What the fuck is UNCONFIRMED swine flu?

I walk into Urgent Care to find a BIG sign stating "if you have a cough wear a mask" Peanut just has a fever so, I walk past the HUGE sign and bin of face masks. I take the stairs to avoid having to push an elevator button or to get trapped with someone wearing a mask. I check Peanut in and I stand to avoid sitting on germ infested chairs. I'm surrounded by people with face masks on, around 10. There are about 5 kids jumping around with their masks on going from chair to chair. They are practically hacking up a lung...thank God they have their face masks on to catch the lung that is about to be ejected. We get called back, I state Peanut's symptoms which is strictly a fever of 102 and a little bit of congestion. No, we don't have a cough, NO, nobody in the family is sick...of course he is around other snotty nosed kids (don't most kids have runny noses when it's cold out?)....yes, he was perfectly in good spirits yesterday with a little bit of a runny nose. The Dr. in the most nonchalant manner says "Sounds like Swine, well unconfirmed that is." I let out a small gasp, clench on to my little baby boy and have a questionable look on my face. Then he says well....let's just say there is no point in doing any lab work because there is nothing to treat. Pardon my french....what the FUCK is an UNCONFIRMED case of the Swine Flu? When I watch the news I'm teriffied of what the media has to say about N1H1. What the hell does UNCONFIRMED mean? Well, basically they can't treat anyone under the age of 2. And if they could there is a shortage of the vaccine and pretty much isn't available. Yes, it's a pandemic....and yes, the Dr. saw 15 others with Swine just today alone. What can we do? Wash wash wash your hands. Clorox, Lysol and that's pretty much it. As far as Peanut is concerned....only treat the fever with Tylenol if he acts like he is in pain.

To put things into perspective.....

About 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the USA...one death every 13 min.

In 2008 over 15,000 people died from drunk driving.

Basically, Swine is just another form of the flu. I'll keep everyone updated...please keep us in your prayers. And to all the Mommies that were over yesterday...I'm so sorry!

It's hard to believe that Pickle is 2!

I'm amazed at how much you can love someone after only two years of knowing them. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine motherhood to feel like this. Yes, I knew you loved your kids but after becoming a mother I finally understood the saying "it's like letting your heart walk around outside." The past two years have flown by. Let's just say that Pickle is our little angel. Obviously! She is a riot! She is so entertaining, independent, smart, funny and knows just how to pull at your heart strings. I have never met such a two year old with such a BIG personality. Happy Birthday Pickle...we love you more then the world!

My worst nightmare....

Today my worst nightmare happened....Lily said "Dora." Let's just clarify that she hardly watches Dora on tv. I'm terrified of characters. I despise clothes with Elmo, Mickey, Tinkerbell, Dora and everyone else I failed to mention. Why??...well, I just think they are cheesy. I dread the day she asks me for Dora shoes...I'll just tell her they don't come in her size.

Peanut...7m old...

Just when I thought Pickle was an easy baby God gave me Peanut. Peanut is the sweetest, most lovable, cuddly, good natured baby. He is such a love muffin.

Are these early signs of hoarding?

I have been known to hoard lip glosses. I hoard them for so long that they eventually have to get tossed. Yes, even brand new lip glosses. I'm obsessed with hoarding tv shows because it makes me feel better about myself. Lately, Pickle has gotten so obsessed with carrying her stuff around from stroller to bag to basket. I call her my little bag lady and Big D has taught her to say Pack Rat. At least it entertains her for hours. Moving, shuffling, packing, carrying, to just do it again.

House status...

Not sure if I mentioned it but we officially took our house off of the market after 7 long months. We put the house on the market when I was pregnant with Peanut. We actually had a showing a week after I delivered. Phew, can I say that was the most stressful time! Two babies are nothing but showing your house at the same time is a different story. I think it was the most trying time to be showing a home with a brand new baby and a toddler running around. And I'm one of those people who can't show a house in mediocre condition.

Where are we going next? We aren't exactly sure. Our fingers are crossed that the housing market turns around. We might try again next summer. Not sure yet.

We have lived here now for almost 3 years. A big part of me misses our old city however; at times I really like it here. Sometimes it feels way too small here and other times I like the smallness. I have met a great group of friends. We have built a strong support group. Pickle has a ton of friends that we do stuff with daily. We are involved in our stroller workout classes every morning and playgroups every week. We have mom's night out. It's been great to find a lot of girls that are in my same shoes. In D town all my friends have kids that are grown. It's hard to say....with everything in life there are pros and cons. I figure if and when it's time for us to move it will just fall into place and happen.

Pickle's favorite word from vacation...

Spisay (spicy).

Problem...

As you know the main purpose of my blog is to document my children's lives. I want them to be able to go back and read about their lives and my feelings. Like a diary. However; due to the camera I shoot with my blog has almost reached the maximum size limit. Not sure where I'm going to have to go from here. It would be a sad day if I wasn't able to post pictures. So, if you have any ideas about other free websites or blogs that I can use I would greatly appreciate it.

Peanut...7m old

Is crawling fast, has two bottom teeth, is standing himself up, can go from crawling to sitting and said dada dada dada!

Pickle said...

Pret Hair Mama. Gotta love having a girl.

Back to the cold...

We just got home from spending 10 days plus one day (beyond our control) in Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola, Florida is right on the boarder of Alabama. I think the total population of the area is around 56,000 people. Where we live the population is around 200,000 and we think that is small. Anyway, the area was wiped out by hurricane Ivan in 2005. It's still being rebuilt and put back together. The beaches are white, pristine, desolate, absolutely beautiful! It is the most beautiful sand I have ever seen. The water isn't as beautiful as Hawaii but the actual beach is breathtaking. White and as fine as salt.

It's definitely in the south and much more southern then I ever experienced in Texas. Just a different kinda south I guess. Big D hasn't spent much time in the South nor at a beach. It was a little bit of a shell shock to him. Growing up I spent a lot of time in the Gulf with my dad so, I was very familiar to the beach. I can lay on the beach for hours soaking up the sun. But Big D on the other hand was over the beach by hour one. At one point he asked me "what do you do on the beach?" My response was "sit back and relax, take in the sun and fresh air." He was dying from the heat and humidity.

Pickle and Peanut were terrified of the waves. Peanut couldn't eat enough sand and Pickle being as particular as she is was a little annoyed at it sticking to her. Each day we would go through the same things with both kids in tears and holding on to us for dear life.

That was until we discovered the bay on the boarder of AL. It was calm and we had a blast playing in the water until we realized it was infested with jellyfish ( I actually got mildly stung....OUCH). Anyway, we wish we discovered the bay sooner.

Big Mama was so happy having us visit. She cooked our favorite sticky rice and salty meat to take to the beach everyday.

What we realized was....we aren't big beach people, I know hard to understand. We actually enjoy a little more active vacations. Our favorite vacation spot still remains Switzerland and Italy! Sorry Mom!

Back to reality....

Where do I begin? Well, as most of you know my family came to visit for 5 weeks this summer. If any of you know my family....we are a big bunch of busy Asians! We are ALWAYS on the go. We aren't the type of people to find sitting on the couch watching TV (nothing personal), we are just a bunch of busy bodies! During the five weeks we made use of every last second. Rockies Game, Shopping, Garden of the Gods multiple times, Shopping, Concert in the Park...twice, a few different malls, Shopping, Six Flags, Shopping, Family BBQ, Potluck with Friends and a lot of eating my mom's cooking. It doesn't sound like a lot but by the time the five weeks was over I was exhausted!

This was the first time we have all been together since 2004, we had a reunion in San Diego where my Dad was able to be part of. We all thought of my Dad and knew he would have loved to be here with all his kids (excluding Nok, she couldn't make it out). There were many times we thought about him and we all knew he was with us just in a different kinda way. We all had so much fun hanging out together. Naree's family got to meet Dessa and Peanut for the first time and got to experience Pickle in her own environment. Pickle couldn't get enough of the girls which she called the Nana's and she called Naree "MOM", (I told Naree that Pickle thought she was my Mom...ha). Pickle kept everyone on their toes and kept the girls running after her. Dessa was talking it all in and won everyone over with her sweet demeanor. Peanut was an absolute LOVE MUFFIN (he's like his dad)! He won over all the ladies with his sweet little smile and his cuddly nature.

We managed to get together with the Kessler's for a BBQ. It was awesome to have almost everyone in one picture. And at one point we had 8 of 9 grandkids in one picture (Nok's youngest Victor who is 9 couldn't make it out). The grandkids are spread out 22 years. Melissa 22, Timmy 20, Jennifer 14, Ali 12, Vanessa 9, Dessa 23m, Pickle 23m and Peanut 6m. Unfortunately, my mom who we call Big Mama wasn't there for the 8 being all together but was there to see them all at different times.

Naree was here for 5 weeks, Ali and Vanessa 4 weeks, our mom 3 weeks (which was a huge miracle she took off work that long, she's a workaholic), Urs and Jen 3 weeks, Tom (my mom's husband) 2 weeks, Melissa and Timmy (my other sister Nok's kids) 4 days ( 2 spent driving back and forth to the airport) and Stephen is in town so he was back and forth from D town. Crazy huh? All in and out of my house while it was on the market. Yes, I said it...it was on the MARKET the entire 5 weeks. I survived them with a smile and they all managed to survive me and my neurotic tendencies. I have a tendency to be a little neurotic about my house and my surroundings. They lived through it all.

Well, I feel like the past 4 weeks have been spent getting the kids back on schedule, the house deep cleaned and pulling myself out of a funk. When I get depressed I become kinda mean, I DON'T like to talk about it, I pull away from everyone and I like to just sit in my own funk until I can pull myself out. I always pull out but it just takes me a little while. If I can just state....It's sad that we are all so far away, it's sad that I have the best sister in the world and she is on the other side of the world, it's sad that I can't do things like go to my nieces gymnastic meets, ice skating competitions, horse vaulting shows and it's sad that when Pickle calls for Mom and Nana's that she can't understand where they have gone. I know, I know, I know at least I have them, at least I have a sister with a relationship like we have, at least when we get together we take off where we left off. I just needed a minute to sulk in my funk and basically bitch ;-)

Tomorrow we leave for 10 days in FL. We need a vacation from the vacation. Big D has never been and I'm looking forward to escaping for a little while and soaking up the sun!

Coming together....

This picture makes me happy! It's special to me in a way I can't explain. It represents forgiveness, strength, love and understanding.

Where did the time go? My nieces are growing up to be little women....

The past 14 years have flown by. I can't believe my oldest niece/god child will be 15. All three of my nieces are like my own kids. It's crazy how close we all are. Thankfully I have been to Switzerland a million times to really absorb their lifestyle and experience their childhood. They have grown up so fast and have become beautiful people. All totally different but the way they come together is amazing. The look out for each other, they take care of each other and most importantly they respect each other. I only pray that my children will have that same bond. I know nothing will EVER come between these three sisters.

Jen is a beautiful inside and out, innocent, in-tune to animals and a very caring person.
Ali is my little fashion diva. She is determined, an over achiever, and has the ability to just LAUGH.
Vanessa is the youngest, a cuddle bug, a jokester and very sensitive to people around her.

And last but not least, Naree is strong, funny, determined, organized, and the life of a party.

Melissa and Timmy..

Here are two great kids. Unfortunately, we don't see them very often. They both go to ASU and have grown up to be very responsible adults.

It just goes to show that sometimes the hurdles in life make you a better person. Timmy has been cleared for 3 years now from the worst case of throat cancer they had ever seen in a child. He was blessed enough to be seen at the Mayo Institute. They used his case to educate Doctors. They aggressively treated it and he fully recovered. I have never met a more positive kid, he definitely lives his life with glass is half full approach. He is one of the most uplifting kids I have ever met. And his sister.....she is like his Mom and always checks on her little brother. They have a very strong bond and together they accomplish so much. It just goes to show you there is a GOD!

Get together with the friends....

Look at all those people....wow, great photo!

Rockies Game...

This was the first baseball game for the Rueegg's We had a blast!

Peanut 4 months

Can I brag for a minute and say God gives me easy babies. I think you are given what you can handle and I suppose God only thinks I can handle easy babies. I thought Pickle was easy but Peanut is so easy you can forget he is even there. He has the sweetest nature. And big sister loves him to pieces. She's almost is a little too nurturing at times. She doesn't understand the whole concept of she's bigger then him. The latest is her wanting to pick him up and hold him. And he just looks up at big sis and smiles. And I love the fact that they are only 16m. apart.

Memories that impact your life...

In four more days I get to see my big (little) sister that I haven't seen in 14 months. Every time I see her it gets better and better. I used to be that bratty little sister (8 years younger) that she would have to lug around everywhere she went. I would go EVERYWHERE with her. I became famous amongst her high school friends...she was the one who had the little sister who would put on a show and dance for everyone. I can remember it clear as day....I would get hoaxed up by her friends to do what I used to call the snake. They would laugh, hoot and clap for me to do it again. I can even remember her friends names...Margie...Anne...Amy...Cindy...Bernie...Mark. My fondest memories of when we were young was when she would get her babysitting money and we would walk to the closest strip mall to this little toy shop. She would say "pick out a barbie and I will treat you". She would work hard for that money but would ALWAYS treat me to something special. Then we would walk to the 7-11 around the corner and get a slurpie and then proceed home for her to cook me dinner. It's funny the things that impact your life, the memories that will never be forgotten and the way those things made you feel at the time and still do.

When you thought I wasn't looking....

A message every adult should read because children
are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my
favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life..

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a
prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always
talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each
other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of
your time and money to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that those who have something should
give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and
wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn't looking.'

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT..

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, & friend)
influences the life of a child.

How will you touch the life of someone today?
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Didn't know a one year old could roll their eyes...

This is honestly a dirty look caught on camera. I had to ask myself..where does she learn that. Then I looked into the mirror and realized that I can give one mean dirty look. Guess they do watch everything we do.

Oreo

Looks as if a 1 year old even knows how to eat an oreo. They should just sell a container of the oreo center and forget the cookie....

Am I being partial if I say I have the cutest kids on earth?

Seriously, I know I'm not supposed to say this out loud but I have the stinkin cutest kids on earth. No...really.....I know every parent out there thinks they have the cutest kids but I must say mine (ours) are pretty darn cute. And I'm not just saying that because they look like me LOL. Pickle is such a mother hen taking care of her little brother. She could be playing and come to a dead stop and say "baby?" Then off she goes running to give him a kiss. It's really amusing when she asks the baby to move off of my lap. She still doesn't understand that the world actually doesn't revolve around her. To her surprise she does have to share Mommy and Daddy. She's talking up a storm. And her personality is flippin funny! She constantly has us cracking up. She's already showing signs of hording with her 3 blankets in her arms (one isn't enough). She organizes things in piles (a little OCD) mixed veggies, candles vs. candle holders, rocks. She tells me "mommy, bbbyyyeeee guys, me go go." Hi and bye are really drawn out it's more like Hiiiiiii, and bbbyyyyyeeee in her deep little voice. She literally understand everything out of our mouths, it's kinda scary.

Now Peanut is seriously heart breaking. I now know what all those Mom's of boys are saying....it's just different. I may even turn into THAT Mom. I get it! I already know nobody will be good enough for my Peanut. I finally get the whole boy thing. But tell me one thing....what does a 3 month old have to get excited about (if you know what I mean)? That little pistol shocked the bajeeezus out of me. Changing his morning diaper and I have someone/something straight up to greet me. Hmmm.....things you didn't know before you had a boy.

Peanut is attempting to roll his little rollie pollie self over. He's only 3 1/2 months and about 16lbs. A little chunky monkey! We call him baby LEGGY (L.E.G.) Thank god that the last name initial goes in the middle (L.G.E.). Only two people have pointed out that his initials spelled LEG and I ask everyone out there...now many personalized items do you own? You would think that both his parents were blonde. I blame the drugs, they really drug c-section victims. It's our little joke. His initials are suiting...he has chunky little short legs. But I bet he'll be swift.

Still loving mommy life. It's so darn fun to watch them everyday. I seriously have the greatest job on earth. And I thank Bid D for that one!

Okay, now I'm gonna pick my jaw off the floor...holy cow!

Time to pick my jaw up off the floor.....holy cow, you go girl.

How many times do you hear about people going on a diet? Every second there are thousands...millions of people saying they are going on a diet. People look for pills, quick fix's, and the easy way to get skinny (90% of people who loose weight gain it back). From past experience there is no easy way to get skinny. Being fit and loosing weight is the one thing that money can't truly buy. Yes...you can buy lipo, a tummy tuck, a trainer, a chef but you can't buy the hand that feeds your mouth. You still have a choice to make every time you open your mouth. That choice isn't easy. I have seen lipo and tummy tucks gone bad. Why? Because they still have the same issues that got them fat. It's always a deeper issue.

When it comes to loosing weight there is every excuse in the book and trust me I have made them. But it's quite easy, eat less then you use in a day. Fuel your body with foods that will help it run better. What would happen if you filled your gas tank with butter? It would eventually stop running. It would get sluggish until it died.

This girl here got tired of being fat. She has turned her life upside down. She runs 5k's, counts her calories/points, makes the choice everyday to be healthy, goes to a gym, and not only does she walk to the grocery store instead of driving but she also lets her son ride his bike to the store with her. Instead of driving to the smoothie joint they ride their bikes there. She joined Weight Watches which helps you incoporate the foods you love with moderation and other healthy choices. She made a commitment to loose weight and to be healthy. It takes both eating healthy and living a more active lifestyle. Weight Watchers didn't take the weight off her, she did that herself. She made the choice and without excuses. She decided she wanted to live longer and be healthier. She set her mind to her goal and reached it, pant size to prove it. She is now a lifetime member at WW. She never stopped going, she still goes everyday. She realizes she still needs her reality check. She understands that each day she has to make the choice to stay where she is at instead of where she was. Use her to motivate you, use her to help you realize that it is possible. Pound by pound. I give this girl major kudos's. Pat on the back, way to go, you go girl. This is an accomplishment that doesn't go un-noticed (how could it?). I envy those people who make the commitment and follow through with it...against all odds and without excuses.

I have always struggled with weight. I LOVE working out but I'm an emotional eater. I self medicate with food. Sadness, boredom, happiness the emotions go on and on. I was raised with that good girl gets an ice cream approach. I will never never never reward my children with food. They can have that cookie whether they are good or bad. In my opinion food should never be a reward or something that is deserving. We often forget that we eat to live not live to eat. Everything in our society is based around food. You got the job, great let's go out to eat, you didn't make the team, let's go get an ice cream and talk about it. If you do make healthy food choices then people often try to convince you to eat with them. Misery loves company. People can't stand to see someone pass on dessert. If you do graciously pass then it's opens a can of worms...come on just a bite. You can have just a bite mentality. People want to see you succeed but at the same time they want you to stay in their comfort zone. After high school I lost a large amount of weight and you would be surprised with the amount of people that were uncomfortable with my accomplishments.

You can say I'm obsessed with dieting, food, working out. But that doesn't mean I'm skinny. I can always afford to loose some weight but I think the true gauge is how you feel inside. I understand that there are times when you have to give yourself a break, you can't always be hard on yourself. You have to accept where you are and what has gotten you here. I have given up on looking like a super model. But I refuse to throw in the towel. I refuse to weigh myself down. I refuse to not feel good. I refuse to take a deep breath after walking up stairs. I refuse to blame my kids in 15 years. I refuse to be a statistic. I struggle but at the end of the day when I look in the mirror, then I can only blame myself for the choices I made that day. I can't blame anyone else for the shoes I stand in. Everyday I have a choice it's whether or not I make the right choice. And the great thing is.....each day is a new day!

This weekend is a blur..

Ever notice that weekends fly by. I don't even work and whatda know Monday is just around the corner. I don't even have a reason to dread Mondays but I do. Not sure why but it's that dreaded Monday deal. I always look at Mondays as a time to start the week fresh...eating good, working out, cleaning the house blah blah blah. I spend my Monday's catching up on the crazy weekend. Weekends are nonstop at our house. We always are on the go. Actually it's in our nature to always be on the go.

We had a sick weekend at our house. I received FREE tickets to the circus for Thur night...we loaded up the kids (not a quick procedure) and headed out for a night of cirques (?). I explained to Pickle that we would be seeing elephants, lions and other circus animals. I even explained it in a book. We get diapers changed....kids clothed...us clothed...sippy cup...snacks...camera...jackets...and head out the door. We pay to park, we park, we walk by the animals we head to the ticket booth and SOLD OUT. AHHHHHH, can I scream. So they offer us wonderful tickets for Saturday night...no problem. We tell Pic that it's time to leave and she is laying on the ground screaming. We peel her off the ground and she proceeds to scream bloody murder. I head over to the parking booth and get my parking money back and we head off to hit up a park instead. She is now happy again.

Saturday comes and we wake up with a majorly sick Pickle. Snotty nose, cough, acts like she has a sore throat....we head to urgent care (only because everyone has had strep around us). We wait and wait and wait...get seen...negative strep test. She obviously is not feeling her normal self so our Saturday circus tickets were given to a friend. Bummer!

Sunday was spontaneously planned...our family headed over for a day visit. Family from all over our state decided to meet at our house (1/2 way point). We hung out, caught up, enjoyed seeing everyone and boom the day is over.

Tomorrow...Monday....ugh!

You learn something new about your daughter everyday...

Can I say...OMG. Today Pickle was the hammiest I have ever seen. Her Gunga and Doda came for a visit and she was so totally smitten. Smitten like I have never seen. Gunga and I were chopped liver. Doda was getting love, smiles, kisses, hugs, and she was flirting like it was her high school boyfriend. He was eating it up with a knife and fork. She LOVES her Doda and I can remember him being my hero too. Love you Doda!

The countdown begins...

Counting down the days.....my sister (we'll call her Nomie) from Swizerland is coming to visit for 5 weeks, July -Aug. The rest of her family (my three neicesn and brother in law will be here between 3-4 weeks). So...I get an entire week of my sister all to myself! It seems like a long time to have company...right? Well, actually NO not at all. Time with my sister seems to go so fast. Her kids are like my kids and vice versa. Last summer I went out there to see her and stayed for 4 weeks which seemed more like 2 weeks. The days go fast when you spend the majority of them laughing your butt off. About what? About nothing of importance just plain laughing. To the point of tears. I get my year of laughs in one short month. My mom and her husband are coming out for 2 weeks. And hopefully my niece and nephew from AZ will make it out for a weekend. I will have people coming and going for the whole month. Then Nomie and her family will leave us for a week or so to visit Yogi Bear.

America is a BIG deal to my 3 nieces. They will spend the first week comparing everything between America and Switzerland. They claim that everything is so BIG in America. Well, thats partially true. Things here are big....food...portions....grocery stores...one lead to another. I have one niece who will be in ahh of the American trends (that's the one most like me) then I have another niece that is very Swiss by nature...she will enjoy her time here but will glad to be back to the green mountains of Switzerland...and the youngest niece is still too young to get it all, she will enjoy her time here but at the same time enjoy going home. All three girls will be absolutely gaa gaa over my Pic and Pea. They will be at their every need. Pic and Pea will have little Mommies coming from every direction.

Well, 4 more weeks until the fun begins!

NO!....say it isn't true.....

Did I tell you that we finally have bonded with a couple from Chicago. Being new to this town we have only really met a few couples that we have totally bonded with. Couple friends are hard to find. I met Riley's mom at baby boot camp. We were like long lost best friends. Our kids love each other. They play good together. Pickle and Riley should be arranged for marriage...they adore each other. Pickle walks around saying Rye Rye, Rye Rye, Rye Rye, over and over. We all hit it off like peas in a pod. They also just had another baby. Mason and Peanut are 2 months apart and Pickle and Rye Rye are two weeks apart. To make a long story short...they might be moving....we are so sad! Good friends are hard to come by especially when the husbands also get along.....:(

Things that make you smile :)

Our routine...the alarm in our house is Pickle calling for Dada around 630. D has taught her that when she is ready to get out of her crib to call his name. I lay there laughing at the fact that she calls for him. He gets Pickle's diaper changed and then brings her to our bed. He always heads downstairs to let Daisy out, get Pickle's milk and bring me my coffee. I ALWAYS have my first cup of coffee in bed. It's my most favorite thing.

Step touch, grapevine, the old aerobics days.

I didn't realize that old school aerobics still existed. Leave your spandex leotard and scrunchies at home. I went and was pleasantly surprised at how well I remembered the old moves. Step touch, grapevine, hussle forward/back.....brought back a lot of great Bally's gym memories. And, half the class were older silver haired ladies. I actually broke a sweat. I'm desperately trying to get back into the swing of things and get a workout routine with Pic and Pea. I refuse to blame my kids for being fat. There is a daycare at my gym where I can drop off the kids for 2 hours. They are worth every pound of weight gain BUT I'm tired of carrying around the extra baggage. I've got enough emotional baggage. Working out is one of those things that I feel people make up all the excuses in the world (myself included). No...it's not always fun, no...time won't be handed to you on a silver platter, and no...excuses won't change anything. I did it when I worked full time and went to school so, why is it so hard to find time now? It's like brushing your teeth, you just gotta do it. A walk, a fitness dvd, the gym, whatever your heart desires. Like I always say.....If I have time to watch an hour of tv.....then I have time to get a workout in. Right? Right!

Blogging...

Blogging has become the new fad. It's a great way to express your feelings (kinda like a journal). There was a lady on Oprah the other week that started a Mom's blog and it has gotten so big that her husband quit his job and she just writes about daily mom things (think the site is deuce something or another, can't find it now) can you imagine having so much to say that you can support your whole family based of what you write on your blog. I imagine she gets paid through sponsors who offer free stuff to her so she talks about it. Not exactly sure. Don't know how to make this my job but I have fun doing it as a hobby or better yet as a means to vent about life, question life, talk about life etc etc. Not sure if you knew this but all blogs have pubic access. So, you can scroll through other peoples blogs. Hmm....not always sure about this. I try and keep most things anonymous but at times I make a slip here or there. With all new things comes expectations. Expectations that you must meet. People start to look for posts (at least you hope) and people look for photos to be published. There is a fine line in updating your blog because you get inspired to post something vs. the expectation to post something. Not everything in my life gets documented nor is worth writing about. I try to keep most things like Pickles struggle with going #2, the my trip to the local wally world, basic boring life (actually my life is never boring to me) out of the blog. I spare everyone the concoction's I have tried to make Pickle poop. But I try to stay up to date on our life. It has been a great way to keep my family in the loop of watching Pic and Pea grow up. And most importantly I would LOVE to know who visits my blog. You can comment or just say hello by clicking the comment section under the actual post.

Blessings in Disquise

Who would have thought that my little brother would be where he is today. A few years back I started loosing hope for him. He got involved with a bad crowd and was headed downhill fast. Then there were a few situations that happened in his life that made him realize life is too short. He cleaned up his act, graduated from college and has made a good life for himself. He was blessed with his daughter D girl two weeks before Pickle was born. She was a blessing in disguise. He never planned on having kids at 22 but it was actually the best thing that has happened to him. He is a great father and D girl is a total Daddy's girl. His situation reminds me a lot of my Dad's. D girl is his life and I know they will always be close. I'm proud of the man he has become and I know things will continue to turn around for him. He deserves the world!

Skipping through the blues.....

Peanut is now 9 weeks old.....where has the time gone? He has grown so fast, and trust me I have cherished every second with him (in case my baby making days are over). I have really taken the opportunity to hold him, snuggle with him, nurse him, nap with him and stare at him. I actually think it has been a very easy transition. I figure, if I have one....might as well have two....might as well have.....more! Actually, we are undecided on more for the moment ( I have been pregnant or nursing for 28 STRAIGHT months). There was my light bulb moment, I have never done the actual math. No wonder, no wonder, no wonder. I'm sure my body is cursing me.

Peanut and Pickle have been so much fun. Pickle has really surprised us with her motherly ability. She has taken baby Peanut under her wing. She loves, adores, and is somewhat obsessed with him. She must know 100% of the time where he is and what he is doing. She wakes up and starts calling "baby" "baby" "baby!" It's so cute to see her playing and then to run over and give him the biggest kiss. Only a few times has she laid on top of him, poured water over his head, or put her hand over his face but of course after all those things she proceeds with a giant kiss. Not sure so she won't get in trouble or because she thinks all those other things are okay. The two kid thing hasn't been too hard at all.

The hard part of this whole process has been having our house on the market. Can I say gulp, sigh, big sigh, even bigger sigh. Two kids is nothing but having financial stressors is another thing. Having a house on the market is the biggest sigh in the morning. Waking up, changing diapers, getting 3 people dressed, doing breakfast, doing laundry, feeding the dog, letting the dog out, exercising.....NO BIGGIE! BUT.....having your house perfect is a completely different story. That is what brings me to tears at times. The unknown is very scary. When we'll sell, if we'll sell, where we'll move, when we'll move everything is up in the air. But what gets me through the stress and pain of the unknown is my two little babies. They are the absolute highlight to my day. I don't know what my life was like without them. They make want to skip. And according to my dad.....when someone skips through life then you know they are truly happy.

Keeper of the camera can be overwhelming at times

The world of digital can be overwhelming at times. Are you that person in the family that always has your camera? Do people look to you to take pictures and distribute them? Do people assume you can take photos, videos, organize them AND email/mail them out? Well, something eventually has to go. Blogs, facebook, scrapbooks, home videos, the list goes on and on. I refuse to say to Peanut, "well Mommy was too busy to make a scrapbook for you, only Pickle has one." I'm lucky enough that both of my kids were born in the digital days. No negatives for these babies. But.....I have a fear of loosing my photos. I have decided in case of tornado, hurricane, flood, fire or any other natural catastrophe I will put all my photos on an external hard drive and mail it to my in-laws in case something were to happen. I was going to give the hard drive to a friend on the block but what if our whole street is hit by the abominable (?) snowman or something. I'm a little bit of a freak like that. I would DIE if I lost my photos.

So, I'm starting a new thing called digital scrap booking. An amazing company by the name of Heritage Makers has perfected digital photo albums. It's a company that backs up every album you order so if anything happens to the album you can reorder another album. Anything including tears, rips, pooped on, peed on, puked on, or anything else for that matter. So why Heritage Makers vs. the other companies? Well, it's like a scrap booking store, they have every chochsky imaginable. Their albums are tied at the binding as well. It's defiantly more pricey but worth every penny for my kids. But if you are my family please please please be happy when you get the less expensive version from shutterfly or snapfish. Or simply make your own :). Oh, and if you are interested in Heritage Makers the website is www.scrapmystories.com

People Please

It's funny to me how people assume the worst. They think just because we have two kids under two that our life has turned upside down. I constantly hear things like "Oh, you must be exhausted" " Was it planned?" "You can be done now"........can I just say FOR THE LOVE. Some people just don't know when to shut their mouths. Paaaleeezzzzzzz, mind your own business or just think before you open your trap.

I think they look more alike than we realize

Pickle on the Left--Peanut on the Right