Saturday, February 28, 2009

productive Saturday

That's my goal. I have some serious organizing and cleaning that needs done around the house and I am hoping to get a chunk of it done today. I am feeling motivated. I need to do some major cleaning out of clothes of Tate's that are too small, toys that are too babyish and just getting his room organized in preparation for a big boy bed! We've decided it's time to transition from the toddler bed to a regular size bed. He does better sleeping in big beds. So we plan to go buy him a full size bed in the next week or so. We're going from the current baby motif in his room and graduating to a Hawkeye room! He is going to feel like such a big boy!

tantrum

Tate knows how to throw a tantrum. I am talkin' all out, rolling around on the floor tantrum. This tantrum was the result of me turning the light on. Tate wanted it off. I know I am just terrible! Okay, so maybe taking pictures of the tantrum was not the most appropriate thing to do (we usually ignore him and the tantrum stops), but honestly, I had to document it and he was just being so dramatic!


the verdict's in...I'm going to live.

My finger is not contagious, infected, going to cause blood poisoning, going to have to get amputated, going to spread to my heart and kill me and does not have baby spiders growing in it (this was the most far fetched prediction). It's a mucus cyst. Nothing life threatening, but gross none the less. The hugeness of it is pressing against nerves in my finger causing the shooting pains and the throbbing. Apparently, I need to go get it cut out by a dermatologist. Cut out?!!! Ummm...I don't think I am going to be rushing to get that done! The doctor said that I could use a hot, moist compress and help it work its way up to the surface and possibly get it out myself. I think I'll try that route first.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

infection

I have some strange infection on my pinky. I think I may have to go to the doctor. Seriously, I never thought I would say I would be going to the doctor for a sore on my finger, but it is starting to concern me. It started a couple of months ago. I had a small sore that developed on my pinky that looked like a blood blister. I knew I hadn't pinched my finger though. Weird, but not concerning. A couple of weeks later, it was still there and now a bit larger. Still, I wasn't terribly concerned. It still looked like a blood blister, so I decided to pop it with a needle. Ya, not the best idea...it bled and bled, but didn't improve and then it was just sore. The bump became more raised from my finger and felt really hard. It remained there and grew a bit for a few more weeks. This last week it started to become a problem when I would type and it was really sore. Considering I type all day at work, I've been pretty irritated by this sore. It has become quite a bit more concerning these last 2 days. It's opened up and bled multiple times in the last 24 hours. My finger feels hot, I feel my heartbeat in it...it has stabbing pains running through it. Today, my whole hand started to throb. I can hardly type. It just plain hurts...bad! This picture doesn't even show what it truly looks like, but still thought I'd share. I have no idea what this is, but I'm starting to worry now that it's spreading.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Our weekend in Muscatine

We took a last minute weekend trip to Muscatine. It was refreshing and SO MUCH FUN! We have had a super stressful couple of weeks and it was nice to get away. I wish Sean could have joined us though.

Ayla sporting some reading glasses. She is a hoot!


and the kids built forts...

yes...this is a fort.

the kids had so much fun playing together!




It was a great weekend and as usual, went by way too fast. We had lots of laughs and did lots of shopping. We had a "sleepover" with everyone (minus Paul) on Saturday night and stayed up until the wee hours playing Skip-Bo. I love spending time with my family. It makes me remember how so very blessed I am to have the most amazing people in my life who I am able to call family.

Jennie needs...

this is a fun little game that I stole from my friend Melissa's blog. It cracked me up when I was doing it. First you go to google.com and then type your name and the word needs after it and search. Post your top eight links that come up. Here are mine.

1. Jennie needs our backing to beat scourge (what?)
2. Jennie needs a break
3. Jennie needs to find herself a baller
4. Jennie needs a smack daddy
5. Jennie needs your support
6. Jennie needs a Wee by Mr. Jingles (I have no idea what this means!)
7.
Jennie needs a road bike
8. Jennie needs to contact an attorney and get everything sold so she can get medicaid (ummmm, okay)

I know...I'm a bad blogger

I promise to post tonight including pictures. Life has been busy, but I'll make time!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Fun With Daddy

Tate and Daddy had some fun tonight just running around and playing. Tate was giggling harder than I've heard him giggle in a long time!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day


oh those lashes!

Tate had his fill of sweets this weekend to say the least!

It's a day late...sorry. We had a great day...well, a great weekend. Mom and Dad came to town on Friday night and we all hung out until the wee hours. Then on Saturday we all did lunch and Mom and I did a little shopping while Brenda (THANKS A TON, BRENDA!) took Tate and Bode swimming at Mom and Dad's hotel. Dad and Chris got to hang out and play cards while we were gone too. It was a nice, relaxing day. Tate didn't go down for his nap until 4 pm and he was CONKED OUT instantly! After Tate's nap, we went to Chris and Brenda's for the evening and ate sushi! MMMMM! Then, my aunt and uncle and mom and dad stopped over for a bit. After they left, we put Tate down and went downstairs for some intense cribbage games! We were home and in bed by 12:30, which was nice. Today has just been a relaxing day. I wish the weekend would never end!

Sushi

Chris made sushi for Valentine's Day and they had Sean, Tate and I over to eat! It was (and always is) DELICIOUS! He has become quite the pro and I can honestly say that his sushi is just as good and many times better than the sushi you can buy at a sushi bar.
Tate loves being part of the group and trying his hand at chopsticks as well. He's got a long ways to go to master it! Here he is trying to eat some sushi with the chopsticks...with Sean's help. :)

He NEEDS his Daddy!

Tate is really starting to "get" the fact that Sean is unbelievably busy. He always wants Daddy and says, "No Daddy wurt" (aka...I don't want Daddy to go to work!). He has melt downs when Sean leaves and cries for him. It is the most heartbreaking thing ever! When Sean is around, Tate doesn't want to leave his side, not for a moment. For this reason more than any, we are READY for Sean to be done with his crazy 70 hour work/school week PLUS studying every waking moment he's home! It is SO hard on Tate. It's hard on all of us.

Only 10 more weeks to go!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Valentine's Day Treats...

They're not that beautiful, but MMMMM they were yummy! I made these Red, White and Pink layered cupcakes for Tate to bring to daycare on Friday. Tate was so proud to bring them in and share them with his friends. He came home with all kinds of fun Valentine's and on a serious sugar high from all of the goodies!

Valentines Surprises!

Tate got all kinds of fun Valentine's Day surprises in the mail. I only had my camera handy when he got his special gifts from his Grandma and Grandpa Shingledecker, but he loved everything he got from all of his family! Here he is opening his presents he got in the mail. Don't mind the messy face...he just got done eating and refused to let us wipe his face because he was so excited to dig into his gifts! Ha. Little stinker. He is such a ragamuffin!

He is so blessed to have so many people who love him! Thank you to all who sent fun Valentine's!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Lots going on...

Sorry for my lack of posting these last few days. There has been a lot of things going on the have just consumed my thoughts and time and blogging has been able to happen because of it. Hopefully next week, I will be able to disclose some specifics about what's been going on. And for those of you who keep wondering (I know you're out there because I've had people asking me) if this "opportunity" that has come about has anything to do with another baby or adoption...no, it doesn't. Nothing at all to do with anything like that! :)

My Mom and Dad are coming for the weekend! We haven't seen them since Christmas so we're very excited. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and their 39th anniversary so they are coming to have a little weekend getaway. We will be celebrating Valentine's Day at Chris and Brenda's with sushi! MMMMMMM!!! Sean works all weekend during the days so he won't be around much as usual. :(

I hope you all have a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!

Monday, February 09, 2009

Growth Spurt




I've been told now by a couple of medical professionals that Tate may go through a growth spurt now that he's had his surgery. Well, I think he is! All he wants to do it eat and sleep! He is playing and just enjoying life more, but eating at the same time. He eats the hugest breakfast ever...it's unbelievable...then he eats a snack between breakfast and lunch and prefers to munch on chex cereal or crackers or something between that. At lunch he's at daycare and apparently is eating like a horse. He wants to eat the second he gets home from daycare...THE SECOND HE GETS HOME! Tonight he ate 8 chicken nuggets, a can of green beans (yes, a whole can), apple sauce, cheese, a piece of bread and butter and 2 oreos (I know, the oreos weren't necessary)...he was saying "more" and I decided I needed to stop answering to his "more" request. So he got down and headed right to grab a box of Rice Chex and sat down on the living room floor and started eating those! He's seriously a bottomless pit! I didn't think this was supposed to start until the teenage years! Between him and Sean, they are going to eat us broke!!!

As far as the sleeping part, he's been going down GREAT since his surgery...I know it's because he can finally breath! He naps for WAY longer than usual and I no longer say that it's uncommon for him to sleep for 3 or 3 1/2 hours for his nap. Before I was lucky to get him down for a nap for 1 1/2 hours.

So anyway, I'm going to say it's a growth spurt...I hope it is. :)

in the closet

Literally that is...Tate loves to be in the broom closet/pantry in our kitchen. It seems to be his favorite place. He goes in there and laughs and talks and then comes out with a box of cereal or a snack of some sort. I will get the broom out or go to pull out some sacks and find all kinds of toys in there. There's trucks falling out from under the door, at night when we can't find his taggie, we look in the closet. I'll try to open the door to see what he's doing and he'll say, "close da door" or "shut it". It's also often times his poop closet. :)

Tate loves shoes.


He especially loves mommy and daddy's shoes. We find him sitting on top of our shoes trying to put them on all the time. It's funny though, first thing he does when we get home is says, "shoes off" and takes them off.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Plans

I am still in my PJ's, so is Tate. This weekend has flown by. I hate that. :(

There are a lot of things that Sean and I have been thinking about for our future. I am not going to elaborate, but a possible opportunity has presented itself just this week that could change all of the plans we thought we had for when Sean completes school in April. This could be a very good thing, but not anything that's a sure thing yet and we are trusting the Lord will lead us to where we are supposed to be. We had our minds pretty much made up as far as what exactly what we wanted to happen and where we would be by this summer and then God throws something new at us to remind us that we are not in control. We need these reminders. This opportunity has caused us to think a lot. I am going to be satisfied with whatever the outcome of the situation is. What is meant to happen will happen. Our original plan may pan out just as we had previously expected it to, and if so, we would be so happy! If this new opportunity pans out, we would also be happy...it would be a pleasant and unexpected change for us that would change are lives for the better. We have a lot of praying to do.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

The last week...

Yes, Tate does have a mother....because of my being behind the camera 99% of the time, some of you may have started to wonder if Sean was actually a single father. I would much rather stay behind the camera, but thought I would make a quick appearance on here for a change. :)

This was Sean and Tate reacting to the Cardinal's loss in the Super Bowl.

Okay, they're over it!

Oh the joys of having my happy boy back! He STILL isn't 100%, but very close to it. He would've been had he not come down with the stomach bug just as I was thinking he was 100% healthy. It never ends!

Last weekend we decided Tate was ready to graduate to "big boy towels"...if there even is such a thing! Ha. We have used those baby hooded towels on Tate forever! We had so many, and so they are just what we always used. They are so thin and small and totally not the best towels for a toddler and so we thought we'd get Tate 2 of his own special "big boy towels". He does have a couple of bigger hooded towels that we love too that are meant for kids his size, but it was time to put away the baby towels. Here he is so proud to be wrapped in his "big boy towel"...oh the things that please a child!

These last 3 or 4 weeks, Tate has become more and more of a Daddy's boy. It is so sweet to see him cuddle in with Sean. He wants to be within arms reach of Sean at every moment. He cuddles with him on the couch, snuggles in with him to rock before bed, laughs with him and rolls around on the floor, watches TV with him and voluntarily lays his head down on Sean when he's sitting by him. To see their bond and watch them together is one of my greatest joys!

We are still recovering from a rough week of the stomach bug. Tate is not quite right still and I still get waves of nausea here and there. We are thoroughly enjoying this warmer weather though and hope that it stays!

Can you believe next weekend is already Valentine's Day?!!! I am ready for spring!

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

it's going around...

I've caught Tate's tummy bug. I have felt super icky since about 4:30 this morning when I woke up with a sour stomach. Hopefully it passes quickly. I couldn't eat today at all. I just ate a little toast and am drinking Sprite. I think I am going to be in bed sleeping by 7:30 tonight. That's my goal at least.

This weekend is really supposed to warm up...WOOHOO! It has been soooo cold! I have pics to upload, so hopefully I'll get to that in the next day or so...then I'll be able to post something a bit more exciting than this.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Reminiscing

I was looking through our wedding pictures tonight and they caused me to think about a lot of things/people that I miss and are going to miss. I miss my two friends on the left side of this picture. Jessica lives close by, but with life and family, it's just so hard to get together. I love her and feel blessed to call her a friend. I miss you Jessica! The other friend standing next to Jessica is Kay. She and I have been the best of friends since we were in 6th grade. She is so special to me, but due to distance and again, just life in general, it is so hard to get together. With both of these amazing girls though, when we do get together, we pick up right where we left off. I miss you Kay! I love both of you so much!
I LOVE my nieces and nephews and adore every age that they have gone through, but looking at this picture made me miss "Baby Lani". Isn't she the sweetest thing?! She still is!
And seriously, before Tate, I never knew love like the love I felt for all of my nieces and nephews. Brigg and Lani were my first niece and nephew and they were the first people that made me sure that I knew I wanted to be a mother as soon as possible. I am so blessed to have each and every one of my nieces and nephews and love them ALL so much! This picture just makes my heart melt!
And finally, Cassie and Paul's house was the setting for most of our wedding pictures. The picture below was taken during Sean and I's "first look" at each other on our wedding day. It was taken in front of the huge pine tree in Cassie and Paul's back yard. It was a special moment that neither of us will ever forget! Below that picture is another one of my favorite pictures of the people in my wedding party that I love so much. They are sitting on Cassie and Paul's front steps. Below that is a picture of Sean and I in their front yard. Their place was a beautiful setting for our wedding photos! We are so glad to have these pictures to remember the moment because they are putting their house on the market today. I can't think of another reason why it is so sad to me other than the fact that one of the most special and important days of my life took place partially at their house. I don't know if that's just it or if I just really love their house, but either way it is bittersweet. I know that Cassie and Paul are happy to begin the next chapter of their life in a different house, so it will be a good move for them. I will miss their house though. :) If anyone is looking for an amazing 4 bedroom house in Muscatine though, check it out!


Hungry Kids, Stuffed Church

I found this on another blog. It disturbed me terribly. I need to be disturbed. WE need to be disturbed. By not doing anything for these people that are hungry, thirsty, dying...we are denying Jesus. We are letting Him go without water, food, clothes.

Help...go here. Be a voice.

300 Voices

and now we have poop...lots of poop!

I am talking...LOTS of poop! When Sean went in to get Tate when he woke up from his nap, he came in and said, "I need help honey, Tate threw up again." I was like, "oh great!" When we went back into the bedroom we realized it was not puke, but poop. ALL OVER. It was all over his sheets, pillow case, arms, hands, legs...everywhere. It is so weird, it smelled JUST like puke. He obviously has some sort of stomach bug. He's had no fever and has been eating and drinking normally. His poop is that really light, off white colored and is complete water. No form to it whatsoever, just stinky, off white colored water from the front to the back of his diaper and out every side and edge of the diaper. He's had that kind of poop all day, it's just this diaper he made during his nap was by far the worse poopy diaper I think he's ever had in his life.

I guess on the bright side, he's been acting just fine. Seriously though, can he just get healthy already?!