My Little Miss Independent

 

Above is a picture of Peanut making a PB&J sandwich. This is the second one she's done. I believe she considers herself an expert. Lately she's been making strides in doing a lot of things independently. She started dressing herself this week. She sometimes gets frustrated with the socks but overall does a great job. She likes to have input on what she wears, but is pretty agreeable to what I suggest for her. :) She sets the table every night for dinner and would like to be involved in all the cooking but I try to just let her cook her pretend things next to me.

I can't believe how fast she's growing up. Today we had a whole conversation about her baby brother and the clothes he'll be wearing. She's 2 1/2 and is asking to go to school already. She has quite the imagination and two imaginary friends, Tika and Rajin, to go with it.

But alas, this story does have a down side...Franklin and I have been working on getting her to sleep in a big girl bed. Tonight it'll be a week. Needless to say this has been the longest week EVER! It takes her anywhere from 30 min to 2 1/2 hours to fall asleep. I think there's only been one, maybe two nights that she didn't get up and come into our room. I'm glad we're doing this before the baby comes, but we're so tired!! And potty training has stalled a little. But I'm not as bummed about that. Even though I would love her to be out of diapers, I figured she would've regressed anyway when the baby arrived.

Thank You Price Family!!

 

 

I'm a bit behind on things lately including thank yous. Peanut wants to send a great big thank you to you for her wonderful Christmas gifts. The Georgia sweatshirt is so cute and I can't wait for her to wear it. I promise to take a picture as soon as she does. And there are no words for how much she loves the Wonder Pets snow globe. What was even more awesome was she watched an episode of Wonder Pets that day and they had a snow globe that broker. She kept saying, "It's not broken!"

Thank you so much for thinking of her!! She made you a thank you card and it will be in the mail soon!

My sick baby girl

Peanut had a fever off and on for a day or so and I thought it was just her 2-year molars coming in. But last night she told Franklin that it hurt when she peed. So I called the doctor and they said that she should be seen but it could wait till the next day unless her temp got over 103. She wanted to go to bed at 6:50pm, but I made her wait a little while and I took her temp right before I put her to bed. It hadn't beeped yet, but I stopped when it reached 103.2. So we packed up and headed to Urgent Care. Her fever was 103.6 and we were all pretty sure it was a bladder infection or a UTI. Going to the doctor is not pleasant for regular check ups so I knew this would be fun. One of the hardest things was checking her oxygen level!! Anyhow, getting a urine sample proved to be quite difficult. We gave her lots of things to drink (when she would drink them) and she got a popsicle but didn't like having the little bag stuck to her. So after waiting over an hour with nothing they did a catheter. :( It wasn't fun but at least they got the sample. In the end her urine came back fine, but the doctor said her throat and tonsils were inflamed so he was leaning towards a throat infection. That was just great seeing as Franklin and I both drank after her all night convinced it was a UTI!! So, she's on antibiotics now and is sleeping a lot but definitely on the mend. And now Franklin and I are crossing our fingers we don't get sick.

Tonight we're ringing in the new year with board games and margaritas. I'll be having a nada-rita. Not as fun but hopefully it'll make me feel like I'm having fun! I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year!!!

Baby in her belly

Today during lunch Peanut told me she wasn't feeling well, she said she hurt in her tummy. This isn't that unusual, since I've not been feeling well the last 7 months, she occasionally (or once a day) says the same thing. But then she tells me why her tummy is hurting. Its the baby in her belly! She says she's okay but wants the doctor to give her a belly check. LOL

I've told her a couple of times there was a baby in my belly but she never seemed to remember or care. She likes to look at my belly button all the time, but that's it. I guess she DOES listen!!

My small town dream come true!

When we moved to Ohio I fell in love with our town. I thought it was small enough to provide the friendliness but still had several amenities necessary aka Target. I thought for sure as I started meeting neighbors and such I would see them whenever we dined out. Not that there's only one restaurant in town, there are several, but I thought surely I would see SOMEONE I know because the town is smaller than what I was used to. Well, that never happened. Ever. Not in the three years we've lived here! Until last night. :) We went to Applebee's for a fundraiser for my MOMS Club and there were several tables filled with people I knew!! Now granted, I knew there would be people there I knew, but it was still very exciting. It was almost like walking into Cheers and them saying "Norm!" No one shouted my name, but still. It only took three years, but finally my small town dream came true. :)

Imaginary Friends 101

I think there needs to be a class for parenting with imaginary friends. No, seriously. I thought I would be good with it, I myself had an imaginary husband, George, for awhile along with 10 imaginary children. So therefore I was fully prepared for my child to have one or many friends. What I didn't expect was that I would always be wrong about them. Wrong about where they are, what they're doing, if they're eating, etc. And the friend changes daily. It's usually Tooth Fairy or Tika, her "cousin", but there have been others. Fortunately, Peanut and her "friends" are forgiving when I mess things up.

I guess the lesson learned is...even when your child is 2, you can always be wrong. It's going to be a long life.

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

These dresses are too cute!!

My apologies

I just wanted to take a minute to apologize to all of my friends. I've been a horrible friend these last few weeks, maybe months. This time of year should be a happy time but being away from everyone makes it a little less enjoyable. And you would think things would be better if I talked to or emailed my friends, but honestly, it makes it hurt more. And with the economy being crappy and not working, not having money and having to spend what I do have on presents for others, it seems to have made me a little bit of a scrooge.

So I'm sorry. I'm sorry to those of you who I haven't called back. I'm sorry to those of you I have talked to on the phone and may have seemed disinterested. And I'm sorry to those I haven't even emailed. Maybe its the holidays, maybe its the hormones, but there's really no excuse. I promise to try and be a better friend soon, if not at least in the new year. :)

Santa did not go well

As many of you may recall Peanut had a bad reaction (3 different times) to Santa last year. This year she's older and we've really talked about the big guy a lot hoping she would be excited. Last Friday morning Franklin dressed up in the red suit again for my MOMS Club Santa event. We decided against letting Peanut watch him get dressed in fear she might yell out "Daddy!" when the other kids were around.

She was happily sitting with her friends singing songs and I went to go get Franklin. I probably should have gone out ahead of him and sat with her, but I didn't. He walked out saying "Ho, ho, ho" and I heard a very loud, shrill scream. I look over and of course, it's my daughter. Her hand was in front of her mouth just like in the horror movies!! The tears pretty much continued the rest of the time even though I held her and sat at the very back. She did not want to go up and get her present but I carried her up there anyway. She did calm down after opening it and was completely fine when he left the room. She told me he was big and loud and that's why she didn't like him. But before nap she did say she wanted him to be her friend. Crossing my fingers she'll not have the same reaction when we go to a different event this Friday!!

Franklin was pretty bummed because he really wanted her to come up to him this year. Maybe next year. :)

Just over 7 months now

It's been awhile since I've blogged anything so today's really a catch up on many events. It's amazing how much of this pregnancy I'm sort of missing by being busy with Peanut. The picture above is technically my 6 month picture, but it was taken two days before I was 7 months!!

We went to the doctor today and everything checked out fine with the kangaroo. According to our OB he's our little Beckham. And with the amounts of kicks I get I can't argue with that. Franklin convinced the Dr. to give us another ultrasound today. He told him he was worried that it might not be a boy after all. And because they're so tight (the Dr. usually talks to Franklin more than me!) he did it for him. And even though our little joey wasn't very cooperative, he did spread his legs twice to ease Daddy's mind that indeed it is a boy.

Overall everything is good, I've gained 20 lbs so far. Which is good, they tell me, but I just hate seeing the number!! I'll now be going every 2 weeks and hopefully the little booger will stay in there till his due date!! :)

Baby Maverick

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we visited a former co-worker and friend of Franklin's. She had a baby boy, Maverick, on November 5th. Peanut really liked looking at the baby and wanted to hold him in the worst way. She also wanted to give him hugs and kisses. I'm sure she's going to make a great big sister!! Except for when she wanted me to play and said "Have Daddy hold the baby." Uh oh.

Congratulations again to Erica and Marty!! He's a beautiful baby!

Ridiculous

Okay, I realize Winter is coming. I realize I live in Ohio. And I even realize I'm super close to the snowbelt of Ohio. However, it's not even Thanksgiving people!!!!! It has snowed every single day since last Sunday!! The roads are crappy, the weather is cold and it just won't stop snowing!! I at least better get a white Christmas out of this!!! Ugh!!!

(Sigh) I feel a little better now.

Franklin's Awesome

So last night was kind of a rough night. I have about a 2 min window at night to eat when I start to feel hungry. I almost always try and fall asleep quickly so that I don't have to but inevitably get nauseated and am forced to eat. Last night was particularly rough and involved Franklin making a PB&J, getting sprite and crackers, and staying up with me till midnight.

When I was pregnant with Peanut he never had to go anywhere on a craving run. I only asked him to once and he denied me. Yes, I know, that was awful and he was punished. :) But it wasn't that big of a craving. For this pregnancy it's been six months with no cravings at all. It's weird and disappointing. Well, tonight it changed a little. When thinking about what I was going to eat before I go to bed (to avoid the late night sickness) I decided I wanted Cap'n Crunch. Did we have that in our pantry? No. So as I type Franklin is out in the cold, snowy weather going to the grocery store to get me cereal. :)

Thank you Franklin!! I love you so much!! And kangaroo thanks you too!!

All that worry for nothing

Peanut and I just got home from getting our flu shots. I was dreading the appointment all day. Not only because she was getting a shot but also because I was going to have to wake her up from her nap to leave! Well the waking up part went smoothly and even though we were running a couple of minutes late, the snow didn't help, we made it to the doctor's office only 6 minutes late. And we were back in our car 15 minutes later!! I couldn't believe it! By far the quickest trip I've ever had to the pediatrician's office. My shot was the least painful I've ever had in my life. Then came Peanut's. I thought it would make things easier if she saw me go first. I think it may have, but just barely. They gave her her shot, she cried and then got a sucker. She was done crying before we even left the office and was thrilled to play with the snow on the bushes on the way to the car. Occasionally on the slow, snowy way home she would say "Something made me cry" and I would tell her it was the shot and then she would say "the sucker make me feel better!"

So all in all, a pretty easy experience. Let's just cross our fingers neither one of us has any side effects from the shots!

24 Weeks and Counting!!

Today we got another look at my little kangaroo. That's what I'm calling him now because I feel as if I'm constantly getting kicked and punched! They were trying to get a look at the abdomen and face. They succeded with the belly but he was still stubborn showing his face! Oh well, we get another look at him at 36 weeks.

I did my glucose test today too, YUCK!! I hate that. Hopefully everything comes back okay and I don't have to do the 3-hour test again, that was awful. I was smarter with what I ate before hand so keep your fingers crossed! But just in case I'm making brownies tonight and planning on eating all of them before I get the results!! LOL

Everything is good, I've gained a little weight, but obviously that's expected. If I must. :)

Hope all is well with all of you, especially my pregnant MI friends, Barb, Heather and Katie!!

$1.99!!!

Today I saw something (in person) that I didn't think I would see ever again...gas for $1.99/gallon!!! I know! I had seen some reports on TV about it being even cheaper in another city about 40 min away, but not here, not in good old Medina. But there it was. And I found myself thinking, I should get gas, but at the same time, I thought, its probably going to be cheaper in a day or two. Hopefully anyway. Plus I have gas rewards at another station that will allow me to get $.60 off a gallon. So potentially, I could fill up for $1.39/gallon. I can't even remember the last time that happened!!!

Here's hoping gas prices are going down wherever you are as well!!

Trip to the zoo

Peanut and I headed to the zoo last week, probably for the last time this year. Here are a couple of videos from our adventure:

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

This gown is AMAZING!!! I can totally picture Peanut in it for Halloween!!!

Ruminations about the election

Aaron Karo is a comedian that I've read for the last couple of years and I do believe he's dead on with this one!!

-We are in the midst of one of the most divisive elections in history. Democrats hate Republicans. Conservatives hate liberals. Everyone hates the debate moderators. But there is really one group that we can blame for all the negativity and vitriol that has enveloped this campaign: “undecided” voters. Obama and McCain don’t care about those of us who have already made up our minds, and with good reason. All their speeches and ads are now targeted to those people who claim, that after a year-and-a-half-long media blitz, they still don’t have enough information to make a decision. I don’t call these people “undecided” – I call them fucking idiots. Forget about hockey moms and Reagan democrats; what the candidates are really courting… is the moron vote.

-First of all, I don’t quite understand Sarah Palin’s strategy of constantly referring to herself as a “hockey mom.” Isn’t she alienating all the parents whose kids are awkward, ungainly, and don’t play sports? There’s got to be fewer hockey moms than there are Dungeons & Dragons moms.

-Many voters compare the candidates’ lives with their own to see if they can relate. This isn’t the best yardstick of who will make a great president, but I’ll admit, I’ve done it. For instance, it’s odd to consider that Obama and I are alike in that we’ve both written two books, but different in that he’s tried cocaine and I haven’t.

-John McCain and I both delivered speeches at my graduation from Penn in 2001. I spoke at the business school ceremony in the morning, and he spoke at commencement for the entire university. An excerpt from my speech: “After all the 9am classes that we had to sit through, did graduation really have to be this early? All kidding aside though, I am confident that each and every one of you sitting before me today will become a great success by meeting any challenge that comes your way.” An excerpt from McCain’s speech: “Will you specifically, with all the confidence and vitality that you claim today, assume the obligations of community, national, or world leaders? I'll be damned if I know. I'm not clairvoyant, and I don't know you personally.” Way to inspire, Senator.

-During the vice-presidential debate, Joe Biden said he spends “a lot of time” at Home Depot. Is that really something he should be touting? Generally the guys loitering in Home Depot either hate their wives or are clinically insane and just like talking to people.

-Think about how old your dad is. Now think about how many years you’d have to add for him to be 72. Now think of your dad at 72. Now think about your dad at 72 running for president. Even if you love your dad as much as I do mine, your conclusion will invariably be the same: no fucking way.

-One last message to all the moronic, er, sorry, “undecided” voters out there: did you notice that the jokes I just made really have nothing substantial to do with who is better able to lead our country? That’s because all of the important facts are already out there. Us decided voters are bored. This is what we’ve been reduced to while you’ve got the candidates pandering around in circles. So put us all out of our misery and make up your minds already. But come November 4th, if you’re still wavering, don’t stop the car at your local polling station. Just keep on driving. I hear Canada is lovely this time of year.

Jumping Bean is a Boy!!

Yesterday Franklin and I had our 20 week ultrasound and found out that we're having a boy!! The baby wasn't being the most cooperative at first (not jumping around this time, just sleeping!) but as soon as Franklin walked away for a minute the tech got a clear shot! So while she was waiting for him to come back she typed "boy" on the screen. When he came back and looked at the screen he almost jumped out of his skin!! He was so excited!!! I wasn't that surprised because I kind of had a feeling it was but he really thought it was going to be a girl. Of course we would have been happy either way but it's very exciting to have one of each. Now I have to go out and buy clothes!! I was also happy because Peanut has constantly been saying she wants a brother. And if you say "what about a sister?" she shouts "NO!" I was worried I was going to have to call a baby girl a brother! LOL

Everything else looked great although the baby wouldn't let us see his face or abdomen so we get to have another ultrasound in 4 weeks!! And they've already told me I can decide on a date for my scheduled c-section. I'm going to have to see which date I like the most. :) Of course that could all change if I went into labor early. And I certainly don't want that! I didn't have to do that the first time!!

If I wasn't pregnant....

last night's debate would have made for an AWESOME drinking game!! But because I am, I chose to use ice cream instead. :) Every time McCain said "my friends" I ate a bite. And wouldn't you know it, I finished a pint!!

Peanut Paints!

Peanut's Aunt Nenny sent her paints and she LOVES them!!

The end of summer

Peanut loves the water, even if she doesn't want to stay in the pool for long periods of time. But now she wants to be free, she just has to remember to keep her mouth closed! Even though we'll be closing the pool soon, her swimming adventures will continue at the rec center! By next summer she'll be swimming around all by herself. :)

Fronda's Legal Adventure....Cancelled

I was supposed to call tomorrow to see if I still had to testify in court on Monday for the hit and run case. Well, the prosecutor's office called me today and told me I didn't have to come in, that the case had been resolved. So my legal adventure is done. For now. Look out would be criminals, I'm still out there!! LOL

Guess what???

We're adding a Jumping Bean to our adventures!!

I'm almost 13 weeks pregnant and due on February 27th!! In my usual fashion I can't have a normal pregnancy so we've already had some complications. But all is well with the baby and right now all it requires is for me to take it easy. Easier said than done with 2-year old Peanut!

I'm calling this one Jumping Bean because every ultrasound, and we've had a bunch already, this kid is all over the place. Way more than Peanut ever was. I'm pretty sure it's a rebel and I'm in trouble. We will be finding out the sex this time, Franklin couldn't possibly wait again!!

I'll post updates as I have them. :)

Shout out to my BFF!!

On our way home from MI last time I took a picture of this truck we saw on the turnpike. She's not the best at reading my blog so let's see how long it takes for her to notice this. :) And let's hope she reapplied her sunscreen today at the NASCAR race!!

The Olympics

Okay, so I have to admit that I've been more into the Olympics this year than ever before. I think it's mainly because its August and there's not a lot on TV. :) And it's something the whole family can watch although Peanut gets bored with it pretty easily. But I do have one gripe....when does beach volleyball end???

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching it, the first three times, but seriously, it seems like I watch a little of the Olympics every day and every day beach volleyball is on! And they never tell me if it's preliminaries, quarter-finals, semis, etc. So I have NO idea when its going to end. Can someone please tell me????

Go USA!!!

TV Taught My Daughter!!

Tonight Peanut was helping me change the sheets in the guest bedroom and she looked up and saw the stars in the wall border and she started saying "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight" I was totally in shock!! I asked her where she learned that and she said "Bear," which means Little Bear! And then she kept saying it trying to say the whole thing. She gets stuck on the wish part but it's so cute!! At least I know she learned one GOOD thing from TV. :)

My Stop N Go Experience

A week ago today I started working at Stop N Go. I was looking to make some money and the shift (4:30pm-12:30am) was perfect because I wouldn't need to get a baby-sitter. My first schedule was four nights in a row, which was a bit more than I wanted but it was for training purposes. And I was going to be trained by the employee who had been there the 2nd longest, which was 3 weeks. Yes, that's right. 3 weeks.

So I started my shift without a uniform or nametag, but that was fine. The guy training me was cool, he was leaving to go back to college. That night was quite the experience. I wasn't in my town, just a few miles away but I felt like I drove hundreds of miles into the mountains. :) The same customers came in frequently, at least 3-4 times a shift. They bought cigarettes and beer and LOTS of instant lotto tickets. We know several of them by name. And a group of them would hang out in front of the store every night. To better explain it, I felt like I needed to use hand sanitizer after every transaction.

The excitement was so low that we were keeping track of which product was talked about more: Camel Crush or Chocolate Skittles. By Thursday Crush had pulled ahead by one.

After finding out they scheduled me 40 hours the next week and many discussions with Tim, my trainer, I decided that at the minimum I would have to be transferred, but most likely I would quit. I know it sounds funny to quit after a week, but I gave it a try, right? I was exhausted every day because Peanut got up early in the morning.

So, on Thursday I handed in my resignation and now my Stop N Go career is finished. Farewell John, Jim, Rodney and all the other fine customers I saw over and over and over. I honestly can't say I miss it but it certainly has given me lots of stories to talk about. I can't remember everything now so I'm sure I'll post more later.

My heart is still racing!!

I'm sitting at my kitchen counter and I see someone walk up to the door and it's a cop. And there's a cop car in my driveway. Immediately one thinks the worst, right? I answer the door and he's serving me with papers. What did I do? Have I committed a crime? And then he tells me its about some guy and I realize it's the hit and run accident I witnessed last month. The guy is fighting the charges and its going to court. So for the second time in my life I'll be a key witness in a case. I feel like I'm on Law & Order!! But seriously, my heart is still racing from seeing the cop walk up to my door! I wonder what my neighbors are thinking!!

Girls Gone a little Wild

Last weekend I went on my annual girlfriends camping weekend with three of my bestest friends. :) This year we headed back to St. Joseph to the first place we ever rented a cabin. It was just as we remembered...well, except for a few things. The place was dead quiet at 11pm, which is technically "quiet time" but usually there are a few rowdy campers or hoodlums we call them. We like to think that we're hoodlums too during our campouts. Nothing, nada, barely a crackle of campfire. And every campsite was filled with families. Now this may seem like a weird thing to complain about but we go camping to get AWAY from family life. And our neighbors weren't especially friendly and we were totally being watched by the campground owners. Probably because we were the only ones awake after 11pm!

Needless to say we drank beer, played euchre, went to the beach and laughed ourselves silly. All in all still a good time.

But next year, we're going back to where the trouble is, TUBING ON THE RIFLE RIVER!!!

And p.s. today was the first day that I wasn't scratching a bug bite!! :)

Growing like a weed!!

Peanut went for her 2 year check up yesterday and she's doing great! She now weighs 27 lbs (70%) and is just over 36" tall (95%). Yup, she's my tall skinny girl!! Thankfully she didn't have to get any shots, just going into the room is traumatic enough for her. We brought her doctor's kit and that seemed to help a little, until they checked her ears! My ears are still ringing from the screaming. LOL

She can finally wear the rain boots she got for Christmas!!

Running in her rain boots!

Happy 2nd Birthday Peanut!!

Today is Peanut's 2nd birthday and I can't believe it, the time has flown by. It's hard to believe this time two years ago I was lying in a hospital bed hoping the contractions would kick in enough to keep dilating. And it was only a short 14 hours later that she was brought into this world. 11:18pm, July 5, 2006. And I'm even more happy today with my decision to make sure she wasn't born on the 6th, George W. Bush's birthday. :)

Happy Birthday Peanut!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much!!

I-Freem Cone!!!

A week or so ago Franklin and Peanut were on a walk and they heard the ice cream man, Franklin told Peanut what that was and bought her a popsicle. I had purposely not told her what the pretty music was driving by because I pretty much knew what would happen. Well, now every time she hears the music, she runs to the window and shouts "I-freem Cone!" And yesterday she woke up asking for one and continued asking all day long. We decided to go for ice cream last night and got her a cone, yeah, that's not what she wanted. She wanted a popsicle! That would've been cheaper.

Good Samaritan/Superhero

I had a very exciting moment today. I was on my way to my friend's house and stopped at a light when I heard screeching brakes and then SLAM! I looked over and a car in the right turn had been rear-ended. Well then the guy that hit them took off through the light! Well since I was going that way anyway I followed him!! He got caught at the next light trying to turn left, the direction I was going as well, he tried turning on red but there was too much traffic so I was able to get the license plate and make/model of the car. I then called 911 and reported everything!! My heart was racing, I felt like I was on COPS, but one of the good guys!! LOL They told me on the phone the car was being chased down, they asked me info about the car that got hit and I was like "I don't know, it was white." LOL I was more about getting the bad guy. But I felt pretty good about myself and I'll be watching the police beat for that one!! Beware of a Mom with a pen and paper in the car!!

Happy Belated Father's Day!

Because our schedule for June is so crazy we're actually going to be celebrating Father's Day on July 20th, it's our first weekend day at home by ourselves. However, Peanut did give Franklin a homemade card on Sunday morning. :)

Congratulations Tom & Renee!!

We headed down to HotLanta this past weekend for Frisbie's wedding. Peanut did wonderful on the plane, she ended up with her own seat which was wonderful and I only had to bribe her with candy once on the plane. :)

The wedding was beautiful and Peanut had a great time dancing. The one thing I loved most about this wedding is that they let us eat dinner before they even arrived! How cool is that?? I don't know how many wedding receptions I've had to wait forever for the bride and groom to arrive and do all the toasts and stuff before we get to eat. So hats off to them!

We also got to spend time with the Price crew while we were there. It was great being with them and seeing how the kids have grown. They really entertained Peanut which I loved. I actually got to sit and watch tv for an afternoon while they played with her!! Thanks you guys!!

Just our average day

I haven't posted in awhile, but there really hasn't been anything that exciting to post. I decided today to put a few video clips of Peanut and our daily life. Enjoy!



Little pool fun!




Big pool fun!




Figuring out how to reach the light switch

Sophie the Doggie Diva

Last weekend I tried out a new groomer for Sophie. Just trying to save a little money and I found one that was $10 cheaper. When I picked her up she looked good, had the normal bows in her hair and bandana around her neck. But when I put her in the car I noticed something VERY different...her toenails were painted!!! Yes, that's right, pink painted toenails on my little Shih Tzu!!! I had saw this was an option at my previous groomer's but never did it because I think it's silly, but apparently its all part of the package at A Day at the Spa Grooming. :)

Peanut's New Swing Set!!

On Memorial Day weekend Franklin had two people come over from his office to help build Peanut's swing set. It was a big undertaking but they did a great job! She loves every part of it and talks about it every day. She especially likes sending baby dolls and stuffed animals down the slide. Here's a little video of her enjoying it:

The dreaded day has come

It's something I've dreaded for a long time but thought it may never happen. You sort of prepare yourself but think it won't happen to you. But it did. Last Friday morning, Peanut climbed out of her crib!!! I know to some of you this may not seem like a big deal, but it is. Gone are the days of putting her in there and knowing she can't go anywhere. Now I have to worry, is the gate closed at the top of the stairs, is her door closed, should I put anchors on the back of her chest of drawers so IF she climbs on it, it won't fall on her and cause great bodily harm! Ugh! Growing pains!!

So, for those of you who have gone through this, how long did you keep the crib up?

My Mother's Day

I just wanted to thank my wonderful husband for such a relaxing Mother's Day. I got to sleep in, have breakfast in bed, open presents, watch a movie and then have a bubble bath!!! I didn't even go downstairs until 2:30pm!!! I love the clothes and the gift certificate too!! And then we had a nice dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse.

Thank you baby!! I love you!!!

So quickly

As all new parents are told "It goes by so quickly" you can expect it but can't imagine how it feels. As my second Mother's Day is almost here I think about where I was two years ago. I was much larger, swollen so badly, but I couldn't wait for my baby to be here. And now she is and she's the most wonderful, sweet, intelligent and crazy girl. Even though I look forward to my "day off" tomorrow, I can't wait to wake up and give her hugs and kisses!

Our first snuggle
My Peanut growing up so quickly

Princess Sophie

For those of you who know my dog know she's a little different. She loves to lay in the sun, hates walking in the grass and will always wait on the porch. Today was a little different, she decided she didn't even want to lay on the driveway any more, she's too good for that. If she wasn't so old I'd shake my head. :)

March for Babies...The Event

Franklin, Peanut and I walked in the March for Babies today. It was a great event with beautiful weather, lots of refreshments and good company. We walked with two other moms from my moms club. Surprisingly enough, even with 7 kids the 2.5 miles went by quickly. Thanks to all who supported us!!

The most awesome business name EVER!!

Have no idea what the actual business was...use your imagination. :) However, it was closed on this Saturday morning. :)

Another Peanut Video

Everyone seemed to like the other videos so much I took another one! This is Peanut playing with Sophie:

$.23 Madness!!

Yesterday was a big day in Northeast Ohio. Papa John's Pizza was offering a $.23 large pizza to northeast Ohio customers as an apology for ripping on LeBron James, click here for the story. My initial plan was to get one, easy dinner, right? Nope, after hearing about all the crowds on the news and the radio I decided to call and try to order. At 3pm they weren't taking phone orders anymore, so I was driving by and this is what I saw:
Now remember, this is Medina, who knew there were so many people!! So at that point I decided I didn't want to wait in the 1-2 hour line for pizza, other dinner plans would have to be made. Later when I went to the store and went back by at 7:30pm, this is how it looked:It was madness!! And this morning they said they ended up selling 125,000 pizzas and had to give rainchecks to some people!! There were even arrests because of fighting! Craziness. But it was stupid of them to do something so public when they have stores in Ohio.

But as I was sitting in traffic watching the line grow I was thinking how the other pizza chains should have taken advantage of this. Offer a $1, $2, $4 pizza and people would have been going to them. And they would've kept all the money, Papa John's was giving the money they made to the LeBron James foundation. But hey, what do I know. And it may not have mattered anyway, a lot of the people they interviewed on the news said they wanted Papa John's to pay for what they did. I just wanted a cheap dinner. :)

March for Babies

In two weeks I will be participating in the Akron March for Babies walk and I need your support! To donate, please visit my page at: http://www.marchforbabies.org/kellyfaro every $1 counts!!

What is the March of Dimes about?

The March of Dimes is about all babies – those born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive. We’ve been protecting the health of babies for 70 years. From pioneering genetic research to promoting folic acid to fighting for lifesaving newborn screening and finding the causes of premature birth, the March of Dimes continues to champion the needs of moms and babies.

March of Dimes has touched your life if:

- Your baby received a vaccine to prevent polio

- Your baby received critical newborn screening to check for potentially dangerous but treatable conditions

- You took folic acid before and during early pregnancy to prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord

- You had a premature baby who spent time in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or was treated with surfactant therapy, a lifesaving treatment developed with March of Dimes research grants

- You had a healthy baby due in part to good prenatal care at home and from your doctor

Did you know March of Dimes:

- Is one of America’s best known and most respected charitable organizations

- Was founded in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt

- Meets Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance Standards: 77 cents out of every dollar spent funds our mission – one of the highest rates of any not-for-profit

- Has offices in all 50 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico

To learn more about March of Dimes, visit www.marchofdimes.com

Silly girl

It's amazing to watch Peanut grow and develop into a little girl. She's saying new words every day and is always trying new things. Yesterday she decided to see how it would be to fall on purpose.

Our little fish

Peanut has always loved water. Whether it was in a cup, tub, pool, hose or sprinkler she couldn't get enough. I was worried that her love of the pool may have been hampered over the long winter months, but I had nothing to worry about. Franklin and I took her to the rec center and she had a great time.

Sorry the video is sideways, I forget about that when I take video on my camera and I've tried and tried to rotate it but it won't work.

NKOTB Reunited!!!

That's right, New Kids on the Block were on the Today show this morning and announced, officially, they're reuniting!!! I had heard about this months ago and didn't think I was that excited but it was totally different when I saw them all on tv. LOL All of those teenage crushes came roaring back! They all look pretty damn good!!! Their first performance together will be on the Today show on May 16th, set your TiVos!!!

A bunch of posts

Since I've been kind of lazy about posting lately I figured I would back track and try to catch everyone up on what's been happening in our lives. I've tried to date them as best I can, so scroll down to enjoy!

Loving my neighborhood!!

One of the things I love most about my neighborhood is how many people are out and about. Now obviously in the winter most everyone hibernates but the other day when the sun came out and it warmed up into the 40s everyone came out! The kids were riding their bikes, dads and sons were tossing a baseball, people taking walks and neighbors were socializing. Driving through the neighborhood felt a little like driving back through time. It was lovely. :)

Happy Easter!!!

We had a very laid back Easter this year which I guess was good because the three of us had colds. Yuck! Lots of sore throats, coughing and snot! But Peanut did hunt for eggs for the first time this year and had a great time. Although she didn't like her hands getting dirty!! LOL The Easter Bunny was good and brought yummy candy, toys and a purse. Doesn't get better than that!!

Happy Birthday Franklin!!!

Today we celebrated Franklin's birthday. He would rather that I didn't post how old he is, he's not happy about it. But hey, when you have a good marriage, beautiful daughter, nice house and a good job, what more can you ask for? :)

Happy Birthday Baby!! We Love You!!

Congratulations Danielle & Jeremy!!

Franklin and I headed to Tulsa this past weekend for his step-niece's wedding. The wedding was very nice and we had a lot of fun at the reception. It was nice to have a quick getaway. :)

Pee Pee in the Potty!!!

We had a big day in our house this week, Peanut went pee pee in the potty!! She wasn't nearly as excited as Franklin and I were! Although I don't think we're anywhere near being potty trained it was nice to have her start getting used to the potty.

Our turn

Well until now I think we've been pretty lucky this winter. We've had some good snow, but nothing in the double digits or anything, until now. It started snowing yesterday at 10am and it hasn't stopped. Franklin plowed the driveway yesterday afternoon, as well as two neighbors driveways, and there was about 2 1/2 inches at the time. He's out there again this morning and I went to measure, 8 inches in the driveway!! That means 10 1/2 so far and they're calling for 14-16 inches. They've even closed one of the malls!! You know it's bad when they close the mall!! LOL Guess we'll just stay inside and stay warm!

Update: Now they're calling for 19 inches. Why can't weather people be wrong when it comes to things like this????

Back to the cold reality

Franklin and I returned on Thursday afternoon from a wonderful trip to Hawaii. We spent the majority of our time on the big island, but did fly to Maui for a day (on a very tiny plane!!). The weather was beautiful, 80 and sunny every day. Which made it even harder to return to the cold, gray reality of the Midwest. It's nice to get a break in the middle of winter, but it's so hard to come back.

Peanut did fantastic while we were gone. No crying for me or her!! She had a blast with Nana and Papa and even got to spend two nights with her Aunt Nenny and cousins. They LOVED having her. Guess if it went that smoothly we can go on trips all the time!

Leaving just in time!!

Franklin and I are headed to Hawaii on Wednesday and it couldn't come soon enough. The frigid air is here and we're expecting 11 inches of snow tomorrow!! We've decided to trek up to the grandparents tonight rather than tomorrow to avoid the snow. Hopefully our flight isn't delayed on Wednesday!!

Aloha!

Happy 1st Birthday Hunter!!

Maya wants to send a big birthday hug to her friend Hunter!!

Sorry we can't make your party, but we can't wait to see the pictures of you tearing into your cake!!

Message to Nana & Papa

We can't wait to see you next week!! The howler monkey in the background is Brady (and those are happy noises). Turn your volume up for the full effect. :)

Giants win the Super Bowl!!!

Last night was one of the best games I've EVER seen!! A very close second to watching my Peyton winning last year. But to see the looks on Bellichick and Brady's faces....PRICELESS!!! Franklin was rooting for New England and I of course was rooting for the Giants. I even broke out my jersey and hoped that my jersey-wearing curse would not come alive for this game and it didn't.

To all the people who thought the Giants had a chance, CONGRATULATIONS!!! To all the people who didn't, nah nah na boo boo!!! In your face!!

PS - Loved the Bridgestone tire commercials!!!

I saw an AWESOME movie tonight!!

Franklin and Peanut are in MI and I had a free evening all to myself. I went to the movies and saw 'Juno.' I loooooooved it!! It is such a great movie with awesome dialogue and Ellen Page TOTALLLY deserves the Oscar nomination. And Rainn Wilson's small part was hilarious! I recommend this movie to everyone! :)

Tom Cruise is a Whack Job

This is something that I've thought for awhile and was confirmed on Oprah's couch as well as his interview on the Today Show (Matt, Matt, Matt...). But this latest video just magnifies the confirmation. If you haven't seen it, check it out here

But what makes it really funny is that other actors are finally vocalizing their agreement with us, check out Jerry O'Connell's parody of the video here

Congratulations Steve & Marci!!!

Woohoo! I'm an aunt again!! Gavin Jack Faro was born a short time ago and is 7 lbs, 5 ounces. Mother and baby are doing well and I can't wait to meet him!!

Priceless

Priceless pep talks

I could listen to these over and over. I just love hearing Peyton say my name and I don't care if it's just some voice over sound alike person.

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!!!

I just wanted to wish my Dad a Happy 60th Birthday!!! I love you Dad!! Wish I could be there with you to celebrate.

Gross and Disgusting

So this past Monday I was diagnosed with Hand/Foot/Mouth virus. But unfortunately it's all in my mouth. It's quite possibly the worst thing I've ever had to deal with. I have sores on my lips, gums, cheeks, tongue and back of my throat. It hurts to breathe, drink, and swallow. It hurts to eat, which I thought would be a bonus and I could drop a few pounds, but no. The things I can eat are ice cream, pudding, etc. Basically it sucks.
I thought you could only get this disease if you touched someone with an open sore, but no! It's transferred through the air just like the common cold!! My doctor said I probably got it from a shopping cart or something! So word to the wise, use those wipes to clean the handles!

The Perfect Storm

Today we took Peanut to see Santa. It was a Breakfast with Santa event and there were a lot of people there and a lot of people talking to Maya. She didn't really care for that. And it was around nap time AND she has a tooth coming in. So you can probably guess how things went, right? As Franklin set her down on Santa's lap she let out a glass shattering scream. I guess a room full of strangers, being tired and teething created the perfect storm and Santa should have been avoided. Below the pictures speak louder than words:

Still happy, next in line to see Santa.

Screaming, crying and jumping off Santa's lap.
Recovering with Daddy

Christmas Traditions

Last night Peanut and I sat down to watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." This was something I watched every year as a child so I was excited to see she was so into it. Yeah, she was into it for about 2 1/2 minutes and then she decided to get down from my lap and go play. So much for our bonding moment.

Sheriff Franklin

Last weekend Franklin, Peanut and I headed out to the barn where our neighbor keeps her horse, Buddy. It was a lot of fun to see Peanut's reaction being that close to a horse. And as an added bonus we all got to ride Buddy too. This was Franklin's first time ever riding a horse! Although at first he didn't look quite comfortable, by the end of the afternoon he was riding without anyone holding the reins!! Now he says he's ready to be a cowboy!

Congratulations Kiel & Erin!!!

It's official, we've crossed over to the (gulp) adult side!! On Saturday Franklin and I attended a wedding where we were the guest of the (gulp) parents!! That's right, I've now gone to a wedding where I was a friend of the mother of the groom. Sigh. Oh well, it was a gorgeous reception and we had an awesome time! Here's a picture of the lovely couple:

Happy Halloween!!!

Our Halloween Party!

This past Friday Franklin and I hosted an awesome Halloween party! We had over 50 adults and kids and everyone had a great time. Some of the costumes were hilarious!! Franklin and I dressed up as K-Fed and post-breakdown Britney. Enjoy the pics!

Yummy???

What is Peanut enjoying so much? Ice cream? No. Cool whip? Nope. It's sour cream. That's right, my baby is enjoying a spoonful of sour cream. Bleh.

Such a big girl!

It's amazing how grown up Peanut is becoming. Every day she's talking more, usually not words we understand, but still talking. And today she successfully ate spaghetti with a fork! I'm so proud of her!!

Weekend in KY

Franklin and I just returned from a weekend in Lexington, KY. It was just lovely. We were down there for a work thing for him, but that included going to the horse races at Keeneland and then visiting a horse farm. Franklin got to get up close and personal with the horses! He was a little nervous but did great. I did well betting at the tracks, I won 5 out of 7 times. I probably won $20 but still. :)

Peanut was taken care of at home with Nana and Papa. She had a great time too!

And my birthday is today, the big 31 Franklin says. I don't feel any different than I did yesterday, probably because we spent the day driving back and then just visiting with my parents and Peanut. Although, my mom did make me a cake. :) Thanks Mom!!

Mommy time

Today I cashed in my Mother's Day gift certificate to the spa. My Mom is visiting so she watched Peanut and I headed off for 3 1/2 hours of total relaxation. A steam shower, an hour massage, a pedicure and a lunch topped off with a mimosa and a glass of wine. It was a great way to start the week!! Thank you so much Franklin!!!

Too flippin hot!

I should not be sweating while putting out Halloween decorations!! It's hard enough to do those damn spider webs when you don't have sweat in your eyes! Damn global warming!!!

Where do you think it's going?

When we were on the turnpike we passed two trucks with tons of celery. Cut up too small to be packaged so where's it going? And let me tell you, it was quite fragrant!

Peanut's 15 Month Check Up

Franklin and I took Peanut to the doctor today for her checkup. She hasn't grown too much, still 31" tall and 22 lbs. She has moved into size 5 shoes though! We have to get our picky eater to eat! The Dr. said to put butter on everything. :) She does have a yeast infection from teething. :( She's getting her molars in! But other than that, all is well.

Wrong number

Okay, I have a question to pose to all of you. If you get a call on your cell phone and the person hangs up before you answer it and you didn't know who it was, do you call them back? That irritates the hell out of me! I messed up, I punched in the wrong number realized it mid-ring so I hung up. The next thing I know that person is calling me back. Seriously, if I really wanted to talk to you I would've let it ring or left a message. Geez! So, what do you all do? Do you call the number back?

Peanut's Sick :(

Well, it finally happened, our little Peanut got sick. We've been very blessed that it hadn't happened until she was 14 months old. It started out with a runny nose and dry cough and last night we took her to the ER for an ear infection. :( It was also the first time she had her temperature taken rectally, at least in our presence! She did great though and really only showed her irritability at home. We've wrestled with two doses of antibiotic so far and she's already improving. :)