Aislinn's 1st Party!

My second favorite moment today. The Zoo loves to lay under here, pretending it's a tent!

Aislinn's birthday cake, all hers!

Pretty girl!

My favorite moment! Her first steps!

She's so proud of herself!

Inspired Maddie with Aislinn's birthday present from her siblings. A stroller walker!

Aunt Lizzy and Uncle Johnny, so beautiful!

The two cakes, and no hers is not strawberry, it's vanilla with red food coloring ;-)

Getting ready to sing!

The cutest family!

Hmmm not bad mommy ;-)

Let's eat cake!

Yeah baby!

All in agreement!

Even treats for the doggies! Thank you Aunt Lizzy!

See what I mean, she just can't take a bad picture!

Our first Princess!

So nice to have my family nearby! Thanks for coming ALL you guys!

What a hit! My brother Johnny,my SIL Lizzy and their two dogs made it up after a 2 1/2 hour drive! And Mike's brother John, my SIL Amy, and their daughter Maddie came an hour away in Peoria! It made for a very very special event!

Especially since Aislinn decided to take her first steps for them all today! Yep that's right, she's walking up to 5 steps at a time and just totally impressing herself as well as all of us! She is so adorable!

I made her dairy, egg, nut, and now strawberry free cake and then made a double layer strawberry cake for the rest of us. It was so fun to bake in the kitchen and I especially loved using my icing spatula that hasn't gotten any work in quite some time. We also spoiled us all with lunch from Joe's Real BBQ. I have eaten so much food between last nights Potluck with my girls and Joe's today. I'm sure I have gained 5 lbs, which by the way I haven't lost anything again this week, but holding steady I hope after today ;-)

Oh how nice it was to spend time with our families today! They doggies played so well together, including Sully, and they all three should get a very good nights rest, if not a weeks rest. We got to play outside a lot today too. The weather was perfectly overcast and just a tad cool. Fall is coming!! YAY!

Hmmm

This explains our nervousness for going to Atlanta next week. Take a look at a pals blog, the picture he took of a gas line... not my idea of a fun family visit!

With everything supposedly back up and working, it's rumored it should be back to normal in a week.. we will see!

Art for the day

From my MOPS group, we had a morning that the directors from Kids Discovery, a preschool, came and spoke to us. Which by the way, their life stories were just a treat to hear!

They gave out "Go Away, Big Green Monster!" art project's. We first were introduced to the book almost 2 years ago at the Basha Library. And we had just purchased it a few weeks before I was given the project! 

So we finally got to sit down this morning to trace (well I traced!) and cut out, which Caden did the majority of! Such a good helper. Then they all glued their pieces on. The teeth are marshmallows, so we had fun eating them too ;-)

My favorite memory yesterday

Boys will be boys I guess! They thought I was going to be upset with them, but I busted out laughing and asked if I could take their picture! They were excited for me to do so.

They ran around the house for a good hour with clean, I hope, underwear on their head! 

I love most the brotherly love.

My favorite memory for today

Teagan has a little baby she got for her first Christmas from Mike and I. I mean little, like fits perfectly into the palm of our hands. She has been taking this baby everywhere for the past week or so, and now carries a bottle and a diaper bag for her as well. And I mean everywhere, dance class, car rides, grocery store, etc.

She and I went to Target before dance this morning. As we got out of the car, she held her baby's hand and asked me to hold the other one. I wish we had one more person with us to take a picture. Teagan was so serious and so nuturing to the little baby as we crossed the parking lot! And then she put her in the buggy with her bottle and bag. Did I mention the baby has to sit in a carseat buckled up too?

Aislinn

And now she's allergic to strawberries. She's had them a few times, but today she reacted to them. Ugh!

Gave her benadryl and her reaction has already cleared up. It only was on her face, thankfully. Julie was here when it happened, so she got to see first hand what her reactions look like.

I thought at first she was stained from the strawberries, but Julie said she cleaned her up really well. 

So adding one more to her now lengthening list of things she can't eat....

Pictures from today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AISLINN!

I can't believe she is one today!!

She is trying to take a nap right now, but is fighting it ;-)

Today when daddy gets home from Tucson, we will have pink cupcakes! I was so disappointed in the flavor of the specific dairy, egg, and nut free frosting. 

Caden and I went to the store this morning, got some pink food coloring, sprinkles, and princess candles and I decided to check out the frostings to see their ingredients! I don't know why I didn't think to before, but all of them were dairy and egg free! Duncan Hines was the only one that said it was made in a tree nut factory. So we got Pillsbury vanilla and chocolate. I will dye the frosting pink!! The cake mixes for her allergies are pretty decent, so we are good there. I'm going to do pink for the cake as well. 

We have really been into our latest book, Pinkalicious! It's a girl who loves pink and turns pink from eating too many pink cupcakes. Caden said he didn't want to eat the pink cupcakes, in a little terrified voice! So cute, I reassured him that it was just a story and he wouldn't turn pink. I guess we will see this afternoon huh?!

Saturday is her family birthday party with both Mike and I's brother's, named John !! but I call mine Johnny, and Lizzy, Amy, and Maddy will be coming to help us celebrate! I think I will attempt a cute little cake for her with a special cake mold and then a regular one for everyone else. Wish me luck!

Mike and John are going to the Red Sox game in Anahiem Friday night with me and Amy's blessings as long as they are on the early flight out for Aislinn's celebration! They are going to have so much fun! Now I need to find a sitter for Friday night so I can still attend my MOMS night out at my friend Jen's house. I was so looking forward to it, but how often do the Sox go to the playoffs? LOL A lot lately ;-)

Our weekend

Mike and I had such a wonderful time out yesterday!

We attended the wedding at Brophy Chapel, which is just so elegant and romantic all on it's own. They had a mariachi band play throughout the ceremony which was oozing in romance and really made the hour long mass wedding an enjoyable event. 

We had a break between the wedding and the reception, so we headed over to our hotel to check in and we were starving. Mike and I were in such teamwork mode all morning we didn't eat lunch. So we decided we would go eat at Capital Grille. I had a feeling they might be closed, so we called and sure enough they were until 5. We decided to go to my one of my all time favs, Houston's. While driving there, Mike goes there's the Ritz, and I quickly remembered my girls were having tea there and very soon! Mike indulged my wishes to have lunch at the Ritz, hey we were already dressed to the nine's so let's eat somewhere that fit our attire! 

We ate at Bistro 24 and the food was amazing! We split a Cobb salad and a Filet Sandwich and I could eat it again today it was so yummy. Before we got our food, the girls, Monica, Penny, Heather, and Rena arrived and Mike went in to act like he was going to be their server ;-) It was so Mike! We said hello for a few minutes and went back to eat. Then we crashed the tea for a good 30 mins, before heading off to the wedding! Thank you girls for making Mike an honorary girl for the afternoon and letting us crash!! It was so great that I got to get my girlfriend time in.

We used the car service from the hotel to take us to the Heard. It was so elegantly decorated. I loved the color scheme they had. Red and platnium. The center pieces were unlike any I have seen lately. It's so neat to see what the newest thing is these days for arrangements. I wish we took our camera because I can't even begin to explain. We enjoyed the new friends we met at our table and Mike even did some dancing with me, so unlike him! And it was not slow dancing! The bride's father gave the most amazing speech and I poked Mike asking him if he was taking notes. So wild to think that one day we will be there with all our babies.

Our car came to pick us up at 10 and we were almost ready to go out to Old Town, but we were so wiped out we called it a night! And we didn't get up till 8:30! Amazing, because normally we wake up at 6.

Meantime yesterday, Julie took the zoo to the zoo! After a short time there, they called it a day, it was just way too hot. But she got some great pictures and they can't wait to go back! Julie said they did so great for her, and they had a really great time. Teagan only seem to be upset when we called to say goodnight. So I asked if it work for her to stay up a little while longer with Julie and she said yes. And that seemed to do the trick for her.

We have been hanging out all day with the zoo and just finished up dinner from Gennaro's Pizza. I got a small nap in today as well and wanted to go for a run, but didn't find the energy to do it. I ran yesterday morning with Joe and we went 2 1/2 miles and then did core. I couldn't believe that after almost 2 weeks I was still in running shape. And wow it's so much easier to run with someone. It really keeps you going! My friend Susie and I are going to try and commit to once a night run to keep up the encouragement and motivation. We are running a 5k in a couple of weeks and then she's doing another one the following weekend. I think we are going to sign up for a 9k as well in November! I can say that a 5k is a piece of cake for me now, which is still just so cool to say! So new challenge was needed :-)

Tomorrow Aislinn is officially one! Trying to figure out what we are going to do!! ;-)

More pics finally cont'd

Kevin and Riordan, Riordan couldn't get enough of this!

Caden decided to get in on it too!

Just a look into the chaos the zoo cause. Teagan decided to cover herself with my coveted spinach queso dip from AJ's instead of actually dipping it with a chip. Thank goodness I had another one because I had been waiting 2 weeks for them to restock it! She thought she was hilarious because I was taking her picture. I tried to be mad, but how can you?!

Pretty Aislinn in Teagan's clothes when she was this age! Brought back so many memories!

Teagan just waking up from a nap with daddy... oh how she loves her daddy!

Cont'd

Pictures are freaking out, so will post the rest as soon as eblogger allows me!

In the meantime, more boring stuff ;-)

Riordan is completely mended, and quickly from the strep, although he likes to fight me on continuing his medicine now claiming, "I'm not sick any more mommy!" But I have to tell him he will get sick again if he doesn't take it and then I have to throw in the memory of the shot if he gets all crazy. That immediately convinces him to take it!

I am finally fever free today, but my throat is still killing me. Ear pain is gone today though. I forced an In and Out burger, because all I have had is soup if I'm starving, because eating is so painful. OM it was worth every single bite! I have lost 3 + pounds since Wednesday! LOL I know it's a lot of water weight, and will come back, but my goal to lose ALL baby weight since Caden by Aislinn's first birthday, JUST MAY BE MET! Only two more to go!! And here I thought I'd be off by a week ;-) Not bad, not bad at all!

Then all I have to work on is my 'Mike' weight, which you all know how that happens. The "Freshman 15" and "boyfriend" weight when you just are having a good time and not really thinking about health at the moment ;-) It's so interesting to me, because all my life I have never had an issue with weight and it was when I hit 25 that it finally caught up to me. I basically became inactive and still ate whatever I wanted and then of course a lot of drinking ;-) I got it off quickly with karate and kickboxing, but then it came back and more with me and Mike. Then babies. So here I am 10 years later, finally able to stay active, get it off, and keep it off. I will be soon to my 25 year old body!! And in BETTER health than ever!

Aislinn officially has a second word. 'Clap, clap!' and she does it as she says it. It is so adorable! She's been doing it for a couple of weeks now! She is walking around the furniture with one hand now and stands for a good 2 or more seconds instead of 1! I tried out our first milk, egg, and nut free cake and frosting and while the cake was okay, the frosting was terrible. The kids like it though. I'm so picky, I know! So I will try the vanilla frosting today as well and see how it goes, the chocolate was just terrible. Cherrybrook Farms Kitchen stuff. Trying to make it easy with a boxed version, but may have to try my new from scratch recipes... Monday is the big day!

Ah! Just opened the door and there is a package from Grammy and Papa for Aislinn's first birthday!! How sweet!! Can't wait to open it with her when she wakes up and take some pictures for you!! We love you guys!

 

More on Riordan, he still asks me all day long, "What time is it?" I think it's funny that he's content with the actual time answer, and never goes further than that. He had a great day at school today, and really wants to ride in his friend's, John, car. He was supposed to on Wednesday, but with him getting sick it didn't happen. Well he hasn't forgetten ;-)

Got Caden's CATS testing results back and he did not test high enough for the program. Totally fine with it, and relieved because I want him here at Navarrete for many reasons.  I really wonder, how many children who have never taken a scan tron test before do test high enough? We can restest whenever we want, but doubtful I will this year. I hear that all children are tested in the second grade, where I'm sure they have taken one or two scantrons by then and understand it more, especially staying in the lines or fully coloring something in, which Caden does NOT do because he is ready to move on to the next item of whatever he is coloring. ;-) We had his conference with his teacher on Wednesday and I just love her. It went well and she said that Caden is reading 1st grade level and will be reading with a specialist on that level this next quarter now that she is finished with all assessments and can tailor the work more to his level so he's not so bored. Thankfully, for the past 1 1/2 weeks I do not hear that a) he hates school or b) school is boring. YAY!!! No more heartbreak for me and Mike!

Teagan our little boss of the family is just so into her baby dolls. She walks around the house with a baby, a bottle, a purse, and a toy for the baby with her fashion shoes on, or as Mike so lovingly calls them her trashy shoes! They also have to go with us on our car rides and not a single thing can be left behind or it's the end of the world. Oh and when she first got her mattress and Mike put all her bedding on the bed, she stood in the middle of the bed, looked around, looked at daddy and said, "Mommy loves me." OM how the tears sprung when he told me that on the phone, and how she at such a young age of 2 1/2 already gets it! That I really wanted to make her first big girl bed so special, so her!, and she loves it too!

Mike was trying to get on an earlier flight today from Aspen, but there were only two. One at 10 and the one he's on at 8, so we won't see him until 11 tonite. I also am not going to make cards tonite with Jennifer, due to the fact that Kate has such a new baby and we have all been ill. I told her I was fine for her to come, but I really wanted her to be comfortable coming. Micah is already fighting something so she agreed that exposing him to more stuff just wouldn't be the best. So hopefully we can get a visit in with them next week. We sure do miss our Kate and Micah!

Tomorrow is going to be a whirlwind! I'm running for the first time in almost two weeks with my trainer! YAY me! My ankle is completely healed and for the 2nd day of absolutely no pain! I wonder how out of shape I will be from not running, although I have been working pretty hard on the elliptical. I forgot how much I love that machine. I will then race over to Caden's football to get the three younger zoo members and bring them home. I know they are going to be not liking it and it will be too hot for them. Give Aislinn a good nap, get a good shower, and get ready for the wedding we are attending! Drop the kiddos and truck with Julie and be on our way for a fun day and nice break while they are in incredible nuturing hands and they get a break from us ;-) Oh how they love Julie! (I have been working with Aislinn to say her name) Thank you Julie!!

Pictures!

 It was a long day and Caden fell asleep with his milk in his mouth!

No milk, but definitely passed out hard!

Teagan's big girl mattress, the night before her big girl bed was to come!

Her big girl bed! She loves it so much! 

The girls room, so cute!

Daddy's 36th birthday cake ;-)

Strep hits again

Riordan has it and so do I... praying Caden, Teagan, and Aislinn do not get it.

I have never had strep and let me tell you I never want it again.

The pain in my throat is unbearable and the fevers are making me ache all over.

I was tested early yesterday morning when my throat was hurting and I wasn't feeling like myself. The test came up negative, yet the PA still gave me a script just in case. 

Took Riordan to school were he threw up in the rocks. He has said he was sick and his tummy hurt, but I was chalking it up to nerves because Ms. Angela wasn't going to be at school.

So Mike took Teagan to dance, I took Riordan home, I had Julie stay because I still needed to do Caden's conference with is teacher.

Riordan was so lathargic on the floor and fell asleep after 20 mins watching t.v. I felt so bad for not believing he was sick and this was proof that he was. He also began a fever at this time. Now for my children, when they throw up with a fever, 99% of the time it means they have strep! I wanted to see if he got sick one more time before taking him in. I went to Caden's conference and Riordan had woken up. Sure enough about 5 mins after waking up we were running for the bathroom. My poor poor baby! 

As soon as Mike got home with Teagan I took Riordan to the same Urgent Care I had been to as well as Mike. First of all his temperature didn't register correctly. This is why I hate the ear temperature things. It came up at 99.4!! I know at home it was 102! I asked her to take it again and same temp! I know believe that it was an adult ear thingy and not a pediatrics one.

While in the exam room Brandon felt Riordan and said he believed his temp was higher and noticed how flushed Riordan was. Riordan, that boy is so amazing! After we reassured him that he would not be getting a shot, because he remembers last year he got one because he wouldn't take his medicine, let Mr Brandon look at his throat and even swab him!

The test came back positive! Then Brandon asked how I was feeling and I said not so good.

After getting Riordan's script there at the UC, we came home. I really wasn't doing so well. I was freezing and extremely lightheaded. My temp was 101.5. Without a doubt I knew what I knew that morning morning, that I had strep as well.

Mike got my script filled and I went to bed. I still feel like dog doodoo today, my throat is on fire, I can't believe the wonderful gross things on my throat and my fever keeps coming and going and Mike is leaving for Aspen in a hour. YAY me.

And Teagan just told me her tummy hurts. Uh oh.. going to keep an eye on that.

We will be resting at home all day until time to pick up Caden from school.

Our friends Heather and her son Cayden also have strep. It's everywhere!!

Hope you don't get it by reading this! ;-)

Poor Mike and a convicting weekend!

He has strep throat! I thought he was just being a baby this weekend, okay so yeah his forehead was burning up, but mine would be too if I was in jeans, long sleeves, and cozy red socks (my labor and delivery socks mind ya) and piled under covers. He literally did not get out of bed once I sent him home yesterday at Caden's football game. That was at 9:30 am. 

I have been bitter and grouchy, just plain exhausted from the week already of my job... Was hoping for a small break and when his fever would break for a bit, it would come back even harder. My girl Christa brought it to my attention of strep today, not thinking adult symptoms, because the kids throw up with it here... He drove to Urgent Care today and yep it was immediately positive! Oh how bad I feel and now I'm really babying him ;-)

24 hours he should feel so much better and just in time cuz it's his birthday tomorrow and he is going out of town for the whole week with a brief layover here Wednesday night...

We had to cancel our night out last night, he was miserable! And I was so grouchy because I wanted that night out! Been looking forward to it all week... Well next weekend we will make up for it with our night away for one of his reps wedding in Phoenix.

I took the Zoo to church this morning and it was not an easy task. We had to be there earlier than normal due to our church's 10 year celebration on the campus we are at. Plus it's our 1 year celebration of the Ripple Effect, raising funds for our expansion. Got all the kiddos in their places, did check ins and went and found a seat. As I sat there, I began to read over the notes we were going to take. It seemed to be a review of our mission, the Ripple Effect and such and found myself very tempted to sneak out and hang out in the ramanda with all the yummy food and drinks. Just take a break for myself, to decompose from an already taxing weekend and know that the week was going to be harder. I decided to stay.

So I found myself once again, completely convicted of my actions towards Mike and my attitude this weekend towards 'single moming' it. At the end they did a program were members of our church came out with poster boards of how they were not in a good place and then would flip it over with the place they were now because of the effects of our church and ultimately God. At first I thought it was examples, but QUICKLY realized that each of these 40 some people were actually 'exposing' themselves to the congregation of their hardships in their life and how they either over came them or dealing with them. For example: one woman had she had been a prostitute, drug addict, and kids were taken away from here ~ flips it over~ clean and has her children back. I have no addictions (well not drug or alchol) and I have my children. I begin to weep. A few were meth addicts and such, flip, and  clean. Couple on card  about to divorce, flip, and marriage restored.. Older man on card, couldn't walk ~flip~ can walk now. Man on card, I have cancer ~ flip~ and I'm dealing with it.

All this time I am losing it, I couldn't sing after the first couple of words already crying was going to make me lose it more, I had a hard time looking at the faces of the people I knew up there and found myself only looking at the cards because I am pretty much balling at this point. Then the last one, because I'm looking at the cards only is 'hurt by the lose of our son' flip 'healed by God and CCC' (CCC is our church) I look up and it's our pastor and his wife. Okay I'm done, forget tissue nothing can help me at this point. They lost their son to HIV after he recieved a blood transfusion at the young age of 8 (I think) He only made it a few years and passed away.  Completely convicted by all my thoughts and actions of this weekend.  

Because yes it's hard to do it all on your own and it just sucks, but it's not permanent. We are doing okay with the financial woes of this day and Mike is still at the best employer with all that has been going on with AIG, which by the way who he worked for, for 8 years before he took this job with AXA the past 3 years. We have our health (we have ailments we can and will overcome!), amazing children, a roof over our head, and food in our fridge. We have got it good. 

I constantly get reminders of this and our nightly prayer is thanking God for our lifestyle and Mike's job, but this was a huge huge HUGE moving moment for me. I so hate that he missed it and hope that they post it on Youtube or something, because I really think that it would be something you should all see.

Okay and on a lighter note, Caden scored his very first touchdown this weekend! HE is a totally different player this season! Totally into the game and a go getter! He even pulled three flags! It helps that he has three friends on the team and the other boys have become immediate friends as well. They have a great coach and they have great attitudes! This is going to be a great season!

Oh and it was so blazing hot, the grass had been irrigated so we ants everywhere, we were all getting attacked, so Mike took the three youngers home. It was too much for the children who were cranky already. I can't wait for cooler weather! And next time we will bring ant spray! To surrond our perimeter...

Aislinn is about to take off on walking. She now walks with our hands and is fast fast fast! She is just so adorable! Starting to teeth the molars and they are not fun as they shouldn't be ;-)

Okay I'm off to watch the Emmy's and then give the kiddos a late bath. They all napped today which means late bedtimes!! 

Injured

Again... this time it's in my ankle area... from running. We are hoping it is just tendonitits, but it's not getting better with no running for 4 days now. In fact I would say it's a bit more painful!

I'm so frustrated and a bit depressed. Funny, now I start to eat and yep I have already put on some more weight... totally 20 steps back. It never ceases to amaze me at how hard it is to come off, but how easy it is to pack it on! And it's just a few Paradise Bakery Cookies! Nothing else like an In and Out Burger, Fries and such? That might have been worth it!

It actually hurts to walk now, where before it didn't. It's wrapped, I ice it about 4 times a day and I use good ole aspercreme, since I can't ingest any anti inflammatorys. 

I hope after this weekend it will finally break and get better. If not, by Monday I'm going in, that would be a week.

This morning is Donuts with Dad at Caden's school and Spirit Day of your favorite team. So Caden is in his Red Sox shirt and just thrilled that daddy is going for donuts with him! It's an easy day today.. Riordan has school, so Teagan will hang with me. Our house is trashed so I will be picking up clutter and recleaning from the week. Which was pretty easy. I saw a movie Tuesday night with Kristi "The Women". Slow to start and a bit awkward but I really enjoyed it, despite what the critics are saying. Very interesting to have no men in it! Which might be what it was lacking? But the story was great and anyone could relate to it. 

Caden had Flag Football Practice on Wednesday night and I went to do another 6 week assessment. 

I lost 2.8% more body fat, and 1/2 inch off waist, hips, thigh, abs, and gained a 1/2 on my arms ;-) Muscle! My VO2 Max increased 3.4 points!! I was able to go into level 5 and finish it before topping out. It's the last level so I have acheived it! Also, I'm in the 85% of top health compared to women my age. I started at 40% in February! So even with the few lbs this week, my health has immensely improved. I just need to get off the baked goods again which today is a new day ;-) No baked goods!

Oh and yesterday I was in Caden's classroom for Art Masterpiece. It's a program taught by the parents. It's about Masterpiece Artist and each month they learn about someone new and then do a special art project. Yesterday was on Paul Klee and his work "The Golden Fish" The children then used scratch paper to do their own fish art work. They really enjoyed it. I love that they are getting a bit of culture, even if it's taught by us! Whatever it takes!

Caden has "Speedracer" showing at his school tonite, which we will all go to as a family. Tomorrow morning is his football game and tomorrow night I'm taking Mike out for his birthday dinner to Fleming's Steakhouse. Okay the chocolate lava cake will have to be without fat and calories ;-) No way I can't eat it!

The Results are in and

IT'S A BOY!!!

My baby sister had her ultrasound this morning and no doubt about it, it's a boy!

I have to say as much as I wanted her to have a girl, I kept getting boy feelings for about a month, had a dream it was a boy and even began shopping for boy bedding for her, which I think she really likes ;-)

Garrett and Matt are very thrilled it's a boy, someone to continue doing boy things with! Not that girls can't do what boys do, cuz we do it better! Oh how fun shopping is going to be, so many cute boy things... Jen of course is very thrilled it's a boy, and healthy!

Now what do I do with all these girl clothes?!

Our Sunday

I ran for 50 mins straight on the treadmill today! It's so easy on the treadmill, the pavement definitely is a tougher workout. But regardless it felt great! I did a little over an hour total and I really didn't want to stop! But I didn't want to pay for it later either.

I got the ok on Friday to sweat into the eyes ;-) My corneas still look great, I still have 20/15 vision, and I can also now shower with water in the eyes and no more goggles! Let me tell you it's a huge gift! ;-) Also, no more anitbiotics or inflammation drops, just every 1-2 hours do the artificial tears and Restalyin twice a day. My eyes feel great! Every once in a while they will burn. I really think it's just a shock still for them because I have always had some kind of shield on them whether it be the glasses or contacts. So I either put my drops in or close them for a few minutes and it gets better. Can't rub still for 3 more weeks in order not to displace my corneas.

I can't believe Aislinn is going to be 1 in 15 days!! She is now crawling on her knees as of this past Thursday! She will still go to army on the carpet, but definitely knees on the hardwood, which you would think it would be the opposite?! She cruises all over the place and even has stood a couple of times before dropping to the floor. She refuses to walk though with us holding her hands. And she is just the biggest love bug. She's a big cuddlier, lots on head on the shoulder when you hold her, and she even gives kisses! Still only says bye bye, is doing amazingly well in the nursery at church again. The ladies seem to fight over who's going to get her now! And she absolutely adores Julie who is with her every Wednesday morning and then some if we get lucky ;-)

I think it's so neat how each child has had a steady figure in their life, another person they have a love bond with. Well Caden not really, we couldn't really afford babysitting back then until we moved into our house and then he was 2, but he had Amanda and Laurie. They were so good with him and he just loved everyone really, still does. Riordan had Kelly, who is our very good friend to this day and our girls will be in the same grade! Kelly also had Teagan until Ava was born, about 4 months, and then we had Kate. Kate and Teagan. That bond is amazing! Kate actually has amazing bonds with all of the children, but she helped nurture and raise Teagan as an infant and toddler. And she also had Aislinn for a good long time till this past June! And now we have Julie! Julie is a gem. She organizes the most wonderful things that I can never find time for like the dvd's in the right cover, the snack basket, the bread basket, etc. She is totally spoiling us and the best thing is she is seriously just so fun to have in our home and always so sweet and just full of joy.  It's neat to have all of our extra hands in our lifes still to this day too. We get to be apart of their journey as parents and share some great memories.

Wow, don't really know where that came from! 

We have had a very quite weekend and it has been nice. Friday night we spent the evening in the change of weather to breezy and cool while the children ran till they could run no more in their backyard. They raced each other, they rode some bikes, and they just had good ole backyard fun! Our neighbors came over and it was so nice to enjoy their company! We are planning already this years Trick or Treating. We are going to stay in our neighborhood from now on. While we loved going to the Tripp home, we haven't had the experience here and it's a big showing of all the neighbors. Plus I want to give out candy and see the children in our hood'. It will also be nice to not have the stress of getting four children changed in someone elses home, but first feeding them and being after them to eat so they can stuff themselves with candy ;-) Being it's a Friday night too, we can all stay up late and enjoy the front street activities and our driveways with a bonfire and such. Oh the weather is just so wonderful in the morning and evenings again! I love Arizona!

Mike's birthday is next weekend, well the 22nd, but hoping to go out to dinner Saturday night for him. Waiting to hear back if it works for Julie's schedule and I should probably make reservations in the meantime. He's going to be 36 ;-) ha ha!

Caden's flag football starts next Saturday as well! Going to be fun, because we are going to be back with our football friends Heather and Don and their son Dominic (and they also go to the same school as Caden), and then my girl Heather and Bryan with Cayden and another friend from Caden's class and actually Dominic's cousin, John! These boys are so cute together and already can tell that we are going to enjoy their coach so much. Good good guy! 

Riordan, well I don't remember but we are quitting soccer. It just isn't his time. It sucks though. I really wanted him to play because he kept asking last year to play. He's just in a phase again. He loves wearing he's shirt, infact wore it to church today! And now he wants to kick his ball around all the time. So maybe next season. I think if he was playing with friends we would seriously having no issues at all. He is totally out of his comfort zone, and is not like his brother who is everybody's buddy. I get it ;-)

Well I'm off to do the grocery shopping for the week. Teagan's mattress arrives sometime tonite and Wednesday her bed will be here! Bedding is all here too! She slept with Riordan this week once and the rest of the time in her crib, with the side down so that she can easily get out without falling. She cracks herself up when she gets out to come say hi when she hasn't fallen asleep yet. And then Saturday morning she for the very first time, got out of her bed without crying out for us to come get her! She was in the best mood! YAY for big girl beds!

Good Saturday!

Quick post on making my goal this week of 3 pounds! That's 8.4 for the month!

I officially am in the next size down of clothing and already working my way down to the next size! It is a terrific feeling and all my hard pounding pavement cardio is paying off! 

Off to take Caden out for his CATS testing. He got a nice big breakfast from Daddy and just telling him to be himself and just do the best he can. There is no pressure. He's missing the first day of football practice and has said he'd rather go to practice than the test! HA HA! After month of desperately wanting to take the test!

Will post later today on our week, off to finish packing up and hitting the road.

Not a good start

To the day.. my alarm didn't go off.

Correction, Mike didn't reset it and went on his run. So instead of waking at 5:15 I woke at 5:38!

Oh needless to say I wasn't happy, Mike got the brunt of it, and I was a few minutes late to training.

Funny though, Joe's alarm never went off and he woke from a text from his wife at 5:38! We both were on the same page and it is quite funny now.

My battery on my car has been dying for two weeks now, just a slight difference in the start, a bit sluggish. I knew this and would forget to take it in. Well it barely started this morning to take Riordan to school. And on top of it, I turned off the ignition at his school. I had to try twice before it would finally catch with a press of the gas as well. So then Teagan and I went on a search of the best deal to be had. One place wanted to charge us 170 bucks! I think NOT, the zoo's favorite phrase from the Incredibles.

We made it to Auto Zone, in the shopping center of Teagan's dance school and they changed it for free! Cost me 100 bucks for a new battery, a soda, a water, and some mentos ;-) A deal if you ask me!

In the meantime I was desperately trying to get a hold of my girl Heather to see if she could pick up Teagie real quick in case we didn't make it in time. Well we did! And were still the first one's there! She is such a great friend though and was ready to come get her!

Today Riordan and I tried soccer again, just us two. I even dressed to play, brought his ball, and sat with the team. Thing is, he wouldn't sit with the team. He literally threw tantrums every time I gently asked him if he wanted to do the drills. I give up. It's not worth it. He literally sits 500 feet away and watches, but the minute anyone talks to him he makes his little noise of 'leave me alone'. 

So we are going to really pursue guitar lessons and with Daddy. He has loved his guitar for almost two years now and really holds it well and strums along with music videos. So he's an artist and I refuse to force him into sports. School is one thing ;-) although school is a non issue this year! He has also regressed majorly with swimming. It hopefully is all a phase. 

I had a date with him after we left, before practice was over, to Walmart where I previously was with Caden for a date. They both got toy shooting guns with the nerf bullets. Huge hits of course. It was nice to do all three of the zoo members individual dates today. Teagan and I hit Chick Fil a after dance and even went inside and played! She was so adorable! She really wanted Macey to come in our car though. Next time I said, next time.

It made for a long day though and I'm exhausted.

We are having storms come through tonite, a few have already passed us by and one almost stayed with thunder, lightning and a sprinkle. I love storms. Wish one would stay!

I'm off to read my book that Amy let me borrow. The first chapter was so great but after the Lasik it's been hard to read close up still. That will improve with time as will all the ghosting I see at night with lights. My follow up is now Friday afternoon since Mike has a very important client meeting in the morning. I may just not make it back in time for him to go to poker, because the mall may be calling me name ;-)

I can't believe it's Tuesday already!

This week is flying by. Today is a downtime day at home. I have successfully taken apart 3 of our 4 carseats and scrubbed them down and washing the covers. They are in the dryer now. Plus it was way over do to move straps on both Teagan and Aislinn. Now they will be safely secured, yet again, in their carseats!

I still have my corner in the kitchen to declutter and a ton of paper work to file. It makes my skin crawl to look at, yet I can't seem to find the motivation to sort through it, but I did for disgusting carseats? Hmmmm.... avoidance definitely.

I didn't get my run in the morning. I let Mike go. I know I'm a good wife. Apparently I have motivated him into getting back into shape. So now he goes before me. This morning there wasn't going to be enough time for my run and his, so he's coming home early and I will go use the treadmill at the gym. So I slept in an hour and let me tell you, I like getting up earlier better! I know, I'm crazy!!

Caden was chosen, out of a hat, to be VIP this week in his classroom! He did an "All About Me Poster" and took in a show and tell object today. It was from his Happy Meal yesterday of one of the Clone War Troopers, Rex I think? Does anyone know if he's a good guy? I'm so lost on the last Star Wars, didn't see it and that's who he wants to be for Trick or Treating this year. I told him I needed to research on if he's a good guy, cause we don't allow bad guys as characters in our home. I personally think that's just asking for trouble right there. 

So the rest of the week is Wednesday: bring a special book, Thursday: Invite a special guest to lunch.. daddy can't go, so I'm trying to make it happen, and Friday he gets to pick a prize from their treasure box.

He also is door holder this week. And he goes, "Did you know that I'm VIP and door holder this week? I'm a lucky guy!" He blew me away with this comment. So I asked, "Did your teacher say that Caden?" He goes, "Nope, it's just the way I feel!" The mouth of babes!

We have a pretty mellow week, due to not knowing how I was going to do with surgery... If lunch doesn't work out Thursday, then we are going to a friends house for lunch. Wednesday dance of course and Riordan has soccer practice (fingers crossed), and Friday I have my follow up exam for my 1 week post procedure and Mike has poker that night. 

Caden takes his CATS test on Saturday morning and Riordan has a game and the rest of the weekend is family time. Can't wait!

I got to go and have a small day of me this past Sunday. Mall, oh how I have missed it, and then got my very over grown roots touched up. It was a nice day and Mike was so nice to let me get out. He was a bit frazzled when I got home, so I felt pretty bad.

Before I forget! We had an amazing visit with Cousin/Uncle Kevin a week ago Saturday and still have yet to post about it much less the pictures!!  We decided Uncle Kevin would work best with the zoo since they register cousin to their age. It was so wonderful to see him! He made a us feel so special with his visit because he flew from CA to TX back to AZ, just to come in and see John, Amy, Maddy, and then a visit with us on Saturday! We had such a great time catching up, and Amy and I drank champagne while Kevin, Mike and John drank a lot of beer ;-) Ate some yummy pizza and salad and the zoo just loved Kevin! The boys really took to him and they play fought a lot and then Teagan near the end really opened up to him! Aislinn, well she was Aislinn and was fine as long as I was touching her LOL. Riordan was priceless. He kept coming back for more tickles and getting thrown on the couch and his laughter was beautiful. Just seeing more and more of a little boy I knew he could be everyday! Not the painfully shy little boy he once was.

Also, my brother and his wife made it to the Tuscon area from Alaska a week ago! I finally have family close by!! Well John and Amy of course, but to have my brother, Johnny,  just a couple of hours away is so wonderful! Hopefully we will see him and Libby very soon! They haven't seen Caden since he was 4 days old and have never met Riordan, Teagan, or Aislinn! Kind of hard when you live in Alaska ;-) They drove their entire journey down some beautiful and not so beautiful roads I hear. I can't wait to see them!

Oh just as I sit, the phone is ringing off the hook and my 'twins' are fighting while the baby is waking up. So I will post those pics from Kevin's visit today I hope! Can't wait to go for a run this afternoon, I know, I'm crazy!

22 hours later

I'm just so amazed by my vision!

The procedure went very very well!

They were so wonderful at Dr. Schwartz's office!

They triple check you eyesight with a different machine and my left eye actually came up with different numbers so they had to reenter data after doing my right eye. While that went on, my left eye began to feel again so when he went to work on it, I could feel sharpness. Didn't freak me out at all and calmly said, "I can feel that" 

He then put about 3 drops of numbing in my eye, it took right away and he went back to working on my eye! Seriously the whole procedure for each eye was about 15-20 seconds for each! I layed in the procedure room probably about 10 minutes?! 

When it was done I could see perfectly, but it was as if I had protein build up on my contacts, so everything was foggy or hazy.

I kept my eyes closed most of the ride home, and went to bed for 6 hours. The first 2 hours were so hard to fall asleep! My eyes were very irritated and it bothered me more to have them closed then open. But it was better to have them closed for a faster healing process. After my 6 hours, the irritation had calmed down a lot and a lot of the foggyness was gone as well!

The drops for artificial tears are just perfect for when it did get irritated. 

I began to clean our house like a mad women with all the pent up energy! LOL I had to take tylenol PM again to go to sleep at 10.

This morning waking up, my vision was really blurry, couldn't see very well, but after drops and about 5 mins, it was clear again. The only thing I notice and did last night as well, is if I turn my eyes to the side to look out the corners, it's a sharp pain. Doesn't seem abnormal though since my cornea's have been cut and it may be too much pressure on them.

I'm driving myself to my follow up in a few minutes and then will go to the gym for non sweating cardio.

My rules for this week:

Do not get eyes wet in shower for a week, and absolutely no swimming or hot tub for 30 days.

Wear goggles  everytime I go to sleep for 1 week.

Do not rub or touch eyes for 1 week.

Absolutely no eye makeup for 1 week.

Do not workout to where you are sweating into the eyes for 1 week.

Use eye drops every hour, antibiotic and anti inflammation drops every 4 hours, and Restaysis 2x a day for a week.

Get as much rest as possible, sleep heals!

By the way! I lost 0 pounds this week! LOL I really ate some yummy food. Didn't gain so I'm okay! This next week I will have to really curb the food and hopefully with the lighter cardio I can still lose. Next week I can kick it back up into my mileage in the morning with distance running!

Prayer request!

I'm having Lasik done at 9 am Arizona time 12 pm Eastern time!

Please pray for me for a safe and successful procedure!

Will resume posting as soon as my little eyes will let me ;-)

Teagan's big girl bed!

We have finally come to that time of Teagan needing a big girl bed! She climbed out of her crib successfully last night, 30 mins after I put her down! LOL She's done it twice before with a fall, but it's been a good 3 months since she last did it. So Mike and I decided she is ready to move up! It's been nice keeping her 'captive' in the crib, even though she is just so wise and mature beyond her years. Completely potty-trained for 2 1/2 months now!

So above is her bed and bedding and should be here in the next two weeks. She loves looking at the pictures and saying it's her big girl bed! We got her a bed rail as well, like Riordan's so she won't fall out and hopefully now to instead of her laying in our bed, she will stay in hers or we can lay down with her. 

I really don't mind the children coming in our bed in the middle of the night, but starting out there has been difficult with Teagan lately. She isn't tired because of possibly napping that day and we don't want her crying so she doesn't wake up Aisie.

My run today!

Yep more about me ;-)

I ran a total of 4.12 miles today! It was such an accomplishment for me!

I did two 1 mile runs and then I ended with 2.12 miles. Let me just say that the last 400 meters were absolutely the hardest! I wanted to quit, but I kept tell myself, "It's Just Pain, it will be over soon."

I did a total of 4.45 miles in 54 minutes! Holding steady onto an average of a 10 1/2 mile min pace. I normally do 4 miles in 60 minutes.

Mike is gone all day today and spending the night in Tucson. He has meetings all day there tomorrow, plus a dinner tonite. Soooo no run for me in the morning, so I may have to grease up the ole elliptical and still get up early to do it since I have early risers. I even had to cancel my training session with Joe because of Mike's dinner.

Riordan has his first soccer practice tonite. He is so not wanting to go and screams out no. So now I'm saying, "Let's just go see what they are doing and watch" He's pretty comfortable with that idea. So now I'm going to hit up a friend to take Caden and Teagan for an hour. Teagan has a back up plan to go to my friend Jen's house, but it would be even more awesome to make it with just Riordan and Aislinn. Make it all about him. His first game is on this Saturday. I really hope he will play! But he is only 3 and we have seen other parents go through this and about the 2nd and 3rd game it, the light switch comes on and they are all about playing. I think the same is going to happen for Riordan as well.

It just dawned on me

That since February I have lost 17 pounds! Holy Moly!

Just about 30-35 more to go! Hopefully it will continue to come off easier now that I can do so much more cardio now that my SI Dysfunction is under control.

I'm so motivated and not working out leaves me feeling pretty darn sluggish.

I hope that I can get Mike pumped up again to work out, or back to PT he goes with Michael ;-) I will just sign him up for another package and tell him he has to go!

Yay for me!

My official weigh in on Saturday morning, down another 2 lbs exactly! I have lost 5.4 pounds in 2 weeks! Cardio is obviously been my missing link, because I even had a few splurges in there and seemed to hold steady! I am almost in the next size down. I can get in them a lot more comfortably than 2 weeks ago, but I would have to wear a lose shirt. Fits perfect in the rear and legs, just a little dunlap around the waist. ;-) A lot of skin and will I ever have to get that fixed at some point because it's never going to go away. Thank you my four children! You were worth it for sure!

I ran a straight 20 mins today during my 1 hour of cardio! Such a sense of accomplishment! I am officially training for a 5k! Then a 10k and then I'm shooting for a triathalon after that! It feels so great to have something that challenges me and rewards me and is just about ME!

Chandler is having their annual 5k on the same day as our Light the Night walk. The evening is more like a stroll so it shouldn't be too much for me with a nap in between. And they have a family fun walk/run that morning as well.

I have to run every day this week because after Lasik I can't work out hard for a week, which they mean to the point of sweat running into my eyes so it can't cause infection. No problemo!

I probably still wake up early, do my easy walks and continue with Joe that week. 

I'm off to AJ's and Sport Chalet this morning and then Kelly, Ava, and I think Kris ;-) I hope are coming over for lunch. We are so so overdue for getting together! We miss them so much!