The Sweet Smell of Victory

The past couple of weeks have been out of this world crazy, but amid all the chaos we've had a few shining triumphs that I just had to share.

Victory 1- Jeremy realized he is an asshole. I say this with all the love I have for him, but he is undeniably an asshole. He's also generous, kind, a good husband, and wonderful father. So maybe I should define asshole and how it came to be that he realized it. Jeremy is painfully honest, abhors stupid people, and doesn't see the need to be tactful-this is the reason he gets labeled an asshole. For example, last week at work he told an FRA inspector that he didn't know what he was talking about and should go read his rule book before showing up and inspecting our railroad again. For those that don't know -the FRA is the governing body of railroads-they can fine the railroad mucho money, fine individuals mucho money, or just plain shut us down. This is the guy that Jeremy told off. His reason? And I quote, "the moron didn't know what he was talking about, so I set him straight." At any rate, Jeremy had a longtime friend tell him what an asshole he was and for some reason this one time it really got to Jeremy. He came to me and said "Am I an asshole?" (He took my laughter as a yes) and told me that Stephen had said he was condescending and cut people to the quick with sarcasm when he didn't agree with them or thought they made a stupid remark. When I agreed he said, "Well, they shouldn't be stupid and I wouldn't be an asshole." If you're wondering why I consider this a victory it's because I know now that Jeremy is aware when he's being an asshole. He chooses to be that way, and being aware of it makes all the difference. And let me reiterate-I love my husband. One of the things I admire about him is his asshole qualities, aka the ability to say whatever he wants to whomever he wants and not fear the consequences. I would imagine it's very liberating-but I can't do it!

Victory 2- I overcame my lack of a penis at work! Working for the railroad is an enlightening experience because around 70% of the railroad workforce in America is reaching retirement age. So what we have are a bunch of men in their sixties that are still struggling with having women working by their side. This is more prevalent in smaller railroads like mine versus the biggies like Union Pacific. When I got my job the General Manager who hired me actually said "Well, all of the Class I RR's are bringing females into marketing positions so I'm wondering if maybe they're onto something there and maybe we should get on board." You would have to know him to realize it was not meant to be offensive but that is just the mentality of some of the "old timers." So, I manned it up for a little while, cut down on the flash and femininity, and absolutely did not wear any skirts to work. I worked my way into the RR cliques (which are a very small and tight community believe it or not), and I decided 4 years was more than enough time to gain a little respect so I busted out a skirt twice in the last two weeks. And other than the occasional "why are you wearing a skirt, you never wear skirts" the RR didn't screech to a halt, I still closed some major deals, and life continued on as though my legs weren't bare. I broke the railroaders!

Victory 3- I survived three days of Emma being sick. Poor M had an ear infection and an eye infection that were making her miserable and even more temperamental than normal. She is prone to dramatics (crumbling to the floor in tears when she doesn't get her way) and has a bit of a stubborn nature (no idea where she came by that!) but the past couple of days were unbelievable. I was fighting a cold myself and a series of migraines so that didn't help. But I think my child is getting close to those terrible 2's I keep hearing about. She got mad at me yesterday when I took something away from her and bitch slapped me in the face. Serious Time-Out over that one. She finally started feeling better last night and insisted on wearing her tutu Mollie made her over her pajamas. (She's become more assertive and independent now too!)

My sweet little angel/hellion!

Victory 4- I fit into a pair of pre-Emma pants. And I define "fit" as the complete and total lack of a muffin top. Granted, these were the jeans I would have considered my fat jeans, but it's a start. If I would just plan ahead a little so that I can cut fast food completely out of my diet I would probably have more success. And, I've also decided to cut my hair, which hasn't been seriously cut in over three years. Jeremy is a big fan of long hair (and his definition of long is boob length), but it's got to go. After fighting with gnarly tangles, Emma's hair pulling fits and some serious migraines I've made the decision. The cut I've picked out is super cute, I hope, but you'll have to wait until after Saturday to see it. P.S.-I'm not telling Jeremy I'm getting my hair cut until I'm walking out the door so if anyone spills the beans they're in big trouble!

Victory 5- ( I hope) I may not have a penis but I did find a set of something to grab onto and ask for a very well deserved raise at work. The outcome is still pending (please cross your fingers for me) but if it doesn't get approved it will be a very serious bitch slap in the face. And not because I was told no but for a lot of other extenuating circumstances. It could be the defining answer to very tough career choice.

We have a lot planned for next week so stay tuned. Next weeks activities include a bathroom remodel and a trip to Memphis! Not to mention a post on my stylish new 'do!

Um, hello? Do I still have an ass back there?

So, the day I have dreaded each year since having Emma arrived yesterday. I was shopping for a swimsuit because we have a vacation coming up. We had planned on having a mini vacation in Memphis because Emma loves loves loves the zoo, and we may still do that but now I'm trying to talk Jeremy into coming to Annapolis with me in June for a railroad conference once I checked out the super cheap flights on Southwest. Cha-Ching! Score! In either case, a bathing suit is a must because we always stay at a hotel with a pool because Emma loves to swim. So I found a bathingsuit at Target but then immediately went over to the fitness aisle afterwards. I was looking through the videos when I came across this little beauty and I remembered Brittany mentioning Jillian Michaels was kicking her ass and she loved it.

I had big plans to join the gym again but everyone with kids knows you have to prioritize and right now the gym is pretty low on my list thanks to medical bills, etc. So, I took this home and tried it out. She totally kicked my ass! None of the moves she forced me to do were anything out of the ordinary but man did I learn quickly how bad out of shape I am. I felt like an 80 year old woman groaning my way out of bed this morning. I highly recommend it to anyone searching for a good workout video. You don't have to buy Billy Bands (Billy Blanks Bootcamp Tae-Bo) or any of that other crap. Just you and the tv (and a defibrilator if you're in pitiful shape like me).

So, well see how it goes. I hurt so bad that I've been getting flashbacks all day to high school and the first week or so back in athletics after summer or maxing out on weights. You know, when it was agony getting in and out of your seat in class or trying to walk up those dang stairs from the commons? Yeah. I'll definitely think twice about putting another chocolate bunny in my mouth . . .

Stupid Bunny . . .

is killing my diet! Emma made out like gangbusters from the Easter Bunny. She had baskets from Mommy and Daddy, Meme and PopPop, Nanny and Grandpa, AND Uncle Justin and Aunt Brittany. Kid is rolling in the chocolately goodness. And Mommy is living in a nightmare where chocolate bunnies are calling my name. Sigh.

Our Easter weekend was great though. We had a family Easter egg hunt on Saturday at Mama Hope's house. All the aunts, uncles and cousins from Jeremy's Mom's side of the family were there, about 50 in all I would guess. We skipped the church egg hunt because it was during Emma's nap time (which is sacred at our house for Mommy's mental health and to keep Emma from turning into something from the Exorcist).

All of the kids were super excited to get started and even tried cheating a little. Not to let Emma be outdone Brittany and I took her on a little snooping expedition of our own so that when they were ready to start Emma knew EXACTLY where she was going. Did I mention that we were a competitive group? Recall the great Gingerbread House decorating competition? Yeah. But Emma didn't need our help finding eggs once she realized there was candy inside, she was all about hunting some eggs then.

She did so good. But Holton was the big winner of the day- he found the Golden Egg with $5 in it.

I was worried that we wouldn't be able to make it to church on Sunday because it stormed terribly that morning, I'm talking golf sized hail. It was crazy. We braved the weather though so that Emma could wear her new Easter dress.

I kind of dropped off the face of the earth . . .

. . . for a little while anyway. It took a good friend to remind me that I am a bad blogger. :) Things have been hella crazy in my little world the past couple of weeks. Everyone is healthy thank goodness, but the craziness ensues.

Our other marketing and sales guy got the boot so I have been pulling double duty for the past month or so. To be quite honest though I've been doing both jobs for the past four years but business is booming and I can't keep up with all my normal day to day work plus filtering through applicants for the job, interviewing candidates, etc. Pure craziness! And today we're hosting all of the railroads in AR at our office for a big meeting and I'm having to miss Emma's Easter party at school to put in some face time. Also, there is some work drama. I don't really want to get into it until I know the final outcome but let's just say I'm seriously stressed right now. (Hello Cadbury Eggs!)

Jeremy's blood pressure is doing better but we had to take Emma to the allergist last week. It was a terrible ordeal-I was in the allergist's office with her for THREE hours while they did a scratch test and all that good stuff. I wouldn't let them test her for everything (50+ pricks) but they did test her for most of the normal indoor allergens: dust, pet dander, dust mites, mold, etc. Of course she's allergic to all of it. And not just slightly allergic but severely allergic. Beautiful. We're already doing almost everything possible to avoid these triggers, cleaning, wood floors, HEPA air purifiers, etc, except for the dogs. I've blocked them from entering the main part of the house but until we finish the fence in our backyard they can't be put out. And, what's worse is that I think we are going to have to give Maybell away. Bulldogs can't handle extreme heat or cold so she can't stay outdoors unless we build an indoor kennel and heat/cool the thing. I'm not sure if we can go that far. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know because I am so upset about this and I just don't know what we're going to do. At any rate she was such a trooper about the allergist visit and her new prescription nose spray that I took her to Chick-fil-a after (her fave) and let her eat chicken nuggets and play in the play room then took her to Books-a-Million and let her pick out a book and a baby (webkinz). She was super excited about that and it eradicated some of my super duper mom guilt.

Over the weekend I took her to the zoo and met up with Leslie and Camron (friends from MCHS). Leslie brought her son Lyric and Camron brought her two oldest girls, Lily and Jasmine. Camron's girls are the sweetest things and Lyric was sooo good about riding in the stroller.

It was a ton of fun to see them and I can't wait to get together again. Little Jasmine is a bottomless pit so I think next time we're going to take the kids out to eat someplace like Chuck E Cheese and just let them run amok.

And, just because I couldn't resist here is Emma in the "must have" outfit for any child- her sailor dress. Yes, I made her wear it to church. Don't laugh-I bet your mom has a picture of you in a similar outfit just like every other mom from the beginning of time.

She is all about hats so this outfit went over well. (Not even two and already learning to accessorize-I'm so proud!) We are hitting one bump in the road so if anyone has any advice I would appreciate it-if she wakes up at night she will not go back to sleep on her own. Ever. I'm working on putting her down for bed on her own without holding her also. I've tried the cry it out method but she is extremely persistent and Jeremy gets furious with me when I try this. Also, I'm afraid to let her cry too long because of her asthma. Anyway-any suggestions would be appreciated.

Oh, and anybody know anything about Clarksville, TN?

B-Day Wrap-Up

Do you remember when you were little and on your birthday the entire world would revolve around you and it would be just the greatest thing ever? Boy does that change when you get older! I've always joked that I would stop having birthdays after 29 but now I've decided that 27 is old enough, especially after the crazy weekend we had.

The craziness started around 11pm Thursday night, when our brand new heating and air unit stopped working. Yeah. So, it got down to like 63 degrees in my house. Jeremy was putting Emma in bed with me at 4am (I can promise you she was bundled up in her own bed toasty warm in a cocoon of blankets so don't worry. We didn't put her in bed with us originally b/c we're still suffering through a full size bed.) as he was leaving for work and woke her up. It woke her up just enough that she realized where she was and thought it was the greatest thing ever to be in bed with Mama. Every time I thought I had her back to sleep she would get right up in my face and laugh, sooo we just got out of bed and started the day. Shouldn't it be against the law to get up at 4am on your birthday? Luckily a MCHS alumni has a heat and air business and came out that day to get the unit working again, but it still was a pain.

With that drama out of the way Jeremy took me to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner and gave me presents so the day was salvaged. BUT, the crazy weather and change in temperatures has aggravated Emma's asthma so I've spent the past three nights getting up and down with her and only getting about 3 hours of sleep each night. THEN, the heat and air unit stopped working again Sunday night! REALLY? A new thermostat and we're back in business again. Hopefully for good.

We did spend some time at the park on Sunday since the weather was so gorgeous and Emma had a blast.

And, I also spent the entire weekend worrying about Jeremy. His blood pressure has been through the roof and he was complaining with chest pains, shortness of breath, all those big bad warning signs. He refused to go to the doctor Friday but finally went Monday. He has high blood pressure, no surprise there. But, he is finally treating it with blood pressure medicine and the doc told him to lose 15 pounds. I was kind of surprised by this b/c I don't think he needs to lose any weight but the doc hopes that by losing the weight he can be taken off the blood pressure medicine. And, he was also told to cut out the caffeine. I may have to move out for a couple of weeks while he is in withdrawal! Hopefully by treating this now though he will be around for Emma and I for a very long time.

The Dirty Kid

Do you remember the dirty kid in elementary school? You know, the one that always looked in desperate need of a bath and as a child you would shy away from playing with this kid (or your mom would order you not to). Of course, as adults we place the blame squarely on the parents for not bathing their child and practicing good hygeine. So, imagine my horror when I picked Emma up from daycare the other day looking like THIS:

Yup. That's MY filthy child trying to bring back the mohawk. She had drool all down her face, her shirt was absolutely covered with her lunch and who needs hair gel when you can just use the fruit juice from your lunch to make your hair stick straight up? (This is not an endorsement to use fruit juice as hair gel but it did do an amazingly good job holding her 'hawk to form and she did smell deliciously fruity)

I couldn't decide if I was amused or frustrated when I picked her up, so I settled on both. Amusement because she had so obviously had a great/fun day (seriously-how happy does she look in her filth?)and frustration because she was such a mess. What am I paying the daycare for if they can't manage to put a bib on her during lunch and wipe the juice out of her hair and drool off her face?! I was so sure the other moms were talking about me that I grabbed her and hightailed it out of there as quick as I could!

The mohawk is actually a pretty normal occurance. Since Emma FINALLY has hair she is obsessed with running her fingers through it. Yet another example of the 'hawk in action:

I think she's channeling Dr. Seuss. Cindy Lou Who anyone?

Emma's Special Day

Emma was baptised this past Sunday along with her Aunt Brittany and we all joined First United Methodist Church. It was such a special day for Emma and I had to try really hard to keep from crying several times. Luckily our new preacher inadvertently provided some moments of levity that helped me out. He called us all down at the same time and was introducing us to the congregation but he kept getting our names confused, well, Jeremy and Justin to be exact. A lot of people seem to have trouble keeping Jeremy and Justin straight. Yes, they are brothers and do look alike, but it still surprises me. At any rate, he got it right the fourth time and we were ready to go. Aunt Brittany went first, but when it was Emma's turn she refused to let go of me. So, I got wet with her. Luckily we just sprinkle as opposed to a full on submersion. After the baptisms we all officially joined the church. I lost the battle and teared up when we were finished and the preacher had the congregation sing Emma a special lullaby. Next Sunday I'm going to look up the lullaby and make note of it to put in her baby book.

At any rate, pictures are below. We don't have any of the actual baptism-these are all after.

Ready to go to church . . .

Don't know if you can tell from this picture or not but both Jeremy and Justin have their eyes closed. Sigh. They always do that! And we took several of these. Eyes closed in all of them! Oh well, Brittany, Emma and I look good!

Justin loves to be called The Godfather. And of course has his eyes closed.

Jeremy has his eyes half closed . . . Next time I'm taping his eyelids open!