A Quickie

This morning, Cassie saw a picture of her and 2 of her baby dolls. She said, "Oh...precious!" in a sing-song/dreamy sort of voice. It was too, too funny! That's my quickie for today!




DIRTY MINDS! Get your mind out of the gutter!!!

Not much time

...to update that is. This will be brief. I just wanted to update so that I didn't get nasty comments about updating. :) I know...I'm the nasty commenter, but......

I am simply going to brag on my daughter. Everyone finds their child amazing...I am no different. However, I truly believe that she is above average in her critical thinking skills at this point. She just amazes me with the things that she puts together and understands conceptually. I remember a time when my niece, Caitlin, was around 2 (maybe younger, maybe older...I'm not really sure. She's incredibly intelligent, herself). She realized that the ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle were the same song. I thought that it was just unbelievably intelligent at her age. Last night, Cassie was singing, "ABCDEFGHIJK....." She looked at me puzzled and said, "Twinkle, twinkle little star???" It clicked in her head that it was the same tune. From my experience, most adults do not even realize that it is the same tune, so I just find it so hard to believe that a 19-month-old heard the tune and thought of the other words (by the way...in case you didn't know...bah, bah, black sheep is the same tune, too).

That's all. I just think that she's amazing. :) She is. :) If you disagree, well, don't disagree! :) If you have kids, chances are I think that they are amazing too. Kids just amaze me with their comprehension. Amazing! :)

Mystery Dinner...no, not murder...

Sorry for those of you who aren't from church...this is kind of a "business" post. :)

So, I have a great idea for an outreach between LINKS get-together. I was thinking maybe with the empty nesters. Here's the idea: A Mystery Dinner. As my title says, no, not a murder mystery...just mystery. Let me tell you the gist/jist (however you spell that word) of it and you all tell me what you think.

First, we decide on a theme and menu. For instance, when I did it in high school, it was at St. Patrick's day time, so we had everything decorated in green and our "mystery" clues (explained below) were irish-themed.

Basically, you take each thing on your menu from the main course, the forks, spoons, etc., bread, butter, dessert, you name it...if they use it during the meal (excluding plates...they're complimentary), :) then you give it a code name. When we did the Irish theme, carrot coins were gold coins. Our green beans were something about clovers. Anyway, the menu that your guests get, just have the code names on it. For each course, they pick 4-5 items (based on how many items vs. how many courses you want to have) and then they turn in their choices before the dinner begins. Each course, they get their picks and ONLY their picks. If they get sloppy joe meat with no bun...well...that's just the way it works. If they get their dessert, napkin, fork, and tea as the first course...so be it! They always get water, but that and plates are the only "givens."

It is always quite the riot to see what combinations people will end up with. We did it where each table ordered all together so that they all got the same course each time. We had an older lady eating lasagna with her menu. Quite hilarious!

Anyway, I just think that this would be a great way for the Young Couples class to kind of bridge the gap with the class that is right next door that we never, ever do anything with OR with the teens...whatever people would be up for. Let me know what you girls think! I could give a sample menu if anyone doesn't get it. You know I'm not very precise while pregnant... :)

Well, hello........

I know I've been a slacker lately. It's been a looooooong few weeks. I've been tired...oh, so tired. I've been overwhelmed by normal life. I've been trying to get Christmas stuff done (yeah, we haven't even pulled the decoration boxes out of storage yet...not so sure it's gonna happen this year...). Did I mention that I've been tired?

Here's why I'm lamenting the tiredness so much. It just hit like 2 to 2-1/2 weeks ago. I should have hit it at the beginning and it should be IMPROVING by now...not starting. That's why I'm perplexed. So now, I find myself extremely worn out with little to no energy. At any given moment, my house is typically in sub-disaster mode (that means that it could almost be declared a national disaster, but I do just enough to keep from that). I just don't have the umph to keep up! However, there is a plus side to it. On days when I have my daycare kids, something kicks into overdrive and I do alright the whole day. It really is amazing the way a mother can perform when she absolutely has to. I'm not so sure that daddies have that in them without years of practice! :) God has certainly been good to me in giving me that extra strength on the days that really count!

So, I'm really tired I say...so why the heck am I up blogging at 10:30 p.m.?!? Well, I napped on the way home from Ta-Town today (that's Wichita...my hometown) and now find myself unable to slow down the body/mind/etc. to make myself go up and lay down. A nice, warm bath sure sounds good, though...

Cassie continues to amaze me further. We watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse every morning. There is a character named Tootles. He provides their mouse-ka-tools (not sure how they would spell that). When they need his help, they say, "OH TOOTLES!" and he comes. Well, Cassie loves that...that's her favorite part. So, I usually say, "OH....." and she'll say, "OH TOOTLES!" The other day, I said, "OH...." and she said, "God, are my God...la, la, la, praise you..." She was singing Step By Step! She knows that she knows "seek...in...morning..." and "Step bah step..." I just couldn't believe my ears! It's from her Praise Baby videos and I just think that it is absolutely priceless that she is learning those songs at such a tender age! Now, if only I could get her to cooperate and sing the kid songs like Jesus Love Me, which she typically only wants me to sing! She does sing parts of Jesus Loves the Little Children, though.

We have a drop-in house guest tonight, tomorrow, and possibly longer. It's a lady from my church back home that got stranded here due to the weather. She's the sweetest thing, so she should be a very pleasant houseguest. Let's just hope she doesn't go nuts Wednesday when I have all of my daycare kiddos here!

Well, that's about all I have to say for tonight. If I don't get a drink soon, I think that I may ralph, so I need to go get some water. Everyone take care, stay warm (for goodness' sake!), and I'll catch 'ya on the flip side!

Tired

So, I'm still feeling really tired. Not sure what the deal is. I laid down at 6:15-ish tonight because my back was hurting (it always hurts) and Mark was here, so I was able to do that while he watched Cassie. Next thing I knew, he was waking me up to tell Cassie good night at 8:25. SHEESH! I hadn't even cleaned up dinner! Guess those leftovers are going in the trash!

Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm tired. That's all. Good night! :)

UPDATED PICS

So, I was doing my daycare and house cleaning "stuff" today and thought to myself, "MAN! Baby feels really huge today!" So, I had Mark take some update pics of me and was rather surprised at how they looked! Here I am in all my glory at 11-1/2 weeks. On the right, you'll see me in the exact same outfit at 12 weeks with Cassie. I thought that that would be a good comparison...same outfit...same general weeks. Here you go:

OH GOLLY....................

DOPPS CAMP

SO, here's the lowdown on Dopps Camp. First, a list:

My back
Activities
The STINKIN tunnels
Sleep
Bathroom Fun
Time without Grandpa

Camp was a lot of fun, though kind of crazy this year...I'll get to that in a moment. First of all, we get there...get unpacked...get our beds made...Devon's back spasms. Yeah...not so fun. It got better, though and the weekend was A-OK backwise after that.

We had lots of fun activities at camp this year. We did flower arranging, cake decorating, painting, and a mechanical bull (not me...I'm preggo, you know!). I did rather well at the cake decorating and it was kind of fun to confirm that I do gots skills! :)

So, they had this huge tunnel system at this camp for the kiddos. It was like Discovery Zone if you all remember that...basically a McDonald's playplace on steroids. Lots of fun....until I went down the slide...twice. All I can say is OUCH! The first time, I had Cassie on my lap. They had told me that they were kind of crazy slides, so I was determined to protect my girl. Little did I know that I would get battered the entire way down. I now have very vicious bruises on both knees and an awful bruise/abrasion on my right elbow. I only had the elbow issue...then I decided to try it again without Cassie. STUPID! Not only did I incur the knee bangs, but I hit my elbow in the EXACT SAME PLACE! STUPID! No more tunnels for me!!!

So...16 people in 1 room...not so much sleepin' going on. The babies had trouble going to sleep and then they kept getting woken up. The 2nd night, my nephew, Ethan, fell out of bed onto the concrete floor around 3:30 or something, which woke his sister up and caused most of us to wake up. Poor thing. I felt so sad for him! WHICH, leads me to my next point...bathroom fun...

Because of the fact that everyone was in that 1 big room with 20 bunk beds, once the babies went to sleep (between 8 and 9 and during nap times), the lights had to be out and we all had to be quiet. SO, we hung out in the bathroom. Did I mention that all of us PLUS another family of my cousins and uncle (and his g/f) were all sharing 1 bathroom with 4 toilets, sinks, and showers. That wasn't fun either. Anyway, we sat in the bathroom in chairs and ate apples, played cards, and talked...until that second night. That's when we were all totally grossed out. It was just me, my sister, and my 2 sis-in-laws. Laura got up to wash her hands or something and said, "EW! LOOK AT THIS BUG! It looks like a little crab!" Then, Mandy said, "SOMEONE'S GOT CRABS!" She was totally joking, but then we were all like, "AHHHHHHH!!!" So, we trapped it and looked it up on the internet (on our phones) and eventually killed it. We decided (well, Laura, Dani, and I decided...Mandy's still not convinced) that it WAS a pubic lice AKA crabs! It looked JUST like it and was disgusting!!! SO...that was our fun in the bathroom...we're all still feeling a little itchy! :)

Well, on to the serious part of my post. This was our first family holiday without my grandpa. We all thought of him often throughout the camp, but it wasn't until the end of our church service that we collectively remembered him. Remember I said that we did flower arranging? Well, they decided to make an arrangement to take to his graveside out of the leftover flowers. When they went to get the flowers, there just so happened to be 10 carnations and 1 white rose left...that was it. My dad is 3rd of 10 children (the carnations) and the white rose was obviously my grandma. So, my 2 aunts arranged this beautiful arrangement with the carnations all around the rose and then told us all about it and the plans to take it by his grave so that camp could come to him since he couldn't come to camp. Much more was said and remembered about him and it was really emotional. It was a good healing time, though, as it was the first time since his funeral that we were all banded together in this way. Our family truly is blessed beyond measure because of the faithfulness of our patriarch, Grandpa Bruce.

Well, that's Dopps Camp in a nutshell. I don't really know what else I can say about it if you've never had a hugemongous family. I wish that each of you could have the opportunity to feel that kind of special bond. Maybe we could adopt you into our family for 1 Dopps Camp and you could see...... :)

I've gotta get Miss Emberley down for her nap, so I'm outta here for now!

All about me

Sorry, girls...this is all I have the brain-power for tonight...simple questions to answer. :) We had a great time at Dopps Camp and I'll try to write about that later.

1. What time did you get up this morning? Which time? We were all in 1 room at Dopps Camp and my nephew, Ethan, fell out of bed at 3:30 and then his baby sister starting crying. BUT, Cassie woke up for the day at 7.

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds--I don't care too much for pearls.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Enchanted...I thought it was kind of lame.

4. What is your favorite TV show? NA NA NA NA NA NA Wanna be on TOP? America's Next Top Model!

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Water

6. What is your middle name? Leigh

7. What food do you dislike? Onions, tomatoes (mostly fresh tomatoes, but I don't like chunks of cooked ones in like chili or whatever either), sausage, other stuff that I can't think of right now.

8. What is your favorite CD? NO idea.

9. What kind of car do you drive? Mazda Millenia.

10. Favorite sandwich? Bacon Turkey Bravo (or is that Turkey Bacon Bravo??? I never remember) from Panera.

11. What characteristic do you despise? Lying, not taking responibility, people who are overly domineering.

12. Favorite item of clothing? SKIN!

13. If you could go anywhere on vacation where would you go? Anywhere warm!!!

14.What color is your bathroom? Platinum gray...that's what the color is called.

15. Favorite brand of clothing? Whatever is comfy-est

16. Where would you like to retire to? Who's thinking about retirement this early?!? I'm just trying to get through the terrible 2's!!!

17. What was your most recent memorable birthday? Hmmmm......I guess the first birthday as a momma? They aren't very exciting past childhood...sad.

18. Favorite sport to watch? Gymnastics

19. Furthest place you are sending this? The world-wide web

20. Who do you least expect to send this back? I never really expect anyone to do it.

21. Person you expect to send it back first? Refer to #20.

22. Favorite sayings? Oh, Mylanta! (though that one is fading) I love, love, love trying to get Cassie to say new things. Right now, I have her saying "SURE!" It's pretty cute. Oh, I also get her to say "COOL!"

23. When is your birthday? September 7.

24. Are you a morning person or a night person? Right now? Neither.

25. What is your shoe size? Depends. I have some sandals that are children's 3-1/2, but my general size is 6-1/2 to 7.

26. Pets? 3 saltwater fish...Mad Max, Scuttles, and Looney (He's a lunar wrasse...it just fit).

27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? UH...I'm pregnant? That's not new news...Uh...I need to pee? Nope...that's not new news either... Guess not. OH, wait. My dad did give us his old laptop (which is only like 6 mo to a year old). I'M excited about that, though I doubt any of you are! :) I do know 2 very exciting things that I can't tell, anyone though.............. :) :) :)

28. What did you want to be when you were little? A mommy and/or a teacher.

29. How are you today? EXHAUSTED!

30. What is your favorite candy? Reese's PB cups and Haribo gummy cola bottles. Those rock my world! DANG! Now I really, really want some! They're harder to find, though...the Haribo brand! CRAVING!!!!!!

31. What is your favorite flower? I don't really know...I just like flowers. I don't really like carnations, but anything else I like quite a bit.

32. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? June 17th (or a week or so before if I have my way) when I'll get to meet my baby! Before that, though, I'm looking forward to my sonogram date, which is yet to be determined.

33. What church do you attend? Overland Park Church of Christ

34.What are you listening to right now? Mark's football game.

35.What was the last thing you ate? A chicken sandwich

36. Do you wish on stars? No, but whenever I see a shooting star, I say to myself "Jehovahjira," which means "God will provide" or "The LORD provides." It's always a good reminder.

37. If you were a crayon what color would you be? Green of some sort...NOT olive green, though...

38. How is the weather right now? Really, really cold. It's about time, though I don't prefer cold weather!

39. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My Momma.

40. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Nope. She kinda smells like cheese. Oh, wait...do you think she'll read this?!? Sure I like her! I like her a lot! :)

41. Favorite soft drink? Coke Classic...the original...yum........

42. Favorite restaurant(s): Hmmm....definitely Cinzetti's. Also Garozzo's and Japanese Steak Houses. I just like food...I could name LOTS.

43. Hair color? Well........the Ronald McDonald red has been fading and now I got it weaved with high and low lights, so it's multi-tonal red, blonde, and dark blonde.

44. Favorite day of the year? Any day that I get to sleep in! :) Just teasing. I like any time spent with my entire family.

45. What was your favorite toy as a child? Oh, golly! I can't answer that! So many!!! Barbies, Rainbow Bright, My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, Popples (BEK! They're selling Popples at Target!!!), CareBears, Glowworm, Play Doh, soooooo many!!!

46. Summer or winter? Fall and Spring. :)

48. Chocolate or Vanilla? Depends, but usually vanilla.

49. Do you want your friends to email you back? Please refer to #20.

50. When was the last time you cried? Do you all know that I'm pregnant?!? Actually, the last time I cried was today at Dopps Camp when we were all talking about my grandpa who went on to heaven last January.

51. What is under your bed? Not really sure. There is stuff under there, but not sure what besides my body pillow and baby blankie from when I was a baby.

52. Who is the friend you have had the longest? On here? Hmmm....I guess my cousins Ali, Brittany, Cami, and Cari. I'm not sure who else reads this. Non-related friends would be Mary Beth.

53. What did you do last night? Went to a "Ho Down" and watched people ride a mechanical bull (at Dopps Camp). Then, we sat in the bathroom (my 2 sis-in-laws, Dani, and I--remember, we were all in 1 room and the babies and little kiddos were already asleep) and talked and killed an icky bug that we're pretty sure was a pube lice...you know...crabs?!? ICK!

54. Favorite smell? Baking Angel Food Cake...the pink baby lotion...Juicy Couture Perfume

55. What are you afraid of? The dark. Seriously...it makes me very nervous that I don't have clear vision when it's dark without my glasses. Some day I'll get LASIK. I think the reason BEK didn't put HER fear is because she's afraid of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. :)

56. Plain, buttered, or salted Popcorn? All of the above! :)

57. How many keys on your key ring? A bunch. I don't even know what some of them are to!

58. How many years at your current job? Motherhood? 18-1/2 months. Daycare? 3-1/3 months or so.

59. Favorite day of the week? Doesn't matter to me, though I prefer the days that Mark is home.

60. How many towns have you lived in? I think 7.

61. Do you make friends easily? I think so. I don't know that they are all deep, meaningful friendships, but I seem to do well with other people.

62. How many people will you be sending this to? No one. It's here for people to read if they like, but I'm not sending it.

THE END.

Cassie's 18-Month Appointment

So...shots are WAY more traumatic with an older child. I cried through the entire 1-month appointment when she was scheduled to get her very first shots. This time, she cried and cried and then glared at all of the nurses thereafter. I definitely think that she's going to remember the office the next time we go there.

Here are her official 18-month stats:
Weight: 22 lbs, which is 20th percentile
Height: 32-1/2 inches, which is 73rd percentile
Head: 19 cm, which is 90th percentile

I think it's safe to say that she's a string bean. I think it's also safe to say that she got the Dopps head (though Daddy has a fairly big noggin' too...it's just that nobody in his family does besides him, so I'm blaming it on the Dopps...or rather the Youngs, my Grandma's side). Big 'ol noggin!

Well, I'm off to Wichita today for some family fun! Can't wait to see my brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and nephew. We're going to have some good old fashioned fun Dopps Camp style.

I had best get my rear in gear, as I have loads left to do. I'll say HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all and everyone travel safely, eat lots, and be thankful to our GREAT GOD for the blessings he has bestowed upon us all!!!

PREGGO PICS!!!

Here is me at 12 weeks with Cassie:

Here is ME at 9 weeks and 3 days this time. Yeah, it's gonna be a LOOOOOOONG 40 weeks! :)

As a comparison...here I am at 22 weeks with Cassie. Not that much difference. YIKES!

Just thought that you all would enjoy the pics! :)

Quick update

[EDIT] My friend, Jessica, found out today that she's having a girl. Here's my question...am I due close enough to her (April 13 and June 17) to be on that girl train?!?!? *sigh*

Just wanted to let you all know that we had an appointment and sonogram on Wednesday and baby looks great! My official due date is June 17 and we're off to a good start. The heartbeat was 178, which is typically baby girl range, but I still think it's a boy. We'll find out mid-January. The one thing that we DO know from the sonogram is that we have a very wiggly and kicky baby. I just cannot wait until I can feel those movements so that I know each and every day that our little one is doing well. I have sonogram pics, but they aren't very clear, so I think getting them onto the computer would be worthless. Besides...at this stage, they all look the same anyway! :)

I'm really feeling pretty decent these days. I haven't been sick since Sunday right before lunch, so that is a huge relief and blessing. I'm not out of the woods for possible sickness to recur between now and 16 or so weeks, but I'm hoping that I'm done for good...Lord willing.

As for the trip that my parents are possibly planning for Spring Break...the doctor said to buy refundable (or exchangeable) tickets just to be on the safe side. He said that with the risks of blood clots and such, that is a loooong flight to go on and he wouldn't want me to go if there have been ANY problems, risks, etc. SO, we'll see. We might have to miss out, which would thoroughly and completely stink, but what's a trip to Hawaii when the alternative is a happy, beautiful baby.

Well, gotta run. Have a great day and I'll be updating again soon...hopefully! :)

PRAISE GOD!!!

I just wanted to pass on some very exciting news. I am going to have a new neice...in a sort of unconventional way. What I mean is that my sister-in-law Amanda has a sister, Becky, that desperately wanted to be a mother. She is the sweetest, most kid-friendly person I know and it has just been her heart's desire. Amanda's 2 older sisters live together and neither are married. Well, Becky recently decided that she was being called to adopt a little girl. She didn't know who, when, or how, but she knew that she was meant to be a mother and that if that was God's plan, He would make it happen. She got the call yesterday! She has been chosen as the new mommy of a little 4-year-old named Ariana. My mom helped her through this process and, though we are really only related to Amanda, we are close with her whole family and are going to be her second family (since Becky is not married). My parents will be Grannie and Grandpa to Ariana and we'll be Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins to her. We are simply thrilled that God has orchestrated this for Becky and know that this little girl will have a very full life. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!! If I get Becky's permission, I'll post a picture of Ariana on here for you all to see...she's a doll!

Vickers Electric is going modern!

Check it out: www.vickerselectric.com. Take a look. If you see any grammar/spelling/formatting issues...PLEASE let me know! I'm the "editor" and I'm kinda stupid these days! :)

Also, I forgot to brag on my sister in my long, rambly post. She was at the National High School Journalism conference this weekend. She submitted her school News Magazine (of which she is the head editor) and also an individual piece...her layout design. Her staff got 8th in the entire nation (there were like 4500 kids there) for their magazine and she......

She.....I'm so proud. She got the highest possible award (superior) for her layout out of all of the layouts submitted in the ENTIRE NATION!!! She got a big shiny medal on a purple ribbon. I'm so incredibly proud of her that I could just spit! NO...that's 'cuz I just ate a whole package of gummy bears. Anyway...SO proud!!!

OK...that's all. I'm done now!

OH, MYLANTA!

Is it JUNE YET??? Seriously...is it June?!? OKAY...I'll take Christmas even...I have estimated that I should cease my sickness (LORD WILLING) just before Christmas. That's not that long to wait is it? Someone PLEASE tell me it's not.

So, several weeks ago when I had the flu, I was tired of puking. SO tired of puking. Now, I would give just about anything to puke at times. When I am so sick and know that if I could just ralph I would feel better...man. I try thinking of gross things (you all KNOW how I feel about hair in my food)...it doesn't work. Is it too much to ask for a little puking when I want?!? :)

I am really, really glad that the past 2 weeks are over. I thoroughly enjoyed snuggling little Levi (Tracy's 2-month-old), but it is HARD when you have an almost-3-year-old, 2 almost-18-month-olds, an almost-6-month-old, and a 2-month-old WHILE feeling the above feelings and being more tired than you can explain. It's weird though...I think because of the daycare, I haven't felt as overwhelmingly tired as I did last time. Taking a nap is simply NOT an option, so I just keep on going and know that I just have to make it through the day. I have been and I've been doing amazingly well for me. I don't usually do so well with less sleep than my body is telling me I need. For now, I'm managing A-OK. Heck...it's Sunday afternoon and I'm not napping...that has to say something!

Cassie continues to entertain me daily. She is just so amazing. I know, I know...everyone's own child is amazing. I'm not trying to imply that she is a genius or anything (though I'm not ruling it out either). :) She's just at a stage where she soaks EVERYTHING up sooooooo fast! Last night I thought, "You know, it's sad...I don't sing Jesus Loves Me nearly enough." So, I started singing. She sang keywords right on cue. I couldn't believe it. With how little I've sung the sweetest children's song, she still had packed it away in her little brain. With the ABC's, she says the following letters: ABCFGHIPQRSVXZ Then, she sings bits and pieces of the "Now I know..." part. We've only been singing it regularly for the past week or 2. It's just incredible what those little brains are capable of!!! I'm not sure if I previously blogged this or not, but she also counts to 10 if I supply "3." She always seems to skip that, which is my favorite number, so I don't get it... :) Maybe she's just being nice and letting me say it since it's my favorite. You know how when you get to the end, you say "TEN!?" She says, "eight, NINE! ten." I guess she likes 9.

I am so, so, so excited that Mark finally got my maternity clothes out of storage. I had seriously forgotten how much fun stuff I had. I need those clothes badly, though, as everything else is really uncomfy and ouchy. YAY! A few things shrunk somewhere between the 4 people that borrowed them since I last wore them (or I grew a few inches), :) but I don't mind having high-waters as long as I'm comfy! :)

As a final thought, I think that I'm going to take all of the archives that were "personal" stuff and erase them from my blog (I'll keep copies saved on a USB stick if anyone ever has reason to want them). I want to make my blog public so that more people can read it and I can quit sending invitations. I miss my brothers' rude comments...what can I say???

SO, my family might be taking a trip to Hawaii in March for my sister's senior spring break. For my senior spring break we....uh....did nothing. My brothers both got married the previous year and there was no money for a spring break trip. THANKS, LAURA AND AMANDA!!! :) Just teasing. I think we drove somewhere. I don't care...I get to go on Dani's trip! WOO-HOO! So, we just need to make sure that A) My doctor allows me to go. B) The airline allows me to go (remember that I look like I'm at the popping point by at least then if not before). C) I don't have problems like I had with Cassie where I'm on bedrest. D) I find a really cute bikini! HEE HEE!!! I want to be the super-huge pregnant lady in a bikini. That would be funny.

OK...enough babbling from the pregnant lady. Give me a keyboard and 5-10 minutes and you never know WHAT you'll get!!! I will say in closing that me and baby *boy* are trying to learn how to get along together a little better and hopefully we will be happily co-existing soon. I just think that it's a boy. We'll find out late Jan/early Feb for sure (Lord willing). We will get to peek into his/her little world on Wednesday, though, when we have our first OB appointment.

SHEESH! Enough is enough! D. Vick...out!

SUPER QUICK UPDATE

I am sooooo busy with Aleigha, Austin, Emberley, and Levi this week...not to mention Cassie and baby Make-Momma-Sick. I have been up and down on how I'm feeling, but evenings are the worst...probably because I'm so dead tired. I will try to update soon, but this is all I've got the oomph for for now.

ICK!

[EDIT] Don't you all remember how rambly I am when I'm pregnant?!? For those of you who don't or weren't around me then...WATCH OUT! I ramble a bunch and say, "Uh..." or "Um..." a lot with nothing to follow. I just don't realize I do it. I think that there are a few people who read this blog that might say I ramble all the time...trust me...it's way worse when I'm prego. SORRY! :)

So...I'm not doing so good. I've been feeling rather icky. I just keep telling myself 2 things:

A) It could be a WHOLE lot worse.
B) The absolute, positively longest that it can last is June. Worse case scenario. It would be groovy if it would only last another 4-10 weeks, but absolutely at the worst...June.

I say that only because my sis-in-law, Laura, threw up like every time she tried to eat through the whole pregnancy. Laura--was it all the way until you delivered? It seems like it to me... My sis-in-law, Michelle, was on IV fluids for the first 16 weeks because she was so sick and couldn't eat really anything and then was on anti-nausea meds the entire pregnancy that were like $140 or something like that for 3 days' worth. AWFUL! So, I could be worse.

Here's my problem...I just wanna throw up...just once a day... However, I can't. Weird, huh? Last week when I had the flu, I would have given anything to NOT throw up...this week, I'm wishing to just throw up a little. I don't know if it would be the same or not, but when I was preg with Cassie, throwing up made me feel all better.

Have I mentioned yet that I feel like this is a boy? I would be completely happy having all girls. I know girls. I know what to do with girls. Boys? Not so much...it kind of intimidates me. Mark really wants a son, though, so I would certainly not pray or wish for all girls, because that would not be fair. Basically, we'll get what we get and if they are all healthy, I'm happy as a lark. If we have a boy...I'll learn.

We didn't make it to LIFE group tonight, which was a bummer. It's been really hard making it for some reason. Tonight, it was because Cassie took only a 15-minute nap (on the way home) today and has been a BEAR ever since. She went to bed at 7 p.m. as a result. We just knew that she was gonna be awful. Also, it is so hard because she is rambuncious (sp?) on a regular night when she has slept well and we seem to get nothing out of the study because we're fussing with her. It's just hard, you know?


In CASSIE NEWS...this girl is a TALKER! She has upped her verbal skills even higher since I've been keeping Aleigha...the 3-year-old. She says almost anything and everything now. I usually understand her and Mark usually understands her. As for strangers or people that aren't around her as much--she gets shy and doesn't talk as much around them. However, when she does, they typically understand what she says. It's exciting to me that she's becoming a little communicator. I think that a lot of people don't believe us that she talks a lot because she's so shy, but she's been a bit more brave lately and Mark's mom commented on how much she was talking when they kept her the other night. It also makes things so much easier!!!

Oh...other Cassie news...she now sleeps in her big girl bed for night time AND naps. Tonight will make night #8 and tomorrow's nap will be nap #3 that she's been in her big girl bed. She loves climbing up on it and laying down on her new little pillow. She loves "tucking" her baby in and just being a big girl! I can't believe how easy this transition was!!! I think that the crib will be coming down soon, but I just can't do it yet because of naptime...I just can't risk her not napping with my daycare kids.

While we're talking about my big girl, she also moved up to the "big kid" class at church today! It is for 18 months and up. She'll be 18 months on Nov 17, so they just decided to go ahead and move her since she is mature for her age. YAY! She loved it and was excited since "Aunt Micki" (my sis-in-law, Michelle) is her teacher.

OK...I've rambled quite enough. SHEESH! I haven't written this long of a post in a while! Everyone have a great night/day/whatever and I'll catch 'ya later!

Better

I'm better...just really, really sleepy these days. I haven't hit that all-out exhausted phase, but I'm sure it's just around the river bend.



I don't have time to update much, but I'll just say that for now and try to update soon.

Never been sicker in my life...

So, I spent some time in the hospital yesterday. Yes, that's right...the hospital. I have never...ever...in my entire life been as sick with vomitting and "other" as I was Wednesday starting at about 11:45 through Thursday morning and beyond. I ended up having Mark take me to the hospital at about 6:30ish for dehydration. Because of the fact that I had flu-like symptoms Sunday/Monday...felt fine Tuesday and Wednesday...had flu-like symptoms again Wednesday night PLUS the fact that I had had some cramping in my extreme lower right pelvic region, they were concerned about a possible ectopic gestation. This is the same as a tubal pregnancy. Basically, the baby implants somewhere other than in the uterus (in the fallopian tubes in the case of a tubal pregnancy) and the pregnancy has to be terminated. After much worry, they did a sonogram and as soon as she got to my uterus, I recognized the glorious sight of my precious baby's yolk sac (what will become the amniotic sac). I confirmed with the sonographer that that was indeed what I thought it was and let out a huge sigh of relief and thank you to God.

Two bags of fluid and 2 doses of Zofran (nausea medicine) later, I was sent home and spent the entire rest of the day in bed. The prognosis: Intestinal flu and dehydration. I'm going to be okay. I am feeling better today, though awfully weak and worn out. Oh, and my abs are sore from all of the "clean out."

The doctor can only assume that I picked up 2 different flu bugs...1 mild and 1 really harsh. It was definitely the flu and not just pregnancy sickness as so many people have assumed. I could have told you that without the dr's diagnosis. I have seriously never been that violently ill in my memory. It was awful.

So, like I said, I'm doing better and am just resting a bunch. For you church people...I doubt I'll be there Sunday, as I just want to rest up as much as possible before starting my week of daycare. I've already lost quite enough income from being sick to where I really, really need to be healthy this week.

Please, please, please pray that Mark, Cassie, and my daycare kids stay healthy. That's the most important thing to me right now...

[EDIT]

So, now I'm not so sure if it was morning sickness or the bug that I had setting in early. I have felt pretty close to normal today, so I'm not counting the bug out entirely. I guess we'll see how the next few days go.



For those of you who saw me pregnant last time, I'm sure that you won't be surprised to hear that I'm already showing quite a bit this time. From my LMP (date of last period), I am 5 weeks and 3 days along. From my date of ovulation, I am exactly 5 weeks. Either way, I'm showing WAAAAAY too early.



As soon as I have charged batteries, I'll take pics and post them. So sad...so, so sad.



Today, Aleigha (the girl I babysit) told me that she thinks that there are 2 babies in my tummy. She's not quite 3. Should I be worried that she might be psychic? YIKES! If it weren't for the fact that I started wearing maternity pants at 6-1/2 weeks last time, I might be concerned like I was then. However, I just know that I pop out really quickly. Crazy.



As for how I'll look come June....well...here's an idea. Click on it for a better view. Scary...really scary.
I was still a week away from my due date. It all went straight (and I do mean straight) out. For my body...huge. Really, really huge. In fact, some have commented that it might count as "disgustingly huge." Mark and some of my close friends say that I looked worse in picture...this picture actually does me justice! YIKES!

Well, that's all for tonight. I'm going to bed.

UGH!

So, the fam knows now, so you all can talk about me behind my back as much as you'd like! :)

I am sick...so, so sick. Starting last Tuesday (I think the day I posted), I have been really, really sick with this pregnancy...approximately 2 weeks EARLIER than I got sick with Cassie.

Last night, on the way home from Branson, I said, "Mark, I think I have a fever...I'm starting to feel really crummy." He felt my head and said he thought I did too. When we stopped, I took my temp (I had Cassie's thermometer with me) and I did, indeed, have a fever. The moment we got home, I rushed up to the bathroom where I got violently ill with multiple issues (if you get my drift) and then promptly went to bed. I did not stay in bed much last night or this morning, but have been puke-free since about 8:30 a.m. I still have a slight fever and a rather unpleasant stomach ache, but am feeling loads better than I was. It was all so sudden and so feverish. No fun...especially added to the morning sickness (which is an all-day affair).

Anyhoo. That's my story. I feel yucky...

However, I'm pregnant and my wonderful tadpole-like baby is getting arms and legs this week, which will greatly decrease the likeness of said tadpole. That's enough to make any momma smile. :)

I'm going back to bed........

YES, it's true

So, for those of you who have checked this and/or not yet heard, it is true. Cassie is to be a big sister come June. We are thrilled and look forward to all of the challenges associated with being pregnant, having a 1-1/2 year-old and being a part-time mother of 3 more (the 3 kids that I now keep for daycare). VERY IMPORTANT: IF YOU KNOW MY PARENTS OR ANYONE THAT KNOWS MY PARENTS, PLEASE KEEP THIS NEWS QUIET...THEY WON'T KNOW UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY, SO PLEASE JUST DON'T TELL ANYONE IN THE FAMILY OR BACK HOME IN WICHITA. That would be greatly appreciated.

Anyhoo, I went to the doctor this morning. I am due around June 17th-ish. This will make for an interesting May--remember my sister graduating and all that? We were careful during that month, but uh...well...obviously that didn't last too long. We decided that God's plan was the best plan (imagine that) and that we would just allow Him to lead us and give us a baby when he is ready. So, Lord willing, baby V #2 will be arriving next summer.

Cassie comes up to my belly and kisses it and lays her head on it. She doesn't have ANY clue what's in store for her future, but I really think that the daycare stuff will help.

SO, I now ask your continued prayers during this pregnancy...some of you girls owe some preggo prayers... :) Just teasing. I know a lot of you prayed for us during my last pregnancy. I ask that you pray for a smooth pregnancy...especially 1st trimester that I don't feel too crummy. I ask that you pray for our family as we journey into the realm of becoming a family of 4.

That's my news for now...I'll keep you updated.

Tired as can be.

I'm feeling really tired today. HOWEVER, I am so, so excited to go to Silver Dollar City this weekend for Church of Christ weekend! YAY! Anyone else going this weekend? If so, we should meet up. There is just 1 bummer. Two years ago, I couldn't ride the good rides because I was pregnant with Cassie. LAST year, I couldn't ride the Powderkeg roller coaster because it was closed for maintenance. Looks like this is year #3 without the adrenalin (sp?) rushes...

[EDIT] For those of you who know my family...this is still TOP SECRET! They won't know until this weekend in Branson. That is...if you've figured it out by now. If not...look on the right bar of my blog...that should give you a hint. :)

Home Home Home!

Well, we're home. We had a great time, but I sure did miss my little princess! It was awesome to have time with just Mark and me and noone else. We got to talk un-interrupted. We got to eat un-interrupted. We got to be...well...un-interrupted. It was enjoyable. However, even though we got home at 11:30 p.m., I got several smooches in on my baby girl before going to bed myself. I just couldn't help it!

The concert was great. Mark really, really enjoyed it and I was so glad that I got to share that experience with him. He did, however, wish that it was louder. Oh, brother!

We did take some pictures...mostly sunset skyline pictures. I'll upload them when I've got the chance. For now, however, I'm going to go get some more laundry going.

Gone in 14 hours-ish...

At approximately 7:45 tomorrow morning, we will be leaving for Chicago!!! We'll be back Thursday, so expect an update sometime between Friday and Sunday. Feel free to leave lots of comments while I'm gone!!! :)

SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME!

I am a busy, busy beaver! Let's see...where to begin. I am up to my eyeballs in daycare registration stuff. I have my fire safety inspection here tomorrow morning and then I send all of my stuff to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment...they process it and send it all back and VOILA! I'm a registered daycare provider. SHEESH!

Not only am I in the midst of all of this, but we're leaving Monday morning at the butt crack of dawn to travel to Chicago. The trip is 2-fold. This has me completely busy because Cassie is staying here with Mark's mom and then my mom. SO, I have to get us all ready to travel and get her all ready to stay. You just have no idea how much planning and preparation this takes if you've never done it before. Just trust me.

To explain the main purpose of the trip, let's travel back a few years. Mark and I were talking about his passion for music and all of the concerts he's been to. I asked him what his dream would be and he said that it wasn't even possible so why think about it. I encouraged him to tell me and he said it would be to see a Genesis concert (Phil Collins). HOWEVER, they broke up in like 1992 or something. They've been his favorite band for a long, long time. Their last tour was around 92.

Fast forward to a few months ago. He came home all excited saying that he THOUGHT he heard the end of an ad on the radio talking about a Genesis reunion tour. He found it hard to believe and really didn't find much on the internet about it. A few days later, he heard the ad and found out that they were, indeed, touring. SO, we started thinking about seeing them to fulfill his life's dream. The closest that they're coming to KC is either Denver or Chicago. Chicago was not only a bit cheaper, but also has the Shedd's Aquarium, as well as tons of other stuff to do. SO, fold 1: Genesis concert...fold 2: Our 5th anniversary is Oct. 26th.

There you have it folks. That's what I've been up to...that's what I AM up to...that's what I'm GONNA be up to. You know the whole story....though it wasn't much of a story.

*YAWN*

So, it's almost midnight. I got in bed at 8:20 tonight...could I sleep? NO! UGH! SOOOO irritating! I really, really needed some good sleep tonight. 3-1/2 hours later...no sleeping.....

So, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything I have in my head right now. I've got all of the stuff going on with registering for daycare (I have orientation in the morning at 9). I have had Emberley a lot lately (though she's developing a definite napping schedule, so that's exciting to me). I am headed to Wichita tomorrow for a wedding while Mark is staying here. I am getting a root canal on Tuesday. We are going to Chicago in a week or so and so I have to get everything ready for that...my house up to my mom's standards (she's staying here with Cassie part of the time)...everything situated with that including preparing to leave Cassie for the 1st time (extended time anyway). Starting Oct. 8th-ish I will have 2 more kids with daycare. If my registration isn't complete until after that, I'll be keeping them at their house. I have more out of town times coming up in the next few months. EEK! It's just CRAZY! I just have a lot going on in my head right now. That is just a list of the things off the top of my head. Trust me, there's more. I just feel a bit overwhelmed. Going to bed super early tonight was going to be my thing to help me refocus and re-energize. Guess not. Instead, I'll be extra tired and maybe cranky. :)

Have I complained enough?!? OK...I'm done.

I'm going to bed and hopefully to sleep.

Busyness

It's awful when you feel that life is passing you by before you even notice that another day has begun. My days lately just seem to melt into each other. Last week, it was because of the pain medicines. :)

We went to a marriage retreat this past weekend and it was really good. We were there without Cassie in a hotel. We were the typical "old" married couple...we didn't go up to our room from fellowshipping until 1:30 and promptly fell asleep. So much for a hotel room to ourselves! Seriously, though, the retreat was really good and even if there had been no cirriculum whatsoever, the fact that we were together...absent of responsibility...for a night and day...it really brought our focus together again.

The retreat was on personality types. I'm an otter ("i") and Mark is a beaver ("C"). Basically, we're complete opposites in every way possible. :) We already knew that. I'm not sure that we really learned much about each other, but we did confirm things that we knew and had an explanation for our behaviors that drive each other bonkers. It was fun and uplifting.

I really don't have anything too exciting to say today. We're going to ta-town (Wichita) this weekend for my cousin, Ali's, wedding. I have 2 cousins named Ali and 1 cousin-in-law named Ali. It gets kinda confusing. This is Alison Dopps...from my dad's side. Hopefully, I'll be able to see a few other people while I'm there. Cami--are you coming to the reception?

Today is my brother's first day of his new job...I'm still so excited for him! I really hope that he enjoys it and that this can turn into a full-fledge career for him!

Well, like I said...not too exciting, but there's your update. Everyone have a great day!

Much Ado About....well...stuff

So, as I mentioned, there has been much going on. First and foremost, I want to give a HUGE shout out to Mr. Levi Jaxson born on MY BIRTHDAY! Congrats to Ben and Tracy on their beautiful new baby boy. He really is a doll.

So, why have things been rough? Well, we had company this weekend. Don't get me wrong...they were perfect houseguests...it was just the fact that we had company. It was Ben's parents and sister. We enjoyed visiting with them, but it was just the prep for them coming, the day spent at the hospital on Friday, then the company being there and then leaving with the clean-up.

To make matters worse, my tooth started bothering me on Saturday. It wasn't too bad...just annoying. Well, Sunday, it got bad. Really, really bad. I told Mark that it hurt worse than labor. It was excruciating to say the least and I was in agony. I've been drugged up on pain meds as much as possible (I had to take a break from the heavy-duty stuff Monday, as I had Emberley). I ended up throwing up 4 times Monday night from medicine. It's been rough. So, today, I went for visit 1 of 3 for a root canal. It was so badly infected that he cleaned out all 4 roots and filled the tooth with medicine. I am also on an antibiotic. I will go back in 2 weeks to have the root canal completed. After that all heals, then I will get my crown restored. Fun process. Let's just say with that $995 bill PLUS quarterly taxes coming due for Mark's business....things are tight. Really tight. Kinda scary, but we've always made it through financial stresses before.

This whole thing did put 1 thing into perspective, however. I now know why I didn't get pregnant when I wanted to. I would have been living with this agony until my 2nd trimester. Do you KNOW that I wouldn't have survived that?!?!? I cannot imagine not being able to get this taken care of immediately! Waiting 2-1/2 days was pure torture. I can't imagine if I was just barely pregnant and had to wait until it was a safe time to do dental work. Man, I am thanking God for not putting me through that!!! Everything always has a reason. Sometimes you see the reason in retrospect, sometimes you don't. I'm sure that God has a grander plan than just avoiding tooth pain, but overall, I'm extremely thankful that He worked this out this way.

Well, it's late. I'm tired. I have Emberley tomorrow. The more tired I get, the more yawning I'm doing and DANG IT! That HURTS!!! So, I'm going to end this and go to sleep.

OUT!

Sorry once again for the lack of postings. I have had lots of crazy stuff going on. SO, I will update soon. Thank you all for the b-day wishes, e-mails, and calls. More later...

My apologies

I apologize for all of you avid blog readers that I'm just now updating. We've been without internet since Friday due to switching providers, people being idiots, and general technology issues. However, I am now back online and for this month only, we have over 400 channels!!! WOW! Guess we're all being lazy slobs, huh?!? :)

I am very, very excited, as I FINALLY, after waiting sooooo patiently, got a new kitchen sink, faucet (and as and added bonus), disposal. Our sink that we had was 6" deep. SIX! The faucet was the 2-knob type, which I absolutely hate! Our disposal was okay, but Mark ended up breaking it trying to remove it because it was stuck. My new sink is TEN inches on 1 side and EIGHT inches on the other side! WOO-HOO!!! The 10" side is considerably larger than the other side. Let's just say this...no more baby bathtubs for us with our next kid(s)!!! They will be bathing in this deep, white, accrylic beauty!!! My faucet is a single handle operation where the faucet is the sprayer. The faucet pulls out...you do your spraying...then, it slithers right back into place. YAY FOR ME!!! :)

Now that I've gloaded about something so...mundane...let me tell a little bit about our journey to the new sink to see if you all can relate. So, when we moved in, the kitchen faucet did not function properly. As my dad was installing the cheapest, 2-knob faucet available, I said, "NO! Don't install that! I HATE those kind!!! Let's just buy the one that we'll keep!" Well, much to my 2-year demise, he installed it saying that it needed to be done now and we would go pick out the "real" one and install it after they fixed a few other things. Over 2 years later, I was still in misery every time I had to use the hunk'o'junk.

So, Mark gets this great idea that: A)I should use my b-day money on a new sink and faucet and B) we should get the black sink that he wanted and he should have equal input into what we were getting. Let's back up 2 weeks to his birthday...what did he get? Let me think......oh, yeah. I new CD player for his work van. Not something that I had input into or would benefit from...

He figured that I didn't want a new sink and faucet bad enough if I wasn't going to use my b-day money for it. Well, a few days later, he started talking about how he went to PetSmart and saw this 10-gallon aquarium that he was thinking about getting. STOP! If you've been to our house, you'd know that he has 2 huge, full-functioning aquariums. Now, he has another 5-gallon set up to help him with an algae problem. He has bought so much stinkin' aquarium stuff since we've had this house (including fish, animals, etc.) and yet I CAN'T AFFORD A STINKIN' SINK!!! I thought that that was complete crap and I told him so.




And he agreed.




So, I got my sink. Without spending my birthday money. I counted up the change in our change can so that it could go towards it. Our sink was $139.00. The change can had $139.50 give or take a few cents. God is good and so is Mark when you reason with him.... :)

So, I have my sink and such and...in case you can't tell...I love it!



The only other thing going on is that I'm gearing up for the birth of little baby Ellis. That's Tracy's baby if you've read comments. Today is her due-date. She is scheduled to be induced tonight/tomorrow morning. They're doing cervadil (sp?) tonight and then will start the pitocin tomorrow. We are praying that she goes into labor on her own before then, but we'll let God take care of that! Either way, it looks like baby E and I will have the same birthday!

Oh, AT...how come I'm not a registered user of your blog?!? :( Could you send me an invite to chesmnisteruy@hotmail.com? I would LOVE it! :)

Well, ta-ta for now...my corndogs are ready! :)

BIG NEWS FROM MY BROTHER!!!

Below is the most recent post from my brother, Dustin. I am so, so excited for him and his new career opportunities! You probably saw on 1 of Laura's comments that they have to take their laundry to her parents' house every week and they work opposite shifts, etc. This new job and money will be a whole new family life for them and I am thrilled to death! God is good if only we'll be patient and wait on HIS timing!!!

Well...My big news has finally arrived and it ended up being even bigger and better than I ever imagined. But let's start at the begining.----------------------------A couple of weeks ago, I got an email at work that talked about one of the managers being promoted. I got excited and thought I wonder if my boss will move me to that position. That would be cool. It is a high-profile money machine, and it would be an honor to be the manager there.A couple of days later my boss came to me with exactly that proposal. He wanted to interview me for the position. I was very happy and agreed to the interview. I have high ambitions, and didn't intend to stay at a small site forever. I didn't think I would be moved so soon, but it could have happened.Well, during that same week, an employee of the Oregon State Bar came to me with a proposal. Keep in mind that I work at the Bar, but not for the Bar. I'm on-site, but I work for a different company. This employee knew that I have a Journalism degree and that I wanted to work as a writer/editor. They brought me news of an internal job opening at the Bar and suggested I pursue it.I was a bit nervous about doing this because I'm a pretty loyal person. I didn't want my current boss to think I was going behind his back trying to find a new job. At the same time, though, I was honored. This Bar employee thought highly enough of me to recommend me for a permanent position there. The position had absolutely nothing to do with my current job, so there was no conflict of interest involved - to put it another way, they weren't recommending me for a similar job to the one I already have.So I went to the manager who needed an employee and talked to her. I asked her if it was worth my time interviewing for this position, and she said "Sure. I encourage you to apply. You told me about your background once and you have the skills. And even if you don't get it, at least you got practice in a professional interview setting."So I gave them my resume' and waited...In the meantime, word came from my boss that there might be a second opening within my current company and he was considering me for both spots. We had a good long chat about it and did an unofficial interview. I left feeling like my future with my company was bright. I was about to be promoted again! And I'd make around $2,500 more per year, which isn't shabby.When I came to work on Monday and interviewed for the Bar position, I had low expectations. I haven't been able to find a Journalism job since we moved to Oregon, and I knew the job was going to go to an internal candidate, so the odds were against me. Still, I was excited and I breezed through the interview and the exercise they had set up to test our skills.I spent the next two days with a constant stomach ache. On the one hand, I expected to get a new job from either my current employer or from the Bar. Either way, I'd make more money. But I was afraid that one of the companies would offer me a job and I would turn it down, only to miss out on the other job. I was nervous, tense, and in a bad mood at work. For those of you who work with me: I apologize.Anyway, this is too long so I'll cut to it: the Bar decided to hire me. I am their new Marketing Specialist and instead of making $2,500 more per year, I'll make closer to $12,000 more.!!!Not only does the job pay well, and not only is it in the field I want to be in, but I get my own office, business cards (a first for me!), an awesome benefits package, etc. This is a real, true career and I feel like my degree is helping me for the first time in 7 years!I'm going to work on newsletters, magazines, brochures, websites, and even a cable-access television show. Plus, my boss said she might send me to class to learn web programming, which would be awesome.------------Telling my boss that I was putting in my two-weeks notice was not easy. He's a great guy and I was happy working for him. I never intended to find this job - it just fell in my lap - but I'd be an idiot if I turned it down.Isn't God amazing?The jobs with my current company got put on hold for a few days, which let me relax a bit.

*EDIT* For those of you who read my brother's blog, no, he's not really the new Slim-Fast spokesperson or whatever he said...weirdo. He DID get a great new job, but I'll let him blog it OR, Laura, you can post it on here as a comment and I'll put it as a post. YAY for my brother!!! Also, Cami...it's good to have you back. I thought maybe you were boycotting my blog or something! :)

I DID hear my brother's great news, but thought I'd wait until he posted it on his own blog before putting it on mine. I'm very excited for you all, though...

So, I'm feeling much better today than yesterday. I had a migraine yesterday, so that wasn't fun. Cassie and Emberley were both a little high strung, so it was a bit overwhelming with the headache. Michelle got off work early and I was quite delighted. No offense to Emberley, but once she picked Emberley up, I made Mark take Cassie and I rested. :) I wouldn't just leave Mark with Emberley on his own. He's capable, but they didn't hire Mark to watch her...they hired me. :)

Today, I've got to get my house looking spick and span. Some of Ben and Tracy's family is going to stay at our house when their little man arrives, so I need to get things "company ready." Plus, I need to get some food for like breakfasts and stuff.

So, that's my story. Boring, I know. Hope you all have a good one...

Somebody's a Screwball!

So, are any of you the screwball who ordered me stickers of my lovely red face with the ridiculous face? Someone is quite funny.... I haven't received them yet, but I DID get a confirmation of "my" order e-mail. Very funny................ Actually, I know that it is someone in or around Wichita, I just have to figure out who... The only person I know that would call me Devon-Poo would be my darling s-i-l, Laura, but SHE doesn't have a 316 number. Hmmmmm.......

As far as my hair is concerned, it is much, much better. It is now dark, but isn't so red. As it was all fading, it was regaining it's Ronald McDonald appeal (whom, by the way, is my cousin, Brittany's husband's uncle--He's Ronald McDonald!!!). So, I put one more coat of ash blonde over it (I KNOW!!! SO BAD FOR MY HAIR!!!) and it now is the best it's been. If I can round up some batteries, I'll take pics and post them. So, the hair/face in the stickers that I'm about to receive is no more, but it will be a great memory...

So, I haven't been feeling very well as of late. My allergies/sinuses are raging and I just don't feel well. I guess such is life for me, though. Tracy--I'm not coming back over to your house. Callie makes me SNEEZE and ITCH. Callie is a cat, by the way, not my niece, Callie.

Cassie and I are on our way to the pottery painting place to paint a b-day gift for mom and dad both. Laura had my niece and nephew, Caitlin and Ethan, do a mug with their fingerprints made into animals and such and Mom said she wanted one from all of her grandkids. I don't know how much Cassie will cooperate, so I may just try to do Cassie handprints on her's. She IS a 15-month-old, you know!

For those of you who have kids, do you agree that 15 months is where it all goes downhill? Your sweet baby kind of becomes a little terror? That's my theory, only Cassie hit it about a month to month and a half ago. Oh, brother! They say "terrible two's," but I think that it starts much earlier and just progresses.

Well, I do believe that I've rambled long enough. I hope that each of you is well and that your families are doing well also. Until next time.....

TAGGED

So, I was tagged by my friend's husband, Matt.

1) Post these rules before you give your facts
2) List 8 random facts about yourself
3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT DEVION:
1. I got my nickname (Devion) from Angie who was my chemistry teacher...then my Science Seminar teacher...then my supervisor when I worked at MHS...and through all that and still, my friend. "You know, like Evian?!?" Now, it is how I long in to just about everything. Second daughter's name?!? I think not...

2. I have 30+ first cousins on just my dad's side. I could list them all, but that would just be silly.

3. I have a secret (only not-so-secret anymore) desire to be either a chef or a beautician, but not at the same time. *gag*

4. To reference the above *gag* I have a horrible gag reflex and sitting here just thinking about hair in food, I am seriously gagging and looking for something nearby in which to puke...just in case.

5. I share an amazing closeness to my family (parents and siblings, I mean...I'm super close with the extended fam, too, but for now I'm just talking about the immediate family). We all talk OFTEN. We also fight like cats and dogs...all of us. It's part of what makes us crazies crazy!

6. I have an overwhelming desire to have twins coupled with an overwhelming fear that that might just happen. After all, my dad was an identical twin and there are tons of twins throughout our family. Cami who posts on here (or at least USED TO...where are you Camille?!?) is my dad's twin brother's daughter. That makes us basically half-sisters.

7. Whenever I stop to think about it, I cannot believe that I'm old enough to be married...much less have a baby. It just seems so strange to me. I feel like I should still be living at home with my parents.

8. I absolutely love to cook and bake. I wish I had more time to do so. I love making a dinner and then presenting it just right on the plate to where it is a masterpiece. I really wish that I could be on Hell's Kitchen. However, I could never leave Cassie and Mark and I would probably cry all the time with Chef Ramsey yelling and cussing. However, if I could, I SO would.

Well, that ends the "8 things you never knew you never knew (or wanted to know) about Devon." Hope you enjoyed.

I tag:
1. Michelle (though I highly doubt it)
2. Bek
3. Tracy (yeah, highly doubt that will happen either)
4. AT
5. Ang (but I don't think you'll be giving up extra Sophie time for this) :)
6. Denise
7. Cami (though you don't use a blog...just post it as a comment on here or something!)
8. Laura (you can do it on myspace or facebook, right?!?) :)
9. Holly (you can do it as a comment).

I KNOW I put 9, but I broke the rules...so sue me. I'm also not going to leave it as comments on your blogs because you all should have a subscription to me!!! :)

Pretty much, I'm holding out for Bek and AT.

*YAWN*

It's just before 5 a.m. and I'm awake. I had a bad dream at about 4:30 and am up for now. Maybe once the sun comes up, I'll go sleep a bit more. I've always had nightmares. Most of the time, I can realize that I'm in a bad dream and wake myself up before it gets too bad. However, I am then fearful. I don't like that. The Bible says that you're not supposed to have a spirit of fear, but at night...sometimes I do. It's way better than it used to be. When we were first married, I would lay awake at night terrified that someone was in our house or was gonna break into our house. Now, it really only happens when I've had a bad dream.

So, tonight, we went out to eat for Mark's b-day. We were going to go to church, but through a chain of events, that kinda got messed up, so we decided on dinner for his b-day. His birthday is tomorrow (Friday). However, we're going out with the fam on Friday. Anyway, we're at dinner and towards the end, I ask him something and he snaps at me. I was like, "What was that all about?" He said, "This is supposed to be my birthday dinner and I feel like I'm being ignored the whole time!!!" The moment before this occured, I had been playing with Cassie face to face, as she was getting fussy and I was trying to avoid her freaking out. I felt, at that point, that I had a 15-month-old and a 5-year-old with me. I said, "Do you want her screaming?!? That's what would have happened if I hadn't been doing that at that point." The rest of the meal, she had done really well and we had talked and such, so I'm not sure why he now says he was being ignored...kinda silly if you ask me.....

I'm not sure if I've posted about this or not, but I'm soon to become "VICKERS HOME DAYCARE!" As you all know, I am keeping Emberley a couple days a week. Starting soon (as soon as they can move, give their current sitter notice, etc.), I'll be keeping 2 more kids (with 1 more on the way). The oldest will be 3 in Dec. The other is 2 weeks younger than Cassie. So, I'll have a 3-year-old, two 16-month-old, and a 4-month-old by the time this all comes to be. When the baby is born and I start keeping it, I'll then have a 3-1/2-year-old, two 2-year-olds, a 1-year-old, and a 6-8-week-old. I'll have my hands full, but I think that I'm ready for it.

I was feeling kind of stressed about it until I thought of 1 thing. When I was in high school, there was a family...The Schmalzreids...every year around February, I would take care of their kids for an entire weekend. The parents would get home at like midnight and leave again at like 6:30 or something. It was a big convention for their jobs. Anyway, the first year that I did that, I had their 2-month-old along with 5 other kids. My best friend at the time came to help too, but she mainly read the whole weekend. The next year, I had a 1-year-old and 3 older kids (2 of the ones from the previous year were not theirs) and was all on my own. So, I think that I can do this with flying colors. We'll see.....

Well, that's my ramblings from a sleepy head for now. Sorry for all of the randomosity. Hope you're all sleeping like babies as I post this!!! :)

Precious

I thought that this was pretty cute. Click this link (if you didn't get the e-mail from me) and listen to this precious little girl recite the 23rd Psalm.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e7c4b40cf5a13cea6ca

A topic worth visiting...

I'm going to post a comment from my friend, Bek. I am going to put my input in GREEN, but you all be sure and give your thoughts on the matter. I think that we all deal with this issue from time to time when we feel under valued, under appreciated, or just overwhelmed.

Last night while I was feeding Chloe, I got on your blog and was visiting all the blogs you have posted. I came around to one of your brothers' blogs (Derin), and they had commented on a subject that I was VERY intrigued by. It's about men going to work, and women staying home with the kids, and how frustrating it is to not feel like the other is doing their job. John and I have been struggling a lot with this to see eye-to-eye on the other's role. I don't want to husband-bash, so I'll give two examples, one putting me to shame :) The other day I was SO exhausted from doing nothing but holding a crying baby all day, feeding, and barely getting to eat or even go to the bathroom. First of all, let me say this. I think that husbands have this idea that being a SAHM would be the greatest job, because you're home all day...you can do whatever you want...you have no "job" to do. They couldn't be more wrong. I just wish that for ONE, just ONE day, Mark could be the Stay At Home DAD and see what a day is like for a SAHM. I really think that he believes all I do is sit around and watch TV while eating Bon-Bons or something...

When John gets home from work, he has a routine: take a shower, eat, de-stress with either a movie or a videogame with my brother online. It does not bother me one bit that he likes to play games; it's the one thing he enjoys that helps him de-stress. Well, I asked John to hold Chloe for a little bit so I could rest...(now, don't take this the wrong way, we were both in bad moods, and John DOES enjoy time with Chloe and is upset if he can't spend time with her.) John told me "I'm tired Bek, besides, if you have a problem with staying home all day holding Chloe, read the Bible..." He was referring to our roles in marriage being the man works and the woman is the caregiver. I know that John is a caring daddy, so I'm not bashing him whatsoever...just his take on things, I guess. To say, "read the Bible" is not only ridiculous, but really un-fair. The Bible does NOT say, "The husband just makes money and the wife just takes care of the babies." It says that we are helpers to each other. A marriage is not, "Your job is this, this, and this. My job is this, this, and this." A marriage should be, "Your job is taking out the trash, but if I have a spare moment and it needs taking out, I'll do it for you to make things easier on you." We all know that a mommy's job is 24/7...literally. It doesn't end whether you're a SAHM or go to a job every day. If the baby cries at night and is hungry...well...momma's the one that feeds baby most of the time. The point of a partnership is sharing the responsibilities. The husband was involved in the MAKING of the baby...therefore, he is involved in the CARING for the baby. Basically, the baby is not the responsibility of the mom. It is the responsibility of the parents and should therefore be treated as such. Does that make sense? Besides that, Bek. The older Chloe gets, the more attached she is going to be to you. If John does not put forth the effort to connect with her as much as possible when he gets home from work each day until bedtime, she is going to reject his advances to bond with her...he'll be like a stranger to her. He needs to build that now so that the bond is there and is growing stronger. Otherwise, she'll cry when going to him just like she would a stranger. Right now, the bonds that she forms will be etched the deepest in her mind. He WANTS to be one of those lines...otherwise, he'll be really upset when she fusses to go to him.

Now, here's what I said the next day when John was complaining about his day at work, "Well, John, if you have a problem with doing your job...then read the Bible." So I'm just as much of a smart-alec as he is. Now...I'm not one of those women who says the roles of a husband and wife are that the woman stays home and the man makes the money. I already have attempted to go back to work, so I don't believe that that has to be the case. (which, by the way, I'm not going back to work for a while...maybe I'll dab into that later.) The reason I'm posting this is because I am longing for the kind of relationship that has mutual respect for what the other does in the marriage. We had a mentor couple in Florida who ran our small group, and they were the best example you can find of a happy marriage. They have four kids (YIKES!!!) he has a painting company that he's built from nothing to something, and she stays at home and does the housewife thing. She has 100% respect for him and what he does. He has 100% respect for her and what she does. Neither complain about their roles, and they always are praising their spouse whenever they get the chance.I'm looking for something that John and I can do (a study group, a book {I know...the Bible is the perfect book for answers}) that will help us get over this part. After reading your brother's blog, I saw that we're not the only couple who feels this way. Hmmm...maybe this sounds ludacris or crazy. I'm also a little scared of what some people might say on your blog. "Don't you know the answer's right in front of you?" Hmm...it's hard to open yourself up to others. So I'll try to be open with suggestions that people make.I think it'd be nice if in our small group we could do a study on the roles of a husband and wife...as far as how to please your spouse and vice versa, and how to be content instead of frustrated. I know not all of you on here are in the small groups, but some of you are, so I thought I'd comment on that.

It is really hard to put yourself in your spouse's shoes. Have you ever shadowed your husband at work? I haven't. Have you ever dealt with their co-workers or customers for a day? I haven't. Now, turn that around and see it from their perspective. For most of you, your husbands haven't had the kids hour after hour (Laura--I know you have a different situation, so maybe you can shed some more light on the topic). They just don't understand. Therefore, communication HAS to be present. Mark and I have had to talk about how some days can be sooo stressful with a baby. We've had to talk about how some days I don't have a second to myself if she's fussy/not napping/etc. THEN, once she DOES NAP, I'm POOPED!!! I just want to sit for a few minutes. Then, sometimes those few minutes turn into an hour or I fall asleep. It's hard, that's for sure! However, I can give you some encouragement that it does get easier as the baby gets older and can entertain herself and such. It does get easier once you can accomplish things while she is in her bouncer or swing or something. IT DOES GET EASIER.

I think that it is a great idea to do a study on roles in a marriage as far as mutual respect for the other's "job." However, I, personally, think that the problem is a lack of understanding. You can always look at someone and think "I could do that better" or whatever. BUT, once you really step into those shoes and try it out, you find out why they do things the way they do and sometimes you find out that they are doing the best job possible. That's just my 2-cents worth (or that may be more like 25 cents worth). :)

Well, there you have it. I'm not going to re-read this like I normally do because I know I'll end up deleting half of it (mainly the parts that make me and John look bad) so here goes...I'm posting it.

Bek--I do the exact same thing, so I'm glad you left it whole. This is a safe environment to post, so I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to do so.

OK, girls...let's hear your thoughts. If you've never posted before, I encourage you to do so if you have any thoughts. You can do anonymous, anonymous with initials or nickname, "other" with your name (you don't have to post a web address if you do this one...just leave it blank), or you can sign in and do it with your sign-in name.

Hasta la Pasta!

Done Deal

The Kia is gone, the Mazda Millenia is in my garage. That's right...we got a car...a Millenia. It is in good shape. It is a 2000, so it's not new by any means, but it's in good shape with decent mileage. It has leather interior and is just pretty. :)





So, it's OVER! FINALLY! I'm quite glad that it's over and we don't have to "deal" with it any more! :)

SOLD!

Our car is SOLD! It's out the door SOON! Now, we just have to find ourselves a new vehicle FAST! We've been looking at TONS! I'm so SICK of it! Ok...enough with the emphasis. Our car sold, so we gotta find us one before we're in big trouble. We did some wheelin' and dealin' last night, but left to play tough. :) I'll keep you posted.

AT-The link should work now. It was messed up. Sorry...my bad!

Well, I'm gonna get back to the hunt...the CAR hunt that is! Wish us luck! :)

Anyone have a spare car?!?

So, someone's coming to look at our Kia...that's GREAT! Only problem is, we haven't found a vehicle to purchase yet...YIKES! I'll let you know what happens!

Oh, and Ali...thanks for the encouragement on the hair. Most of the time, I forget about it. Then, someone looks at me twice and I think, "Oh, yeah, I have bright maroon hair."

Updates Etc.

So, my hair is now maroon, as I've mentioned. These pictures are a bit deceptive, but I thought I'd post them anyhow. To me, at least, it is really more maroon than these pictures look. The overhead looks just like the others to me...hmmm...

I'm dealing with the color, though. Someone last night told me that I looked "edgy." Well, that would be great if I was in college or something, but edgy is not exactly the look I'm going for these days...

We've had zero bites on any of our stuff. We've had a few people e-mailing asking questions, but that's all. I kinda figured that would be the case, though, because of the narrow market that we're appealing to. I'm quite surprised, however, that nobody has called/e-mailed on the TV and DVD player.

I am daily amazed at how big and old my little miss Cassie is getting. When I say something and she follows through, the comprehension is just amazing! If I say, "Go put your toys in the basket," she does it. Not too long ago, she would have had no clue what I meant or that that was a directive to her. Now, she understands that that is what Mommy wants her to do. I just am constantly in awe of the wonderful processes that God built into us. Not only does she grow physically, but emotionally, mentally, and socially. I love it!

More Randomosity

Yes, that is a word, 'cause I just said it. I think that that should be the rule...if you make up a word, well, then it's a word. Now, if you say something grammatically incorrect...that doesn't count...that's just dumb.

Today is not the most fun day. Mark, Cassie, and I all slept horribly last night. My sinuses and ears are still obnoxious. As a side note, I apparently cannot type today, so if you see mistakes...I'm sorry. Anyway, I'm also having issues with my arms and hands. Probably why I can't type. Whenever I have sinus troubles, my hands and arms hurt. The only thing I can figure is that it has something to do with the lymphatic system or something. Sometimes my legs hurt, too, but usually just my hands and arms. When I was sick for 7+ years in jr high/high school, that was my main symptom...my arms and hands hurt so badly that I could hardly hold things. They aren't that extreme these days, luckily. So, I'm not really sure what that is all about, but that's my complaint for today.

We listed a bunch of stuff on craigslist last night. We listed a fishtank and stand, the drumset, the Kia Sorento, the TV and DVD player, and Mark's business. We've had replies...both hokey and real, so we'll see what comes of all that. If we get desperate, I might sell my electronic piano, too. I haven't played it once in the last year and a half, but I have dreams of playing it....some day. I just hope that we sell stuff for decent amounts. That would sure help out. The only problem is that the 3 big things (Kia, drums, and fishtank/stand) are all very specific and therefore have a small market. Not too many people are willing to give the Kias a try...I sure wasn't until we drove one...now I love it. The drums are a big, detailed set that only a skilled drummer would want to spend the money on, and the fishtank obviously would only be useful for someone interested in saltwater aquariums. So, the market is narrow, but we'll see what happens. If God wants them sold...the right person will call.

Oh, I hear Cassie fussing that she's awake. I'd better end this and go give her some Mommy/Cassie time since we have Miss Emberley today. Later.....

The Blahs...

I feel like I have the blahs. It is probably only because I am sleep deprived. I didn't get to sleep until well after 1...probably closer to 2 this morning and then Cassie woke up at 5:20 and then 6:45ish for the day. Then, she only took an hour and a half nap. So, that's probably the cause of my blahs, but I've got them. I was okay when I went to sleep, so that is why I feel that the lack of sleep is the culprit.

Anyway, we're thinking about selling our Kia Sorento and buying a used vehicle...possibly a mini van. I'm not sure how I feel about this, except for the fact that it will cut our car payments by over half. We're trying to climb out of debt. Speaking of which, congrats to Laura and Dustin (my sis-in-law and brother) for paying off their debt!!! I'm now envious. Most of our debt is due to Mark's business, which to me makes it valid debt. I know there are people out there who say "NO DEBT!" However, I really feel like starting up a business means going into debt at the beginning, unless you wait until your 50 to go into business or you have an uncle that dies and leaves you thousands of dollars. Anyway, so we have debt...we've got a plan to be rid of large portion of it by the end of this year, but there will still be more debt to pay that we'll hopefully have paid off by the end of 2008. SO, if we could take our car payment from $255/mo to $100/mo or less, that would be $150/mo more that could go towards our debt.

HOWEVER, here's the bonus. Mark is selling his drumset. This is a HUGE deal for him to be selling it and it is a huge step of maturity that he's made the decision. There are a few other smaller things that we're interested in selling as well...a 29" TV, a dvd player, possibly an aquarium. The drumset should sell for around $1000. We figure with all of it, we might get $1200-1500, which would be a nice down payment for these older cars that we're looking at, which would make our payments down to like $75/mo-ish.

I have no idea what's in store for us with this, but we're just trying to make wise decisions that will help us get out of our debt quicker. I'm not sure that this is the right way to go, as an older vehicle could mean more issues...we'll just have to see what happens.

Oh a completely separate note...I think that we're officially done trying for now. I got to thinking about something and it's a good thing I did. My sister graduates in May. Can you imagine how awful that would be to be due right at the time she graduates?!? That would certainly not be fair to her and I don't want to cause chaos in the family. I've made this decision completely selflessly, so I think that it is a wise one and will only bless us in the long-run. Who knows what God has in store for us (well, He does, obviously, but you know what I mean), but I know that "all things work for the good of those who love Him," so I'm just trusting in that. Oh, and I'm okay with this in my heart. I actually feel good about this decision. I guess that's what happens when you "let go and let God," neh? Besides, am I REALLY ready to look like this again?!?

Well, Cassie is saying in her own little way, "MOMMA!!! I'm done eating!!! Come get me!!! If you don't come get me I'm gonna get really, really mad!!! COME HERE!!!" So, I guess I better go rescue her. I hope that you all have a fabulous day and I hope that the "blahs" are not internet contagious! :)