To Grandmother's House We Go....

Not my grandmother, my daughter's. It's time to go visit the in-laws! Yay! A few days of complete rest and relaxation getting a few minutes to myself while my mother in law watches the kids. We'll go to the park and sit around at home. I can't wait.

Baby Boo is now 4 months old. Where did the time go? According to my bathroom scale, she weighs 15 lbs (that would be the weight of my holding her minus my weight which we won't talk about -- I didn't just sit her on it or anything). That's pretty well keeping with her average around 2 lbs/month or so.

Birth: 7.8 lbs
2 Months: 11.3 lbs
3 Months: 13 lbs
4 Months: 15 lbs

She's going to outgrow her little carseat soon. And it's a tossup as to whether she'll get too long for it or she'll get too heavy for it. Either way, she can still stay in it for a couple of months. Hopefully until she can sit up so that we don't have to worry about grocery shopping.

So, anyway, now I've got to pack. Which means I need to do laundry. Ugh.

A Day of Potty Training Success

Yes, it's one day. But it's the best day of potty training we've had yet. Night before last, we managed to get Miss Priss to pee on the potty (for the first time in a long, long time). Her daddy had promised her a quarter. So he gave her a quarter for her piggy bank.

Yesterday morning, I put her in panties as soon as she woke up. I told her that she would get a quarter every time she peed in the potty (and 50 cents for pooping in the potty). She earned $1.50. She peed 4 time. 4 times. And pooped once. If this keeps up, it's going to get expensive.

She did notice that the last 3 quarters looked a little small (and copper). I just didn't want to have to get my money back out of her piggy bank, so I figured if I gave her the pennies, she'd never notice. I was wrong.

Weird Things About Me....

I've been tagged by Elise.

Weird things about me.....where to begin? LOL

1. I'm obsessive about having my toenails painted. They are always painted. Even when I was 9 months pregnant and could barely reach my toenails, I still made sure they were perfectly painted. This also goes for my children. Even my almost 4 month old has painted toenails (happy toes -- a little rainbow). I should post a picture. :)

2. I own all 4 Harry Potter movies. I love Harry Potter. I want to go to Hogwarts. :)

3. I make my bed everyday no matter what. My husband makes fun of me because I will make it even if we are about to go to bed. It just makes the sheets and the comforter lie evenly so that my husband doesn't hog them all.

4. I have trouble not multi-tasking. If I sit down to watch TV, I have to fold laundry or do something with my hands. I've recently taken up coloring in my daughter's coloring book to avoid eating. I also like to watch movies on the computer and play solitaire at the same time. I just open two smaller windows.

5. I like to eat lunch at 10:30 or so. It seems early to lunch food, but I eat breakfast so early that it's about the right time.

6. I alphabetize my movies. Again, my husband makes fun of me, but he likes being able to easily find the movie that he's looking for.

I tag the following:
Dana
Lynsey
Beth
Dawn
Heather
AnneMeg

If you've already been tagged, sorry. :)

Ah, to be a baby....

Baby Boo just woke up. Not annoying loud or obnoxious, just a little whine to say, "Hey, woman! (Yes, sometimes her looks lead me to believe that if she could talk, she would be calling me woman instead of mommy) I'd like some food over here." So, while I type, she's eating. Little piggy. I'm interested to see how much weight she's gained this month. She has a doctor's appointment on the 3rd.

My parents visited yesterday, and we got the pool cleaned out. No, not a big, nice in-ground pool (that comes with my dream house, you know, the win-the-lottery dream house), but a cute little kiddie pool that has been trying to host a colony of algae for the past week. Haha! No more. We can actually swim in it!

So, I did all my house cleaning yesterday and I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing day with my laundry and my DVR. Oh, yeah, my kids too. :)

Getting on the Right Track....

It's time to stop messing around and actually get stuff started to get back into school. So, yesterday, I crossed a few things off my t0-do list. I did my application for the college. I set my time to take the entrance exam (it was probably not a smart move to schedule that for a week and a half away, but, I don't want to put it off, just get it done). I filled out all the information for financial aid. Now I'm just waiting on my pin number. Funny, I kept putting it off because I didn't want to deal with the fact that it might not work out, but when I actually sat down to do one thing a day (starting with the application), that led me to do the others. I feel like I'm on the right track, so I'm feeling pretty optimistic today.

Plus, my parents are coming to visit for a few hours. It's always nice to have some adult interaction with someone other than my husband. I love him and all, but a majority of my communication on a daily basis is with a 2 1/2 year old.

Now, if I can get a good night's sleep, I'd be all set. I've been really tired lately. I hope it passes quickly. :)

My name is Alison.....

so now you know. :) Not sure why I kept it secret in the first place. Probably for fear of my husband finding my blog (in case I ever need to badmouth him). I'm sure he'd be able to tell it was me if he came across my blog, so I might as well put my name on it. :)

I am getting very discouraged in the weight loss department. I'm not sure what I expected -- just a few weeks to lose over 40 lbs? Not realistic. But a pound a week? My goal seems so far away. Even my mini-goal of being under 170 lbs (hasn't happened since before I was pregnant with Miss Priss) is going to take another 8 weeks at this rate! Okay, rant over. :)

Have you seen the episode of friends where Ross gets Emma to smile or giggle by singing her "Baby Got Back?" Well, Baby Boo doesn't giggle to "Baby Got Back," but everytime she hears the song, "Hollaback Girl," she starts giggling. I don't even listen to the song. It just happens to come on the radio, and something about it she finds very funny.

A Few Things I've Learned as a Mother

1. Noses run. Period. You cannot keep up with all the snot pouring out of a child's nose, so don't even try. It will only frustrate you and piss off your child.
2. Do not overpack the diaper bag. I will not need 5 diapers, 3 outfits, and an entire box of wipes for a 2 hour trip. It just means more weight to carry and less room for true essentials.

3. By the same token, make sure to include true "essentials" in the diaper bag. At least one outfit (including socks -- it's amazing how baby poop has a way of always getting on baby socks), diapers (just a couple), wipes, a bottle (or sippy cup), some form of snack -- cheerios or goldfish in a baggy, bandaids -- I keep a couple in a baggy in the diaper bag, and, in our case, gas drops. Never leave home without the gas drops. I also throw in a little receiving blanket because they fold down so small (and I have a million of them) and I will not let my baby's bottom touch a changing table at the grocery store.

4. I should never compare my child to other children no matter how tempted I am. I think everyone has been guilty of this at some point or another. We all want our kids to be the best, the smartest, the fastest, and the most developed. However, children will do thing on their own schedule, and I can't speed that up.

5. I'm much more patient than I ever thought I could be. Don't get me wrong, I still do a lot more yelling than I like, and my blood pressure will skyrocket at the sight of an entire bottle of powder all over the room (literally all over the room -- it's like a little powder fairy flew around over the bed, the play kitchen, the toy bins, the changing table, everything! nothing was spared). But, I still think I have more patience than I expected to have before I became a mother.

6. I can never take too many pictures. The best pictures I have are often one picture in the middle of 30 or 40 bad ones. I still consider our digital camera one of the best investments ever.

7. Sometimes I have to be willing to do things the long way in order to include Miss Priss. Do dishes take me 10 minutes when I do them alone? Yes. With Miss Priss's help? Upwards of 30. Does it make her feel really important and helpful? Of course. Same with folding laundry. Things that are a chore to me are fun for her.

8. Almost anything can be a teaching tool. Silly soap (you know that stuff you can buy at the dollar store that comes out similar to shaving cream) can be used to teach letters on the side of the bathtub. A car ride game for a toddler? Can you see any red cars (or white or some other common color)?

9. Whining and screeching (OMG, the screeching) really get on my nerves.

10. No one is perfect, expect the unexpected, and very few rules are set in stone.

11. Engorgement after having a baby is an interesting experience to say the least.

12. I don't need as much sleep as I thought I did to function.

13. I never thought I would miss being pregnant, but I miss the baby kicking inside of me.

14. Finding Nemo doesn't really get good until you've seen it at least 15 times. That's when you start noticing the little things they threw in (probably for the parents who would have to watch it so many times!).

15. I'm much more relaxed with the second child than with the first. Everything was so new with Miss Priss, and with Baby Boo, I am much more relaxed and confident in my own parenting.

16. Children's clothes are way more expensive than they need to be. I don't want to pay for the "cute" factor.

17. I can relate to my friends with children better than I can to my friends without children. I guess we can swap stories about our children that my friends without children wouldn't be interested in.

18. Miss Priss smiles really big when she is lying. LOL

19. There is nothing on in the middle of the night when babies are the hungriest. Thank goodness for DVR.

20. Little things (a hot shower, a long nap, a good book, a few minutes completely alone) can make all the difference.

Sorry. Having one of those days where I ask myself why I wanted kids. LOL

I love this time of year....

It has been so nice this morning. I walked outside and just loved the smell in the air. It reminds me of when we would go camping when we were little. I would wake up in my tent and could smell that smell, hear the birds chirping, and the sound of pans rattling on the camp stove as people were waking up and making coffee. I have such fond memories of out "Family Campouts." My dad has two brothers and the brothers and their families would get together at a state park to go camping. We would use several campsites and would have 25-30 people show up. It was such a wonderful time in my life that I look back on with so much fondness. I feel this overwhelming need to go camping again. LOL

I took a bunch of pictures of Miss Priss yesterday in her Easter dress (which is, of course, too big). I even set up my own little "photo studio." However, I didn't get a great smile, and I want a few with both Baby Boo and Miss Priss. I'm not asking too much, am I? LOL We'll see what I get. If you're dying to see a pic of my girls, email me, and I'll send you a picture.

So, what's up with everyone else today?

So, what's new?

On Sabrina's advice, I decided to give Miss Priss a bedtime snack before she falls asleep hoping she'll sleep all night. Well, the first night, I almost forgot, so I took them to her when she was already in bed. Big mistake. She now thinks that she's supposed to save them for when she wakes up in the middle of the night, so she tucks them away next to her pillow for when she wakes up. The thing is, she hasn't been waking me up at night anymore (by either crying or sneaking up on me coming into my room), and the crackers are all eaten in the morning, so the only conclusion that I can come to is that she's eating them when she wakes up. I'm still getting a full night's sleep, so I've got no problem with that. :)

I think Baby Boo would sit up if she had the balance. We have a bouncy chair that converts to a toddler rocking chair, and she loves it when I set it up as the rocking chair. I only do it when I'm nearby because she'll throw all her weight forward to try and sit up completely. I have a bad feeling that she's going to be on the move as soon as she's able. Poor thing can't seem to get past the rash that keeps trying to develop in the folds of her neck where the drool accumulates. LOL

Ewww.....

a cow died in the field not far from our house yesterday. I don't want to think about the smell that's about to begin or the number of flies we're going to see.

Another funny:
We went out to eat last night, and when we were done, Miss Priss kept telling me, "I don't want to go in the car! I don't want to go in the car!"
"Why not? It's time to go."
"Because I'm poopin', Mommy!" She shouted it across the restaurant. Thankfully, it wasn't a high class restaurant, and the patrons all looked like parents or grandparents who probably got a good chuckle out of it.

Scared....

I'm hoping to start nursing school in the fall to become an LVN (with the eventual goal of becoming a RN). I live in a small town about an hour away from any kind of "big" city. However, a local (and by local I mean about an hour away) college offers an LVN course in my town. That's why I haven't gotten a job yet and we're managing to scrape by.

There are so many things that have to happen correctly for this to work out. And I'm praying that they do.
1. I have to be accepted by the college. This is no easy task in itself. I was last in college in fall of 2002, and, well, let's just say that my last couple of semesters of college didn't go so well. It's not that I'm not smart enough to do well. It was just a point in my life where I was depressed and not trying very hard at anything in my life. Therefore, my GPA is a little lot below where it's supposed to be. Why fall, 2002? Well, in the Spring (right around New Year's, to be exact), I found out that I was going to have Miss Priss. So, I'm hoping that they'll see that I am a returning student who has had some major life changes since I was last in school and I have serious motivation to do well.

2. I have to be accepted by the program. That one I'm not sweating too much (I hope I'm not screwing up in that thought). They don't have very many people who want to take the class in my little town, so there's not much competition.

3. I have to take the NET test. It's been a long time since I've taken any sort of test like that. However, I've always been a good test taker, so I'm getting a book to study with and I think I'll do okay.

4. I have to get financial aid. This is another kicker. The entire plan revolves around me not having to pay out very much right now -- as in nothing. I need grants (which I'm pretty sure I'll qualify for) and student loans to pick up a majority of the cost. And I'll still have to figure out how to pay for daycare (unless we qualify for daycare assistance -- another thing I'll have to look into).

5. I have to get copies of my transcripts. Easy enough, right? Well, no, not exactly. See, I have a hold on my records and the last university I attended won't give them to me since I happen to owe them a little money from the last time I attended. This is because my financial aid didn't quite work out that last semester (apparently, if you aren't making progress, they don't want to keep funding your efforts -- fair enough). However, I worked for 2 1/2 years putting money into a retirement account through work that I requested to get back. I'm not opposed to saving for retirement. But, I would rather save in a job that is better where I'm making more money. By taking the money out now, I can do that .

6. I have to get my Hep B shots -- that's no big deal, but I have to start them by the end of May.

So, why the long drawn out explanation (besides just to give me a checklist)? Because this is scary to me. I haven't been in school in almost 4 years officially, and much longer than that realistically. The list above contains so many little things that need to get done, but it seems like everything has to come together just right to make this happen. And it scares me. What if it doesn't work just right? What then? I don't have a plan for that scenario. If any one thing doesn't work out, the whole plan doesn't work out.

I think my husband doesn't understand why I'm dragging my feet. He's a go-getter. If it needs to be done, he goes and does it. I tend to avoid things that are scary to me. It's like a reflex. I'm scared of the unknown, and I avoid things that might make me anxious or nervous. It's the result of years of panic attacks. I'll do anything to avoid them. But I have to quit dragging my feet. I have to look at my kids and realize that their future depends on me doing something with my life. And it's time to get it done.

Please bear with me....

I've finally figured out how to change a few things (colors and backgrounds). Can you tell?

I'm still figuring it out, so the look of my blog might change a lot in the next few days as I find backgrounds that I like better and as I figure out what I'm doing. :)

Updates....

Weight Update:

Starting Weight: 201
Last Week's Weight: 180.0
This Week's Weight: 180.0
Loss: 0.0 :(

Oh, well, at least I haven't gained. And I did eat breakfast, so I probably should have weighed myself before breakfast. :) I'm actually a little surprised since I haven't been as hungry and haven't been eating as much. Oh, well. Hopefully better luck next week. :)

Dryer Update:

I used my favorite handyman, Mr. Google to try and figure out the problem. There were a list of problems that my dryer had the symptoms to. I decided to start at the top of the list and start checking things off. The first thing -- check your house fuse breaker. Well, we had just replaced the fuses in the main fusebox because one had blown a couple of weeks before and the dryer wouldn't work at all. So, I knew those were good, but I figured that I would check them just to make sure before I checked that off the list. Ahem, so what do you think was the problem? Yeah. The fuse. Apparently, the first time the left fuse went out and the dryer wouldn't work at all, but the second time, the right fuse went out and it would tumble, but the dial wouldn't turn and the heat wouldn't work. So, I replaced it, and it's working fine again. Now,why it's blowing the fuses every two weeks, I don't know. But it's working for now.

Miss Priss Update:

Just when Baby Boo is starting to sleep through the night, Miss Priss can't sleep through the night anymore. Around 4am (plus or minus and hour), she wakes up EVERY morning. It's making me crazy, exhausted, and cranky. Very impatient with her. I don't know why she wakes up, but she apparently can't get back to sleep.

Baby Boo Update:

Doing well. Smiling all the time, giggling as well. She's such a good baby. :)

Imaginary Friend?

I think Miss Priss has an imaginary friend. She has referenced an "Anton" a couple of times now, and I don't know anyone named Anton and there isn't anyone with that name on any of the shows she watches. Where she came up with the name, I don't know.

I'm so tired. Hubby got a phone call last night at about 1:00am, and it took me forever to go back to sleep. Then, Baby Boo got hungry around 3 right as I was going back to sleep.

Yesterday I had to do laundry. Since my dryer will only tumble with no heat, I hung stuff out to dry. It was so beautiful yesterday afternoon. Not too hot and no wind (very unusual around here). I strung a rope between the two columns in front of my house and hung clothes on hangers off of it. Miss Priss played in the yard and Baby Boo sat in her bouncy seat next to me. Ahhh....that's the life.