Trying for Another

When Chris and I got married, we knew we wanted to have children. We planned to start right away because I was already 37 and not getting any younger.  Because of my age, we figured that it might take us a while to get pregnant, and even had come to terms with the fact that we might not be able to conceive. Needless to say, we were quite surprised to find out we got pregnant on our honeymoon. Shock, surprise, and delight were the emotions that filled us up at that time.  We ended up telling our families right away. We wanted to shout it out from the rooftops.  Our joy was short-lived though. Two days after confirming our pregnancy, I started bleeding and ended up losing the baby.

The pain that followed was tough. Not only did Chris and I have to mourn the loss of what might have been, but we had to go back and tell our families about our loss.  I was crushed, but hopeful. To me, the fact that I got pregnant so easily was a good sign. My fertility was still in place. We should be able to get pregnant and have a baby. So, I kept praying that we would get pregnant again. And, we did. Twice more. Two more losses. For our first two pregnancies, we didn't make it past 4 1/2 weeks. The last loss, our third, was the hardest. We made it to 8 weeks, or so I thought, when we discovered the baby died at 6 weeks. I was devastated and so was Chris.

As we healed and prepared to try again, I changed my prayer to God. I stopped asking Him for a pregnancy. He had already granted me three of those. Instead, I got very specific and asked Him for a full-term pregnancy that would result in a child that we would be able to raise into adulthood with His love and guidance.  I also asked Him for no more losses. I told God that I would much prefer not to conceive than to lose another baby.

Even now, those losses are hard. I still remember each due date. I still remember the hope. I still wonder if my babies are angels in heaven, and if I will ever get to meet them someday. Truthfully, I believe they are angels now.

It has now been nearly 9 months since we had Ginny. The doctor told us to wait 9 months before we tried to conceive again. She felt that my body would need time to heal and fully recover before undergoing another C-section. Chris and I want to have at least one more baby.  We are hopeful that we will be able to provide Ginny with a sibling, something we both want for her. However, I am now 40. At 40, the odds of conceiving drop, and it is more likely that if we do conceive that we will miscarry.  We are ready to start trying again, but I am scared that we will face the same losses again. Obviously, we don't want anymore losses. I would much rather not get pregnant again than to lose another baby. The pain is just too much.

Again, I am asking for God's help and guidance in this next attempt to have a child. My prayer has shifted a bit as well. "Dear God, Please help Chris and I conceive a baby that we will carry to term. A baby that we will raise into adulthood with Your love and guidance. Please also grant us this baby so that Ginny has a sibling that will be with her throughout her life. Amen."

"Meet Me on Monday"

Another blogger I follow, Mouthy Barber Mom, started playing a question game today. I liked the idea so much that I decided to do it myself. If you are a blogger too, try it as well. ;) Here we go.

Questions:

1.  Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I'm starting to become a huge lover of gift bags! But, I still like wrapping gifts in paper (provided I have the time) with beautiful bows.

2.  Real or artificial tree?

Artificial. I lived in apartments for years that didn't allow live trees due to the fire hazard. Besides, I'm very allergic to pine trees. I don't want to be in pain or have an asthma attack at Christmas.

3.  When do you put your tree up?

The Saturday after Thanksgiving....always!!

4.  When do you take your tree down?

That has been a matter of debate in our house. My husband leans toward New Year's Day (or soon after). I shoot for the 12th Day of Christmas--January 6.  So, somewhere between then, usually.

5.  Do you like eggnog?

Heck, no! Gross.

6.  Do you have a nativity scene?

Yes.  We actually have 2 of them.  I don't have the one I dream of though. I'd love to have the Willow Tree Nativity scene someday. Love it!

7.  Favorite Christmas Movie?

Depends on the year. I love so many. Right now it has to be "White Christmas". I adore old movies.

8.  Favorite Christmas cookie?

Sugar cookies with icing on them. A close second are oatmeal raisin cookies that I make (my mom's recipe).

9.  Where will you eat Christmas dinner?

We will be going to my brother-in-law's house and have a celebration there before Christmas this year (with dinner).  However, for the first time since knowing each other, Chris and I will be having a Christmas dinner at home on Christmas day. I'm so excited!

10.  Angel, bow or star on top of your tree?

Angel.  I grew up with angels on the tree.  I can't imagine it any other way, especially since I adore angels!

11.  Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

The insanity at the stores where people who should know how to be civil and polite suddenly forget.

12.  Do you like Fruitcake?

I honestly don't know. I've never tried it.  I love my family's pork sausage cake (German tradition passed on for generations).  I used to think it was fruitcake, but have since realized it is not. ;)

13.  What are you most excited about the holidays?

Seeing Ginny's response to everything and opening her presents with her.

14.  Do you open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?

Christmas morning, of course! After all, Santa doesn't arrive until Christmas morning.

15.  Will you still be wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?

Nope. I have to have all my wrapping done before we leave for Iowa to see my in-laws. 

My Musical Girl

Ginny right before a class.

Since mid-September, Ginny and I have been spending 30 minutes of most Thursdays in Springfield attending a Musikgarten
class. Some people thought it was silly that Ginny, at that young age, would be attending a music class.  I did look for Mommy & Me classes and other related activities. However, those types of classes are sorely lacking in my small town much less Springfield.  After some consideration, I signed the two of us up for the class as a way to introduce Ginny to music in a different way and interact with other babies.

Ginny is the youngest in her class.  We started the class when she was only 4 months old.  All of the other babies were 7 months old or older at the beginning.  She absolutely adores her music class! Ginny enjoys seeing the other babies in the class, but she especially seems to enjoy the music.  My daughter loves listening to the singing and bouncing around.  I've enjoyed the class as well.  It gives me a few minutes each week to interact with other moms.  I've also learned a few more songs that I can sing to Ginny and act out with her in a fun way.

Ginny next to her teacher

Recently, Chris joined us at a class. He had been reluctant, to say the least. I think he was afraid of looking silly.  Also, he thought it would look strange if he was the only dad present. I tried reassuring him several times that he would fit in nicely.  Finally, I convinced him to come.  He seemed to enjoy the class, particularly watching Ginny's face light up and hearing her squeal with delight.

Dancing in the classroom with Daddy.

Our last class is coming up soon.  I decided to hold off on signing her up for a spring class.  We will probably wait until she is toddling and can join the toddler class either in the summer or next fall.  In the meantime, I will put on the CD that came with the class materials and play at home with Ginny.

I'm so happy that Ginny loves music. She already loves to "sing".  (You should hear her "singing" at Mass).  I hope this love of music continues throughout her life.  She is definitely my musical baby girl.

A fun musical game of peek-a-boo

Christmas Cookies

Our share of the cookies

Do you ever get the feeling that someone else has taken over in your body?  I had that recently. Every Christmas until I met Chris, with one exception, I have not baked a thing for Christmas. Not really. It wasn't that I didn't love cookies or candy, but I just didn't see the need in baking lots of cookies when I would be the only one eating them.  After Chris and I got married, I did end up making Oatmeal Raisin cookies at Christmas time. Why? I'm not quite sure since again I would be the only one eating the cookies. Chris doesn't like raisins (poor soul).

Since I've had Ginny, I feel like my mother has taken over in a strange way. I feel all domestic. More so than ever.  While I was at Mass on Sunday, I suddenly had this urge to bake cookies for the hospital volunteers at St. John's where I used to volunteer.  As I ruminated on that thought, it felt good. It felt like I needed to do it.  Then I figured that we could keep a good chunk of the cookies for ourselves, despite the fact that Ginny doesn't eat cookies yet. 

So, for the last few days, I have found myself quite busy with baking cookies and making candy for Christmas. I baked five different types of cookies: Oatmeal Raisin, Angel Thumbprints, Russian T-balls, Snickerdoodles, and White Chocolate Macadamia.  Additionally, I made White Chocolate-Covered Pretzels (with sprinkles) and Peanut Brittle.

It took a few days to get it all done. I would have been done sooner had I remembered to buy butter when I went grocery shopping on Tuesday. However, I finished all my baking and candy making yesterday afternoon. It felt great accomplishing this task.  My domestic side was fulfilled.

As I finished each batch of cookies or candy, I would put some on my cookie plates to keep at home. The rest would be divided with a large portion going into a bag meant for the hospital volunteers and some going to a friend of mine who lives in Arizona, Amy.  

The cookies we will drop off at the hospital today.

A while back, the last time I had an urge to bake, Amy told me that if I had a huge desire to bake again to go ahead and send some to her. She is a fabulous lady who deserves some treats in her life. So, I took her up on her request and will be sending some of these goodies to her.

Amy's selection of cookies

I did enjoy the baking I did this week.  I'm a bit out of practice and see the flaws in some of what was baked. I figure over the next few years, my baking attempts will improve. What I most look forward to is including Ginny when I bake. Next year, I figure that I will make sugar cookies and have her help me, just a little, with decorating the cookies. I can't wait!

In the meantime, Chris, Ginny, and I will be delivering the cookies to the hospital later this morning. I hope they enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.

My Florida Vacation

Ginny checking me out while on the road.

Boy, oh boy! The last 11 days have been quite busy.  A week ago, on Monday, Chris, Ginny, and I left on a road trip to see my family in Florida.  It took us two days worth of driving to get there. Along the way, we even stopped and had breakfast with a college friend of mine. We were glad when we finally arrived so we could relax and enjoy visiting with family.

My parents have visited us 3 times since Ginny was born in April.  However, Ginny is now at the age where she isn't sure about people beyond Mommy & Daddy.  So, when Grandma tried to hold her, Ginny was not thrilled.  Grandpa was even worse in some ways. You see, my dad has a beard. Ginny wasn't quite sure what to think of the beard. After 24 hours, Ginny did adjust to Grandma and was fine being held by her.  It took another day until she was as accommodating to Grandpa.

Ginny checking out Grandpa's beard.

Ginny enjoying St. Augustine & The Conch House

While we were in Florida, we spent the first two days shopping.  The first day was spent Christmas and birthday shopping.  We hit the stores with my parents to pick up a birthday gift for my niece Kendall's sixth birthday.  Since we won't see her or my nephew Carson on Christmas, we went ahead and bought their Christmas gifts and later wrapped them, leaving the gifts with Grandma and Grandpa to deliver.  Of course, we had to go to Toys 'R Us to shop. The store was insanely busy....on a Wednesday....before Noon. Ugh and oh my! Really?   I can only imagine the craziness on the weekend.  The next day, Thursday, we drove down with my folks to St. Augustine to go shopping at the outlet mall.  We stopped at Carter's and OshKosh. I found quite a few cute new outfits for Ginny at a good price.  She needed clothes since she only had a few items in the next size up.  After getting our purchases, we had lunch at The Conch House.  The food was pretty good and it was a beautiful day.

Aunt Amy and Ginny

On Friday, Chris, Ginny, and I drove to Gainesville, Florida so we could spend some time with my sister and her family.  Amy, my sis, had been warned that Ginny might take some warming up before being able to hold her.  Amy didn't need to worry. Ginny let her hold her right away.  She wasn't as kind to her Uncle Jeff though. Oops.  Ginny's cousins Kendall and Carson were thrilled to see Ginny again (they visited her in August).  They seemed to enjoy playing with her. Carson seemed especially fascinated. He stood near the monitor to listen to her play after she was put to bed.  Too cute!

Birthday girl Kendall!

We stayed in Gainesville the next day so we could attend Kendall's birthday party.  It was held at a local gym with activities for the kids to enjoy.  Then, we all headed back to Jax.  By the time we got to Mom and Dad's house, Ginny was very tired and got put to bed right away.

Sunday was spent
like we do most Sundays, going to Mass.  The nice thing was that my parents watch Ginny while Chris and I went to Mass. Later that afternoon, my Aunt Nita and her husband Todd came over as well as my cousin Tiffany to meet Ginny.  It took a little bit of time, but Ginny warmed up to Aunt Nita. However, Todd seemed to scare

Cousin Tiffany and Grandma playing with Ginny

her.  Soon after they left, Chris and I got ready to go on a date. My parents volunteered to baby sit Ginny so we could have dinner out and see a movie.  We started off by having dinner at Carrabba's.  It is a definite favorite of ours.  We don't have one in our town (or anywhere near us for that matter) so it was an appreciated treat.  Our date was shortened a bit though.  Ginny started giving Grandma and Grandpa trouble by refusing to eat dinner and then refusing her bottle before bed. After we bought our tickets to the movie (and while Chris was getting me a soda), I got a text from Mom letting me know that Ginny was having a major meltdown. She had refused the bottle and had been crying non-stop for 30 minutes.  So, we returned the movie tickets (thank goodness they let you do that) and headed back.  Ginny still hadn't stopped wailing when we arrived. Once Daddy got a hold of her and I started singing to her, she calmed down. Chris and I could have gone back out to a later movie, but we decided to stay in. We ended up in the dining room and played a game of Monopoly (I won!).

Chris at Carrabba's

Outside the movie theater and ready to head on in.

Our last day in Jacksonville was spent finishing up laundry and getting packed up again. We also went over to Orange Park to the school I used to teach at so I could show off Ginny.  Amazingly, Ginny let 3 different people hold her without throwing a fit. Yay!

Then, we drove back to Illinois on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are now home, finally unpacked, and trying to get back into the groove of day to day life at home.  I would prefer to be lazy for a couple of days, but, unfortunately, that isn't possible.  It is good to be home though!

The End of a Challenge

Nearly a month ago, on November 1, I took on a challenge. It looked to be a tough challenge, and, to be honest, I wasn't sure I would be able to accomplish it. My challenge pushed me in ways I didn't realize. There were days I thought about giving up, but I didn't.  Now, here I am on the last day of my challenge, and I am happy to report that I met my goal.

For the last 30 days, I have been participating in NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month. The challenge put out by BlogHer was to write a blog each and every day for the month of November.  Amazingly, I did it.  I'm sure I had some people out there wondering if I had nothing better to do with my time than blog, or even question why I was posting my blog on Facebook every day.

I met the challenge though.  Every day, I found something to write about. Even Chris became part of the process and helped me reach it. When I was stuck on a topic, he helped me to come up with one. He also would take pictures of things we were doing so I could add them to the blog. He read every blog and cheered me along. My wonderful husband has been an amazing source of support.

Today will be my last daily post, for a while.  I will still continue to post regularly to my blog, likely more often than I did before I took on the NaBloPoMo challenge. Now, I hope to post a new blog 2-3 times a week. I know I can do it.  In the last month, I've made some improvements to the blog--rearranging the menu, putting ways to link up with the blog for regular updates, and I even added a new regular page to the blog called "About Me".  During this challenge, I learned to take my blog more seriously and to have more fun with it as well.

I hope those of you who stuck along for the ride enjoyed yourselves.  While I may not blog about anything tomorrow, a blog will be coming in the next couple of days. Thanks for your support over the last month. It has been appreciated!

Road Trip to Florida, Day 2

Today was our last and final day of driving to visit my family in Florida.  We all got up nice and early, around 6 a.m. (although our bodies were telling us it was only 5 a.m.).  It no longer takes us only 30 minutes to get ready in the morning. Now, because we have a baby, it can take a full hour.  It is amazing how much a baby can change your life. I'm not complaining though.

We hit the road heading south (starting from Dalton, Georgia) a little after 7 a.m.  Our plans were to meet my friend Angela at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast in Atlanta.  Unfortunately, Atlanta traffic really sucks. The 80 mile trek to the OK Cafe took close to 2 hours. Along the way, I ended up calling Angela letting her know we would be a bit late. She understood, having lived in Atlanta for nearly 15 years.  

Angela, Ginny & I outside of the OK Cafe.

When we finally arrived, around 8:50 a.m., Angela was waiting patiently for us!  It was a great visit! I loved seeing my friend, and I'm glad we reconnected...even if it was only for the hour we spent there.  The food was excellent as well.  I dared to try something new--an omelet with avocado, tomatoes, sprouts, and topped with sour cream. Yum! 

The only downside to the visit was that the restaurant is not very kid friendly.  The OK Cafe does NOT have high chairs. They only had booster seats which don't work so great for a 7 1/2 month old baby, AND their bathrooms were small with NO changing table (or room in the bathroom to change a baby). I ended up changing Ginny in a booth.

From Atlanta, we left and headed for Jacksonville.  The drive was pretty uneventful, other than the fact that Ginny did not nap for more than 30 minutes the whole drive down.  

Around 4:40 p.m., we arrived at my parents' home. My parents were thrilled to finally see Ginny again. Ginny, however, is not too fond of anyone but Mommy or Daddy holding her. Poor Grandma and Grandpa!  I'm sure that she will adjust, eventually, and allow them to hold her. Hopefully, sooner than later.

For now, we will enjoy our time in Florida. Tonight, I just hope we get some good sleep. More importantly, I hope Ginny gets some sleep. 

Road Trip to Florida, Day 1

I adore road trips. Right now, my husband, Ginny, and I are on a road trip to visit my family in Jacksonville, Florida.  We spent about 11 hours on the road today (between leaving the house and getting into our hotel room). This same leg of the trip only took us 9.5 hours last year. Having a baby on a trip changes how long a normal road trip takes.  Now we need to make multiple stops for diaper changes and feedings. Between those stops and taking a long lunch break, it took us a while to get to Dalton, Georgia. Luckily, Ginny was a great little traveler. It was only in the last 20 minutes of the drive that she began expressing frustration.

Now, we are at our hotel for the evening. My right hip and back are sore. Chris is watching T.V.  Ginny is sleeping in her crib.  It is nice and quiet. We are resting up for tomorrow.

Early tomorrow morning, we will all wake up, get dressed and repacked quickly so that we can hit the road again. I really am looking forward to it.  We plan to be on the road no later than 7 a.m.  In Atlanta, we will stop for breakfast at the OK Cafe with my friend Angela.  Angela and I met our freshman year at KU in English 101. She and I reconnected on Facebook. This will be the first time we've seen each other in over 18 years.

The best part of tomorrow will be arriving in Jacksonville to see my family. Luckily, tomorrow should be a shorter travel day (especially since we won't have any time change like we had today), and the weather is supposed to be nicer. Instead of the cloud cover and rain of today, we should have sunny skies ahead.

Making a List and Checking it Twice

Very soon, Chris and I will be heading out on a long trip with Ginny.  It will be our longest trip with Ginny ever. We will be driving down to Florida for the first time since she was born (actually, the first time in 14 months) to visit my family.  My parents, my sister and her family, an aunt and uncle, and a couple of cousins live down there, with most living in the Jacksonville area.

I have been chomping at the bit to get down there. In the last 14 months, my parents have visited a few times, but I've only seen my sister twice (once for my baby shower and the other right after Ginny was born) and my niece and nephew once. We haven't seen my Aunt Nita and her husband Todd nor my brother-in-law Jeff for over a year now.  I miss everyone!  I can't wait to get down there and see everyone.  I can't wait for Ginny to spend time with this part of her family.  I'm quite positive that my parents are anxious to see her. They have missed her.  And, if I know my sister, she will be bouncing off of the walls until she sees her niece again.

There is one problem though.  We have to pack. Packing has typically been a non-issue.  Chris and I are laid back people. Normally, we pack fairly last minute--even for a long trip like this (about 16-18 hours).  Now, I find myself stressing and worrying that I will forget something. Because of that, I have turned into my parents, more specifically, my father.  I created a list with items we need to bring. How anal is that?  I fear, though, that we will forget something we need to have for Ginny.

Even as I am writing this blog, I am thinking of things we need to bring and adding them to the list.  I keep going over and over the list to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

Do you ever get that feeling that you have missed something important? That feeling is overwhelming me as I look at the list.  I just know I have forgotten something important.  I KNOW that by the time we are driving through Paducah or Nashville, I will have a sudden revelation as to what I forgot.  I HATE that feeling.

So, my plan today is to pack up most of Ginny's things, start packing our stuff, and walk through the house to make sure nothing is forgotten. Hopefully, when we are driving past Altlanta and I suddenly realize something we forgot, I may relax knowing that where we are going is part of mainstream civilization.  You know, a place that has stores.

Until then, I should go over the list at least one more time.

Trimming the Tree

Every year, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, my husband and I trim the tree and put up all of our Christmas decorations. We both love Christmas and want to get things up.

Now, I hear some of my more conservative Catholic friends muttering to themselves that I shouldn't have put up decorations now. That I should wait until Advent is over before getting ready for Christmas.  To them I would reply that putting up decorations is part of my preparation for Christmas, and isn't that what Advent is about? Preparing for Christmas?  It doesn't mean I don't celebrate Advent and enjoy that season as well. It just means that The lights and the tree and all the decorations are in anticipation of Christmas day.

Anyhow, I digress.  So, today, Chris carried up all of our boxes from the basement filled with our tree, ornaments, stockings, and other miscellaneous decor.  While my lovely husband diligently worked on putting up the tree (yes, we use plastic mainly because I am highly allergic to pine trees of any variation), I removed my fall table setting and put out the Christmas setting. We bought a wreath with lights on it that I decorated with ribbon and hung over the fire place.  I put out all the other little decorations, and then I helped finish up the tree.  The whole time we were working on this we had Christmas music playing in the background.


How I love this time of year!

A Happy Thanksgiving Meal

Normally on Thanksgiving we eat our meal around 1:30 p.m.  Since Chris was on overnight shifts and we have Ginny now, we had dinner at 5 p.m.  Honestly, I arranged it that way so Chris could help me, with either food or Ginny.  It felt strange to eat our meal so late, but worked out perfectly since the Packers football game started at Noon and wasn't over until sometime after 3 p.m.

Our meal was just for the two of us, but I made more food than needed.  We adore leftovers. Instead of making a whole turkey, I only roasted a turkey breast.  Chris and I are not fond of dark meat so it worked out perfectly.

Putting the herb mix under the skin.

For the last two years, I brined the turkey.  This year I decided not to brine it and instead try something new.  I put together an herb mix that included fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and garlic.  I put half that mixture under the skin of the bird. The rest of the herb mix went on the skin of the turkey.

That turkey was so succulent, so moist, so delicious! Wow!  It was hard not to stop eating. Even my husband was loving it. He does not normally eat the skin. It does nothing for him.  But last night, he was nibbling on it with glee.

I did end up getting Chris to help with some cooking.  I'm not a big fan of dressing, so he made it for himself.  I also put him in charge of the corn and heating up the sourdough bread rolls (not homemade, just frozen).  One thing I did add to the rolls was butter. Years ago I worked at Popeye's chicken.  When they make their biscuits they put melted butter on the biscuits before putting them in the oven. Then, they put the butter on when they come out of the oven.  So, last night we did that with the bread. All I can say is "Oh my!"  Yummy!

Our Thanksgiving meal! Yummy!

Unfortunately, the turkey did not produce a lot of grease. Something I anticipated might happen. Instead of worrying about gravy for the mashed potatoes (a Thanksgiving staple), I made loaded mashed potatoes, filled with sour cream, cheese, garlic, and bacon.  Finally, I cooked carrots for Chris.  I love carrots, but only when they are raw. My darling husband loves carrots, but only when they are cooked.

While I was finishing up the potatoes, Chris was feeding Ginny something new. She ate beets for the first time, beets mixed with some potatoes.  She loved them! I think they are a new favorite.

Ginny enjoying her beets!

Last night was a fabulous evening. I wish it could have lasted longer. However, Chris left around 7 p.m. to go to work.

I hope everyone else had just as wonderful a Thanksgiving meal as we did! Our Thanksgiving was filled with food and love. Thank you, God!

Look at that lovely "beety" smile! :)

Thankful

On this day of Thanksgiving, I have much to be thankful for in my life.

I am thankful for......

• my beautiful angel, my daughter, Virginia. She is a light in my life that I thank God for every day.

• my wonderful, patient, loving husband, Chris. He is my partner in crime, best friend, and lover who loves me just as much as I love him.

• my parents. They have been through hell and back with me, in some ways, yet they still love me. They are my role models for what a marriage should be and who I want to be as a person.

• my sister.  We spent many years fighting and not seeing eye to eye. Finally, we realized we don't have to agree on everything. I know she will always have my back, and I will always have her back.

• my nieces and nephews.  They are all fabulous and special in their own rights. They bring a smile to my face when I am with them. I miss them when I am away from them.

• my aunts, uncles, and cousins! I love them all so much! They are amazing people who value family above almost everything else.

• my sister's husband, Jeff. He has now been my "brother" for 7 1/2 years. He makes my sister so happy. How can I not be thankful for someone who brings joy to someone else I love? :)

• all of my in-laws. They teach me something about myself when I am with them. I continue to grow as a person because of them.

• Daisy Mae, my adorable dog.  She brings humor and love to my life, in the way only a dog can. We have been companions for 8 years now.

• God. He has blessed my life in innumerable ways. Without Him, I might not be here anymore.

• my sistatwin, my BFF, Dawn.  I wish we lived closer, but she is only a phone call away. She reminds me of God's love for me, and she is an awesome friend!

• the National Weather Service and the people that work there. They do a lot for all of us, but also employ my husband (thereby keeping him out of trouble). The people that work there and their families are wonderful people who support each other. What an amazing community!

• my fellow Weather Widows! They "get it!" Enough said. ;)

• my Pinkies. They are an amazing source of support and humor.

• the fabulous meal my family will be eating today. I wish everyone out in the country (in the world too) could eat a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, too.

Our Thanksgiving Alone

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, likely due to all the wonderful food. For most of my life, I have spent Thanksgiving surrounded by my parents and extended family.

Two years ago, I moved away from my family to marry my husband Chris.  Since we got married, we have hosted Thanksgiving at our home.  The first year, Chris's parents spent Thanksgiving with us.  It was my first time hosting Thanksgiving, much less cooking a turkey.  Luckily, there were no major incidents and the meal was a success.  Last year, my parents came up for a visit.  While I did a decent job with the food, I was pregnant at the time and still dealing with morning sickness (even though I was 5 months pregnant at the time).

This year, we are hosting no one. It will be our first Thanksgiving with just us.  It seems strange to me, but I welcome it.  We were invited to go on a cruise with my family for Thanksgiving, but since Chris has overnight shifts to work (his job requires odd hours) that wasn't possible.

I'm sure we will make way too much food, but we don't mind. We love left overs.  We also welcome the opportunity to start traditions with our daughter.

So, while my family (parents, sister and her family) will be spending time in Mexico tomorrow, we will be enjoying the fall temperatures here in Illinois, eating a home-cooked meal, watching parades and football, and being thankful for our day.  That is pretty wonderful, in my estimation.

Baking Pies

Thanksgiving is only two days away! I adore Thanksgiving, especially all the wonderful food.

My fave--Pecan pie!!! :) 

I spent a good portion of the afternoon baking two pies in preparation for Thursday, a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie!

I don't use any particular recipe for the pumpkin pie, just the recipe on the can.  But, for the pecan pie, I used my Grandma Scott's recipe!

Pecan pie is one of my favorites.  I have tried a lot of it from bakeries, friends, and other family members (not in the Scott family). No one else's pecan pie comes close to my Grandma Scott's recipe.  To me, it will always be the best and never topped.  It is a requirement every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I love pie! I am so looking forward to eating it on Thanksgiving.  Now I just need to resist eating it before then. Sigh.

Pumpkin Pie. Mmmmm......
(The pie got covered before fully cooling and left a condensation mark.)

Breaking for Some "Me" Time

Since having Ginny, my days are filled with her 24/7.  I love and adore her.  I don't mind her occupying my time like that. Every once and a while, though, I need some "me" time.  "Me" time = I get away from her for a period of time without it being an errand.  I don't need "me" time that often, once a month or every other month is perfectly fine.

Let me clearly define "Me" Time.

"Me" Time = Getting my hair done
It is not going to Babies 'R Us or the grocery store to do some shopping.

"Me" Time = Having a massage
It is not filling my tank with gas.

"Me" Time = Spending some time at a library or bookstore to just browse and peruse.
It is not going to the bookstore to pick up something we need or take Ginny to story hour at the library.

"Me" time is important for all people, especially care givers who devote themselves 24/7 (most days) to those they care for.

Today, I got some "me" time. After Chris and I had lunch, I went to the movie theater all by myself.  I bought myself a bag of popcorn and a Cherry Coke. Then, I found a seat toward the front so I could use the railing as a foot rest.  I settled in to watch the newest "Twilight" movie, "Breaking Dawn."

One of my favorite parts of any movie are the previews.  I fully enjoyed all 10 minutes or so of them.  The previews drive my husband nuts.  I didn't have to worry about his groans.  I even saw a couple of previews that were intriguing enough for me to note them in my head as a possible future "me" time movies.

"Breaking Dawn" was fantastic!  It was very entertaining, and I fully enjoyed it!  I hate that I will have to wait a year to watch part two.

After the movie was over, my "me" time came to an end. It was nice being able to escape for a couple of hours into a different world. Reality came back though once I started the car and headed to Babies 'R Us. I had an errand to run on my way home.

Clearing the Front Garden

Before Chris and I married over 2 years ago, I had never been a home owner.  Until that day, I lived in apartments. When you live in an apartment, the last thing you need to worry about is gardening.  I didn't keep house plants because, well, I have a bit of a black thumb when it comes to house plants.

Two years ago, Chris and I bought our current home. I finally became a home owner for the first time and all the responsibilities that come with it--including gardening.  Of course, knowing that just by buying a house plant I should be arrested for attempted murder of a plant, I was nervous about how gardening would work out for me.

The front of our house about 7 months after we moved in. Little landscaping.

Now, two years later, I find myself working on our garden a lot.  My current goal is to get rid of some plants  in the front of the house, under the office window. The plants that were there when we bought the house are not the prettiest or nicest. I'm also not a fan of the edging. I think the scalloped bricks look crappy.  Chris insists that it could look better.  I believe him, but I've seen other ways to edge that I prefer.

The landscaping now. Weeds took over (despite efforts to quell them).
If you look close, you can see Daisy watching me through the window.

Yesterday, I began working on removing the plants and edging.  The biggest challenge will be the removal of a rose bush.  I had thought about keeping the roses, but it seems that two trees have begun to grow behind the rose bush (right along the wall).  In order to get the trees out, I will have to remove the roses.

The rose bush with 2 small trees behind it, along the wall.

Come Spring, I want to put in a few bushes, definitely a perennial or two, some annuals along the edge, and put in some new edging.

Unfortunately, I didn't finish digging out all the plants yesterday.  Hopefully, I will finish that project this week.



It will be a lot of work, but totally worth it.

The scalloped brick edging. (See how the grass tried to take over.)

Hard at work digging out plants.

What I was able to accomplish. Half done.

Looks good there! 

I cut back most of the roses so that it will be easier to dig out. Hopefully.

How Many Coats are Too Many for Ginny?

As the holiday season fast approaches, I realize that Ginny will soon be meeting Santa Claus for the first time. I'm not quite sure how that meeting will go, although I'm quite sure it will be eventful.

This morning as I was thinking about her first meeting with Santa, I also realized that she has no outfit to meet Santa in yet.  So, after Chris was awake and we had lunch, I ventured over to Just Kids, a consignment shop in my town.  I hoped to find a bargain and something I liked.

I found a lot of outfits I loved.  Not only Christmas related, but in general.  It was hard to get out of there without buying up half the shop.  Luckily, I have learned how to talk myself out of most purchases and don't usually spend outrageously.

Of course, while I found quite a few things I loved, some of the Christmas items I loved the most were 2T and above.  LOL! Oh well.  I did buy 2 Christmas outfits for Ginny.  One outfit has a cute tunic and red/white striped pants that would work great for meeting Santa.  The other outfit is in a dark red velvet (well, feels like velvet) with a collar that I feel will work great for going to Mass on Christmas day. I even found a pair of patent leather black Mary Janes.  Those shoes should work well for most dresses she wears to church.

Additionally, I got Ginny a pink hooded coat.  Ginny now has 3 coats. Overkill?  I'm not sure.  She has a beautiful red dress coat with matching hat and gloves that her cousin Melanie got for her.  We also got Ginny a snow suit for when she needs to be fully bundled.  The coat I got her today is a bit more casual.  I figure she will wear all 3 quite a bit in the next few months (or at least until she grows out of them).

Finally, I got Ginny a set of 3 socks.  They are really cute and fit the holiday season. And, I bought a used Dr. Seuss book, "Fox in Socks".

The total cost for 2 outfits, 3 pairs of socks, a pair of shoes, coat, and a book? Only $34.  Not bad.

My deals from the consignment shop!

I love shopping for Ginny, especially when I can get deals like that.

The T.V. to Myself

Before my husband and I married, we had lengthy discussions about his unusual work schedule. He does not work your typical 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule.  Chris is a meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS).

Weather never stops.  Weather is a 24 hour/7 days a week, 365 days a year occurrence.  As such, meteorologists across the country work around the clock tracking the weather.  These men and women of the National Weather Service are not the people you see on T.V.  The vast majority of the people "forecasting" the weather on T.V. get their forecasts from those who work for the NWS.

My lovely husband works three different regular shifts: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.  Sometimes Chris works only 2-3 days in a row before a day off, other times 5, and quite often he works 7 days in a row.  Getting an actual weekend (Saturday and Sunday) off is an uncommon event that we treasure.

Tonight, Chris started his 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. shifts.  They are not fun for him because it is difficult to get enough sleep.  This year due to the shifts falling on a holiday, people in his office needed time off.  So, Chris has 8 of these shifts in a row instead of the typical 7.

I do miss Chris in the evenings, especially since we had Ginny. I am the only one getting up to check on her in the middle of the night.  I also miss cuddling with him before we go to sleep.

However....one thing I don't mind about his shifts is I get free-rein over the remote control! Yes!!!  Some of our biggest arguments after we got married and moved in together was what we would watch on T.V.  We have negotiated over time (now I watch most of my shows after taping them on the DVR).  Now, no arguments, no DVRing.  I get to watch whatever I want while he is gone on these shifts! Woo hoo!

I lead an exciting life, right?  While I will miss Chris's presence and our cuddle time before bed, I will fill that time with watching "Revenge" on Wednesday night (and other fun programs). That isn't so bad, is it? ;) I finally get the T.V. to myself.

Facing the Future

One of the things I try to do in my life is focus on the day-to-day.  Doing this keeps my stress level down and keeps me focused on the present instead of looking at the "What Ifs" of the future. Whenever I find myself looking too far ahead, I remind myself to take a step back.

Since Ginny came into our life, I have done a pretty good job of staying focused on the present and day-to-day life we lead.  However, there are moments when I look to the future.

The future can be a hopeful and wonderful place to imagine for Ginny.  I hope many things most moms hope for their children.  I dream that she does well in school, has lots of good friends that support her, doesn't have to deal much with bullies, stays out of trouble, and knows what she wants to be when she grows up (I still don't know what I want to be).  And that is only the short list of hopes and dreams I have for my beautiful, sweet daughter.

What gets to me most are the fears I face with her.  Last night I watched an episode of "Criminal Minds" that dealt with a character whose daughter was abducted 7 years before.  All of a sudden I found myself worrying about Ginny being abducted.  Suddenly I found myself a bit paranoid about all the bad things that could happen to my baby girl.

There are so many situations that can arise where Ginny may be hurt someday.  I fear that for her.  I don't want her to be hurt. As her mommy, I feel it is my duty to protect her as much as humanly possible.  I fear so many things: bullies, drugs, alcohol-use (too young), car accidents, abduction, rape, murder. I can go on.  The world can be very scary out there.

After going through all these fears in my head last night, I did my best to again refocus on the present.  Ginny is a bright light in our life.  I can only do so much, but I will do my best to love and protect her with God as my guide.  I will do what I can to prepare her for the world. Now, though, I need to focus on the day-to-day and not worry so much about the future. The future is too hard to predict.

All I Want for Christmas....

It is that time again. It is time for me to once again make a Christmas list.

When I was a kid, I loved putting together my list.  I would pull out the JcPenney Christmas Catalog and go through page by page writing down what I wanted that year.  Not once did I get everything I wished for.That wasn't possible. My list was always too long.   I'm still a bit bummed that I never got the chemistry set I asked for 2 years running or the Game of Life (asked for that multiple years).  ;)

Now that the JcPenney Christmas Catalog no longer exists, I feel a bit sorry for kids today.  How in the world can they know all of the possibilities and gifts they could possibly want?

As an adult, I still make lists for my family and now my husband and his family. My lists have definitely changed over the years.  No longer am I wishing for the perfect doll, Barbie clothes, or a new bike.  (Well, I wouldn't mind a new bike but the one I want isn't in the typical Christmas budget.)  Now I want books, gift cards (so I can pick out my own clothes), CDs, DVDs, kitchen supplies, and other random things that peak my interest.  If I don't get those things, I'm not as bummed any more as I was when I was a child.  I realize that I can always get it for myself later, maybe.

This year, though, I not only get to make a list for myself but also for Ginny.  Now I get to look through websites (I'd much prefer the catalog. Sigh.) and create a list for her so that Santa might deliver her something nice for Christmas.  I'm sure she will love the box anything comes in more than the actual gift.

Well, I need to get on Pinterest and other websites so I can formulate my list.  Creating the list can be fun, but I look forward to giving gifts more than receiving. I hope someone else asks for something good.

What is it that you want for Christmas?

The bike I want in case any of you decide you are in a giving mood. ;) LOL!

I Hate Being Sick!

I'm sick, and I hate it. It started with a headache, evolved into a sore throat, and now I have a scratchy throat, runny nose and an awful headache. Being sick sucks!

It isn't like being sick as a kid, either, when you could lay in bed and watch T.V.  I am now a mom, a stay at home.  Basically, that means I no longer get sick days.  I still have to do the "mom" job.  It is one of the best jobs in the world, even when sick.  Of course, Ginny decided not to take her afternoon nap.  So, my original plan of laying down this afternoon went out the window. Oh well.

I don't have much more to add to this because, again, I'm sick. Hopefully, I feel better tomorrow. If I don't, at least Chris has tomorrow off and I can get a sick day.

Lucky 7

Ginny turns 7 months old today.

She is......

Ginny @ 7 months

Bright


Beautiful


Happy


Sweet


Mine!





It is that last one that surprises me the most. I still pinch myself to make sure this isn't all a dream.

For years, I wanted to be a mom.  When I wasn't dating people, yet getting older, I contemplated adoption, sperm banks (ruled out immediately), and even fostering children.  I couldn't justify the adoption when money was tight for just me.

Then, God brought Chris into my life!  All things were possible with him.

After struggling with losses, God blessed us with Ginny. She is a blessing!When I look at her, I feel such love and joy!

It is hard to believe that 7 months have passed. I can't imagine my life without Ginny. She is the light of my life, the love of my life, my world. She is amazing! God is good!

Bathing Beauty

Ginny during her first bath ever!

Ginny loves bath time!  It hasn't always been like this. Her first bath in the hospital was filled with cries. Her early baths at home involved fussing.

Ginny's first bath at home. Doesn't she look thrilled?

When she was about 1 month old, Ginny discovered that baths weren't so bad after all. Ever since she could sit up, though, bath times have become one of Ginny's favorite activities ever! She loves to play in the water, splash and kick,  and eat her bath toys (well, she tries).  She will even put her head in the water trying to get to a toy.  (Poor thing hasn't made the full connection that using your hands is the best way to get the toy to your mouth). Soon we will need to move her baths to the bathroom instead of next to the kitchen sink.  All the splashing she does results in water everywhere.

Anxiously awaiting her bath!

"Diving" in for her toy

"I love bath time, Mommy."

I don't remember a time when I found bath time as joyous as Ginny does. For me a bath is about relaxation.  For her, it is all about play time!  Ginny is my bathing beauty and her baths bring a smile to my face.

Ginny's New Hat

Once Ginny was born, Chris and I happily became 2nd class citizens in our family.  After all, Ginny is the cutest and sweetest of the bunch.  She not only gets all of the attention now, and rightly so, but also all of the good mail.  She gets more letters, cards, and packages than us.  Ginny loves her mail too (apparently boxes are quite tasty).

Today, Ginny received a package from her Great-Aunt Gail and her Great-Uncle Dan. With great anticipation, Ginny opened it (with Daddy's help, of course).  Inside the package was a little note: "Keep your head warm, Ginny. Cold weather is coming our way. Love, Aunt Gail & Uncle Dan."  Inside some pretty wrapped red tissue paper was a lovely white knitted hat from The Women's Exchange in St. Louis with a cherry on it and ribbon.

Ginny in her new hat!

Ginny loves her new hat! Okay, honestly, she loved the tissue paper the most. However, Daddy and I loved the hat and took a picture of Ginny in it right away.  It is quite lovely! 

Favorite Friday

One of the many reasons I have fallen in love with Twitter is because it has me laughing out loud (you know, LOLing) most of the time! I thought today would be a good day to share most of my favorite tweets thus far.  Who knows, I may make this a regular feature on Friday's blog in the future.  I haven't quite decided yet. Most are funny (well, IMHO), and some thoughtful.  I find them all entertaining. I hope you enjoy them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Me: 'What are your thoughts on euthenasia?' Her: 'Well, I'm more concerned about youth in America.' #FacePalm" ~Had2SayIt, 11/11/11

"If I ran Perry's campaign, I would eliminate three things: debates, his campaign and...wait, what's the third..um..uh..oh yeah, Rick Perry. " ~michelle_angus, 11/11/11

"Yesterday a Prof said I 'appeared to be a very intelligent woman.' I replied that he appeared to be very intelligent for noticing." ~highlyirritable, 11/10/11

"Changed my pet turkey's diet to high carb, high fat, milkshake diet. He thinks I love him..." ~tompapa, 11/7/11

"Can't stop eating candy. PMS + Halloween = Unholy union." ~TheSuniverse, 11/4/11

"Apologies to everyone I scared on the subway this morning. That's what happens when you put makeup on in the dark." ~Mom101, 11/3/11

"I thought about being motivated this AM. It seemed hard. I've just decided to drink more coffee instead." ~mouthybarbermom, 11/2/11

"If I were casting someone in the role of me during the past 2 weeks, I'd pick Woody Allen. Only neurotic and with bangs." ~annsrants, 11/1/11

"My husband will be growing a moustache this month for Movember. This means, for 30 days, I won't have to pick up a razor either. #equality" ~redneckmommy, 11/1/11

"I'm writing a cookbook...A Blonde's Guide to the Kitchen: How to be a gourmet chef when you have no clue what they're talking about." ~mkg81, 10/29/11

"For some strange reason, chocolate covered caramel apples keep ending up in my mouth. I blame Satan and his evil holiday!" ~joyunexpected, 10/21/11

"Overheard from Lily to the boys: 'The first one to cry, loses. FIGHT!!!' I don't even want to know." ~ScaryMommy, 10/20/11

"Twitter is my new 'back of the cereal box.'" ~Had2SayIt, 10/18/11


"The GOP debates are like a reality show where the contestants suck but no one is eliminated." ~BorowitzReport, 10/17/11

"I can hold my own hair when I puke. Someone holding a crucifix next to me making sure I survive the exorcism is what I really need." ~LittleWhiteLion, 10/17/11

"I just read last year 4,153,237 ppl got married.  I don't want to start any trouble, but shouldn't that be an even number?" ~qwertying, 10/17/11

"They just replaced Albert Pujols' bionic arm between innings. He's good now." ~rickgoldjr9, 10/16/11

"All I've ever attempted to do in this life is meet my dad's expectations. And for good and bad, that has made me the man I am. #NotPerfect" ~AJHohmann, 10/16/11

"umm, so 'Harrison' bought me a spa package for his birthday as a thank you for pushing him out of my vagina." ~10/12/11

"A real man doesn't make his lady jealous of other women, he makes other women jealous of his lady - Dad" ~Gracelisa, 10/7/11

"I play someone cool and interesting on twitter." ~driverminnie, 10/1/11


"I hate two faced people. It's so hard to decide which face to slap first." ~KhloeKardashian, 9/29/11

"Dear Treadmills, You remind me of a very large Jr. college campus..A lot of walking with little results." ~9/29/11


"The internet has changed my life. I can't remember how I was ever able to procrastinate without it!" ~Knadele, 9/26/11

"A partner's inability to recognize the importance of movie previews hurts a relationship way more than how he squeezes the damn toothpaste." ~dooce, 9/25/11

"If someone has to say something shitty about you to feel better, retort with 'Somebody need a hug?' (Be prepared to hug)" ~Nathan Fillion, 9/24/11

"You know how when there's an emergency on a plane they tell you to put your own mask on 1st & then help others? The US should do that now." ~WendyLiebman, 9/20/11

"Congratulations Melissa McCarthy. Somewhere in NYC, a Marie Clare writer is crawling into a hole. And she's hungry." ~anniemal, 9/18/11

"me: I feel like I should cancel my appt w/ my shrink. I feel very sane today. Victor: Really? Have you met you?" ~TheBloggess, 9/16/11

"I'm wondering if Gerard Butler would date me even though I'm married and would have to tell my husband @Gstephanopoulus" ~AliEWentworth, 9/15/11

"Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says 'If an emergency, notify.' I put 'DOCTOR'. What's my mother going to do?" ~JillEBond, 9/10/11

"Ice cream for kids is not environmentally friendly because IT TAKE[S] 52 BABY WIPES TO COME OUT ALIVE." ~dooce, 9/9/11

"In Dictionary under 'MEDIA WHORE' See 'SARAH PALIN'" ~cher, 9/4/11

"Last beach day of summer-feeling the shark will get me today. My bikini is made out of meat." ~AliEWentworth, 9/4/11