Vocabulary Explosion!

Sweet Pea finally said her name on Saturday. Shocked my socks off. I'd just about given up hope that she'd ever progress past, Mama, Dada, Bye, Bee and No.

Then today she popped out with this gem....

"All aboard the choo-choo train."

Yeah. Just like I typed it and not just once, but several times.

I have only myself to blame. I have a cold that's kept me down the last two days so the kids have watched a couple of DVD's quite a few times. (Read more times than I dare to count.)

One of them is Choo_Choo_Soul. We have the CD/DVD set from Target and the girls both LOVE IT!!!

Anyway, Sweet Pea seems to have an affinity for trains now. It's only fitting since her Great, Great Grandpa worked on the railroads many, many moons ago.

Monitor Mondays

In an effort to post a bit more regularly I'm going to try to make note of the silly things I over hear on the baby monitor. I may need to get a tape recorder so that I can transcribe some of the funnier episodes.

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Today's offering actually took place yesterday morning.

Sweet Pea was awake and as she doesn't really talk yet all I could hear were her happy noises, bouncing and giggling on the monitor.

All of the sudden this sleepy voice says,

"Be quiet Sweet Pea, I'm trying to sleep in my "big girl" bed."

They say the darnedest things, I wonder how long I can continue to eavesdrop on them with the monitor?

Today is my Birthday!

I got some goodies, some spending money and a nice dinner out with my family.
It's been a good day.

So, I have totally survived the 14th anniversary of my 27th Birthday.

Now, I've never obsessed about my age and I usually feel younger than the calendar and my birth certificate say that I am. The other day I took one of those silly quizzes over on FaceBook. The results really were no surprise to me. My Actual Age on their quiz was 34. Somehow I shaved 7 years off my age.

In the past week I've had the opportunity to talk to two women who are within a year of me in age. That is not remarkable. What is remarkable is that they both have two children WHO ARE LEAVING THE HOUSE. Yeah, as in moving out, going to college, heck the one woman is a grandmother, TWICE!

I've also had the opportunity over the last 2 years to share stories and advice with a woman who has a child the exact same age as Sweet Pea. When I did the math one day, I realized that I could be her mother and grandmother to her child! I've discovered she's wise beyond her years and that I'm not too "old" to learn from someone younger than I am.

My life has taken me places over the last 7 years that I never thought I'd go. I've been downsized by my employer. I've had to learn a new job from top to bottom. I've loved and now lost. I've had not one, but two beautiful babies. I've purchased investment properties and not one, but three different cars. In the next year I will be purchasing a new home. It kinda makes me wonder where I'd be and what I'd be doing if those 7 years really were shaved off of my life.

And even though my girls are at a very, very, very busy age right now and I'm loving every minute of it, I'm ready for the rest of my life to slow down just a smidge. Once I get through this year I'm planning to try to NOT make any changes for awhile.

Happy New Year!

2008 was the year of deciding to make changes in our household.
2009 will be the year of implementing those changes.

While last year wasn't the best year for me, I can't help but count my blessings when I look back. My girls and I are healthy and safe, our needs are well taken care of and we have a support group that's even bigger than I ever imagined.

2009 will bring many changes. Most of them, while not exactly easy and fun, I am looking forward to. I'm hoping that the year will bring some fresh starts and a bit more contentment and a lot less stress.

I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May the days ahead find you and yours healthy and happy!

(Edited for Spelling...sorry...I'm just a bit OCD on the spelling and grammar errors when I catch them.)

100 Things About Me

I discovered, quite by accident, that it's traditional for your 100th post to post 100 thing about yourself. So I sat down and finally 3 weeks later I have a list; if nothing else it's eclectic.

1. I like to dance.
2. I’m not very good at it.
3. I love to read.
4. Before I got married used to read four to six books a week.
5. I never ate wings until I started dating The Cop.
6. I ate my first steamed oyster at five years old.
7. I love steamed oysters.
8. I don’t eat steamed oysters unless I shuck them.
9. I’ve never gotten a ticket.
10. I love puzzles. The bigger and more complicated the better.
11. I’ll pull an all-nighter to finish one.
12. I hate Barney. He gives me the creeps.
13. The same with the Tele-Tubbies.
14. I want to be a super creative crafty person.
15. Most of my stuff is run-of-the-mill normal.
16. My favorite color is purple.
17. I used to love cats.
18. I also used to love dogs.
19. Now I tolerate both.
20. I’ve had four jobs since I graduated college.
21. None of them were in the field I majored in.
22. White domestic geese scare the poop out of me.
23. Snakes don’t, unless they startle me.
24. In four years of High School I attended three schools each in different states.
25. I’m a horrible speller and my grammar stinks.
26. Spelling and grammatical errors are a pet peeve.
27. I try very hard not to make any spelling and grammatical errors.
28. I love spell check.
29. I have a full set of the McDonald’s Teeny Beanie Babies. The ones that came in the Happy Meals.
30. I am a pack rat.
31. I desperately don’t want to be a pack rat.
32. My nickname in elementary school was so horrible that I’ve never told anyone what it was.
33. My Mom is one of my very best friends.
34. I love snow.
35. I hate being cold.
36. I am nocturnal.
37. I’ve gone to work before on an hour and half of sleep.
38. No, I wasn’t partying all night long.
39. I love giving gifts “just because”.
40. I am fiercely loyal.
41. I can also hold a nasty grudge.
42. But only when it’s really called for.
43. I didn’t get married until I was 35.
44. Most days I don’t feel 40.
45. I like the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation best.
46. I like CSI: Miami a lot.
47. I don’t like CSI: New York.
48. Usually I am watching Sprout or Noggin on TV.
49. I have some great friends that I’d trust with my life.
50. I’ve never met most of them in person.
51. My favorite holiday candy is Candy Corn.
52. I’ve been known to eat cake-icing straight from the can.
53. I’m an AC junkie. Must have it to function.
54. I once dated the lead singer of a band.
55. I have an intercranial tumor.
56. It’s not dangerous; it’s just annoying.
57. Most of my jewelry isn’t real, just convincing.
58. I can’t drink milk.
59. My first job was at an ice cream/sandwich shop in a resort town.
60. I have no blood related Aunts, only Uncles.
61. I wear contact lenses.
62. I’m afraid to try laser surgery to fix my eyes.
63. My glasses are almost ten years old.
64. I never wore sunglasses until I was in my mid 20’s.
65. Now I wear them religiously.
66. I love to sing.
67. But only when no one is listening.
68. I like my job.
69. As much as I like it, I only do it for the paycheck.
70. I’m lazy.
71. I want someone to pay me to stay home, sew, bake, shop, and play with my kids.
72. I’ve never read Gone With The Wind.
73. I’ve never seen the whole movie either.
74. I really don’t want to.
75. I like hard rainstorms.
76. I really don’t mind when they have lots of wind and thunder.
77. I don’t like when they cause tornados.
78. The thought of a tornado scares the daylights out of me.
79. When I was two my uncle questioned me for his doctoral thesis.
80. Not even my mother knows what questions he asked me.
81. I always wanted five children.
82. I have two.
83. Two is enough.
84. I’ve lost almost 18 pounds since New Years Day.
85. It’s not baby weight because I gained 12 of it months after she was born.
86. I weigh less today than I did five and a half years ago when I got married.
87. My old clothes still don’t fit.
88. My favorite soft drink flavors are Cream Soda and Root beer ~ but not together.
89. I used to shoot .22 caliber handguns competitively.
90. I love the Muppet Show.
91. My handwriting is messy.
92. My signature rarely looks the same twice in a row.
93. I’m a procrastinator.
94. It’s taken me more than a week to complete this list.
95. I have a huge stack of books waiting on me to read them.
96. I have a huge stack of sewing projects waiting on me to start/finish them.
97. I’ve run several 5K’s and 10K’s.
98. I want to start participating in more of them more often.
99. My favorite meal is probably Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at my In-Laws.
100. I’m really rather ticklish

If there's anything you're curious to know that isn't covered here, just ask!

Say What??

We were in the store yesterday.

As we turned down one of the toy aisles I heard words that no Mom of a 2 year old wants to hear...


"Look Mommy, Hannah Montana!"


How in the world does she even know who Hannah Montana is?

On second thought, I don't want to know.

Teeth, Teeth, and More Teeth

Sweet Pea cut her fifth tooth sometime Monday. I've learned with my girls that I have to check their gums every so often. It's either that or I'll miss the arrival of new teeth. The gum where her right front tooth would be had been a bit angry and swollen for the last few days. I was sure that was the next one to appear. Apparently I was wrong. On a whim I swept her lower gum. There it was the second tooth on the right side has shown it's pointy little self.

Fast forward to this morning. During our morning wash up I wipe her face and gums and check for pointy spots. The one on the lower right is still there. But wait, what's that? You guessed it. The upper right front tooth has made it's way, finally, through her gum.

Two teeth in less than two days. No sleepless nights, no crabby baby, no fever, no runny nose.

Watch out everyone, I have a stealth teether!

(As soon as they are in good, I'll get a picture.)

Wordless Wednesday ~

Houston we have a vampire...



and a carpenter.

Nothing Sweeter.

As my friend LA says, "Hand me a brick."

Sweet Pea is growing up way too fast. She has figured out how to pickup and put her pacifier into her mouth. She also has started reaching for you when she wants to be picked up. Nothing melts me more than those chubby little arms reaching for me.

She's a mover and shaker for sure. With Miss Bee showing her how things are done, I imagine she's going to move and shake a whole lot sooner.

We've been trying to start solids since December. Too much tongue thrust and frustration after just a few bites and we packed things up and tried again the next week. Finally last night we had full blown success. One whole container of first foods down the hatch. Tonight we did it again.

So while I am excited, pass me a brick (or two). Slow down little girl, slow down.

"It's a beautiful day!"

Those simple words completely derailed my plans for a productive Saturday.

Nana met us this morning to get the oil changed on the van. We then went to Chick-fil-a for lunch. I don't do restaurant outings with both girls on my own yet so reinforcements were a must. Just before we were getting ready to packup and leave, Miss Bee hit me between the eyes with those four simple words.

"It's a beautiful day."

And was it indeed a BEAUTIFUL DAY. In fact it was GLORIOUS!

Gameplan for the day abandoned, I convinced Nana to come with us to a nearby church playground. Miss Bee was able to run around outside and explore with out either of us "attached" to her, for the first time, ever. She had a blast. Like a fish takes to water, she figured out pretty quickly how to climb and slide. I know she was exhausted because she hardly protested when I said it was time to go and less than five minutes down the road she passed out.

You may ask how she got to 1 year 51 1/2 weeks without running around on a playground. Well let me explain.

Miss Bee was a big baby and a late mover. Rolling was over rated until she was 9 months old. Sitting from prone was something she finally decided was worth her time to learn at 10 months old. She pulled up for the first time New Years Day...only about 7 weeks shy of her first birthday. Added to that, I was expecting Sweet Pea. I got big fast and tired quickly. By the time Miss Bee had her feet firmly under her and could run around, Sweet Pea was arriving and we were experiencing a heat wave of epic proportions 14 days in a row of 100+ temperatures. Taking us from the house to the car was melty. Playing outside was out of the question.

Today, Miss Bee made her mommy and Nana misty by proving to us what we already knew she could do. She's growing so darned fast. And while I rejoice with every milestone reached, I mourn a little, too. Slow down little girl. You can be Momma's baby just a little bit longer.