I Can Do This....I Can Do This....I Can Do This....

My little tornado. His middle name should have been "Trouble."

He pulls himself up to EVERYTHING!!!! He even banged his mouth on a chair last night, causing gushing blood....and lots and lots of tears.

When Mama Plays...

...the baby will get into mischief! *giggle*

He climbed into this box ALL by himself...and got stuck. Little pill!

Thrush

Today I noticed some little white patches on the inside of Jake's mouth. Just on the corners by his lips. At first I thought it was paper, I mean, he HAS been putting everything that's been on the floor into his mouth, and we've been shredding paper like crazy people. But when I went to "pull it out" it didn't come, and I noticed it was more like a yeast infection or something else. So I called the doctor, and the nurse said it sounded like thrush. Um...yay?

So today we went to the pharmacy and got some purple stuff (yeah, don't remember the name of it off hand...) and some anti-fungal foot stuff for me, and we're treating it.

Isn't Jake's purple mouth just LOVERLY!? ;)

Hopefully this won't last long...and none of the rest of US will get it. *fingers crossed* Until then I have a purple-mouthed baby...

Does Anyone Read Me Anymore??

I know I've been bad about commenting/reading everyone else's blogs in the past, but I *thought* I was doing better.

Two posts in a week and no comments.....

Maybe I'm talking to the great void....

Scoutty Brat

I finally got around to getting Cam a scout shirt, and then we actually SEWED the stuff on it! (He was supposed to wear it to school today, but being as scatter-brained as I am, I spaced it until now, and he's been gone for over an hour....Oh well!!)

Here's my proud little scout! (Isn't he cute!?)

We've also been trying out new ADHD medications with him. I liked the last medicine he was on except for the fact that he was ornery and VERY defiant. He did pay attention to things and was doing pretty well. The other downside to his last medication was the fact that his medical insurance just didn't cover it....period. It was too new to be covered, so we had to cover whatever they wouldn't, which ended up being almost $200 a month....ick!!

So we've tried him on Ritalin. Yeah, I know, the typical medicine, but I'm having problems with it. He's even MORE defiant, if that's at all possible, and even grouchier and meaner. I'm at my wits end with him most of the time. Since he had no school or therapy yesterday I about lost my MIND with the kid. He screamed, yelled, and threw tantrum after tantrum....I was ready to shoot him. Last night I told him that he NEEDED to start behaving better, or I'd get upset. He just shrugged it off and went to bed.

I'm HOPING that today goes better. I just keep telling myself that all this medicating stuff WILL get better....I just can't wait until we figure out the correct dosage and what works with him.

Home at Last!!

I can't use the excuse that I don't have my own computer at home to follow my favorite blogs...I'm now up and going with a NEW computer!! *doing a happy dance*

For the past 2 days I've been putting together all our new "office" area. We have a new computer desk (put together by me), a new computer chair (put together by me with my brother's help), a new filing cabinet (put together TWICE by me....dang directions...), and a new computer...set up by me. I'm sure Steve would have helped if he'd not been working when I was putting stuff together.

Because of the work I've been doing on the office area, Jake has felt neglected. Poor baby. He's been super whiny and cries at the drop of a hat. He refused to let me put him back to bed this morning after his early morning feeding....he slept with me. But now, it's put together, all that's left is to organize everything. *sigh* It sure feels good to get somethings accomplished!

And lest you think I forgot, Steve and I did treat each other for Valentine's day. I sent him a balloon bouquet and a singing card (I WILL be making him a steak dinner with the trimmings for dinner), and he got me some cute earrings, a bear, and CHOCOLATE!! :D It's been a great day!

Um...You Eat What?

Cameron was snacking on some cherry flavored jelly hearts. Now, when I taste them I think they taste a little like cough syrup. So I really don't like them. (My mom has also mentioned them tasting like cold medicine...)

So Cameron was eating away and then said, "YUCK!"

I was a little shocked (the boy doesn't say "yuck" to any kind of candy...) I asked him what was wrong.

He said, "These are GROSS!"

I asked him, "What's wrong with them?"

Cameron said, "Mom, they taste like eye drops!"

Thoughts on My Mind

Ever since I heard about the octuplets born a few weeks ago, thoughts have been on my mind. My first thought was, "Right on! That mom now has insta-family, I'm sure she's been wanting a family for a LONG time! Yay for them!"

Then when I heard that the octuplets already had 6 siblings I thought, "Wow! That's going to be QUITE the family. I hope the mom and dad are excited for a big family...." Then almost instantly I heard that the mom was single and living with her parents, then my somewhat positive thoughts turned VERY negative. My thoughts now aren't very nice. I think that this mom is VERY irresponsible. VERY!! How can she put *that* kind of pressure on her parents, who I'm sure, just want to be grandparents to these kids, not their sole support! I'm angry with the doctors and clinics who allowed this woman, with no job or home of her home, to have all of these kids SO close and all at once.

I just don't understand.

Well, I understand the yearning for children of your own. THAT I do understand, but to bring children into that kind of situation, to me, is just wrong. I feel sorry for the grandparents. It's not their job to take care of this family...it's just NOT! I feel sorry for these kids. Their mom brought them into this world alone, and without a father. Raising one or two kids on your own is hard enough, but to have 14 children depending on YOU?! I can't imagine!

I know that it's her children, her body, and her choice, but sometimes what you want isn't what you should have.

*********************************************************

I had another nightmare last night, it woke me out of a sound sleep, and made me think hard about the things I've taught (or I'm teaching) my boys.

In my dream, one of my cousins was smoking and offered a cigarette to Cameron. HE TOOK IT! Not only did he take it, but by the time I found out about it, he was hooked. (And in my dream, he was the age he is now...) In the dream I tried over and over to stop him, but he would throw a tantrum and refuse to listen to me. (Like he likes to do whenever I tell him not to do something....) It was just all too real! When I woke up, I could *swear* that I could smell cigarette smoke. (I'm sure it was my *cough* LOVELY neighbor's.)

I couldn't sleep. So I tried to get my mind off of it by reading. While I was reading, Cameron woke up (early) and asked me what was going on. I told him about my nightmare, and asked him what he'd do if someone offered him ANYTHING that was bad. He thought for a while, and said, "Mom, if someone gave me cigarettes, I'd tell my teacher or you."

I just hope that I can keep steering this boy the right way. He's SO rebellious, I just don't know, sometimes!

******************************************************************

I'm SO happy. Really, even with all these negative things going on in my life, I'm TRULY happy! Several things have just been clicking with me and my family. I really am blessed and pray continually that this joy and happiness will continue for a VERY long time!

Where I've been...

I really REALLY miss having a computer in my home. I don't have complete access when things happen that are blog-worthy! UGH!

BUT...

I should have a new computer soon. I did our taxes on Friday, and with the direct deposit SHOULD be seeing some return money within a week or so.

There's so many things we've been putting off until we got taxes back, and poor Cameron has gotten used to us saying, "We'll get it once we get taxes back." Unfortunately for him, he still doesn't have understanding of time frames, and gets quite confused between a week and a month...sometimes a year. Silly boy!

This last week, my mom got all the stuff done (or going) for my grandpa to be in an assisted care facility. He moved in on Monday and we're thrilled! The boys and I went to visit him today and it's SUCH a nice place. I really like it. It feels like a comfortable apartment complex as opposed to any assisted care facility I've previously been in. I'm sure he'll be MUCH happier there. He's already had several visitors. :)

Jake's new talent has manifested itself....he spits. Yes, I know, babies are full of spit and saliva, but this boy, has mastered the raspberry. I laugh when I drive down the road and both boys are blowing raspberries. Not only do they spit at each other (which makes a mama proud) but they'll laugh and giggle at each other. There's nothing quite like the laughter of your kids to make you smile.

We've also discovered that Jake just likes to yank on his ears, for no other reason besides the fact that he wants to. Not fun for us when we THINK he's got an ear infection because of the way he's been yanking....UGH! My doctor's office is probably sick of seeing me, I'm sure! :P

Over the weekend we had a wonderful WONDERFUL Stake Conference with Elder Kim B. Clark (the president of BYU-Idaho). Saturday he asked the audience for input and had a GREAT conversation about how to strengthen our families, which I think my husband took to heart, because he's been SO amazing since then. (Not that he wasn't nice before, but he's so aware of me and my needs now....) Then we had great talks and testimonies given Sunday morning. All in all, I was very happy I went. I just don't understand when some people skip Stake Conference....

Otherwise, we've been just doing the normal routine. Jake did have a little bit of a cold that he's still fighting, but we're all good! (Thank heaven!)

A Week Ago

Since I'm online so scarcely, I forget funny things that happen during my week. One of those funny events happened a week ago.

Last week we had QUITE the snowstorm. And no, the school district did not cancel school. Even though we only live down the street from Cameron's school, because of his special ed class, he gets to ride the bus....for which I'm SO grateful!!

Anyway, where our apartment is located there is a cross-street that comes into our road and leads directly to the school....it's actually kind of annoying, but whatever. Usually the bus driver turns onto the road that comes into our street...which on a good day (when there's no snow on the road) it's a close call turning the corner. But with snow?? It's quite a feat. Especially when the tires can't get traction in the snow.

So back to last week. The bus driver probably figured that he could make the corner and began his turn. His tires pulled to the right....sliding the bus toward our apartment building. The driver tried again, and as I watched through my kitchen window I saw the bus slide and then suddenly stop. The bus slid into a parked car. (Thankfully NOT mine, but my *cough* "wonderful" neighbor's....)

The bus driver got out and looked, then I saw him get back in and call the district office.

I just KNEW Cam would be freaking out, I mean, he freaks out whenever we even REMOTELY get stuck....but he wasn't. He was laughing and goofing off with one of his friends. I looked out the door and window quite often and they would wave and *hide* from me.

In the end, the bus stayed stuck for about 40 minutes, and a truck came to pull it out of the snow.

Since then, Cam informs me that his bus driver goes the long way....and is more careful! :D

My Child?

Lately we've been having behavior issues with Cameron again. His teacher asked us a few days whether he'd taken his meds, and he had. (I haven't let him NOT take them since the one day over Christmas break....he SO needs them!) Because of the issues, I'd called our doctor and got his prescription raised. It was kind of an awkward time, because I had JUST refilled the prescription. Seriously, my timing COULD have been better!

Anyway, he's been on this medication for over a month now, and I JUST barely checked out the side effects online. Guess what one of the side effects is? Irritability. UGH! Tell me NOW!

Yesterday the boy was ON one. He yelled at me, whined, cried and stormed to his bedroom, slamming his bedroom door and REFUSING to go to school. All this BEFORE his bus even arrived to pick him up. I was at my wits end. (I have to say that I'm SO glad I don't home school the boy....I would go nuts!)

When I picked him up from school yesterday, his teacher asked him to tell me how his day went. I was prepared for the worst. He said it was a good day and she agreed with him. *SHOCK* After the morning I went through, I was amazed. Then when he was at therapy, he was great!

When I was growing up, I also had HUGE tantrums that I only had at home. When I relayed this story of Cameron's bad day to my mom, she just laughed. LAUGHED!! I did these kinds of things to her ALL the time. I guess my curse is manifesting itself...

I am GLAD he saves his blow up moments for me at home, but at the same time I wish he NEVER had those blow up moments. *sigh* I have to remind myself I DID ask for this!

PANTS!!

(Oddly, "pants" is my brother's favorite exclamations....don't ask why, because I couldn't tell you!)

The other night, while goofing off with Jake, Steve put Jake's sweatpants on his head, causing his forehead to look more like a Neanderthal's than my baby's. His little concerned look that the pants caused was not in harmony with the funny little smile he'd send our way. I couldn't stop laughing. Sometimes it's just nice to have those little moments when you can just laugh!

To share, here's the pictures of my cro-magnanman!

Ooga booga!

Hug Your Kids

AND never let them go!!

The only other comment I have is that I'm so impressed with how at peace and calm Steve and Mindy were. I admire them and their family VERY much!

What I've Heard...

How small the world seems sometimes....

One of my other online friends is the aunt to the little boy I mentioned in my last post. Here's what she said happened.

He was having breathing issues on Sunday, and his parents took him to the hospital. I guess every time he fell asleep he stopped breathing. They were in the process of putting the little boy in a coma to transport him to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake when he died. It was very unexpected and sudden.

I've just had such a broken heart over this all week long. I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose one of my kids. (I'm glad I can't imagine it....) Every time I even think about my friends I stop and pray for their comfort and strength.

I'm still heartbroken, but I will try to help them any way I can. The funeral is tomorrow.

Sad....SO Sad...

I just found out a friend of mine lost one of her twin sons yesterday. I don't know the details yet, but I'm devastated!! He was 3 and would have turned 4 in March.

My heart goes out to my friends. :(

(Anyone who knows Mindy or Steve Hansen....it was Joshua.)

New President

Cameron said to me, "Mom, do you know who the new president is?"

Me: "Yes...."

Cameron: "President Monson! I watched it on tv at school today...."

I quickly corrected him, telling him that the new president of the country is President Obama, NOT President Monson. *giggle* I'm sure he was confused for a few minutes!

I do have to say, even though I'm COMPLETELY anti-political ANYTHING, I have been glued to the inauguration coverage today. I hope that the new president can help fix the problems that currently plague our country, I will be praying for his success. And as a note to former President Bush....I appreciate the way he turned over power to his successor. He was friendly and helpful, and even if you don't think his political decisions were very smart or correct, you can't help but admire the way he worked with President Obama in the transfer of power. I truly appreciate the fact that beyond ALL political lines, the man can do the right thing.

Now on to the future.....may it be MUCH better, MUCH sooner! *crossing fingers and praying for success*

Totally Random

Some bits of my life are more random than others....

• Last night I woke up from a nightmare! I dreamed that someone told me that they were going to kill me by lethal injection today at 1:00 pm. I woke up thinking it was an omen, so I had to calm myself down before falling back to sleep. When I told Steve about it, he said, "I'm sorry," then he left for work. Thanks for caring, honey! :P
• My grandpa is now moving back here. He's been living with my Uncle Ben since July. He's not been happy (but he won't be happy unless he's living in his house WITH my grandma alive again....) He's staying with my aunt right now, and when my mom and aunt took him to a local assisted facility he asked if he could move in RIGHT then. They've started doing the paperwork that he needs done so that he can live there. I'm actually really excited for this. Personally, I think he should have been living in an assisted facility since Grandma died.
• Cameron has become quite the ornery night guy. We've been waking him up so that he can potty at night and last night he threw a HUGE tantrum. He flopped on the floor in front of the bathroom and REFUSED to go. He kept whining about how tired he was. Even if HE requests the wake-up-call, he still whines!
• Jake is crawling more and more. Instead of a wounded soldier, it's more of a push-up type crawl. It's almost like he's an inch-worm. He still gets frustrated though. If he wants one of us to pick him up, he'll throw his arms and legs up and cry out. He's also picked up a piggy oinking from Cameron. ONE time, Cameron shows him and he's picked it up! Seriously, Jake is going to excel vocally!!
• Steve hasn't seen all of the fun boy pictures we took the other day. He was working and since we don't have a computer at home to view the pictures, he still hasn't seen them all. I asked him if he wanted to go with me to Walmart to pick out a picture to turn into the newspaper for "Born in 2008" but he said he trusted my judgement. After I printed off the picture and turned it in the lady at the front desk at the newspaper kept saying, "Oh, what a cute picture...." I think she said it like 3 or 4 times! I definitely picked the right picture! When I got home, Steve asked if I'd printed off more pictures for him to take to work. I hadn't, but said I could make more copies today. I took them to him at work today and he seemed pleased. I can't wait until he sees them all though!
• My high score on this game is 574.9! :)

I've Got Cute Boys

And I've got proof!! :)

(And if you're wondering, YES, we went to my favorite store again!)

Well.....

Sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut!

Last night my little Jake was miserable. He wouldn't eat for very long, he'd sit straight up in my lap....and if you've read my nipple post, you know that isn't real conducive for nursing. I got fed up with him starting and then stopping so I just pumped....which is SO annoying, but I guess necessary sometimes.

All night long the boy was yanking something fierce on his ears, by the time I noticed his misery, the doctor's office was closed. I was pretty bummed. So I just gave the kid some pain relievers and hoped he'd be okay until morning.

He was up quite a bit last night just sobbing. I tried to cuddle him, but he just didn't want anything to do with me.

So early this morning (well, once the doctor's office opened) I called and got him an appointment. They ushered us back quickly in case the kid was contagious, and then we waited and waited. I was actually pretty excited to learn that I got my regular doctor (he's got 8 or 9 other doctors that he's in the office with, so you KNOW that's lucky!) We weighed the boy (he's now officially 20 pounds.) and waited for Dr. O to see us.

The doctor did his regular suspects, asking questions along the way and discovered that the boy didn't have an ear infection (*whew*) but a "moderate sore throat." He told me that *normally* they don't test infants under 1 for strep UNLESS they have older siblings. Guess who had to go to the lab for a strep swab? UGH!

Anyway, the fun part (if there is a *fun* part) was that I got to see a family friend and visit with her for while we waited for the results. The nurses even joked around with us.

After the wait we were relieved to find that we were negative for strep. It's just a typical sore throat. (Um, yay!?)

So the doctor urged me to push liquids on the kid in the form of juices, Popsicles, sherbet, and cold pudding. He's worried that since he's not eating normally, that he'll dehydrate...I'm worried I'll lose my milk.

Anyway, he's not completely healed, but we're on our way....I hope! *crossing fingers*

YAY!

Jake's fever left us YESTERDAY! It was an EARLY morning for us, but we're doing MUCH better. (Jake woke up at 2:30 Monday morning, he was fevered and just feeling miserable!)

I'm pretty sure his fevery-ness came from getting 3 teeth at once. I know that doctors swear that kids don't get fevered when they teethe, but I beg to differ. At least one of the teeth has come out and he seems to be happier.

He is, however, using his misery to be whinier and crankier than usual. I realize I've been blessed with two really good kids. But the whining is something I really could do without.

I'll put Jake on the floor to play, and if he sees either me or Steve, he'll whine until we pick him up. We encourage him to crawl to us, but he throws his arms and legs in the air and cries. Maybe I shouldn't give into his whines so quickly....

Otherwise, we're all happy! AND fever free!!

Fever? Just A Little One

Yesterday Little Jake woke up feeling a bit warmer than he usually does. I grabbed my trusty thermometer and took his temperature. (Now, I HATE checking him rectally, and I'm not about to try it orally, so I take temperatures in the kids armpits....yeah, not REAL accurate, but it works!) The thermometer told me that his temperature was PERFECT. 98.6

A few hours later, the kid was acting like he wanted to sleep and started feeling warm again. I checked and this time he was at 100.9. I began to worry. The first person I called was my mom. (She's the one I usually go to for advice anyway....) She told me that a temperature of 100 was okay, but if it got to 104 to take him to the doctor. She also made the disclaimer that it had been a while since she had kids and to double-check with the pediatrician's office.

As soon as I hung up with her I did check with Jake's doctor's office....just in case. They confirmed what my mom had said and added that if he had a fever for 3 days they should check him out as well.

All day I kept the kid undressed (just wearing a onsie) and gnawing on a cold washcloth. At one point he got SO cold that I had to do some of the opposite to get him warm.

Eventually, I had medicated the boy and thought all was well.

Today he woke up super warm. Last night I'd worried about covering him up with blankets, so I just put him to sleep in his blanket sleeper and on TOP of his blankets. His temperature was again 100.9. I took the boy, stripped him down and gave him a cool bath. After giving him a dose of Tylenol, I took his temperature again. This time it went down to 99.1.

I let him play in his onsie all morning, and eventually began to go stir crazy. (My crazy neighbors were blasting mariachi music and leaving their car running IN the garage....filling my apartment with exhaust. Um....I love my neighbors....I love my neighbors.....I love my neighbors....) So I dressed the boy, had Cam get ready and we left.

Now I sit at my parents' house, Jake is still wanting to just sleep his icky-ness away (a trait that comes from my side of the family) and is getting warm again.

*sigh*

I hope this ends soon! Poor boy.

I guess I'm really lucky though, he hasn't really fussed too much. Mainly, he wants to be held and snuggled (not really typical of him) and wants to sleep. He doesn't cry, just moans every once in a while.

Feeling the Love

I should whine more often! ;) (Either that, or tell more embarrassing stories about myself!)

Within the last few days things have gotten pretty crazy around our house. Jake has discovered that if he is on his belly, he can maneuver around. He's still not "crawling," but he's SO close. He's doing the wounded-army-man-crawl, (which is the ONLY way Cam crawled until after he was 1 year old.) and we're sure he'll start crawling the correct way soon. (He's tried it a *few* times, and is SO close!)

With this new discovery, he's also found that he can yank things off of shelves, tables and open cupboards. Yes, he's a FUN boy! I really should child-proof my house! :P

He also has 7 teeth and is working on 10. His surprise seventh tooth came out on Christmas day. SHOCK of SHOCKS!! The kid didn't fuss at ALL. I am SO lucky that I have such a mellow, well-behaved baby!

Over Christmas break we even worked on getting the boy to fall asleep by himself in his crib. No more getting him to sleep, and then putting him to bed...he will soothe himself to sleep in the crib. We had a few crazy nights, Cameron BEGGED me to take Jake away, but I kept with it, and now he will really and truly sleep ON HIS OWN!! YAY!

On top of these excitements, he's also a very verbal child. I will wake up with him calling out (not really loudly, but enough) "mom...mom....mom...." Our little talker. I have a feeling once he learns how to talk completely, we won't get the kid to shut up.

Cameron is also doing SUPER well. I am SO happy that we've got him on ADHD meds. I tried one day during the Christmas break not giving the boy his meds to see if I noticed a difference....it was HUGE! I played Sorry with him and kept repeating the directions over and over and over and over....he just didn't get it. The very next day, med taken, he played and REMEMBERED the directions. He still has some issues, but they're minor compared to the huge leaps he's made. He will sit still long enough to color a coloring book page. He NEVER colored before the meds, he always scribbled, I think it was so he could be done faster and do something else. But now, he will color page after page in coloring books...and it looks SO nice! I'm so happy with his progress!! SO happy!!

Like I mentioned earlier this week, things aren't easy, but they're moving along and we're doing well! YAY!! :)

Echo......Anyone there?

So I realize that I'm a horrible blog-reader/blog-commenter. This is not news to me. (I didn't always have this problem...it's a fairly recent thing....you know, since we had our computer die on us.)

But I have very little comments, and I'm feeling a little sad. :(

Maybe if I tell a funny anecdote then I will get the comments I crave.

Yesterday, I was in church with Steve and the boys. This IS news, usually Steve is working, or sleeping from working all night. It's actually really nice to have the man WITH me at church.

ANYWAY...

I had my first post-partum visit from my aunt. Yes, THAT aunt. Anyway, I really really wanted to wear my cute khaki skirt to church, and even thought for a MINUTE that it probably would be best for me to wait until next week, but I quickly dismissed this thought, thinking I had some protection, I was covered....

Well...

Just as sacrament meeting was ending, a kind friend, (you know who you are....THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!) leaned over and told me that I had a red spot on my skirt. I was MORTIFIED. I knew it was a possibility, but I didn't think it would happen.

Here's WHY I didn't think this would happen: I happen to subscribe to the bigger the better when it comes to protecting myself. I happen to wear (on a normal day) the Super Deluxe Over Night Maximum Extra protection. It is so long, that it covers EVERYTHING....well, I *thought* it did.

Apparently there was ONE spot...ONE....that wasn't quite covered.

I quickly handed off Jake to Steve and made a mad dash for home. Thankfully we only live around the corner from our church building, and we DROVE that day. I ran into the house and quickly changed into the navy skirt I SHOULD have worn to begin with.

*Note to Self: Don't wear light colored clothing if you KNOW your Auntie is visiting!*

Happy New Year!

The last year wasn't a bad one for us, but here's hoping that 2009 will bring all the happiness everyone who reads this deserves!! :)

Christmas Fun

I could have SWORN we took way more pictures, but I guess we were too busy having fun! :P

Jake could have played in the wrapping paper ALL day if we'd let him.

Cameron got a super-cool wagon from Grandma, that mom and Uncle Daren had to put together....so Uncle Daren got one of the first rides! :)

Just for fun, here's a picture of Jake's new favorite place to roll (we're not QUITE crawling yet, but rolling around gets the job done.) We've found him under the coffee table SO many times....silly boy.

And on our picture taking night, I laid on the floor with the boys for some fun shots....here's ONE. :)

Post Holiday Blah....

Christmas was VERY fun and wonderful for our family. Christmas Eve Steve's brother and girlfriend came to visit and see the cool Christmas lights here. Then we vegged out at home Christmas morning until Cam was played out (Jake totally LOVED the wrapping paper WAY more than any of the toys he got...) and then we spent the afternoon/evening at my parents' house.

Cameron got everything he wanted, except more presents. And Jake was happy just getting wrapped up boxes. Honestly, I think the boys were very SPOILED this Christmas and will not need so many things NEXT year! ;)

Now we're done with the Christmas stuff. The carols aren't playing on the radio any more, the tree has been taken down and boxed up for next year (Jake was rolling under the tree pulling things off INCLUDING branches...and we have a fake tree!) and the snow is beginning to get old. Cam asks me constantly whether he can go back to school yet, and I tell him, "Only one more week...." He has been counting down! Silly boy!

I know the next holiday is New Year's, but really, I won't have my honey around. And I'm VERY bummed out about it. He has to close both days and I won't see him unless I stare at him while he sleeps.

*SIGH*

But I guess things could always be worse. The kids are healthy, I'm healthy and we're surviving. But I do miss the anticipation that Christmas brings!

(And just for your information, I DO have pictures of the boys with Christmassy things, but I forgot to bring my camera with me....SORRY! Those should follow shortly, I hope!)

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! :)

A Night At Home

We stayed home with a camera and some Santa hats, and here's the results:

And after ALL that work, we FINALLY got a cute picture!

How much fun can one family have? :)

ADHD, Why Yes, We DO Know What That Is...

Cameron had his doctor's appointment yesterday for ADHD testing, and yes, (no shock here) he DOES have it. Doctor O recommended lots of things, but the initial thing was starting the boy on meds. I did a lot of running around last night to get them, but we are set (for now!)

I gave him his first dose this morning (with him freaking out a bit before he took it) and he swallowed it in 2 tries. (YAY!) Then within an hour I noticed a HUGE change in my child. HUGE! Normally, Cam will go up and down the stairs multiple times, bother me or his dad OR his brother, beg to play the DS for a while or do other things. But normally, he's on the move. Today? He ate his breakfast, then sat on the couch and watched cartoons until the bus came. That was IT! It was huge!!

Then today when I checked him out for the holiday break, his teacher reported on his day. All of the teachers noticed a difference in the boy. He was mellow and very laid back. They did notice him getting back to his "Cameron" self around lunchtime, but they were cooped up in the classroom and it was kinda crazy anyway. But soon after lunch was over, he was mellow again.

I'm hoping that this will help the boy focus more on his school work and mellow out. (Which as of now, a few hours out, it IS working!)

Thank heaven for modern medicine!!

Nice Bandaids...

Yes, this may be considered a TMI for some, but I'm in major pain and I just HAVE to share!!

All weekend long, Jake has been teething and a few times has used me as his teether. Sunday after church, I was trying to nurse the boy and he bit down on me SO hard that it drew blood. There was blood on his face and in his mouth. I just about threw the kid across the room from instant pain. Instead I swatted the kid's mouth and said, "YOU DON'T BITE ME!!"

Yeah, I know....not the BEST way of handling the situation, but I reacted!

Needless to say the kid cried and cried for nearly a half hour straight. He was inconsolable!! I was pretty miserable!

Thankfully, my other son, who was more than willing to find me a bandaid for my "owie" went on the search. Instead I grabbed the breast pad and pressed on it. After a little while I pulled it off and noticed that it really soaked up the blood pretty well. Nice bandaid! ;)

Anyway, today I've been trying to pump on that side and let him nurse exclusively on the other side, but I was SO engorged that I just HAD to nurse him, just to relieve the pressure. Thankfully, his tooth broke through and he's not biting anymore. But I have a feeling it will take me a while to recover from this owie.

Dear Santa....for Adults

So I've been thinking about what we could ask Santa for....if he could truly give us what we REALLY want. Here's my list. Enjoy.

• Bills paid in full. (Wouldn't THAT be nice!?)
• Happy, HEALTHY children.
• Peace....not just on Earth, but in my home too.
• Calorie Free chocolate.
• Housekeeper....FREE of charge! ;)
• If I can't have a housekeeper, then a self-cleaning bathroom. (Bathrooms are my WORST chore! BLECH!)
• A working computer at my house. (Have I mentioned that I really REALLY miss my computer?)
• A piano.
• A home of my own that I can afford.
• No more PMS, please!
• Obedient Children.
• A full night's sleep.
• A skinny body! ;)
• Happiness.

So if you could ask Santa for ANYTHING and get it, what would YOU ask for!?

Dear Santa

Today Cameron wrote his annual Santa letter....ALL BY HIMSELF!! I was so proud of him! (I did have to spell out the words for him, but he wrote it out.)

I was pretty brain-dead and didn't get a copy of it, but here's what it said:

"Dear Santa

Can you bring me Sorry? So I can play with my mom and dad. Thanks.

Cameron "

I've been trying to remind him that he really does want Sorry for Christmas and not something else....anyone else have that problem? ;)

We went to the big Santa mailbox in town to mail it, and the opening was screwed shut. I REALLY hope they unscrew it soon....otherwise I don't know what I'll do with it.

Dreams

I've been having SUPER vivid dreams lately. They're totally random too. Let me share! :)

A few nights ago I had a dream that I was helping the Obamas move into the White House. (Don't know WHY they'd pick me, I can't even decorate my own house decently!) My friend was with me too. Michelle Obama had decided that because the country was in a recession that they were going to make do with all of the old furniture that was currently in the building. And apparently in my dreams the Bushes are SUPER destructive people, because everything was in some state of disrepair. We were walking through the living room trying out special couch cover that was red, white and blue with a teal ruffle. (Yeah, see, you DON'T want me decorating your house, now do you!?) We were trying to get this all figured out now and we discovered holes in the couch covers. I think my friend mentioned that we should just leave the couches as they were, but I pointed out some huge chunks of foam that was missing from the very 70-ish GOLD couches.

In the end my dream was pretty good. It just stopped, mostly because I had to feed a whimpering baby, but my overall opinion of the Obamas (in my dream) was that they were very thrifty and nice. It was like they were my best friends. (I know....I'm CRAZY!!!!)

The other dream I had was last night. I dreamed that I went to rent a video from a video store just down the street from where my husband works. (Not that we even RENT movies anymore, but you know, it must have been a movie that we just HAD to see!) Anyway, I was without Steve and had both boys with me. I was supposed to take Jacob to his doctor's appointment (which he really had today) and I was going to just get this before I went to the office. While I was getting the movies, some masked men came inside wielding guns to rob the place. I threw myself onto the floor covering the boys with my body and was terrified. The men walked past us just as my cell phone rang. And according to the ring it was Steve. I grabbed the phone to silence it, but the men held the gun to my head and demanded that I give them the phone, which I did.

After they were done, which was pretty fast, I stood up to leave and noticed that I was late for the doctor. I was grabbing other people's phones to call so I could keep my appointment time, but I couldn't remember the phone number.

Yes, I've been having weird dreams....I wonder if it was something I've been eating!?

And as a quick update on Jake's progress, he now weighs 19 pounds 7 ounces and is about the same height. (They said that they can't get an accurate measurement when the kids are wiggly...so he may be more...) He's doing well and the doctor had no concerns.

Both boys DID have to get shots though....fun for mama?? Actually, not too bad. Cameron freaked out and cried longer than Jake did (who was done second...) Both boys seem content and happy now, 3 hours later! Thank heaven!

CONGRATS!!

It's an exciting day! My friend, Mattsmom, had her 3rd little baby today. A beautiful little girl!

Congrats mama and daddy!!

What to Say?

I can't tell you the number of times I've had perfect strangers come up to me and comment on how "gorgeous" my baby is. Now, don't take this to mean I'm bragging, because I'm just trying to make a point.

My point is, why do have these comments now and when I had Cameron I had very few? Not to say that Cam didn't get his fair share of, "look how cute that baby is" comments, but Jake seems to get WAY more.

Is it bad to feel sorry for Cam? He's a cute boy, but he definitely does look different from his brother. People will comment, and I wonder if it hurts his feelings.

Raising these two boys has been such an eye-opener for me. I've definitely noticed the things people have told me for years about Cameron's delays...only because I now see Jake's typical tendencies.

Jacob will be 6 months old on Saturday, and he can already roll around, scoot, sit by himself (well, for a few seconds anyway....probably no longer than a minute....), babble, make raspberries and the list goes on and on. When Cameron was this age it was SO different. And I mourn the fact that my little Cam is not typical.

On top of these non-typical behaviors, I hear over and over how good looking my other baby is.

What can I say?

I've even had some people mention to me that we should enter Jake into a "pretty baby" contest (which we will be doing soon....) But how do I make Cameron feel just as loved and as involved?

It's all so hard!