Busy Bee

So I haven't updated in awhile so this is just a pish posh of what's going on in our lives.

Life just seems to be going by so fast lately. Anna is about to be 12 weeks old. 12 weeks! Where did the time go?!?! I feel like I was in the hospital yesterday worrying about her, and now here we are 12 weeks later just living life like nothing was ever wrong. I think with the second child time just goes so much faster and there is little time to just sit and enjoy all the little things. I try to take it all in with her when I get the chance, but there are few chances lately.

Lilla is just really growing up and on the go. She started gymnastics several weeks ago and is just taking off with it. For some reason she could never jump, and she spent a ridiculous amount of time every day for months trying to jump. Now, she is a hopping fool. My little jumper.

We were fortunate enough last week to get a trampoline with Lilla's birthday money and by selling our old fridge we had just sitting in the garage for the last year. We decided she loves gymnastics so much, why not? She has been having the time of her life on that thing! So Lilla and I have been out there every day just hopping away. And let me tell you, it is quite the workout! I am going to have great legs this summer!

The girls and I have all been sick this past week with sinus infections. Poor Anna does not like the antibiotics. And, they don't like her either! Ugh, it's not been pretty. Hopefully we'll all be better soon. I think we're on the upswing! Seems just about everyone has been sick lately so I don't feel alone.

Anna is getting so big! She already weighs 14 lbs! Lilla only weighed 18 lbs when she turned 1!! So, you can imagine what a difference it is for me. I don't carry her in the carseat like I carried Lilla. She is much more in the sling. It's not as hard on my back. She is smiling all the time now, laughing, loves to watch her sister and likes to hold on to things. Anna is so curious and just wants to be held and she is happy as a little lark. She's really a cutie pie!

Next on the docket is Anna's baby dedication and party next weekend and the following weekend we are going to San Francisco! Yeah! It will be so nice to take a long weekend and just get away. Of course Anna is going, as I nurse her. Lilla, however, is having her first weekend away from us. Hopefully she does well!

Oh, and just because I know you can all use a laugh today...here you go!!

Life goes on

I don't particularly have one specific thing I want to say in this post, just a bunch of stuff running through my brain!

• Have I ever told you guys I am a cryer? Well, I am. I'm not a sobby, why oh why me cryer, I'm an everything touches my heart mushy girl cryer. That is my normal state of being. When I am pregnant, this is magnified. My friend Carrie and I took our girls to the zoo the other day and during the dolphin show I was so overwhelmed with love for the peanut thinking how full my life is because I get to teach her about things like dolphins, that I just started crying. Yep, apparently even dolphins can make me cry these days.
• Everyone keeps telling me they can't believe how vocal the peanut just got over the past few weeks. She's actually always been vocal, she's just coming out of her shell more and making more sentences all of a sudden. The peanut has been saying some of the funniest things lately. Like when I go to the bathroom and she'll say, "Mommy go potty?" I'll say, "Yes." She'll say, in her very excited way while clapping her hands, "Good job Mommy!! Daddy, Momma go potty!!" Or when Michael takes a shower, "Daddy shower?" My response? "Yes, Daddy is in the shower." Her response, "Daddy stinky." That one kills me!! Or her sweet response when I tell her I'm not feeling so good, "Mommy sick?" I'll respond, "Yes, mommy is sick." She'll give me a hug and say, "Mommy better." I mean come on, who is not going to find these things just adorable?
• Speaking of the potty, we are making progress. As long as there are no pants, she goes on the potty each and everytime. If there's a diaper, not so much. So, she knows the score. Smart girl. And, there is a lot of nudey butt in this house lately. LOL
• This pregnancy has been harder than I remember the first being on me. I worked a 40 hour week the first time, now I just feel like death all of the time. It has been exceedingly hard for me to get out of bed everyday. If I could just stay there I would. I feel bad for the peanut as she really wants to get out and do things but I just don't have the energy to move. The poor kid is going to turn into a Backyardigan if I let her watch anymore TV! Also, the nausea is definitely worse than with her. At least I got relief when I ate something the first pregnancy, not this time. I'm just always feeling like I'm going to throw up. It's good times. And don't mention food around me because the names of any food make me want to yak. Yeah, grocery shopping with me right now is a real walk in the park. Hopefully it will be over week 12 like it was with the peanut.
• Today was the last day of MOPS. I forced mysef to go today, and I'm glad I did. It has been a really great experience and I'm glad I got to say good-bye for the summer. I don't go to that church so I don't see them on Sundays! I'm on the steering committee so I will see some of the girls for planning this summer but we are changing our format and a lot of the team won't be back next year so it's nice to say good-bye. Tonight is a MOPS night in but I just don't have the energy to go.

Now that you've gotten the Amy update, what's going on with you all?

Under a Shady Tree

So I know I've posted little of substance lately, it's just been so lovely outside that I can hardly think of sitting in my house while the beauty of spring pops all around me. I've been pulling weeds, arranging my flowerbeds (no flowers yet as our town still has the possibility of a late frost!), picking out seeds for my garden, enjoying the peanut's new swing set and sandbox, putting up a hammock in the yard and just enjoying the beauty of God's creation.

It has mostly been in the 60's here so it has finally provided me an opportunity to wear my flip flops again. Oh, how I've missed my flip flops. I have a pair of croc ones that I wear that are the most comfortable ones I've ever worn. And, let me tell you, I've worn a lot in my day. I like to be bare foot and that is the closest way I can do it and still keep my feet relatively safe.

Today it's back into the 40's with a chance of snow...brrrr...old man winter hasn't let go of that grip yet...darn it!! So, today I will stay inside and hibernate for a bit while it warms up. Actually, I've got a lot of work planned today, a birthday party for the peanut to attend and a steering committee meeting. It's probably a good thing it's cold so I won't be drawn to go sit under my tree on my new hammock, which I love by the way! I can't wait until the leaves are out and it really is a Shady Tree, good times!!

Oops, the peanut is up, gotta go! Hope you all have a great weekend too!

Bye, Bye, Bye

I actually do have a good excuse for not blogging in so long this time. Last Wednesday, I was rushing and I turned off my laptop with the button instead of the start menu and I found out, you should never, ever, ever do this. A file got corrupted and I lost EVERYTHING. Included in that everything were over 3 months of pictures. Pictures that can never be replaced. Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, Birthday...it's just heartbreaking to me. I am thankful that I have this blog as I've put some pictures out there but the last few months I've been pretty bad at blogging so it doesn't even touch the amount of pictures I lost. And, I have been so good at taking pictures of Lilla every week since she's been alive and all those photos are just gone. I wonder in some way if the Lord was teaching me to be humble because I was really proud of that. And, I defintiely believe that pride comes before a fall. It certainly did in this case.

It kills me to think about it. Fortunately I figured out I had videorecorded Christmas morning here when Lilla first came down the stairs and opening some presents. That was the part that really killed me to lose because I put no Christmas pictures on my blog and it was our first christmas in our house. I was just devestated so figuring out about the camcorder really gave me some peace.

For those who are wondering about recovery, we tried. It didn't work. We could have paid Best Buy $500 to try a different way but it wasn't a guarentee and we honestly couldn't have afforded it even if it was a guarentee. So, we had to wipe the drives clean. It took Michael a couple of days to wipe it and then put the stuff I needed back on it but here I am again, blogging. With a heavy heart though, with a very heavy heart.

Here's more of an update on everything else:
Sickies: It's finally over for our family. Everyone is healthy again and it is beyond wonderful to say that. It's hard to want to leave the house now knowing how many other people are still sick. I can just feel the germs a crawling.

Photos: Friday I went to get the peanut's two year picture taken. It didn't go well. So unwell that I refused to even look at them. Today we went to try again. It was about the same. We did get a couple of good ones in this time. Unfortunately they were in her play outfit, not the lovely dress that I couldn't wait to get her picture taken in. I will post them once I get a hold of them next week.

Time Away: Michael and I did get to have a one night getaway last week. Full paid for at a really nice hotel and restraunt downtown and breakfast in our room in the morning. It was really a lovely time and a good time of refreshing. Besides, of course, being the night I lost all my info, it was really perfect.

Spreading the Word: We are starting a new Sunday night evangalism course at our church and it is really good. We are so excited about it and how it is already lighting a fire under our tooshes. I'm not sure why but I sure get energized when I let God work through me.

So that's the news from this end, I will be trying to visit sometime soon. Drop me a line and let me know how you are doing too!

Sick and tired of being...well, sick and tired

So, I am posting from the hospital right now. Fortunately, not laid up in some hard little bed with rails like a trapped animal, but from the waiting room. Which, I might point out, is quite appropriately named in this case. I have been here for hours, and, there is no sign of movement anytime soon. Although, there are only a couple of more people in here with me. What seems to be the problem? Not a clue! I think they just like to see how long people wait before they decide all their problems really can be solved with a bottle of aspirin, some alcohol and a band-aid.

My personal problem is a cough, which, I believe has led to a sore throat. Which, has led to sore ears. Actually, I am beginning to believe it is post nasal drip that started the whole matter. I know, that might be a little bit of TMI, but it is the truth in technical terms. I've got some serious sinus issues going on and I think the grody stuff in the back of my throat may be the actual root of all evil. My husband has been trying to get me to go to the doctor for days but I have refused as I didn't want to bring the peanut in to the biggest germ fest in town. Now, they have me sitting here with a surgical mask and 10 month old magazines to pass the time. I'm not kidding, there is an US with Nicole Richie on the cover stating she's prego. Unless she is again, that is one OLD magazine!

Fortunately I brought along my rusty trusty old laptop and fortunately, they have internet access. Which, is amazing in itself since I live in small town USA. I have no idea how secure this internet, but fortunately I do absolutely no banking or business on here so there are no secrets out. Besides getting in to my blah blah blogging spot. OK, so if suddenly you all have spam from me that states YOU CAN HAVE AN ERECTION FOR LONGER THAN ANY PERSON EVER SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO, you know what happened. This, is why I have finally been able to make it over to visiting so many of your sites. Just thank the HC Hospital!

Now, my husband has a stomach flu and the peanut is the only non-sicky in the house. God love antibiotics for that! I just wish it would warm up so we could open the doors and get out the bugs! Unfortunately, it's like 3 degrees out there. It's supposed to get up in the 30's this week. Woo hoo, clearly, spring is on it's way. LOL

Oh, and here's your funny for the day. We were sitting down to dinner and Michael said to the peanut, "Do you want to come and sit over here?" Here answer? "No way!"

That's good stuff!

Dr., Dr. Give me the news...

Sickies: Does it seem to you like everyone you know, plus their mother's brother's fifth cousin is sick? Me too! And that includes us. The whole past week the peanut and I were nearly immobile just trying to make it through the day due to sickness. On her birthday we took her to the petri dish that is the Children's Musuem and we have been ill ever since. Monday night we had to take her to the ER because she was so sick. Seven hours, 3 x-rays, 3 swabs, 4 nurses, 1 doctor and, I'm sure, thousands of dollars, later, we found out she has pneumonia. Poor little thing, she was just struggling so bad. Fortunately, we caught it early and she's been on antibiotics all week, which really seem to be working, so she's on the mend. Unfortunately, the antibiotics are hard on your digestive system so her little tooshky is on fire right now. Only four more days and it will be done though.

The plan: I got off my Richard Simmons work out kick in the meantime and gained several pounds back. Darnit! This morning I got up though intent on getting back on the kick and I did make it through three songs. Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? :)

Funnies: So yesterday I'm putting the peanut in the car to go to church and she looks up at me with the sweetest smile and says, "Shopping?" Oh my, what have I done to my daughter? LOL I then told her, "No, we are going to church to see our friends." She got so excited she threw her waffle and shouted, "FRIENDS!!" Apparently I'm depriving my child of friends. Her absolute favorite thing to do right now though is go through my purse, pull out my makeup brush holder and start 'putting on' make up. She gets so excited to say, "Makeup." I'm so not kidding. Is she all girl or what?

So that's about the jist of what's been happening around this joint. What's been happening at yours?

Big Girls don't cry

I know I have been mostly absent from the blogging world lately. No real reason. I've just been busy with other things I suppose. There are only so many hours in the day and lately it seems that those hours are becoming shorter and shorter.

I think I told you a couple of posts ago that I was getting Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies on DVD. They finally did come in the mail last week and I've done pretty good at getting my old bones moving and at least start to get into a habit of doing them. I haven't finished one yet but you have to start somewhere, right? :) Anyway, I'm enjoying having my jeans fit a little looser. And, it just kind of makes you feel altogether good, if you know what I mean.

I joined a new bible study group too. It's called bible study fellowship, which some of you are probably familiar with. They are all over the world and it's a 7 year study. Really, it's pretty amazing how in depth you go and it's a great way to get into the word. There is probably one in a church near you and they are at different times/dates of the week so if you are interested you should check into it. It's for men and women, by the way.

Saturday I'm throwing a baby shower for a girl at church. There is going to be a bigger turnout than I expected so I'm kind of excited for that. I'm actually making a 3-D duck cake (go to www.wilton.com to see it). It is really cute and I'm excited to see how my first take on making cakes turns out. I've never made anything but a regular old cake so it should be fun. I'll post a picture if I remember to take one.

OK, my husband is pushing me to go to bed. I have MOPS in the morning too so I really need to get moving. I hope you are all well and I will try to visit tomorrow.

Take care,
Amy