Peek In Our World

Número Dos is here!

2012-03-10T05:02:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the world Steven "Harris" Meabon. Born Friday, March 9, 2012 at 1:20pm. 7lbs 2oz, 19 1/4 in.

Happy, healthy and more pictures and details to come!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thumbs Up Thursday

2012-03-08T21:13:00.000-06:00

I'm a reader. Always have been, bet I always will be. I love getting lost in a book and am always sad when a good one comes to an end. It's like I've lost a friend. And recommendations are almost always the best source of finding a good book. So.....

Thumbs Up for www.goodreads.com. I might be a little behind the times on this one but I just discovered it. It's kinda like the dork version of Facebook - and I'm totally in the dork club. You can find your friends, see what they've read and recommend and keep your list updated as well. I still need to put in my reviews but I've rated most of my books and am slowly trying to update my list. So if you're a member, be my friend! And if you aren't, become a member and be my friend. I need a new book to read.

One week from today

2012-03-07T20:14:00.001-06:00

Um, we're having a baby in a week from today. Well, we think it's a week. Although with the signs my body is currently giving me, it might be tonight...or tomorrow...or 5 minutes from now. I think the freak out stage is now starting to settle in. We will officially be a family of four - whoa!

Any advice? Especially since we have no clue what it's like having a newborn in the house? Should I be reading all of those parenting books and taking the classes at the hospital? Guess we'll be winging it! If any of our trusty NICU nurses would like to come live with us for the first 9 weeks, we'd easily get through this. It worked for Harps having you all around! Becky, Jennifer, Jeremy, Tiffany, Nicci, Amie, anyone...y'all are welcome to come move in. I promise we'll make it comfortable!

Harps has no idea what's about to hit her. We've been doing lots of "baby time" and she loves her dolls. We've been playing with her babies, putting the babies in her brother's crib, feeding the babies, rocking the babies...not slamming the babies' heads into the floor, not poking the babies in the eye, not dragging the babies around by their feet. Oh, this could get interesting. And this blog might get alot more comical and honest in the next few weeks. So bare with me. I'll be hopping on to update when I can but if I have a minor bad mothering moment or hormonal rant on here, please know it will pass and I'll take all of the support I can get!

Harper's Weekend with Honey and Grandy

2012-03-07T20:01:00.005-06:00

So while I was tied up at Fête all weekend, my parents gave us the gift of watching Harper for the entire weekend. My mom asked awhile back if I'd rather have them attend the event or keep the Squirrel. As much as I would have loved to have had them at the wine auction with us, it was so nice to know that Harps was in good hands while I ran myself ragged all weekend. And I don't have to guess which they would have preferred - time with the girl is always good with them! They picked her up from school on Friday, went to the fair at the church on Saturday and then came by to visit me and see the venue before everything got started.

While Honey and Harper were outside having a tea party on Friday afternoon, the yard men showed up. I think the pictures tell the story.

By the way, this a one of Harper's most recent faces. It's her surprise look and she gets surprised by alot these days!

And a book with Grandy to top off the afternoon

Thank you Mom and Steve!!!

Fête du Cuvée

2012-03-07T19:38:00.000-06:00

All dolled up for the night

Whew! Yes, I'm alive. And still hanging in there pregnant...very pregnant. My life for the past year and a half was a little consumed by chairing a brand new fundraiser for the Junior League of San Antonio, Fête du Cuvée Fine Wine Auction. The black-tie event took place on Saturday night and, if I do say so myself, it was FAB! I had an AMAZING group of women on my committee that I loved working with. And the night (and two pre-parties for the event) went almost flawlessly. Not to mention we raised over $80,000 to go back to the community!

With 300 people, 90 Silent Auction lots, 14 Live Auction Lots, 6 chefs, 4 wine bars, 30+ wines being poured and this being a first time event, I kept calling this event the first of my two babies to be born in the month of March. And let me tell you, after a full day of set up on Friday and Saturday and then the event on Saturday night, my body felt like I had given birth. I was just about crawling on Sunday morning.

I do not recommend chairing an event, much less a wine auction with incredible wine being poured, when 9 1/2 months pregnant. Nothing is worse than being in heels when toting around 30 extra pounds and then not being able to drink a glass of champagne to celebrate at the end of the night and numb the pain of your feet. I did make the committee promise to a rockin' post-baby, post-party. None the less, we really enjoyed ourselves and this has been the reason you've heard next to nothing from me over the last month!

Here's a few pics - okay, maybe its just me bragging but I'm pretty stinkin' proud!

Amazing committee - minus Mitzi, Michele and Katie

Our award winning line up of San Antonio Chefs

Giving my speech - I hate public speaking!

Just after my speech - do I look relieved? I was!

Pictures courtesy of Photography by Marie

A little vain

2012-02-19T21:49:00.000-06:00

Can you tell how much the Squirrel loves looking at herself in iPhone and iPad cameras? Once again, please excuse the singing and commentary.

18 months

2012-02-19T21:43:00.000-06:00

Harps had her eighteen month check up last week and there are so many things to remember right now. The girl is a year and a half old and the personality is definitely coming through. The Squirrel is becoming more strong willed and definitely developing favorites and routines. Here's just a few of the things for us to remember right now:

February 4 - Happy Half Birthday!

Stats
Weight - 21 lbs 6 oz; below the 25 percentile (only gained 2 oz since her November check up so we're going to start her on Pediasure for weight gain and extra vitamins)
Length - 33"; above the 75 percentile

1. Bracelets - The girl has gotten into the habit of getting into my bathroom drawer to pull out her "bracelets". She stacks as many hair bands around her wrist as possible and loves to show them off. We've started finding scatterings of her "bracelets" around the house and alot of times, will leave the house only to realize she has a stack of 9 "bracelets" on her arms.

2. No, no, no - Please note this is said while waving her hands frantically in front of her face. I've tried to be careful about how much I use the N-O word to avoid this stage but now that it's here I realize that (a) I say it more than I thought I did and (b) it's unavoidable. There can be a little drama when "no, no, no" comes out and we repeat with "yes, yes, yes" but the mini-tantrum doesn't last too long and she quickly forgets how much she didn't want to brush her teeth/wash her hands/pick up toys/change clothes/etc.

3. Hi - The girl has started saying hi to everyone and everything. If we're walking through a store, she'll raise her hand above her head, wave and say hi to everyone she's passing, including people in cars. When we point something out (a bird, a tree, a piece of food), it usually gets a hi and a wave too. The Squirrel is really into body parts right now. I was getting dressed the other day and she looked up, pointed at my chest and said "booby" and then waved and said "hi". I know they're a little unavoidable right now but, come on, I'm 9 months pregnant! No need to make me feel self-conscious about those things, Squirrel!

4. Ha-pa - The girl is getting verbal and now knows her own name. I love the little Ha-pa that she gives when you ask who she is. Our growing list includes: Mama, Dada, NeNe (Honey), Geeg (Grandy), RooRoo (Rooney), Cat, baby, pees (please), gay (game), doo doo (yes, we get told when that's happening), shoes, uzza (puzzle), airplane (a current obsession), truck, ello (phone), bu-by, agua, mik (milk) and various body parts.

5. Hording - I'm getting a little nervous that the girl might end up on a future episode of Hoarders. She loves carrying things around with her but it's not just one or two at a time. She stacks up piles of things (magnets, playdough, puzzle pieces, coins) and carries them with her from place to place. When one drops from her hands, she tries to balance all of the items to pick up the single dropped item, usually resulting in more items dropping and you can see the cycle from here. Hey, at least it keeps her busy!

6. Books, books and more books - Still very into books. She likes to have them read to her and likes to flip through them herself but she's now started babbling if she's flipping through on her own, like she's reading herself. Love this!

We are very ahead of our reading level

Harper hugging her current favorite book

7. Douglass the Monkey - Douglass is definitely her favorite bedfellow but she loves her Bee, her babies, Bill the Camel and her Jamaican doll.

8. Shakers - So I know they aren't the safest item for a toddler to be walking around with but the Squirrel has a slight obsession with her Mexican shakers that we brought back from Cabo. And she can't carry just one at a time - the monkey, elephant and leopard must all be carried together. Rooney isn't the biggest fan of being chased down with the shakers either.

9. Boys - Harps has definitely caught the attention of her classmate, Hatcher. They are each other's favorite playmates but Hatcher loves to give Harper hugs and runs to greet her at the door on school days. Hatcher's mom told me that when asked who his girlfriend is, the answer is always Harper and he likes to sing songs about her. Ahh, young love. Jared isn't too thrilled about this one.

10. Memory game - Harps has these magnet books that were passed on to her by her uncles, Parke and Nathan. The magnets don't really stay in the books so we started keeping them in a shoe box. Harps loves the game of dumping the shoe box out and then identifying all of the magnets by name. She's up to about 40 now. After playing the game one day, I looked at Jared and said - "You know, I think she's really smart" - to which Harper looked at me, smiled, dumped out the box of magnets and stuck the box on her head. About five minutes later, she threw a dish towel over her head and walked straight into a wall. Harps, please don't do this at your Harvard interview in 17 years.

11. Pictures - She loves looking at pictures of people and saying names.

12. Veggies - Out of the blue, she now despises vegetables. Won't touch one, won't look at one and certainly won't eat one. Any suggestions???

Feet crossed like a little lady during meals

13. Timeout - We're venturing into the land of timeout. We've started using timeout when Harps is doing something that could be harmful or hurtful to her, someone else or one of the animals. Also, if we've redirected and told her no about something and she continues to do it, we use timeout. It's pretty effective and it seems to be a good distraction for her but she now really likes her timeout chair. I'm sure that won't last.

14. The Bellybutton Song - The Squirrel is very fond of The Bellybutton Song and requests it often. The problem is that she likes to look at the singer's bellybutton while the song is being sung. This is fine until you're in a group and out in public. Something tells me that not everyone is interested in seeing my preggo, stretched out bellybutton right now. And if she requests to see your's, don't worry - I don't want to see your's either.

I could probably go on and on but these are just a few snapshots of the girl at this stage.

Let's Rodeo!

2012-02-15T20:36:00.000-06:00

Harper made her first trip to the San Antonio Rodeo and, yee-haw, was it big fun! If you're a San Antonian, this becomes an annual affair so the first is quite monumental. After a trip to the petting zoo, riding on the horses, checking out the stock show and feasting on the finest of chicken fingers and french fries, you'd think the Squirrel would have been worn out but she could have gone all afternoon if I'd let her. We heart SA Rodeo - especially on Valentine's Day!

What? A big ol' llama don't scare me!

But hey - back off sheep. You're a little too close for comfort.

Alright. This one's a little more my style.

Oh! You can touch them too!

Who knew they'd have a wallaby at the Rodeo?

Hey Sanders, who can shake the cage the hardest?

Careful Field, don't get too close.

The only picture I got of the three friends together at the Rodeo. They are a little hard to keep still these days!

Valentines kisses from the goat

Yo chicken! Wassup?

Um, seriously Mom?

Okay, I think I've got the hang of this.

I'm gonna be barrel racing in no time!

Overload

2012-02-11T21:22:00.000-06:00

Overload. That's my word for the month. Yes, surprise, surprise, I've taken on too much at one time and I'm now paying for it. Please forgive the lack of blog posts for the month. I have a few good ones stored up in the ol' brain but its functioning on overload right now so they'll come at one time or another.

So here's my shameless plug - I'm chairing a brand new black-tie, wine auction fundraiser for the Junior League of San Antonio on March 3. Yes, I'm scheduled to have a baby on March 14. Can someone say overload? Anyhoo, Fête du Cuvée Fine Wine Auction is going to be an amazing night and I'd love for you, dear reader, to come along. Details and tickets can be found at www.sanantoniowineauction.com. I've been working on this event for over a year and its now become my second baby that will be born in the month of March. Well, let's hope it's the first of my two babies - I'd love for Numero Dos to wait it out until at least March 4 but, if the Big Guy Upstairs has different plans, so be it.

So please know that I'm alive, functioning and just really pregnant right now but might not be too prompt on the updates.

A late birthday post

2012-02-01T21:27:00.001-06:00

If he's doing hair-bows at his daughter's request now, I definitely see painted toes and tea parties in his future.

Happy belated birthday blog post Jared! We love you so much!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Omphalocele Awareness Day

2012-01-31T08:17:00.001-06:00

The Meabons are sporting our black and white today in support of the first ever Omphalocele Awareness Day!

"An omphalocele is a birth defect that occurs early in pregnancy, in which the abdominal wall does not close properly, and...some or most of the abdominal organs protrude into the umbilical cord. A smaller omphalocele occurs in 1 of every 5,000 pregnancies, whereas a large omphalocele occurs in 1 of every 10,000, and is typically diagnosed through an ultrasound. An omphalocele may be isolated, or may be associated with other defects and/or chromosomal abnormalities.

Despite the challenges a baby born with an omphalocele may face, there is much hope for them! We are here to inform parents and members of the medical community that our children are survivors, and with appropriate treatment, they can go on to live happy, healthy lives!

Join us in spreading omphalocele awareness! Wear black and white, the colors of the MOO's - Mothers of Omphaloceles, to show your support this January 31st! Help us reach out to families of O babies everywhere, so that they will know they are not alone, and help us spread the word that omphalocele is a treatable and survivable condition."

Thumbs Up Thursday - Fabrics

2012-01-26T01:42:00.000-06:00

Well, well, well. Look who's showing their pretty little face again. That's right Thumbs Up Thursday, I'm talkin' to you. Nice of you to bless us with your presence once again.
(Do you like how I'm totally putting the blame on TUT and, of course, this has nothing to do with my lack of work?)

So after a LONG hiatus, this Thumbs Up Thursday is dedicated to my two new favorite fabric sites. Since I have a boy room that I've been ignoring until just after New Years and have since been obsessing over, I have been a mad woman searching for the perfect fabrics. I've been totally unsatisfied with the local store options so I went online.

Thumbs Up for www.spoonflower.com. This site is brilliant! People can go on and submit their own designs for a weekly design contest. If you're the winner, your fabric goes up for the world to buy. This has resulted in an amazing collection of fabrics. The best part is, the buyer can pick what type of fabric they want their selected design to go on. Yes, the prices are a little steep but if you have a splurge fabric, its totally worth it. Unfortunately, I can't copy the pictures from their site to share but if you click here, you can view my Spoon Flower splurge for the boy's room.

Thumbs Up for www.fabricguru.com. Now after you've splurged on Spoon Flower, head over to Fabric Guru for your more thrifty options. At less than $8 per yard for upholstery fabric, you'd be silly to shop elsewhere. While their site is a little more confusing to peruse, it's totally worth it for the savings. Here's our Fabric Guru selections for Numero Dos to compliment the elephants:

via

And both sites offer the option to purchase large sized swatches so you can have a look-see before you buy.

I received no compensation for these reviews - I just like the products.

Arriving at a Hospital Near You...

2012-01-20T15:56:00.001-06:00

So it's unofficially official - as of today, Numero Dos will be joining the world on at 7:30am on Wednesday, March 14, 2012! Since that week is Spring Break, it's been a little bit of a moving target. Unless Dr. Cox changes his plans for the break, then we're good to go. Seven and a half weeks - can you even believe it???

And a huge thank you to my committee for the Junior League Fête du Cuvée wine auction who gave Dos a surprise baby shower on Tuesday night, complete with elephants (my favorite) and all! I'll post pictures when I have them in my possession. Now the boy has a few items of clothing in his wardrobe that weren't previously owned by a certain Squirrel.

A Very Serious Letter

2012-01-16T22:15:00.001-06:00

To my sweet baby girl,

I love you with all my heart and I only want what's best for you in life. Your happiness is so important to me and, for that reason, I need to let you know something that's heavy on my heart tonight. If, in twenty to thirty years, there's still a television show called The Bachelor (or anything that resembles a large group of women vying for the love of one man), please, I beg you, do not apply to be a member of the cast.

You must realize that nothing good can come from multiple women competing for one man. This is not normal and, if you think you can find eternal love in this manner, I have failed in my job as your mother.

There are a few things you need to realize:

1. You have competitiveness in your DNA. Your father and I are both EXTREMELY competitive. We had a very serious bet when it came to guessing your sex when I was pregnant with you. We have had evenings that have ended up with us not speaking to each other because we were on opposite teams on game night (the phrase "in yo' face" might have been used). And we've been known to bet on things as stupid as the expiration date on the milk carton. I know you will win the hearts of many men in your life but that feeling of winning can override love on reality tv and you, my dear, would most certainly fall victim. When the competition is taken out of it and you realize you are stuck with a cheesy, bouche dag and your break up is splashed on the cover of People magazine, you will no longer feel like a winner.

2. You must know that every woman has a crazy streak...especially when it comes to love. I might not ever come clean to you on my specific psycho moments but know that even your darling mother has ventured to a dark place once or twice in her life. These are not proud moments in a woman's life and there is no need for there to be a permanent record on tape for the world to see. If it's only in your head, you can always put a positive spin on it and make it justified. When it's on file to be seen over and over and for the world to tweet about, it's just a psycho moment.

3. Every woman has an ugly cry. If you appear on one of these shows, you have a 88.4% chance that America will see it and remember you for this cry.

4. If you choose to appear on a show such as The Bachelor, every hair on your head, freckle on your face and cute little quirk that Daddy and I have always told you we adore will be picked apart, criticized and made fun of by viewers. You do not want to hop on Facebook only to discover that someone finds your bangs hideous and that you laugh like a hyena. (And these are merely examples of things I've seen or thought about current and previous cast members, not based on anything about you....in fact, you don't even have hair right now.)

5. The producers of The Bachelor clearly get those chicks all liquored up before a rose ceremony. Speaking from experience, you always think you are much cuter, funnier and sassier than you appear to the rest of the world. In reality, you will appear sloppy, splotchy and slurry with blood-shot eyes and mangled hair.

I could keep going but we'll cross that bridge if you ever come to us saying you have some exciting news and it involves the words "reality show". You will find love and you will be happy but there is no reason, excuse or sensible explanation for doing it on television for America to see. I would almost rather hear the words, "I met him in a bar" come out of your mouth than, "we met on reality tv".

Please realize that none of this pertains to game shows, most specifically Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune or The Price Is Right - any of those would give me a proud momma moment.

I love you always,

Mommy

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Honey Hijacking - Harper's Vacation

2012-01-15T22:00:00.000-06:00

What would a vacation for us be without a stay at Honey and Grandy's? And what would a stay at Honey and Grandy's be without a blog post from Honey?

What a difference a year makes.

A year ago Steve and I kept Harper while Brooke and Jared went to Puerto Rico on an incentive trip for Jared’s work. Grandy and I watched Harper again this year as Jared was fortunate enough to again qualify an incentive trip for the two of them to go to Jamaica.

As I watched Harper run from room to room, point to objects and watch our lips form the shapes necessary to make the words and then do her best to repeat those words, as she would touch, feel, open and shut everything in sight I found myself thinking back to what it was like keeping her last year.

Last year Harper was 5 months old. She had been home from the hospital just a little over 3 short months and she was still rather “new” to all of us. I was concerned with dressing and wrapping her Omphalocele correctly, but knew I could never measure up to Brooke’s expert technique. We were so careful with her bottles giving her just the right amount of pumped breast milk mixed with formula in order for her to gain weight.

Spitting up was an issue and bibs and burp cloths were constantly being washed. Her sleep routine, while at the time seemed easy for a 5 month old was difficult without her mommy and her own bed. I would rock her till she fell asleep, gently lay her down and 30 minutes later she was awake and inconsolable. And Harper was an “easy” baby!

Well, what a difference a year makes! Grandy and I found ourselves watching the monitor each morning just waiting for Harper to stand up in her crib so we could go up and welcome her into the day. She would greet us with open arms and smiles and giggles. Oh sure we stood on our heads to entertain Harper...we went to the park (numerous times), the zoo...she loved the monkeys and bear, we went on extensive walks, we would go outside and swing and blow bubbles, read book after book and play for hours in the Mouse House upstairs. Harper loved watching me get dressed every day. She would stand at the shower door and I would provide commentary on everything I was doing...a little weird, but it worked. As I would put on my make-up & dry my hair Harps played in 2 drawers in our bathroom that are now hers. One is full of bandaids, the other little zipper pouches and travel products. She would then go into my closet with me to dress. There she found my scarf drawer and each morning would pick out different scarfs and we would make new fashion designs that she would run to Grandy for applause and approval.

Harper quickly told us, in her 17 old month way that it was no longer appropriate for me to be the one to put her down for the night. Grandy’s attempt wasn’t good enough either. Then it dawned on me, Brooke and Jared always put Harper down together and voila from then on we had our bedtime ritual of all 3 of us reading “Goodnight Moon,” singing “Jesus Loves Me” and saying a nighttime prayer and with 2 pacifiers in hand the girl was a goner. We quickly realized how fun this threesome was so it became a nap time ritual as well.

I remember when Brent and Brooke were babies and each year thinking, “This is my favorite stage”. I loved the cuddly baby stage, but this toddler stage that Harper is in now, where she is like a little sponge absorbing everything so quickly and delighted in anything you do for her--well, does it get any better than this? My answer is, “Of course it does!”

Each stage holds it’s own magic. When they begin putting words together to make sentences. Brent used to sing “...little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is STROMA” and Brooke would always say, “hold you Mommy, hold you”. Then they learn to count, to read, to ride a bike and before you know it...in a blink of an eye...they’ve grown wings and they are soaring high. While that is what every parent desires for their

children, it’s never easy to see them go. I often found myself wishing for those tender years that went so quickly to return. I yearned to hear the patter of those little feet, the sound of that small voice wanting to be held and consoled, if only for a few brief moments…but my children were grown up, it was not to be.

But guess what?!? My wishes have come true in the best way possible. Grandchildren! Grandchildren become a parents way of revisiting those precious years we only thought we had lost forever. No, our children will never need us like they once did, but the joy they are able to give us in allowing us to care and love and nurture their little ones is the best gift imaginable.

I love when my wishes come true and I can’t wait for our next little one!

I love you this much,

Honey

Ya Man!

2012-01-12T22:26:00.001-06:00

Well, we survived another incentive trip with Jared's company. This time, the destination was Jamaica. Yes, it was nice to get away and have some much needed couple time but I think we're one-and-done with Jamaica. It rained every day and something about being 8 months pregnant and offered some "ganja" just doesn't sit too well with me....not to mention stepping into a bathing suit in January when 8 months pregnant and pasty white doesn't leave one feeling sexified. Can you tell I'm pregnant and hormonal? I'm complaining about a free trip to a tropical location. Don't worry, I can feel your eye rolling from here.

But we're back a little tanner, enjoying our time with our girl and feeling well rested.

Sorry, I only managed to take three pictures on a 5 day vacation. Dork.

17 months

2012-01-05T21:20:00.001-06:00

This picture totally sums up Harper at 17 months - I love it!

Surrounded by her books, making her "shocker" face that she makes about every five minutes (everything is crazy surprising these days!) and wearing her owl hat that she is currently obsessed with (she will go on a mission to find it and will keep it on for hours whether she's fully dressed, in pj's or buck naked and getting in the bathtub)

Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T19:34:00.000-06:00

"Oohhh" Moments

2012-01-01T19:28:00.000-06:00

Perhaps this is one of those videos that only parents and grandparents will find entertaining but here you go. The Squirrel is AMAZED by everything these days. She has this deep, raspy "oohhh" and strange laugh that have come out of no where. This was the same "oohhhh" that occurred with Christmas presents but "oohhh" has now started popping up with anything Rooney does, spotting the cat, planes, cars, lights - okay, really anything. This particular "oohhhh" moment was sparked by watching her dad with the leaf blower. Jared, I love you and all but I don't find your leaf blowing skills as fascinating as our daughter does.

Hollywood BFF's - New Years Eve Party

2011-12-27T21:14:00.000-06:00

Okay Peekers. We've been friends for awhile now so I think it's time I let you in on one of my favorite conversations - Hollywood BFFs. If you were famous and lived in Hollywood, who would be your best friends? Which personas famosas would run in your pack?

I put WAY too much time and energy into this conversation and since I have a large circle of Hollywood BFFs, here's who'd be in attendance at the Meabon 2011 New Years Eve Party:

- Christina Applegate: She is my Hollywood BFF. We like to go out to wine lunches, talk about new mom stuff and invade each other's closets when we can't find anything to wear. Our daughters will also be best friends.

- Natalie Portman: Natalie and I met in college when we were both studying abroad and have been close friends ever since. She threw me each of my baby showers and they were lovely.

- Minnie Driver: Minnie is wonderful to have a parties. She's my friend that makes me laugh until my sides hurt.

- John Cusack: John is always invited since he and Jared are best friends. They play basketball together over at our exclusive gym and they both love watching hockey.

- Padma Lakshmi: Padma is my elegant friend that takes Jared and me to fabulous dinners at all of the new hot spots. We let her order for us and her selections are always a home run.

- Neil Patrick Harris: N.P. and I love to shop together. You can always count on him to bust into a show tune at the end of the night. His kids, Gideon and Harper (we call her H2) are just a few months younger than our Harper so we do alot of kid activities together - music class, play gym, going to the park.

- Philip Seymour Hoffman: Philip is our neighbor. We often meet him at the cafe down the street for breakfast pastries and coffee. He likes to wear beat up jeans, v-neck undershirts and sunglasses.

- James Harrison: James and Jared work out together at the gym. He's a little intimidating given his football reputation but really, he's a softie.

- Kate Winslet: When Kate and I go out, we drink too many martinis and smoke too many cigarettes. (And no, I don't smoke in real life but with a friend like Kate, you have to smoke cigarettes) She can help me dissect the issues of the day and I always feel filled with confidence after I've gone to her with a problem.

- Justin Timberlake: Jared and Justin have been really good friends since they first met in their early twenties. Justin is STILL single and we're always trying to set him up with new people.

- Kristen Wiig: Kristen is my friend the way JT is Jared's - friends since our early twenties when we were both single and running around the city. We were in each other's weddings but she's now divorced. I've been trying to set her up with my brother but she's dating this new guy.

- John Stewart: John likes to get into debates at our parties. Sometimes it can get a little tense but he's good about smoothing things over before the night is through.

- Andy Rodick: You know how your husband always has a friend that you're not too crazy about? Well, Andy is that friend of Jared's. We always have to invite him along but I just don't get it.

- Ellen and Portia: We love our other neighbors, Ellen and Portia. They are such an amazing couple and invite us out to their ranch on the weekends. We love going out there and wish we could go more but our crazy social calendar keeps us so busy.

- Ryan Gosling: Because every party needs some eye candy.

Isn't it going to be a great party?

Okay, your turn. Who's your Hollywood BFF?

Christmas 2011 - Highlights

2011-12-27T19:41:00.001-06:00

- Lots of time with grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles
- Harper saying "OOOOHHHHHH" like it was the greatest thing she's ever seen every time a present was opened
- Holiday feasting while pregnant - everything definitely tastes better!
- Children's Christmas Eve Service at UUMC - Harps loved the angels and camels
- Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with the family
- Lots of laughing

Santa brought a kitchen

Stocking goodness

Thanks for my musical instruments Parker!

Thanks for the iPod dock Dan!

Uncle Brentie was there to help open presents...

...and play with new toys. Thanks Grammie!

a new DPM original

Over to Honey and Grandy's for breakfast & presents with cousins Dylan, Elena, Hayden and Durham

Numero Dos in the Belly

And then to Bonnie and Tom's for Christmas dinner with the whole Boswell Crew

Merry Christmas y'all!

2011-12-24T15:13:00.000-06:00

Still not so much

2011-12-24T15:11:00.001-06:00

Maybe she'll change her tune about the big guy after she wakes up tomorrow morning???

School Christmas Party

2011-12-19T13:21:00.000-06:00

So what does a school Christmas party for 16 - 21 month olds look like?

Kids being confused as to why their parents are all there early

Eating Chick-fil-a nuggets, fruit and crackers

Hugging on Daddy because its so crazy that he's at school!

Decorating Christmas cookies

Having Mommy micromanage the cookie decorating

Discussing the state of the economy and the effects of holiday spending with her classmates

And eating the icing off of aforementioned Christmas cookie

Wishing Ms. Julie and Ms. Nelly a very restful holiday break!

Deep Thoughts

2011-12-13T21:55:00.001-06:00

by ~~Jack Handy~~ Brooke Meabon

Want to know a surefire way to kill some holiday cheer? Decide to compare your weight with your husband's whilst six and a half months pregnant. When your weight is literally the same to the ounce and you realize that within a week you will outweigh him, I guarantee a little bit of that pleasure you experienced as you shoved that extra Christmas cookie down your throat last night will cease to exist.

Christmas Cards

2011-12-09T13:54:00.001-06:00

Do you know how much I love a Christmas card? I don't know that words can express the joy I have when I open my mailbox throughout the month of December. The card is a big discussion in the Meabon household each year. We pour an enormous amount of time and consideration into our card. Another blogger had this classic posted on her blog. Do they look familiar? Perhaps because its the Kardashian family. Love this!

But I think I've just found my new inspirational website. Please take some time and admire this beauty.
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com

But I'll leave you with the Meabon card from 2011.

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Happy holidays y'all!

Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-12-08T13:04:00.001-06:00

It's baaaaccckkk! After a short hiatus, Thumbs Up Thursday is back this week.

Thumbs Up for Dillard's children's holiday clothing. I am cheap....well, let's say thrifty. I have a very hard time laying down a credit card for clothing over the $25 price range. And that includes clothing for me as well. I tell Jared daily how lucky he is but then he likes to remind me that 15 items worth $25 dollars is just the same as one item worth $375. Um, NO IT'S NOT! So when it comes to the adorable Christmas outfits for kids, I have to bypass the fabulous smocked holiday wear just for the mere fact that I can't stomach the Squirrel wearing a $70 outfit for one month. Well, hello Dillards! I stumbled across their Christmas outfits by chance and realized that almost everything is under $30 and quite festive. And they carry clothes for newborn - girls sizes. So get in there and get yourself some holiday goodness before its too late!

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I receive no compensation for these reviews - I just like the products!

A Honey Hijacking

2011-12-06T12:56:00.001-06:00

Okay Peekers - she's at it again and with some 1980's Christmas pictures to boot. I feel a little like Ed McMahon but "Heeeerrrrrreeee's Honey!"

I can’t help myself…

The other day Brooke and I were amusing ourselves with something new and fabulous that Harper had learned to do. We were in my kitchen and marveling at the genius of this perfectly normal child, laughing and going on and on about how truly amazing Harper is, sickening actually. But it was at this point that Brooke stopped dead in her tracks and looked me in the eye and asked, “Were you this delighted with Brent and me?”

My answer, “Of course we were, I thought everything you all did was exceptional!”

Brooke’s question has stuck with me like a looming shadow that keeps haunting me because I feel I need to give her a more complete answer. To those of you reading this blog who are young moms, you may not understand my answer as well as those of you older moms will, but to answer you my sweet daughter, did I find you and your brother as delightful, as brilliant, as creative, as endearing, as enjoyable and adorable as we do Harper? The answer is, I have used each and everyone of those adjectives to describe both of you over the last 33 years and will continue to do so until the day I draw my last breath.

It is these adjectives, these feelings of incredible love and devotion to your children that makes life worth living. It’s loving someone this much that enables you to go through those teen years and stay up till all hours waiting for your child to walk safely through the door. Or be tough enough to discipline that child you love so much because you know it will make them better in the long run.

It’s that same love that makes your heart soar when they are recognized for honors, awards, catch a fly ball, take the lead in the Christmas program at church. And it will cause your heart to break when you see their heart’s breaking. Whether it’s over some silly argument with a friend, losing some well-deserved accomplishment, or worse dealing with their health issues that you have no control over.

This motherly love will never end because from the day I held my babies in my arms, I began to be amazed in awe and wonder at their magnificence and I fell in love with two of the most incredible people I will ever know.

Now you can begin to understand how much I love you, because I love you just exactly as much as you love Harper, and as much as you will love your little son. It just doesn't get much better than this!

I love you this much…

Mom

16 months

2011-12-05T19:34:00.001-06:00

An update for 16 months. Harper:

- is picking up more signs. Recently started using fish, strawberry, light and dog. We're working on lots of foods and animals but learning a little at a time.

- seriously can't get enough of books. She loves bringing books over to Jared or me, crawling up in our laps and flipping through them. She can do this for almost 45 minutes. She'll also disappear into her room and we'll walk in to find her surrounded by her books and she's silently sitting in the middle of them flipping through them one by one. She can identify over 40 different items in her books when you ask her to point certain things out. Excuse me, Harvard admissions, are you listening to this???

- likes making animal noises when we talk about the different animals.

- recently started rejecting proteins like chicken, hamburger patties, sausage, turkey sausage, etc. Tonight we tried dipping her chicken in ketchup. Bingo! The chicken was devoured. I see alot of Heinz in our future...and I'm not just referring to the Steelers' home field.

- still loves her babies and sleeps with Douglass the Monkey as her primary bedfellow.

- still requires two pacifiers to fall asleep but we've been a crib-only paci household for quite sometime. Trying to decide when to start fazing these out. Thoughts anyone? Before or after Numero Dos?

- really likes nativities. I collect nativities and have them all set out for Christmas. I figured I should get Harps a couple of her own so she has a felt nativity and a rubber duck nativity (yes, all of the holy family is represented as rubber ducks - could this be sacrilegious???). She likes to tote Baby Jesus and the Wise Men around with her.

- has not touched my Christmas tree! I didn't make any changes this year when putting it up and, sure enough, she'll stand in front of it and say "Oohhhh!" but hasn't had any attempts at attacking it in the week and a half that it's been up.

- loves having tea parties with Honey and Grandy, as you can see in the pictures. She has her own nativity to play with at H&G's house and they are, most definitely, invited to the tea party.

- is just starting to get some hair. She's the only child in her class that's severely lacking in the crinigerous area. There are a couple of curls (yes, I said curls - hooray!) coming in at the back but still not bow-worthy. Bald is beautiful!

Deep Thoughts

2011-12-05T09:03:00.001-06:00

by ~~Jack Handy~~ Brooke Meabon

- When I'm sick (like right now), I wish they made a giant, blue nose bulb for adults like they do for babies. There is something so satisfying about clearing a baby's nose and I wish I could do the same to mine.

- When I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and don't turn the lights on, the thought almost always crosses my mind, "I hope a snake isn't hiding in the toilet waiting to bite me on the bottom".

That's it. Over and out.

Christmas Terror

2011-12-03T19:52:00.001-06:00

Didn't I warn you that the Christmas posts were on their way?

We kicked it off in true fashion today with a birthday party for Harper's friend, Audrey. I love this birthday idea for a December birthday. They hosted breakfast in your Christmas pj's with Santa, complete with jingle bells, Christmas activities and a visit from the Big Guy himself!

Jingling her bells for Santa

For those of us who have been acquainted with this gentleman for 31+ years, I've got to say Santa was lookin' mighty fine this morning. When he walked in, Harps was pretty awe struck and kept saying quietly, "Uho, uho, uho." We've been talking about this gentleman and pointing at pictures for a few weeks now so I was happy to see that she recognized him.

Keeping an eye on him

Safe from a distance

Then it was picture time. Of course, I forced my child to sit on the lap of an stranger - an old man with a huge scary beard. I mean, come on Harper - get in the spirit! There are no tears at Christmas!

"That's some beard mister"

"Does anyone else think this is a little odd?"

"What the heck Mom???"

"Seriously! Not funny!"

Pure Christmas joy

We have two more scheduled Santa visits to go. We'll see if the Squirrel warms up to the idea before the 25th. Maybe for the next round of pictures, she won't have a fat lip. Yes, Harper fell yesterday and caught herself with her top lip just in time for Christmas photos. Awesome.

Santa read a story before he left

The big kids were mesmerized

Enough of that guy! She was happy to color on her own.

Houston and Omphalocele Update

2011-12-02T21:45:00.001-06:00

Ah, it's nice that the O has taken the back seat on this blog and life of a toddler, pregnant woman and her husband have taken the driver's seat. But since the Squirrel is and always will be an "O baby" we might have the occasional update to share.

We headed to Houston on Tuesday for our Wednesday morning appointment with Dr. Cass, Harper's surgeon. We hadn't seen Dr. Cass since surgery in July and we'd put her follow up appointment off a little longer than we should have but no harm done. With no prompts by the medical team, Jared and I just assumed that we would be released from services and back to normal life after this appointment. Um, not so much.

Here's the long and short of it. Dr. Cass was happy with Harper's stomach and progress she's made. He was very pleased with her scar and bellybutton. Harps does still have a pretty large bulge on her stomach (it almost looks like a very large hernia) when she strains or sits up from a lying down position. The muscle wall was brought together and the fascia on each side was sewn together during her surgery. However, the muscles at the center of her abdominal wall still seem to be pretty weak and thin. We're hoping that with time, these muscles will build and strengthen on their own and we'll stop seeing the bulge. We'll go back for another check up when Harps is two and then again when she's three so that Dr. Cass can keep an eye on that belly bulge. If there doesn't seem to be an improvement, she'll need to have surgery again around 3 yrs old to adjust the ab muscles.

So, no. We aren't through with Houston yet. But we are totally comfortable and confident with the team at TCH and will proceed in any way that they feel necessary. Isn't nice to have a doctor you trust?

After driving to and from Midland for Thanksgiving and then sticking the Squirrel back in her car seat for a Houston road trip, I can say that she is OVER the car for now and we're happy to be staying put for Christmas!

Thoughts on pregnancy round #2

2011-11-29T19:45:00.001-06:00

Here I am, 25 weeks/6 months into this pregnancy and I think it's appropriate to write down some thoughts about pregnancy with Número Dos.

- Second children really do get a bit of a raw deal. With my first pregnancy, I was SO in tune to everything going on with the baby. I could tell you details like when the baby was forming fingernails, when it could begin to see the sunlight or bright lights shining through my belly and when it started taking practice breaths. Someone would ask me how far along I was and I'd answer "23 weeks and 2 days". I checked my pregnancy app on my phone daily to find out little details about pregnancy and what I should be doing. This time around, I've literally had moments where I have to remind myself I'm pregnant. Ask me how far along I am and I'll probably give you a look of confusion and answer, "Uh, I'm due in March so, what? 6 months?". We haven't made any nursery purchases, nor have we decided anything about his room and he will, most likely, be wearing his sister's pink pajamas when he arrives. And while I'm being careful about what goes into my body, I'm definitely not being the deli meat Nazi that I was the first time around.

- There is no scientific research behind this next statement but purely my own theory. I think carrying a boy and, therefore, having testosterone in your body that you aren't use to can make you a crazy, raging psycho. My patience level is just about non-existent. I can go from happy as a lark to stark raving lunatic in about 2 seconds. Don't believe me? Ask my poor husband. Wow. There are times I surprise myself! And I'm chalking this up to the testosterone. I was not like this with Harper. I was peaceful, happy and hungry. Now I feel like everyone around me is trying to push my buttons...and I'm still hungry. So if I snap on you or you walk away from an interaction with me thinking, "geez, what a hag!", I apologize in advance and promise to be normal again in March. Well, make that May when I have some sleep.

- Jar and I are both a little baffled that we saw this little guy in our last sonogram at 18 weeks and now won't see him again until he's here in person. You have to remember that we had weekly sonos with Harps so got to see her all of the time. This time, we hit the major check points with the anatomy scan and that was that. Kinda weird.

- We're also freaking out a little that we really don't know what it's like to have a newborn at home. Harper was over 2 months old when we brought her home. She was sleeping through the night and we didn't have to deal with those awkward moments like when their belly button falls off. Do we need to be taking those parenting classes at the hospital???

- My boobs are huge. And not in a good way. In a way where I have cleavage wearing a turtle neck. My husband might disagree but I am not amused. Why couldn't I be waif-like with size A cups?!?!

- Please don't tell me that we won't be as lucky with this baby as we've been with Harper from a personality standpoint. I realize that Harper might be the most easy-going child on the face of the planet. You are right, we might not get "that lucky". I would prefer children with unique personalities and things that make them special. We might have another mellow mushroom but, then again, we might not. But for some reason this statement always rubs me the wrong way. It makes me think people are wishing us an unruly child. You might get to see that psycho crazy I was taking about earlier if you bring up the "lucky" thing.

- I'm eating way too many pepperocinis for it to be healthy. If I haven't burned a hole in my stomach, I'm a little surprised. I set a jar out while I make both lunch and dinner and munch away like they're popcorn. I go through two jars a week - seriously. This kid is going to like spicy food whether he wants to or not.

- Confession: If I'm wearing a blousey shirt and you might not totally know if I'm pregnant or not at first glance, there have been times where I grip my stomach like I feel a kick, just so the person behind me at the grocery store knows it's a baby belly, not a taco belly. And no, there probably was no kick.

- All this being said, I still really like being pregnant. I love those bumps and kicks. They make me smile.

It's here!

2011-11-27T16:59:00.001-06:00

That's right folks! It's the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!!!

We got home around noon yesterday and by the time the clock struck 9pm last night, the Christmas Explosion had fully landed in the Meabon household. Yippee!!!!

Tree - check.

Outside lights - check.

Wreathes (2) - check.

Stockings hung by the chimney with care - check.

Multiple nativities out and on display - check.

Santa Clauses, reindeer and numerous Christmas paraphernalia spread throughout the house - check.

Please stay tuned for the obligatory holiday posts that will follow for the next 29 days.

I'm so excited I might pee in my pants!

Last of the Thankfuls

2011-11-27T16:48:00.001-06:00

With holiday travel, I got a little behind so for my last thankful posts that led up to the big Turkey Day....

I am thankful for a toddler that can travel in a car for five hours without a major meltdown. The Squirrel kept herself busy with books, baby-feeding, singing and a little snoozing from San Antonio to Midland and then back again. On the way home, she realized about 45 minutes from the house that she was pretty tired of the car but I hopped in the back and with a little musical accompaniment, we made it home.

I am thankful for our friends and family who have been our rocks over the last two years. With a move, a baby born with a birth defect, surgeries and hospital time for both Harper and me, and now a second baby on the way, we could not have done it without you!

I hope you all had a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

SADC

2011-11-23T07:12:00.001-06:00

Ten years ago, a group of my high school friends that had all moved back to SA started a dinner club. Ten years later, the group has morphed and changed but now consists of about 30 of us from all over Texas, and a few from even further away, that get together every other Thursday for dinner. I am so thankful for this group of women! I look forward to our conversations, tasty meals and lots of laughs. Knowing that I get to have a girl's night twice a month is refreshing to my soul....not to mention the loads of advice I come home with!

Utensil Skills

2011-11-21T21:35:00.001-06:00

I decided at this afternoon's snack that we'd start working on utensil skills. The girl can't eat with her hands forever, can she? Maybe yogurt and a spoon aren't the best to start off with?

Recipes

2011-11-21T21:29:00.001-06:00

I am oh-so-very thankful for recipes. I CAN NOT walk into a kitchen, grab stuff out of the fridge or pantry and whip up a meal. I must have step by step instructions with exact measurements, timing and pictures help too. Without a recipe, my family would probably not eat. So if you have one you've tried recently or a favorite you like to share, please feel free to use the comment section to do so. Otherwise, the Meabons might starve.

Babysitters and Date Nights

2011-11-20T18:38:00.001-06:00

Here's a two-fer.

I am grateful to my parents, who are eager and willing to babysit Harper for us. Other than the rare occasion, Honey and Grandy are our usual babysitters. I'm thankful not only that they give Jared and me time to get away but also that Harper is just as comfortable at their house as she is at our's. She'll always have a special bond with her H&G.

On that note, I am thankful for last night's date night. I love that I'm married to my best friend and that, after eight years of being together, we can still have endless conversation over dinner. It's amazing how a quite little night of dinner and a movie can make you feel like you aren't an old fart that's crawling into bed at 8:30pm on a Saturday again!

Smiles

2011-11-18T20:42:00.001-06:00

Today, I am so thankful for these scrunchy nose, bottom teeth baring, pure happiness smiles! Can't. Get. Enough.

Ms Julie and Ms Nelly

2011-11-18T20:38:00.001-06:00

I am thankful for Harper's amazing teachers, Ms Julie and Ms Nelly. Anyone that would spend their days educating and entertaining nine toddlers have my full respect. Harper loves school, loves her teachers and comes home from her two days a week at school with art projects, new songs and new ways of playing. These two women rock!

Holiday Goodness

2011-11-16T21:24:00.001-06:00

Today, this pregnant lady is thankful for Blue Bell Ice Cream's holiday flavors. Gallons of Christmas Cookies and Spiced Pumpkin Pecan are now resting happily in my freezer and in my belly. Well done Brehnam, Texas!

via

"Have yourself a Blue Bell country day..."

Catch Up

2011-11-15T21:06:00.001-06:00

I have a little catch up to do on my list of thankfuls so here's three in a row:

I am thankful for the rain we got today. I love the rain!

I am thankful for Tricia and Jennifer, Harper's two friends at the deli counter at HEB Alon. They are two of the nicest women you can meet. They always greet us with a smile and remember Harper by name. I especially love when they whisper to Harps that she's their favorite customer. How's that with a serving of Boars Head Oven Roasted Turkey?

I am so thankful for volunteers that give as much to a job they've signed on to as the women I'm working with for the Junior League's wine auction, Fête du Cuvée. I'm chairing this brand new event for the spring and it has turned out to be no small feat. I have an AMAZING committee of women that do everything asked of them without a single complaint.

And just an extra...I'm thankful that my life is filled with normal, every day, routine stuff and I, sometimes, need to play catch up. I am blessed that I am not sidelined by illness, death or tragedy but simply the hecticness of every day life.

Boogie Wipes

2011-11-12T19:18:00.001-06:00

Today, I am ever so grateful to the inventors of Boogie Wipes. Harper's nose has been a complete faucet since Wednesday night...scratch that - not a faucet, a power hose! We ran out of our ever important Boogie Wipes yesterday afternoon so resorted to using Kleenex and toilet paper to keep the nose as crust-free as possible. By the end of the night, poor girl was looking like Rudolph and literally had scabs on her nostrils. I've now fully restocked the Boogie Wipes and have a stash in each room of the house. Thank you Boogie Wipe inventors - you are genius! Now if I could just teach a fifteen month old how to blow her nose.....

via

Veteran's Day

2011-11-12T19:15:00.001-06:00

My thankful post from yesterday goes out to all of those that serve in the US Military. While my family isn't personally touched by the life of a military man or woman, I am grateful to those that sacrifice time away from their family and friends as well as risk their lives to fight for our country.

Agreed Parenting

2011-11-10T20:23:00.001-06:00

I am thankful that Jared and I agree on major issues when it comes to parenting. There are so many choices these days when it comes to raising children and, while I'm sure we'll stumble in the future, we have had very similar thoughts about these important decisions thus far. I realize that each family needs to make decisions that are the best for their family. Parents must come to an agreement on what they are personally most comfortable with and I don't mean for this to be preachy or a means to enforce our decisions on anyone else. However, I came across this story on Pinterest and it reinforced for me one of the important conversations we've had in the Meabon household.

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"When I was about twenty years old, I met an old pastor's wife who told me that when she was

young and had her first child, she didn't believe in striking children, although spanking kids with a switch pulled from a tree was standard punishment at the time.

"But one day when her son was four or five, he did something that she felt warranted a spanking--the first in his life. And she told him he would have to go outside and find a switch for her to hit him with. The boy was gone a long time. And when he came back in, he was crying.

"He said to her, 'Mama, I couldn't find a switch, but here's a rock you can throw at me.' All of the sudden a mother understood how the situation felt from the child's point of view: that if my mother wants to hurt me, it makes no difference what she does it with; she might as well do it with a stone.

"The mother took the boy onto her lap and they both cried. Then she laid the rock on a shelf in the kitchen to remind herself forever: never violence. Because violence begins in the nursery--one can raise children into violence."

~From a peace prize acceptance speech given by Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking

BSF

2011-11-09T20:58:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for Bible Study Fellowship and the weekly nuggets of knowledge that I get. Two of my favorites from last week were:

- When you are facing hardships, don't go to the people that will pity you. Go to the people that will challenge you to look to God.

- God created our lives and all that we have in them so complaining is just a form of assigning blame to God.

If I had only known how helpful these lessons would come in to play as I went through this last week. Amazing how those little nuggets get distributed at just the right time, isn't it? Can someone say thankful?

Friends "Old and New"

2011-11-08T22:07:00.003-06:00

"Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold"

Today we are thankful for our old friends, Cooper and Stephanie, and our new friend, Baby Elliot, who we got to meet today. Elliot is a whopping week and a half old. He is one fine looking newborn and we were so excited to meet one of Numero Dos's future bff's. Stephanie and Cooper will be incredible parents and I can't wait to watch their journey through mama-and-papa-hood. Welcome to the parenting club and welcome to the world!

And yes, Stephanie and I sang that song when we were Brownies so its extremely applicable.

Me in the Sally Jesse Raphael glasses (front row) and Steph kickin' it in saddle oxfords and bangs (back row)

Parks

2011-11-07T21:33:00.001-06:00

Today I am thankful for the health of my little girl who can go to the park and run, climb, swing and slide. There was a time when we weren't sure if we'd be able to enjoy the outdoors, the parks and all they have to offer. I am so grateful for this simple blessing.

15 months

2011-11-07T21:16:00.000-06:00

A little about Harper at 15 months

21 lbs 4 oz - 25th percentile in weight

30 1/2 inches - 50th percentile in length

8 teeth: four front top, two front bottom and the top and bottom molars on the right side

words: dada; mama - means mommy or milk; ba - means ball or book or balloon; baba - sippy cup; bebe - baby (these last three can get very confusing); pupu - pumpkin; nak - snack; owa - outside; Douga - Douglass her stuffed monkey; ubba - pick me up; she's a constant flow of babble right now

physical movment: walking; running; starting to climb; can push up from sitting to standing; very little crawling anymore; dances when music comes on

animal sounds: sheep; cow; kitty cat; snake; duck; Santa Claus (okay, not an animal but still says "uh, uh, uh")

signs: waving; blowing kisses; food; up

current obsessions: balloons; books; pumpkins; patting her belly when I sing the "Pat Your Belly" song (completely made up, no you will not find it on iTunes); Rooney; Kitty; babies and other kids; baby dolls; pictures of babies (do you see a theme?); dancing; any kind of beauty product or toiletry like shampoo, lotion, toothpaste and make up cases; saying "ahhh" after she takes a big drink or sees anyone else taking a drink; reusable water bottles; rubber duckies; balls; being outside; riding in her red wagon; Douglass the stuffed monkey; watching herself on video or on an iPhone with camera flipped so she can see herself; loves little boys

personality: super affectionate; loves giving hugs and laying her head down in your lap; very curious and just starting to test limits on what she can and can't do; gets very hyper and loud at home or with Honey and Grandy; pretty good around strangers; likes to walk laps around the house with no particular purpose other than to practice walking; doesn't like to be messy or dirty; has a huge appetite; has started going to get her favorite things from around the house and bring them to Rooney like a gift - he's not too impressed with the gifts

more hair is coming in on the back of her head but still not bow-worthy...someday

Costco on a Sunday

2011-11-06T21:15:00.001-06:00

Today I am thankful for Costco visits on a Sunday.

"Would you like a sample?"

"Yes, please!"

And I'm excited about my new crockpot, case of Perrier, three dozen tamales and 312 Clorox Wipes.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Little Thumps

2011-11-05T22:03:00.001-05:00

I started feeling Número Dos move at 15 weeks into this pregnancy. I am so thankful for those little thumps and flutters.

People seem to fall into two camps - the ones that enjoy pregnancy and the ones that could really do without the 40 week stretch before the baby arrives. Personally, I love being pregnant. Yes, it wreaks havoc on your body but feeling that bumping and shifting makes the acne, weight gain and crazy hormones totally worth it.

Last night, we were winding down for the night and, sure enough, our little boy decided to have a dance party in my belly. The punches were strong enough that Jared got to feel him for the first time. I think it secretly freaks him out a little but also puts a big smile on his face.

Thank you, God, for those little thumps that make us smile.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Fall Weather

2011-11-04T22:20:00.001-05:00

Even though it sparks an absurd amount of debate in my house (when it's appropriate to turn on the heater/break out a winter coat/light a fire in the fireplace), I am thankful for the cool, fall temperatures. After the ridiculous summer of heat we had, I welcome these temperature dips with open arms, a big smile and a fashionable scarf around my neck!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Mom

2011-11-04T09:28:00.001-05:00

I know I've said it before but yesterday, I was thankful for my mom. Becoming a mom makes you appreciate your own that much more. I don't know what Jared and I would have done over the last year without her help, love and support. And she's taught her daughter (and currently teaching her granddaughter) the art of being a birthday diva so on your birthday, November 3 is dedicated to you J Bos!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Maternity Pants

2011-11-02T21:02:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for maternity pants. My stomach has popped out much earlier this pregnancy and, for some horribly ridiculous reason, I was holding off on making the switch. I kept squeezing my ace into my regular jeans, even busting out the rubber band to help with the button so that I could say I was "still in my pre-pregnancy jeans". Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Brooke, you are pregnant. And with that comes an expanding waistline, expanding hips, expanding thighs and, yes, even an expanding back end. Get over your vanity and get into some comfort! Done.

Maternity pants, I love you. Your stretchy waste band, elastic give in the legs and overall comfort make me feel like I'm wearing sweatpants throughout the entire day. You also make me question why I don't just go with maternity pants at all times - both when pregnant and when not? There's no uncomfortable pinch when you're around. No plumbers crack or panties showing when I bend over. Just a half a foot of that fantastic fabric stretching up over my stomach and just below my bra line. Ahhhh. You might take away every ounce of sexiness I could possibly muster up in my being right now as I continue to expand in all areas (ok, that's why I don't wear you year-round - I forgive you) but I just wanted to let you know you are appreciated.

Thankful

2011-11-01T21:16:00.001-05:00

I did this last year and I thought I'd give it a try this year. In honor of Thanksgiving, I like to remind myself how much I have to be thankful for each day of the month as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

So for November 1, I am thankful to have had our LAST DAY OF PT today! After having regular physical therapy for her entire life (all 15 months of it), we got the official release today. The Squirrel is totally up to speed on where she should be developmentally. We have been so grateful for our physical therapists, Mahera from way back in our NICU days, and Elaine, from Methodist Outpatient Physical Rehabilitation. Their dedication, hard work and persistence has our 15 month old right on track for where she should be today. What a great way to kick off November!

A Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T20:50:00.001-05:00

I prefer a weekend night for Halloween but Monday it was and we were exhausted by the end of the night last night. On Sunday night, we loaded up the wagon, met up with the Johnsons and headed to our neighborhood's Spookfest. We got 2nd place in the chili contest - there were only three entries but I'll take a red ribbon any day. Harps was in awe watching the big kids whack at the pinatas. Dorothy entered the costume contest and her buddy, Field, took first prize. And we were totally worn out by 7pm.

Wagon loaded and ready to go

Harps aka Dorothy and Field aka The Golfer

Harps and Field with their chauffeurs

"Why, hello Dorothy"..."Oh, hello Dorothy"

Family photo op

Making the rounds and taking it all in

Watching the big kids hit the pinata...next year Squirrel

The costume contest

Our neighborhood gets pretty active on Halloween night so we were one of the first out and about (with Honey and Grandy in tow) for trick or treating. I think this'll be the last year that Halloween is more like a parade for the queen in her wagon. We mainly knocked on doors to show off our fabulous costume and say hi to neighborhood friends but I have a feeling the coming years will be sugar induced.

"Somewhere over the rainbow...."

The fam

Trick or Treating

The Queen in her wagon

Mesmerized by the big kids

Fearlessly walking to a spooky house

Grandy and Harps

A big thank you to Grammie for making our Dorothy dress. And yes, I made the pigtails. Dorothy needed to have hair! Hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween!

As seen on Pinterest

2011-10-30T14:13:00.001-05:00

Jared's been strangely nervous about the candy passing out situation at our house while we take Harps out in the neighborhood. He didn't want our house to be a non-participant and was considering staying back to be the candy passer outer. I spotted this easy little project on Pinterest. You can use a real pumpkin but I used one of the fake ones from Target so that we can reuse it from year to year. I drilled holes around it, inserted Blowpops and...wha-la! Instant candy dispenser.

Happy Halloween!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Obligatory October Excursion

2011-10-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

Yup, it's the pumpkin patch photos. As you can see, we aren't quite frolicking with glee through the pumpkins yet. And since everyone's blogs/Facebook pages these days are filled with the obligatory trip to the pumpkin patch, I'll spare you details and just give you a quick photo montage.

And just because I'm a mom and mom's do this kind of stuff, remember Harps at the pumpkins last year? Okay group - let's hear the collective, "Ooohhhhhh! Wasn't she cute and so little???"

A visit to the Dirty South

2011-10-24T21:20:00.002-05:00

We made the trek to Atlanta this weekend and guess who forgot her camera? Swell. But I must say, sometimes it's nice to be able to enjoy the weekend and memories without feeling like I have to freeze every minute in time.

We enjoyed the PERFECT fall weather. We saw lots of old friends. We introduced Harps in person to so many people that have followed her along through her pictures over the last 14 months. We spent three nights back in a city that we loved living in for 7 years. We had QT with Grammie. We got treated like rock stars at the Four Seasons (it helps when you have connections!). We took a drive through memory lane and cruised past our old house. All in all, a great trip!

And guess who was a star traveler? That's right - The Squirrel! She was a fantastic flyer and we were thrilled. Don't worry Atlanta, we'll be back again soon - and maybe next time with Numero Dos in tow! Why do I feel like flying won't be so easy when that happens???

Thumbs Up Thursday - Local Edition

2011-10-20T13:26:00.001-05:00

Okay San Antonians - this one is for you!

Thumbs Up to Holiday Olé Market! I attended last night's Preview Party for Holiday Olé and I must say this year's shopping extravaganza has a great mix. So yes, you might see a few bedazzled belt buckles and puff painted pillow cases but, overall, I thought it was a good collection of some kids stuff, some stuff for the home, some holiday decorations and really cute women's clothing and jewelry. Tickets are only $15 for a multi-day pass and they have designated stroller hours so make sure you take note if you plan to bring the kids along. Don't miss the Under Wraps booth with CHEAP wrapping paper, gift boxes for $1/each and the rainbow assortment of tulle. Most vendors take credit cards but Under Wraps only takes cash or check so come prepared. This fundraiser supports the Junior League of San Antonio so you're shopping for a good cause and don't have to feel guilty about the dollars you spend!

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General Shopping Hours:

Thursday, October 20: Noon to 8 p.m.

Friday, October 21: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. - Stroller Hours from 9am to noon

Saturday, October 22: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Stroller Hours all day

School Bullying

2011-10-19T23:03:00.001-05:00

So I know school bullying is a hot topic right now and many-a-celebrity have stepped up to the plate with anti-bullying campaigns and messages. The Meabons would like to officially jump on the bandwagon now that school bullying has personally effected our family.

I go to pick up Harps from school today, only to be greeted by a grimacing teacher and the statement, "we need to talk". Oh crap! What does this mean? Is everything okay? As I was escorted over to sign an incident report, I'm thinking "Oh great. The Squirrel is a biter. Or even worse, did she beat someone up?".

Nope. Turns out my precious little angel is the victim! Insert small sigh of relief that my child is not, in fact, a biter followed by panic that something horrible has happened.

Harper has a pincher in her class who's aggression is now being taken out on the Squirrel's arms. Of course they can't say who did it so I immediately start scanning the room to find out which little monster laid a hand on my child. Which one year old has a look of guilt and won't look at me in the eyes? Come on you little boogers - I see a few unclipped fingernails in this room!

I calm down, get the girl all packed up and head to the car to give Jared a call and fill him in on "the incident". You would have thought I told him Harper had been run over by a car! I might or might not have heard a few F-bombs, a few death threats (yes, to one-year-olds) and the statement "No one hurts my daughter and gets away with it!" And I thought I was over-reacting? Little did I realize I married a meathead five years ago.

So please mark your calendars for the first annual Meabon Family Anti-Bullying, Overly Protective Parents, Child Threatening, No One Puts Baby In A Corner Walk-A-Thon. Details to be announced at a later date.

And to think, we still have middle school ahead of us - ugh!

Just Practicing

2011-10-14T16:23:00.000-05:00

Hey-o! Harper here. Just practicing with all of these boy toys. Not quite sure what I'm suppose to do with all of these things but Mom and Dad told me I need to get use to all of this stuff in preparation for my BABY BROTHER!

Yup, you heard her right folks. Numero Dos most definitely has boy parts and we are so excited to welcome a new little Steeler fan into the family! We had our final appointment with the perinatologist today and since everything looks "totally normal" we will be moving along like a normal pregnancy with my OB, Dr. Cox. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support as we get ready for Numero Dos!

No mistake about it!

Why hello profile shot

little toes

STR-ETCH!

Thumbs Up Thursday - Cabo Edition

2011-10-13T13:16:00.000-05:00

I'm a big believer in recommendations when it comes to traveling. In light of our recent vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Thumbs Up Thursday is dedicated to our top experiences from the trip.

Thumbs Up to The Office. We were in Cabo the week that The Office opened up for business after a month long holiday - it was packed so we didn't get to spend as much time there as we'd have liked but we still made it a stop. The Office is perfect for daytime, beach cocktails, a little pre-dinner fun or post-dinner festivities.

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Thumbs Up to Mi Casa. We were warned by the locals that Mi Casa was too touristy but I disagree. Okay, okay. Yes they had mariachis, yes they had an amazing gift shop where everything was overpriced, yes the decorations were super festive and mucho Mexican but it set the right tone for a great evening. Their traditional Mexican plates were muy delicioso and I was a fan. And yes, we paid the mariachis to sing for us...Guantanamera...Guajira Guantanamera....Guantanamerrrrraaaaaa! I realize I would scoff at anyone in San Antonio that did this but when in Rome, right?

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Thumbs Up to Captain Bob and Day Sail Cabo. We hired Captain Bob and his crew for an afternoon and it was a great choice. They supplied all beverages, lunch, snorkeling and a personalized water front tour of Cabo for a great price. Captain Bob is FULL of information (maybe a little too much on occasion) but we loved seeing all of the houses of the famous people as we sailed past on the boat. He got up close to Los Arcos and the sea lions too!

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Thumbs Up to Sunset Da Mona Lisa. The food was tasty (not my favorite meal of the trip) but it was the views that made this dining experience spectacular! We were set high on a cliff overlooking the ocean and the surfers with a flawless view of the sunset. Pretty amazing.

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Thumbs Up to Edith's. This restaurant is a must do and was most definitely my favorite dining experience of the trip. The ambiance was both festive and romantic, the food was wonderful and their service was five star! Get one of the flaming desserts - The Mexican Coffee was perfecto - its totally worth the show in and of itself.

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Thumbs Up to The Pink Kitty. While I might not recommend The Pink Kitty for everyone, if you are looking to cut loose on the dance floor one night, head here. I will admit that we were the first ones in the club (we might not be as young and hip as we use to be) and the place was in full swing when we headed out the door for our beds (they were calling our names) and we were probably the only ones in there that had children (at least who were legitimately born) but we owned that dance floor while we were there and sweated up a storm!

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Thumbs Up to The Spa at The One and Only. Holy cow...or should I say Santa Vaca! This was a total treat and definitely worth the splurge. I had a pregnancy massage (of course) and it was fab! Go early, enjoy the amenities and plan to go have lunch by the pool overlooking the ocean. I could have gone back every day!

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Thumbs Up to Chris and Courtney Williams! They planned all of the details for the entire group and are THE best trip planners/vacation buddies around. Many thanks for all of your hard work on an excellent trip!

Honey Hijacking - Harper's Vacation

2011-10-09T19:54:00.000-05:00

While we were in Cabo, Harper got to spend her vacation with Honey and Grandy. Hence, another edition of Honey Hijacking:

Observations of keeping a 14 month old…

Brooke & Jared were able to get away for a much needed vacation. Grandy and I were fortunate enough to be the ones to keep Harper during their get away. While it was oh so much fun, I now am ready for a much needed vacation! Where is my ticket to Cabo, pleeeaaase?!?!?

Having raised two children 20 months apart, I thought I was an old pro at babying. But having grown older and wiser with age, I now find that I have some new profound observations for all of you PIOW readers.

Harper has often been described as rather timid, sweet and, at times, the word “tame” has been said of her. Observation #1: There is no such a thing as a “tame toddler”. I believe this term is an oxymoron!

Harper is a tiny thing, I’m not sure she is yet in the 10^th percentile in weight. Why? I DO NOT KNOW! I do know now. While this child eats like a Velociraptor, she’s a little human disposal, I was never sure why she wasn’t putting on weight? What I now know is that the darling angel poops like a baby elephant.

Observation #2: Once a gagger, always a gagger! It still does me in to change those poopy diapers - always has, always will.

Observation #3: Going to the grocery store is so much more fun with a little person sitting in your shopping cart! Not only do countless unexpected strangers stop and want to chat and play (which made me feel like a puffed up Blow Fish) but have you ever realized what fun music HEB plays? Harper and I (okay so it was just me) were strolling through the frozen food section where I was singing, dancing/swerving our cart back and forth to Cher’s “I’ve Got You Babe” like it was karaoke night at some brightly lit bar. Then Lionel Richie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling” came on right in the detergent isle and even Harper was dancing in her seat! HEB may never be the same.

Observation #4: Realizing that you have a shopping cart full of groceries as well as Harper sitting right along in that shopping cart. You walk up to your car, the sudden realization hits you, “How in the world am I going to make this transfer happen?” So here I am in 99° heat, with one foot under the shopping cart wheel so it wouldn’t roll away from me, one hand on Harper, so she would stay put and my free hand madly stuffing groceries into the trunk of my car! On top of that, I then had to haul that dumb cart all the way back to a cart station, unload Harper, load her up, buckle her in...it makes me sweat just thinking about it! What happened to those old “old pro” babying days that I so prided myself in? I solemnly promise from here after to never again pass by a young mother without waiting to take her shopping cart back for her.

Observation #5: Taking that adorable little 14 month old on daily adventures. We decided getting Harper out of the house to work off some energy would be a good idea. So one day we rode the zoo train--twice. The next day it was off to Kiddie Park, riding all the rides multiple times...planes, boats, cars, carousels (I do believe we had more fun than Harper). Sunday was spent at the park, climbing over everything in site with billions of other children towering over Harper. Her favorite activity was swinging and swinging and swinging! Here’s my profound observation, all the aforementioned activity doesn't ensure that that precious little worn out baby doll will sleep any longer than one short hour once she’s finally home. What it does ensure is that you will be absolutely wiped out and certain to be in bed by 8:00 p.m.

Observation #6: When you're lying in bed first thing in the morning with Miss Priss and she flings that sweet soft little body into yours and puts her little head on your chest, wraps her arms around your neck and (in Harper’s case) opens her mouth as wide as possible to give you the biggest kisses she can--well then you know your heart has just melted right down to the tips of your toes. You know that you would do absolutely anything in the world to make that little girl’s life as happy and safe as possible. You know right then that when people say being a grandparent is the best thing in the world, that it’s a fact.

Finally, Observation #7: The morning comes when you wake up and the house is quite. Your time is all yours to do whatever, whenever, however you want and instead of breathing a sigh of relief...all you want to do is scoop up that precious bundle of joy and watch her make you laugh and love like every moment is better than the next.

Tired yes, ready to do it all again absolutely...Harper, where are you?!?!?

Love you to pieces,

Honey

A Little Vaca

2011-10-09T19:19:00.002-05:00

Okay, sorry for the long hiatus but I think my mind has still been in vacation mode this week. But we're back.

We took a trip to Cabo with six of our dear friends and had an amazing time! A little sun, a little spa for the girls, a little golf for the boys, a little dancing, some great meals, a few cocktails (virgin for me, of course), a day on the boat with Captain Bob, searching for purples, hanging out with Moustie, Preggo & DJ Rainbow and lots of laughs with good friends was totally what the Meabons needed. And Harps got to have a vacation of her own with Honey and Grandy.

Here's a few of my favorite pictures from our time away:

Let the fun begin!

Off to the Spa

Totally relaxed at The One & Only Spa

Golfing with a view

Group Shot

Dinner at Sunset Da Mona Lisa

Yes, that would be a baby bump that popped up while we were gone

A day on the boar

with Captain Bob

Plenty of time by the pool

Dirty Monkeys

Miami Vices

Showing off our tans on our last night

Alive and Kicking

2011-10-05T21:01:00.002-05:00

Yes, we are alive. Jared and I have been on a much needed vacation and now that we're back, I'm totally playing catch up. So I promise a couple of full posts - one on Harper's vacation at Camp Boswell and one on our vacation to Cabo San Lucas. Just let me catch my breath first!

On another note, Numero Dos is definitely doing somersaults en mi estomago. I starting feeling it 15 weeks and at 16 weeks, I can definitely claim it to be baby movement. Amazing how much faster it comes along with pregnancy #2! We got all of our test results back for Downs, Trisomy 18 and spina bifida and everything came back negative so we continue to get good news. I'm also quickly growing out of my clothes and sporting one heck of a belly. I'm just about ready for this to look like a baby belly and not a beer belly - ugh. We head back to the perinatologist a week from Friday and we should be able to tell you if Harper will have a little brother or little sister. For now, we're just calling it Harper's broster.

You know you're a Texan when...

2011-09-25T21:46:00.001-05:00

...you are totally comfortable to go through your day in a cowboy hat

5 Years

2011-09-23T13:23:00.001-05:00

Happy 5th anniversary to my husband!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-09-22T17:46:00.001-05:00

Thumbs Up for Fooducate! Today I had lunch with three of my best friends from growing up, Stephanie, Emily and Christy (pictures to come as long as Stephanie sends them, no pressure). Along with lots of laughs and catching up, we learned about this super fabo app from Christy. While I haven't been to the grocery store with it, I came home and immediately invaded my pantry and fridge. So what's is all about? You scan the bar code of almost any food item and Fooducate immediately pulls up all of the hidden details about the product - what makes it good, what makes it bad, hidden ingredients that might not be so good for you, etc. It grades the product and even gives a list of similar products that are much better for you. WOW! What an app! So, of course, I scanned the foods I've been giving Harps on a regular basis. Who would have thought Nabisco Graham Crackers would have earned a C+ because they contain hidden trans-fats??? So while I'm grocery shopping, I can now easily find products that are more natural with better ingredients. Thanks Christy for the great tip!

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Stricken with Roseola

2011-09-18T19:37:00.001-05:00

After 3 days of a low grade fever, (which I was attributing to the molar that appeared out of nowhere) Harper woke up with this rash covering her torso and neck.

I had a minor freak out and Saturday visit to Dr. Neheisel only to be told, "Don't worry, it's roseola. The majority of children get it before they turn 4".

So we now have a child with a rash that's spread to her face, two half front teeth, two full bottom teeth and one molar. She's looking a little like a rotting Halloween pumpkin but don't worry, she's not contagious anymore!

Harper Live

2011-09-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Just a couple of clips of Harper lately. She loves looking at herself on the iPhone or iPad now that you can watch yourself on screen. I, personally, hate watching myself but this little girl loves it! And the babble is almost constant when we're at home or in the car. She's starting to perfect her walking skills. While Jared and I watched football today, she made loops between the two arm chairs, the ottoman and the couch practicing for about 45 minutes. There's still some balance issues but for some of us (um, or just me) these issues never really go away.

Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-09-15T12:51:00.001-05:00

Thumbs Up for last night's premiere of NBC's "Up All Night"! I'm not sure if everyone will find this show as funny as I did but if you've had a baby in the last couple of years, I am willing to bet you will. I'm wondering if NBC planted microphones in my house over the last year??? Seriously. There are some word for word conversations that I swear took place in the Meabon household. And not to mention that both Maya Rudolph and Christina Applegate are two of my Hollywood BFFs....but that's a-whole-nother post in and of itself. So my advice is to try and catch the pilot and then set your DVR for Wednesdays at 8/7c.

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Thumbs Up Thursday - Pumpkin Edition

2011-09-08T14:33:00.002-05:00

We've finally dropped below the 100 degree mark and fall is in the air! I love the fall, the cool weather and the excitement that the season brings. With the morning lows in the 60s this week, I am in the mood. I dedicate this Thumbs Up to you, fall season!

Thumbs Up for Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte. Welcome back old friend! I know fall is here when the PSL is back on the menu. Although my order has the decaf thrown in the mix, the tasty goodness is still the same. Grande Decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte Skinny, No Whip please!

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Thumbs Up for the pumpkin decoration explosion on Pinterest. I'm still trying to decide which of these pumpkins I will attempt to recreate and adorn the Meabon doorstep with. Any preferences?

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Thumbs Up for Gayle Skelton's Famous Pumpkin Dip! Gayle is a dear friend of mine who is amazingly talented in the entertainment department. In our Four Seasons days together, Gayle marked the begninning of fall by bringing my favorite fall culinary treat into the office. This is a must as we kick off the fall season!

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

(2) 8 oz cream cheese
15 oz can of pumpkin
(2) cup powdered sugar
(1) Tsp cinnamon
(1) Tsp ginger

Whip and serve with ginger snaps.

Thumbs Up for the return of football season! Here we go Steelers, here we go (clap, clap)!!!!

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And Wreck 'em Tech!!!

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A Marriage Crisis

2011-09-06T20:28:00.001-05:00

I have my husband's full discretion as I write this blog post but this story must be recorded for future reference. It made us laugh so hard it brought tears to our eyes.

So you might have heard that pregnancy brings on a number of symptoms, including but not limited to a very sensitive sense of smell, a strangely reactive gag reflex, extreme hormones resulting in very fast mood swings and flatulence. When these all converge at the same time, it can make for a very unpleasant household.

Over the last two weeks, Jared started experiencing unusual flatulence. At first, I thought it was sympathy flatulence. You know, some men gain weight during their wives' pregnancies? Well, I thought Jared was passing gas as a result of his wife's pregnancy. But when I say gas, I don't just mean your random man-fart. Like the ones that happen every morning on cue when said husband makes his way to the bathroom for the morning release of the bladder. These were knock-your-socks-off, hanging-in-the-air-for-hours, smelling-of-nuclear-waste-and-rotten-eggs gas. B.A.D.

Now, couple said flatulence with the afore mentioned gag reflex, sensitivity to smell and raging hormones and there were some, um, interesting words exchanged in our household. I might or might not have threatened to sleep in the guest bedroom, accused someone of intentionally causing me "pain and discomfort", kicked my husband out of the room I was occupying for a two hour separation period and been on the verge of tears a few times. I admit, a little dramatic on my end, but I was dying!

I'm laying in bed one night after one of my four wake up calls due to my bladder, pondering what could have caused this sudden change in my husband. Why would his bowels suddenly be hijacked by the San Antonio Sewage Department? And could this horrible turn of events eventually be the end of our marriage as we now know it??? I was picturing having to buy two houses next door to each other and waving to one another as we came and went. What a sad, sad future we had ahead of us! I tried breaking it down, day by day. What had caused such a horrible change? What had gone wrong?

And it suddenly hit me. So remember how I mentioned the sympathy weight gain earlier that some husbands go through? Jared always does the opposite during my pregnancies. He goes into workout overload and becomes rippling muscles and bulging bicepts as I become one, large, fat blimp. A couple of weeks ago, Jared asked me to start buying him egg whites so that he could pack more protein in his diet. What I didn't realize was that he was drinking the eggs....raw. Ugh! Now granted, I was buying pasteurized egg whites, greatly reducing his risk of salmonella.

So yesterday as we were out running errands, we have the following conversation:

Me: "So I've been thinking..."
Jared: "Uh oh. What?"
Me: "About this gas issue"
Jared: "I'm sorry bubs! I know its bad!"
Me: "Do you think it might have anything to do with the raw egg whites?"
Jared: "Hmmm, maybe. I actually wondered the same thing myself. Look it up."

As Jared drives, I proceed to look up "gas + raw egg whites" on my iPhone. Low and behold, look at what I found on www.bodybuilding.com!!!

"I know you all want to be like Rocky and drink down the raweggs but it won't be a good idea (he goes on to mention some down sides of drinking raw eggs). The last thing you have to watch out for isthe foul disgusting stench that will follow you around like you were concealinga New York sewer in your back pocket. The gas that you will get from doing raw eggs will keep youlonely many a nights, that is a guarantee. Your wives will be kicking you outof bed and you will be spending the night with your dog but even he won't beable to stay with you for long. Believe me it will be so bad you won't knowwhat happened. To make things worse because of the sulfur content in theeggs the gas you have will not only be among the foulest things you have eversmelled, but it will linger forever. You will lay one on and twenty minuteslater you will go back in the room and it will still be there. Believe me, your wife will leave you, your kids will disownyou and even Fido will not want your companionship anymore. Not only that butin high doses the sulfur smell will even come out in your sweat. All aroundit's not a pretty scene especially for all your loved ones. Hey, you may likeyour own brand like Fat Bastard said in Austin Powers but believe me no oneelse will. So to keep the marriage in tact, and your kids still wanting you toshow up at their baseball games, cook your eggs don't drink them."

Ta-da! As you can imagine, not only were we laughing our faces off but we came to the conclusion that there will be no further raw egg white consumption in our household. Marriage saved! Thank you Anthony from Body Building. And may I please share with you a picture of Anthony Ricciuto the World Deadlifting Champion/Marriage Counselor?

simply awesome

Numero Dos's Photo Session

2011-09-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

We had our visit with Dr. Gordon and Dr. Higby, our perinatologists on Friday for the initial check on Numero Dos. In Dr. Gordon's words, "Everything looks perfect." May I present to you, Numero Dos!

They did the nuchal translucency screening and all looked good. We're having them do the additional blood testing and we'll go back at 18 weeks for the anatomy scan. So far, all is well and there are no signs of omphalocele or anything else at this point.

Now to be quite honest, I really feel like this time around, if something abnormal comes up, yes we will be sad but I don't think it would be as devastating as our initial news about Harper was. For Harper's outlook to have been so negative and for us to now have the amazing daughter we have, I know that God is totally, 100% in control. I find it hard to pray that this baby will be 100% healthy and born without flaw because I am so grateful for the "flaws" that Harper was born with. Not only do I know that they made us better parents but I know that they strengthened our marriage. My prayers tend to be more that this baby will be perfect for our family. That we will learn and grow with this baby like we did with Harper but in different ways. Maybe that's just the consequence of having a child born under abnormal circumstances but I don't expect perfection. Knowing what I know through the experience the last year brought, I will love this child regardless of any "imperfections" it might have and will love those imperfections with all of my heart.

I don't know if I'll be able to go into a check-up or even through delivery without expecting to hear some kind of news that things aren't totally "normal" but I don't feel anxious or scared about these feelings. They are more matter-of-fact. Chances are, we'll sail through this pregnancy and know what it's like to bring home a baby that's just days old. Actually, that scares me more than anything! I don't have a clue about what to do with a newborn!

I wonder, do you other mothers of babies born under abnormal circumstances, whether it's a birth defect, prematurely or anything else, find this to be true???

13 Months + 1 Day

2011-09-05T21:00:00.000-05:00

So they stopped making the t-shirt stickers at 12 months but since the Squirrel is still changing so much from month to month, I'm going to try to keep up these monthly updates. We took full advantage of Labor Day weekend so my post is one day short but good thing since we have a big development in the last 24 hours.

Harps has started walking! Well, it's more like stumbling, lunging and having her parents throw their hands in front of whatever object her face is careening towards. We've been working pretty hard on this milestone and the girl was taking 3-5 steps between Jared and me . But yesterday she was holding onto a piece of furniture, let go and made her first self-attempt at walking towards Jared. As you can imagine, the cheers started instantly and I'm sure the neighbors must think we're really excited about the US Open with all of the excitement in our household. Over the last 24 hours, we're still working on the walking and, although she resembles a drunk elf, I can officially say we have movement people!

Those two pesky top teeth finally popped in so we have a total of four teeth.

You'd think the lack of teeth would slow a girl down but our child is an incinerator! She eats non-stop, has massive meals to the point that I think her little pot belly is going to pop open and now, when she sees one of her parents break out a snack, she scrambles over and opens her mouth like a little bird waiting to be fed. Bad habit, yes, but how are we to resist that sweet little face?

Harps is a sleeping champion. She goes down between 6:30pm - 7pm and sleeps uninterrupted until 7am. She takes one nap a day from noon until 2:30pm or 3pm.

She's really into balls, books, anything with buttons, opening and closing doors and drawers, loves getting out of the house (and now that its down in the 90's, we hope to be doing alot more of this), has started dancing all of the time, likes her babies that make noises, especially when she can push a button to set the noise off and loves going through purses and bags.

She babbles non-stop when she's at home or in the car but it really doesn't have any meaning. I'm working rigorously on naming and repeating everything but no such luck. Everything is still "Uhhh, uhhh, uhhhh". Come on Harper - I assume Harvard is going to need to hear you speak for your admissions interview. She'll go directly towards the word I say but there is absolutely no repeating it or mimicking it. Well, unless its Dadadadada. She LOVES her Dadadada.

Harps has gotten REALLY affectionate in the last month. She hugs and gives kisses randomly throughout the day. Her kisses are still big open mouth kisses but they come at the most unexpected time, she'll pause what she's doing, lift her head to yours, open up her mouth and just wait until you kiss her back. Then she'll repeat this about 3-4 times and move along. Just melts a momma's heart!

We started Harper in the day school at church twice a week to get her good and socialized before Numero Dos comes along. The school is incredible, fully accredited and one of the larger pre-schools in the area. Ideally, we would have liked to start her at 17-18 months but I had to get in line to sign up at 5am on a February morning and got one of the last spots in her class! We would have had to wait until the following school year to start her so she is officially the youngest child in the entire school. The first day was a little rough but she's really adjusting quickly and just has tears when we drop her off in the mornings. The teachers have commented what a sweet child she is and that she's one of the best eaters and nappers in the class...imagine that!

With Daddy on the first day, both looking a little overwhelmed

Meeting one of the teachers, Ms. Nellie

Happy 13 months Squirrely Whirl!

Snacktime

2011-09-01T15:02:00.000-05:00

Someone in our house has clearly come to understand "snack" and recognize her favorites. This might be one of those videos that's boring to everyone else but hey, I'm her mom and if I think it's shareable, dang it, I'm gonna share.

Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-09-01T14:40:00.000-05:00

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Thumbs Up for one of my new favorite local sites Little Daily Planner. Sorry, non-San Antonio residents, this one is SA only. This great resource has a weekly calendar of activities happening each day for kids. Click on a link that interests you and you get all of the details for that activity - location, cost, recommended ages. I take a look at the beginning of the week to see if there any must do activities for The Squirrel.

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Thumbs Up for Crock Pots. I guess these suckers are all the rage these days for my generation. The Crock Pot Girls are making a huge splash in the social networking world. I liked them on Facebook earlier last week along with 145,000 of my closest FB friends and they are about to hit the 1 million mark! I see a cookbook in their future...or at least a really good PR agency. I typically only break the crock pot out for the occassional Fat A%@ Dip or SuperBowl Soiree but they swear that all parts to a meal can be crocked and it makes life much easier on moms trying to put a hot meal on the table. So I'm giving the ol' crock pot a whirl tonight and I'll let you know if it stands up to its reputation. I didn't get my recipe from The CPGs but instead from this blog via Mrs. Boo Arnold. And yes, I reverted back to the 1950's way of addressing your friends in honor of you dear crock pot (even though you were a 1970's creation).

And since it got a mention, here's the recipe for Betsy Nameth's world famous Fat A%@ Dip:

Ingredients:

Three 8 oz. Packages of Cream Cheese (I prefer full fat, hence the name of the recipe)

2 cans Rotel

One roll of Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage

One roll of Jimmy Dean Regular Sausage (I've also used Spicy and its equally as delicious)

Brown the sausage, drain and set aside. Melt cream cheese and add two cans of Rotel. Don't drain the Rotel. Melt together and stirl. Add sausage and crock pot until hot.

Easy and fantastic!

I receive no compensation for these reviews - I just like the products!

Meabon Numero Dos

2011-08-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

So, I'm sure you've guessed by now that I am, in fact, pregnant. 11 weeks to be exact. Here's the details on Numero Dos so far.

Yes, we realize this means we will have two babies in diapers and they will be 19 months apart.
No, we are not crazy.
Yes, we were trying. But I mean just. I am chairing a fundraiser on March 3, 2012 so we counted back to when our window of time would be just after the fundraiser and started there. Nailed it!

We found out July 1. Jared was out of town but at the airport on his way back and I randomly decided to take a test when I woke up that morning, not expecting it to be positive. Guess what? Pregnant! I called Jared who promptly repeated three times, "Shut up!" and then said I needed to take more tests. Since we didn't have any spare tests on hand, he stopped at the store on the way home after he landed to grab two more. Guess what? Pregnant! and Pregnant!

We will find out what we are having. I know, I know. It's all the rage these days to wait to find out until your in the delivery room. Best surprise in the world, right? For those of you that wait, way to go! I was simply not designed with the gift of patience.

We are due on March 15, 2012 but with a C-section, will most likely go the week prior to that. Anyone want to come see a baby for Spring Break?

Yes, I have been feeling like doo doo. No, I haven't been throwing up but have been TIRED! If taking a nap meant I'd need to do it on black asphalt in the middle of August in Texas, I'd gladly blister my skin away for those few precious moments of sleep. I have also felt constantly hung over. And without the joys of a rambunctious previous night to go along with it, this simply sucks. But I think I'm making it over this little hurdle. Please, let me be making it over this little hurdle!

Yes, I have been peeing 3-4 times a night. Annoying.

Yes, I got my appendix out while pregnant. Now can you see why the 4am cramps scared the bejesus out of me??? And please don't tell me its bad to go under anesthesia while pregnant. I know this but having a ruptured appendix would have been worse. Can a girl just get a normal, no complications pregnancy??? But if this is the extent of our drama, I'll take it!

The chances of Numero Dos having an omphalocele are extremely low. Since Harper's wasn't chromosomal, it would be highly unlikely for Dos to also have an omphalocele. We will, however, see the perinatologist for high level screening next Friday and again at 16-18 weeks. If all looks good, we can proceed like normal.

No, we don't care what we have. A boy would be great. A girl would be great. To be honest, we really would just like healthy. But if that's not in the cards, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Please keep Numero Dos in your prayers as it develops and grows!

Thumbs Up Thursday - First Trimester Edition

2011-08-25T13:42:00.001-05:00

In honor of this author's recent announcement, Thumbs Up Thursday is being dedicated to a few of my favorites over the last 11 weeks.

Thumbs Up for EPT Digital Pregnancy Tests that show results SUPER early. Don't give me a single or double line. I don't want a plus or a minus sign. I need "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant". And knowing after only two weeks of being pregnant? Okay! Go digital or go home. Especially when your husband makes you take three tests....just to be sure.

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Thumbs Up for Talk O' Texas Crisp Okra Pickles - Hot. I could seriously eat a jar of these suckers every two days. I'm now on the hunt for the best pickled green beans. Oh, whatever - gag all you want but these taste buds are craving anything that's been marinated in vinegar for long periods of time.

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Thumbs Up for Weight Watchers English Toffee Crunch Bars. It's suppose to be 108 in San Antonio this weekend. That's just stupid if you ask me. How else is a girl suppose to cool down? Why, one of these delicious treats, of course!

Thumbs Up for afternoon naps. Seriously.

I receive no compensation for these reviews - I just like the products!

A Picture Riddle

2011-08-24T10:38:00.000-05:00

Any guesses?

Birthday Balloon Wreath Tutorial

2011-08-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

You might remember the Balloon Birthday Wreath from Harper's birthday posts. I had a few people ask me about it so I wanted to post a quick tutorial. You'll have to forgive me but I didn't take pictures of the very beginning stages.

Supplies:
9" assorted latex balloons (I got 100 count packs from Hobby Lobby - You'll need about 8-10 packs)

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floral pins

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straw wreath - keep wrapped in the plastic wrap

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ribbon of your choice
wooden letter for the year you are celebrating and decorations of the birthday theme (again, got mine at the Lobby)

Directions:
Take balloons and individually pin them into the straw wreath. Make sure balloons are close together to avoid any gaps. Line entire front, inside curve and outside rim of the wreath with balloons.

Leave a small portion at the top bare. The space should be a little larger than the width of your ribbon.

Tie and knot the ribbon tightly around the open space on the wreath. Leave enough ribbon to make a pretty bow at the top to hang on a wreath hanger.

Once the ribbon is in place, continue to cover the ribbon and remaining blank space with balloons.

Decorate your number as you'd like. I used the #1, colored it purple with permanent markers since I didn't have paint on hand and hot glued buttons for Harper's First BellyButton Birthday.

Take a small piece of the ribbon and tie around your number. Make a knot at the top of the ribbon and use a floral pin to secure in the middle of the wreath's large ribbon.

Hang and celebrate!

One Year Stats

2011-08-22T20:21:00.000-05:00

Harps had her one year appointment last week. Harper as a 1 yr old:

Height: 29 1/2" (50th percentile)

Weight: 18lbs 10oz (10th percentile)

Teeth: Two....still two

Favorites: Waving at everything, The Bell at Honey & Grandy's house, The Mermaid at Honey & Grandy's house, people watching, going for a ride in the car, shopping, her baby piano, her alphabet train, walking her baby in her stroller, kitchen spoons, eating in restaurants

Food: No more bottle! Three meals per day, two snacks per day. Hates milk. Loves water out of her sippy cup

Favorite foods: Sweet potatoes, yogurt, cheese, scrambled eggs, Cheerios, graham crackers, almost any fruit, bean and cheese quesadillas or tacos, prunes

Words: Eeehhh for almost everything - as in "I want that", "More please", "Rooney", "Kitty", "That toy, yes that one right over there". We're working on more but Eeehhhh is just about all we're getting. Mama, Dada and a string of noises and songs that make no sense. Still working on signs but she has no interest in using them. Understandable communication doesn't seem to be high on the girl's priority list.

Movement: Crawling at top speed, walking around while holding onto furniture, standing and playing with toys without holding on until she realizes she isn't holding on and then quickly grabs onto the nearest piece of furniture. We're realizing that our Squirrel is very timid. She's not going to do something physically until she knows she can do it perfectly. I have a feeling that, just like crawling, when walking starts she'll be off like it's nothing.

Sleeping: We started putting Harper straight to bed while still awake for her nap and just after her night time songs and prayers. She now likes to go to bed awake, have some time in her crib by herself and put herself to sleep (instead of being rocked to sleep). She must have one pacifier in her mouth and a second to rub against her forehead to put herself to sleep. I think the 2nd paci is her version of a blanky or lovie. I've tried getting her to take hold of anything soft and cuddly but she just wants that rubber paci to rub against her forehead. I'm just as confused by it as you are reading about it.

Overall very happy and easily entertained. Can sit and play by herself for a good stretch as long as she can see mom, dad, Honey or Grandy. Very weary of strangers. Smiles all of the time and likes to be chased and tickled.

Dental Hygiene

2011-08-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

We headed in to see the dentist, Dr. McCabe, today for a quick check of the teeth...all two of them. Our pediatrician had suggested getting Harps to a dentist - not because anything was wrong but just routine to make sure things looked good as her teeth were coming in.

We started off on a good note with the bright lights and flashy tools.

But the minute that guy in the mask and gloves started towards her, we had a bit of a meltdown. I'm sure someone in there thought it must be one heck of a root canal!

He also said that her top teeth were going to break through any minute. Great. Do we remember how much I hate teeth?

Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-08-18T13:32:00.000-05:00

Today's Thumbs Up is actually a combo package. By combining these two products together, our dining experience is nearly flawless!

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Thumbs Up for the Chicco Caddy Hook On Chair. I was toting the highchair cover all over San Antonio. And while effective, there were often times that the restaurant's highchair didn't reach the table. Other times, there'd be a huge gap between the table and the chair resulting in food all over the floor. I discovered this handy hook on chair and it now goes with us everywhere. Harper is right at the table with us when we sit down to eat and its adjusts to pretty much every type of table. What's even better is that if we're with friends and they don't have a spare high chair, we pull this little contraption out of the car and we're all set. It folds down flat so that you can easily carry it in and out of the restaurant when needed and it's easy to wipe off if it gets a little dirty.

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Thumbs Up for the Summer Infant Tiny Diner Placemat. I've seen a variety of the disposable placemats but in my mind, the Tiny Diner Placemat beats out all of the competition. It has suction cups on the bottom of the placemat so that it sticks to most surfaces without leaving a sticky residue. And I love the fact that it has a trough on it to catch food. Now I'm not bending down under the table at a restaurant after each meal to clean up the little pieces of food all over the floor. Most importantly, its reusable and easy to clean with a wet napkin so not only are you helping with the mess, but you are helping the environment!

Here we have Harper modeling our products of the day. As mentioned, when these two products are used together, its mealtime perfection....well, minus the every now and again screaming child.

And a special thanks to Elliot Hill for showing off her Thumbs Up by the pool. She even went for a stylish blue shade to match her tongue!

I receive no compensation for these reviews - I just like the products!

4 O'clock...UGH!

2011-08-16T22:14:00.002-05:00

I've heard it referred to as the witching hour, the doldrums, the dead zone and crazy time but I'm beginning to loathe 4pm - 5:30pm...everyday. We can be cruising along with our day, having a dandy ol' time, when all of a sudden, it's like somebody slapped a pair of snowshoes on me and stuck me in an ocean of molasses. Sure enough, I take a look at the clock and it's just entering that hour and a half where minutes pass like decades and everyone in my house gets antsy and cranky.

It's too early to start the dinner routine and too late to try to run errands without ending up in the middle horrendous traffic so we're stuck trying to kill 90 minutes. Sometimes I think if I try to get the Squirrel to play with a toy for the 7th time that day, not only will she lose it but so will I. I've gone on about those songs before and one can only take the singing kitchen so many times a day.

I blame a very large part of this resentment towards the minute hand on my clock on the gawd-awful, summer, Texas heat. This hour and a half is also the peak of the heat for the day and, when the daily temperatures are soaring up to 105, it's too dang hot to do anything! Normally, I'd load the girl up in the stroller and head out for a walk. Even better, we'd take a trip down to the park to burn off some energy. But it's literally so hot that I start to sweat when I look out the window so taking an already cranky one year old out in the fiery pits of hell doesn't sound like great parenting to me.

She's also about 6 months shy of planning an actual activity during this time. I can see that next summer, this will be perfect for "art time" or whatever time-burning activity I come across on someone else's blog. But at one year old, my child has the attention spam of a monkey on speed so if anything last more than about 8 minutes, you've lost her.

Maybe I'm just longing for fall, when the weather is ideal in the afternoons, the leaves are changing colors, football is in full swing and the pumpkin spice lattes are flowing. Or maybe this is just a small window of time in my child's life that I'll one day look back on and be filled with tears that I don't have an uninterrupted hour and a half with my baby. But for now, I choose to complain, despise the heat and count the seconds until I can start making dinner.

The Squirrel, clearly not entertained

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Account of the Appendix - The Long Version

2011-08-12T11:16:00.002-05:00

I woke up on Wednesday morning at 4am with stomach cramps. I had made chicken the night before and, since my cooking skills can still be a bit questionable, I thought maybe I hadn't cooked the chicken enough.

I got up that morning and still had some cramping but decided to take the girl out and tackle some hills with Lisa and Field. The exercise felt like it did me some good so when we got home, the Squirrel and I headed to the grocery.

As the day went on, the cramping started getting worse, started moving more into my pelvis and I started feeling sick to my stomach. I pulled out my handy dandy WebMD app and started checking out my symptoms when I came across appendicitis.

"The main symptom of appendicitis is belly pain. Many people feel the first pain near the belly button. Then it moves to the lower right side of the belly. You may also have a fever or feel sick to your stomach.

Sometimes the only symptom is a general feeling of not being well and a pain that is hard to describe. The pain in your belly may be different than any pain you have had before. It may be severe. Or it may not seem like a very strong pain, but you may have the feeling that something is wrong. Trust your instincts."

Ok. Hmmm. If it looks like and duck and sounds like a duck...

So I love husband. Very much. But we are VERY different when it comes to feeling sick. Jared has a runny nose and he can't get out of bed and is writhing in pain, unable to lift a finger. I don't like being sick so I just tend to ignore it. I let Jar know I was feeling a little off that morning. When I put the Squirrel down for a nap and was starting to feel worse, I decided to lay down myself and let him know it was getting a little worse. Jared had had a pretty busy morning and had wrapped everything up by about 3pm. The girl started waking up from her nap and the hubs came in to let me know he was going to go hit some golf balls.....really? Um, sure. Don't worry, I'll get the girl. So off he went, the girl got up fully rested from her nap and ready to play, and there I was, not really able to get off the couch from pain. Awesome.

Needless to say, when Jared got home an hour and a half later, I wasn't quite functioning. But as a mom, you do what you've gotta do, right? I let the hubs know I thought there was something seriously wrong. It was close to 5pm and I wouldn't have made it to the doctor in time so I decided to head to the Urgent Care. I love my mom because I'll never stop being her little girl. I called to let her know I was headed to get things checked out and she came straight over to take me so I wouldn't be alone. After seeing the nurse and the doctor for about 5 minutes at the Urgent Care, I was on my way to the ER. Now I probably should have just headed there right away but I hate the ER and was trying to avoid it at all costs.

So here's where it gets good. I walk in and they get me back pretty quickly. But as I'm standing there, this pregnant lady walks in right behind me. She's probably 35, slender and I'd guess about 6-7 months pregnant. She says to the lady at the desk that she's having some swelling in her belly and some pains.

Lady behind the desk: "So how far along are you?"

Pregnant lady: "What do you mean?

Lady behind the desk: "Are you pregnant?"

Pregnant lady: "Oh, no! I'm just having swelling."

Me to myself: "What?!?!?! Um, sister, that's not just bloating. Have you ever seen that show on TLC, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant??? Where are the camera crews because this lady is the next star?"

I didn't see pregnant lady again but I did overhear the nurses talking about the patient that didn't know she was pregnant. I bet I can guess who that was.

So I get back into a room with two other beds. After being there for about an hour, a man who's nose looks like it exploded plops down in the bed next to me. I hear his graphic story about 5 times as he retold it to each doctor and nurse, including the words blood gushing, blood pouring, blood everywhere, accompanied by snorting and sniffing of said blood back up his nostrils. I thought that I was going to pass out and that my mom was going to hurl. Very long story short, dude had nose surgery on Monday. That day he was driving home, blacked out and ran his car into his neighbor's house. Got brought to the ER, found a hematoma in his nose, cut it out (hence the gushing blood), was leaving the ER, sneezed and, in his words, "torpedo shot the nose tampons out of his nose". Further gushing ensued and he now was my roommate. Awesome.

By 1am, I had an ultrasound and an MRI and was finally settled in a room. When it looked like I wouldn't be going anywhere soon, Jared and my mom switched duties and he spent the night up at Methodist with me.

Surgery took place at 11am on Thursday and after a long wait and a really bad nurse in recovery, I was settled back in my room minus an organ by 3pm.

We spent last night up at Methodist but just got back home and I plan on taking it easy the next few days.

So that's the long and lengthy account of the appendix. There's a little more to the story but we'll get in to that later.

Thumbs Up Thursday - MIA

2011-08-11T09:04:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lack of Thumbs Up but I've landed myself in the hospital with appendicitis. I'll be having that little useless organ removed around 11:30am today so I leave you hanging on the edge of your seat for your dose of Thumbs Up until next week! I do, however, have some pretty entertaining ER stories from check in last night...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Celebrating a Birthday & bellyBUTTON

2011-08-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

Buttons, buttons and more buttons

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Everyone was so generous and we have a huge donation to make this week!

Celebrating the new bellybutton!

Sunscreen all around

Fun with Friends

Swimming in the pool

Pizza, fruit salad, cupcakes and butterfly balls

And lots of hydration - it was hot!

Blowing out the candle

Tasting the icing

Getting into the cupcake

Fully enjoying the birthday cupcakes!

Happy birthday Harper!

First Birthday Letter

2011-08-04T19:43:00.000-05:00

My dear, little Squirrel,

One year - ONE YEAR!!! Can you even believe it? Well, I'm sure you can't since time is awfully irrelevant to you these days. But your parents are floored! We can't believe how quickly this year has gone by.

You are, simply said, amazing. I am so impressed with your strength and courage. To think that this time last year, we were terrifying at what the year would hold. Don't get me wrong, we've had our ups and downs. But from the second you were born on August 4, 2010, you have defied the odds, left the doctors in wonder, given your father and me a true belief in faith and hope and been an answer to so many prayers. I can remember having to hold you down daily while you were in the NICU so that we could put your bandages on. You would sit quietly, looking around, like you knew that what was happening was for the best. And you bounced right back after your surgery this summer! You are one tough cookie!

You are also the most easy going child a parent could ask for. Your smile can light up a room and bring tears to your momma's eyes. You are curious but cautious, always making sure you can master a task before you dive into trying it. You love to be out and about and you love to people watch. We sometimes have to have talks that its rude to stare at strangers but you don't care. You usually have them waving and googly-eyed by the time you're done.

You are so delicate and dainty. Where did you get this??? Certainly not from me. I can see the little lady you'll one day be.

You have given me a purpose to my life. I never thought that "Mom" would become my most important job title but I love my job and I'll happily claim my title any day.

Thank you for the laughter and smiles you bring our family. Thank you for your sweet nature and random kisses you like to dispense. Thank you for loving your parents as much as you do. And thank you for making our days complete.

I love you little birthday girl!

Mommy