36 Weeks Today

It's the beginning of the end. Now the baby can officially come and not be considered pre-mature. So that's good news, because my stomach is running out of room for the wiggly baby girl inhabiting it. She can't come out of there for 2 weeks though, because my doctor had to have unexpected surgery and is recovering for 2 weeks. Now watch...she'll be stubborn (where does she get that?haha) and come early just to show me who's boss.

I feel pretty good, except for the normal ache's and pains you get at the end of pregnancy. My blood pressure is still holding steady, and I'm not all swelled up like last time. I've done good on my weight gain so far (3 weeks ago was the last check, but I have one on Friday) with only gaining 14lbs. I'm excited to have her so I can go back on Weight Watchers, and fit into my cute clothes again. Is that weird? I was like that with Byron too. I would sit there and watch The Biggest Loser on TV and be jealous that they could excercise. LOL

So I'll try to keep you all posted on my progress. But nothing eventful should happen for another couple weeks.

Christmas Letter 2008

So as some of you know, I planned to send out a Christmas letter this year. Well, Christmas Eve is in 2 days and I haven't done it yet. So I don't know if I will. LOL So I'm posting it here. Enjoy!

Dear Friends & Family,
I hope the 2008 version of the Unruh Christmas letter finds you all well, and happy. I have to say it has been a very interesting year in many ways, but quickly gone. Fast away the old year passes, as the song says, and it is so true. As I’m writing this there are only 30 days until Christmas, which used to seem like a long time, but now has me in a hurry to finish this and get it out.
Byron just turned 2 at the end of October, and has definitely taken on the role of “terror.” He was one already, but it seems to have more ferocity behind it now. (What was I saying about the year passing quickly? I hope this one does!) He’s very energetic, and animated. He does very well with his speech, and other developmental milestones, and for that we are very thankful. He loves anything with wheels, and a motor, but tractors especially. His newest interest is in helping mom cook. We’re expecting another child at the end of January, and it’s supposed to be a girl. Hopefully, the ultrasound is right, because one of each sounds perfect to me. I am curious to see how Byron will handle sharing Mommy, but I think he will be a good big brother. It may take some time though!
Ryan has been keeping busy with work as usual. Diesel prices and hay prices are very high this year, and that has had some effect on business this fall. We’re expecting that to clear up soon when there is no pasture left. He’s still enjoying his new truck that we purchased last fall. We sold the old one, finally, as the end of October. That couldn’t have come at a better time with economy as it is. He’s interested in getting into farming his own alfalfa in the near future, so he will be both growing and hauling.
I’m keeping myself busy also. Besides being pregnant and taking care of a toddler; I have a few activities of my own. I’m still running the Moms Group here in town. Many of the moms had their second child this year or are currently pregnant. So we’re about to double the number of children in the group! I also took on a position as Secretary of our Home Owner’s Association. At times it seems like a very thankless job, but someone has to do it. I renewed my passion for reading this year and it feels really good to have my nose in a book again. Although I don’t think Ryan and Byron are as excited that I found a way to distract myself. There have been several attempts to hide Mom’s books.
This has been a tough year for many people, but our greatest wish is that the holiday season brings joy to each of you. We are thinking of you all and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Happy Holidays 2008!
Love,
Anna, Ryan, Byron & (Coming soon!) Lillie

For your disjointed viewing

Our satellite reciever is on the fritz. It resets itself every 5 minutes, but only when you're watching something interesting. I think it's possessed. Of course I called the DirecTv tech support. They are so helpful "Is your reciever plugged in?" "Is the green light on?" "Have you tried turning it off and back on again to restart it? (I don't need to it's doing it on it's own!) Apparently, most people who have satellite aren't big critical thinkers. So after significant amounts of eye rolling I say to her "Look, it's been plugged in the same way and working for 4 years. I don't think it's a loose power cord."

Tech lady "Oh you'd be surprised what it is...the smallest thing can make a big difference."

So being the smart person I am, and knowing that the reciever is taking a dive, I say I've decided to upgrade to the DVR model. This gets her on the right track to get it fixed. Now we just have to watch the TV reset every 5 minutes for the next week.

It's probably for the best. It will help us get out of a tv rutt! Although, I might have something to say when Grey's Anatomy is on this Thursday and I miss something good. ;)

Crapple Cup

The Cougs won the Apple Cup again this year! WHOO HOO! We have "bragging" right's for the next year now. Although, both teams have lost their quarterbacks, and several other players, which made the teams pretty equal in suckage. An announcer on the radio said they should call it the "Crapple Cup" this year, because both teams were so bad. haha We actually didn't Coug-it this year. We did it the right way, and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat! Ahhh it feels good.

Oh well, a win is a win! 16-13 Cougs in OT....eat that Huskies. ;)

Goobye Grandma

Last night I woke up from a dream thinking of my Dad. A few seconds later the phone rang, and it was him calling to tell me my Grandma Viv passed away. She had taken a turn for the worse in September after having a stroke, and then several infections. We had been expecting her to pass away soon, but no one knew when. Even though I'm prepared for it I can't stop crying off and on. I'm going to miss her.

She was a wonderful grandma to me. She always had lots of delicious cookies, and food ready when you went to visit. You never left her house hungry. A couple of times in the past I have interviewed her for history projects about strong women. Her story is on record now at Washington State University, and I'm very glad that I submitted her as my subject. She lived a very full life. She was the oldest of 10 children. Her mother died when she was 15, and she took on care for the family. She was a Manager at Safeway during World War II, but gave up her position when the "boys came home." She worked at Safeway for 30 years. By the time she left there, she knew almost everyone in town. (She had so many friends that there were over 200 people at her 80th birthday.) She loved to dance. When I came back to Washington for college I went and stayed with her for a week or so, and she wanted to take me to a dance with her. She taught me to 10 step polka in nothing but her bra and underwear. That will be one of my favorite memories of her for the rest of my life. I know where I get my love of dancing. More recently, after college we became closer. We talked about more difficult life things like marriage, and family problems. She helped me through some tough times, and I learned a lot about what she's been through. It only made me admire her more. I'm glad I talked to her about those things, before her memory started to deteriorate. Otherwise, I may never have known, because those aren't things that family talks about much. I'm going to miss her very much, but I know she lived a full 91 years, and that no small thing.

~Vivian Laura Tollefson Hewitt Rousu

May 29, 1917- November 16, 2008

May she rest in peace.

SOLD!

We FINALLY sold the old semi today. It's been up for sale for 11 months. I honestly gave up hope that it would sell. I thought with the economy being so bad, and diesel prices still high we wouldn't see it happen anytime soon. Out of the blue someone came and bought it today. I was practically running in to turn over the keys and the title. This means we are back on track to paying off our debt. We paid off our business expenses, and set aside money for taxes. So now our extra money can go back to paying off our personal debt like before. What a relief! With Christmas, and the baby coming along in the next couple months this is perfect timing.

I think I have a perma-grin! haha

My Little Boy is 2 today!

Two years ago today, at 6:29 a.m. my little boy made his entrance into the world. He weighed 7lbs 3oz, and was 18.5" long.

This is him at his 1st birthday party.

This is my little goofy, sweet, energetic boy today. My how things have changed. He used to be so small that I could hold him for hours and not get tired. Now I can only hold him for a few minutes, before my arms get tired. He can run away from his pregnant mommy very fast, and he's an excellent climber. He gives sweet kisses, and tells me "I Ov so much" while spreading his arms wide. He can count to three, and say over 100 words. He is my little buddy! He's such a big boy!

Happy Birthday Byron!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Fall Cleaning

We have had 2 very productive weekends in the Unruh house. Last weekend, we finally got motivated to weed around the hedges, spread the bark mulch that has been sitting there for a year and a half, and trim the hedge. It felt so great to get that done! Plus, now we don't have a big pile of bark in our driveway, so we can actually park. AND no spider nests! *shudder* It looks so nice. Since we waited so long we get the full benefit of seeing our project stay weed free until spring sometime! haha Then this weekend, we tackled the dungeon...er...garage. Now everything is nicely put in it's place and we got rid of some lingering junk that made it through the last 2 garage organizations. Of course the house could use a good cleaning as well, but I have to do that anyway. We're having people over for cake and ice cream on Saturday to celebrate Byron turning two. Hopefully I will remember tomorrow to post his birthday blog!

Fall is here!

Byron "driving" the semi.

I haven't written a blog for about 2 weeks, so I decided it was time to post again. Not a whole lot of fun things going on right now. With Ryan's post surgery bills, and the time off we're pretty stressed out about money right now. We always get through it, and I'm trying to remind myself of that, but it gets old. So I'm working on making a new budget and trying to cut out some costs here and there to help. It's sort of a game, but not one I like to play. haha

Tuesday was my 27th birthday, and it went very well. I woke up to some great notes and messages from friends with lots of Christian Bale pictures. NOW, that is the way to start of a day. ;) Then a friend took me to lunch at Dana's. I came home and finished my book, and then went to dinner with Ryan and Byron. I purposely avoided all things to do with work or cleaning, and it helped me enjoy the day. We also finally got our refund check, which helped a bit.

I cannot believe my son is going to be 2 in a couple of weeks. Time really does go by quickly. Even though he's a challenge at times, I wouldn't replace those sweet kisses and smiles for the world. Today, he taught himself how to do a somersault. I kid you not! I didn't show him at all. I was so stinkin' proud! I wish I could put him in gymnastics, but I really hesitate to take him to A.I.M. now that I have a deep understanding of their business practices. Too bad Wenatchee and TriCities are so far away. ;)

Ryan's surgery has REALLY improved his moods lately. It's almost annoying, because he's a totally different person. Much happier, and much more energetic. He picks on me constantly like a big brother or something. Even though it put us in a bind financially it will be wonderful for our relationship, so I'm glad we didn't wait. Especially with baby on the way. I could use more energy and smiles from him. Here is a picture of him waiting for his surgery. ;) See what I mean about his mood? :)

What's the word Big Bird?

This is a random post I guess, so bare with me.

We went to the doctor again, and she did another ultrasound (she was curious too) and we've decided it's a girl. So that is really exciting! Now I'll have one of each, and I won't feel pressured to have another child just to get a girl. We're going to name her Lillie Ellen. Both of my great-grandmothers were named Lillie & Lillian, and it's also Ryan's favorite flower. The middle name is my friend Val's. It's the best middle name I could come up with from someone I cared about that wasn't over used and didn't start with L. haha Plus, I think it has a pretty flow to it.

Ryan is healing up pretty well from his surgery now. He has his 1 month follow-up on Monday. So we'll know for sure how things are then, but he said he is breathing better now.

Byron is doing great. Busy as usual, and learning new words still daily. He's having some issue with going to sleep now after we went on a trip this weekend. I don't know if it's because he slept with me one night or what, but he wants me to cuddle him to sleep everynight. Weird. He normally just lays down and goes right to sleep, so this is really annoying. haha I mean, it's cute in it's own way, but I want to go back to the easy bedtime/naptime routine.

3rd Anniversary

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary. We were supposed to find out the sex of the baby today, but the tech couldn't get a clear shot. She couldn't see any boy parts, but she couldn't see any girl parts either. So she said "well, I would guess a girl, but I'm only 60% sure." Grrrr! That's basically the same as not knowing. So I will see if I can get another view at it in a week or two. I was also only measuring 18 weeks again (I'm supposed to be 20 weeks by my estimated due date.) Since the last 2 ultrasounds have measured 18 weeks, I think she might be moving our due date back to February 5th. It's cool though, because that is the day before Ryan's birthday.
Anyway, Ryan got me flowers, and we went out to dinner as a family. Nothing to crazy, but we're kind of tight on cash right now with taxes coming up and medical bills and new truck tires. So...we celebrated small. I still feel like this is a big accomplishment. 3 years of marriage and almost 4 years together. That's longer than I've ever been in a relationship, so to me it seems like a long time. Yet, I am going to be attending my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary soon. That just seems like forever! Especially considering how trying marriage has been for us so far. I know some people it comes easier to than others. Ryan and I have very different personalities, but they are both strong and stubborn ones. So we do argue quite a bit, but on the other hand I feel like I can say whatever is on my mind to him, and not be afraid. I've never had that before. He's a very honest and upfront person, and I really respect that about him. I've always been a people pleaser (that drives him crazy.) So even though we are different I think we compliment each other with our strengths.
Plus, we make beautiful children together...not that I'm biased or anything. haha

A Bink-Free Zone & The Mad Talker

Everyone put your hands in the air, and wave them like you just don't care, because Byron doesn't need a Binky anymore! Whoo hoo. 1 week ago, Byron lost his last beloved Bink at a store. A while ago I made up my mind as soon as he lost that last one it was over. No more. I was really hoping this would happen before his 2nd Birthday, and look. IT DID! He still asks for it everyday, but I just say "sorry you lost it, it's bye-bye." Which leads me to my next topic of discussion. When he has his Bink in his mouth it's harder to understand what he is saying. So this week (Bink-free) I made a list of all the words he says. So far I'm up to at least 80 words. It makes me so proud! He learns a new word almost everyday, so it's possible by his birthday he could have around 100 words. Plus, it's just wonderful to be able to communicate with him. He still uses his signs a little, but usually he says the word with the sign. I would recommend teaching signs to any child, because it has been such a great help for us in communicating. When I started teaching him many people would say to me "if you teach him that he won't talk til he's 3." Oh really....he's talking a lot if you ask me! Besides, sign-language is a language of it's own. If he learns the word and the sign then he's really more bi-lingual. Even if he only knew signs it would be better than nothing at all! Do you know how many tantrums result from not being able to communicate their needs? It really helps alleviate that! Anyway, I'm just so proud of my little bug for his small accomplishments, and I had to share!

Tonsilectomy Files Part Duex

Well, Ryan had the tonsils out last week. What a ride that has been. The day of surgery went well, and he came home a little after 3pm. He had some trouble with the pain medicine the first night, and painted the bathroom with puke. Luckily, he had only had water or broth all day, so it wasn't too gross to clean up. I am a notorious "sympathy puker," but since having kids and dogs I have become a bit better about it. I just try to remember I love them, and say "it's not gross, it's not gross" over and over in my head. haha
Saturday night he started bleeding profusely again, so we had to make a trip to the ER. They patched him up with some "clot stop," and sent us on our way. The next two days proceeded without incident, but Tuesday morning I was awakened to "we have to go to the hospital again." So off we went, and 4 bleeds later they decided to take him back into surgery. He got a couple of stitches, and they had him spend the night. Talk about stressful and exhausting. It was so hard for me to see him like that, and to have to try to go in between the hospital and home. I wanted to be there for him, but I also had to take care of Byron. Toddlers and hospital equipment do not mesh well! It turned out to be the best thing for him though. They really monitored his condition and got the swelling to go down immensely. So he's on his way to feeling better, and day dreaming of cheeseburgers, pizza, Doritos, and Chinese food. ;) He's hardly eaten anything in the last week. So far he's lost about 15lbs, and no sign of being able to eat much for a while.

Fishing with Grandpa

Saturday we took a little road trip with my sister to see my dad and Kathi. We hadn't been to TriCities for a few months, so it was time. We had a lot of fun riding down with Leah and joking around. When we got there Kathi had a pillow she made for Byron....a COUGAR pillow. Awesomeness! Then we took the boat out for a few hours to do some fishing. As you can see Byron enjoyed "driving the boat." This

is probably one of the best pictures of him I've snapped in a while. Sitting still AND smiling! We didn't catch anything, but it was still nice to go out in the boat. Here is another picture of my three favorite guys in the world. We finished off the day by going out to dinner at Red Lobster, and doing a few quick shopping errands while we were in the "big city." A pretty good Saturday! I was pretty tired by the time we got home though. ;)

Creepy & Annoying

Being as I'm alone all the time at night, and now a mother, I get a little freaked out when I hear noises and things out of the ordinary.

Last night I had a headache before I went to bed, so I took a Tylenol PM. When I take that I am usually OUT, and the only thing that wakes me up is Byron (You know the Mother Spideysense). Anyway, last night at like 2:15am I woke up to some booming base, and thought it was coming from my living room. That's how loud it was. We live in a semi-rural neighborhood, so nights are usually quiet. I got up out of bed, and not that quickly either. I opened my back door and looked out. There was a white car driving around our loop going less than 10 mph with music blaring. Usually if something like that happens they turn into the neighbors driveway (they have 2 teenagers.) This one didn't, so I quickly turned on the porch light and it sped up and drove off.

It creeped me out, so I called Ryan. (A benefit of having a husband that drives all night...I can call him whenever.) He said a few nights last week he left the house between 12am and 2am and there were people standing in the road with their car parked in front of the house being built across the street. People our age, which we are really young for this neighborhood.

So I called the sheriff and asked them to do a patrol. I've never called them before. Now I'm all skeezed out, and thinking about setting my alarm to wake me up at 2am to watch and see if the car drives by again. Obviously no one would blast their music while they were trying to rob someone, but that doesn't mean they won't be back.
*QUICK TOSS ME A TINFOIL HAT!*

Tagged

I've been tagged by katie...

20 years ago I was....In Kindergarten. There are only a few things I remember about my first year of school. 1) I got made fun of for my freckles by a kid with freckles. 2) I split my chin open playing tail tag and had to get seven stitches. 3) I was constantly being harassed by the girls to chase the boys and try to kiss them. To which I replied "you don't kiss boys you play army men with them." 4) That was the last year I wore dresses regularily. I became a sort of a tomboy after that.
5 years ago I was.... I was 21. So I spent a lot of time going out dancing and having drinks at the bars in Pullman. Not as much as some people. I was in college, and working part-time. I didn't have a boyfriend. I loved to go hang out with my friends and I spent less time studying than I should have. That was the fun year. The next year after that my school work demanded a lot more of my time, and I got bored of partying too much. I still did, but way less than my friends.
So far this past year I... started a Moms Group in town exactly a year ago with 5 members and it has turned into almost 30. I lost a bunch of weight, and then gained it back trying to get pregnant. I did get pregnant though, so that was worth it. I started sleeping most of the night again, and subsequently got a better memory. I wonder if those are connected.
Yesterday I.... Went to my sister-in-laws wedding. Byron was the ring bearer. It was a very long day, but I'm so happy for them.
Next year I will.... hopefully finally be out of debt. Be a mother of 2! I don't know what else after that. Those are my main focus now.
I tag.... whoever is reading this and has a blog/time.

The Big Boy Bed

Well, it's been a week since we switched Byron to his big boy bed. I have to say it went better than expected. I was planning to wait as long as possible to convert his crib to the toddler bed, but last Saturday he learned how to climb out. He did it once on his own, and then I made him show me how he did it. It was a Spiderman-like climb/jump out. After seeing that I had no question that we were done staying in the crib. I had originally planned just to put him in a twin size bed, but since there is 6 months until the baby will be born it seemed like converting it was the easiest way to go.
The first night was a little rough. He was afraid, and didn't feel as secure without the rails. After that it went pretty smoothly. There was one night where he didn't stay in bed and fall asleep until 8:30pm and then woke up at 5:30am. Beyond that night he's done fine. No crying now when I put him to sleep. He's finally doing good. He's fallen out of bed twice now. The first time he woke up screaming, but last night he fell out and just stayed there. I went up and put him back to bed of course, but I thought it was hilarious that he was so tired he didn't even care.

Tonsilectomy Files

Recently we've been afraid Ryan had sleep apnea. He was stopping breathing during sleep for several seconds and then stirring awake. So we made an appointment with the family doctor last week, and she checked him out. It seems Ryan has the second largest tonsils she's ever seen. The size of quarters. So he was referred to a ENT specialist who indeed confirmed that he would have to have his tonsils removed. Your tonsils are supposed to shrink as you get older and not grow. Apparently, a tonsilectomy is a 10 out of 10 on the surgery pain scale. He won't be able to eat much for 2 weeks, so I'm starting to take bets on how much weight he loses. No cheeseburgers for him for a while! He goes under the knife on Aug. 29, and is supposed to take the full two weeks off of work. He is somehow planning to go back to work within the first week. We'll see. We will see. The most annoying thing to me about this whole large tonsil nonsense is that he went to the Urgent Care in May because he was having trouble swallowing and they brushed it off like nothing. Even if his tonsils were swollen, don't you think they would look way bigger than normal? They are already huge. Strike three for the Urgent Care. I'm tired of them!

Things I Love

My friend Katie posted a blog like this and I liked it, so I'm swiping it.

Things I love:
1) the smell of the sage brush after it rains
2) the sound killdeer make; it's like home to me
3) kisses from my baby boy
4) snuggling with my hubby
5) a cup of hot cocoa even in the summer
6) cherry 7-up
7) fall - the crispness in the air, and the leaves
8) pumpkin pie, pumpkin candles, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes..YUM
9) the holidays and holiday music
10) Pullman - I miss it there.
11) the seaside
12) thunderstorms
13) music I can dance to
14) hugs from friends and family
15) being a Coug
16) plants and flowers
17) being a mom
18) dogs
19) watching movies
20) the smell of cedar

I will have to add to the list later. I have a good start though.

First OB Appointment

I had my first appointment on Wednesday. Everything looked good. The heartbeat was 160, and I got to see the baby on an ultrasound. It was moving all around and being very active. Another very active little one. Next time Byron is staying with Grandma while I go to the doctor. He refused to take a nap that day and we had to be there for 2.5 hrs. Hell is a waiting room with a no-nap toddler. haha

Anyway, next Tuesday I will be 12 weeks. So I'll be out of the dreaded first trimester. I'm hoping this pregnancy is a little easier than the first. I am able to take better care of myself eating and sleeping-wise since I'm home all day. Boy on those days when I don't get to take a nap I sure feel it. It's amazing how much of a difference a little snooze makes.

What was I thinking?

I feel horrible. I guess I conviently forgot that I felt totally nauseous for the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy last time, and then started throwing up at 13 weeks. Just the idea that it might last until I'm 18 or 19 weeks like with Byron is so exhausting. I wish I could pull a sleeping beauty and wake up when the morning sickness ends. Plus, it's finally nice outside, and all I want to do is sit still so I don't barf. haha
I'm thinking this might be the last kid. If I'm going to have to be sick like this with every one, than two is enough for me. Plus, Ryan's parents want us to take over the business and if this is the last one that would give me plenty of time to learn the book work and everything once the kids are both over 3. *le sigh*

Finally Pregnant

We've finally achieved pregnant status. What a relief! After a while it just starts to feel like a job, and everyone around you is getting pregnant. It just sucks the fun out of it. We finally did it though. All it took was getting fat again. haha No seriously...I stopped watching my weight (it wasn't going anywhere anyway) and viola I'm pregnant. I figured I was fat last time I got pregnant so what's the difference. Look at the gorgeous kid I produced that time! I can always lose the weight again.
I don't know how many kids we are going to have. Two to four was the plan, but I think after this one we're going to play it by ear. I'm not having another one until Byron is ready for school though. So next time I'll have longer in between to lose the weight.
Oh you probably want to know the due date, it's January 29th unofficially. I say that because I don't have my first doctor's appointment until July 9th and then I will get the official date. I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl. That's so far off though. Not until the end of September most likely. I don't even care which it is, but I just like to know. Another boy would be cool. I love my boy! Another girl would be great...one of each. Although the idea of a teenage girl is terrifying at the moment. I know it's two different sets of problems. A boy is more likely to get hurt, but girls are so emotional and susceptible to boys. Ergg.

Anyway, I'm super excited either way. Byron is ready for a nap, so I have to be going.

Another Month Gone!

So here it is another month passed and I haven't written a single Blog. DOH! I'm not very good at this blogger thing. Maybe that's why I never kept a diary as a girl...too forgetful. Or maybe it has to do with thinking my everyday monotony is not interesting.

Anyway it's been another month, but a busy one. It really flew by! We spent a good portion of the month looking at house we wanted to buy. It was really exciting and we spent a lot of time putting together our offers and financial stuff to the bank. But...we insulted the seller with our offer. So that didn't work out. haha Oh well! He wants too much for his orange carpet and green appliances.

We also went to Seattle and took Byron to the Aquarium. That was lots of fun! This is him with the River otters. They are right behind him pushed against the glass snoozing. It was really busy on the day we went. Next time I take him to the Zoo I'm going during the week. Less people standing in front of the animals. He loved the touch pools though. On that trip we also went to visit my friend Val and see her new baby girl. So precious! She makes these funny little grumpy noises. This is us on the carosel on the Seattle Waterfront...Byron thought it was awesome.

We finished off the month with some Memorial Day festivities. Byron and I walked with the Moms Group in the Kiddie Parade. It rained the whole time and then stopped as soon as the parade was over. Go figure! Then on Sunday we had our friends Brad and Jama over for a BBQ. That was nice and relaxing. they brought their little baby boy with them too.

Byron started running through the sprinkler too. I have some great pics of that when I get my new camera's software loaded and all.

Some Byron updates for this month: new words bubble, boo boos, thank you, No!, and Bye! (those last two he actually sounds like a big person when he says, but he's been saying them baby talk for a while)

This is my kid with liquid eyeliner on his face. Yes...not easy to get out, but hilarious.

Busy, but Boring

So it's been a couple of weeks since I've written a new blog. I guess there hasn't been anything too exciting going on. We've been staying busy, but mostly just with the everyday things. Byron has found his favorite toy finally, which is kind of cute. He loves Thomas the Train. When we went to Wal Mart a while ago I got him a little model of Gordon (the other blue train), because they didn't have any Thomas ones. He loves it. He eats with it, he sleeps with it, and he bathes with it. I was wondering when he would be attached to a toy, but I guess it just took finding the right one.
This weekend we finally had some decent weather to do some gardening. So we went to Home Depot and the Nursery, and got a bunch of potted plants and bulbs to plant. We do this every year, and we still have lots of space to fill. I've been trying to concentrate on buying things that are hardy, so I don't have to dig them up in the fall (I always forget until it's too late). I also want things that spread out quite a bit, since we have a large yard. We sort of need things that can fill in the space. Ryan always picks out a million kinds of lilies. So the next people that own our house are going to think we had a strange obsession with them. My current favorite is my succulents. I'm so fascinated by how easy they are to propagate. I have one kind that I planted 2 years ago that is really doing well, and I just break little pieces of it off and put them somewhere else...voila new plants!
We still haven't sold Ryan's truck. We have a man that is very interested in it, but he wants to sell his truck first, so I'm not sure how long that could take. Everyone cross your fingers that it's soon! Making two truck payments stresses me out.
Well, I think that's all I have to say for now. I hope everyone is doing well.

Illness from Hell!

Well, so much for our 4 month healthy streak. Sometime in the last few days we came in contact with the Super Bug. It has our whole family laid out. Literally! Byron got it first. Toddlers throwing up spontaneously and without warning is NOT good. Luckily, sometime after I gave birth I stopped throwing up at the sight of someone else throwing up. Or maybe it just works when it's my kid and I feel bad for him.
The next day I woke up feeling fine. Had 2 glasses of water and an omelet, and immediately began to regret my choice of breakfast. I knew it was probably going to come up later. So I tried to stay laying down as much as possible. Byron was sick still so he would cuddle some, but he also wanted to play, and have mommy get him every little thing just like any normal day. About 3pm I made my 5th trip to the bathroom and ended up passed out on the bathroom floor. I couldn't move for 45 min, and all I could think of was I have a toddler running around with no supervision. Once I could move (I did that only because I had to) I crawled to the living room and got the phone. Of course everyone was gone just then. It took about an hour to get someone over to watch Byron, so I could crawl in my hole. It was really scary people. I feel a lot better today though. Just achy and tired. Ryan has it now too, and the poor guy has had to work all day doing little bales. I wouldn't be able to do that!

First Easter Egg Hunt

We had our Easter play date for Moms Group today. We have one every Friday, but we usually do a "special" one with food to celebrate holidays. It's a good excuse to eat cookies at 10:00 a.m. So as usual Byron was a little ham. This is a picture of him with the play goggles on. He thought it was hilarious, and went around putting them on everyone first, and then himself. Then he went and crawled in this excersaucer they have in the nursery. (Our playgroup is in a church nursery for the cold months.) The older kids were spinning Byron around for about 20 minutes. He loved it. I'm surprised he didn't get sick, but I guess they weren't spinning him fast enough. I kept wondering why he wasn't tired of it yet, and moving on to the next thing until I realized his legs were stuck in one leg hole. After we finished playing inside and having snack time we went outside for an egg hunt. Byron was more interested in running away than collecting his eggs. I'm sure next year he'll understand what it's all about!

Watching Life Out a Window

Byron has come up with a new favorite way to pass the time. He sits at either the front or back window and watches life. The front window is usually his favorite, because there is more action with cars passing, and people walking by. Today they dropped off the lumber for a new structure being built across the street, and he watched the whole time. It must have been a good half-hour, but it facinated him. I think it's the cutest thing. The other day Byron and I came in from doing yard work before Ryan was finished with his mowing. Byron just sat at the window watching him mow and pointing at "daddy." He also found his sunhat, and likes to wear that inside. It made for a cute picture I think.

Spring is here

What a great time to start a blog, since we're actually able to get out and do more. The weather here has been nice. It got up to the low 60s this week. It was so wonderful. Byron and I went for some walks and played on the swingset. We got Daddy to mow the lawn (aka pick up the dog poo), and we pruned the trees and roses. Some of my day lillies are starting to send up shoots. All good signs that the spring is here. We can hardly wait for summer when we can go swimming, and to the park. There are lots of exciting things to come this year. I am going to let Byron attempt his first easter egg hunt as well.

Okay I would write more, but the kiddo is causing a ruckus in the office, and it's not very helpful.