The Bergers

Wedding!

2011-08-09T19:55:00.000-05:00

My bestie got married and looked stunning. I don't have an iphone or anything like it, so I am borrowing. Doesn't she look FABULOUS?!?!!

I had a great time and it was hard to come home. But its okay. This weekend, FLOAT TRIP! :)

Here we go!

2011-08-04T17:51:00.002-05:00

Gosh I didn't even read my last post to know where I left off..so I'll just begin with what's been going on in our world as of late bullet point style:

Sam is currently in "school" and loves it. We truly struggled the first month we were there (May) but we've survived and enjoy it!

She is a pain to wake up in the morning and I only give myself 15 minutes to wake her, change her and plop breakfast in front of her before I rush out the door. Greg says that somedays she does well in the morning, and some days, not so much! Glad I don't have to deal!

We've got Geoffrey back. He never really left, but we were able to get rid of him but at nap and bed time. Then the babysitter happened, then the school and that's where we are...
I love. love. love. my job. I can't express it enough. Just when I think things are going to come to a halt I've added another hat and couldn't be happier! Current thing on my to do list: 1 year celebration. West End Endodontics is a year old and we are throwing a party for the referring docs to thank them! WOOT!
We are loving life and summer! Lately we've been to:

Grant's Farm to feed the goats and ride the carousel. We also got {free} beer and Sam got a snocone. Can't complain!
We spent a weekend at Innsbrook with the Berger clan. That was a good time. Boats, fishing, tanning, golf carting, pool...ahhhh...
Lots of family time! My older sister is back and in action and we got to spend a lot of May with her and she will be back for a weekend this month, so we are going to continue to eat up time with her then!

I am so excited to see my grandparents this month too! They live in Ohio and I miss them! I can't wait for them to see Sam and see how much she's grown.
I am headed to FL this weekend for my bestie's weekend! I can't wait! Its been a roller coaster of a ride for me, but I'm so pumped for her and can't wait to celebrate with her! Please keep her day in your prayers, TS Emily is thinking about making her way to FL on her big day and we are hoping she stays out at sea!

Phew. I'm tired. Thats a bit in our life. Sam is definitely two. Testing, loving, energetic, fun, silly, adorable and frustrating all rolled into a cute little curly redish blondish little girl!

I think I just might...

2011-08-03T17:43:00.000-05:00

...start blogging again! I've got so many distractions during my day (i.e. work) I barely get time to get on Blogger and read all the blogs I follow, much less actually blog about them! I'm sure I've got so much to tell! Sam is growing up so fast and it makes me sad, but I'm loving every minute of age two; even when I'm about to pull my hair out!

I PROMISe to post more later, but right now, I'm gonna hang out with my curly haired, strong willed, movie loving, opinionated two year old. You can find us cuddling on the couch watching Charlotte's Web on this above 100 degree day!

Peace, Love and PATIENCE! :)

Update!

2011-02-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

Its been a while since I've updated on Samantha!

Friday was the last day with the boys and I think it's going to be a little harder on her than she might think!

We have been working hard on shapes and colors with Samantha. She knows yellow and blue with her colors. If its not yellow, then everything is blue, but she also knows blue by itself. When it comes to shapes we know star, heart and diamond (thank you twinkle twinkle for two of those!). Funny that she knows some of the hardest shapes (according to what she would be tested on). Personally, I think they are easier than trying to differentiate circle and oval and rectangle and square. We'll get to those!

In other news, she starts the babysitter's on Tuesday and I sure hope these next two months go smoothly. She can be a handful when she wants to be and I can only hope for her best behavior while I'm not around!
Sam has gotten pickier about food. The things she loved, not so much anymore: eggs, oatmeal, cheese, crackers, graham crackers, bananas, oranges. Sorta annoying but we'll work on it! Guess its time to try new things. Have no fear, chicken nuggets and fish sticks are still a favorite!

She does love her some salad though. I think its pretty hilarious that the only two veggies she will eat are broccoli and salad. Whatever works! :)

Okay, guess that's all. Nothing new other than that. We are so ready for nicer weather in StL so that we can get OUTSIDE!

Have a fabulous week! I'll try to update about my job sometime this week. :)

Shin Splints and other randoms

2011-02-18T19:31:00.000-06:00

I have been running the last couple of days and that's all it took for my shin splints to come back. This means I need to go out and find some athletic tape, tape them up really well, and hit the road again! There is nothing like a little pain in the shins to bring back the nostalgia of gymnastics...

On a different/same note, a really good friend was going to run the 1/2 marathon this April and found out this week that she has a stress fracture in her foot. She has to be in a boot for 4 weeks. That basically is right up to the marathon. So, I told her that I would run/walk it with her so that she could still do it but not alone. ~~She's~~ Her boss already paid for it, so she doesn't want that money to go to waste. So, I have to do a little running to keep up with her. :)

I hope you all had a fabulous Friday! I had the day off as the boys went to Louisville to visit family. Greg left early this morning for Colorado so it's just me and my girl this weekend! Today, a really good friend of mine came in from Chicago and we had lunch at the restaurant up the street and finished it off with Ted Drewes. There's nothing like St. Louis frozen yogurt and warm sunshine to remind you that spring and summer days are right around the corner! :)

Sam's new favorite thing is to walk around the block. And in fact, just one block usually is not enough for her. When we get close to home, she tells me "uh uh" and starts backing up. The girl loves to be outside and loves her exercise. She takes after her Momma! :)

Grandma and Papa Levine are taking Sam tomorrow evening. The SIL and I are headed out for some drinks and to enjoy some girl time. I am really excited except I don't know how long I will last. I am just not the "party girl" that my MIL labeled me so long ago. Kids will do that to ya. :)

I toured that other pre school today. I am so conflicted. One was a home turned into a daycare and I really like their philosophy. The other was bigger, and definitely a school setting. They have an elementary-12 school attached to it. Both are REALLY close to home. I have no idea which way to go. I am so struggling with this!!!

Random post over.

Success!

2011-02-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

Sam did beautifully yesterday! I still had the boys yesterday, so productivity was at its minimum. :) Greg dropped her off and said she did really well. He said that he was fine until he turned around to walk down the stairs and saw her quietly watching him go down. I told him I would have lost it. He just said that he had to remind himself that I knew the woman watching Sam and I knew she was in good hands. He had to trust my choice!

Sam did well, though. It wasn't until I rang the bell and the sitter announced that it was me that she started crying. Go figure. here's hoping that that ends! But she was so good when we got in the car and so happy. I love that! So here's to 1 1/2 weeks left with my little girl and then my world gets rocked! My goal is to not shed a single tear when I go back to work. We'll see if that happens...

Testing...testing...

2011-02-16T08:16:00.000-06:00

Well, we are two weeks away from the start of my job and Sam is trying out the babysitter's today. Well, more like the babysitter is trying out Sam! She is a fellow SLMer and I was nervous that adding another toddler to her mix might be more stressful than she imagined. So we are trying it out for a couple of days just to see! Today will be a true test because Sam woke up at 5:30 (normal wake up is between 7 and 7:30). She's super cranky and still has an awful cough. I really want her well before she starts full time somewhere!

Here's to a good report when I go pick her up in a few hours!!! :)

Working Out

2011-02-11T13:41:00.000-06:00

I haven't worked out in a while and its really starting to affect me. You know how when you are dormant for too long you get stir crazy? Well, that's how I get about not working out for quite some time. I feel icky and tired all the time and just not motivated. I know I should get to the gym, but the idea of waking up at 4:45 to get out in the cold is not very motivating. ;0)

I hope this weekend and next week encourage me to get out and at least run.

Greg would not be very happy with this post. He feels that my gym membership keeps him from having his own. Men. :)

New Car

2011-02-08T14:03:00.000-06:00

Not a new one. But a new one for us. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but the Pathfinder we got last year has just had a bad omen. It wasn't meant for us. It was a shady deal and on top of it so many things have happened (like the tree falling on it, and the ice that shattered the windshield last week) that it just doesn't seem meant to be.

So now we have to decide if we go for the same kind of car or go for something smaller that fits our needs. We still want an SUV and this winter has proved that it is necessary (especially living in the city). But, do we go for a Pathfinder and up our payments, or do we go for something smaller and keep the same amount on our loan?

I would like to go smaller, but Greg is all for the Pathfinder again. I just don't know. :( Decisions, decisions. All I know is that if I have a bad feeling about a car like I did for our current Pathfinder, I will speak up a little louder this time! :/

J-O-B Say What?!

2011-02-07T15:59:00.000-06:00

That's right. A job has found me. I have found a job! WOO! Its been a really long year, but I'm thankful that I have found one that I am so happy about!

I will be working for an endodontist and my title will be administrative assistant, but by his description I will be doing so much more! He just opened his practice in July and currently only has one other employee who is his dental assistant. She is currently doing all the things that I will be doing so I will get much of my training from her. I can't wait for March 1 to roll around!

Now I need to find a daycare that I love. This is going to be harder than I thought. Well, that's not true. I knew I would be picky. I think what's going to happen is I am going to have to put her somewhere until she's two (just two short months) and then put her in somewhere I am comfortable. I looked at somewhere on Friday and while I wasn't happy with the curriculum, I thought the teachers were okay. I have a tour this week and one next, so I am not going to make any final decisions until then. So, my hope is to put her in the place I looked at last Friday and then move her to another daycare. My goal in all of this is not to get too stressed out. I know that I want her to be in a center setting vs. a home setting because that would be the case when she turned 3 anyway.

But yes, that's the good news! Come March 1st, I will no longer be a WAHM! WOOT!

Saving Grace

2011-01-26T19:02:00.000-06:00

I love love love LOVE my Mommy friends. I don't know where I'd be without all of your love and support! So glad I found you. Not sure how many of you read it, but know you've truly blessed my life! :)

Down and Out

2011-01-26T16:59:00.000-06:00

Its kind of how I am feeling. I had an interview (well two, actually, but same company) last week and it went really well. I had pretty high hopes for the position. I was told they would know by early this week, so when Monday and Tuesday passed, I began to get anxious. They said that they would keep me posted, but you never know when employers say that.
I have two WONDERFUL friends who recommended me for the position and I felt really great about that. I found out today that someone else was hired and that I was the next candidate in line. She couldn't decide if she wanted to hire within (since she likes to say that's always an opportunity) or hire outside. She went with within, and it totally bums me out. This was THE job. The job that would incorporate everything I loved with everything I wanted to grow into.
This is the first job that I truly prayed before, during and after. I know that this was completely in God's hands, but its so disheartening all the same. I just am not sure working out of the home is in the cards for me.
Ugh, I just hate starting over.

Anybody want to hire me?! ;0)

Art Hill Sledding

2011-01-22T07:52:00.000-06:00

Was a bust. Sam hated it. She thought it was the worst thing ever. Torture. Like we were pulling different directions at her limbs. We could not get one giggle out of her. Her happiest moment? Being at the top of the hill far far away from the edge! Oh well. She enjoyed walking around and she received a lot of "oh how cute"s and "she's so adorable"s. And I just smiled, said thank you and in my head thought "of course she's cute! Look at her!". We took no pictures because we didn't want to ruin the good camera. Plus, she wouldn't have been smiling anyway. ;0)

Greg and I have decided that this activity is just going to take time. She hated swinging until she was one. Here's hoping by next year sledding will be the greatest thing on the face of this Earth! :)

Snow Day!

2011-01-20T16:56:00.000-06:00

A little snow day love!

we fell a lot in the snow. Its hard to stay up when its up to your knees!

Brrrrr! Its cooold!

WOO this is fun!

Leave it to the dog to sniff her rear when she can not do anything about it!

My adorably obnoxious puppy! :)

We had a blast and I am now telling her as she is begging me to go out again (and again and again and again) that she's going to have to wait until Daddy gets home where we will be going sledding on Art Hill! :)

(source)

I can't jump back on

2011-01-20T14:47:00.000-06:00

The bandwagon that is. Its January 20th and I have YET to step into the gym this year. I blame the cold weather and all the snow. But those are just excuses, really.

And the candy that I got rid of?! Or didn't I guess I should say...I am stuffing in my mouth. Even the truffles from Harry and David that I truly don't care for are hitting my mouth. Why?! Because I can. Because I know I'm not supposed to. Because I may be a little bit in the winter woes. Because I may be a little bored.

Don't get me wrong. I love what I am doing. I am even getting out of the house more with the kids than I did this summer and fall. But, I am still a little bored. I think its just the monotony of things. It would probably happen with any job really. The same thing day in and day out gets boring. I eat when I'm bored. Mainly candy. Not a lot, just enough to take the edge off! ;0) Better than drinking I guess!

So I guess I should jump back ON the bandwagon and make it to the gym in the mornings. I will really, truly do my body some good! Then, when I get bored and eat candy, I won't feel as bad! :)

Blogs I love to read

2011-01-16T15:16:00.000-06:00

So I may stink at blogging, and my blog really doesn't have a "purpose" other than to keep family and friends updated on our life. But here are some blogs that I love to read and if I ever met these people in real life, I would be so excited!!!

You have to have to HAVE to read Jeannett. This woman is HILARIOUS. Along with being so funny that I am laughing so hard I am crying, she has such a great heart. You have to read her story and why she started her blog in the first place.
Her blog is how I became interested in reading the others below.

I have said you need to read Jenny's blog before, and I mean it. She's pretty awesome. I love reading about Bella and what I have in store and also reading about her new bundle of joy, Summer. You should also read Bella's story. It made me cry. Of course, Jenny is good at that!

Kelle Hampton is AMAZING. Her words. Her photography. Just simply amazing. You need to read Nella's story. So beautiful and another story that will bring tears to your eyes. Joyful tears, of course!

You should really read Jess' blog too! She and her husband, Joel, have gone through something that I would never wish on anyone. I can't even imagine the pain, but God is good and they clung tight to Him in their time of need. Read Cora's story here.

You should read Julie's blog. The woman is funny. She writes about randoms, and also writes about things near and dear to her heart. Go on and read her story about Joy. Oh, and have Kleenex near you for this one too!

I realize now that I sent you to a lot of blogs that will have you crying. That wasn't my intention. My intention was for you to love reading these women's stories as much as I do. My intention was for you to read about women making a difference every day. My intention was also just to introduce you to a group of women who love their life and love to blog about it! ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY!!! :)

Update on Cliff

2011-01-16T14:50:00.000-06:00

So I told you about Cliff in this post. And his adoption fund raised over $9,000, which you can read here.

But here is the best part about Cliff. He was taken off the waiting child page and can now be found on the My Family Found Me page. This all means that Cliff is going to be adopted! :) YAY!

If you'd like to read more about it, go here.

Thanks if you donated or even if you just prayed. Prayers have been answered. :)

Update since Christmas

2011-01-16T14:40:00.000-06:00

Life has finally returned to normal now that we are officially done with the holidays. The kiddos and I are back to normalcy and have started to incorporate some learning in our day!

Learning time:
I, along with a friend or two, am working on colors with the kids. We get together twice a week and do circle time as well as a little learning time. We try to incorporate a little art activity as well. When I am not with Jenn and Nevaeh and sometimes Caroline and Lucie, I am working with the kiddos on my own. Its still a little hard since their words have not fully developed, but we are getting the hang of it!

Play Dates:
I have also found a core group of friends with kiddos around the same age and it has helped me stay sane. We spent 4 out of the 5 days last week together! Its been a total blast and now that the kids are older, I don't feel like I constantly have to chase after them to make sure they are behaving. I only have to keep an eye (and an ear) out for them.

I think i am going to invest in a wagon. if get a two seater, I can probably fit all three kiddos in it and then trips to the park can happen this spring and summer.

Job?
After my play date on Friday, I really started to struggle with my decision to go back to work. No, I have not found a job. no where close, but I just loved being able to hang out with the Mommas and let the kiddos play. We had a blast and I am really starting to enjoy it.

Ugh, I never know what the best option is! I am going to keep looking but love what I do in the mean time! :) I got offered a job on Thursday, but the money wasn't great and with the cost of child care, I would be making less than I do now, so I had to turn it down. It made me said, but I took it as a sign that people ARE interested and it's just going to take time.

Cleaning:
Since Christmas, I have really started to slack on my cleaning responsibilities. I always leave it until Friday and let me tell you, by Friday, the LAST thing I want to do is clean! So, I made lists with the Task Manager tool with Google, and I split up my cleaning chores. And on Friday? I just have to clean up the kitchen after lunch and sweep! :)

SMB:
Samantha must have been going through a growth spurt. She was eating everything under the sun and about two helpings of each! And it was never more than 20 minutes after being done with eating that she was hungry again! I couldn't keep up with her or stay creative! there were days that she had the same thing twice!! Oh, well. She was happy, and that's all that matters!

She is cutting her two year molars on top now. She already cut the bottom two. She's gonna look kind of funny. She has 6 teeth on the bottom, but still only her two front teeth on top. She'll be missing some teeth in between her front two and her molars, but whatever, I guess. :) As long as she can eat!

Okay, I think that's the end of my random ramblings! I am having a hard time coming up with things to blog about. Sam is her usual pistol self and I am just trucking along and trying to keep up! :)

Mouse!

2011-01-06T08:35:00.000-06:00

There's a mouse in the house and a Momma who is not so excited about it!!!

We were putting Christmas decorations away last night and we have to move Finnegan's gigantic bag of dog food to do so. As I was coming up the basement stairs, I saw the little poop and knew instantly what it was.
Greg and I have been saying for, well, 2 years now that we have to put his food into a container because either ants or mice would get into it. I have been looking at containers for, well, 2 years and the price for such things is OUTRAGEOUS! I'd like a tall one so that it can go on our basement steps like his food already is. There is no other good place to store it.
Sure I could put it in a regular tupperware bin and put it at the bottom of the stairs, but I am going to be completely honest when I say that I don't want to go up and down the stairs to do so. Lazy? Maybe. But I don't care. :)

So, there is a mouse trap set up and a hopeful Momma hoping that Daddy is home when it snaps...because I am NOT going to be the one to get rid of it. There are just some things that men are supposed to do. This is one of them.

Hope you have a fantastic, mouse-free day! :)

New Words

2011-01-04T13:12:00.000-06:00

Samantha's vocabulary has really expanded in the last couple of weeks. Its so fun to see her point to things and then just say the name of the object. For example, we were at my grandparents' house in Ohio over the weekend and she pointed to the clock on the wall and said "clock". Grandma and Grandpa Berger have a Grandfather and Grandmother clock at their house that she just adores. She listens to one chime and then runs to the other one and listens to it. Its just so funny.
She now says apple, pear, clock, and grandpa very clearly. Grandma not so much but I am sure its going to come.
I know there are more words that she has, and I know that I haven't documented them all, but I'd say she has close to 15-20 words that are clear cut. Then she probably has hundreds that she says that all sound the same to me!
I am really excited to watch her to continue to develop new words.

I don't know if I've ever said this, but 18 months to 3 years is TRULY my favorite age! They are so curious and so intrigued to learn EVERYTHING! :)

Christmas Recap

2011-01-03T14:02:00.000-06:00

Its been a while since I last posted and its been a whirlwind of a week!

Christmas Eve we spent the evening at Greg's Aunt's house on his dad's side. It was short lived when my dear daughter thought it was necessary to puke up the day's eatings. I was totally bummed about this because I was really looking forward to Sam actually enjoying Christmas this year. I was afraid that we were back at it in the sickies.

Well, Christmas morning she woke up sorta crabby but snapped out of it when we told her she could open her presents from Santa. She received a magnadoodle, a grocery cart and some goodies from the dollar spot (that Santa sure knows how to shop!).

We then relaxed a little, drank coffee, ate date nut bread and got ready for the whirlwind of Christmas. We headed over to my parents house where Samantha received a kitchen set, some extra accessories, a race track, a baseball bat and ball and some other toys I can't remember and some awesome clothes!
I received a new computer (YAY!) and some clothes and Greg received a donation to his bike fund.
We ate a great lunch cooked by my mom, sister and her boyfriend, Jake. Jennie also made some FABULOUS cinnamon rolls from scratch. That girl sure can bake!

We then headed over to Greg's parents' house where we enjoyed dinner and MORE present opening. After a day of enjoying wine and beer, we decided to crash at his parents house since we were to be there the following day for his Mom's side of the family celebration.

It was a fabulous weekend filled with lots of family!

We relaxed for a few days (with a quick visit with the Brandts) and then we headed to Columbus to celebrate with my Mom's side of the family.

I truly enjoy Christmas time, and continually try to remember the true meaning, but it sure takes a lot of energy and planning.

I am happy to report after about two weeks of being off schedule, we are slowly recovering and getting back on track.

Samantha desperately needs to recuperate as she has a rather stuffy nose and yucky cough. I think this week is going to be filled with early bedtimes, snuggles, and good naps for her.

I plan on cleaning, taking down Christmas decorations, think of my visions of 2011(thanks for that post, Elizabeth), and enjoying my life right where I am.

I am excited for Friday when Jennie's boyfriend, Jake, comes over to cook us a Mexican themed dinner! It was my present from him (we drew names) and I am so excited for it! :) I will post more when I can. Oh and I plan on uploading pictures this week too to post!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Sickies

2010-12-20T05:56:00.000-06:00

I have been sick the past 24 hours and not happy about it. I usually push through the colds and the pains, but today, I have been feeling nauseous and just down right blah. I haven't eaten anything in 24 hours, and if you know me, this comes as a shocker because I ALWAYS am eating, no matter how I am feeling. But lately, the eating causes an awful twinge in my stomach which makes me not want to eat anything. Hubby thinks the pain is coming from being so hungry my stomach doesn't know what to do with the food. I disagree. I am not feeling so well that I skipped eating at the cook-off we went to last night. That's how I know I am not feeling well. I hope that it goes away soon, but I think today is going to be a lazy day with the kids...

Tornado

2010-12-20T05:51:00.000-06:00

That's my daughter. I ~~didn't know~~ forgot a kid could be so destructive. Its like every room I am picking up after her, she's in the next destroying it. Oh, and her new thing is to close doors with her in the room. Which means she is {not so}secretly behind doors destroying a room. This usually occurs when I am in the shower or cooking dinner and at a point where I can't stop to chase her. This makes it much worse! My house is always a disaster and my sanity is dwindling. I am praying that the week between Christmas and New Years will be my time to catch up. Greg will be home, I will only have the boys one day. All this being said, I can kick my loved ones out for a much needed R&R in cleaning! :)

Give to Cliff EDITED

2010-12-10T09:59:00.001-06:00

Want to give this holiday season but haven't thought of anything? Check out my side bar and give to Cliff. I want to adopt him. Really, I do. But Greg told me I need to get a hobby other than wanting to adopt babies. I will work on him. But until I can get him to say yes, my hobby is to get my readers to give to Cliff. Your money will go straight to his one day adoptive family. To read more on this adorable baby, go here.
To learn more about Reece's Rainbow, the organization that helps raise money for babies like Cliff, go here.

* So Greg thinks my heart is way bigger than my head. Which is SOOO true. I am so adamant about adopting a special needs child. I am not sure why, but God has laid that heavily on my heart. I know that having a special needs child means you need to have the finances to support that child. Greg, my "head", makes a good point in saying that he doesn't want to bring such a child into a home that can not guarantee financial stability for the things he/she needs. So, its something I am going to pray about and until our time is right, pray that many people open up their hearts and give to Cliff and/or Reece's Rainbow. Edit over. :)*

Sseko post

2010-11-30T14:05:00.001-06:00

EDIT: I figured it out. :) But watch the video! :)

Is anyone having trouble seeing the photos I posted?! I can't see them and I am not sure why. :( They seem to load just fine and when I preview they are there, but then when I actually post I can not see them.

If you can't, you can go here and see them all! Oh and buy shoes. Even if they aren't 27% off because they are THAT cute and a gift that gives back.

Oh and check out the video...

Dear Santa

2010-11-30T14:01:00.000-06:00

Dear "Santa"(s),

I know I have been asking for a laptop for Christmas, but I think its a dire need now. For quite sometime, I have not been able to use the actual keyboard because, silly me, I spilled piping hot lemon water on it. So I have a keyboard plugged in.
Then, just recently, the screen wont stay up so I have to prop it on a pillow. Or against the ottoman while sitting on the floor. Or lay on the couch and prop it on the arm of the couch.
Now, just in the last couple of DAYS, the plastic thingys (technical, I know) have popped off that hold the screen to the base and it makes for a wobbly screen. (As in, the screen can literally come OFF the base of the laptop.)

So with all of that said, I will stress again: I really really REALLY want a new laptop and I feel that I have been rather good this year. ;0)

Love, like a lot,

Katie

Sseko

2010-11-29T11:24:00.001-06:00

Beautiful shoes.

Beautiful cause.

Beautiful women.

Buy yourself a pair today...at 27% off! :) (Ends today.)

http://shop.ssekodesigns.com/

I cry

2010-11-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

I cry at everything. At TV shows.
At commercials that are gushy.
At blogs. Definitely at blogs.
There are some posts that others write that I have to come back to because they are so hard to read. I always have a Kleenex nearby so that I can wipe away the tears and blow my nose.

Today is no ordinary day. Everyone is writing about Veteran's Day. I don't cry at the thought of the day, but at the thought that SO many people have loved ones who have served or are serving today. Jenny's blog really hit me today. She is a wife of a military man. And she painted a picture so perfectly for me of a life that I will never see. But I felt it, for just one quick minute. I sorta saw her life. And I cried.
I cried because I loved how content she was. I cried because not only is her husband, Travis, sacrificing, but so is she. Not really sure why I felt the need to blog about her. And I know how random it might be. But I want to say thank you to Jenny for being the wife of a veteran and for her husband who selflessly gave up a corporate job to protect me and my family and friends. And to their baby girl for giving up time with her Daddy so that he can serve. She doesn't know the difference now, but she is much appreciated. I don't know this family personally, but started reading her blog after she shared her story about her daughter Bella on Jeannett's blog.

So thank you to all the men and women sacrificing their life for us so that we may be free. And thank you to all the men and women out there who are supporting their wife, husband, significant other, daughter, son...you are just as amazing! :)

Bites the dust

2010-11-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

Well about 6 or so months ago, I spilled piping hot lemon water on my computer. After that happened the keyboard froze up for about a week. Then everything worked but the letter "k", the space bar and the return key. Once that happened my dad gave us a keyboard to attach to the computer so that I could type normal again andnotlikethis.

Then just this week the screen no longer stays up unless I balance it, but it falls about every 5 minutes. I have to hold it if I am watching HULU or balance it just right.

So here I am, putting it on my list to Santa, I would like a new computer. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just working. Well. No viruses.

I HAVE been a good girl this year. Just don't ask my husband! ;0)

Halloween: The Candy Edition

2010-11-04T14:18:00.000-05:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, by far. Especially now that I have a little one to dress up for the occasion.
I love dressing up and trick or treating (I am forgetting all of the negative connections to Halloween), the fact that it is the beginning of the holiday season and of course, the CANDY!

When I was younger, I used to try to find good hiding spots so that my three other siblings couldn't eat all the good stuff. Sometimes I would even separate my candy in hopes to fool them. One thing I can successfully say about my brother is that when he is determined to find something, it will be found. Especially if it is something that doesn't belong to him but he really REALLY wants! :)

Back to the candy. I could eat it day in and day out. No issues.

Well, then I turned 25. And had a baby. And nothing melts off like it used to. I swear. I am eating rather healthy again (I went on a health food hiatus), but with all of the candy{wrappers}lying around my house, you wouldn't be able to tell.

Why is it that when you know you shouldn't have something, its all you think about and want?!

Its a good thing my Mommy group is donating it to the troops. I can't get it out of my house fast enough! Shoot if I don't hand it off soon, I will be eating it out of my house!

With that said, I don't need any candy in my stocking for Christmas. Give it to Greg. :)

What I will miss

2010-11-03T12:51:00.001-05:00

I was reading Jeannett's blog (amazing, really!) and she was saying that the one bad thing about being a SAHM is that you don't get sick days. SOO true. You just can't call in sick.

Well, it got me thinking. As I get ready to one day go back to work (hopefully), I wanted to know what I would miss.

The cuddles. I would miss the cuddles. Sam is the best cuddler around. Sure, it might take her slapping me first, but I LOVE the cuddles. She is so sweet. She will nuzzle in the crook of my neck and just lay there. Boy will I miss those.

I will miss her crawling in my lap to just hang out with me. I will miss the drive by kisses that she gives me. For no reason.

I know I will still get them when I'm home, but now I get them all the time. And I LOVE it! :)

The temper tantrums someone else can deal with. Can I just have the cuddles?!

Halloween

2010-11-01T15:02:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful time this year for Halloween! I decided a while back that Samantha was going to be a cowgirl. I like to plan ahead because I always have a specific costume in mind and I am not a big fan of the store bought ones (I know that time will come, but I like to not pay $40 for crap...) and I have to search high and low for exactly what I am looking for.

Here's the low down on her costume:

boots: Target for $19.99. I bought them a size too big so she can grow into them! :)
hat: $1 Store so it was $1
kerchief: Hobby Lobby for 0.99
Shirt: purchase from Grandma Levine :)
Jeans: already in her wardrobe.

Greg and I acquired our costumes from his Mom and Dad. Amazingly, they had all of that stuff lying around. I guess horseback riding comes in handy for your kids when they want to dress up as cowboys and cowgirls.

Finnegan's blanket is a horse blanket that Greg's parents had in their garage.

We trick or treated at Greg's brother's house in Ballwin. We had such a good time and Sam did wonderful with the thank yous and the hi's and sometimes with the trick or treats. But man, if she was a pro at anything, it was taking the candy out of the bowl and putting it in her pumpkin. She was born to trick or treat. And her Daddy and I were born to eat her candy! :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Halloween. I am currently willing myself to not go to the pumpkin full of candy and eat a Snickers. Or a Laffy Taffy. Or a Tootsie Pop...

Finally Fall!

2010-10-28T17:37:00.000-05:00

It finally feels like Fall here in St. Louis and it's a welcomed season in this home. We love the changing of the leaves, the crisp air and the fires we get to light in our chiminea while sipping on some delicious wine!

With Fall also comes some other wonderful things:

snotty noses. More like constant running of the nose. Like a faucet. (okay maybe this isn't so wonderful...)
layers. We LOVE layers in this family. Okay, I love layers! :)
flip flops with sweatshirts. I am not sure why I love this so much, but it makes me happy.
soups and stews. It is the PERFECT weather to start the crock pot back up. We are having stew for dinner tomorrow. YUM!
Halloween. It is, for me, the beginning of the holiday season and I am SOOO excited for that season this year.

I hope everyone has a very happy Halloween and there WILL be a post update sometime next week on that!

Hilarious.

2010-10-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

Because we all know a Mom like this:

Weekend?! What Weekend?

2010-10-21T20:56:00.001-05:00

Last weekend was such a blur. Scratch that, the last four weekends were such a blur! Lets go back two weekends ago. Saturday we had a few visitors out to the house. My Aunt Jo-Ann (Dad's sister) came in from D.C. for her Aunt's 80th birthday. She was able to meet Samantha for the first time and it was great to catch up with her. She made a valid point in saying that although she had never officially met Sam before that day, she felt like she knew her and what she had been up to because of Facebook. So true. Facebook has been wonderful in keeping in touch with family members who do not live in St. Louis. And shoot, its been wonderful for those family members who do and don't get to see her everyday! :)

So anyway, onto Saturday afternoon. I know I have mentioned it before, but I belong to a forum full of wonderful Mommies in the St. Louis area. We had our Fall Fest and it was fabulous! Thanks to the wonderful Elizabeth, we had lots of room to run around, paint pumpkins, ~~win~~ enter in a chili cookoff, jump on the trampoline, swing on the swing (which we did for quite some time) and eat eat eat!!! I can't remember the total anymore, but here is the bunch (excluding the Dads who took the pictures. At least they are good for somethin'!):

Sunday we headed out to Greg's parents' to help prepare for Carl and Cassie's wedding celebration. We then headed back to my parents' house to have dinner with them and my Grandparents. Always a good time and I love letting my grandparents' soak up time with Samantha. They just adore her and lately, she them! :)

The week started...the week ended...

This past weekend I had a bachelorette party on Saturday. We started at the wineries and had a blast. We rode there in style in a bright yellow school bus. It was rather nostalgic, minus the part that we were headed to the wineries. I guess I did go to Ste. Genevieve one year for school. It was for French class so I guess it still doesn't count. Oh well!

What was supposed to be about 8-10 hours of a party turned into 16. Yes that's right. This Momma partied like she was back in college. I did acquire the nickname from my MIL in college of "Party Girl". I am not quite sure where it came from, but I assume it was from the first Berger Christmas Party that I attended and fell into the Christmas tree. That was after "one glass of Bailey's", right Dad?!

:) Anyhoo, that is for another time, after a few cocktails. So I was without my husband and daughter from 9 am until 2 am the next day. I hate to say it, but GLORIOUS! I think I would miss them more, buuuuuuut I needed that night out!

It was also a really good bonding day for Sam and Greg. She pooped, took off her diaper and spread it all over her bed while "napping". Such a good little girl! :)

Sunday we headed back out to Greg's parents' house to do the same ol' thing! :)

we danced on the way:

We played in the leaves:

We had a grand ol' time!

Now this weekend starts our 3 weekends full of weddings! I am rather excited about the one this weekend as it is SURE to be a good time! Update possibly later...probably in about 3 weeks! ;0)

Food Poisoning

2010-10-04T09:05:00.000-05:00

I am pretty sure I have it. This morning around 1:30, I woke up to MAJOR stomach cramps. I mean so crampy I thought that I had done 1000 situps or something. So crampy that my back ached from neck to rear. So crampy that I had to go sleep on the couch and every once in a while hug my porcelain pillow. I have never had food poisoning before, so I wasn't sure that's what it was, but after reading symptoms and what causes it, I am pretty certain.
Last night I made these sandwiches for the second time this weekend. (So not good for you but SOSOO YUMMY!) We didn't have enough of the newer turkey so I ate some of the older turkey(open about 2 weeks, but it smelled fine and and still had a couple of weeks until expiring). Little did I know it was no longer good. Apparently, Listeria is a bacteria that causes food poisoning. It is also found in some pre packaged meats like lunch meat. Like the lunch meat I had last night. Oy.
I am still feeling a tad bit queasy and the kids and I are taking it rather easy. Here's hoping its done by nap time because I have TONS of cleaning to do!!

SAHM Playdate

2010-10-02T22:25:00.000-05:00

This past Tuesday I hosted a playdate with some StLouisMommies and it was a blast! Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!!

Bean and Vaeh playing in the sandbox.

More sandbox fun!

Playing with Finnegan. This was just as much of a playdate for him as it was for the kiddos and mommas!

Hanging out, chatting, playing!!

Please excuse the lack of lawncare. We've been so busy on the weekends that its been rather neglected! But after three hours outside today, its as beautiful as ever! :)

Samantha Stats

2010-09-30T09:52:00.000-05:00

Samantha weighs a WHOPPING 20 pounds and 2 ounces. :) She is 32 1/2 inches long. According to the charts, she is in the 10th percentile in weight and in the 90th for height. Doc said she is going to be long and lean. Most likely she will turn out like her Aunt Angie Berger. Other than that she is a healthy pup. She's movin' and groovin' like she should and the Dr. said she makes the funniest faces...which she does!! :)

Enjoy your Thursday! Its gorgeous in our neck of the woods. Hope you're enjoying it as much as the kiddos and I have been!!!

Potty Training Two

2010-09-29T12:02:00.000-05:00

Do you know how hard it is to stay on top of potty training TWO children?! VERY, in case you were wondering.
We are slowly working on it. I am not as motivated this week as I was last week and Sam has begun to tell me "no" when I say "let's go to the potty". Awesome. She must love this process as much as me! :)

In other news, I had a playdate at my house yesterday. 15 Mommas and 18 kiddos! Now that is a good playdate! (We missed you, Elizabeth!) :) We mainly just hung outside and snacked. It was good to get a little adult time and I loved hosting it. My goal for next time is to do more activities with the kids and possibly cut the grass before hand! :)

That's all here in Berger Land! Samantha goes to the doctor this afternoon so I hope to post later tonight or tomorrow about that! My guess is she weighs 22 pounds. I have no idea about length. All I know is that she is a petite little bugger!

Potty training joys

2010-09-26T14:07:00.000-05:00

One of the tricks of potty training is catching your child in the act and running them to the toilet so that they can associate the act with the toilet.

Greg did just that today:

Greg: "Are you pooping?"
Sam: "Yea."
Greg: "Quick, let's go potty!!"
Runs Sam to the toilet.
Greg: "OHHHH. YUCK!!! GROSS!!"
I come down the stairs from sleeping in...

Me: "What happened?"
Greg: "She pooped already and I thought I was catching her before she was pooping so I threw off the diaper and a terd rolled out, onto my leg and then the floor."

Me: All smiles because this time, it wasn't me!! :)

Potty Training Week: 1

2010-09-24T20:08:00.000-05:00

I decided blindly to start potty training Samantha. I kind of figured it was time to at least have her understand the concept of sitting on the potty and "pushing" out her pee. The whole attempt to push out process is rather cute, might I add. She sits on her potty and I tell her to push it out and she grunts so adorably! :)
Anyway, so far we have not been successful in actually peeing in the potty, but in 5 days she has figured out when she is going in her diaper. When she is wet or poopie or in the process, she is begins to waddle like a duck or like she just got off a horse after being on it for 48 hours straight. And today, I caught her squatting like she was sitting on a pretend toilet while we were outside.
The most difficult thing about this is that when I go to grab her to put her on the toilet, she doesn't stop doing the duty so we always miss it by seconds.
I do think that this was a good step to take and I really am praying that in 6 months we have it down pat. We are learning the sign for potty and she already has that down. We are getting closer and closer by the day! :)
Here's to week 2!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Matron of Honor

2010-09-22T10:52:00.000-05:00

I get the pleasure of being in this girl's wedding and I couldn't be more excited about it!!!

Here's hoping for quick winter and spring because I can't wait to celebrate THIS wedding!!!

Congratulations, Bestie! Its going be FABULOUS!!!

STL Kid City Expo

2010-09-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

If you are in the St. Louis area this Saturday, you should come check this out at the Science Center. The mommy forum that I am a part of, stlouismommies.com, will have a booth there promoting the group and we will have a fun activity for the kids to do! So, come check us out!!!

http://www.stlkidcity.com/index.htm

A bunch of randoms

2010-09-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am a bad mother and haven't taken Samantha to her 15 month appt yet. In fact, I just scheduled it last week for next week, and she will be 16 1/2 months then. Whoops. But when we go, I promise to do an update on her actual stats.
Life just seems to get busier as she gets older. Its not nearly as easy to load her in the car and tote her along. I actually have to work around nap time (which, by the way, is 4 hours smack in the middle of the day), lunch time, snack time and the like. My daughter is such a grazer. She likes to eat only a little bit but likes it ever 2 hours or so. It gets rather exhausting to put her in and out of that high chair and more importantly, to actually have to THINK about what to give her. I get so tried of giving her the same thing, but my creative outlet is pretty dry.
   In other news, we are potty training. I am just starting. I am going to start loading her and Ben up with liquids and then take them to the bathroom every 1 1/2 - 2 hours. We will see how that goes. I know that Samantha likes to sit on the potty and Ben has been showing true signs of knowing that he has to go, so its worth a shot. It could be a long process, but I am telling myself I am up for the challenge!
   I am still in search of a job. As much as I love love love staying home with Samantha, and really dread about the thought of going back to work, I think that we BOTH need separation from each other. It would do us both some good. I might be able to gain my sanity back, and maybe it will help with her whining.
   Have I told you my daughter is a whiner?! Welp, she is. Its exhausting. I keep saying that I can't wait until her verbal skills are stellar because I just can't take it some days. She is adorable, beautiful, so much fun to be around, but when the whining and the temper tantrums (oh!! the temper tantrums) start to erupt, my patience dwindles. I never knew a child could whine and tantrum so well, but I'm telling you, if there was a competition, there would be no question who would win. And this is nothing to be proud of. Greg and I are really working with her. A lot of the time its out of frustration that she can't communicate with us or can't get something to go her way (usually a toy). Greg and I are really working on her with patience and telling us that she needs our help (with sign language, which has been a true lifesaver in our house). Greg seems to get through to her a lot better, but I think the change in scenery for her helps. We are hoping to nip this in the butt pretty quickly.

Random post. I don't have much in the way of new pictures. They are all up on Facebook. :)

I will try not to be so sporadic! Life just seems pretty busy with 3 kiddos all day and hubby time at night. And the weekends, oh my, have been OUTRAGEOUSLY busy. I'd like to say October is better, but its not! :) Until next time!!

Reflections of Motherhood.

2010-09-09T13:04:00.000-05:00

What an awesome reminder for those times that you think you just can't!

Washer and Dryer

2010-09-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

How often do you clean the outside of your washer and dryer and the inside of your washer?

Me? I rarely ever do. But since I've been cloth diapering its been kind of an obsessive thing. There is something about washing poopie diapers in the same washer that I wash my towels and underwear in. That being said, I try to wash the inside once a week. But to be honest, its once a month at best.

So I ask you again, how often do you clean your washer and dryer?!

Ohio Bound

2010-09-02T12:23:00.000-05:00

We are headed to Ohio tomorrow morning and I couldn't be more excited! I am so excited for my grand parents to have one on one with Samantha. She's gonna love it and so are they! For this adventure, we will be turning Sam around to forward facing for the first time. (Gasp!) I have been pretty against this because of the accident we were in on Christmas last year. Kids are just SO much safer rear facing and Sam is so little that it made me feel a little better about it.

Why turn her around then? Because we need this 7-8 hour drive to be exciting and new and not so awful, so this is how we are doing it! That and some new toys!

Here's hoping that the slight fever and stuff nose she has acquired doesn't make her SUPER crabby! :0/

I hope everyone has a fabulous Labor Day! Its supposed to be beautiful in STL and Columbus! ENJOY!!!

Power Balance Band

2010-09-02T12:20:00.000-05:00

I had never heard of it until going to Chicago. We were in the expo that they held, and well, to be honest, I fall for everything. I mean EVERYTHING I see on info-mercials.

I didn't even find this first. Greg and some others did. he found me and whether its psychological or not, its amazing. I can't describe it, but its awesome. The test that was done was incredible.

I can't figure out how to upload this video, but check it out. It doesn't even do it justice. But its amazing. I will say it again. Amazing. Go get one. :)

Oh, and like I said, even if it is psychological, its doing something, right?! Changing the way you think, feel and act. Just a thought!

Tri Athlete

2010-09-02T12:08:00.000-05:00

Not me, of course! But my amazing husband!

Words can not describe how proud I am of him. This has been a goal of his for the last couple of years and he has finally accomplished it. He kept saying that he only wanted to do one once, and not again. But I seemed to know better. Once we got to Chicago and saw the vibe, I knew this would be one of many. He seems rather disappointed with his outcome, but in my opinion, the man finished it. :) He can only go up from here! (Pending any disasters like a flat tire!)

I think on race day I was more nervous than he was. Neither of us got any sleep the night before and I was constantly on top of what time it was so he wouldn't miss the start of his heat. (8:56am)

We stayed with a couple of friends who live in Chicago, but the remainder of the group stayed at the Hilton on Michigan Ave. We had a couple of friends who had done a tri before, so they decided that we needed to be at the transition station at 4:15 am. Which for us meant we had to be up by 3:00 and out by 3:30 at the latest. Boy was that EARLY! Totally worth it though. It was so cool to see the mass amounts of people who decided to accomplish this feat. I have never seen so many walks of life in one area to all do the same sporting event. So cool.

We went back to the hotel in between transition set up and racing to get some shut eye and eat some breakfast. Like I said before, I was so anxious about Greg getting to the start line in time that I didn't sleep. I tried to keep my anxiety to a minimum in an effort to not stress him out, and I hope I accomplished that. About and hour before his start, we headed down. it was incredible. We met up with our friends and got ready. We wrote on their swim caps so that we could attempt to see them when they were in the water. On the lighter caps, it worked, but we had to work a little harder with the darker colored ones. I was able to learn the ropes of being a spectator with two fabulous women who also had their men in the triathlon too. We hung out until the very end.

Enjoy the pictures. I didn't get any of the bike because they biked on North Shore Drive with them in one lane and the cars in the other. I got distracted/blocked by the cars so I couldn't always see them! We saw two of the guys, but I didn't have my camera by my eye so I missed them! :(

About to start the swim.

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. :)

I almost missed him. Our friend Stephanie was right in front of him and I DID miss her! I was too busy talking to the woman next to me! ;0) Figures.

DONE!

Anti co-sleeping

2010-08-23T11:01:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we spent the night at Greg's parents' house to watch their dogs since they were out of town.

Sam's crib is in Greg's sister's room, which is where we decided to sleep. Well Sam decided to wake up right before we decided to go to sleep. We let her cry herself back to sleep, went in and she woke up again. Refusing to go back down, we put her in the bed with us. While she was quiet, she sure as HECK did not lay still. She wiggled and wormed until 2:15 in the morning. This is when we decided to change her diaper, give her some tylenol (she does have 2 teeth coming through) and stick her back in her crib. She was quiet so we left and slept downstairs. It was so sweet of Samantha to sleep in until 10, but I would have rather gone to sleep at 11 like we planned and gotten to sleep in.

Oh well. I now know that all those times I wished she could sleep with us because I'd love to cuddle just isn't worth it! :)

A little late...

2010-08-20T12:24:00.001-05:00

If it weren't for my adoring Dad, I would never update this blog! Its Friday (Thank goodness), but I am here to update about the previous weekend. Better late than never, I say (or do they?).

Last weekend was yet another eventful one for our family. I had a wine and cheese party on Friday night with the girls and Greg stayed home with Sam. Saturday we all headed in our own directions. Samantha got to spend the night with Grandpa and Grandma Levine, Greg went out with friends, and I went to a bachelorette party.

I can't speak for the other two (although according to G&G Levine, Sam had a GREAT time), but staying out past 11 is one of the hardest things I have had to do! :)
I did have a great time though. We played it up big. We were in the CWE the whole time and its been a couple of years since I've been out down there. I actually think since my 24th birthday...

Good times at Mandarin

I have no pictures of the night since my smaller camera is filled with my parents trip to San Fran, but we did have a blast. The bachelorette was happy and had a great time so that's all that matters! I didn't get home until after 2 in the morning (whoa!). Lucky for us, Sam was not home so Greg and I slept in until 10. Its a luxury that we don't get often and it was FABULOUS!

Sunday we went out to eat at Steak n Shake (mmmmmm...) with Devin and Jill and then headed to my parents to do some swimming with Samantha! That little girl is going to be swimming on her own by next summer. She's got the kicking down and is slowly figuring out how to blow bubbles! :) Such a fish!

This week has FLOWN by and I can't wait for next week! I don't have the boys and so Sam and I are going to live it up! We will be headed to Elizabeth's for some time at the farm, we will do lunch with Grandma Berger and her riding friends, swimming at Grandma and Grandpa Fleischmann's (and Dad, tell Mom that we will probably come there too, after it opens) and whatever else the week brings!!

Friday Greg and I will be headed to Chicago for his first full triathlon and Sammie will be with G&G Levine again! I KNOW I will have posts about this upcoming week as well as next weekend!

Stay tuned!!!

Picture Post

2010-08-10T12:23:00.000-05:00

Here ya go!

Sam's new thing is to wear two different types of shoes on her feet.

The next few (including the playground ones) are from a trip to Castlewood Park.

We almost NEVER leave the pup at home.

The playground was Sam's treat for being so good in the carrier.

I have yet to instill "Up the stairs, down the slide".

All by herself. She's a pro at this!

This is what we do when we are bored. Its awesome...for her.

She can be so awful sometimes and then I see this and I think "my angel"!!

Blue eyes.

Weekend Fun

2010-08-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

Greg and I got to enjoy a relaxing weekend on the beautiful Meremac River with some of his co-workers. Now, if you're from STL, and are thinking of the Meremac in and around STL, don't. Its not that part of the river. That part is scary gross. We went to Steeleville which is about 1 1/2 hours away. I never got to do any of this as a kid, and I plan to bring Sam up doing the whole camping/floating extravaganza. In fact, we are seriously considering taking her camping this fall. We will wait on the float part for a tad bit longer! :)
We arrived at the campsite (The Rafting Company) around 10 and set up camp. We boarded the bus to take us up river so that we could float down and end at our campsite around noon. We had our coolers stocked with beer, water, fruity pants drinks and our dry bags filled with sunscreen, lunch and delicious snacks! :) And boy, oh boy was I ready to dive in to drink and eat! Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats a king of the hill from Schnucks and some original pringles when on a float. From the beginning of my floating time, this has been our meal. Add a delicious bud light to the mix and I am set! :)

We have been introduced to the most awesome-est drink ever. The John Daly. Would you like the recipe? I bet you would!

1 bottle (750 ml) of sweet tea vodka
2 cans of concentrated lemonade (you could buy 2 pre made lemonades, but its expensive that way)
a rather large pitcher :)

Mix, chill and drink! It tastes so yummy and is my favorite fruity pants drink ever!

We ended the float around 7 and cleaned up (a shower after a float is fabulous, in case you were wondering). Hotdogs, brats and hamburgers were on the menu and of course s'mores. If you know me, you should know that s'mores are my all time favorite treat. I could/do have them over the fire or in the microwave any day of the week. :) Nothing beats a perfectly toasted marshmallow, mixed with melty chocolate and delicious grahams. And when you buy it all at Aldi's, its a steal!

Everything that happened in between the written story is left up to your imagination but let it be said that everyone behaved and no one got sick. A truly successful float trip, indeed!

Samantha was able to spend the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Berger. We were told that she enjoyed playing with the hose (surprise surprise) and was stopped in her tracks when it turned into ice cold water! :) She also got to see Great Grandma and Grandpa Fleischmann and fell asleep kicking the wall next to Grandpa. Crazy girl.

Over all it was a good weekend and I can't wait for the next opportunity to camp again!

I will post pictures of Samantha soon. Promise!

Writer's Block

2010-08-06T18:01:00.000-05:00

Its what I've got. Maybe after a weekend on the river (WOO HOO!) I will be refreshed and have something to write about! :)

Everyone have a fabulous weekend. Its gonna be pretty nice here in the Lou. But I wouldn't know, cause I'll be on the river...not in the Lou.

PEACE!

Samantha Update

2010-07-29T09:52:00.000-05:00

Sam is a learning machine. I think she does something new every day.

Most recently she has begun to talk "jargon talk". She has serious conversations with you and expects answers. When you respond, she'll do "I don't know" (something that is somewhat new) or just say "yea". Its pretty hilarious.

I have also been teaching Sam to wink. Its my new favorite :) I will wink at her and she will concentrate really hard, open her mouth (mimicking me) and shut both eyes. Eh, its a start!

She is learning sign language like a champ. She learns something new everyday. It is so easy for her to pick up; it amazes me!

She is going down the stairs both forwards and backwards. In fact, I caught her going down the stairs forwards by herself and oh boy, did she get into trouble!!! She knows that it is only a skill she does holding on to Mom and Dad's hands. There is a spot on our stairs where it curves and there is no railing.

She has started to try to put her own shoes on. Its pretty cute to watch, even when she gets frustrated.

She likes to help me "cook". I put a bowl and spoon down on her level with goodies in it and she stirs it and usually eats whats in the bowl. We call it "testing" to make sure that it tastes JUUUUUUST right!

She LOVES to brush her teeth. And she is so good about giving the toothbrush back when she is done. (It was a struggle at first.)

She still loves to swim. She practices her swimming the the tub too.

That's all I can think of right now. :) I can't believe how big our baby is getting. She is becoming a toddler more and more every day.

Greg said it perfectly the other day. We were talking about how big she is getting and he said "I can't believe it. Our daughter is becoming a little person!!" For reals. A little person. Gosh that was fast!

Worries

2010-07-28T11:52:00.000-05:00

Things I used to worry/think about:

How does my hair look?
Did I remember to put on make up?
Does this outfit make me look fat/flabby/short(ha!)/lean?
Will I make it to bed by 10 tonight?
If I eat this, does that mean an extra 20 minutes on cardio?
What should I do with my night free?
What should we do this weekend?
Should I go out to dinner and then drinks or just drinks?

Things I worry/think about now:

Does my hair look greasy since I have not showered in a couple of days?
Did I wash my face? Brush my teeth? Put on deodorant?
Should I wear scrubs or actual clothes today/
Did I stay up til 10 last night?
If I eat this, will I still be hungry afterwards?
I'm going to sleep with my free night.
Do we get to relax this weekend?
Do we have $$ for a dinner out?

Oh the changes that happen with a husband and a child! :)

(granted some of these have improved over time, but only a little! ;0) )

Weekend Wrap Up

2010-07-26T10:04:00.000-05:00

There are some weekends that don't feel like weekends at all, but rather just a part of the work week. This usually occurs when I have Sam to myself for the weekend; when Greg is busy with other things that keep him away.

This weekend was one of those weekends.

I had Friday off because the boys' grandparents were in town and wanted to spend some quality time with them. Sam and I went to Creve Coeur Park with some SLM mommies and had a splendid time. My daughter is NOT afraid of water squirting out of the ground or jungle gyms or jungle gyms when wet. She has no fear. And while I totally appreciate this, sometimes I wish she just didn't want to climb while wet! We came home, napped until 5 and then hung out. Daddy had a fun event at work and then a very important happy hour (for reals.).

Saturday Daddy had to move Aunt Angie back to STL from Columbia so he was gone that day. Sam took her nice 2 hour nap and I cleaned all the floors. They were DIS.GUST.ING! I can't believe I let the wood floors get like that. I guess its because since you couldn't see the dirt, I didn't care as much. But the feeling on my bare feet when they were clean is indescribable. :)
We then headed to a "messy" playdate where the kiddos had the opportunity to paint with colored ice cubes, play in oatmeal, finger paint with pudding and marshmallows and cut out jell-o shapes. My daughter felt the need to EAT all of these things.

(All pictures courtesy of Andrea Rudolph)

That being said, while on the way home Sam was a tad more fussy than usual. I thought it was because the sun was in her eyes, but no...it was because she was about to get sick.
She whined for a while and then got rather quiet. I assumed she passed out. Not more than 30 seconds later I heard the sounds of up chuck. Awesome. We christened our new car seat!
I had to get off the highway and clean as much up as possible because the car was beginning to smell rancid. I pulled over the first place I could find to stop...and where was this you ask? Ahhh, Plaza Frontenac.

Yes. I pulled into Plaza Frontenac to clean the puke off my daughter while a nice little family walked up: Mom dressed in a white dress and pearls and heels, Dad in a polo and khakis and loafers and Son in the same outfit as Dad but with a sweater tied around his neck (WTF?!?!? Who the hell does this anymore?! Oh yea, people who live in Ladue...whatev).

Anywho, thanks to Sara I had paper towels to clean up the puke, and they held up pretty well!!!

We got home just to clean ourselves up again to turn back around and head out to West Co. where Sam was dropped off and Grandma and Grandpa's and Greg and I headed to a going away party :( Sad night for us. But we are excited for Paul and his adventures in Chicago!

Sunday we were honored to be the God Parents of Eric and celebrated with family and friends of Eric's afterwards. We then dropped Sam off at Grandma and Grandpa's* AGAIN so that we could see Inception (GREAT movie, btw). AMC was having $1 soda and popcorn any size yesterday, so we just had to use it!

I bought a medium of each and barely made a dent in either. I can't believe people eat all of that stuff in one sitting. Ew.

We picked Sam up, came home, put her to bed and sat on the couch wondering where our weekend went...

I can't believe its Monday, but I will spend the day enjoying the peace (well as much peace that comes with 3 kiddos...).

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!!!

*Thanks to my Mom and Dad who make it easy for us to "have a life". We couldn't do what we do without you!!!!

"Circle Time" Enforced

2010-07-21T08:53:00.000-05:00

Samantha and Ben are definitely at the age where I can keep their attention span for 5 minutes.

That being said, I have started "Circle Time" at my house. More like a triangle, but you get the idea!

We sit down, sing a good morning song, along with other songs, and learn sign language and have just started counting. We also go over body parts as well as read books.

I have done circle time with 2 year olds and up, but never with the 1-2 age group. So, I am asking for a little help. If you have any other ideas that can be taught to this age group in the span of 5 minutes, I would greatly appreciate it.

Also, I really want to start art time, so if you have any ideas that would be fun, I am all ears! We have done coloring with Crayons, but that gets rather boring. I have vanilla pudding that I will add food coloring so that we can finger paint with that, but I am out of safe, edible ideas after that. (Sam and Ben both still put EVERYTHING into their mouths.)

Thanks in advance! :)

Picture Post.

2010-07-18T10:35:00.000-05:00

Here are many pictures that have yet to be posted! :)

Petting the goats at Grant's Farm

Feeding the goats

Riding the Carousel

Crazy Chicken

Paying no attention to the pony behind them (with Ben)

Playing with the balloon ball while Daddy enjoys a free beer!

Petting the baby Clydesdale

First time eating applesauce by herself.

First time in the sprinkler (with Ben)

Hanging with Daisey the Duck

Walk in Tower Grove Park

Feeding some duckies (but not Daisey)

Best buddies.

4th of July

2010-07-07T16:51:00.000-05:00

We had such a fantastic weekend with family and friends!

We swam. We ate.

We swam some more. We ate ~~a lot~~ some more.

And finally we just ate. :)

We truly enjoyed this weekend. We were able to be lazy in the mornings and spend it as a family. Greg truly treasures these times because on any other day, we are running around like crazy. Its nice for us to enjoy Samantha and each other on these quiet mornings.

By afternoon, after nap time, we were back to our normal run around crazy selves.

Sam got to enjoy some swim time with Grandma and Grandpa Levine on Saturday.
They have this fantastic baby pool at their neighborhood pool and Sam seems to really enjoy it. Once she gets her "sea legs" down, she loves to wade around that pool. (Keep in mind that this is after many falls with face under water, Mom grabbing her arm to pull her up and her looking at me like I'm crazy.)
We attempted the big pool, but I think she liked the freedom of not being held in the baby pool. Such an independent princess!

We also got to hang out with baby Haylie some more on Saturday. She's such a laid back and easy going baby. Sorta like her Momma. Sam was not/is not that way. Kinda like her Momma! :)

We have grown to love hanging out with "the other" Bergers. I truly enjoy their company and can't wait for our daughters to grow up together.

Sunday we spent the early afternoon at a work party for Greg which was good for him to make an appearance and then we spent the evening with Greg's side of the family.

We ended up going to see fireworks after all my hub bub about Sam not liking them and being afraid. I mean, when the poor girl buries her face in my chest and covers the rest with Geoffrey, its a pretty good indication that she doesn't like them.

But, Daddy really wanted to see them since we missed them last year, so I digress!

We went to Eureka to see them with Greg's parents and had a really good time. Sam did struggle, but since we were watching them from the back of the pathfinder we just stuck her in her car seat and she passed out while we enjoyed them. They weren't the best fireworks, but it was good to be with family and to remember the whole reason we are able to watch fireworks in the first place.

I hope you had a fantastic 4th of July.

A Medley of Things

2010-06-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

I am sure I could write a post for each, but I'd rather do a shortened version...

Monday night we did a family run around Tower Grove Park. And by this I mean that Greg took Finnegan ahead of Sam and I for the first half. We met at Center Cross and he took Sam and I took the exhausted Finnegan for the second half. And then we met at home! :)
I did a fantastic job and ran the whole thing (3.7 miles) except for 1 minute's worth. Rather proud of myself! But then it hit me like a ton of bricks and about 30 minutes after our run I was hit with nausea. I was totally bummed because I didn't feel like I pushed myself too hard, but its the most I've ever ran, so that could be it! :) I'm ready to hit the road again soon!

After our run Greg jumped on his bike to meet a friend to go riding. He is currently in training for his triathlon in August in Chicago. He didn't close the back gate all the way for reasons that don't need to be shared to those on the internet (but it might have to do with dog poo). I let Finnegan out as usual and didn't think twice. Greg came home and as we were relaxing he asked where the dog was. I informed him that he should have seen him outside. When he told me that he left the back gate open I ran to the back to call out Finn's name. He was no where around.

We scrambled to get our shoes on, I was about to call our neighbor to ask her to come over to watch Sam when I opened the front door, and who was there?! FINNEGAN! :) The thing is, here in the city he just can't go through the houses to get to our front porch. He had to go around the block to get home. Such a good pup. :) He was there for over an hour, unknowingly to us. :)

So I have decided to teach the kiddos sign language because we've had some issues with biting and hitting and pinching. I just started on Monday and Sam already has please and thank you down. Such a smart little girl! :) We are working on the basics and then will move into harder words if we need them. My hope is that we just have to use them until we develop more words.

Speaking of developing more words, Sam has learned a new one! There are some days that she is in her high chair and Finnegan comes over to beg for food. I don't put up with this at all and I point my finger and tell him to "Go!". Well, she's caught on and there are days when she is standing next to him while he is laying nicely on the ground and she will point to him and tell him "Go!". Its too funny! Now if she would only learn more words this quickly. :)

Haylie Kay

2010-06-24T07:32:00.000-05:00

I'm officially an aunt. As of 11:17 pm last night to be exact.

The feeling is awesome, but hasn't always been so.

When I first found out that Carl and Cassie were expecting, I had an act of selfishness and hoped it would be a boy. I wanted MY princess to continue to be the one and only for a few years more.

Then I thought, well if they have a girl, I still have my parents who will spoil her rotten.

Then my feelings took a turn. Right before they found out, Carl told me he wanted a boy. I looked at him (and surprised myself), and said that if they had a girl, she would be close in age with Samantha and they could grow up together.

How awesome is that? A cousin for Sam to grow up with. I didn't really have that. Our oldest cousins are my little sister's age. 5 years younger than me. Now we can relate, sure, but growing up I just had my brother and sister. Bor-ring. :)

So welcome to the world, Haylie Kay! We are so excited you're here and we can't wait for you to grow up with our baby girl!!!

Well Said

2010-06-24T07:28:00.000-05:00

I could try to rewrite this in my own words, but why? She puts it so perfectly. Sure my exact situation is different, but the feelings are mutual.

So go ahead. Read this post by Jenny. Then go read her story. Pretty awesome.

Biter

2010-06-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

There is a biter in the house. Little Ben is quite the biter and can really sink his teeth into you when he wants to. I have yet to experience it, but Sam has acquired 2 full sets of bite marks (one for each arm) and now a single tooth mark on her finger. :(

It makes me sad. It upsets me. But he's 17 months. What can be done?

His Mom and I both agree that a little time-out won't hurt him any, so that's what we've begun. Starting today. He's been in it once. We'll see if he continues.

Working in the industry of children for so long, biters never really bothered me. But when its your own baby, you take offense to it yourself and get a little defensive.

I have done my best not to "take sides" in this situation since its my little one getting bit.

I've been the disciplinarian and the comforter before, I can do it again! :0)

This too shall pass. :)

Undeniable Love

2010-06-22T11:32:00.000-05:00

I get it. I understand. It makes sense.

People tell you that when you have children your heart grows so big you never thought it to be possible.

For some, it happens the instant their first child is born (and the same for the following children).
For others it may take a while.

For me, I loved my baby girl when she was born but didn't have "that feeling" and felt like a horrible Mom. How could I not feel that way? Wasn't I supposed to feel that way? What in the H-E- double hockey sticks was wrong with me?!?!?!?!?!

I guess it takes a little bit of some challenging times to understand and truly feel that love. My sweet adorable daughter has been a whine queen lately.

I put her down. She whines.

I pick her up. She whines.

I give her something. She whines.

I can't win and she whines. It makes for a stressful hard day. Especially when i have 2 other children vying for my time. She is constantly in my lap or arms and the other two are fitting around/on me some how.

I am so anxious to put her down for naps/bed that I feel a tinge of guilt because of it, but at the same time I feel my shoulders standing up straight because that strain is no longer there...until tomorrow.

But then...THEN I go into her room a couple hours after she goes down to watch her sleep and hold her hand and in the midst of all of that, while still sleeping, she sits up and reaches for me. I pick her up and take her to the chair and we rock. Silently for a while, and then I sing to her. And I cry. Because I never knew I could love someone so much.

And we rock some more. Because I don't want this moment to end. I don't want to be a part of another whiny day. Because I want this sweet adorable daughter all day AND night.

But I know she will grow out of it. And then there will be a new challenge. And I will probably continue to rock her. :) I'm making my own version of Love you, Forever.

And my heart will grow bigger. And bigger. And I'll love her more than I could ever imagine.

You never truly appreciate your parents' love for you until you have your own.

And eventually, you will get it.

running.

2010-06-15T21:39:00.000-05:00

Just looking at this word used to make me cringe.

Unless it was no longer than a 100 meter dash.

As in running the bases for softball.

Or running down a soccer field, where I am distracted and not realizing that I am running.

This all changed a few weeks ago when a friend asked if I would go running with her.

She told me she was super slow and with her long legs I did not believe that her "super slow" would be slow enough for me and my short legs and out of shape body.

But she was.

And I loved it.

Yes, loved it.

We ran a 5k right there*. In 45 minutes. And I felt good.

SOO good. So good that I wanted to KEEP running. (Jaw dropping moment here.)

I loved it so much that we ran the next weekend. And the next.

And now I am thinking I am going to do a 1/2 marathon with her in October.

Its cool. You can say it, because I am still thinking it:

SAY WHAT?!?!?!

*Dislcaimer: We ran on a completely flat surface. Each time we ran. No hills. But its aaaaallll about baby steps! :)

Nemesis

2010-06-14T11:55:00.000-05:00

On the way home from dinner with my parents last night, I was listening to the radio. They were asking callers, specifically women (because apparently every woman has a nemesis...who knew?!), to call in and tell them if they had a nemesis and why. I was listening to one lady's call who said that here supposed best friend got her fired from a job. Crazy.

This got me thinking. Do I have a nemesis?

I'm going to be completely honest when I say I hold grudges. Big ones. Its something I am working on, so if I am holding one on you, be patient.

So, while I hold grudges, I don't especially feel that any of those grudges equal nemeses.(This is the plural form. I had to look it up! :) )

After a few minutes of deep deep thinking listening to Ke$ha, I realized that no one person is my nemesis.

But alas, I have discovered that I have one.

Hair. Yes, Hair.

My hair. Dog hair. Sometimes Hubby hair. Usually daughter hair.

Hair.
Hair.
Hair.

Whether its cleaning or styling, I struggle with hair.

It. drives. me. bonkers.

I clean, I look over and there is hair billowing in the wind of the air vents.

I style my hair one way, and in 15 minutes, it looks nothing like I styled it to be.

Sam gets a bath and her hair is so cute and curly and then she wakes up from a nap and it looks like THIS!

(I mean seriously. Dreads on a one year old?! Not cute.)

Hair, you are my nemesis. But I warn you: Be afraid, very afraid. I will overcome you. I WILL! :)

When a tree falls on your car...

2010-06-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, a tree fell on our "new" car last weekend. It was a bit of a shock to actually watch the event happen. We were walking out to our car to leave my BIL's house and it sounded like fireworks. We just assumed there were kids setting them off and were thankful because it helped bring their dog, Lucky, back in the house (she had escaped out with us.). Low and behold, it was not fire crackers but the tree breaking off from the trunk.

I can remember Greg's voice clearly. A little higher pitched while saying "Holy S*!#, Your tree just fell on our car!".

After frantic calling to the insurance company, our parents, and talking to the neighbors (who thought WE were setting off the fire crackers), we stayed the night with my parents who live just 10 minutes from BIL.

We got to spend the next day cutting the tree off the car and bringing down the remains of what was left in the ground.

After talking to the insurance adjuster and the body shop, we have about $4400 worth of damage which will take 2 weeks to repair because they have to basically dismantle the roof of the car.

Here's hoping there isn't any more extensive damage because this girl hates that we don't have a car.

Oh, and I'm sure you're wondering why we don't have a rental. Well, my dear sweet husband thinks its ludicrous to pay the $$ each month for the insurance to cover it.

Says the man who has a car every day and didn't just go an entire month without one...

Anywho, no bitterness here. Just anxious to get the car back in one piece and up to par.

OH and thank goodness for car insurance. $500 deductible!

Enjoy the pics below!

Pictures for the insurance company.

Where it broke off.

Where's the car?! Oh, under the tree.

Revenge. Tree falling. We had to stand back just incase the chains broke!

Gotta end it with my sweet daughter chasing Uncle's Duck, Daisey! :)

Who am I?!

2010-06-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

There are many things that I have been going on lately that has required me to sit down and think about who I am.

With no further ado:

I am a:

Wife
Mother
Daughter
Sister
Believer/Follower of Jesus
Friend
Home Maker
Caregiver
Job Hunter

These are in no particular order, although they do have one. I am working hard to rearrange my order.

I encourage you to do the same!

Better late than never!

2010-06-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was such a relaxing day. All weekend in fact.

However, in the mix of a relaxing day was an event that was one of my firsts!

That's right.

I, Katie, cut the grass for the first time. Ever. In my LIFE.

Shoot. I didn't even know how to turn the darn lawn mower on before yesterday.

Sweet sweet husband was outside weed whacking the yard. We have some crazy grass that grows all over the place. It seemed to be taking him FOREVER. I was sitting inside, relaxing after what was probably my normal early afternoon (cleaning the kitchen, taking care of a toddler, oh and finally writing thank you notes!).

I had noticed that after an hour sweet sweet husband hadn't even started on the grass cutting so I decided it was high time that I learned how to do so.

He showed me how to turn it on. How to start the blade and how to use the self pusher.

In a short, sweet 30 minutes (thank you, city lawns), the grass was cut and the weed whacking was finally finished!

It was so rewarding and as I told Greg, kinda fun.

Do I want to mow your lawn?! No. Thanks for asking though.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool where we experienced a nice downpour and sweet time with Grandma and Grandpa Fleischmann.

Great way to end a great weekend!

Head, shoulders, knees and toes! (or nose!)

2010-05-28T09:34:00.000-05:00

We have had a rather excited past 24 hours.

In the past 24 hours we have:

discovered Sam's first tooth! She had something in her mouth and I went fishing for it, and found a stationary sharp object on her bottom gum. After removing the loose object in her mouth, I went back in and confirmed it was in fact, A TOOTH!!!!!
learned where our head is. I can ask Sam at anytime, no matter what she is doing "Where is your head?", and she'll put both hands on her head and tap it!
begun to learn where our nose is. She hasn't quite figured out where it is on her face, but she has grabbed mine when I asked her where her's was! Twice! So we are getting there! :)
continued our temper tantrums. :) Not exciting in a good way, but it still brings a type of excitement! :)

I hope everyone has a great extended weekend and while you are enjoying the pools and the sunshine and the BBQ's, please remember the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Thank you to all the men and women serving to fight for my freedom!!

Temper Tantrums

2010-05-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

Apparently when the doctor told Greg that Samantha was going to start having temper tantrums now that she is one, that was her version of "permission" to do so.
Its not just a few cries.

No. Its full on tantrum. Limp in Mom or Dad's arms. On the floor, arms and legs flailing. Mom just better walk away tantrum.

Luckily, they don't last long and ignoring them is the best remedy. Once she figures out no one is around to pay attention to it, she moves on.

My MIL told me that we can only hope that she gets over them now and is fine when she is 2/3.

Somehow, I don't see this happening. In fact, I see her mastering this skill in the next couple of years.

Tin Man

2010-05-24T10:10:00.000-05:00

Greg and I just finished this mini-series based on "The Wizard of Oz". With Zooey Deschanel as DG, it is a series to watch. We truly enjoyed it and thought that it had a few good twists and turns in it. It did get kinda corny from time to time, but over all we thought it was rather good.

And if you have one of these:

and a membership to this:

then you can watch it on demand at anytime. In HD.

Time well spent and I highly recommend it to anyone. (All three, actually!)

Weekend Recap

2010-05-24T09:59:00.000-05:00

It was a busy/not so busy weekend. (if that's even possible)

Friday night we headed over to a friend's house for a salad party. yes, you read that right. Our lives are rather lame, but we love it! He grew way too much lettuce in his garden and needed to get rid of some of it before it went bad. Thus, a salad party.
One might have called it a baby party, though. I am pretty sure there were 5 babies there. :) (two are officially toddlers, I guess. )
We had a blast, and enjoyed our short walk there and home. We love having friends in the neighborhood. It makes it feel more like the 'burbs than the city.

Saturday Greg and I were busy with different events. Samilton and I headed to a baby shower for our future sister in law/aunt. Haylie Kay will be here before we know it!
Greg headed to shoot trap and bbq with the guys. "Man Shower", if you will.
We met up in Kirkwood Park for one of Greg's co-worker's birthdays. Sam LOOOOVED it because she ran around like crazy. She is definitely running now. Its amazing how little time that actually takes.

Sunday we were lazy during the day with naps and pool time. We are in love with our pool. Gotta love the $10 well spent at Target.

We then headed to kickball and then out to the Berger's where we celebrated three birthdays. Soooo glad May is almost over! :)

Does sick = bad bed time?

2010-05-20T12:05:00.000-05:00

Well, its day 4 of the sickies. We are basically over it (now just runny nose and stuffy head), but we are crabbier than ever and our bedtime seems to have moved back 3 hours. yes, you read that right, 3 HOURS! Two nights ago we put Sam down around 7:15 (normal) and she didn't pass out until 10. EEK! We went up and cuddled with her after an hour of playing and eventually screaming and then FINALLY some formula (which we are trying to avoid at all costs). We figured after all those hours of fighting to stay awake really wore her out! :)
Day 3(Late Night 2): Super crabby still, so we put her down maybe a 1/2 hour early. however, she was a much bigger eater today so we figured it should be good to put her down. I went to workout and Dad stayed in. Came home, and Dad was upstairs reading her a book and rocking her. Came down 1/2 hour later and she stayed up until 8:30 when I gave her more food.

Back to today. Uuber crabby and one tired Momma. We are going to load her up on food before putting her down in hopes it helps. We aren't sure of the purpose because she is not necessarily cranky when put down. In fact, she is HAPPY we put her down.

For all of you who are thinking " put her down and she will tire herself to sleep." Well, this is NOT my child. She will stay awake for hours until what she wants is given. She is nosy, stubborn and determined.

Kind of like her Mother...

Well That's Poopie

2010-05-17T10:12:00.002-05:00

How is it that when ever Samantha has a poopie diaper, Greg seems to be able to get out of it.

He is either walking out the door...

getting ready...

or just "too busy" to change it.

Lucky guy.

I must learn his ways...

Currently Looking

2010-05-13T15:46:00.000-05:00

The cat is out of the bag, as they say.

I am looking for a job.

A must do your makeup and hair kind of job.

A must leave your slippers at home kind of job.

A must find someone to watch your sweet baby girl kind of job.

I have struggled with this decision and although I know its best for me and who I am, I am going to miss hanging out with my princess everyday.

Sure I stress a lot. Its not the easiest job in the world. In fact, I think being a mother is a heck of a lot harder than doing surgery (not speaking by experience, of course).

I'm going to say its in the top 5 hardest jobs out there.

But, the time has come. I need a new view.

I have to constantly remember that I got to spend the first year of Sam's life at home with her.

That, my friends, is something I am more than proud of! :)

Our Proposal

2010-05-11T10:03:00.001-05:00

Written via request of Jeannett at www.liferearranged.com. Check her out. She's awesome!

Background:

Greg and I did not go to the same school together.

We weren't even in the same city.

We got to know each other in high school because I was dating his best friend.

The best friend and I didn't make it past our first year of college together. We were not a match made in Heaven.

Greg and I met up at a Steak N Shake the first week we were back from our first year of school. We wanted to catch up. And as they say, the rest is history.

More Background:

Greg and I had never spent a New Year's together. Every year, the weekend after Christmas is spent in Ohio with my mom's family. For the 3 years that Greg and I dated, this always fell on New Year's.

Also, we had talked about getting engaged in the Spring because he didn't have the money to buy me a ring. I was okay with that.

However, on Christmas, I was secretly hoping for a ring, and when it didn't come, I was pretty sure he was serious.

The Proposal:

Greg was going to come to Ohio with me the year he proposed, but then his parents planned his graduation party on January 30th. (He graduated in December, so the choices I guess were slim due to his enormous family and the multiple Christmas' they have.)

Needless to say, he didn't come, and to top it off, I couldn't attend his graduation party.

Apparently while at this party, he announced to his guests that he was going to drive the 7+ hours to Ohio to propose to me.

The next day (New Year's Eve), Greg set out on his venture. I actually talked to him multiple times that day, asking him how his party was, what his plans were for the night, etc. He did good, real good. :)

At about 5 pm EST, there was a knock on my grandparents' door. Not unusual. My grandmother is big with the YMCA and she always had people stopping by to give her this and that. Plus, it was still the holidays.

Oh, I sure wish all of my readers knew my grandmother. She's not one for surprises. And by that I mean, she's not usually surprised. She answered the door, said "oh, hi Greg. Come on in", and shut the door behind him.

* Side note: No one knew he was coming. Not even my parents. It SHOULD have been a shock to my grandmother. *

I was in the den watching Little Miss Sunshine with my family. My Mom was in the kitchen and did a double take. Was it really Greg? Did he really drive 7 hours to be here? Crazy Kid.

He walked down the steps to greet me and I was in shock.

Questions were asked:

What are you doing here?

How did I not know you were coming?

How did you find the address?

Answers were given:

I'm here because I miss you and I want to spend a New Year's with you.

I wanted to surprise you.

My mom asked your mom for your grandparents's address to "send them a Christmas card". (I think they had only met once at this point...maybe.)

So he came under the guise of celebrating with me. Not a proposal, but a New Year's celebration. And he wanted to spend it with my family. Crazy kid.

So, we ate dinner and did our normal family charades (literally) until the big moment. Silly string went off, poppers went off and blowers were blown.

Then he said he had a gift for me.

We had already done the Christmas present thing, so a New Year's present seemed silly.

And then it hit.

He led me upstairs where we could be alone and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

I said yes. :)

That night we spent the night in our sleeping bags, in the same room as my sister and parents and drove home together as a newly engaged couple. :)

The rest, they say, is history!

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-10T10:25:00.000-05:00

First question I was asked this morning was: Well, did you go into labor this Mother's Day?!

No, no I did not. Thank goodness. :)

Don't get me wrong. I LOOOVE being Sam's Mommy, but I am NOT ready to be a Mommy to another baby yet. Give me a year or so!!!

This Mother's Day was as relaxing as it could have been.

Sam was an angel and slept in until 8 (after she got up twice to be rocked back to sleep by Daddy). Daddy then made us all omelets which were DELICIOUS and we got ready and headed over to my parents for lunch. We had a bbq lunch which entailed brats, hotdogs, 2 types of salads and angel food cake! MMMmmm. :) We also celebrated my Daddy's birthday!

After lunch we headed to Greg's Grandparents for dinner which entailed pork tenderloin, veggies, fruit salad, Breadsmith rolls, green bean casserole and baked beans! :) I also helped myself to homemade chocolate covered strawberries. I was really hoping for it to be warm enough to take Sam swimming, but it was too chilly for that, so we just admired the pretty pool instead!

So while we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, we enjoyed our family time!

Much different than last years! :) (oh, and my baby is all grown up! *tear*)

A year ago today.

2010-05-10T08:16:00.003-05:00

A year ago today we were 4 days past your due date and I was ready for you to come. I had an induction scheduled for the upcoming Wednesday and was CERTAIN we would have to wait until that day to meet you.

A year ago today I went for a walk with Grandma Lollie, Daddy and Addie. We just walked around the block but I was exhausted and having contractions. Contractions that I had felt many a times before while on a walk. So, I was not surprised to feel them again.

A year ago today the contractions subsided and we moved on to our next event.

A year ago today I was sitting at Grandma and Grandpa Fleischmann's pool side, celebrating Mother's Day, a day that I hoped to celebrate with you out of utero, but instead you chose to stay in just a little while longer to 'brew'. So I celebrated with your kicks and wiggles.

A year ago today I felt that "gush" that every woman who has experienced their water break felt. Oh what a feeling. I remember being afraid to stand up to get Daddy. Was it going to stop? Was it going to keep going? Did my water break or did I just pee my pants (honest to God possibility at that point.)?

A year ago today we finally knew that you were coming.

A year ago today Daddy and I ate dinner as a family of two knowing full well that by the next day we'd be eating dinner as a family of three.

A year ago today, we went home, dropped off your doggie, Finnegan and hit the road to the hospital.

A year ago today we knew that you'd be making your entrance into the world. Whether you came that night or the next day, you were my Mother's Day present, and I loved you already.

Figured out.

2010-05-03T18:37:00.000-05:00

I am 26, almost 27 years old. Is it sad that I am just now figuring myself out? Granted this is the me "now". I'm sure in a few months I am going to have to figure out the me "then". Oh well. Its worth the struggle and deep reflection.

Now to figure out how to NOT make my husband suffer while doing so... :)

Walking.

2010-05-03T18:34:00.000-05:00

We are officially walking. I guess I should say we are officially teetering. Its one of the cutest things in the world and I know now that I am in for some trouble. I have always said that when Samantha starts walking, she will be running. Its only a matter of time before she's running around the house, yard, mall, store, wherever. My mother in law made it blatantly clear yesterday while at their house that the first year has been a breeze. This little princess of mine is going to send me for a whirl wind.

No longer can I sit and play on the computer while my sweet sweet child sits and chews on toys. No. That day is over. I will now be chasing her about the house telling her "no no" and "not over there, Sam".
I know it, and I am ready for it. I've been preparing myself since before we had kids for this stage.

My favorite stage.

Bring. It. On.

Lack of Motivation

2010-04-26T12:28:00.000-05:00

I have no motivation to blog. Our life isn't interesting, and although I have a LOT on my mind, its not safe to publicly announce it all yet!

No we aren't preggers.

When I have more motivation to say whatever, I PROMISE to do so. Until then, I sure hope you are enjoying the weather, rain, snow or shine. :)

Catch up Day

2010-04-05T15:58:00.000-05:00

Today ended up being a day for just Samantha and myself. We ended up catching up on the things that needed to get done.

For Sam, that included naps out the wazoo...(she refused to nap yesterday)

For myself, it was grocery shopping and preparing for the week.

I have been totally behind on blogging, and this past weekend I truly thought of a good blog, but then forgot.

But shortly I will upload pictures from my baptism, confirmation and Easter.

What a wonderful Easter we had! :)

Long over due

2010-03-22T13:26:00.000-05:00

Blogging has not been a top priority lately, and I apologize. Not much has happened in our world. Sam is pulling up and cruising, she is talking jibberish more and more. She LOVES to tackle her stuffed animals and eats more than I can keep up with. She still has NO teeth and she is officially in 12 month clothes (tear). I just cleaned out her closet and dresser and it makes me sad to say such things. Oh well. Our little baby is growing up into a beautiful little girl. We are proud parents and are enjoying every moment we get to spend with her. :)

Other than that, nothing's new.

Updates

2010-03-04T06:38:00.000-06:00

Every day Sam seems to learn a new skill or do something she has yet to do (not necessarily a "skill").

For instance, she now loves to wrestle with her lamb as well as climb all over Greg and me. I don't think its long before she truly begins to rough house with Greg and Finnegan! She also looooooves to give kisses. And its not just a lean in kind of thing. She opens her mouth and sticks out her tongue. Greg and I have already discussed that we are in for it! :)

I've said it before and I'll say it again. She is pulling up on everything! She has also started to cruise. Just the other day, she figured out how to push up on her feet using the floor as her support. I'm just waiting for the day when she looks at me and just goes!!

Sam also seems to have developed a rash on her face. First I thought it was from Geoffrey, so he(x2) got a bath. It didn't clear. So I started putting Vaseline on it. Nothing. Then a friend told me to use A&D on it. It helped, but it gets worse throughout the day. Sooooo...my next goal is to back track all the things that she has had new in the last couple of weeks and eliminate them from her diet. First thing to go: yogurt. Oh man, I sure do hope that she isn't allergic to milk...

If that doesn't work, then I'm just going to conclude that my DD has rather sensitive skin and deal. I have already talked to the doctor about the rash that sometimes develops on her bottom and he told me that with her skin type its truly hard to tell if its just a sensitive skin thing, or something more. He also said the dry weather could be a factor. Here's hoping!!!

Fat Flush:

So hard. So very hard. I have had to tweak my meals so that I am within guidelines. For instance, last night I made this spinach and chicken pasta for Greg. Well to make it worth my while, I nixed the pasta, added broccoli and peas and upped the spices. Pretty tasty, actually! The night before I made burritos, his with "cream cheese" (I used non fat yogurt, but shhhhh don't tell) and rice and I got the chicken, beans and veggies. I shouldn't have had the wrap, but I gave in! :) Otherwise, its just a hot mess on a plate!

I actually enjoy the cran water and the hot lemon water I get in the mornings. I am rather hungry throughout the day though. My solution: Gum. Let's hope this works!!!

Big eater

2010-03-01T11:21:00.000-06:00

I can't seem to keep up with Sam's eating!

On a daily basis she will have:
3-4 bottles (4 to 8 oz depending on the time of day)
A bowl of oatmeal (usually with yogurt or a serving of fruit in it)
approximately 2 handfuls of puffs
yogurt bites
1/2 a graham cracker
2 servings of veggies
2 servings of fruit
buttered toast

and I try to get meats in her diet at least twice a week.

She is eating more bite sized foods rather than pureed. She enjoys them very much. I feel like I am constantly in the kitchen making her food! Its CRAZY!!!!

Maybe I'm ready for her growing to slow down. If I stop feeding her such yummy things, do you think that could happen?! ;0)

And so it begins..

2010-02-27T14:34:00.000-06:00

I started my version of the Fat Flush Diet. I bought myself 2 bottles of un-concentrated 100% cranberry juice* and ground flaxseed from Trader Joe's. I also bought raw almonds and dried cranberries for snacks. :)

I am not so sure how I am going to do on the whole eating part of the flush. I can't eat as much protein as the book would like one to eat. I will be watching what I eat, though.

So far today I have had:

2 fried eggs (-1 yolk for Sam) cooked in olive oil ( I didn't buy the flaxseed oil, either. I might invest in that as well).
1 cup of coffee (not the organic like they would like, but just black!)
1/4 cup of almond/cranberry mix
PB&J (okay so not the best, but turkey did not sound good to me!) on flaxseed bread from Breadsmith (only water, flaxseed, salt, yeast and unbleached flour in the ingredients!)
4-8 oz glasses of cranberry water, one with 1 Tablespoon of Ground Flaxseed (Only 4 more to go!)
1 cup of frozen raspberries.

Now I have to figure out what to make for dinner. Maybe some salmon.

My goal for these first 2 weeks is to stay away from dairy, sugar and too much fat. Not so bad today (minus the PB&J)

*Just as a side note: Those 2 bottles of cranberry juice will last me 8 days. Looks like I will need to head back to TJ's...

Finally

2010-02-25T20:58:00.000-06:00

Finally I convinced the hubby that a gym membership will make me a happy girl.

Finally I figured out where my happy place is. It must have been the (almost) year apart. They do say distance makes the heart grow fonder.

Finally I will be in my happy place, hopefully everyday, for $20 a month. With free babysitting. AAAAAAAND a workout partner.

Thats right. Finally I will be ready for bikini season! (One can dream.)

COOKIES!

2010-02-24T12:44:00.000-06:00

As some of you might know, I struggle with making chocolate chip cookies. I have no idea why, but they always turn out flat and crispy. I like my cookies soft and chewy! :)

Well, I no longer have to worry about that. There is a back story to this, so bear with me. My mom had vegan chocolate chips for some unknown reason in her pantry. She had cleaned out said pantry one weekend and I nabbed the chips. I said to her (and myself), "Courtney would use these! She's Vegan". Obviously not sad to part with them, she said, "Good, give them to her!".

So, of course, where did they go? Into the baby bag. For weeks.

Just this week I sent her this amazing vegan website. I think I stumbled upon it looking for something for us to eat {us non-Vegans (which very well may change)}. I sent it to her and told her that I had chocolate chips for her and that she should make these chocolate chip cookies. Then I had a BETTER idea. I would make said cookies.

Well I did. And they are phenomenal. And now I have to give them up. :)

Its okay, though. Because I am supposed to be dieting. And while they are Vegan, I can't say a cup 'o sugar is all that good for me! ;0)

3 Babies: Revisited.

2010-02-23T14:11:00.000-06:00

Two things I forgot to say in my last post. Having 3 babies is exhausting and rewarding.

Now, enjoy the pictures!

Happy Baby!

Our Angel.

Beautiful Baby!

Top 3 Tuesday

2010-02-23T14:06:00.000-06:00

Its too hard to come up with 10 new things every week. So here are the top 3!

3. Time with Greg. Last night we spent an hour on the Wii Fit. We had a blast trying out the games. :)

2. The sun. Thank goodness it came out. I was kinda getting sad.

1. Sam's new skill. She's a pulling up machine! WOOO! She figured it out for real yesterday and has been doing it every chance she gets!

Poop

2010-02-17T12:27:00.000-06:00

Greg fed and changed Sam this morning. She leaked through her diaper (not sure how since she didn't really drink yesterday), so he decided that instead of putting on new PJ pants he would just let her go without.

BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG mistake! Sam likes to pull at her diaper tabs. She ended up pulling one side completely off and then pooping. Awesome. I finish getting ready, go in and get her and find her in this state. I scream, because seriously, ew, and she squeals with delight to see me. I have to then figure out how to get her out of her crib without getting poop all over me, her sheets and the floor. Awesome.

Well, success for me and the floor. Not so good for her sheet and changing pad. Good thing those are easily washable. :)

Three babies

2010-02-17T12:11:00.000-06:00

I have 3 babies this week: Sam and Ben and then cute little Savannah. I've truly enjoyed hanging out with her for the last day and a half and look forward to tomorrow. She has such a great personality. She's kind, thoughtful and not afraid of ANYTHING! I found her scaling Ben's crib this morning trying to get in to say "hi" to him! :) (Granted I was standing right there, but it took me by surprise!)

Here are a few things that I've learned while have 3 babies this week:

"Hush little baby" works wonders and my head hurts from singing it so much.
Always have crackers or puffs to occupy those children NOT eating in the chair.
A nap time routine is SO much more crucial with 3 babies vs. 2.
Have lots of toys (check!).
With 2 walkers, baby gates are ESSENTIAL!
Personal time is non existent!

I'm sure I'll have more before the days end tomorrow! In the meantime, I will enjoy the company. :)

Speaking of...

2010-02-11T10:59:00.000-06:00

Speaking of 27 years...THAT IS HOW OLD I WILL BE THIS YEAR!!!!

When did that happen?! I was in the car last night on my way home and this thought just hit me. I officially feel old. Very old. Ugh.

Granted I know its not that old, and I should be counting my blessings, but I forever think of myself as 23. Whoops. Silly me. I'm 4 years past that age! :)

Best Status EVER!

2010-02-11T10:56:00.000-06:00

One may say I'm a Facebook Stalker, but really, who isn't?!

Here is the best status I've seen in a long time. Probably because I can completely relate! :)

(Did not copy name for privacy purposes):

Dear Pre-Pregnancy Body,
I miss you. I didn't always take care of you as well as I should have but we were together for almost 27 years. Shouldn't that mean something? I know we sort of drifted apart for awhile with my whole getting knocked up thing but time apart can make you stronger. I think it's time we got back together. Call me?

Love it! :)

Top 10

2010-02-09T17:34:00.000-06:00

I was just writing how I have nothing to write about, and then things just started popping into my head. So here you are!!!

10. BABIES! Sam is going to have a GIRL cousin in June! YAY!!!

9. Sleep. I miss it. I haven't been sleeping well and I am not sure why. Hmmm...

8. Healthy babies. I'm ready for Sam to be that way again! Poor baby has a fever!

7. Mad Men. A really good show that we have become addicted to. (not sure if this has made it on the list yet or not!)

6. New cars. Its been a long drawn out week, but we think we have it all figured out and we aren't going to drop a penny.

5. At home date nights. Yup, tonight is one of those nights!

4. The Bachelor. I'm hooked. I didn't think I would be because I didn't start watching it until we went to Colorado, but I am. :)

Okay. Make that Top 7!!! I have nothing else! Sorry! :)

Everyone have a fabulous Tuesday!

Snow Bunny

2010-02-09T11:34:00.000-06:00

While Ben napped today, Sam and I went out in the snow! We just HAD to try that new snowsuit Daddy bought her! :) Enjoy!

Not so sure about this snow thing!

Right as Finnegan was shaking snow in her face.

Fell over. Obviously not happy about that!

Mommy love!

Crazy pup!

Snow is definitely his favorite!

Running

2010-02-06T17:52:00.000-06:00

In the past week I have had a true knack to go for a run.

I don't know why; I actually don't really like to run. I don't like the feeling of my lungs burning because of the cold and I hate to feel so exhausted and know that I will have to walk the rest of the way home. Because honestly, once I start walking, I'm not going to stop.

Well, today was a new day, my friends.

Greg came home from work and Finnegan and I went for a run.

Granted not very far, and it was pretty slow due to the ice on the sidewalks and me being out of shape.

But, we ran.

The. whole. way.

It may have only been a mile,

But I did it.

And it felt good.

I miss the feeling after a good cardio workout.

Could this be a new thing?

Or just a week long fad (like the stair running).

All I know is I really want to do it again tomorrow! :)

Punxsutawney Phil

2010-02-02T13:55:00.002-06:00

Groundhog's Day. What a silly tradition we continue to uphold.

I can't believe that we base our winter predictions on a groundhog. Why do we pay meteorologists again?

I believe its all for those elementary school teachers that need a bye day for planning. Same with 100th day of school, every holiday, first of each season, etc.

Don't get me wrong. I only mention that because if I were a teacher, I would be using those things as a bye. I don't not find any teacher lazy nor was I trying to imply that! Sometimes it's just nice to have a break.

Anywho, Phil says that there is apparently 6 more weeks of winter.

I am challenging Spring to prove him wrong.