6/15/10 - Our New Family Member!

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No No, don’t worry, baby didn’t make an early appearance!

Today Christian and I brought home our very first puppy!! Apparently we decided that life wasn’t hectic enough with the two of us, the house, the cars, the toddler, the soon-coming newborn AND the three cats…a puppy was just what we needed! But, hey, you only live once, right?!

Sunday, my mom woke to funny noise. Turns out, a little tiny puppy was sitting on her doorstep, crying, sad as can be. She took him around her neighborhood, asking around to see if anyone lost a puppy or had been looking for one, and nothing. No signs were up. She had him checked to see if he was chipped, and he wasn’t. I took him to the vet to get checked out and get his initial shots. The vet said he looked perfect, sounded healthy and estimated that he was only around 4 months old. Poor thing! He is primarily Chihuahua, and the vet things he may have some terrier mixed in.

I brought him home, and we blocked off the entry way for him to start in. He and Olivia got slightly acquainted through the gate. Later in the evening, Rico started getting a little brave and came to check him out…they spent the rest of the night “playing”/figuring out who’s boss. Even Frank eventually came down to check him out, but he was not a big fan. Chloe…well, she was her usual rude self and just stayed away completely. At bedtime we ended up locking the cats downstairs, where their litter boxes and food are, because we’re worried they won’t go down to their stuff. So, hopefully everybody can learn to live with each other quickly!

We’re so excited for our new addition. We’ve wanted a puppy for SO LONG, but with the new house and the kids that keep coming, it was just never the right time (we want a big dog, so that makes it harder). So, this little thing may be just what we needed! Now...puppy just needs a name! We can't even name our upcoming bundle of joy, and now we have to name a dog on top of it!

6/14/10 - Kids Shouldn't Get Sick...

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Seriously, I don’t think there is anything worse than watching your little one sick, helpless. It’s horrible. I picked Olivia up from my in-laws, like usual, and she just looked miserable. I guess she actually was crying for a while shortly before I got there…which she never does. She even sat on the couch watching TV for a good span of the morning, which she also never does. It’s so hard to know what’s wrong…my best guess is that it’s a mixture of the drastic weather changes lately and teething, but I’m also worried that she’s developing allergies. I sure hope not! Once I got her home, she seemed like a new person. She was running around, playing, laughing…acting crazy like usual. She didn’t eat a ton for dinner, but overall she seemed “back to normal”. Hopefully she’s on the mend. Poor thing, I just can’t stand watching her be miserable.

Our day and night was pretty low key. We just tried to entertain the little one and keep her busy. I have tons of laundry to do this week…and only managed to get one load done tonight! Ugh, I’d give anything for some time to do laundry…but, alas, it will be a week-long event.

Here are some pics of our little lady, putting on a brave face :)

6/13/10 - Is This It??

So, while pretty much the rest of our summer weekends are jam packed, I'm hoping for a little rest after today! Please...

We had a rainless morning today, so we took advantage and did some of our outdoor work. Olivia had a bit of a rough night. She woke up a few times...got herself back to sleep each time, but she was up nevertheless. She ended up not getting out of bed until around 10:30! I couldn't believe it. But, it did give us plenty of time to clean the desk and the patio, and get the garage cleaned up in preparation of the sale next weekend.

Christian headed over to his parents' house to pick some stuff up that they donated to our sale. The Relay team started showing up just before 1:00, and the rest of the day was just a blur. We had a little fundraising meeting before hand, then everyone headed outside to start unloading cars, setting up tables, putting sale stuff out and pricing the goods. It was pure chaos! But, everything moved quickly and I now have a garage full of tables and goodies! After that, we had our formal meeting and we were done!

In the midst of everything, my mom stopped over with a little surprise...she had woken up to a little Chihuahua on her front steps this morning! She took him all around the neighborhood to see if anyone would claim him or if there were any signs up, and nothing. Christian and I have wanted a dog since we bought our house..but then Olivia came, then I got pregnant again, and it just didn't seem like the right time. It still doesn't, and we both really want a big dog, but this little thing might be just right for our situation. He is the cutest little thing, and of course stole my heart right away! My mom is going to take the dog to the Vet tomorrow to see if he's chipped. If not, Christian and I have some discussing to do...but it looks like we may be getting ourselves a puppy! I know, I know...just what we need! Apparently a house, two kids and three cats just isn't enough trouble for us! What can I say, I'm a sucker for a cute little animal face!

Speaking of which, tonight I spotted Chloe sitting at the end of the hallway, and it made me laugh (well, minus the demon eyes!) :)

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6/12/10 - Finally, Some Fun!

After a busy morning of finishing up some chores, it was finally time for some fun!

We spent the morning finishing up our cleaning. I got all of the dishes washed and put away, we vacuumed the entire upstairs and I went through our storage and some of our clothes to collect some things for the sale. It felt so good to finally be done!! Christian was off to the grocery store to get b-day BBQ supplies, Olivia went down for a nap and I got myself ready. Christian started getting stuff prepared for dinner...I requested carne asada, rice and beans! YUM. Our friends showed up around 4:30 and we finally got to just hang out and have some fun. Olivia and her BFF kept each other busy all night. We ate our yummy food, watched a little TV...we realized that my best friend, my maid of honor none the less, had never seen Christian and my wedding video! I couldn't believe it...so we got that out and watched. Olivia LOVED watching us on TV, she was mezmorized. The video brought back so many memories and made me tear up a few times. It's hard to believe, not even 3 years ago we were getting married...and here we are, a house, and just shy of two kids later. How quickly life can change!

After the video we headed outside for a bonfire and some smore's. It had rained all day, but cleared up just in time, and it was PERFECT bonfire weather. All in all, it was a GREAT day with great people!

Here are a couple pics of Olivia and I hanging out before the festivities :) I love this girl!

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6/11/10 - Is it Groundhog's Day?

Well, we were at it again. First of all...after working so many short weeks in a row, today marked my first 5-day work week in a while, and boy was I exhausted! Surprisingly, it went very fast though, so that's good. Thanks to the Relay garage sale next week, I have another 3-day work week ahead of me...YAY!

After dinner, we were quickly back into cleaning mode. I finished cleaning the kids' room before Olivia went down. Then, we scrubbed the kitchen and dining room, and cleaned up the living room. Tomorrow we'll just have some odds and ends to do, we'll have to vacuum the entire upstairs and I can start going through the piles of....stuff....around the house to gather up some stuff to put in our sale. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

Olivia still hasn't been acting like herself. I'm starting to worry it's more than just teething, but we'll see. She's still been very crabby and not eating well. She actually sat on the couch, watching TV (and brushing her teeth...) for a while tonight, which is very unlike her. We'll see if anything comes of it, but I sure hope not!
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6/10/10 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Oh boy, today is my birthday! The big 2-7! It's hard to believe. Now, logically I realize that 27 is not old...but man does it sound old! It seems like just yesterday I was in high school living a "care free" life...but it was NOT just yesterday. Not at all. Overall, it was a great day today! My co-workers brought in all kinds of miscellaneous, yummy food. My supervisor gave me some pretty flowers. My mom gave me a Visa gift card, YAY for spending money! Christian "surprised" me a TomTom GPS system. I quote surprised only because that's really the only thing I asked for...but I am excited that he actually remembered, and super excited to use it! After work, we ran to Target to do a little shopping, stopped to pick up some birthday dinner from Chipotle (because we're fancy like that), quickly ate, then got to work! Tonight's big item was the kids room! Time to rearrange and set up baby's crib, and I was very excited and anxious to do so! The room looks much smaller, and very different, but it actually turned out way better than I expected. We have some wall art rearranging to do still, and if we ever pick a name out we have to get her name letters, paint them and hang them up, but we're THISCLOSE to being done! Here are some pics of the nearly finished room!

Needless to say, Olivia was obsessed with the new furniture in her room. Even though the cribs are EXACTLY the same, she was all about baby's crib. She even climbed up into it...she's never climbed in or out of her crib before, so we were shocked. Every time we'd go to get her out, she's lay down quickly and fake snore...it was hilarious. Finally we got her down to bed...in her OWN crib. Now, let's see if that's where we find her in the morning!

Once she was down, we took the rest of the night off. It was actually getting pretty late, so we were off to bed ourselves shortly after.

So, here we are. Another "year" older, and my big day has come and gone! Let's see what 27 will bring...other than baby #2 of course!

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6/9/10 - 33 Weeks & A B-Day Dinner :)

Tonight I got to take a little break from the crazy house stuff (for a while)! My dad and stepmom took me out for an early birthday dinner! I quickly picked Olivia up after work and headed out to meet them. We ate at a sandwich place by them...which I LOVE. So good. After chatting and watching Olivia entertain the joint, I was on my way home. Christian had met up with his mom after work to go "Father's Day shopping" with her...really, that's code for "your birthday is tomorrow, I need to go get your present". Nothing like waiting until the last minute for everything! We both met up at home, relaxed for a few minutes, put Olivia to bed...and took the night off from cleaning. Well deserved!

Today also marks 33 weeks for me! Yippie, 49 days to go! Yesterday I had a check-up with Ann. She said I was looking great. My blood pressure was the lowest it's every been, which was great! She measured me, and I'm measuring right on spot. She listened to baby's heartbeat, which was perfect as can be! Then, she squeezed around to determine baby's position. She was very confident that baby is head down! I couldn't believe it...I kept asking her if she was sure! I've never heard those words before! After the initial excitement wore off, a little bit of fear set in. While I want a VBAC so badly, it's scary! I think even though a VBAC is my intent, I still had convinced myself this baby would not turn and it wouldn't even matter. To hear that she is head down, which Olivia NEVER was, makes the possibility that more real. Of course there is still plenty of time left, so who knows what will happen...but WOW, this could REALLY happen the way I've been hoping and praying!

My next appointment is in 3 weeks...if she's not positive on baby's position, she'll be send me for an ultrasound. So, on 6/29 we should know for sure what the plan is. Either, we'll be letting nature take it's course, I'll labor and everything will go as it should (well, as long as it happens before 41 weeks...she won't let me go past that). OR, we'll be scheduling the c-section if baby has turned back up, most likely for 7/23. CRAZY!

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6/8/10 - A Good Mail Day!

Well, first I'll start with my exciting news! I went to get the mail today, and had 2 packages waiting for me. One was a free gift, even better! A few weeks ago my friend Kelly forwarded me a promotion she had received, for a free "udder cover". It's basically a cover for breastfeeding. I was a little suspicious of it (because I'm a suspicious person like that), but threw caution to the wind and ordered one! It came today, and I love it! I can't wait to use it. The other package, made me tear up a little (blame the baby...). It was the "Big Sister" "Little Sister" shirts I ordered from Etsy. OMG, they are SO cute. We're going to have the girls wear them when Olivia comes to meet baby for the first time, and they will wear them for some of the family pics after baby is born. They are just too cute, I can't wait to see the girls in them! Here is a picture of them :)

After that excitement...it was a continuation of yesterday! We quickly ate dinner once Christian got home, then were on our cleaning way. I again headed downstairs to finish cleaning the basement. I dusted and vacuumed the living area, including the couch...ICK! Once Olivia was in bed, Christian came down to clean the office. The office needed a nice DEEP cleaning because that's where we used to keep the cats litter boxes. Let's just say, the cats did not like when we moved their litter boxes. After we finished those tasks, I was off to bed and Christian quickly cleaned the downstairs bathroom. Again, how does time go so fast!?!

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6/7/10 - Hell Week Begins!

Well...we are in for a CRAZY busy week and weekend. Our house is well overdue for a thorough cleaning (and "going through"), so that is on tap this week. Saturday we are having some friends over to celebrate my birthday, and Sunday my Relay team is coming over for a meeting and to prepare for next weekend's garage sale...so not only does the house need a cleaning in general...it needs a "people are coming over who have never seen our house before" cleaning!

After hectic days at work, we met up at home and started on our list. First thing first...it's supposed to rain basically all week, so Christian ran out to mow the yard (he even took Olivia on her first riding mower ride!). Olivia and I started on some miscellaneous picking up, and started dinner. After we ate, quickly vacuumed the stairs, then took over toddler duty. I headed downstairs to clean the entry way, pick up the living area and clean the laundry room. Funny how fast the clock ticks away when you have a mile long list of things to do!

Olivia was acting kind of strange tonight. She was very crabby, very drooly and was not eating well at all. God help us...I'm pretty sure those 2nd molars are starting on their journey out. Totally not fair...I'm ready for a teething break!

Here are some pics from Olivia's first mower ride!










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6/6/10 - It's a Grand Old Day

Today was a great day. We got to sleep until our normal time…actually, I got up, and Olivia was still asleep. Today was Grand Old Day. Christian and I used to go EVERY year, but missed the last couple, so we were excited about making our return. I jumped in the shower, he jumped in the shower, we got the little one up, shoveled down some breakfast, packed up the car, and off we went. Luckily my mom called and offered to drop us of (it’s impossible to park around there!), so that save us a ton of time. We got there, snatched up a prime parade watching spot and settled in. Olivia loved the parade, she couldn’t get enough of it! She loved the police cars and fire trucks. She loved all of the people…and graciously held out her hand for candy and goodies every time somebody walked by. Poor thing, if only she knew she’d never taste that yummy candy J Luckily some people were giving out other stuff…some mini-beach balls, some light up buttons, some stickers and temporary tattoos….some stuff she can actually have! She loved it though, even the clown! It’s so fun watching the amazement on her face with each passing group.

After the parade, we made the LONG trek down to the family zone. Olivia was pretty exhausted at this point, and the lines for everything were VERY long, so we didn’t get a chance to do too much. We stopped at the petting zoo for a while. The only animal that really wanted anything to do with us was the camel. Mr. Camel really had a thing for Olivia too…I thought he was going to chew right through her shirt! She finally had enough of his licking and LOUDLY told him to “STOP”, so off we went.

We grabbed some last minute yummy food, and my mom picked us up (so yay, no walking back to the car either!). We dropped her off at home, and stopped over to Christian’s parents’ house again. They did some more work on the bench, Olivia and I took a nap, then we ate some pizza and were on our way home. It was a LONG day. At the end of the day, I sat down to write our to-do list for the next week or two…and OMG, I don’t even want to talk about it! That is one scary looking list!

Here are some pictures from Grand Old Day. BEAUTIFUL weather, lots of fun and good family time together. It was definitely the perfect Sunday event!









































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