oh, and I actually MADE his whole cake by myself!! FROM SCRATCH!! Frost my buns and call me a chef!)

I was feeling extra crafty this weekend and actually MADE these pajama pants in about a half hour! (They're Cameron's Christmas jammies, but he doesn't know it yet! ;)

And I've already got some tile pictures made for Christmas, for my very in-active brother and brother-in-law!! *giggle* Yeah, I'm not very nice!! :P

Free-for-all Friday...WITH a Twist....

It's time for Free-for-all-Friday, again!!

If you want to ask me a question about Cameron -- and anything goes -- here's your chance. You can ask about whatever you wish, no holds barred. I'll either answer honestly, or I'll tell you that I won't answer.

The twist is the Cameron aspect....see, it's my sweet boy's seventh birthday today!! Happy birthday, Cam!! We love you SOOOOOOO much!!

Answers About Cameron

Kimby_L said...
Wow, can't believe how the years have seemed to fly by! I'm glad his appointments went well and he was able to have some fun between testing. My question which kind of centers around Cam: What is your favorite memory of Steve as a new dad? Oh, and, out of all of Cam's toy phases, which one has been the worst (e.g. Ninja Turtles, Dora, etc.)?

Kimby:

My favorite memory of Steve as a new dad would have to be when he gave him his blessing. He was SO worried (you were there the night before, so you remember!) He was so sweet with this little baby, and I knew that he would be a good daddy!

Cam's annoying toy phases, eh? Probably his toy cell phone. Anytime he has his toy phone, he morphs into one of those obnoxious cell phone people....interrupting conversations because his phone is "ringing," talking loudly, and just wanting to have it with him at ALL times!! It annoys me to NO end (which is why it's hidden somewhere where he CAN'T find it!)

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One Scrappy Gal said...
Happy birthday Cameron!!

What was his pregnancy/birth like? Can you tell I have "new baby" on the brain? :)

Scrappy:

When I was pregnant with the boy I was MISERABLE!! I was sick for nine straight months. I did have a nice 2 week reprieve from throwing up, but the rest of the time??? Pukage!! :P And oddly, even though physically I was ill and miserable, mentally I felt happy! I remember thinking that I didn't have to worry about body image (at least until one of my friend's mom's told me that I didn't LOOK pregnant....I bawled for a week after that!) I felt more beautiful then than I EVER have!

I had to be induced for his birth, and had cervadil and pitocin which did NOTHING for me. The furthest I got was to a 2-3 cm dilated. I never really had any serious labor. (I didn't know what a contraction felt like until AFTER I had the kid!) I had miserable back-labor, and had my mom and husband in the room with me. Steve was very concerned about the pain I was in, and my mom did the wife in labor thing, "OF COURSE she's in pain!! You did this to her!!" I never got angry or upset with the man, the whole time I was in the hospital!! Just my mom! :D

They had to monitor my blood pressure, because it was VERY high (200-something/100-something...) and every half hour the cuff would go off. I went in on the fourth, and nothing happened until the next day. That night I was having anxiety about having a baby, and the nurse, who was a family friend, gave me a shot of morphine!! It was the BEST stuff!! All night long my thoughts wandered...I didn't really "sleep" just had thoughts wandering, and no cares! Around one o'clock the next day, my doctor decided that if I had an epidural that maybe I could relax enough to dilate. Unfortunately, the epidural knocked my blood pressure down to 60/40! They lost HIS heartbeat, and ended up flipping me upside-down on the bed. This whole time I was sick and throwing up....and was just miserable. They kept taking away my little emisis basin, and I was freaking out because I wasn't finished!! The nurses were shaking my belly to get Cam back, and prepped me for an emergency C-section. Finally, after getting into the room, his heartbeat came back, and I was allowed one person in the delivery room with me. When asked who I wanted, I said my mom, because Steve couldn't handle it (the whole time I had been going through this, he had been kicked out of the room and not allowed back in at all!)

I didn't know, but the nurses gave Steve the option of coming in, and he turned it down anyway. (I've informed the man that the NEXT birth we have he WILL be in the room with me!! NO MATTER WHAT!) The anesthesiologist told me that I was pretty calm as opposed to how crazy I had been before. I told her it was because I didn't need to throw up any more! Then my mom came in the room and was in tears. I never really realized how scary everything had been! I remember seeing a lot of ceiling lights and blue for his birth....and my mom telling me, blow-by-blow what was happening. ("Your uterus looks like a boneless-skinless chicken!!" "Here comes your little boy....") After she told me that, I waited and asked if he was out. My mom told me that he had been out and gone for about a minute.

An hour after his birth I got to go into the NICU to see him. The pediatrician was there running all sorts of tests because he had inhaled the merconium, had an enlarged liver and they couldn't find his kidneys. (Not the kind of thing a first-time mom WANTS to hear...) The nurses were going to allow me to nurse the boy, but the doctor said he couldn't because he was NPO. He never was a very good eater, and I place some of the blame on the fact that I couldn't nurse him immediately after delivery.

His birth was pretty traumatic, and he ended up staying in the NICU for 6 days. He was 8 pounds 1 ounce, and was the biggest baby in the nursery! They were feeding the kid like he was a preemie...every 3 hours, even though it took him a full hour to eat one little bottle. Yeah, I have annoyances with how he was taken care of after his birth.

Thankfully, after 6 days, I was able to take him home, and just enjoy him!

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Suzanne said...
Happy Birthday Cameron!!!

My son is 7 too and it's a good age. I've really enjoyed it so far!

Hmm...a question! What is his favorite color and favorite food? :)

Suzanne:

His favorite color changes daily, today it's blue.

He says his favorite food is pizza, although, if he could, he'd eat hot dogs ALL the time!

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mattsmom said...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDDO! Are we old? Your son's birthday is making me feel old! HEHE HAHA

Cam...What is your biggest quirk?

mattsmom:

I feel like I'm having a "duh" moment.....what's a quirk!? Is it something odd that only you do?? Once I can figure it out, I will let you know! *doh*

I guess his biggest quirk is his memory. The kid remembers EVERYTHING!! Even things that happened YEARS ago, he remembers!! Seriously, we can't do anything when he's around!

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CareBearMommy said...
Happy Birthday Cam!

Blogger is being a dork. I posted a question on here yesterday about Cam, but when I just came back to check the answer, my question was, gasp, GONE! ANYway, I'll ask again... has Cameron ever lost or broken a pair of his glasses before?

Carrie:

Funny you ask....

This last camping trip, the boy lost his glasses IN MY TENT!! I was being a lazy bum and was still in my sleeping bag, but Cam, the morning person in our family, was WIDE awake and ready to get dressed. He grabbed his glasses and put them ON my chest, then got dressed. In the midst of his dressing, he grabbed the glasses and POOF!! They disappeared!!

I freaked out on the boy. Yelling, saying over and over, "We just can't afford to get you new glasses!!"

So we left the tent, and my dad, who had heard my ranting, went into the tent with Cam, and they searched EVERYWHERE!! Somehow, they had ended up underneath, YES, UNDERNEATH my air mattress!!

Thankfully, he hasn't lost them since!