Now I know . . .

. . . that dogs like Cadbury Eggs. A lot.

Rosie and Maybell, aka the fat asses, busted into my stash of Cadbury Eggs and ate ALL 20 of them. 20. And they still lived to tell the tale. Unfortunately.

. . . .that Seeley is going to be a big fan of climbing.

I discovered this when I turned my head and he climbed from the chair to the coffee table. Fun times ahead.

. . . .that 2 full size carseats will not fit into the back of a Civic Si.

Well, actually I already knew that. Jeremy played dumb and got a big ol' dose of "I told you so" along with a new vehicle. New as in a used Honda CR-V. He's lucky I didn't push a minivan on him, ha!

. . . . just how hard it is to back up a 10ft trailer.

What do I get for offering to help the hubs out by hauling the trash to the dump? A big load of embarassement that's what!! The dump was super crowded which made navigation a nightmare. End result- a nice worker backed the trailer up for me amid smirks from the rest of the male population that was watching. I made Jeremy promise to take me to an empty parking lot soon so I could practice.

. . . . that I hate dumps. And men who frequent them. And living in the county where there is not trash pick-up.

Week in Review (a few days late)

Work was chaos. I have several big projects that are wrapping up at the same time, which means I need about 2 more of me in order to pull everything together. Yuck.

Seeley had yet another ear infection. Poor guy. The tubes are obviously helping, but he still gets uncomfortable when he has infections.

Uncomfortable baby boy + inability to sleep = mommy "sleeping" on the couch holding baby boy. One of my coworkers mentioned how rough I was looking last week and got a verbal beat down. I'm not normally rude, but since this person doesn't like me and is always making snide comments I figured what the heck?! Let 'em have it! I've definitely let Jeremy be a bad influence on me!

We were actually quite social last weekend. Surprising right? We went to a fish fry at a friend's house and stayed out past 9pm. Watch out!! The kiddos were half dead by the time we got home and went straight to sleep. Maybe there's something to be said for late nights.

Those same friends came over on Sunday and we enjoyed the pretty weather by playing outside. They have a little girl who is two, Ava Preslee, and she is one of Emma's BFF's apparently. It was hilarious to watch two bossy little girls try and boss each other around. We're working with Emma on playing softball but she can't seem to make up her mind which hand she wants to throw with. She's left handed in almost everything, but for some reason when it comes to softball she's willing to throw with whatever hand picks up the ball first. Crazy and frustrating.

I'm also working on two parties for June. I'm co-hosting a baby shower for a good friend from college, Jennifer, who is having her first baby, a sweet little girl named Jade whom I can't wait to meet. I can't put any details about the shower on this blog though because it will ruin the surprise for Jenn. I'm really excited, and warned her that it might not have been a good idea to let me do this sort of thing. See, she's having several other showers and since I'm the most competitive person in the world I'm bound and determined that this shower will be the best. :)

I'm also pulling stuff together for Mr. Big's first birthday. I have no idea how he can be turning one already. We're going with a circus theme since that was his daddy's first birthday party. More to come on that.

I also took Em and See to the doc for their 3 yr and 9 month check-ups, despite the fact that Em has been three since November. Bad mommy. Em is rocking right along in the 50th percentile- 31lbs and 36.5" tall. See is holding tight to the 98th percentile at 23.5 lbs and 29" tall. Yeah. Somebody is going to outgrow big sister very soon.

And this is where we have spent most of our time this week, yours truly included.

The kids have been obsessed with this tent. Em even watches tv and eats snacks in there.

Here's hoping I can step up by blogging game next week!

Pearls of Wisdom

Sunday was my 29th birthday- yay me! I didn't have a party like I'd originally planned, but there is just entirely too much going on right now! No party is better than a half-baked attempt at a party.

My sis was teasing me about being old and asked what pearls of wisdom I could share with her thanks to my vast knowledge gained in my old age . . . did I mention she's a smart-ass?!

But maybe what I shared with her can be helpful to some other young 20-something. So, here are Stephanie's Tricks to Living Happy:

1. Don't rush through college in 3 years like I did. 4-6 years is perfectly acceptable. Just don't take 7-8 (for a 4 year degree) or then you're the creepy old person trying to hang out with young kids. There is no such thing as a real life Van Wilder, promise.

2. A "big girl" job isn't all its cracked up to be. Yes, its awesome to have a career and exciting to have an adult life at last, but I have three words for you- No Spring Break. No little mini breaks thrown in throughout the year. Vacation days are just not the same.

3. When you do finally get a "big girl" job, make it something that you love.

4. Live within your means. Credit cards can be your friend as long as you don't abuse them.

5. It's easier to stay in shape than it is to get back into shape. Just because you don't have to run 4 miles a day anymore doesn't mean you shouldn't. You'll regret it later when you promise a friend to run a 2K with her in a few months and you're still trying desperately to figure out how to run more than a mile without passing out . . . .

6. Tampon boxes are the best hiding places if there's something you don't want your boyfriend/husband to find. Most won't even go there, but if they do they'll have a tough time explaining why they were looking through your tampons in the first place.

7. Being a mommy is the hardest job in the world. But its also the best.

8. Being a working mommy is not easy. Those people that make it look super easy all the time are probably popping a few happy pills.

9. Surround yourself with people that you love and who love you. Let go of any friendships or relationships that are hurtful or bad. Those people are not worth your time or energy.

10. And most important of all- Trust and believe in God. Put your joys and concerns in His hands. I'm a worrier by nature and giving my problems to God is still something I struggle with everyday. But I'm working on it!

I have the following scripture in my office that I read whenever I find myself overwhelmed and it always helps:

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40: 29-31

So there you have it! My tips to living a happy life. Pay particular attention to number 10 folks, I saved the best for last for a reason!

XOXO

Well, we had a good run . . .

Poor little Emma! Her asthma has been doing fairly well lately and it gave the hubs and I this false sense of security- that "maybe she's starting to grow out of it and maybe things will be better for her now" mentality.

WRONG!

Last Monday she woke up and her breathing was a little funny. Her "emergency" inhaler helped a little so I just continued to monitor her throughout the day (I was off work) and give her extra breathing treatments. Sometimes it will just flare up like that and can be managed. By 5 that evening she refused to let go of me for even one tiny second and the inhaler wasn't giving her any relief so off to the pediatrician's office we go. And an hour later were admitted to the hospital. Yikes.

This brings our total asthma related hospital stays to 4, poor little girl. This time was sooo much harder than any of the previous stays. She felt terrible and is at the age where she understands more and realizes that when nurses come in with needles its gonna hurt. 4 liters of oxygen, 3 attempts at an IV, and around a million tears later we were finally settled down for the night. The only way she would sleep was sitting on my lap in the bed.

It just breaks my heart to see her struggling to breathe, tubes and cords connected to her little body, and not understanding why she keeps getting poked with needles and has to wear the little oxygen thingy in her nose, which she absolutely hates. Some of the worst mommy moments ever.

By day 4 she was able to remove the oxygen for a little while during the day but her oxygen levels were still dropping dangerously low at night. We were able to walk through the pediatric unit for brief periods using a portable oxygen tank and dragging her IV tower with us. My little girl is a charmer and she made tons of friends on these daily walks. My boss sent her a present which she had to carry with her on our walks. Tissue paper, balloons, and all. Since the frog is almost as big as she is I wound up carrying it most of the time but Em wouldn't hear of leaving "Dora" behind. It was so sweet and funny watching her try to carry that giant frog around that I wound up laughing and crying at the same time.

She kept the nurses laughing too. One of the maintenance guys was riding around on a floor buffer and she started yelling "Mommy! Look out for the lawnmower! It's coming this way! Don't let it get me and Dora!"

Finally after 6 LONG days we were able to come home. Praise the Lord! It took an act of congress to get all of her get well soon gifts loaded into my SUV but we finally managed. She was so happy to be home she literally played with every single toy she owns that afternoon, no small feat I promise. Now that she's home we are still doing some extra breathing treatments and she tires out easily. Hopefully in a few days she'll be my happy, silly, little chatterbox girl again!

While I was staying at the hospital with Emma, Jeremy was playing Mommy for Seeley who had RSV. Double whammy right? Since he had RSV he was essentially quarantied for 7 days and this mommy didn't get to see him at all. Super tough. Jeremy and I had talked about trading off some but Emma is such a mommy's girl she would have only gotten more upset and we didn't want that when she was already sick. So, my mom would come to the hospital each day so I could shower (if that's what you can call it) and the in-laws would sit with Seeley each night after work so Jeremy could spend a few hours at the hospital with me and Em.

While I was MIA for a week Mr. Big learned all sorts of new tricks. He's no longer "kinda" crawling, he's a full on force to be reckoned with. As hubs so eloquently put it "he just won't stay where I put him anymore". (This was said in a very exhausted voice one evening over the phone.) And, he supposedly said his first word- dada. I say supposedly b/c I have not heard him say it yet and I'm holding out until I hear it for myself. I personally think it's a little unfair since Jeremy had the advantage of coaching him for a full 6 days.

Emma doesn't know what to think about Seeley's new mobility, especially since he's now getting into all of her stuff. I feel some sibling fights coming up in the near future. It's also funny to watch Seeley try to use Emma to pull himself up to stand. He's only a few pounds lighter than she is and everytime he tries it they both wind up falling onto the floor; Emma tries to help him but she just can't manage to do it without losing her balance!

Here's hoping everyone stays healthy and we can enjoy the pretty weather this weekend!

Love is a Battlefield

Preach on Pat Benatar!

Most husbands and wives argue about money or parenting techniques or even household chores. While hubs and I have our occasional "discussions" on these topics, our battles of late have revloved around two things:

That's right folks. Gauntlets get thrown when it comes to Dr. Pepper and Cadbury Eggs, two of the best culinary delights in the world. Our history with Cadbury Eggs is well noted, the Dr. Pepper is a recent addition to the list due to my desperate (and unwanted) need for caffeine.

See, the hubs suffers from gluttony. He just can't help himself. Or so he claims when I find him in a chocolate and caffeine induced coma.

I've recently made a big push to be healthier. Eat better, focus on getting into a good exercise routine. And I've had moderate success. I'm making it to the gym around 4 times a week (not great but good), I'm eating better meals, and my junk food and caffeine intake is at a minimum.

But for those moments when chocolate and caffeine are a must I have my "emergency stash". I can make a 4 pack of Cadbury eggs and a 6 pack of the mini Dr. Peppers last 2-3 months. Or I could, if hubs would stop stealing them. See when I need them, I NEED them and I've almost resorted to violence upon finding my last Cadbury Egg or Dr. Pepper missing. The only thing stopping the violence is potential jail time. I couldn't make it in jail. Too many germs.

I've managed to find hiding places for my Cadbury Eggs, but the Dr. Pepper is a little harder. So, if the next time you're at my house you find some Cadbury Eggs in a random place, say hanging out inside a box of tampons, just put them back and whatever you do, don't tell Jeremy!

How you doin?

Mama's better lock up their daughters cause I've got a ladies man on my hands!

Last Friday Seeley had tubes placed in his ears. Poor little guy has had 6 ear infections since November and the ENT said his ears looked terrible. The ENT saw him on Tuesday and scheduled the surgery for Friday, that's how bad his ears were. Long story short-he did fantastic! Emma had tubes at 1 and she totally freaked out in recovery so I was kind of dreading this surgery. They brought Mr. Big out to me once he was awake and he fussed a little bit because he was hungry but as soon as he finished his bottle he was laughing and playing. Unbelievable!! All of the nurses were super impressed and very charmed by our little guy.

Which brings me to the ladies man portion of this story. When the surgery was scheduled from the ENT's office I had to go straight to the hospital to fill out the admissions paperwork so all would be ready on Friday. Seeley was pretty tired so he slept until I was almost finished with the paperwork. The admissions office was full of women and plenty of them poked their heads in throughout the admissions process to peek at Seeley. At one point there were 6 women in the office cooing over him while he was sleeping, and while they were there Cassanova decided to wake up. He sat up and looked around until he noticed his audience. They were all gushing over him "Awww." "He's so cute" etc.

I died out laughing because it was like all of a sudden he was wide awake. He sat up straight, spit his paci out onto the desk, smiled his biggest smile, and started waving at them. I kid you not. He has NEVER waved at anyone before without being prompted. Of course the ladies ate it up which just encouraged him to wave harder and start jabbering. I swear it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

But who can blame the ladies? He is quite the stud-muffin. I mean look at those big beautiful blue eyes! Couldn't you just die?!

I guess you've got to start working the ladies at a young age. Daddy was super proud.

What happened to January?

I know I say this a lot, but I swear just yesterday it was the middle of January. I can't keep up!

A brief review of the last month:

Stil waiting to celebrate our 8 year wedding anniversary. That's right,almost 2 months later and still no date night. Don't judge. Come and talk to me when you have two kiddos and a billion dogs.

Speaking of which, we've added a new face to the Johnson Zoo. Meet Bella (short for Isabella of Phineas and Ferb fame).

A girl I went to high school with had 6 month old Bella but could no longer keep her in their apartment so we took her for Emma. It's difficult for Emma to be around animals because of her allergies and asthma. Chihuahuas are one of the few dogs that she can be around. I'm slightly concerned because she's been having to use her inhaler more frequently, but I'm giving it a little time to see if its just a coincidence. I do not want to be the one to take her puppy away from her. It was a little touch and go at first, but now they are fast buddies. According to Emma Bella is "just my right size". Perfect and too cute together! This dog needs serious attention though; its almost like having a third child. Seriously.

Gymnastics Expo! (Excuse the poor photo quality. I was using my el cheapo point and click Kodak. Lesson learned.)

More snow!