a bug a bee and our buddy

Meal planning week of 1/8/2012

2012-01-10T16:18:00.001-08:00

Mon: One Pan Chicken and Potato
Bake
http://m.kraftrecipes.com/dh?recipeID=52564&_E=onclick&_C=recipe_details

Tues: Taco night (which means
Margaritas for me!)

Wed: Tuna Casserole

Thurs: Pizza pinwheels and steamed
Broccoli
http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com/2011/08/16/pizza-pinwheels/#

Fri: Southwest Chicken Chili Mac
http://picky-palate.com/2011/08/25/southwest-chicken-chili-mac-skillet-style/

Sat: Honey Sauced Chicken/Jasmine
Rice/peas
http://mmmcafe.blogspot.com/2010/01/honey-sauced-chicken.html

Meal planning!

2011-10-26T15:18:00.001-07:00

I haven't been around for awhile and the simple answer is that I am just too darn busy!!! I have to say that I am failing miserably at staying organized, work 40 hours a week, take care of 3 kids in school and manage a household. So I have been doing some research today into making some changes to make my life easier and one of those things is meal planning. I am hoping this will save me time and money and if my trip to the grocery today is any indication I am already succeeding at that! I am blogging again in the hopes to gain some accountability and organization. I visited a site that let's you publish your blogged meal plans with others to share ideas. So here it goes! My week is different than most. I have rotating off days so my Saturday is today!

Wed: chicken spaghetti /green beans(http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/)

Thurs: Corn Chowder/biscuits (http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/10/corn-cheese-chowder/)

Fri: Sour Cream Noodle Bake/broccoli
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/sour-cream-noodle-bake/

Sat: teriyaki chicken fried rice/veggie egg rolls

Sun: chicken and rice soup/cornbread
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/04/simple-hearty-chicken-rice-soup-itll-keep-ya-honest/

Mon: Pigs in a blanket/Baked Beans/Applesauce

Tues: Filet/roasted white and sweet potato/veggie

That is what I have come up with. Obviously I just found The Pioneer Woman website which I love! Just a few modifications here and there but a great place for ideas and some new additions to the repertoire.

I know, I need to update

2010-08-22T20:46:00.001-07:00

Stay tuned!

Valentines Day 2010

2010-02-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

This day is for my sweeties :)

WOW has it been a while or what?

2010-02-04T04:07:00.000-08:00

It has been so long and my mother informs me that some people do actually try to keep up with this blog that I feel the need to blog again. As I look back I know it's a good idea because it brings back so many good memories and I can see how far I have come....with the kids:) So I think I might break this up into sections because of the pictures and all......

FALL 2009:

Pretty low key....my favorite time of year here in Kentucky. We celebrated the arrival of "Uncle Drew" ( sorry you will ALWAYS be Andy to me!) back into town for awhile. We don't know how long he will be here so we have been making the most of it. The kids have loved getting to know their Uncle Drew. We of course went to the pumpkin patch and then came the carving and the pumpkin soup. I don't know who had more fun on Halloween....the kids, or Andy!

Thanksgiving was hectic and fun as we had two houses to visit....somehow I didn't have a problem finding a place for all the yummy food! That is the best part about Thanksgiving anyway isn't it? At some point Miss Isabelle decided to go and fall off the playground at school....after a rough night in the ER we learned that she had fractured the base of her humerus and had to have a cast. They were actually worried she may have to have surgery but luckily she was right on the edge of their criteria....after the initial pain, you can see what took her mind off of it! She got to pick out the color of her cast and everyone got to sign it. She decided that might have been worth it:)

Christmastime was special for the same reason. I can't remember a time when my whole family has been together. I was also fortunate enough to be off work for the whole weekend (a VERY rare occurence).

On that note I am now working in a different department at the zoo. After almost 10 years in the bird dept. I accepted a position in the Islands Mammal department. It is a lot of training and I care for Orangutans, Siamangs (another type of ape), Malayan Tapir, Babirusa, and 1 Kookaburra. We train all of these animals daily and I am having a blast learning and really just starting over again.

January brought on the birthday's (what is it about January and June in our family?)....Andy celebrated his.....wait, I won't go there ;) on the 4th and then Adam turned 32 on the 20th. I tried my hand at cheesecake for both of these affairs....strangely enough I had never really made a cheesecake. I hope they weren't disappointed!

On the 30th my beautiful little boy Lucien turned 2!!! Can you believe it! I surely can't, I don't know where the time has gone. He is such a little man these days and is talking and saying more and more on a daily basis! He LOVES the show Yo Gabba Gabba. His favorite candy is a "happy pop" what he calls a lolly pop. He is into everything and never slows down. He is adventurous and sweet and I don't think he will ever NOT be my baby.

Isabelle is becoming quite the lady. This month SHE decided that she wanted to get her ears pierced. She then promptly changed her mind as soon as we walked into the store! But with a little discussion from the store gals we convinced her it was a good idea again! She agrees that it didn't hurt a bit. Isabelle is doing so well in kindergarten. Nothing seems to be too difficult for her and I can attribute some of that to Jenna.....nothing like having an older sister to play "school" with! She is fiesty and sweet and very caring.

Jenna is little miss social butterfly in this her last year in elementry school (*sniff, sniff*). She loves writing plays and short stories. She has taken up playing the viola (like her Uncle and I), and she is on the cheerleading team again. Jenna is wise beyond her years and growing up before my eyes (yet another sniff, sniff).

Back to school

2009-08-13T06:45:00.001-07:00

Jenna's back to school haircut

2009-08-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

So I was tired of taking Jenna to the local Supercuts and them just doing a hackjob on her hair so for the first time and for back to school I took Jenna to a salon. She was all smiles on her way out because she got exactly what she wanted! Here are the results. Be back tomorrow with the back to school shots!

Our trip to Fripp....09

2009-08-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Once again we made out annual trip to Fripp Island SC. Everyone had a great time as usual. The house we were in was on the beach this time around so this provided lots of beach time.

My baby bug is 10!

2009-06-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday June 9, Jenna turned 10! I really don't know where all the time has gone and how she is now so grown up! She really is a unique person and I love her more than words can say. Her party was on Saturday and it was twilight themed. With a nine girl slumber party all I can say is....NEVER AGAIN :) They all had a really good time though. Well, kinda sad, don't know what else to say! Enjoy the slideshow:

My bee is 5!

2009-06-04T03:31:00.000-07:00

Well Miss Isabelle's birthday has come and gone. Where has the time gone. I mean people say that but really!!! I feel the time slipping away and a need to make every moment of her being a little girl count. From Jenna I can see all too soon the days of baby dolls and pink tutu's going away.....Belle had her party at Gattiland, her request. I think we all had a wonderful time and it was way less stress than planning a party at home I gotta say! Well here is a little reflection......

Updates!

2009-05-28T04:52:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give an update on the year so far since my last post things have been moving along. Summer is almost upon us and we have enjoyed getting out in the weather. Lucien loves the water and so we have made it out to a couple of water spots around town. Pizza night is always fun and we are always so amazed at how much better it tastes (I am going to attempt freezing my own homemade dough so we can do it more often) and yesterday Jenna had a field trip to Frankfort with school. We had a blast!! Enjoy...

Coming to a TV screen near you...

2009-04-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Adam, the kids and I went out bright and early to the zoo to shoot a commercial for their new ropes course. Many other families were there as well. Jenna had a blast doing it on her own. Izzy tried to go up, she got as far as the first story but decided she was still a little young to do it all even with daddies help. Adam continued on, on his own though and had a blast. There are lots of kids and adults on the course but if you see a zoo commercial for the ropes course try to keep an eye out for them!!

Oops, she did it again!

2009-03-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:

Spring is near...

2009-03-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

Nuff said...our day at the zoo.

1st haircut, Bass Pro and IHOP...

2009-03-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today we decided that Lucien needed a haircut. Well we have known it for awhile now but those curls were just too darn cute to cut off. He looks like such a little man now. Growing up fast!

Later we went to Bass Pro Shop in Indiana. I needed to look around for some things for my trip and we thought the kids would really enjoy it. It was a really neat place. I have fond memories of going to Bass Pro in Missouri when we would visit my grandparents as a kid. Adam was like a kid in a candy store with all the ATV around.

Then we went to IHOP which Isabelle has been wanting to try ever since she saw the commercials on TV. It didn't disappoint and I think Lucien ate more than any of us!

Been awhile

2009-02-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Had to work some kinks out of our computer apparently so we finally got it back....yeah!! Anyway things have just been moving ahead around here. Holidays were VERY hectic but of course the kids had a blast. In January we celebrated 2 birthdays. Adam turned 31 and Lucien was the big 1! You can see that everyone had a great time. He is so big and walking/running everywhere. You really can't hold him down for long. He has 3 teeth total and working on the fourth as we speak. Jenna is her usual 9 going on 13. She is obsessed with cheer leading and it has a positive impact in that she has to have certain grades to be on the team. Not that that has ever been a real problem but I think it has prompted her to look at math in a different way ;) Isabelle is getting to be a real lady. It's funny how you don't really think of the time going by and then you will see something that reminds you. This morning she put on some pants that I remember it seemed not so long ago she couldn't wear because they were just too big. Now they look like Capri's! She enjoys learning the cheers right along with her big sister.

Another piece of exciting news is that I will be traveling to Micronesia specifically Saipan in April for 10 days. It is for work and I will be doing a natural history study of the White-throated ground dove. This is a bird that I have been working with for about 3 years now. I am very nervous but very happy to have this unique opportunity. I just applied for my passport and am in the process of gathering up the supplies I will need to go on a trip like this. Will definitely have much to report and pictures to share after that trip.

Christmas cards!

2008-12-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

All I am going to say is that for those of you getting our Christmas cards this year, I am sorry...getting 3 kids to sit and all look at the camera and smile at the same time is next to impossible. So I am posting some of the antics here. Hey, I did the best I could :)

In this one Jenna was VERY mad about wearing a headband with a big red bow on it. She claimed that, "she was NOT a baby". It shows on her face.

This one would have been perfect if it were not for Lucien blinking at the wrong time...
....and this one pretty much speaks for itself. I know Luc buddy, I feel the same way!

Cheerleading

2008-12-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

Jenna is officially a cheerleader and Friday night she cheered at her first basketball game. The uniforms are not in yet but she had her socks, shoes, hair bow and pom poms. She was so exited and nervous but she did such a good job!

Holiday fun

2008-12-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Last night I had some work friends over for a night of good food and ADULT conversation (and drinks :)) we had a great time. The theme was sort of "sushi night" but I made some other foods as well..........we had so much food! It was all yummy especially my favorite cocktail the Aspen Sugar Daddy:

1 oz. vodka
1 oz. cointreau or triple sec
1 oz. amarula
1/2 oz. pomegranate juice
3 oz. good quality Margarita mix

Dessert was chocolate fondue. You can tell we had a good time. Today I started to try and take some pics of the kids for holiday cards. We shall see if I can pull it together in time. Luc is growing so much every day. He can stand is starting to try and take his first shaky steps. He is in to everything and is really just a very happy baby.

Really cute!

2008-11-06T19:59:00.001-08:00

http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016

Thats all!

Pirates, fairies, witches, skunks, and yoda...oh my!

2008-11-03T23:13:00.000-08:00

October has been a fun month and I can't believe that we already have to say goodbye. It went by so fast and the kids had a blast with Halloween this year. The week before we went to a party and Woodhaven country club. Jenna chose a pirate costume, Belle a spider witch and Luci was our little skunk...turned pirate at the end :) They all got into the part.

On Halloween they decided to switch it up a little. Jenna stuck with the pirate but Isabelle decided she wanted to wear her Tinkerbell costume and Lucien was Yoda...reluctantly. But he fell asleep 20 minutes after we started walking anyway.

It's my blog and I'll blog if I want to

2008-10-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.palinaspresident.com

Scroll over everything. My personal favorite is open the door on the left....several times.

My friend...

2008-10-19T13:21:00.001-07:00

My best friend Julia got married today and I couldn't be more happy for her. She looked beautiful. Excuse me if I seem a little over mushy but I don't have any sisters. I never really spent time thinking about what that would have been like, but I guess how close I feel to Julia probably skims the surface of those emotions a little.....without any of the sibling rivalry ;)

If you have one true friend, you have more than your share. ~Thomas Fuller~

My new haircut

2008-10-10T20:19:00.001-07:00

Thanks mom for the birthday present! Decided to go with a big change:

My meez

2008-10-08T21:13:00.001-07:00

Getting dirty.....and cleaning up.

2008-09-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Lucien is now starting to enjoy the teething biscuits. He is quite happy to sit for a while and make a big old mess! Then again he loves to get clean again. This boy loves the water just like his sisters! You can see this in the "before" and "after" shots. He looks so cute in his robe. Last week we went to the zoo on my off day. This was Lucien's first time playing at the splash park and he had a wonderful time in the smaller kids area. He had it all to himself.

Sears pics

2008-08-27T10:05:00.001-07:00

I finally figured out how to post the pics that were taken last week. The kids had a great time and I think we got some really good shots. They look a little dark but I think it's just the way they loaded on the computer. The final product is not like that.

So much personality!

2008-08-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Not much to say today. Took Lucien to get professional pics made for the first time. They came out OK. He looks sweet but then I come home and find out that the best way to catch his personality is not to spend $100. It's to whip out the digital camera! He is such a happy little guy, and growing up much too fast.

6 months......

2008-08-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Lucien is beyond 6 months now and really growing up fast! His newest trick is scooting around on his knees. We are calling it crawling just becaue he can pretty much get wherever he wants now! He is 16 lbs. and totally healthy. He loves to eat and his latest new addition is green beans which I thought he would have to get used to but he didn't even make a face.

Trip to Fripp

2008-07-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Well we just got back from our annual trip to Fripp Island, SC. The kids always have a great time and this year did not disappoint! The girls left on Friday the 4th and road with Tirzah and Larry (jeez you guys deserve a metal!!) they stopped halfway at a hotel to break up the trip. Unfortunately I had to work on Friday so we left about 9 am Saturday and drove straight through with Lucien in tow. The trip down wasn't so bad at all, we got in about 10pm.

The week was spent as it always is, relaxing, swimming, playing and talking with friends and family. It really is a nice change of pace to get away from town and not think about anything back home for a week. As you can see from the pics the girls had a great time and little Luc got his first experience at the beach and at the pool. The little man loves water. We also visited a lighthouse on nearby Hunting Island. LOTS of steps!

So now we are back, back to work, back to day camp for Isabelle, back to lazy summer days for Jenna and it wont be long before school starts up again. Man time flies!

I am here!!!!

2008-06-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

Wow it has really been awhile!! Our computer situation has been so on again off again I haven't had time to post. So much has gone on I am just going to have to do a pitiful job summarizing it right here.

I am now officially back at work as of May 1st. Many people always marvel when I tell them I am a zookeeper and it is usually followed by, "I bet you have so much fun" or "don't you love your job?". Now don't get me wrong people, if I had to sit behind a desk all day I would probably scratch my eyes out and yes I do consider myself fortunate that I get to do something I love. But man if someone told me I never had to go back again, I don't think I would loose any sleep over it! I mean I would probably go back as a volunteer or something but if it's a choice between work or my kids...yeah, I would rather stay home. The schedule has been the hardest thing. With Adam back at work and me having to be in so early plus the kids are usually going to 3 different places now that school is out. Well I would probably make you tired just trying to explain it all.

The girls both turned a year older at the beginning of June. Isabelle was first my big 4 year old. She had a fabulous Mermaid party held at Aunt Tirzah's house. Everything was there that she specified: balloons, cake, a pool, presents and her family. What more could a little girl want? The pic is of Belle with the fishtank we got her. Jenna was next. Nine years old can you believe it??? She has enough attitude for a girl twice that age but hey, what did you expect, she's my little girl:) She had a pool party with all her friends. A great sun burnt day was had by all (note to self: you can never have too much sunscreen).

Lucien is growing like a weed, at his 4 month appointment the beginning of this month he was 13 lbs 8 oz. That is 25%, he is doing fine and really getting a personality. He loves to grab at everything and is really finding his voice. This is a picture of him trying avacado the other night....he was not amused. I think it was the texture more than the taste. Ah well, we are not pushing food on him too much at this point. More so just seeing what he thinks of it all. He is very interested in watching people eat.

Shake, Rattle and Roll!

2008-04-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well spring has hit us full force. It has been a month since my last update and I can't believe that a month has already gone by so quickly. Yesterday we experienced our first earthquake(my first one anyway!) . About 5:30am I was up feeding and changing Lucien. I was sitting on the couch trying to get him to sleep when Kiwi (our bird) started to flap and jump around in his cage VERY loudly. I thought he was having a heart attack so I got up to go check on him and right about that time is when the shaking started. At first I passed it off as a big truck or an airplane but then it continued for about 30seconds and the only possible explanation was earthquake. Sure enough I had the news on and they seemed just as confused. It even woke Jenna up. It was centered in IL and registered 5.3. It was a pretty strange morning!

Last week I got in my first wreck. We are all OK but unfortunately my car didn't make it:( I was taking Jenna to school and getting off the expressway. One car was in front of me at the end of the ramp. I watched her brake lights go off and she started to move so I turned my head to check out the oncoming traffic. There was one car in the distance so I laid into my gas pedal and straight into the back of her SUV. Turns out she had stopped. Since her bumper was higher than mine, she crunched in the front of my car into the engine. It might not look that bad but due to the age of my car and the fact that the transmission was getting ready to go out in addition to many other issues, I knew that I would not be getting it fixed. Time to car shop. I wont go into the long drawn out details but basically every horror story I have heard about it was true. The haggling, the stress........ultimately I decided on an 05 Chevy Venture. It has passenger seating for 7!! It has been very hard to get exited about it due to the car payment I now have :(

Little Lucien is growing like a weed. Not gaining a tremendous amount but he really looks filled out. He is getting really active as well. Cooing and "talking" up a storm. He does however have eczema, who knows if it will carry on into adulthood or if allergies are exacerbating it. Only time will tell. We have a pretty good regime to deal with break outs but other than that it is all about prevention with hydra cortisone and special lotion, 100% cotton etc. Here are some recent shots of him and his beauifuls smile. Also he really likes to "study" Pepe.

The girls are doing well and enjoying the warmer weather. Jenna has finally had some decent weather here lately to play soccer. So many practices and games had to be canceled this spring. Enjoy the pics!

6 weeks.....my love

2008-03-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

Lucien is getting to be a big boy now. Wednesday, March 12, I took him to get his weight checked (as I do every week, I know I am paranoid) and he is 10 lbs. 10 oz. He is gaining right on target. I love everything about this little boy. The way he breathes, the cute faces he makes (particularly the "oooo" face), the way his right hand wiggles when he stretches, the snorts and grunts, when he gets exited he starts to kick both legs out in front of him. His beautiful smile and open mouthed "laugh". The way he looks up at me when he is eating and then the look of satisfaction when he is done and lays there gazing up at me. I love pretty much everything about him...............even his scales and bumps:)

Bumps, Rashes and Scales....OH MY!

2008-03-06T05:01:00.000-08:00

So little Lucien has the trifecta of newborn skin irritations, cradle cap (head, forehead and ears!), infant acne, and prickly heat (all over his body). Little man looks rough. I am told by the doctor that prickly heat will go away by increase air flow around the skin, the cradle cap is a loosing battle (you just have to wait for it to go away or try and scrub the heck out of it....no thanks) and the infant acne is caused by my hormones so it is just a waiting game. It's sad because I really wanted to get professional pics made of him while he was still considered a newborn but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. I may go ahead and do it anyway because after all, like the doctor said, this IS what he looks like right now. I just don't want him to look back and think, "what did you all do to me!?". :)

Yesterday morning Isabelle wakes up and mildly complains that her face itches. By 11:00am it was full on spots all over her back, arms, and face. Large red blotches. So I call the doctor and they have me stopping the ammoxicilan she is on for an ear infection and giving her benedryl until it clears up. Well as of this morning it is even worse and she even looks a little swollen.......but breathing is just fine. I think the doctor is trying to rule out a reaction to the antibiotic but since it is even worse this morning I have no idea what that means. I will call the office when they open to find out, but it looks like we may be taking yet another trip to the doctors office. Between all the kids and me I have been to doctors offices more in the last couple of weeks than I have last year alone! Ah well, when it rains it pours!

Yesterday I also went out and started purchasing some toys for Lucien, he is really starting to get more alert at times and he will follow objects and stare at things intently. This is such a fun time!

Day at the zoo!

2008-03-03T16:08:00.001-08:00

It looks like the end of winter is in sight! We got a break on Saturday and had some beautiful 60 degree and sunny weather! So I decided to pack the kids up and get them out of the house. We packed a picnic lunch and was having a great day until Isabelle realized she was tired and when Isabelle gets tired, you better watch out! She screamed from Gorilla Forest all the way to the entrance.........lucky me. She even stopped to pull down my pants at one point. Needless to say she fell right asleep once we got to the car. Lucien enjoyed his first real time outside as well. He definitly loves the great outdoors and slept the entire time. He looked so content. We really enjoyed the time outside though......on to 40's for the rest of the week.

1 month old! Etc.....

2008-02-28T15:35:00.000-08:00

So yesterday Lucien was officially one month old. It seems like just last week we were bringing him home!! The time has flown by and I know it will be just a matter of time till my little man is walking and talking with his sisters. It does make me sad for a bit to know this is the last time I will be doing this. But all the more reason to capture every moment! Here are some updated pictures of what he looks like today. Poor thing has such awful infant acne! I haven't had his newborn pictures taken yet because of it. Hopefully it will clear up in the next week or so. That is what I was told anyway. So just in the last few days he is starting to have a little more wakeful time during the day. He is responding to Adam and I a lot more now, following our every move and smiling when we get down and talk to him. He seems very content. On the 25th he weighed in at 9 lbs. 13 oz. so he is growing well. He sleeps pretty well in the evenings. From about 8 or so till midnight he is a little fussy and hard to calm down but beyond that he is sleeping for 4-5 hour stretches.

So I mustered up the strength to try my hand at sewing again. It is really something I want to do more of but it really intimidates me for some reason. So online they sell these things called "Hooter Hiders". It is basically an apron that is a little wider on the sides and is used as a nursing cover when you are out in public. They go for $45 at the local breastfeeding shop and they are nothing more than a piece of hemmed fabric!! I knew I could do it so I found a pattern online and for $11 in supplies I made my own! I even lined it on the backside which is nicer than the original pattern. This is my first attempt. Hopefully it will get even better with each one I make. If you know anyone that wants one..........they make great gifts, wink, wink.

Update on the girls, last Sunday we went and painted pottery at "The Artist in You" at The Summit. I will just say that the girls had a blast but I would NEVER recommend going there to anyone unless you are loaded. Heck I think Louisville Stoneware is cheaper to go paint pottery at. But, like I said, the girls had a great time so I am going to chalk it up as a learning experience and get on with it. We pick the finished products up this Sunday so I will post a pic at that time. But they had a good time getting out of the house. We have had quite a few snow days, early release, delayed openings as far as school goes lately and I think the girls have felt caged up. We are ready for spring to get here so we can return to the great outdoors again. This is a pic of one of the early release days for an ice storm we had recently. What a perfect time for hot chocolate and marshmallows! Thank you mom for the cute hot cocoa sets!

Happy Valentines Day from the kids!

2008-02-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Today started off well with heart shaped pancakes. Isabelle thought this was very special. Her next priority after the pancakes was to get into her special Valentines dress that Meme had bought her. She loves it! Lucien also had his holiday duds on........he didn't want to cooperate as much with the pics though. Today I took Lucien to the Lactation consultant for a little consultation. He weighs in at 9 lbs even which isn't too bad but considering the weight gain he had in the first 5 days of life, he isn't really gaining like he should. I need to be feeding him for longer lengths of time even if he seems satisfied which he seems to of been the last week......ah well. That is what breastfeeding is all about, looks like I will be tied to him for the next few days non stop while I build up my supply again. Other than that things are going well, hope to get a new stroller tommorow which will allow us to be a little more mobile. Now if the darn weather would just cooperate. I am also including some pics of the girls meeting Lucien for the first time, just cause they are so darn cute!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!! From Adam and Beverly

2008-02-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Don't send a lame Valentine's Day eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Feeding baby...........

2008-02-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words (is that how the saying goes?). Well Isabelle has become fascinated with how babies are fed. She thought that the baby would be fed through a bottle but she soon learned otherwise. Here she is trying out her new knowledge on her "baby". It's a stuffed ostrich in case you couldn't tell, making it all the more hilarious. She walked in the kitchen like this and I asked her what she was doing. She replied, "feeding my baby just like you mommy!!". Jenna did the same thing when Isabelle was born. Now she just thinks it's gross......ahh 8 year olds.

I'm baaaaack!

2008-02-08T07:04:00.000-08:00

So this is going to be a long post! I have obviously been absent and very busy (notice the new layout :)) I guess I can start at Christmas and why I haven't been back to update. We continue to have computer problems and even after getting a friend to check our pc out, the front plate came off and once Adam figured out how to get it hooked up again, the darn thing wouldn't turn on. Very frustrating. So Christmas was great, and I am even more convinced than ever that Christmas is ONLY for the kids. We were up till 3 am just wrapping and putting the gifts together. We were so wiped out the next morning but it was a great time. Barbara, Joe, Tirzah, Larry, Spencer and Olivia came for brunch and we had great food and great time. After that was New Years which came and went in a blur as well. I don't think Adam or I were actually awake at midnight. I vaguely remember Adam saying, "Happy New Year" to me at some point but hardley the champagne toast and kisses of years past.

With the new year came the preparation for the addition to our new family. A new carseat was purchased, as well as other neccesities. I knew that we had Adam's 30 birthday coming up as well but Barbara and Tirzah informed me they would be planning a get together at Tirzah's house. Well we got such a pleasant suprise on arriving to find out not only was it a great 30th party for Adam complete with his closest friends but also a baby shower for our new little one. We were both so touched, more than words can say. It is so nice to know that we have lots of family and friends that care so much about us.

So through all of this I have continued working, believe me, it has taken tremendous motivation to get up in the morning and make it through the day. Not to mention the fact that I think my boss forgot that I was leaving till like the week before my leave date and then decided he had to pile on a million things in that last week. Literally my last day brought moving tons of birds in my area PLUS outside bird moves in the pouring rain because of weather concerns. One of them had me running all over the giraffe yard literally because one of out vultures decided to run into the water instead of on land. She started sinking fast and we had to run to make a rescue, amazingly enough she figured out to use those wings as a paddle and made it to the other side safely.

Well on the evening of the 29th, my last day at work, Adam decided to go to his friends house to play video games. So I took up my usual residence on the couch and promptly fell asleep once Isabelle was put down. Jenna was at her dads house. Around 12:30am I remember coming in and out of sleep with cramps but didn't really think a whole lot about them. At about 2:30am Adam got home and I got up to pee only to see blood!! I knew this was it! I called the midwife who told me to take my time but I should probably go ahead and go to the hospital. So we called mom and dad to come over. I took a shower and at that time contractions were timing 4 minutes apart. By the time I had procrastinated and freaked everyone out enough by stalling, it was around 4:30am. When we got to the hospital they checked me and I was already 5cm. I was really hoping for a higher number but I wasn't about to compliain. By the time I went through the absolute hell that is getting an IV started (apparantly I have deep small veins and thick skin) I was really feeling the contractions. I wanted to put off getting in the tub till I couldn't stand it anymore but I was really looking forward to some relief so about 45 minutes after that ordeal I got in the tub. Now I wont say it didn't help at all. Don't get me wrong it felt really good, but definitly didn't supply the relief I thought it would. Then the dry heaves came (pretty standard for me in labor) and after that and about 4 more contractions I decided I was done. I requested the epidural because I knew the anesthesiologist was not there and it would take a bit for him to arrive. I stayed in the tub while I recieved a bag of fluids and then I had to get out and wait in agony in the bed. All was right though when he came and as soon as he was done they checked me and I was 10cm. Now looking back on the whole ordeal I have no regrets about getting the epidural, I think I would have been too out of it in the end without it but thinking about it I don't really understand why my midwife didn't check my dialation BEFORE I got the epidural. I mean I already knew that I was in transition. I wonder if I was 9 or even 20 BEFORE I got the epidural. Well anyhow, she asked me to give a practice push, which must have been good because she immediatly started to get ready and 4 minutes later at 7:58am Lucien Joseph was born all 8 lbs 71/2 oz of him!! Everything since then has been a dream. This little boy nurses so well I never could have imagined how great breasfeeding could be because of my experiences with Jenna and Isabelle. We haven't had any problems except me being paranoid that there would be problems! And he even had a checkup on Monday 2/2 and he had GAINED 4 oz!! Usually the docs expect newborns to loose weight and then get up to their birth weight within 2 weeks. He had surpassed it in 5 days!! Yeah good milk supply!

So he is just the cutest little (big!) thing in the world. His sisters are fascinated and haveing to get used to being a little quieter. It has been an adjustment for all of us but I can't complain. Will update more often! Oh, also something is wrong with the spell check and I typed this FAST so don't think I am a complete idiot!

Our family snowball fight.....

2007-12-09T10:11:00.001-08:00

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

Breakfast with Santa!!

2007-12-04T14:49:00.001-08:00

Sunday was breakfast with Santa at my parents club. We all had a great time stuffing ourselves and the girls were very exited to get into their Christmas outfits and have a visit with the "Big man". Wouldn't you know it 20 minutes after we get there my camera ran out of batteries so I didn't get the greatest pics, but you can tell they had a great time.

Well the last couple of weeks have been a bit sluggish. I am finally getting over my illness that had me knocked out on the couch coughing my lungs up:) Thanksgiving went by in a blur and then at work we have our AZA (American Zoological Association) inspection that is done every 2 years. Work has been very hectic in preparation for this and I have put in a lot of overtime. Oh and I passed the 3 hour glucose test so I don't have to worry about gestational diabetes and I can enjoy my holidays!!! I also realized I was a little anemic and started taking an extra iron supplement so hopefully I will just be regular pregnancy tired instead of feeling wiped out like I have been. It is getting so close for this little boy to be born. I don't know if it has really hit Adam yet..............I am thinking about setting the crib up this weekend so that might bring on a reality check:)

Thank you.............Ricola

2007-11-25T08:10:00.001-08:00

Well the title says it all, after going to the doctor on Friday and learning that my white blood cell count is fine (meaning no infection). I think the cold or ick or whatever it is that has taken up residence in my body the last week is finally on it's way out. I just want to give a big shout out to Ricola..........what a life saver. Who would have thought that this little herbal lozenge would bring so much relief to my throat that literally felt like it was being torn apart. Sigh.........what will I complain about next? Oh yeah, I get my glucose test results back tomorrow :)

When it rains..........it pours!

2007-11-22T07:38:00.000-08:00

So basically I jinxed myself with everything I wrote in my last blog. Remember that glucose test? Well I failed the one hour, which isn't strange in and of itself but then I went on to say at least I am healthy..........well Sunday morning I woke up with a heaviness in my chest and a little bit of a tickle in my throat. By Monday it was a full fledged cough and feeling like I had been hit by a sledge hammer. It was difficult to make it through the day, that was also the day I learned I had failed the glucose test and had to go in Tuesday morning for the three hour. So fasting for me:) The test is grueling, get blood drawn as a base line, drink 100g of glucose solution and wait an hour, get blood drawn again, wait an hour, get blood drawn, wait an hour and then get blood drawn again. I got the added bonus on the last draw that she couldn't get blood out of the vein she was digging around in so I got stuck 5 times instead of 4!! Yeah me!. So the whole time I have an empty stomach (except for that fabulous glucose), baby is going crazy in my tummy AND I feel like I have the flu. Fun morning! Things haven't been to much better ever since and here I sit at work on Thanksgiving.............I dragged my butt in. That's enough for my complaining. I should find out the results on Friday, but before that hopefully I can enjoy a little of Thanksgiving that I have left. I will make that a separate and hopefully happier post.

**By the way, that's not me in the picture :)**

28 Weeks

2007-11-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

Well time it seems is flying by and I had my 28 week appointment today. This appointment is the wonderful time in pregnancy when you have to take the one hour gestational diabetes test.....the only thing worse is if you fail the one hour and have to take the three hour!! Yikes! It basically consists of them making you fast past midnight, then within 5 minutes drinking a sugary concoction that tastes of flat Sprite. YUM! Then you get to go have 3 huge vials of blood drawn (did I mention this is all on a pregnant lady empty stomach?!). Well I made it through. Weight: 161lbs. Yeah, I am not too afraid to put it out there. I have gained about 16 lbs so far in 7 months. Little Bubba's head is down (now stay that way!) and the heartbeat sounds great! So now I get to go every 2 weeks. It is getting so close now.

Well I have been battling pelvic, thigh and back pain really bad for about a week and a half now. My neighbor mentioned to me last night that the pregnancy bands really help. I thought they looked tight and uncomfortable but I am willing to try anything to help me make it through my grueling days at work so I went out and bought one today. Aside from looking kinda creepy it feels, well, I don't know yet. I will have to "test drive" it on a day when I am working for 8 + hours to see how it really performs. Isn't it amazing what pregnant women will go through for a little relief?

Other than that I have little else to complain about. This pregnancy is flying by and little Bubba is moving and kicking up a storm. He appears to be healthy and so do I so who can really complain about that huh? I just know February is going to be here before I know it, especially with the holiday's right around the corner.

Coming to a salon near you.................

2007-11-14T04:20:00.000-08:00

Yes Isabelle showed us her budding interest in becoming a hair stylist this past week when she got into her sisters scissors. She grabbed a good one inch chunk from each side of her face and gave it a good whack. Surprisingly enough she managed to angle downwards so it really did have an almost layered or feathered look to it but unfortunately it wasn't even and I had no idea how to fix it on my own so off to get a haircut! It is shorter than it has ever been before but I think it is very cute. The first thing she said after the hair cut was, "I look like Sound of Music!!". Meaning Julie Andrews. I regret not getting any pics of her handiwork but I thought about it too late. Her defense when I asked why she did it, "but mommy, I didn't cut my fingers!". Well, the kids gotta point. Lets just hope she doesn't get the scissors again because she may have to get a buzz!

Pizza Night!!

2007-11-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well today was pretty normal around here. Get up make lunch for Jenna, make sure all her school clothes and bags are together, put clothes out for Isabelle, throw on my uniform and rush out the door. Work overtime and finally get to leave only to sit for 1/2 an hour on the interstate........finally get off to pick up Isabelle only to sit for 1/2 hour on LaGrange road because of railroad construction. Phew!! So 1 1/2 hours after I got off work we finally got home.

I love Paul's Fruit Market and one of the great things they have in their frozen section are premade balls of pizza dough. Just thaw, roll out and it's your very own pizza night! I thought the girls would love this after a hectic day. What do you think?

Halloween 2007

2007-11-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Well things in my life always seem to be hectic and Halloween was no exception. The day started with of course Isabelle climbing into bed at an inappropriate hour, usually before the sun has come up. We then went and got some goodies from the grocery for the evenings festivities. Belle even got to play for a bit and have lunch with her cousin Spencer for a short visit.

Then it was party time at Jenna's school, I went to help and all the kids had lots of fun. After games, cupcakes, chips and party bags full of sugar it was time to send them home!! But on the ride home I got a call from Adam that he was not feeling well at all and that he was sure he had another kidney stone. So between juggling trying to figure out what he wanted to do (all the doctors office would tell us to do is to go to the emergency room) and getting the kids ready plus making appetizers it was a very busy afternoon. Adam decided to miss out on the Halloween festivities and wait till we got home. We were sad to leave without him and it was so hard to see him in that much pain.

We arrived at Aunt Tirzah and Uncle Larry's neighborhood just in time for trick or treating. Jenna was my spooky corpse bride and Isabelle was sweet little Alice in Wonderland...........she definitely looks the part! The girls trick or treated till they were exhausted and we made our way back to the house to check out the haul. Both girls got ample goodies! Unfortunately I learned through a cell phone call that Adam had decided to go to an Immediate Care Center due to the pain he was having. He had called a friend to take him. It was a tense hour or so making calls to find out where he was and we learned that he had been taken by ambulance to a local hospital. So mom came over to watch the kids and I headed off to the emergency room. Adam had passed a couple stones but still had one remaining...........bummer. Poor guy is in a lot of pain! I don't have to go into the gory details for those that have been through this before!!

So our night ended somewhere around midnight. We are all tired and glad the day went well for the kids.............