Melt My Heart...

I remember when Corgan was just a newborn and he started smiling. It made all the sleepless nights worth it! I LIVED for his mini grins! Then he started laughing! It was really kind of weird since I would use this really loud, crazy laugh and he would just crack up! It NEVER failed, he would giggle and I would be putty in his tiny hands. THEN he started giving me kisses. Oh, how sweet is that?! Of course, his mouth is wide open so they're a little juicy, but I don't mind! Next he started giving these really big bear hugs. He wraps his little arms around my neck and pats my back saying, "My mommy."

Tonight, my heart has offically melted. My sweet little boy finally told me "I love you." I seriously teared up! We had been in Paris since last Friday and Nana, Corgan and I got home this evening. Well he was very excited to see Daddy and was just running rampant around the house. He gave me this big hug and said, "I duv you!" Then he ran up to Travis, gave him a hug and said, "I duv you!" Then over to Nana. Same thing. Then back to me, over to Travis then to Nana. He repeated this circle of love for ten minutes!!! I couldn't get enough! It doesn't get any better than this! Yes, he can be a huge butt nugget. He can be super ornery and give me headaches. But I'm his mommy and he duvs me!

Don't I wish....

This was fun! I knew Sarah Jessica Parker would be on there, cause of the nose. I have quite the schnoz.

Happy Happy Birthday Corgan Dear!

In lieu of cake (Mom didn't want the extra cake hanging around the house... or her butt) we gave Corgan a piece of pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream and TWO count them, TWO candles. The top picture he is blowing them out. He had the sweetest little smile on his face while we sang an off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday". He didn't care. He just basked in the attention of four of his favorite people, Mommy, Daddy, Nana and Grandpa. What a sweet boy! We're doing the whole party thing on Friday at Chuck E. Cheese's, so mark your calendar and come on down!!!!

Side view....

Per Chrissy's request, I stole this picture from Tammie's blog so you could have a nice side view.

Fine people....

All right. Here's a picture of my hair and my buddah belly. Happy now? I am quite rotund.

My how you've grown...

HELLO WORLD!!!!!!!!!

Well, two years ago on Christmas Day I received the best gift in the whole wide world! My first child, Corgan. And my, how he has grown. I was looking at him today, just in awe of what a big boy he is. He's no longer a baby and while it makes me sad, I'm so excited for all the things to come. I was tearing up while I reminisced about the two years I've had as this special little boy's mommy. Even as I write this, little Caiden is kneeing me in the gut, letting me know that in just a couple of months I'll have another little guy to love and kiss and hug! How amazing!

Being in labor on Christmas Day sucks. For one, there is nothing on tv except for A Christmas Story, which is fine once, maybe twice, but for TWENTY FOUR HOURS straight?! The nursing staff is less than stellar since the only ones there are those who drew the short straw (hence my being given 100 mg of pitocin instead of 10 leading to a lovely emergency c-section), no food places are open (my parents and Travis ate fritos from the vending machine for their Christmas feast), and your kid is forever destined to have a crappy birthday for THE REST OF HIS LIFE. However, he does share one of the best celebratory days of the year with someone very special!!!

Dr.'s Appointment....

I went in for a check up today and wanted to let you all know how it went! I did my glucose tolerance test and should know the results by tomorrow. Man that stuff is nasty. The least they could do is add some carbonation to that stuff. Ugh...

Anyway, I haven't gained any weight since my last visit four weeks ago, but I'm measuring three weeks ahead. Apparently I measured three weeks ahead last time, too. Kinda makes me wonder when this kid will get here. Caiden (we've decided to spell it this way) is head down and VERY active! He kept kicking Dr. Montanaro while he was trying to do the doppler.

I've been having some problems with dizziness and I don't remember dealing with that last time. I'll wake up in the morning and feel really light headed and it takes about an hour and a half to get over it. I've tried lying on my left side, but it really doesn't seem to help it. Any ideas?!

My next visit is in two weeks. It's so hard to believe that I'm in the last two months of my pregnancy!!!! Freaky!

Oh, hair update.... I'll post a picture as soon as I get one! I HATE not having a camera!!!! I got those big rubber bands that you use as a headband to keep my hair back and last night Corgan kept putting them on his head and dancing in front of the mirror. And of course it was the pink one! AAAAHHHHH!!!!! ;) Anyway, I kept wishing I had my camera!

Gripe Session Number One....

The wonderful thing about blogging is you get to take the opportunity to share your true feelings. Who knows who's going to read it, who knows who's heart it will touch. Well, this isn't going to touch any hearts, but I need to get on my soapbox for a moment...

Travis and I went to his company party last night. It was held at the Fairmont Hotel, which is absolutely gorgeous and we had some wonderful food. In lieu of Christmas gifts, they decided to have a raffle for various prizes. Each person was given ten raffle tickets to start with and then you could purchase ten more tickets for ten dollars a piece. There were some pretty awesome prizes, and you could put your ticket into a bowl for whichever prize you wanted to go for. All Travis wants for Christmas is an XBox 360 and that JUST SO HAPPENED to be one of the prizes!!! I bought some extra tickets and loaded about twenty plus tickets into that bowl alone. Some of the other prizes were hundred dollar gift cards to Target, Best Buy, Macy's, Barnes and Noble, an IPod that plays tv shows as well as music, a Sirius radio, digital camera, and two round trip tickets to ANYWHERE in the US (INCLUDING HAWAII AND ALASKA).

Let me give you a little background on Travis's company. He works at a major insurance company and aside from admin staff, is probably one of the lowest paid people there. There are people there that get paid (literally) several hundred thousand all the way up to several million a year. They travel all over the world to places like Bermuda, New York, Ireland, etc. Now, that having been said, guess who won all the prizes? The Target gift card went to some single woman who makes over three hundred thousand a year. Now that could've been groceries!!!! The man who won the round trip tickets said, "Well, that will just add on to my hundred thousand air miles!" I could've smacked the man. But, the XBox was won by the nicest woman who was going to give it to her children. Travis was disappointed, but we did win something! Drumroll please..... we won a lovely centerpiece. Yee haw. No, it really is beautiful. There are gorgeous red roses and lilies and all that stuff, but it's not an XBox. Or a trip to Maui.

I'm finished griping. In the time I've spent whining and complaining about how life isn't fair, I can't help but realize that while these people seem to "have it all," they are missing out on the greatest gift ever. This time of year people (me included) seem to get caught up in the material things, such as a Tickle Me Elmo doll (Chrissy has it and it IS cute, but come on people), a PS3, or any number of "MUST HAVE" toys that a month later, will be collecting dust next to last year's "MUST HAVE" toy. How sad is it that this time of year, a time that should be for reflection and good will toward men, we get caught up in who has what and how that isn't fair. Shame on me. I have been so blessed to have the knowledge that this is the time of year to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He doesn't care what is (or in my case, isn't) in our bank accounts, but rather what is in our hearts.

I'm going to do better. Thank you for letting me vent. It made me realize some hard truths about myself, what I'm lacking and how I can improve. And isn't that what life is all about? Realizing your faults and improving yourself? Whoa. I'm getting too deep and thoughtful. Time to go watch Jimmy Neutron. Now that is ANYTHING but deep and thoughtful.

"I'll Never...."

Isn't it funny how when we're young and idealistic we look at other people in disgust and think, "Oh, I'll NEVER do that!" Here are some things I thought I'd NEVER do....

I'll never let my kid be a picky eater.... Corgan just ate three bites of sour cream for dinner. That's all he wanted. Wouldn't eat my homemade enchiladas, no. He wanted sour cream. So I gave it to him. Sigh.

I'll never let my kid scream in Wal-mart... Oh, please. Kids, screaming and Walmart go hand in hand. The other night I was pushing my cart through the aisles as Corgan screamed and cried, chunking his hearing aids at passers by and I just hummed a little tune in my head.

I'll never let my kid eat candy.... Oh, come on. He's so CUTE when he asks for "dee nee". How can you say no to that? Especially as I myself am shoving candy kisses in my mouth faster than you can say, "How DID I gain those last ten pounds?" And besides, he's saying please.

I'll never be a "frumpy" stay at home mom.... HA!!! The main staples in my wardrobe are t-shirts, workout pants and sneakers. With the hair in a pony tail (no more of that, though!) and makeup? Are you kidding? Who the heck has time?

I'll never let my kid drink soda... I'm a bad mother. I know. His teeth will rot out, I'm sure of it.

I'll never let my kid sleep with me... Ugh. Finally got rid of that little bed bug. After A YEAR AND A HALF.

I'll never bore people with talk about "how cute" my kid is.... As if I could resist. I mean, he's soooo cute! Like the other day, well, never mind.

I'll never make McDonald's/Wendy's/Burger King a main staple in my kid's diet... As if.

I think part of growing up and maturing is learning that "never" is something you should never say. Don't judge someone's parenting skills because you think you'd "NEVER" let your kid get away with that. I've learned that every child is different. Every child goes through different stages and phases. Each child has a unique personality with his or her own idiosyncrasies. You just have to pick your battles. If Corgan only wants sour cream for dinner, well then, he'll be hungry in an hour and then he'll eat. But I decided I want to make dinner time family time, not screaming death match time. And actually, as we speak he is eating a fistful of banana bread (thanks, Danielle!). That's healthy, right? Bananas, nuts, grains. It's all good!

Can I blame Hormones?

I kind of lost my mind today. Sick to death of my standard ponytail hairstyle, I walked into a salon and had my hair cut. No, that's not an accurate description. Hacked would be more appropriate. I don't think I have ever had my hair this short!!!! While the lady was cutting my hair, I had a mini panic attack and wanted to tell her to glue it back on, that I was only kidding. Oh, boy. I haven't told Travis yet. I want to shock him when he gets home. I'm so mean!

I would post a picture, but I have no idea where my camera is, so you'll just have to use your imagination! This is kind of what it looks like, without the bangs all in my face. Don't you think that would tickle your nose and get in your eyes?


Ok, Corgan saw this picture and said, "Mama!" So, I guess my hair DOES look this way! Funny little nugget.

Talk to the Hand!

Corgan thought this puppet was just too cool! I put it on his hand and he talked and played, just cracking me up! What a nutter!!!! 

Fun with Drake!

My kid is nuts about cheese. It's really kinda weird.


A couple of weeks ago, my friend Mary and her cute little boy Drake came over to play while I was at my Mom's house. Drake is only two days older than Corgan, but at least ten pounds heavier!!! The boys had a great time playing together and actually did suprisingly well sharing. Drake is a complete sweetheart and sooooo smart! This kid is speaking in whole sentences! It was wonderful to see them and hopefully we'll get to hang out more often!

Hugs and Kisses....

 

PROGRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a rough two weeks, but last night, Corgan FINALLY slept through the night in his OWN BED! I woke up this morning to the sounds of Travis taking a shower and was really disoriented because I'm so used to waking up several times with Corgan calling for me in the wee hours of the morning. I'd forgotten how lovely it is to have seven hours of uninterrupted sleep. It's kinda nice!

Hopefully this trend will continue. It's been really nice having a set schedule for him. Not to mention, it's nice to have a couple hours to myself in the evening! The house has never been cleaner!!!!

Future CPA

Last night I had to do some work for my Dad's clinic and when I was finished, Corgan thought he'd better check my work.

Oh, there's an error, Mom.

Don't worry, I'll fix it.

 

Oh, Christmas Tree!

We put the Christmas Tree up on Sunday and Corgan fell in love with it! He just sits there in awe of the lights. We have blinking white lights on the tree and every time they blink off, Corgan says, "Uh oh. Light!" His favorite word right now is "uh-oh". I had to make the tree kid friendly this year, so it's not very pretty, but Corgan loves it. The other night he took his dinner into the dining room, sat at the table and watched the lights.

 

Melts my heart....

 

This little guy melts my heart. I can't believe how much he's grown and how fast. He's going to be two years old in less than a month and it's so hard for me to believe!!!! 

Throwin Back a Cold One...

 

While Corgan's grandma and grandpa Cole have been here, he has played outside for hours at a time! They are so good to sit out there with him while he runs rampant through the backyard, only to come in smelling like a puppy. The weather has been FANTASTIC!!! I went out there with my bottle of water only to have it stolen as Corgan threw it back to get a swig. Stinker. 

Gender Confusion....

Aahhh Vanity. Thy name is Corgan.

Corgan L-O-V-E LOVES to get into Mommy's war paint. He likes to pretend he is an Indian preparing for battle... Well, maybe not. He keeps saying, "Pretty." Should I be worried? 

Things I'm Thankful For.....

- Dishwashers
- pioneerwoman.typepad.com (check it out. HILARIOUS)
- Microwaves (took me thirty minutes to make Thanksgiving Dinner.... Seriously)
- Naps with my husband and child.
- Corgan's hugs and kisses. Kisses are getting more rare, but the hugs still keep on coming.
- Friends who understand me (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!)
- The little nudges and spins I feel from Cayden (Caden, Kaden, Kayden, Caiden) when I eat the yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cake I made.
- Hour and a half prenatal massages (I literally drooled on my pillow. Hope she didn't notice.)
- Waking up from a nightmare to realize it was just that, a bad dream.
- Prayer.
- Families.
- Babysitters.
- Hearing aides for children.
- Disposable Diapers.
- DVR (HOW ON EARTH DID WE SURVIVE BEFORE DVR?)
- Walmart.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!

Helping

Evan is such a good helper! He was pushing Corgan around on his bike so Corgan could go faster! What a good bud.

My little Water Boy....

Corgan loves to play with the water and wash his hands! He'll ask me if he can wash his hands, go into the kitchen, push a chair up to the sink and climb up to play with the water. He tries to pretend he just wants to wash his hands but ends up playing in the water for about twenty minutes. He LOVES it! He plays with cups and all the utensils in the drawer, and when he's finished, he'll start saying, "Clean up" and put everything away. Kinda. At least he's trying....





Can you tell Mommy wasn't really paying attention in this picture?

Sorry!!!!

I've been terrible about posting, I know. Life has just been, as usual, busy. I'm getting quite the belly now and am officially in my third trimester! Hard to believe. It's gone really quickly this time around! Caden (Caiden, Cayden, Kaden, Kayden; we still haven't decided yet) is getting stronger with his kicks and seems to be enjoying his new punching bag - my bladder. Kinda hurts, kid.

I'm down to three classes a week - LIFT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. It's VERY nice to have just three classes to worry about and NONE at the butt crack of dawn! Yahoooooo!!!!

Travis's parents are in town for the Thanksgiving Holiday and Corgan is having a great time with them! Grandma Janice came bearing gifts of cars and he was thrilled! We had to take them with us to the restaurant tonight. Can't go wrong with cars! We went out to eat at Kobe's with the Bryans (FINALLY!!!!) and had a great time. The food was good, the company was great, and we were full!!!!

I've been going to Paris more often to work at Dad's clinic and am really enjoying it there. The people working there are awesome! He's had some "staffing issues" in the past.... I love working for my dad. It has been so much fun getting to know my dad better. He is such an awesome guy.

I was at Wal-mart tonight (for the umpteen millionth time this week) and saw a sign saying only 35 days left until Christmas. First thought in my mind was "OH CRAP!" I don't have ANY of my Christmas shopping done, AND I have a birthday to get ready for!!!! AAAHHHHH!!!!!

Here's a pic of Corgan and Evan. I like to call it "Homies hangin in the Crib...."

Party, party, party!!!!

Last night we went to a Fall Festival that was put on by ITIP (Infant and Toddler Intervention Program), the people who provide us with our ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) services. Corgan absolutely adores his speech therapist, Abbey. Unfortunately, she told us the other day that she is moving to England to be with her husband while he studies at Cambridge. I almost cried when she told me! I have so enjoyed having her come work with Corgan and every time she comes, he gets so excited and says, "Addy, Addy!!!" He hates when she leaves and cries for about five minutes for her every time. Sigh.

Anyway, we went to the party and Corgan had a ball! There were balloons (another obsession of his), play-doh, cookie decorating, candy digs, bean bag tosses, clowns, and LOTS of fun! Corgan kept going after the balloons and letting them go. He didn't want to leave, he was having such a great time.

"What?"

Yummy!

"You've got to be kidding me, Mom."

Playdoh with Abbey

Corgan's Speech Therapist, Abbey

Cool Pumpkin!

New Trick!

Corgan LOVES shoes! (yes, Uncle Larry, some of us country folk wear shoes....) He has a new trick where he can put his shoes on ALL BY HIMSELF! He wants to wear them ALL day long. He can even get them on the right feet! Now, pants, he can live without....

Poor me.....

(I tried to post this on Wednesday but Blogger wasn't working, so here ya go!)

Today was kinda a crappy day. I had to have a root canal (oh joy), not a pleasant experience. Then I found out I didn't get a class I had auditioned for, which bummed me out. It was going to be a big pay raise and I was kind of disappointed. Oh, well.....



Last night we went trick or treating with they Bryans. We just went around the neighborhood and visited some members of the ward. Corgan was dressed up as a doctor like his grandpa and Evan was Tigger. Both boys scored as far as candy goes (which means the parents scored as far as candy goes). Corgan signed and said "thank you" at every house we went to. I've been trying to get him to sign thank you for many, many months to no avail! He's just made leaps and bounds as far as his language goes. I can't even list all the things he says/signs. The kid is SMART. Not to mention cute.....

We have finally decided upon a name for our new baby boy.... Caiden Cole. We went through MANY names and this one feels right. Watch when he comes out I'll be like, "Nope, not a Caiden. He's a Bill." That would figure!

Corgan was having fun playing with his diaper the other day. He can be kind of a butt head sometimes, but this is going too far!!!!

Kodak Moments....

Why is it that you never have your camera when the perfect Kodak moment presents itself?! Yesterday we went to the park with some friends and Corgan and his buddy Zach were so cute. They were sitting up on the playground just talking to eachother and then went for a walk together in the soccer field. Zach would go up and hug Corgan and then Corgan would plant a wet one on him. Liz (Zach's mom) said that Zach didn't want to have anything to do with the other kids but when Corgan got there they were attached at the hip. It was so funny, Corgan was running around and fell down and Zach busted out laughing and then fell down too because he wanted to be like Corgan. Sooooo dang cute.




Corgan got some new snazzy slippers that he just adores and wants to wear them everywhere. He walks around and just stares down at his feet and cracks up! It's the cutest thing!