The joys of being preggers

32 weeks down, hopefully only 6 to go. At least if I have it my way. I love being pregnant, don't get me wrong, but the ease of your first pregnancy can not be compared to the trials and tribulations of those that follow. With pregnancy #1 I could enjoy leisurely naps as often as I felt the need. Pregnancy #2 I pray that I can lay down for 20 min just to rest. #1 I could lay for hours awake at night thinking about my baby and how excited I was to see him. #2 I lay awake at night scared to death wondering how I am going to do this with two, and being terrified to go through labor again! #1 I found so much joy in all the little kicks and movements and as while I still enjoy them from time to time, I sometimes wish that I could press a sleep button to get him to rest so I can have 5 min of comfort! Pregnancy #1 brought a lot of trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night, but with #2 I am considering just putting a cot on the floor of the bathroom so I don't have to travel the 12 feet to the toilet. With #1 I loved having people tell me how cute I was pregnant and noticing how big my belly was. Now I know they are lying because there cant be anything cute about me right now! I remind myself of one of the walruses that I saw at the zoo. Trying his hardest to move but almost needing someone to give him an extra boost he was so fat. But you know with all the complaints and misery of pregnancy I still find myself smiling at my belly moving, and thanking God for this little miracle inside of me. And as horrible and hard as labor is, it is also something that I would never want to have missed out on. The funny thing is that even though I am feeling so much discomfort now, I know that this wont be the last time that I do this. The end result is much too magical to not do this again.

vacations!

I am sad to report that our annual Mexico vacation will not happen this year! Jon's friend Steve has been laid off and they have decided to not vacation this year due to t!hat. I know that there will be lots of other time for us to go, but I am still sad. It is always so relaxing and fun, I was really looking forward to it! So instead, Jon and I are taking Will to the Wisconsin Dells. I think that Will is going to love it. We are staying at a resort that has a huge indoor waterpark and playground with tons of activities for him to enjoy. Also, this weekend we are going to Indianapolis to take Will to the zoo. It is fun now that he is getting to the age that he can enjoy things like that.

He loves going to the park and being outside. Every morning he brings me his shoes and points to the door. If he has to stay inside all day he is not a happy camper. It is getting hard for me though, being six months pregnant I am not moving as fast as I was so I have a hard time keeping up with him. He is really fast! I love to make him happy so we try to get out at least once a day. He is funny to watch because he is discovering so many new things that the excitement on his face just shines. He has learned to go down the slides at the park by himself and you can tell that he is so proud of himself. He even gives himself a round of applause after! It is hilarious how he claps for himself after he does pretty much anything. He is also getting really good at hitting the ball off of the tee. Which makes daddy very proud! Jon has really been working with him on how to hold the bat and how to throw the ball. He does pretty well for only being 15 months! He is always throwing the ball to Riley and bringing it to me so I can throw it for him. It is funny how much he loves Riley. As much as the dog drives me crazy I cant imagine not having him around, soley for the reason that he keeps Will so entertained!

So far my pregnancy has been going really well. I am almost 24 weeks already and so far I have no major complaints besides the normal aches and pains that come from chasing a toddler all day. I guess I dont have to worry about gaining too much weight! Will has been having some really bad days from his molars coming in, and on those days I wonder how I am mentally going to be able to cope with having two boys. He exhausts me so much now, I am praying that the Lord can give me more energy to deal with both of them. I have decided that He must have been having an off day when he made it so that children have so much more energy than thier parents! It should be the other way around!

Well, with much to look forward to in the future all I can do is take it day by day and enjoy Will as much as I can before his baby brother comes and ruins the world as he knows it! Thank God for vacations and time to get away from everyday life!

All is Well

I am happy to report all is back to normal in the Franklin house. Will is doing better with his sleep patterns, but still randomly wakes up with what I think is nightmares. He wakes up with this terrified sounding scream, and really cant be consoled. Those are hard, but I am sure that is just the beginning of them. He has three of his molars in now so hopefully there is only one more period left of horrible pain for him. I feel so bad for him that those huge adult sized teeth have to pop through his little mouth!

It is a three day weekend! We don't have any plans that are set in stone yet, but I am sure that we will go to Effingham one day, and we would like to have friends over for a cookout one night too. We have been spending a lot of time with friends in our neighborhood lately, which has been fun. Especially since the weather has been so nice! It has been dropping into the 60's or even 50's some nights so it has been great weather to play outside after dinner! We have been taking a lot of bike rides and taking Will to the park a lot as well. He loves being outside. Every morning before we have even eaten breakfast, he is bringing me his shoes wanting to go outside. It is not so much fun for me though because I spend most of the time outside by getting rocks out of his mouth, preventing him from running into the street or eating things that are purely not edible.( like a certain smelly, disgusting present that Riley leaves for us in the backyard twice a day)

So I am already into my 22 week of pregnancy. Where does the time go? I cant believe how fast this is going. I was saying to Jon the other day that if there was a pause button I could hit, I would. I am so not ready for this baby! By this time when I was pregnant with Will I had so much more ready, and was mentally prepared. This time, I still don't even feel like it is real, until I feel him flipping around inside me! Oh yeah, that is the exciting news- we are having another boy! What am I going to do with two rotten little boys? :) I know that Jon was very relieved to know that its a boy, but I have to admit I was a little shocked! I really thought that he was a girl! I actually saw the boy parts in the sono before she even told us. But Jon still wasn't in the room so she wouldn't tell. I was definitely seeing pink for a long time so it has taken a little adjustment to get used to the idea that he really is a boy. But the pictures don't lie, and there is definitely something in between those legs! We still don't have a set name yet, but I am leaning towards Max Owen Franklin. I think "max and will" sounds great together, but Jon thinks that it sounds like a dogs name. With Will, we didn't come up with his name until much later, so I am not worried! I think that Will will love having a little brother, eventually!

Sleep. the lack of really.

So Will has reverted back to being a newborn. Except for he weighs about 20 pounds more and eats more. The sleeping habits are the same. He has been waking up multiple times a night screaming and totally unconsolable. I dont know what is going on with him. I have tried everything. Rocking him, putting him in our bed, even giving him a bottle to get him to go back so sleep and so far nothing is really working that well. Plus I am trying to break him from the bottle so I am totally back tracking on that one. I dont know that either one of us is ready to give it up though. It just makes life so much easier for me. I know... it is bad to have your 14 month only still on the bottle. Especially when he uses it to fall asleep. A mistake that I will not make again. But now we are in so deep it feels like we will never get it right! I am creating a monster in this kid. I need to get this all figured out before the new baby comes. I have to admit that I wish that we had a little longer. Is there a way that I can stall this pregnancy? Yeh, didnt think so. Dont get me wrong. I am excited, but I am just so scared. Will is such a handful right now, I dont know how I will stay sane with having two. The sad thing is that the baby will be the easy one, Will is going to be the one causing all the trouble. I knew parenting would be difficult, but honestly I was not prepared for this! If any of you have any advice or words of encouragement that would be great! I would be happy to listen!

Besides Wills sleeping trouble things have really been going well. I am almost 19 weeks already. I am feeling the baby squirm around and even feeling some strong kicks every now and again. Being pregnant really is an awesome thing! I am enjoying it more this time around I think since I am not stressing about all the little things. I already feel such a strong connection to this baby. We have our sono in two weeks so hopefully the baby will cooperate and we can find out the sex of the baby then. I cant wait! I will be happy with either, but I think that Will would be happier having a little brother. And I think that Jon would be happier too! Me? I wish for a girl with at least one of my children, but I have a feeling that I will have a house full of boys!

Its been wayyy to long!

So I guess that I have forgotten that I have a blog because I havent written on it in a long time! There has been lots going on and I feel like time just flies by!!

I guess I should start with telling the latest news- we are expecting our second baby sometime around Christmas! Exciting and crazy I know. I am scared to death thinking about how I am going to be able to manage two children. Will is just so much work right now that I am questioning my abilities at a mother. It is soooo hard! Since I found out about the baby, I decided that I would quit watching Katie so that I could just enjoy spending my last few months alone with Will. It is nice just being able to do what we want. I think that we have been gone doing stuff about every day!

Will is doing great. He is running around like crazy! He definitely has a strong personality. He knows what he wants and if he doesnt get it he lets you know real quick. He has learned a lot of new "talents" like giving kisses and pointing at different body parts when you ask him where something is. He also can roar like a lion. It is so cute! I get really jealous because he tends to give Jon way more kisses voluntarily that he does me. I think that he should love me more. After all, I am the one who birthed him right? He is a daddys boy though. I guess I should be happy. Maybe the next baby will love me. :)

We just got back from a almost two week vacation to Arizona and Vegas. It was fun, but a little too long considering we were traveling with a toddler and I am pregnant. I have been so tired lately, but on vacation it seemed to be ten times worse. I am sure that the 120 degree temps didnt help that. I was so happy to get home and be back in my own bed and try to get Will back to his, except he was not so happy to go to his crib. On vacation he had a hard time sleeping so he ended up in our bed most nights and now he thinks that he needs to be in our bed at home. I am just too tired to fight with him now so I am just giving in. Not the best idea I know. I will pay for it later!

Well i will have to try to update this a little more often, but for now I must go. Motherhood calls!

My sweet baby boy!

Ever since Will got his tubes we have noticed so many changes in him. He seems sooo much happier. His walking has improved drastically. And he is starting to talk up a storm. It seems like he has gone from a baby to a toddler over night. I just love watching him explore new things and play with his toys. He has some wooden puzzles and he is just starting to figure out how to put them together. It is amazing how he can turn the pieces to make them fit in the spots! I think that his favorite thing to do though is play with Riley, our dog. He follows him around everywhere and beings Riley toys and gives him kisses. It is so cute! Riley of course loves Will because Will feeds him. Will still needs to figure out how to be gentle since he still pulls Ry's ears and pinches his fur.

Will is very stingy with giving out lovies. We always have to beg him for kisses or hugs and still have to steal them when we can catch him. But lately he has been so loving to me. I wasnt feeling well yesterday and spent most of the day on the couch. Will must have known that I wasnt feeling well because he would totter up to me and give me kisses and lay his head on my arm like he was hugging me. It was so cute! I went to bed early and he came in to tell me goodnight and layed next to me in bed and just cuddled for a few minutes. It was so nice just to have him cuddle. very rare moment!

It is amazing to me how I think that I love him so much that I am going to explode but then the next day I love him even more! Being a mother is the best job I could ever imagine. The last year has definitely been the best year of my life and I cant wait to see what is in the future for our family!

Surgery Day!

Will survived his tube surgery! He did great and the surgery was fast and seemed to be painless. The hardest part for Will was that he couldnt eat.. which was hard for me too! He just didnt understand why I wasnt feeding him. It was so sad! Once the surgery was done I had a bottle, a banana and a nutrigrain bar waiting for him. He ate it all! We had to be at the hospital at 5:15 to get checked in and to get him prepared for surgery. I am not sure why they have you come so early though because there was a lot of waiting. Will was pretty cranky since he was up at 4:30 in the morning and he was starving so we had to be creative in ways to keep him occupied. They had a wagon for him to ride in so we went around the circle about a million times. I am just glad it is over!!

We went camping this weekend at Shelbyville. We had fun, but once again I am exhausted. It is alot of work to get everything ready and to take care of Will while camping. He loves it though. He justs runs back and forth from campsite to campsite and had a ball. We also brought a little pool for him so he was in and out of that all day. I have learned that I have to bring a lot to entertain him so he stays busy and I dont have to chase him all day. It was pretty hot and humid all weekend. I was happy to get back to my bed and air conditioning. What can I say? I am a little spoiled!

Carli is coming to visit today! I am excited to see her because I havent seen her since she moved to Reno last winter. Her and David have moved back for good so hopefully I can see her on a normal basis now! I am excited for her to see Will because he has changed so much that I think that she will be shocked.

I cant believe that today is already Wed. I have a lot to do this week in preparation for Will's birthday party so I am going to go in town tonight to get everything. I hope that we have good weather and that he has fun most of all. That is the most important thing!

Sunny Days!

I love sunny days! There is something about it that makes you automatically in a better mood. The kids and I have spent all morning outside and now they are napping. I decided to mow the lawn while they slept so Jon wouldnt have to come home and do it. I think that will make him happy!

I am nearing the end of the planning for Will's party. The invites have gone out, now I am just waiting for the RSVP's so I can figure out food and cake, and party bags. I still cant believe he is going to be ONE!

I have more good news too. Will is finally getting tubes! We have him scheduled for Tues. I am really anxious but also really happy that he is getting them in. I know it will make him feel much better. The ENT said that he has hearing and balance problems too. There will have to be an improvement on that. He compared his hearing to being so muffled that it is like he has ear plugs in all the time. That is bad!! I am just thankful that the doctor thinks that the tubes will make his hearing better.

We are going camping this weekend and I am real;ly excited. We have only been once this year so far and I want to get as much use out of our camper as we can. May was such a busy month and June isnt looking much better so far. I hope we can go more than we did in May though!

Mothers Day

I am in Effingham at my parents house. I didn't want to be home alone for Mothers Day so I figured that I would go visit my mama. They were happy. It has been an interesting couple of days. My mom is coming back home with me and she is going to stay till Jon gets back from China so I am happy about that. IT will be nice to have my mommy there. She cleans and does laundry which makes it even better! I am very thankful for her, and for my mother in law. I am pretty lucky. Most people dislike thier mother in laws, but I happen to love mine. She is also a fabulous grandma. Will is lucky to have 2 sets of grandparents who love him and even 2 great grandmas and one great grandpa. I never really understood the signifigance of Mothers Day, until I became a mother myself. What we do is the most important job of them all. I thought that I worked hard before, but I had no idea! There is so much sacrifice involved. Everything that I do now is for him. I appreciate my mom so much more! Tomorrow I am going to celebrate for myself for all the work I do as a mom! Happy Mothers Day to all the other moms out there!

Single Mother Once Again

So Jon has to go to China for work again. He originally thought that he was only going to have to go once every six months or so. But he has been three times in less than a year. Needless to say, I am not too happy. But if it gets him one step closer to where he wants to be then I guess that I can deal. The bad thing is that this is my first Mothers Day. And Jon will be gone. In China. For a week. Yeh. Not good. I can just imagine what it is going to be like. Hmmm let me see. JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DAY! Except I will be a mom. But I have been a mom for almost a year now and the newness has worn off a little. I told Jon that since he would be gone on the real Mothers Day that we should pretend that Sunday was Mothers Day. In my mind this meant sleeping in, no changing dirty diapers, an afternoon nap, and maybe even doing a little housework without having a child clinging to my ankles. The day was not like the Mothers Day I had hoped for. I got up with Will, Jon slept in. I did do housework, but I had to keep my eye on Will at the same time because Jon was watching tv and on the computer. I changed all the diapers, Jon changed zero as usual. And I never did get that Afternoon nap that I wanted. Oh the joys of Motherhood. We never get a day off, even on the day that is made specifically for us.

I am not looking forward to him being gone. Everyday, I count down the hours till Jon gets home from work just so I can have some adult contact. Having two children at home, although wonderful, gets a little lonely. I can talk all I want, but they don't talk back much, and probably don't listen much either. Luckily, I have my friend Megan right across the street and she is going to be a single mom all week too since her husband is gone for work as well. We hang out all the time as is, but I have a feeling that this week will be more than usual. I am praying that the week will go by fast though. We will see!!

Will is doing good this week. It seems like the ear infection may be under control for now, but I can't be sure if his cries are from being bratty or from being in pain. Its hard to tell the difference. He has started this new thing where he screams this blood curling scream when he doesnt get his way. I don't really know how to deal with it, but it is pretty embarrasing when he does it in public. Any advice would be appreciated. Right now, I just ignore him and try not to give him his way. It is much easier to do since I have another baby here that needs my attention too. I definitely do not look forward to the terrible two age. I can't believe that he is almost one. It really seems like yesterday that I was in labor with him. I am trying to start planning his birthday party, but I am not sure what I want to do yet. I almost don't want to have anything that big, maybe just family. But I know that we have lots of friends who will want to come as well. We will see. I better get on it because there is only 3 weeks left to plan!

oh baby

I have been on a mission lately. One that many people would not think is that important. But to me, it is at the top of my list. My mission is... Finding shoes that fit my baby's fat feet!! I have looked everywhere.. even Striderite doesnt carry them wide enough. He has a fat roll on top of his feet. Seriously. The only shoes that I have found to fit, before today, are $40. I think that is a little ridiculous to spend that much on shoes for a baby that is just going to grow out of them in two months. I finally found some today at a place that I never even thought to look- Payless! What makes it even better is that I found not only one pair, but two and I was able to get them for buy one get one half off. I am so excited! Instead of spending $40, I only spent $20 and they fit better than the expensive name brand ones. Can't get much better than that! Just goes to show that expensive doesnt always mean better.

We are trying to decide if we should go camping this weekend. It is supposed to rain on Friday, and not be all that warm on Sat. so I am not sure if it will be worth it to go or not. I really would like to go, but I guess that we have plenty of time to go this summer.

During my shoe expedition today I took the kids to the playground at the mall. Will LOVED it! He was so excited to be able to walk around with the big kids and he thought that he was so cool that he could do things that they were doing. He was everywhere! It was really fun watching him get so excited. Even Katie crawled around and seemed to enjoy it. It was fun until a group of older kids came and started running around like a bunch of wild monkeys and ran Will over. It makes me so mad when parents don't watch thier kids. One mom was even standing right there when it happened and didnt even say anything. It was incredibly annoying.

My little walker

This weekend Will was walking everywhere! It is so funny watching him. He walks with his hands in the air, and takes these little tiny steps. Sometimes he walks in place because he just cant get the momentum going. It is hilarious. He is still pretty wobbly and falls quite a bit, but he is getting better and better. I cant believe that he is walking and is almost a year old. It is sad, but happy all at the same time. I am sad that he isnt my little baby anymore, but happy that he is more independent and has more of a presonality. And what a personality it is! He is such a stinker. He definitely has an attitude and lets you know when he is not happy about something. He has this little laugh that sounds like such a troublemaker. You can tell he is doing something he is not supposed to be doing. And Poor Riley. Will just wont leave him alone. He follows him around everywhere and instead of petting him nicely he just pinches. hard. Riley still has not bitten him yet although I wouldnt blame him if he did. He yelps and Will just thinks that it is really funny and does it again! Ohh my sweet baby boy isnt so sweet all the time!

I am planning his first birthday party and am finding it to be a lot of work. I am not sure who I should be inviting and am hoping that I am not leaving anyone out. I am trying to decide whether we should have it at Homer Lake or at our church playground. I am leaning more towards the church because then it doesnt matter if the weather is bad or not. It will be more expensive but I think that all the kids will have more fun. I also think that Will will have more fun because he can walk around there without having a million things to put in his mouth. He will probably be running by that time!

He is on antibiotics for an ear infection for the fourth time in the last 6 weeks. They arent helping. He has an appointment with the ENT doc in May, but I think that he needs to be seen now. I know that there are lots of kids that need tubes, but Will is in so much pain. You can tell by looking at him that he does not feel good. His eyes have dark circles under them, and he is pale. He tries to be happy, bless his heart, but he is still whiney and grouchy. We went out to dinner Sat night and let Grammy and Papa watch him. She actually had to call us to hav e us come home becaue she couldnt get Will calmed down. He cried for over an hour. I think that it was a combination of his ear hurting, and he was really tired. We picked him up and he was so cuddly with me and didnt want to be put down. That is very unlike Will, so I knew that he wasnt feeling well. I pray that he gets back to his old self. I am having a hard time remembering what he used to be like, he has been sick for so long!

Where has the time gone?

I cant believe that it is Friday already. I don't know where the time goes. It is crazy! This week has been pretty boring and uneventful. We havent really done anything. My parents are coming in town today. Maybe mom can help me clean my house! They came in town for a Parents Promise that we have at our church tomorrow morning for Will. It is basically Jon and I promising to raise Will to love Christ and to live in a way that is pleasing to Him. I guess that it is similar to a baptism, but we dont do baptisms until you are old enough to make the decision on your own. Usually around 10 or so. Then they have Brunch for everyone. Jon's parents will be there too, which will be interesting because I think that the last time that they were in the same place was at our wedding.

I saw on facebook that Lindsey quit the salon as well. I really want to know what is going on there! There is something in me that still feels like i have something invested there, when really I don't. I am still on the lease till July, but that is it. I guess that I shouldnt worry about it but it is so hard. I put so much of myself in that salon and it is difficult to see someone throw it all away. Who knows what is in the future for the salon. There may no longer be a HC2 salon! I guess that we will find out soon!

Well, we survived our first camping trip! We got home at about 11 this morning, tired, hungry, and a little wet from the rain. It was a pretty good trip but not the normal relaxing pre-child camping trip that I am used to. Having a baby to chase around definitely makes things a little different!

We got to Walnut Point at about 5:30 on Friday. Katie's mom picked her up early so I was hoping that Jon could get home early so we could leave earlier. But, he wasnt able to get home until about 4:30. Then we still had to load the camper. I would have done it before he got home, but he left for work with the keys to the camper in his pocket! So I wasnt able to pack the fridge, or put anything else in that we werent able to pack on Thursday night. It was so nice on Friday that I was anxious to get there! My parents ended up going and were there before we got there. I was happy that they came because my dad was able to help us with all of the things with the camper that we were a little unsure of. It was also nice to have an extra set of hands to help with Will since I was trying to get the beds set up and everything unpacked. My mom couldnt hold Will though because of her surgery. I slept absolutely AWFUL on Friday night. I was not used to all of the noises that the camper makes, and there were geese that were honking all night long. It was so annoying. Will woke up at about 1 am and we ended up having him in our bed for the rest of the night, which was very uncomfortable! But we made it through the night without any major issues.

Saturday was a really nice day! The weather was awesome... even in the morning it was warm. We just hung out most of the day and I have to admit that I wasnt in the best of moods after having no sleep and having to constantly follow Will around to make sure that he was not eating rocks, or leaves, or sticks. I swear every time I turned my back for a second he had something in his mouth! He was pretty funny to watch though. I brought his walker and he just zoomed around from campsite to campsite. It got pretty exhausting after a few hours. I was so happy when Mindy showed up with a "baby cage" and we put Chloe and Will in it. I was actually able to sit down! Of course Jon was able to do whatever he wanted. He went fishing, mushroom hunting, and sat over at Neil and Kim's campsite just chilling by the fire. Must be nice to have such a relaxing weekend. I did not pick up a fishing rod the whole weekend. And the only mushroom hunting that I did was on the side of the road when Will fell into a pile of leaves. The only plus to having to chase around Will was that Jon was forced to do all the cooking.

It rained all night Saturday night, but luckily I was smart enough to take a tylenol pm before bed. I slept pretty well. Will only woke up once and and had to sleep with us again but I just kinda shoved him to Jon's side and rolled the other way.

Overall, it was a good weekend, but I think that next time I will be more realistic to how much fun I will actually be able to have. And I will definitley be buying one of those cages!

Nap Time

Oh how I love nap time. Especially when they both sleep at the same time. Poor Katie is so stuffed up that she can hardely sleep laying flat so I ended up putting her in my bed propped up with pillows. Then I surrounded her with pillows just in case. She looks pretty comfy. I wanted to crawl in bed with her and take a little nap, but I have a client coming over for a haircut. I also have clients coming over tonight for haircuts as well. I never had any idea that I would be this busy!

I am finding it hard to find time to do anything. Like cleaning, grocery shopping etc. I keep the house vacuumed and dusted, but there is just stuff everywhere. I hate clutter! It stresses me out. It doesnt seem to bother Jon much, considering that most of the clutter belongs to him. There is fishing stuff eveywhere I look. On the kitchen counter, the end tables, even on the washer and dryer. I think that I even saw a lure on our bathroom sink. That man has more fishing supplies than anyone should be allowed to have. There are bags from Bass Pro full of lures that he never even opened or took out of the bag. What is it about men and fishing lures? He could use a new one every day for the rest of his life and still have some left over. You would think that he was a pro fisherman or something. In reality he probably only goes fishing about 30 times a year if that.

I need a professional organizer. If I had unlimited money I could totally have this house in shape in no time at all. But everything is so expensive. And if I did buy stuff than I would have to try to convince Jon to install it which could take years. That is when I wish that my dad could come up and stay for about a week and finish Jon's "Honey Do List". I love my husband dearly, but sometimes I wish that I could trade him for a few days so I could get a husband that liked working around the house. Just a few days though, I would miss him to much! I think that I just need to learn how to use tools on my own and then I could do all the projects that I have been wanting to do. Hmmm that is a thought.

So our camping trip is looking like it could involve rain now. I am mad. Why do they even put up a seven day forcast if it is just going to change? Just yesterday the forcast for Saturday was sunny and 70. Now they are calling for rain. 30% chance but still.. RAIN. I hate rain. Especially when it rains on a weekend that I have been planning for weeks!! I am praying that it doesnt rain, but I guess a little wont hurt us. That is the good thing about having a camper. I remember a birthday not long ago that we tent camped and it poured. You know the expression "raining cats and dogs"? Well we had a whole pack of dogs in our tent that night. Luckily my parents were camping with thier camper and we were all able to squeeze in with them for a very uncomfortable night. It was horrible. My birthdays never go well. Last birthday was by far the best because I had the gift of a beautiful baby boy to enjoy!

Tears tears and more tears!

Today was not a quiet day. Will was pretty upset all day. He had this face, which although cute, the noise that comes with this face is not pleasant. His ear must have been hurting him. The motrin that he had obviously was not enough. I hate seeing him like this!

This week is a busy week, but Friday we are finally going to be able to use our camper! I am really looking forward to it. The weather is looking like it is going to be really nice. I am a little worried about whether or not my parents will come though. My mom has to have her gall bladder removed on Thursday so it is hard to say if she will be feeling up to camping or not. Supposedly the surgery isnt that painful, but who knows. I hope that they can come. I know that if we forget something that my mom will have it in thier camper!

I have been thinking about how happy I am with my decision to leave the salon. I thought that I may miss it, but honestly I dont. There isnt much to miss, except for the girls obviously. The salon has just changed so much since I sold it that it doesnt even seem like the same place anymore. I know that there is nothing that I could have done but I still feel somewhat responsible for what has been happening there. This is Amy's last week there. I think that she will be much happier so I am glad that she is leaving. I am worried about the fate of the other girls though. Things are so up in the air there right now. I am just glad that I do not have to worry about it anymore. I need a haircut badly though so I will have to get ahold of one of them soon!!

Well, the dreaded Monday has passed. Tomorrow should go by fast though because Katie is leaving at one to go to the doctor. Then Will and I are meeting Jon to take care of the license and title for the camper so we can actually take it camping this weekend. Jon has to go to the dentist because he has a toothache. Now I have two babies in the house! But I do love taking care of them. Can't deny it!

He is Risen!

Today is Easter. We went to church this morning and had a great church service. I was really looking forward to it because our church has been doing a series about the life of Jesus leading up to his death and ressurection. Last week was a very emotional service, getting into a very detailed description of His death on the cross. It was tough to hear, even though I have heard it many times before. It never gets easier to hear knowing the torture and pain that he went through for us. Todays service was all praise and was more upbeat. It was a service that I will remember for awhile.

After church we went to Nanny's house for dinner. There was a lot of people there and it was nice to see that side of the family because we havent seen them since Christmas! Will still isnt feeling that well, so he had a hard time enjoying it. Poor little guy. We spent a lot of time outside and I think that the fresh air did him good! We had our usual Easter egg hunt and then came home to get Will down for a late nap. I hope he sleeps tonight! We have decided that it is time that we need to let him cry himself to sleep from now on. He is still waking up at least once a night wanting a bottle. I am scared because he is going to be a year old next month and everyone says that you need to start weaning them from the bottle at a year old. I am not looking forward to that! He is so dependent on the bottle. It is even harder now that I am watching Katie because anytime that he sees her bottle he cries because he thinks that he needs one too!

Last night he was taking steps to me without holding on to anything. I think that it will be any day now that he will be running all over this house. I am already chasing him when he has the walker because he is so fast! I am so proud of my little man. He is so big! He just acts like such a little kid now. No longer the little baby that I wish that he would stay forever!

I've Got the Effingham Blues

It seems like everytime I come to my parents house to enjoy a nice relaxing weekend, Will ends up being sick and is total grouch. We got here yesterday at about 4. I went and visited my friend Mindy and her kids before we leftand Will seemed a little out of it. I had a feeling that he was getting an ear infection for the third time the last month. He didn't get a nap at all yesterday, slept horribly last night, and was up at 4:30 am. I made him take a nap this morning but he only slept for about 20 min. I just laid him down again ands he is crying but hopefully will sleep. I need a nap myself! My mom and i are dealing with the sick kid, while my dad and Jon enjoy a nice relaxing day on the lake. Funny how that works out huh?

We are supposed to be having Easter dinner tonight at 5. I am not sure if we will actually make it to dinner though. I really think that we need to take Will to convenient care tonight. I have a feeling that the ear infection that he has had may have just been lingering, waiting for the perfect time to reappear. Like Easter, when we have a busy weekend. perfect timing. He started to get a cold, probably the same one Katie has had, just the last couple days. Which probably brought on the ear infection. I called the doc to see if he could just call in something, but he won't. Something about it being against clinic policy. So i am supposed to take him in, and then he will get some other illness, like the stomach flu that he got the last 2 times he had an ear infection. It is so stupid. I know he has one. I would bet a million dollars. two million. If I had that much.

Last night my cousin Jamie came over with her daughter Adelyn. Jon was trying to play with Addy and jumped out from behind the couch. It scared her so much that she jumped a mile high and went screaming for her mom. It was pretty funny even though I felt bad. I gave Jamie a new haircut and style which was fun. I like doing hair for people who get excited about it. It is nice. She paid me even though I didn't want her to. Jamie-I will get that money back to you some way or another! :)

Twenty minutes later and he is still crying. This is so frustrating. Not everything about motherhood is enjoyable. I need a nap and I am about ready to cry myself. This is when I am really mad that my parents decided to move an hour and a half away. This wouldnt even be an issue if they still lived 7 miles away. I could just take him home for a nap. But no, they had to move away from thier kids and grandkids to the middle of no where. To a town where there is no shopping, no good restaurants, and not much to do. Great.

I pray he sleeps. I pray I get to sleep. I pray we make it to convenient care tonight. I pray he does not have another ear infection but if he does I pray that he takes tha antibiotics and feels better tomorrow. I can not have another sick baby all week. I just can't.

Happy Easter and thank you Jesus for what you did for us on the Cross!

Its a hairy week

I am doing a ton of hair this week. The extra money is nice, but I am tired! It definitely wears me out taking care of 2 babies all day. The days do go by fast though, which is nice, and i do have a lot of fun playing with them. Nap time is my favorite time of the day though! :) I have gotten Katie on Will's schedule and she is doing great. She is a really sweet baby who likes to cuddle and she seems to have adjusted to us without a problem. It is fun having a little girl around and i admit that it is a good change to see pink instead of blue. Katie wasnt feeling well today though. She has a lot of congestion in her chest and her poor little nose is so clogged that she can barely breathe. I was told by my sis in law Brooke to use eukaleptus oil in the humidifier and put a dab on the temples and neck. I did it for Katie today and it really helped. I was happy to give her some relief!



I am super excited about the package that i will be getting in the mail tomorrow. I was looking online for some options so that i wont have to shampoo my clients out in my kitchen sink and I found the most amazing thing. It is a portable shampoo sink that hooks up to your kitchen sink and drains into the kitchen sink too. I am excited to try it out. It was relatively inexpensive as far as those things go so we will see. I have Amelia and Chris coming over tomorrow so hopefully it will be here to try out!



We are going to my parents house on Friday night and staying through Saturday. We want to be home Sunday to go to our church and to Jon's familys get together at Nanny's house. She always has an easter egg hung every year, even for us. It is fun to have traditions like that to look forward to. And now Will can hunt them too! Jon is fishing with my dad on Saturday and i will probably just enjoy relaxing with my mom. The weather is supposed to be really nice down there so I hope we can spend time outside.





tim and Sarah are coming over tonight so they can get haircuts. TJ cried last time I cut it so I am hoping that he doesnt this time. I hate it when kids cry because it gives them bad impressions of haircuts. We will see!

Wild man

Will was so funny today. He had a really good weekend and was pretty pooped out tonight. He went to Grammy and Papa's house last night so mommy and daddy could go have dinner. It was fun, but we were home early. I missed my boy. My arms always feel empty when he is not with me. I think that I could count on my hand the number of times that Jon and I have gone somewhere with out him.. besides work of course. I still do not think that I am ready to leave him overnight quite yet, although I am sure that Grammy would love it! It is crazy to think that he is almost a year old. I still remember being pregnant with him like it was yesterday and it is a little sad to think that the older that he gets the less that he will need me. I am excited for him to get older though so we can start doing more things together!

Tonight we were playing and I would hide behind the chair and jump out and scare him. He thought that I was the funniest thing ever. He would just squeal in delight and then crawl for me to chase him and tickle him. I love moments like that. I wish that I could freeze them so that I will never forget the sound of that giggle!

He was also all over the place with his walker.
He gets this wild look in his eye, as you can see and just takes off. He gets mad if he thinks that you aren't watching so you have to clap and cheer him on. He is hilarious!

Tomorrow is Monday already. It is hard to believe! Katie come early so I think that I am going to go get some rest!

Date night!

It is Saturday and is such a nice day! Jon has been cleaning the garage believe it or not, and we got the camper all opened up to air it out while it is nice. We also took Will to the Easter egg hunt at Witt Park this morning. He actually picked up the eggs and of course they went straight to his mouth! The Easter bunny was there and Will got his pic taken with him. He wasn't scared at all and went right to him to sit on his lap. It was pretty cute!

We are going out to dinner tonight with Megan and Devon and I am really excited! It is not often enough that I get out of my comfy clothes ( sweatpants and t shirt) to dress up and go out. Basically church is the only place that I get to go anymore that requires getting out of my sweats. I feel semi bad that Jon has to come home to me every day with no makeup and sweats on, but whats the point? I just like to be comfortable and I am so not in jeans. I never thought that I would be one of those wives that dresses like a slob, but I totally am!! Maybe I will start trying a little more. Or maybe not! :) Haha!

I took Will to his grammy's house early so that I could take my time getting ready and possibly get in a little nap, but i don't think that the nap will happen. There isnt much time because I was almost back home when I realized that the gift certificate that we are using tonight was in the diaper bag, which was at Jon's parents house! I had to turn around and go all the way back so the trip took a lot longer than I had planned. So no nap for me, but I still plan on taking a long shower!!

Boring

I can't believe that this week is already almost over. It has been a pretty boring, uneventful week so far. The best thing is that Will is feeling so much better, and I am so glad! I know all you mom's out there totally understand how hard it is watching your kid be so sick. I am almost afraid to take him anywhere because I don't want him to catch anything! I did take the kids to the library yesterday. We didn't stay long, just long enough to get some new books, Elmo's World Videos, and play a little. They both started melting down right before we left so I couldnt get out of there fast enough!

I am definitely ready for the weekend. I am glad that it is supposed to be warm on Sat. Jon has been promising me that he would clean out the garage and this weekend will be the perfect weather for it. We will see.. I am not counting on it. We do need a date night though and Grammy volunteered to watch Will so we can go out. I am defnitely ready for some time with Jon. The last few weeks have been so crazy that I could really use some time to relax.

Will has been using his little walker thingie alot lately. He is hilarious with it. He almost runs he goes so fast and his little legs can barely keep up. He likes to be cheered on and if he notices that you arent watching him he lets out a squeal to get your attention. It also gives me a workout because he gets stuck so much that I have to go pick it up and turn him around. I am so ready for him to walk because he is so heavy that I constantly have a backache from lugging him around. It is funny to watch his personality emerge. Katie has a paci that she takes before a nap. Will always is trying to steal it from her so I got out his old ones so that he can have one too.
(He quit taking a paci when he was like 4 months or so) He just sticks it in his mouth and crawls around with it like he thinks he is so cool. It is pretty funny. He is also OBSESSED with Elmo. He can just hear his voice and he goes crazy. It is funny to me that a ten month old can identify something like that. Maybe he is just a genius. :)

It's a new day

No vomit for 24 hours!!! Yay! Praise the Lord. He seems to be feeling better, and acting like himself again. I had Katie today and this week is the first full week that she will be with us. I think that it is going to work out well. She is a very sweet baby and Will seems to enjoy her. We went to the mall today to walk just to get out of the house. I had to get them all settled in the double stroller and i think just getting them ready took longer than the actual outing! i am sure that it will get easier the more I do it. Now I see what it would be like to have twins and it sure would be hard! We enjoyed the nice weather as much as we could.. we went swinging in the backyard and went for a walk through town after thier afternoon nap. It wasnt the relaxing walk that I thought it would be because Miss Katie was not happy and started crying halfway through. I had to carry her about a half mile, while pushing the huge double stroller. I got my work out!

We are planning our camping trip and I have to say that I am really excited! I have been trying to make reservations on the DNR website but for some reason they take them only through the mail or in person, which is the wierdest thing I have ever heard of. I do pretty much everything online so this is annoying the crap out of me.

I am going to bed early and mentally preparing for the busy baby day ahead. Wish me luck!

Snow??

It is snowing. In March. Its almost April. Seriously. Come on sun and warmth!

We are skipping church today because Will is still sick and I don't want him to infect any of his friends in the nursery. As I was typing this I could here him start to get sick while he was in his crib trying to take a nap. I made it in there just as he started. Tomorrow will be a week. How much longer can this possibly last?? I took him to the doc on Friday and he didn't seem all that concerned, which really annoyed me. I am sure that if it was his kid he would be. Basically it was a waste of my time because he didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know. If anyone has any advice that would be great because I don't think that I can take much more of this! My poor baby.

So I guess now I am stuck at home again. Bad weather, sick kid, doesn't look like I will get that trip to town like I was hoping!

I had nightmares last night from watching 48 hours mystery. A kid killed his dad, and severely injured his mom with an ax. An ax. His dad stayed alive for awhile and he was so confused that he got up from bed and started getting ready for work. He packed his lunch, unloaded the dishwasher and made coffee all while bleeding profusely and his skull hanging from his face. It was all I could think about. Eww. I don't think that I will be watching that show anymore.

A rainy day

Today is a rainy dreary day. I was really hoping for a nice weekend because I really need to get out of the house! Will is still sick. He has been since Monday. The doctor said that it can last up to a week and maybe longer. I am praying that it ends soon! I thought that it was over and done with, but tonight when I put him to bed he threw up again. All over himself, me, and the carpet. I am so sick of cleaning up vomit that I could cry.

On a happier side, we got a new camper today! It is a 2005 Trail lite Bantam Hybrid camper. Basically, it is a hard shelled camper that has 2 beds that fold down on either side. It is light enough that we can pull it with our Torrent so we are really excited about it. We are already planning a camping trip soon so if any of you want to join us let us know! We can't wait to get out there and enjoy the weather. It is nice now that Will is getting old enough that we can take him places like that and do more with him.

Speaking of him, Will is so close to walking! He is getting more and more daring by the day. He will let go of the furniture and just stand there not holding on to anything, then you can tell he gets nervous and just lets go. He is so funny. You know, after being sick for so long he has still been so good. A little more cuddly which is just fine with me! He has lost a little weight being sick and now you can really see his dimples popping out which are sooo cute! I just love that little guy.

Well more later. I am happy to start this blog because there are times that I just need to vent when I am frustrated or had a bad day, and Randi suggested I blog, and I am! So thanks Randi! I hope you all enjoy what I have to say and I promise to keep it interesting!