Life Is Just So Daily

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Bye Bye...

Bye Bye Back Hallway/Weird Space.


Bye Bye Home Office room that we never used, but we put random stuff in there & the decorations were hodge podge.

Bye Bye Laundry Room that was also a bathroom, and weird.

bye Bye "White Room" that we used for storage. (we called it the white room b/c the walls were white, and the cabinets in there were white...everything in that room was...white!)

AND HELLO TWO CAR GARAGE!

Okay...our house was built in 1949. It was the first house built in this neighborhood. The builder built it, and then moved in. He then began to build others home around it, and started the neighborhood. The people who owned this house before us bought it in 1951, and lived here until 2004, when we moved in. While they owned the home, they took the 2 car garage & changed it into 3 rooms: the weird laundry/bathroom, the "white room" that we only use for storage, and the home office room that again...we usually only use it for storage. We used to use it as a computer room, but since we got the laptop & wireless internet---we aren't really tied to any one room for computer use.

And, with the addition of Car #2 to the Casa de Lainey-Paney, we felt the space would be better used if converted BACK into the garage. Now, there is some sacrifice here....the laundry room will be no more, and the washer/dryer will be out in the garage. Ok. I can handle that. The weird bathroom that was raaaaaaaarely used will be no more. Not much of a sacrifice for us...except when it comes to resale value; we'll be down one washroom. So what? The hubby has grand plans for the new master bath & walk in closet, which has been an ongoing (read: started, but currently no progress to report) project.

So, the garage...One side at a time. The demo has been done, and the first garage door is up...the tracks are being installed as I type. Good times.
The original wooden garage door was still here...but it's wooden---really heavy. I liked the look of it, but it didn't have the motor. In the event that I ever had to manually raise it, I don't think I could have done it. Plus, we need TWO garage doors, and only one was still here. The other opening has sliding glass doors there for now...(but not for long!) anyway, the new garage door was purchased yesterday at Home Depot...and the motor & tracks, and all-things-garage-door are out there being installed.

Anyway...I am very excited. I have never lived in a house with a garage. I have no idea what it is like to not go out into the rain, load a baby in the car, & not be pissed about the weather. Clearly, I'm expecting this whole garage thing to change my life!

:)

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Saturday, September 29, 2007

So sweet.

It's just amazing to me how Baby Gage's little mind is working & his speech is improving every day. He is able to express himself better....sometimes describing his surroundings....telling me what he wants, and you can just see his little mind working, trying to express himself.

He's a fan of that "new car" smell. I was loading him in the car yesterday morning. (Oh yeah, Car #2 is officially home, and officially MINE!) Anyway, as I was putting him in his seat, he said, "Smells like ah da lotion. Like ah da lotion in my nose. Smell ah da lotion in my nose." I asked if he liked that smell, and he said, "mmmm-hmmmmm."
So cute. I'm not sure where all the extra "ah" & "da" sounds come from....But, it's so cute to hear him.

Then last night---we were laying on the couch. He was at one end, and I was at the other. He reached down & took my hand & said, "Mommy pet you?" He wanted me to rub him! When he's taking his milk, I usually rub his little head, and chest, and back, and legs...okay, I just lightly rub him all over! I just love him. so anyway, last night, that's what he was wanting. So, I snuggled in, and rubbed his little chest & he turned a bit. I rubbed his back & legs. He snuggled in closer & closed his eyes. It was just what he was wanting. To snuggle with me & have me rub his back.
It was soooooooooo wonderful.

As moms, there are so many icky tasks we do. So many un-fun mommy moments like when Gage is in the middle of a fit & screaming....and then there are moments like when he WANTS me to rub his back that just make up for all of the hard stuff...it makes up for all of the gross parts. It's just so wonderful.

:)

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Friday, September 28, 2007

HOWDY FOLKS!


That's Big Tex.
He greets everyone at the Texas State Fair, by saying, "Howdy Folks! I'm Big Tex."

And today....TODAY IS THE OPENING DAY OF THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS!

I love State Fair time. Love it.
When I was younger, we used to get a "fair day" off from school.
The fair is so awesome. We took Gage last year.
It's expensive....but, to me----so worth it. THE STATE FAIR ROCKS!

If you want to see a schedule of events, (for you locals) or ticket prices, etc....
www.bigtex.com

Thursday, September 27, 2007

What???

This post is so random....I swear.

Okay, you know how sometimes you look @ what is googled to get people to your blog?
for example....I may google, "Lainey-Paney", and it leads me to this blog.
Well.....people google all kinds of random sh*t, and end up at my blog.
I find it quite humorous...that over the course of a week, the following were googled, and readers/image seekers were led to my blog:

* anal bleaching + diamond wrist
* alopecia universalis + porn
* Selena butt plastic surgery
* I hate working Sundays
* mechanical bull riding mini-skirt
* toddler + licking the floor

Totally random.....but funny to me. Any wild things googled that sent people to your blog?

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

SO GROSS.

WARNING: THIS MAY BE THE GROSSEST THING I'VE EVER POSTED & BY FAR THE GROSSEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN AT THE CASA DE LAINEY-PANEY....

This is about a bag of trash left over from Gage's birthday party on Saturday. My husband wanted the trash can outside. But---he of course didn't bring it back in after the party, and did not take the bag to the mega trash can that the trash men empty. I went to take the bag out yesterday. I opened the lid to lift out the bag, and there was a plate right on top. I thought to myself, "we didn't serve rice at the party." & then I realized that the rice was MOVING! I think I puked a little in my mouth. Shut the lid & ran inside. So gross. Maggots. Maggots in my trash can. Maggots at my house. Thank goodness they are outdoors, but still---on my property. Sooooooooooooo GROSS.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

"Scared Of Me!"

So, my child, who is fascinated & terrified by bugs, is TERRIBLY afraid of spiders.

Hates them.
Wants NOTHING to do with them.

Imagine my surprise when we were in the BabyStyle store today, and he chose his Halloween costume. I mean, he genuinely expressed a desire for a purchase:
"Wooooont It!"
"Ona Hab It."
He held it until we had to ring it up at the cash register.


He's going as BabyStyle's "WebMaster"....

...if I can get him to wear it.
...and if it fits. We still have to try it on, and we have until 10/15 to exchange/return it if it doesn't fit or his opinion changes....

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Sunday, September 23, 2007

Baby Gage is TWO! Can you dig it???

Two years old. I cannot believe it.
He has grown & changed so much over the past two years...from this teeny tiny brand new pink baby....to a toddler with a mind of his own.

We had his party Saturday.....and I'm warning you all now, this post is very long w/ lots & lots of pictures.

:)


We rented a 'Bob the Builder' Bounce House.
Honestly, Gage hardly ever watches Bob....but they didn't offer a 'Handy Manny' one, and this was the construction theme we were going for...

In line with the construction theme...the cake, made by my mom, "Memma"...

...complete with construction machinery, power lines, & utility trucks.
Gage is 2...Can You Dig It???

There were exactly 40 people here...including the birthday boy....a bit much for one little 2 year old...and so, at one point during the party...he demanded a time out to just veg...


But that was short lived....and he was up & going again!


And then it was time to eat...& CAKE!

Well....we hadn't practiced blowing out the candles since his birthday last year...so, he forgot. Allen blew out his candles for it...and afterward, Gage clapped & yelled, "Yea! I did it!"
Sure you did, big guy!

And then...he used his little construction toys to drive all around the cake, and scoop up icing...and dig into the side of the cake & icing mountain. Forget the fact that neither Damon nor I washed Gage's hands prior to the big cake event...and we sliced up that cake & served it anyway. None of the guests said anything....and I really didn't even think of that detail until I was looking at all the party pictures after the fact...


Birthday Family Photo (please disregard the fact that Gage was totally enthralled in the TWUCKS, and blissfully unaware of the camera)


There were TONS of gifts....Oh my goodness....Gage was into the first 2 or 3, and after that...he could have cared less about opening gifts. He wanted the first 2 or 3 reeeeeeeeeeally opened, and we all know---they package kids toys like you just bought volatile substances that need mega-protection. Seriously----they could do with fewer x-tra long twist-tie things, and anything that requires opening with a phillips head screwdriver is just cruel & unusual punishment for parents across America.


And of course, Trystan, the wild man, was there.
I just LOVE this picture of him!


And then there was THIS:

....THE AFTERMATH....

We were so tired at the end of the night. When the last guests left around 9pm---I suddenly realized how TIRED my feet were. Ugh.

So, the party was on 9/22, and his REAL birthday was 9/23...
Just to take you back....two years ago, I went in on 9/22 in the morning, and I fully expected to have my baby by 6pm. No such luck. Gage was FINALLY born by c-section at 3:59 am on Friday morning, 9/23/05.

And to think back to that time....he was soooo tiny, and so brand new....and I had so much to learn about him...his little body....his little personality....and parenting in general. Just so much has changed in such a short period of time. Now he tells me when he wants something....or does NOT want something...he has preferences...he says, "I love you, Mommy." He says "thank you, Mommy". He yells, "Come In" when he thinks you are knocking on his bedroom door.... Oh, he's just his own unique wonderful person. Now granted...he's moody & just may melt into a puddle of screaming & fit throwing toddler if the wind blows the wrong way...but so be it. All of the good outweighs the fits. The fun outweighs the struggles... He's my buddy.

Anyway....yesterday...on his official birthday...I had the best of plans to head out to the Plano Balloon Festival.
I had no idea how incredibly TIRED I would be....or rather, how tired we all would be. We played with toys & trucks, and hauled acorns around the living room. Gage & Daddy built a fort with Lincoln Logs (Um....Daddy had more fun with those than Gage did---just so we have that on the record...)


And so...on his birthday, he woke up in his new construction-themed jammies, and opened more gifts!


...and then we plugged in his new DVD player & put in the movie "Cars". None of us had ever seen it....so, we popped some popcorn, popped the movie in, and snuggled in for the adventures of Lightning McQueen.

Good times....

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Friday, September 21, 2007

Happy Friday!

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Well...it's Friday! And I'm dancing with excitement!

Got an A on my test last night. I got 9 out of 10. Or 90% out of a 100%. Or, 900 out of 1000!
Whatever. I got an A.

Moving on....
Um...some fuel pump thing on my car got recalled. It sounded like it might kind of be important, so I took my car in yesterday after work, but before my test. Got that looked at...or replaced...or whatever. I don't know. I drove there, told them my name, they pulled up my appt. I sat & read for my test. Then I told them, "Hey, I have a test at 6. You said this would only take 20 or 30 minutes." They guy told me that my car was in line to be washed. SWEET! How cool is that? They fix your car, wash it, & then give it back. Only---I didn't have all that kind of time. So, I told him to just bring it around. He did. He never told me if they replaced my fuel pump, or just looked at it...or fixed it...or what...
Drives just fine.....

And, we're getting closer to car #2. We've got to trade the truck in, and I think we'll do that today or tomorrow. After that, we still have paperwork to do with the bank for car #2. What a hassle.... but, it saves us $ from not financing through the car place. It's amazing was 1/2 a point on interest will save you over the life of the loan, you know???

Today's payday...so that's always good right?

The big birthday bash is tomorrow. Can I just tell you that my brain is a swishy mix of "to do" items??? I need to seriously put pen to paper & lay them allllllllllll out there. So much to do, so much to do!

I don't know much else right now.
I want to leave work right now & go get stuff done!!!!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

HHHAAAAAHAHAHAHA!

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So...um....a friend of mine, who at this point shall remain nameless...sneezed & gave herself whiplash.

It's not me....but it's also not my story to tell.
But, it had me laughing out loud as I drove down the street yesterday. Oh, I was just thinking about it & cracking up!

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SW Policy=SNL's Debbie Downer.

I have a test in my policy class tonight.
Um...I just got the text 2 days ago b/c the book store was out of them, they had to order, there was a delay in the shipping, other stores I went to did not have them...etc. So, here I am, the day of the test, with 6 chapters to read in one book, and 7 in another.

And, it's completely depressing. Not only is my procrastination this semester shocking & nauseating, but the information in this class is just so....depressing.

Not to mention the fact that I hate going to class. This is for many reasons:
(1) some of the people in my class are idiots, and will spend 20 minutes trying to understand whether or not they need a header on their paper, etc. etc....they get lost in the details & the next thing you know, I'm sitting in class imagining their heads floating up toward the ceiling like little helium balloons, and it's 20 minutes later.
(2) some of the people in my class are idiots, and yes, I realize that point #1 & point #2 seem very much the same. Here's my ellaboration for point #2: we had to do a participation type exercise...and I am one of the more outspoken persons in the class. So, I am up there with 4 other women, and we're supposed to show where we fall on a continuum about self-determination for children. Every single one of them was standing at the very end where kids need to be protected & nurtured, and have no say in this & that...yada, yada, yada. Well, I was not at the complete other side, but I certainly was somewhere in the middle, closer to the "protect & nurture" side than 50%. Anyway.....they were all asked to say why they stood where they stood. Then I was asked to do the same. I brought up two scenarios (of many), where I think input from children is valuable, &/or children should have the right to make their own decisions. And in this case, "child"=less than 18 years old. So, one of my examples was consent for medical treatment related to their sexual health. So, I explained all of that....and one girl said, "Well, if their parents raised them right, they wouldn't need that." She went on to say that she has 3 kids, and IF they were going to be sexually active, they know that they can come to her & she would get them on the pill. So, I asked their ages...they're teenagers, and the oldest is like 19...I asked, (since we have a night class) where they were. "I know where they are. They're at home." I said something to the fact that she "THINKS" they are at home, and she "THINKS" they aren't having sex, but she doesn't KNOW. Of course she argued w/ me, thinking I was calling her dtrs sluts, or something. I wasn't.
So...anyway. THANK GOODNESS HER DAUGHTERS CAN GO & GET THEIR OWN MEDICAL TREATMENT RELATED TO THEIR SEXUAL HEALTH, b/c although she may say that she would get her girls on the pill, yada, yada....the very first statement out of her mouth when I brought this subject up was judgemental ("if their parents raised them right....").

Ugh.
And sometimes I sit in there & think, "this is the future of SW right here."
And, I know that I am by no means perfect. I know that there is soooooooo much that I don't know. I just lack patience sometimes.

Anywho...wish me luck on my test tonight.
I sooooo don't want to go.

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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Today...

Well, it's not chickenpox.
It's not measles.
It was hives. Was/Is hives.

Gave him benadryl yesterday.
Gave him benadryl last night & put calomine lotion on the spots. He had at least 10 spots on his face alone. That does not include his head & behind his ears. My poor buddy.

And then, he slept all night. (thank goodness!)

This morning, they are sooooooooooooooooo much smaller, barely raised at all.

I swear, they look like mosquito bites. He looks like a swarm of mosquitos attacked him, and now they are healing....but he hasn't been outside very much, and my MIL watched them come up while they were at WalMart to buy pull-ups, so I'm 99% sure that a pissed off mosquito did not just go to town on him....

Anyway....thank goodness it's not contagious & we don't have to cancel his party.

**********************************************

New subject: do you ever just think about signs, or the irony of things some things?
My moment: I have something that is so very precious to me. It's our "penny timeline" for our family. I started this when Damon & I were engaged & it was his wedding gift. It has a penny from the year he was born, I was born, the year we met, the year we got engaged, the year we got married, the year we got our first house, and then 2005. That year, Damon got his 1st hole in one, we found out we were pregnant, and Gage was born. So, they go in a line...and then in 2005, there is another penny branching off & starting a new line for Gage's life. I had a 2007 penny for Baby Masyn, and today was the day that I would work on updating the penny timeline. So, as I'm doing it, I flip on the radio...and kind of get lost in what I'm doing...and then, I can somehow hear the words on the radio just as clear as day. It's some song, and the chorus says, "I'm miiiiissin' you..."...and the next thing I know, it's off the radio. I was just thinking about all that should have been or could have been, and how I just wanted that sweet baby to smell & hold, and......and now I'm crying again. Anyway....the next thing I know, another song is on, and it's the middle....and it's "She talks to angels" by the Black Crowes. And, so then, I just thought....is this a sign?
and maybe my mom & I are dorky---but to us, things happen for a reason, and most things mean something......so to me, I thought, "my baby is up there in heaven, knowing how I feel right now, and knowing what I feel what I've lost."
So...the song was over, and I switched stations. And here is the song that was on:
"Held" by Natalie Grant. The song was just what I needed when I needed it.

"Held" Lyrics:

Two months is too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It's unfair.

This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred know our sorrow.
The wise hands opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Itty Bitty Polka-Dotted-Baby.

So......

My baby has a raging case of the polka-dots:
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*******please note, the above photo was taken from photobucket, and is not my child. However, from what I've heard today----the polka dots are very much the same.

Story: I put jammies on Gage last night. He goes to bed.
Let me back up.......for the past 3 days, Gage has hardly eaten ANYTHING at all. We're talking a few tastes of "chockit puddin'" & about a tablespoon of ketchup. In 3 days. But---he's been chewing a lot on toys & sippy nipples....and he's not dehydrated (normal urine color & smell, voids frequently, drinks a ton, etc.) He's just been refusing solids. I've wasted a ton of food over the past 3 days just trying to get him to eat something....anything! Hell, I gave him M&Ms last night that are still in the back of one of his little trucks in the living room. The child would not eat CANDY. But, I chalked it up to teething.

Last night---put his jammies on, diaper change, went to bed.
Around 2am, he woke up. I figured he was hungry b/c he hadn't been eating much solid food. Gave him a sippy of warm milk with rice cereal. Rocked in his nursery. Changed his diaper. Back into the crib. About 30 minutes later, he was crying again. He wanted more milk & wanted to go to the couch. So, my husband got up with him---met his needs & wants, and they relocated to the couch. Damon said that he fell asleep about 5 minutes after they got to the couch. This morning, he was back up at 5:30....acting fine. I did NOT notice polka-dots all over him.

I had to work this am, so I took Gage to the MIL's (mother in law's). Before I even got out of the door, he said, "bottle miiiiilk. Gage go night-night agin. Mommy baby bed." He laid it all out there for me. MIL got him some milk, I took his shoes off, and laid him in the crib at her house. He wanted to go back to sleep.

A little while later, he was up & they had to run to the store. While at the store, Linda noticed some bumps behind his ears....then around his belly, and within minutes his legs had bumps on them & so they left the store. She called me @ work, but I wasn't at my desk. She didn't page me. She called my husband. He called the pediatrician's office....and here's where it gets a little f*cked up in my opinion.

SOMEONE at the Pedi office told my family that it could be: (1) chicken pox (2) measles or (3) hives.
Regardless of which 3, they did NOT want us to bring Gage to the office for fear of spreading the illness.
Mmmmkay. I get that. I don't want to get a bunch of kids sick either. But....um, AREN'T YOU A FUCKING DOCTOR'S OFFICE?
Anyway....at THAT time they instructed my MIL to give him liquid Benadryl every 6 hours. So she did. She was also instructed to "watch his breathing, to make sure his airway doesn't close from swelling". MMMMkay, again.

So........I call the Pediatrician's office.
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Let me begin by saying that a physician's office is only as good as their receptionist.
I left a message to speak with the nurse. She called back 24 minutes later. (that's fine, she had an hour to get back with me....) She & I had a pretty lengthy discussion about the following:
1) What MAY be going on with my child & what leads her to suspect &/or dismiss each of the 3 that she listed (chicken pox, measles, & hives).
2) Possible causes of the hives, which is what Gage probably has....

....and, of course those above were not immediately discussed. We got to those topics after we cleared up the following:
* What role I expect that Pediatrician's office to play in the life of Baby Gage. Not only are they there to maintain his health & wellness, but when he is sick---they damn well better treat him.
* In the future, when they tell me that they do not want my child at their office, they need to make other arrangements to see him. If that means they send someone for a housecall, so be it. If they are not comfortable with that, then I'll drive up. I'll be right outside & someone can cruise on out & check out my baby's spots. This mess about Gage being "too contagious"....I understand that they don't want it to spread---and I don't either. But I also don't want to treat my child for something that he doesn't have, or NOT treat something that he has b/c we all had some type of miscommunication while the pediatrician practices medicine over the phone.
* I am still a NEW MOM. Maybe I've had this little guy for 2 years now, but it does NOT mean that I am a pro by any stretch of the imagination. Every milestone we have, every phase we enter is new to me. I am still learning. I know that perhaps they see Moms & Dads all day long...and they treat kids all day long. What may be common place for them, is not necessarily common place for me. I expect them to be respectful of that, and patient with me.

I assure you guys----I was LIVID. I felt like my baby was sick,and they knew, but were doing nothing about it. Part of it was the frustration of the "watch & wait"...but that was not even originally discussed. It was not until I spoke with the nurse later & cleared some things up & voiced my expectations that she finally went into details about this diagnosis, and that diagnosis, and why we have to wait, etc.
So....if pustules (gee, what a yucky sounding word) form this afternoon, it is probably chicken pox. If they do not, it is probably hives. Based on the description by my MIL, they sound like hives to me (but hey, I'm no doctor!), and they sound like hives to the nurse.

Hives: not contagious. Most likely caused by an allergy to something Gage recently encountered. She asked about dietary changes. I reiterated that he has been refusing solids for a couple of days. Drinks: he drank Minute Maid Orange-ade yesterday evening. That's new for him. Topical products that are relatively new for him: switched detergents over the weekend & let him have his new Bubble Bath. (His eczema has been gone for months now, so I thought that perhaps it would be okay to try the new detergent & bubble bath....we were using ALL Free & Clear for detergent, but I bought some FABULOUS smelling Tide Lemon Verbena super concentrated stuff....and since he wanted a bubble bath, I went ahead and gave him the bottle of Mr.Bubble we'd purchased....so that was relatively new for him too).
The nurse said that we could look & look trying to figure it out, and still maybe never will know.

So....in the end, they've agreed to see him this afternoon, evening, or first thing tomorrow morning if I feel that it is necessary.
We'll see.

I'll keep you all posted on my polk-dotted baby.

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Monday, September 17, 2007

Gift Ideas...

Gage's 2nd birthday is coming up. This Sunday to be exact.

Family & friends keep asking me for gift suggestions, and I've felt really weird saying, "get Gage this" or "get Gage that..."

So here you all go: a list of various things that I think Gagie-poo would like...and from a varied price range....


Playskool Bounce N Go Inch Along, $39.99 @ Toys R Us


Little Touch LeapPad system. We have a game/book for one of theses systems...but never got the system.
$29.99 @ Toys R Us


Elmo's Laptop (b/c Mommy loves her laptop, Gage may like to have one of his own...)
$29.99 at Toys R Us


To organize all those bath time favorites. (Okay, so maybe this is more for Mommy than for Gage....but, it will hold HIS stuff!) $24.99 @ Toys R Us


Shopping cart & play groceries...
One thing you might hear out of Gage's mouth....a lot: "Ona go tha store 'gin."
THAT'S MY BOY! Anywhooooo...he got a mini-kitchen, and so food/shopping cart stuff would be great.
$19.99 @ Toys R Us


Anything Scooby Doo.... These are the little Scooby Doo action figures at Toys R Us, $14.99


Soccer Ball...Gage has a soccer goal with a teeny ball that came with the goal set. He doesn't have a regular sized soccer ball. I think he'd enjoy one... $14.99 @ Toys R Us


Curious George toys....this one is a wind up boat toy for use in the tub....(or in his new water & sand table!) $9.99 @ Toys R Us


Tub Tunes Water Xylophone, $9.99 at Toys R Us. How cool is that---it floats!


Anything with wheels....I tell ya...Baby Gage loves Matchbox cars. I've bought other cars, bigger in his hands...they're okay for a while....but it's the matchbox cars (or matchbox sized cars) that his little hands go back to! $6.99 @ Toys R Us


That's right---it's the Tonka Sanitation Truck. Gage has this book---his favorite book ever, called "Trucks" by Byron Barton. There is a garbage truck in that book, and Gage gets very excited & looks for the trash truck....so, a trash truck would make him happy. $5.99 @ Toys R Us


Anything related to Happy Feet. OMG, how our child loves that movie. We rented it one day on pay per view.... "Piggies dance". He knows that they are penguins, and he calls a pig a pig---but he can't seem to say "penguin", so he calls them "piggies."
These are tapping feet like Mumble; $5.25 (on sale!) at Toys R Us

Okay....now SURELY that's enough to get everyone an idea, or at least get you to brainstorming!
...and now....now I want to go to the freaking toy store & buy a ton of toys!

Anyway, I really hope this was helpful to those of you who were asking, "what should we get Gage????"
We are just hoping to have a great birthday with cake & fun & pictures!

:)

SuperStar!

Gage's new shoes...


They're called Super Stars. (Superstar 2G to be exact...)
:)

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Sunday, September 16, 2007

Product Review....

So...as many of you know, we've dabbled in potty training, and we are getting ready to really buckle down & tackle the bad boy.

So far....I've got some diapering & pull up reviews.
Many of us who read each others blogs have kiddos. some of you have kiddos older than mine, some are younger than mine. So, maybe these experiences/reviews will help some of you.
AAAAND---if any of you seasoned parents have potty training tips for boys, feel free to share. I picked up a couple books @ Half Priced Books on the topic....but, quite frankly I have not read them yet.

Now onto the product reviews!

Pull Ups: Love 'em. By far, the best disposable training pants we've tried so far.

Pampers Easy Ups: They're okay. They lack the open/close feature on the sides that Pull Ups offer. That is a feature that really comes in handy when you have a moody toddler. So, that's one knock against the Easy Ups. BUT, the Easy Ups are very absorbent...so, that's good....

Diaper Doublers: I know I've mentioned these in the past. We get disposable diaper doubles at the Tom Thumb near us. They rock. $3 & some change for a pack of 30. That pack lasts us a month, b/c we only use the doublers at night. This little guy of ours---he pees A LOT at night. so, the diapers help him to sleep longer b/c of avoiding leaks. I think they rock.

Night-time Diapers.....
I'm a believer in night time diapers. What I've found about pull ups/disposable training pants at night even with a diaper doubler, is that they are less absorbent for the large volume of liquid. Oh, they are no match for Gage's nightly amount of urine. Anyway...we still do diapers at night with a doubler. And, I'm a big fan of the Huggies Night Time diapers (diapers, not training pants) with a doubler. Oh, the joys of not getting up at 4, changing a wet, tired, & mad baby....and stripping a crib in the dark. Thank you Huggies & Safeway/Tom Thumb brand diaper doublers!!!

:)

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Saturday, September 15, 2007

Today....

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Well...today, we were going car shopping.
My husband has this big huge gas guzzling HD2500 extended cab, extended bed, extend-it all over huge truck. We don't need it anymore. He used to need it for his old job...but he's had a different job for over a year now. Time to get out from under it.

So...we'd been talking about trading in.
Finally made plans to do so. Today we planned to go & do the assessing of our trade in value & look at options for the replacement.

He got the truck cleaned out...I was putting on my make up. My mother in law was coming over for a few hours so we could go out looking....my husband took the truck to the local carwash place to vacuum out the interior & give the exterior a wash. On his way home---he wrecked the son of a bitch.

That's how our day has been so far. He is fine physically. It was by no means a major accident. It was a fender bender that damaged some pretty pricey parts. Fun, fun, fun for everyone.

Ain't life grand?

Friday, September 14, 2007

My buddy...

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Well...it's Friday, and I haven't posted in a bit.
And today, I shall post about Wednesday....

I'm at work right now, and mega-missing my buddy. I did NOT want to leave him this morning!

So, on Wednesday night, my husband went out for poker night.
It was approaching bedtime, so I took Gage into the nursery to rock.
And that's where we talk.
It usually starts with me asking, "Did you have a good day today?"
Anywho...on Wednesday night, we were there in the rocker. Lights down low...just the two of us.
Gage: "Daddy gone go to work."
Me: "No, Daddy went to play poker."
Gage: "Yeah! Daddy kick-ed da ball!"
Me: "Well, that's SOCCER. Daddy went to play POKER."
Gage: "Yeah Daddy!" [clapping]"Daddy kick-ed da ball!"
Me: "No, he went to play poker, with cards."
Gage: "Daddy cars go beep-beep."
Me: "Not 'cars', 'carDs'"
Gage: "Beep-beep. Daddy poker."
Me: "Let's practice blowing kisses again." [because clearly, the above conversation, while cute, was going nowhere.]
Gage: "mmmmmmmm-WAH" [throwing a kiss] "Bye Darnin"
(after a few of these kisses & 'bye darnin', it dawned on me----my MOM calls Gage "darling", and that's what she does EVERY time we leave or she leaves, she blows kisses & says, "Bye Darling". Oh, it was truly just the cutest thing to see him blow kisses while we rocked & say, "bye darnin". After that, he would blow kisses and say, "bye annen" (Allen).
Oh, it was so wonderful.
Just a really good Mommy moment.

Another little funny Gage thing....
Well, we went ahead & let him start playing with his little kitchen (yes, I KNOW it's supposed to be a birthday gift....but whatever......)
He LOVES the "miker-wave". The way he says it is so cuuuute! "Miker-wave".
And...he puts his dinner in there...so far I've cleaned corn & grapes out of the "miker-wave". Oh, and FYI: the thing doesn't hold water either. But hey---thanks buddy for trying that one out for me. I just looooooooooooved soaking up the water on the floor!

Potty training update: we are by no means there, and really have no consistency with this YET. His 2nd b-day is going to be like the official kick-off for potty training season. I know that people say that boys take longer....so, my goal is to have it done by his 3rd birthday. I'd love to not have to buy diapers & pull ups any longer! Or at least for 24 hr/day coverage. Anyway...that's my goal---be fully trained by 3 years old. And....I've already resorted to the bribery system. If he pees in the potty, he gets 5 dark chocolate M&Ms. And sadly, last night I promised him that if he poops in the potty, I'll give him the whole bag! I think we're a long ways off from him pooping in the potty. He prefers the privacy found behind the rocking chair or under the kitchen table for pooping. He refuses to poop in the potty. In fact, he pretty much refuses to sit on it too. He would rather us pull out the little bowl part, put it on the floor right between his legs. Then he stands up to tinkle. (yes, I did just type that word. I like it. I prefer it...so live with it!)
Anywho....
Our next mission, should we choose to accept it: Potty Training of Little Mr.Get-My-Way.

I just want to go home & play kitchen & be with my baby!

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Wednesday, September 12, 2007

I live in the DAMN City!

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Welcome to my world, ladies & gentlemen.
I live in the damn city. The CI-TY.
I should not have psycho squirrels, and now--------rodents.
Rodents, I say.
A possum family.

Where the F*ck do they sleep?
I have now seen 2 baby possums come up & eat the cat's food. No wonder I go through so much cat food, right? I already knew that Dixon was sharing his breakfast/lunch/dinner with this gray cat...I call her his girlfriend.
ANYWAY....the other night, I saw two baby possums up on the porch. Not very big, but big enough that I knew what they were. And when does their evil little possum mom teach them to be so hateful? They steal food & hiss & look mean. They're nasty.

But---I don't want my husband to kill them.
They're just babies! Sure, they've probably got a mom somewhere...but, who wants the babies to grow up without a mom? I don't want to kill any of them. I just want them to....relocate.

In the meantime: YUCKOLA!

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For Miss Tiff:

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Happy Birthday to my sister!!!


That's my sister & me in June '07.
:)

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Monday, September 10, 2007

Update to the Birthday Gifts...

To be added to Baby Gage's birthday gifts from Mommy & Daddy....


Milo & Otis movie...


Popeye movie...

Two pairs of pajamas: construction themed & dinosaur jammies...

Scooby Doo divided plate & big boy cup (meaning: no lid....and perhaps a mistake, but we'll try it....)

I just love my buddy's birthday.
I call him "Buddy" all the time....and, when he bumps his head, or feels sorry for himself, he now say, "Oh, Buddy." It's so sad & sweet & cute at the same time...
He is my buddy.
:)

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Sunday, September 09, 2007

Miss You, Masyn...Glory Baby

Glory Baby by Watermark... I came across this and love it. It's got a good message that I needed to hear. Here are the lyrics...



Glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…baby..
You were growing, what happened dear?
You disappeared on us baby…baby..
Heaven will hold you before we do
Heaven will keep you safe until we’re home with you…
Until we’re home with you…

Miss you everyday
Miss you in every way
But we know there’s a day when we will hold you
We will hold you
You’ll kiss our tears away
When we’re home to stay
Can’t wait for the day when we will see you
We will see you
But baby let sweet Jesus hold you
‘till mom and dad can hold you…
You’ll just have heaven before we do
You’ll just have heaven before we do

Sweet little babies, it’s hard to
understand it ‘cause we’re hurting
We are hurting
But there is healing
And we know we’re stronger people through the growing
And in knowing-
That all things work together for our good
And God works His purposes just like He said He would…
Just like He said He would…

BRIDGE:
I can’t imagine heaven’s lullabies
and what they must sound like
But I will rest in knowing, heaven is your home
And it’s all you’ll ever know…all you’ll ever know…

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Early B-Day Gift!

Gage's Aunt 'Mona probably won't be coming to the birthday party....so she gave Gage his birthday gift a bit early. Woohoo!






Gage & his Aunt 'Mona.

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Nakie Boy!

"Nakie boy, nakie boy! Gagie is a nakie boy!"

This morning....when Damon entered Gage's room to get him up for the day, Gage had taken off his diaper, and peed all over his crib. There were two very distinct, very large wet spots. He peed on several of his board books, which are now all wet-warped, and really----what do you do about that? Do I toss "The Tales of Peter Rabbit"???, or do I let my kid play with a pee-soaked book? [no, I can't do that...that's gross.]

Anyway....so far, that's how our day has started so far....

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Friday, September 07, 2007

Medical Update...

Got a call from Dr.B's office this afternoon. My beta is down to a 2. So, if I am remembering correctly, it's considered negative if it is less than 5. No 2nd d&c is necessary; seems I do not have retained products of conception (thank goodness), and I just might continue to bleed lightly for a while longer while my body just heals & adjusts.

So....that's good news.
I'm ready for all of this to be over & move on, so hopefully we're getting closer to that day.

Thanks for all of the well wishes.
:)

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He looks like me!



I did this little thing at myheritage.com.
It was fun.

He looks more like me.
:)
[but we knew that, right???]

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Thursday, September 06, 2007

B-Day Gifts so far...

So, I've already done some birthday shopping for the little dude...

Here's what we've got for him so far....

A Curious George Doll


"Carl Goes to Daycare" book by Alexandra Day

(he already has Carl goes shopping...Carl's Christmas...Carl's Birthday, and Carl's trip to the park)

Another book that I can't find a picture of online...and I've already wrapped it, but it's about a busy Fire Station.

A bottle of his very own bubble bath (since he's used up all of mine...)


And...we got him a kitchen for our kitchen.
When we are in there cooking, I think he'd enjoy having his own kitchen to play in...
So, I can't find the make & model of his little kitchen online...so, here is one that is similar....

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Two Years Without Riley

For those who know me, or have visited my blog for any extended period of time....well, then y'all know that 2 years ago, my nephew, Riley, died.

Riley died on 9/6/5. He was 2 years, 2 months, & 4 days old.
I was at home on bedrest, BFP (Big, Fat, Pregnant).
His death was heat related as he accidentally locked himself in the family car.
For some reason, when I post about this....I routinely tell the whole story.
Many of you already know the story, and why do I continue to post it? I've asked myself that question quite a bit. Maybe I post it because I know that the stigma of kids dying in hot cars is that "oh, I can't believe someone would leave a baby in a car!" and I don't want anyone just assuming that anyone put him in the car, or that he was left there by irresponsible adults who just didn't care for him....or any of those other horrible things that people immediately jumped to....

During naptime, he climbed out his bedroom window (something that was very unexpected, not planned for, & he was not allowed to do...not expected to do.) He went to the family car parked in the driveway, and it was a kiddo's playground. I imagine him pretending to drive, and playing around. Nobody there to tell him "no". And I imagine him climbing up in his seat & his little imagination taking flight about the places he might go.

My mind goes to his death. The moments around his death. Fear, if he had it. Pain, if he had it. And the loneliness....the being alone of it all just kills me. Even my sister---his mother---tries to help me make peace with that; he wasn't alone, God was there....he wasn't alone, Aunt Nell & Aunt Jean were there....
I can hear those things, but not wrap my brain around that. I can't imagine those moments. Moments where he was crying, and alone.

In February I learned that some school children were walking home (either from school, or the bus stop, whatever....makes no difference) & they saw Riley in the car, crying.
crying.
Riley was all alone in the car, crying. Stuck. Hot. And dying.
He was dying.

And I think about those little children. They later learned that Riley died there in that car. Do they feel guilty? They are just kids. I do not want them to be emotionally or mentally traumatized by the knowledge that they saw him there alone & crying & did nothing. I'm sure they were never educated about the dangers of kids in cars.
But it does not negate the fact that I continue to think about the "what if"....what IF they had just told someone? What if a lot of things, though. And the "what if" is NOT what happened. What happened is that nobody could have known that a series of events or circumstances would fall into exactly into their place & that Riley would die that day.

One of my sister's biggest fears is that people will forget Riley because he "didn't save the world" or cure any global diseases....he was so small & his life was so short.

Another part of why I feel the need to tell the story is education.
Who would have DREAMED that a 2 year old could open a house window?
Not me. I would guess that Gage could probably BREAK a window, and that could happen in a split second! But open a window??? If you had asked me that question without having experienced this situation in my own family----I would have told you, "absolutely not."
Leave a car unlocked in your driveway? Who would think that a child may go out there unsupervised & get locked in? If you don't let your kids play outside unsupervised, then you may or may not think about the dangers around....I mean, if you are used to being there to guide them & protect them, and keep them from getting into danger, then great. Your mind is focused on those things: broken glass, wear your shoes outside, don't go near a hot grill, & stay away from the cars. But when you are inside, you are not necessarily thinking about that broken glass, or grill, or car. All of those things could still hurt or kill your child if you are not there to watch them. You know, before this happened to my family, I may have thought, "Gosh, I hope my car is locked so my stereo doesn't get stolen." When this happened to our family, suddenly I thought, "I know my car is locked, because no matter what, I don't want another child to die like that. It won't happen in my car."

So...the car was unlocked, & that's where he died. Does that make it my sister & brother in law's fault? No. They never could have known about the whole series of events that led to the fatal outcome. Just too many factors, you know? The window, going outside during naptime....sure his room got quiet. He wasn't in there. you would think, "hey, it's quiet, he's asleep." And you can't blame them for sleeping when the kids were sleeping. That's what all the seasoned parents advise, isn't it?
So...back to my point about education.

Cars can be sooooo very dangerous for little ones. And I found this website about kids & cars & safety.
Parents need to read this stuff. It tells stories of all kinds of dangers that cars can pose, things that you may not know.
For example, I learned about how many cars that have electric seat adjustments have it working in a way that even when the key is not in the ignition & the car is not on, the seat adjustment mechanisms can still work. One child (at least...) has died because of an accident with the seat moving.

Just all kinds of safety things on there to be aware of.
www.kidsincars.org

So......there's that.
It's on my mind.
I think of Riley every single day.
And pretty soon, Gage will be his exact same age.
Gage's 2nd b-day is later this month...and I think about how the last time I saw Riley was at his 2nd birthday party.

And then there's my own baby....I picture my baby in Heaven, even though he was so tiny, and in the eyes of the law didn't even count as a baby. I use the "he" even though I don't know if the baby was a boy or a girl. [symptom wise, I tend to think it was a girl...but you know all of that stuff is unreliable...] I picture a healthy, perfect, full-term baby, full of life in Heaven. And I picture Riley taking him or her under his wing.
And two years ago, who would have thought that my mind would create that image? That Riley & Masyn would be together in Heaven? And maybe we really leave our body & human form behind, and there are just beautiful bright shining souls up there...I don't know...but I believe that they are together. Playing somewhere. Our little angel babies....

But it's not fair.
God promised to be just, but he never promised to be fair.

Nana misses you, Riley.
Right now, your big brother just started kindergarten.
You would be so jealous....I know.
Your mom would have loved some one on one home alone time with you...but, as much as you loved your big brother...you'd be so sad to be left behind.
You'd be potty trained now & wearing big boy underwear all of the time.
You'd run & play & get sweaty & dirty just like you used to. And you'd be 4 years old. You'd love to see your daddy's biiiiiiiiiiig truck. From what I hear, it's like the biggest bestest truck ever, and you would have loved to ride in it.
We all just miss you.
Riley, take care of Nana's baby...

Christmas 2004 (Riley, my sister, Trystan)


Riley's last birthday

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