August 31, 2002
A long, long weekend....I had
A long, long weekend....I had asked off for this Friday(now yesterday) over a week ago. On this past Monday I was told I could not have off. On Wed. someone else in my dept was told she could have the day off, then on Thursday yet another rep was told to take off if she wanted. Overhearing all of that made me realize that I had just as much right to use my vacation time as everyone else, so i resigned to call in sick. Which meant being able to leave Thursday night after work (since Dean had gotten Friday off, officially) to go to Ohio.
We left home around 7 and set out for our trip. We hadn't eaten dinner so around 8 we stopped at a very country buffet in the middle of nowhere and ate some great food while Caleb got adoring smiles from other patrons. We stopped several more times, mostly because I had to use the bathroom. Around midnight we finally were getting off of the turnpike. I had just switched w/ Dean so I was driving the car when the screeching of a belt started to get worse. It always screeches off and on and as we heading uphill I said a silent pray for God to fix the noise or at least get us there safely. Not even a minute later we heard a loud snap. I kept driving as Dean said it was a noise in the music we were listening too. Not five minutes later I looked at the gauges and the car was overheating, it was in the red. I pulled over and sure enough the belt had broke. We stopped and started several times in an attempt to get to an exit w/ a hotel and a service station, and after a cop stopped and told us the closest one was five miles away we set out again. We finally made it to a hotel, oddly enough the one we had said we were going to stay at that night when we had seen the sign for it on the turnpike. So we spent most of Friday at the hotel while a nearby shop fixed the car for an outrageous amt of labor cause the parts were less than $50. Nonetheless, we finally made it to meet Dean's parents for dinner around 7:30 on Friday night. By the time we got home from dinner and going to the coffee house and settled into bed it was after midnight.
Now it's Saturday morning and we've no plans and this just sitting around is driving me mad! I sat around all day Thurs. and Friday and I need to get out. Meanwhile caleb is miserable. He was fevered all day yesterday and Thurs. evening. We think it's just teeth. We hope its just teeth. Tonight all of Dean's neices and nephews and some of their friends are coming to spend the night here, at Dean's parents, at least 6 kids, not counting Caleb! So I think we are going to spend the night at Dean's sisters house. Well I better go help my hubby calm a screaming kiddo. Hope the weekend gets better soon...
August 25, 2002
My new hairdo Almost doesnt
My new hairdo
Almost doesnt look like I had a burning bush there this morning!
Looks like Dean may need a new do soon too!
Here's some more pics from our weekend:
Caleb enjoying seeing the world through his daddy's eyes
Caleb discoverd this cool maracas at the Indian Pow Wow at a local college.
Then he found the one he wanted the best, and ended up getting it too!
I dont know if I
I dont know if I mentioned this but about 2 weeks ago I splurged and got a "real" haircut. It costs me $35! I did it mostly because I never had spent that much before and I was desperately wanting a real haircut, one where the stylists doesnt just chop and get paid. I liked my cut, but it was growing back so fast that I was thinking I might go get a trim, but not at that expensive salon.
So today, after a moving church service that challenged Dean and I to think about our future more, I came home and started lunch. We were going to have bbq wings and pasta salad, so instead of asking Dean to start the grill since he was holding a half sleeping baby, I went out to start up the grill. It wouldnt light. I tried again. All I remember then is a huge cloud of fire in my face and then I stood there startled as the next door neighbor told me how she had that happen once and burnt off her eye brows and hair. I told her that would suck and as I stood there a moment longer noticed the hint of pain around my eyes and the horrible smell of something burning. I ran inside and told Dean something was wrong. He looked at me and asked what happened. I ran to the bathroom realizing something was wrong. There was "stuff" in my hair and my eyebrows. I started to splash my face w/ water and the "stuff" wouldnt come off. I asked Dean if my hair was burnt. he said yes. I told him I was going to shower and started bawling. It got worse. I started to rinse my hair and felt big clumps coming! It was horrible!!!! I stood in the shower in tears not wanting to get out and face the mirror. But when I finally did it wasnt that bad. I had lost most of my bangs and eyebrows! I stayed in our room for a while since we had some company over and I didnt want to make too big a scene, as if I didnt have reason to. I came out later and no one noticed, and I was actually able to joke about it when my roomate asked what had happened. Dean and Caleb laid down for a nap and I went to get my hair cut to make sure it doesnt look horrible for work. I got a deep conditioner put on and the hairdresser said it could have been worse. My hair actually looks good now, as long as whats left of my bangs is down! All I could think was to wonder what kind of sign God was giving me!? Fire from a grill, heck, maybe a bush was the best they had back in the bible days....
August 19, 2002
It's been a while, and
It's been a while, and each night as I rush to catch up on other's daily blogs I think I should take the time to write. But instead I empty the dishwasher, or fold clothes, or make bottles for tomorrow, or do whatever else needs done before I can crash for the night. I finished my long boring training at work. Today was to be my first day at my desk taking calls, but I called out.
Caleb spent most of the night fussing in our bed with us, it was better than him fussing in his crib. I finally got him to settle into a good sleep around 6 this morning, around which time I decided that there was no way I was leaving my little boy with a sitter when he was so unhappy to go to work, so I finally got him in his crib and called and left a message at work that I wouldnt be in. I simply said, my son is sick, I wont be in. It's at times when I say things like that that it hits me the hardest that I am a mommy. My son. My SON! He needs me now. He needs me always. But I have another job now, one that helped us fix my car and finally get it insured and registered today so that he can enjoy the ac of our nice car instead of the hot heat of the unair conditioned car we've been borrowing from a relative. It's all for him. I tell myself that all day long when I am there, at work, away from my sweet angel. Next week I am going to start my real shift, a horrible 11am - 8 pm. I'll get some more morning time w/ Caleb but when I get home he will be in bed.
Dean says there is talk of him getting offered a full time job with the company his is contracted with now. I pray to God he gets it and gets a bigger raise than he has already. I love my son. I want to be the best mom I can be, and I know that leaving him and not having the energy for him when I get home is not good for him.
He did great this weekend. Napped and ate well. When he goes to daycare we get him up around 6:30 a.m. and the sitter doesnt enforce naptime so he comes home at 6 and is ready for bed. Which means he is too tired for dinner even though all he ate was unhealthy snack foods all day at daycare because eating his healthy food I pack for him is not enforced either! Argh! today I kept calling the sitter to tell her why he wasnt coming today and I never got an answer. once I got a busy signal but that was all. She didnt even call us to check on Caleb. This scares me. We already paid her for this week and I am worried she wont be there when we go to drop off tomorrow. I know I am probably being silly, but I am worried all the same.
I took Caleb to the dr today to see what's causing his sleeplessness and crying at night, and looks like he is getting 3 or 4 teeth at a time, all molars. He was laughing and playing the whole time we were at the drs office, and I know they didnt believe me when I said you should have seen him earlier, cause of course he was just a little ray of sunshine when we are out! No really, he's always my sunshine, it's just hard to deal with sunshine at 3 a.m.!
tomorrow I have to go to work. My mom said I may have jeopardized my job by calling in so soon after starting, but me, I dont care. I almost want to get fired. I know the money is helpful, very helpful, and we need the health insurance until Dean gets a full time contract that offers insurance coverage, BUT......I loved being home with my baby today. He is growing more and more each day. Tonight Dean was out putting the tags on our car and Caleb went to the window and said "bye bye da da." He must have thought since he was going to the car that he was leaving. Yesterday in the car I handed him a toy and he said "play, play." He undestands so much for being so little, you can tell him to go pick up one of his toys by naming it and he will go get it and bring it to you. I thought I was ready to go back to work, but I dont think I'll ever be prepared.
August 10, 2002
My little boy turned one
My little boy turned one today! More to follow after I get the house back in order!!!!
August 06, 2002
I miss my baby! Right
I miss my baby! Right now Dean and Caleb are out so I can get some stuff done and so that Dean could go pick up a cd or something from a friend. I have been cleaning, working on Caleb's night stand, and doing laundry since they left. I really need to study for a big test I am having at work tomorrow, but I just cant do it. It makes me mad that I have to work so hard just to pass this training. It's not difficult per se, just a lot of memorization which I am bad at, even though some people in my class think the opposite of me. We took a test today and I know I barely passed it, if that. But I know that there must be others who did worse. On one test we took I got a 90 and the person next to me got a 65! So I know I am doing ok, but I still hate this studying stuff. I dont get paid to come home and work. I want to be able to come home and cuddle w/ my boys and chill out, but not now. And of course this week, the week when I have so much stuff to do for Caleb's party is the week of all the huge tests at work. I want to quit so bad. When I get this feeling at work, I pull out Caleb's pictures and smile knowing my working is providing for his security and health. Once Dean goes back to work, which looks to be this Thursday, I know it will be harder for me to work knowing Caleb will be w/ someone else all day. Today was his first full day of daycare and he did ok. I am somewhat concerned that everyday he comes home w/ more scratches and bruises, but Dean doesnt seem to think much of it and he is the one dropping off and picking up so he would be able to know if things seemed off. I just want to be home w/ my baby! He's talking so much more and learning so much, I want to be the one he learns from and that he talks to! Well, Dean is home and I still havent studied, so I better run.....hopefully tomorrow wont be so bad at work, hopefully....
August 05, 2002
I am so silly, to
I am so silly, to help me figure out just what Caleb needed as he outgrows his toys and clothes, I updated his baby registry. I told everyone about it, but didn't realize I could have just done a Gift registry at Toysrus as opposed to his baby registry. Oh well, it was easier than setting up something new and it's easier for me to track what he needs and what I want him to have as he grows.
In other news, I worked more on the night stand I am painting for Caleb's room. Tonight we went to this craft store where almost everything was on sale and found some great stamps of a lion and giraffe that match the theme of his room. So tonight I did touch ups on the paint job and fought w/ the paint and stamps to get it to look oh so cute! I think we are going to try to find a clear glossy to go over it so that the animals stay put and I carelessly used blue flat paint and white glossy, so I need to fix that somehow. I am hoping that such a clear finish is available, with any luck super dad will find it tomorrow during his trip to Home Depot. I'll put up pics of the finished night stand as soon as I get the task itself completely.
We had two tests last week in training at work, I aced one and only got 2 wrong on the other, and I swear they were trick questions! I had another test today and we will have daily quizzes until traning is over, or rather til this Friday when we have a 100 ? final. We have to get an average of at least 70 on all the tests including the final to keep the job, funny how we can go through 3 weeks of training and still maybe not have the job! I have no worry really, just thought you'd agree with me in that this is the real world, aren't quizzes for high school?
I just realized I actually had time to blog today!!! Hooray for me! It's amazing though, I didnt get home til 8 tonight and then spent an hour working on my painting project and then did housework and now I am finally winding down. We went to order the cake for the big birthday bash tonight, my aunt decorates cakes at a locate bakery so she is going to make it for us. Then we went to dinner w/ my mom and step dad. Funny thing is that that was unplanned. We called them since we were on their "side" of town and heading out to eat and I was somewhat suprised they opted to go with us. I never saw them as being the last minute planning type, but I think we are rubbing off on them, with our constant hey, we are going to stop by in well 10 minutes, antics! It was a nice evening out and I felt much less stressed even after coming home to lots to do. I think it has a lot to do with my attitude towards things. I greatly appreciated Dean's idea to head out to dinner instead of going home to all the things waiting to be done, and we just took the evening as it came. Dinner, a little shopping, and overall a peace in the air. Aaahhh! Sure was a good day for a Monday!
August 04, 2002
It's been a busy few
It's been a busy few weeks. Tomorrow will be the start of week 3 at my new job, and Caleb's day 2 at daycare. And in 6 days Caleb turns 1 yr old! Looking back over my last two weeks, and comparing them to these two weeks last year, the differences are amazing! Last year I was on bedrest so needless to say I wasnt doing much at all but bossing Dean around. Now I am bossing Dean around but turning around and doing most of the work myself because I am so impatient.
In the last week I have gotten the house more clean and organized then it's been since we moved in. I think the reason is because I know we will have not only house guests next week, but several people coming to Calebs birthday bash have never seen our new house. I also think it has a lot to do with feeling like I dont do enough at home now that I am working, but I know Dean thinks I am doing too much. Right now I should be doing a zillion other things but I need a break.
In the last week I have reorganized our junk room which houses all the stuff thats still in boxes that we dont use or cant remember to look for or find! I also cleaned out our bedroom closet and bought a cool hamper from Ikea to store my shoes in, since I have sooo many! Today I cleaned up Calebs room and started sanding a nightstand that I am hoping to paint this week to put in his room. We got this organizing bin thingy from walmart for the living room to house diapers, wipes, and toys so that Caleb' s play pen could be put away, not to mention the fact the disorganization in there was driving me mad! We finally hung up family photos in the hall and living room, and yesterday went to get Caleb's birthday pics taken so have more pics to hang now. I bought new rugs today for the kitchen and bathrooms, I was so happy about that. Dean didnt see the need, but we were using rugs that my mom had given us, they were her old ones and in decent shape, but I just wanted to pick some out myself. Point is, the house has gotten a lot more organized lately and hopefully more will get done before the big birthday bash next week, but after tonight I know my time will be limited. As my energy already is.
We got rid of our new puppy, gave him back to the person who gave him to us. Poor Caleb had tons of scratches and bruises from the dog and he hasnt seemed to notice that the dog is gone, or if he has, he doesnt mind it! The stress level in the house is a lot better since we took him back Friday, its almost amazing the difference in living w/ a dog and not. I loved the pup and he will be missed, but then again maybe not so much.
Well lots of party planning to do and house work, and hopefully some much needed sleep too. I probably will be too busy this week to post but be prepared for party pics sometime next Sunday or Monday. Ah, my little boy is growing up so fast.