Potty lessons

Warning: this post discusses bodily fluids. If that freaks you out, click on the X in the upper right corner of this window.

Didn't think so..

I had to take Jayda to the doctor and she was asked to give a urine sample. I'm thinking oh great. I'm going to have to hold a cup underneath her for how many hours, before she'll be able to go. And then if she does go, will we get any in the cup, or just all over my hand. This should be good.

I was pleasantly surprised when the nurse showed me the "hat" they put underneath the toilet lid to collect the urine. "WOW, awesome!" This will be easy.

Wait a minute, have you had these for several years? Sure they have. And WHY, aren't they offered to pregnant women? Shoot, ALL women. Hovering over a toilet with a cup under your bum, must be a talent they think we should master.  I know it's not too difficult for the average person to do this, but for the average 8 month pregnant woman, IT IS HARD to do this. And annoying, and gross, and now...now that I know they have these contraptions, it also seems cruel, mean, rude and disrespectful.

Nurses every where are laughing it up right now aren't they? Handing tiny cups to pregnant women, and chuckling to themselves as they shut the bathroom door. "Good luck with that." I can hear them saying.

Anyway, turns out Jayda does have a bladder infection, so we're fighting that this week. I'm a little relieved that at least we know she wasn't just being a butthead about making it to the potty. But also a little embarrassed that I was giving her such a hard time about it, before we knew what was going on. Live and Learn

New lens

Jayda

Paisley

Reanna and Grammie Pammie

                                                                         Jorgia

These are the first pictures I got to take with my new lens! It's going to be so much fun. It's a 50 mm macro lens that allows me to blur the background and focus on the subject. I'm actually stepping out of my comfort area and shooting in manual focus rather that auto! Which is why some of these aren't quite as sharp as I'd like them to be. My eyes have been wigging out lately and sometimes I have a hard time seeing if I'm in focus or not. Anyway, I'm super excited to take more portraits, close ups and all sorts of fun stuff to play with the shallow depth of field (DOF). Thanks Mom and Dad! Love it!

Gummer no more

Paisley has a TOOTH! And her babysitter had to point it out to me. {lowering my head in shame}. Ah well, it's just a tiny little nub of a tooth, so it's not like it's a full blown, full grown tooth. Yeah, that makes me feel better.  Obviously it didn't bother her too much, since no one even noticed. She's just my sweet Paisley Pie. Not even a tooth coming through will get her down.

She is crawling her way around more gracefully and much less painfully. She is clapping, and waving and smootching! Yes smootching. I'll tell her I want kisses, and she leans in and closes her eyes. {sigh} UH-DOOR-ABLE! Except she's a little frenchie and leaves her mouth open. Yum, wet baby kisses!

Are you sure? Yep

I just deleted my shortcuts to DSU from my favorites. My computer then asked me, Are you sure you want to delete from favorites? I promptly answered YES. Goodbye world I used to live in.

Hellowww new, peaceful, de-stressed, new world I live in. Nice to meet you.

Isn't that something

More pictures coming...

May 15, 2010 finally arrived! I remember thinking how far away that date sounded, when I started this process back in the Fall of 2007. Now it has come and gone, and it feels GOOD GREAT!

We had a great day, packed with family, food and fun. The weather cooperated, as did my children (for the most part).  Jayda took a spill on the pavement parking lot Friday night, after proclaiming the day, "The best day of my life." I'm not sure what was so grand about it, but I'll agree...it was a great moment. I guess when you are two, whoops, I mean four, getting to spend the night in a hotel is about as good as it gets. I actually did just say she was two, again...how time flies!

For a few moments while I was sitting in the ceremony, my thoughts wandered to my Grandpa, surely watching from above. I can just see him shaking his head and smiling that infectious grin. In disbelief that people can get their college degree on the internet. My how the world has changed, he would have thought to himself. I remember once explaining to him how it all worked and what I had to do for my classes. "Isn't that something," he replied.  Yes, Grandpa, it is.

Three long short years ago, I sat on the same campus and watched Jed's sister graduate. It was that moment that planted a seed in my brain. I was reading through the list of names and the degree's they were graduating with, thinking, I could do this, I should do this...I'm gonna do this.  When we got home, I jumped on my computer to see what they offered online. I was pleasantly surprised to see they offered a Business Administration Degree, completely online. And that is where my journey began. Isn't that something.

Cleaning on Wednesday or Tuesday, or wait..what day is it?

Guess what? It's Wednesday evening and I just cleaned my house, did some laundry and scrubbed a toilet. Probably sounds pretty normal to most of you. But to me, to ME, its very abnormal. Know why?

Because I CAN!

No, not just because I'm crazy like that. Because I don't have a test to take, an assignment to do, a text book to read. Actually, I don't really have anything I need to do. My brain is still trying to wrap itself around the idea. It's a hard concept to accept. Ok, not really. It's more of a habit to break. I wish I had an exercising habit to break. Obviously I don't. That's next on my list, remember.

Inside out & nakey

When I came home from work yesterday, I did the usual...walked in the door and was greeted by Jayda's loud shriek down the hall, "MOMMY'S HOME." Which is then followed by her pouncing on me or asking me if I brought her anything home. By this she means food. Home girl loves her food. Next I steal Paisley off the floor and smooch on her soft skin and make her say Momma, just so she doesn't forget.

After sitting on the couch for a few minutes I caught a glimpse of a tag showing on the back of Jayda's dress. After staring at her hem for a good two minutes, I confirmed her dress was indeed, INSIDE OUT. Oh good lord, had I sent my child to school with her clothes on inside out? Please tell me I was a little more awake than that? Please?

She has been on a dress wearing kick since..well since last summer when she had to stop wearing them. Yesterday I gave in, and let her wear a dress that was given to her when Paisley was born (Jennifer!). It's about too short, so she wore jeans underneath and a white long sleeved shirt under as well. She can pull off the whole look, so I let her. And she totally doesn't care what she has to wear underneath, as long as she gets to wear the dang dress.

Of course I put her dress on the right way...right? Yes, I'm fairly sure I saw the buttons on the outside when I zipped her coat up..yeah..I'm positive. So I asked her on a whim, "Did you take your dress off at school?" Sort of hoping she would say yes, but sort of hoping she'd say no.

"YES!" she answered.

OH PHEW. No wait..what?

"Why did you take your dress off at school?"

"Well I took it off because I had all these clothes on underneath and I wanted to take my shirt off, but my teachers said I can't get nakey at school."

 "Nakey?"

"Yes, mom, you know..naked."

Lesson learned. Lord help me.

I told you I would

paisley crawling

Phew. It's kind of exhausting to watch isn't it. I find myself squirming in my chair, trying to help her scoot her way closer to the prize. Which by the way, there has to be a prize, or she won't bother. And after that little crawl I videoed, she rolled over and went back to rolling her way around the living room. She's an efficient little gal, doesn't like to exert any extra energy.  She's also pretty sentimental since she started doing this on Mother's Day! She also started saying Da Da Da, on Mother's Day, but I won't hold it against her.

The clapping and smiling and saying "Da Da Da," when he walks in the room...she could have waited until the day after Mother's Day to start doing that.

check back tomorrow

Paisley is crawling. Video coming tomorrow. Would have been today, but I forgot my phone.
The suspense is killing you, I know.
It's hard to imagine what it might look like to watch a tiny person scoot around on the floor. Good thing you've got me to show you.

Not much

Someone asked me a few days ago what I'd been up to lately. I replied, "Oh, not much."

I lied.

It must have just seemed like the easier answer. I wouldn't want to appear too showy and say, "Oh, raising a 4 year old, a 9 month old, taking care of the ranch business, working 40 hours a week, going to school full time, and dabbling in photography in my spare time. Then there's the occasional TV time I try to squeeze in!"

Well my friends, last night I took my last college test and officially logged out of that world for good. (I think, I hope, Yeah, I'm pretty sure).

When I got done, I walked to the living room and asked Jed if we should do some shots or something (joking) (yes mom, alcohol) {gasp}. He said, naw, how about ICE CREAM?! Hmmm, Ok, sounds good to me!