Glass Half Full

Highlight Reel

2009-10-20T19:14:00Z

So this weekend was pretty awesome, and I just wanted to provide my highlight reel for future memory. BTW, have you ever gone back and read your old posts? They seem to capture time just as you felt it back then, and it is amazing how much things change in a matter of months. Go back and read some of them to see what I mean. Back to the present though........

On Friday night Brad, Drew and I went to try this new Mexican restaurant up the street from my house. This doesn't sound like a highlight, but whenever you take a 2 year old to a restaurant and it goes well without anyone having a tantrum or running around all the tables or spilling drink everywhere, you can pretty much relish in your small victory. The food was good, the weather was perfect, and it was a nice quiet dinner for my family of 3. Way to start the weekend :)

On Saturday, we drove out to a farm in MS that has a corn maze and a petting zoo and hay rides and all of the other neat things that farms usually do. I had no intentions of getting in that corn maze (Children of the Corn ranks as one of the scariest films ever for me, thus my fear), but it was part of our admission, and Brad wanted to go. This maze is over a mile long, so we walked along the edge of it for a while before turning around and going back. I knew it was bad when Brad wanted to go for fear of getting lost, and if you know me, you know that I would have ended up sleeping in the thing because my inward compass always points North regardless of what direction I really am. But I do think it's a cool idea. In fact, at night time they make it scary and have people hide in the corn and jump out at you. Worst nightmare for me, but I know some people who would eat that stuff up. Anyway, it was cute and sweet and a fun family thing to do.

On Sunday of course was the big game. If you don't know what I mean, obviously you live under a rock because the Saints played the Giants and remain undefeated baby!!! You Cowboys fans should at least be happy about the NY loss. In fact, I saw several Dallas jerseys at the game. I guess if you don't have a Saints jersey and want to cheer against the Giants, it's the next best thing :)
Brad and I left early in the a.m. and went to a Blues and BBQ festival where I had a cochon de lait poboy, which probably ranked in the top 3 of my all time favorite sandwiches. Cochon de lait is roasted pig and if you've never had it, you should give it a try. Sounds weird, but if you eat BBQ pork, it is very similar. The music was great and I got a virgin bloody mary and I sat and enjoyed and had a "This is the great life" moment. After a while we walked over to the Dome and whooped and hollered for one awesome blowout game. I overdid it just a bit though because when we were walking back to our car I was in a bit of pain and I had to stop 3 times. In fact, when I got home, I took a bath and got into bed and waited for the tightness and the cramps to stop. Baby Boy was kicking the crap out of me, as if to say, "Hello! I'm still in here! Could you please remember that next time you want to jump up and down and walk all over town?" Ahem. Yes I am not invincible and I really have to watch myself. I will have to remember that for the next home game :)

So good weekend, and I hope the next one is just as good. It is actually quite hard to have a difficult time with such great weather. I just love this time of year :)

The Potty Diaries

2009-10-01T17:46:11Z

This has been one of the hardest weeks ever in my parenting life thus far. I am a pretty patient person, but I have never felt more tested in my life, and I am slowing down now to take a breath and remind myself that this is not about me at all. Never is, is it? :)
I will start by saying that about two weeks ago or so, we moved the crib out of Drew's room and gave him a twin bed. I thought he would transition smoothly being that he loves our bed, but I guess he loves us being in it more than the comfort. Duh, mommy ;) Anyway, he gives us a bit of a fuss when we put him in the bed for naps and nightime, so we stay in there with him reading and soothing until he is in la-la land. At night he usually wakes up around 3 or so and comes and wakes Brad up and Brad goes back with him to his room and puts him down until he falls asleep again and wakes up in the a.m. It could be worse, and I know that eventually he will stop waking in the middle of the night, so we have been a little lenient with him.
I decided to also add one more transition to the pot - potty training. In retrospect, I probably set myself up to fail. I mean this is a lot of change for one 2 year old kid, and I am pushing him to the limits. But I honestly thought he was ready. He shows all of the signs of being ready and intellectually capable of handling a potty, so I read all of the books and everything I could find on the internet, and Monday, I introduced the potty. I gave him big boy underwear - no more diapers- and I gave him a doll that pees and has its own potty so that he could see how it works.
He was all into it - the underwear and the doll with the potty, so I took him one step further and had him sit down and drink a million cups of (insert here: juice, milk, water, etc) and waited. And waited. And waited. And read every book. And waited some more. After 45 minutes of not going, I thought, Hmm, okay, he must have a really strong bladder. As soon as I let him get up, he goes into the living room while I clean up the bathroom and comes back to get me. He says, "Mommy, water." Water? What does that mean? I rush to the living room and lo and behold there is pee pee all over the floor. That little bugger was holding it in and waited until he got up to go. Okay, I thought, I've got a fighter on my hands, but I will get him eventually. Except he got me :) The past 3 days has been the same story over and over again. He likes sitting on the potty, but does not want to go on it. The minute, and I mean the minute the walks away, he will go on himself. He would rather do that than do it in the potty. Yesterday was the very last straw for me. First in the morning I let him walk around naked thinking that I was going to catch him in the act and hurry and sit him on the potty and teach him that way. Well all morning he didn't go, and he didn't tell me he had to, so things were okay. I decide to mop the floor and he is playing in the garage. I have my eye on him, watching him play with his toys. Well as I move toward the hallway with the mop, he moves out of my line of sight. It couldn't have been for more than 2 minutes. As soon as he did, guess what - accident on the floor of the garage. Big one. :( I collected myself and moved on and tried again. This my friends is the straw that broke my back. I knew he had to go after hours of drinking and not going, so I convinced him to sit on the potty. I told him that I was going to go get him some milk and he should stay sitting. When I came back, he was still sitting, but there was pee all over the floor. Seriously. And not like he tried to go and it sprayed everywhere. More like he stood up, went, and sat back down again. I called my mom in tears at my wits end, and she convinced me that it was nothing I did wrong but more that Drew isn't ready. And I guess she's right. I hate to give up. I mean it's only been 3 days. But I haven't left the house and I've mopped the floor more times than I can count, and I need a break :( I mean, if you are sitting on a potty and would rather stand up and go on yourself than go where you're sitting, you must have a serious aversion to it that I am not sure will be cured with more training. It was not a hit and miss with us. He never went on it. Not once in all 3 days. And I hate being a quitter, but for my sanity, I have to give us both a break. It's not like he's going to school, and he needs to be trained soon. I am even a little early on this maybe. I just had such high hopes. But this is God showing me that it is not about me or my schedule. This is about Drew, and he's not ready. And I am going to accept this. As hard as it is :)
I am looking forward to a good weekend and a date night with my hubby tomorrow and an electric football game in the dome on Sunday.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T21:00:48Z

Labor Day weekend was awesome this year! Mainly because we threw a super cool party for Drew that he loved, and so did everyone else for that matter :) The petting zoo worked out great. There were chickens, goats, pigs, turtles, alligators, rabbits and a special surprise - a kangaroo! Seriously! It was awesome to see one up close, and all of the kids (and adults) had a blast getting in the ring and getting to pet everything. Drew is still talking about the "amils." I was really worried that it would be too over the top, but it was worth every penny, and I got so many calls and emails thanking me for a great party. Awesome!
And thanks to parents and in laws, my house is mainly clean except for the millions of new toys everywhere. Now we go through the fun part of sorting out the old stuff and filtering in the new. I actually don't open all of Drew's presents and save some of them for rainy days when he is bored. I am not sure how many years I can get away with this, but this is the second time I am doing it, and it is working out so far.

Drew's actual birthday is tomorrow, and I can't believe he will be 2 years old! I can remember his birth like it was yesterday. He is growing up so fast, and I just want to capture this time when he still needs me and isn't afraid to give me hugs and kisses. I know it will go by way too fast, so I am trying to take my own advice and live in the moment.

Okay and I am finally getting around to posting me in my Saints maternity top. Tomorrow makes 26 weeks, and I look okay here, although my stomach (and thighs) seem to expand daily. All part of it I guess. As long as my hubby lies to me and tells me I am still beautiful, I can bear it :)

Die Hard

2009-08-21T15:23:46Z

After reading through my posts, I realize that most of them talk about sports of some kind, and I think that I have joined my husband in his obessive problem with this stuff.
Case in point - When we went to the Saints game the other night, we saw my doctor from a distance and realized that he has seats one section over from us. At my appt this week, I brought it up to him that I saw him and we started talking football. I told him that I thought there would be a few games I might have to miss at the end of the year due to the fact that my due date was so close and I would be across the lake from my hospital. However, maybe I wouldn't have to miss them after all since he would be there anyway. He said that maybe he could get a special pass to the ladies lounge and deliver the baby right there. I told him we wouldn't even have to miss a play since there are tvs everywhere broadcasting what is happening. The thing is, I am not sure if either of us was joking. Yes my friends, I have a problem :)

This pregancy is going really well, and I have no real health issues this time. I do have a little too much fluid, but I am going to work on that by drinking a lot more water and a lot less diet soda. It just seems like it is passing me by, but I think it's because I am so busy with the world around me. I do have a very strong feeling that this is a special child who will have a very big heart, but what parent wouldn't say that about their child :) I promise a belly pic very soon because it's getting more noticeable (and more uncomfortable) and I really need to take it before I stop looking 2nd trimester cute and start looking 3rd trimester miserable. It seems like you just wake up one day and you are huge and people give you sympathetic looks instead of smiling at the glow on your face.

Here's to a good productive weekend. Happy Friday!

Life Update

2009-08-13T18:48:06Z

My life always feels like a lot is going on, but then really not that much all at the same time. I guess it's not that much compared to some people I know, but whatev. First, I think I can use the name Alex again because my sister's sister in law is now choosing to go with Jackson. I really hope I can use the name because I had a premonition about it and nothing else feels right except for that. We did pick out his bedding which is a super cute sports themed set with all of the essential sports featured. Plus my mom is making him a jersey with his name on it and the number will be the date of his birth, which I can't wait to get. I also thought it might be cute to put up those pictures of famous athletes as little kids that you always see in random stores. Now that I want them, I can't think of where in the world to get them. Does anyone know what I am talking about? Or do I sound like a crazy person as usual?
We also got Drew a new bed, but we haven't set it up yet because first we have to clean out closets and move stuff around so we can fit everything in one room and make space for other things in other rooms. Blah Blah. But it is getting done a little at a time. I am really anxious for Drew to sleep in his new bed because we are being bad parents and when Drew wakes up around 3am and cries Daddy! Mommy! we feel so bad we go and get him and he snuggles in between us. I keep thinking it's because he finds our bed so much more comfortable than his, so hopefully his nice new bed will help. I know it's not true though and we will have to go through this again with the new bed, but I am determined to have this child sleeping in his own bed through the night before the new baby comes. It is a necessity actually because baby 2 will be waking up and I can't have two children not sleeping well because that will make for one very tired mommy.

Oh and I bought the book, Potty Training in One Day. I really think the ideas are spot on, and I plan to try it after Drew's birthday. He has begun telling me when he has to go 1 and 2 (although he calls both pooh-pooh, but okay), so I know he is ready. It's just a matter of me being ready. It is a big switch to have to worry about mess and a change of clothes everywhere, but I cannot wait until he is rid of diapers. Those things are mega bucks, and I can't imagine two children in them. I am vowing that it won't be me. We'll see ;)

In other exciting news, Saints preseason starts Friday, and I have ordered a Saints maternity top, and I cannot wait to get it. After all, I needed something to wear to all of the games now that we have season tickets. Ahem. Just thought I would rub that in one more time. I hope it comes by tomorrow. And it looks like an exciting year for our boys. I know we say that every year, but I love the changes made in the off season this year, and I am really hopeful. Of course we will end up being really great this year, and I know for sure I have to miss a few games in December due to the baby. Ahh the sacrifices we make, right?

You Tube Virgin

2009-07-28T17:07:58Z

Today I am no longer a You Tube virgin. Check out this video of Drew I posted learning the "word game." This was inspired from all of those commercials where 9 month old babies are learning how to read. I figured I could do it myself without paying $100 for flash cards :)

My Own Football Team

2009-07-28T14:50:06Z

If you hadn't heard by now, Drew is going to have a little brother. Truly, truly I am thrilled, and I feel so comfortable and confident because I know exactly what to expect and how to handle a little boy. A friend joked that we are the next Mannings, and honestly, I would be totally fine with that. I always wanted my own football team :)
Now that we know, I am ready to kick into high gear with re-doing rooms and buying new furniture. I think that we've decided that we are going to keep Drew's room the same - just updated for a toddler - and re-do the new baby's room to a sports theme. Gee, was that unpredictable or what?
Oh and speaking of sports, we have enrolled Drew in his first real activity - a soccer team for kids his age. I know, can you believe it? But I figure, I would much rather my kid in a sport than in Gymboree or something like that. Soccer is the one sport that Brad is not really into, but all of a sudden he is buying Drew mini uniforms and searching for toddler soccer balls. I think he is trying for Coach of the Year already :)
And Drew will be two soon, so that means I am planning his 2nd birthday party. I think it will be a farm animal party where we will get a petting zoo and pony rides. It sounds elaborate, but it's not really. It's really common for this area - there are petting zoos all over the place, and Drew loves them. He can make the sound for any animal on the farm. It's super cute. So I thought he might love something like that and the other kids will too. I just hope it won't cost me a fortune because by the time he turns 16, I will be in serious trouble.

Twilight

2009-06-30T17:19:31Z

I am about to say something that might offend some readers - I hated the movie Twilight. I know, I know, but it just did not compare to the book. I am a little late (okay a lot late), but I just started reading the series once I was in Vegas. I thought the book reminded me of my old teen reading days when I was into the drama and romance, but I felt like Ms Meyer was building up to an epic love story, and I enjoyed that. I liked the family of vampires and found myself caring about them. But then there was the movie. Once day Bella and Edward hate each other, the next they love each other. Really? Cuz that's not how it happened. I just kept finding myself saying, "But what about this?" To be fair, I have only seen one movie that ever really captured the book and that is the old version of Pride and Prejudice - The six hour version - so it better capture the book. Maybe I will give Twilight another try in a few months. I know the new movie is coming out soon, and the second book was just blah for me, so maybe it will be better and renew my hope. I always feel like I am missing something when I don't agree with what the world seems to like (ahem ahem Slumdog Millionaire ahem ahem). Can someone convince me otherwise?

And Then There Were Two

2009-06-27T23:42:19Z

Yeah it was about that time. I am totally excited that we will get another baby for Christmas this year!!! I have waited a little long to post just to make sure everything was okay, but it is, and I have discovered that I am a pretty good secret keeper, although it is much easier that most of my friends on here I don't see face to face :) In 4 weeks we will know what the baby is, and I am freaking out because it seems like time is just passing me by. I am enjoying this pregnancy much more, mainly because I don't have the issues that I did the first time. I have learned major lessons like this one - Don't eat whatever I want just because I am preggers. I have only gained 5lbs and can still fit in my skinny jeans where as last time, I was already up a size. Weird though how your stomach seems to expand overnight and then people don’t know if you’re pregnant or just fat.

Now is it a boy or a girl? Who knows, and frankly, I have no preference. My first thought was that it was a boy and I am thrilled with that because I love my little boy and he would have a brother and I would already have his clothes covered for the first 2 years of his life. But if it’s a girl like Brad thinks, that’s lovely too, and I would love her and teach her to be a strong feminist just like her mommy.

I just really am excited, and I am now allowing myself to be excited about this without too much fear. I know what to expect this time, and it makes things so much easier. So far anyway. Ask me in another 10 weeks :)

Where have all the pink packets gone?

2009-06-22T15:44:32Z

I am a little bit obsessed with sweet n low. I have always used it in my iced tea, but I started using it in my coffee a few years ago when I realized I needed only two pinks compared to the six sugars I was using. Seriously I am a sweet junkie. Anyway, my beloved pink packets are becoming a thing of the past. I have noticed in the restaurants in New York, Disney World and Las Vegas that the choices are now Splenda and sugar - not even Equal makes the cut. McDonald's has stopped carrying it and so has my local gas station. I started carrying the packets in my purse in case of such an emergency because I just cannot do the other stuff. I know, I know - FREAK. A couple of years ago I bought the mega box from Costco for work in Dallas and was the subject of many jokes, but I still have that box at my house and I am thinking I should start using it sparingly. Ever saw the "sponge" episode on Seinfeld? I think I am going to have to decide if something is "pink worthy." I am thinking that I am the only one with such a dilemma because I don't hear anyone else complaining. Just another one of the many quirks I have :)

Viva Las Vegas

2009-06-16T17:21:08Z

So I'm back and after my fourth trip, I can honestly say that I never get tired of that town. Something so alluring about it. Anything you want is there at your fingertips - for a price of course :) We had a blast and I think we have created some future gamblers. Always the case, right? We acted like big shots in our lush hotel and we were able to get a cabana by the pool which included our own personal server, a flat screen to keep up with the games and our own fridge. Then we went to see Jersey Boys (totally awesome - I loved it!!) and we got moved from our top mezzanine seats to the orchestra at no charge. Crazy Lucky! No I am not big time, but somehow I always manage to pull off the impossible. Needless to say, it was an awesome time. Now it is back to real life. And it's funny how the same routine falls back into place right away. Even for Drew, who had a couple of crazy days with both sets of grandparents where he got to stay up late and eat whatever he wanted.
Oh and I have found a sleep trick that works! So before we left, we had one night too many of Drew kicking us and playing around in our bed before he went to sleep. Even though I thought I would have to start all over again after we came back, we started our new bedtime ritual. At about 8:15, I tell Drew - 15 more minutes till Deaux-Deaux (Ok - interjection here. Deaux-Deaux is a cajun word for bedtime or going to sleep. Back me up LA readers :) Then I tell him again at 10 minutes then again at 5 minutes. When time is up, we put him in his bed, pat him on the back and say, "We'll see you in the morning." He cries for less than 6 minutes (we timed it) and that is a wrap until morning. I am almost shocked at how easy that was. And last night, we had no issues as once in bed, he didn't even cry at all!!! I can't believe I waited so long to try this. I was so afraid of the meltdown that didn't happen. Well, lesson learned, and I am officially adding another notch to my belt.
Now I am waiting until my next vacation which is around July 24th - just a short trip to Destin, FL with the family. I have this vacay fever, and I just want to keep going. My hubby's friend asked him, "How do you get to go so many places?" To which Brad responded, "I don't drive a Lexus like you." Yeah we drive an 01 Nissan Sentra with 120K miles, but I think I am the one with my priorities straight :)

21

2009-06-04T14:50:49Z

My sister in law turns 21 today, and somehow I am the one that feels older because when I met her she was in the sixth grade. Wowzers! Time really flies. You know, the year I turned 21 was one of the best of my life. I graduated college, got married and moved to Dallas, and all of this was kicked off by a trip to Las Vegas that my parents got me for my 21st birthday. Thus I am paying it forward and hoping that our little celebration next week will kick off a fantastic year for her. Tonight we are going out to eat and she gets to order her first (legal) drink. How exciting! Here's to 21 and many more. Happy Birthday Ashley!

Real-Life Parenting

2009-06-02T17:21:20Z

Well, it has started. The terrible twos I mean, and this is scary, he's not even two yet. Yikes! The word no leads to fists pumping on the floor rolling around and lots of tears. None of these work for me, so I just walk away or ignore him and poof within 3 minutes, he is back to himself again. These are strange days I tell you, but I keep singing that Darius Rucker song in my head, "It won't be like this for long." Right? Right? :)
I am also going to have to change our bedtime routine. Currently at about 8:45 p.m. I will take Drew in my bed (wait, give me a chance to finish :) turn off all of the lights and just lay in complete darkness. He rolls around for a bit, talking and playing, and I just stay silent. Within 10 minutes he falls asleep and we bring him in his own bed and there is bedtime. I know, I know, not good. We have been avoiding the confrontation of putting him in his crib at 8:45 and letting him cry it out for a bit until he gets used to going in his own bed at this time. I am cheating and cheaters never win especially since I don't have TiVo and have to miss the end of most of my shows and watch them online. I told Brad we have to change this really soon. I am just wondering if I should wait until after Las Vegas next week because then we will have to do it all over again, and I can only take so much crying :) Hmm, something to consider.

The Specialist

2009-05-26T17:28:24Z

Drew's health problems have been no secret, but this time, I hope (with fingers crossed behind my back), I think we have kicked it - for now. After Drew got the tubes in his ears in December, he continued to have fluid leak out of them occassionally. The ENT doc said something has to be causing it, so in February she tested him for a bacteria. Turns out he had strep pneumoniae bacteria, which is the number one cause of ear infections and other bacterial infections in children. Untreated it can cause a ton of things like menigitis and pneumonia (duh). She gave him an antibiotic for 10 days. He took it, we went back to the doctor, and he still had the bacteria. We went on another stronger medicine. For 10 days, he took it. Back to the doctor. Had it ---AGAIN. At this point I am so frustrated because about every 3 days or so, Drew would spike fever. No other symptoms, but the fever as we all know affects this child tremendously, so I would give him alternate doses of tylenol and ibuprofen every 4 hours religiously with very little sleep for me :( We tried this strong medicine again, but once again, the tests came back positive for the bacteria. Now about the time of the last test, we took Drew out of day care. And what do you know? No more fever, no cough, not even one sniffle. Hmmm..... So we go see an Infectious Disease doctor last week to check Drew for the bacteria because this doctor can prescribe a very strong medicine that the ENT cannot. The specialist exams Drew head to toe and declares that he is the healthiest child he has seen in quite a while. He says that he thinks the last medicine worked and that the bacteria was being carried in the day care and that Drew just kept getting exposed it and picking it up again. Well, what do you know?
And you know, despite all of this, I am not anti-day care or anything. Parents need to work and thank God there are safe, government mandated places to bring your kids. And let's face it, kids will get sick if not in day care then the very first week they start preschool - I assure you. Kids have germs and spread them like wildfire, and this is just a fact of life. IBut I think Drew just has a weak immune system and we need to work on that a bit before he gets exposed to other kids on a daily basis. I am at total peace now with our situation, and I think (hope) we are on the road to recovery.

My Baby's Back (in his own bed :)

2009-05-07T19:25:14Z

Using the BabyWise method, (if you are unfamiliar with this, I am happy to explain), Drew was sleeping through the night at around 3.5-4 months. We had no issues other than the occasional teething setback until Drew had his first seizure. Then the boy who slept so great in his bed started sleeping so great in my bed, and hubby and I started not sleeping so great. We would work through it and get to the point where Drew would be back in his bed again, and then he would have another seizure. I was so afraid to leave him alone that I thought our bed of two might be a bed of three until he was 5. This did not make my hubby very happy, but we agreed it was for the best.

Now things have finally calmed down and we think we have finally figured out a major source for the seizures (more on this a little later), I thought it was about time to have Drew sleep in his own bed again.

The first night he cried for 20 minutes, but went back to sleep and did not wake until morning.

The second night he did not cry at all.

The total bonus – He wakes up around 5:30 a.m. because I think he hears Brad moving around for work. Since Brad is out of bed by then, I have been going to get him in hopes that he would fall back to sleep for a bit so I don’t have to wake up too. It totally works – He has been sleeping until 7:45 a.m.!!!

This morning I actually got to shower and get ready before he even woke up.

This is thrilling people, thrilling! I think for my hubby most of all ;)

One of the other exciting things in my life is our upcoming trip to Vegas next month, although nothing seems to be going as planned, but I hope it works out for the best. We are treating my sis in law and Brad’s cousin for their 21^st and what can be more exciting or special than a trip to Vegas, so whatever happens should be good, right? I remember my first trip to Vegas when I was 21 and my folks pulled out all of the stops, so of course, I am paying it forward. A spa trip, a show, the awesome Hotel at Mandalay Bay, I am looking forward to a little indulgence J Come to think of it, I pulled out all of the stops for my sis in law on her first “magical” trip to Disney. Hmm, I think she has a tab forming :)

Dear Drew

2009-04-21T16:24:03Z

Dear Drew,

On May 9^th you will be 20 months old, and I just can’t believe how grown up you are. It seems that every day you say a new word, and sometimes I am shocked when I hear you say it for the first time. I always think, “Did my baby really just say that?” Except you are not a baby anymore, but growing into a big boy.

You love cars and everything with wheels is a car in your mind. You love to wait outside for the schoolbus in the morning and wave high to the driver, shouting “Hi Car!” at the top of your lungs.

You love Elmo and anything Sesame Street. You also love Barney and make a roar when you see him on the screen (although I think Barney is the only dinosaur that doesn’t roar :)

Your favorite things to do are anything outside and to read books (also mommy’s favorite). You have started memorizing your favorite books and indicate what is coming next in the story.

Mommy is ambitious and bought a potty and has started teaching you about using it and the types of things that go in there. P.S. It’s not cars.

You definitely understand poop and when that happens, but when mommy let you walk around without a diaper, she realized that you still don’t have full control of your bowels. It’s a good thing we have wood floors :) Don’t worry, there is still plenty of time to learn.

You hate anything fruit, but you will eat most vegetables, which I will take any day. You have been throwing your plate and cup as a sign that you are finished, which you get in trouble for, so you are quickly learning that’s a no-no.

You are adventurous and sometimes it gets you into trouble. Mommy and Daddy are working hard on the discipline thing because you are so devastated when we fuss at you, but it is for your own good and we all must remember that :)

Since the day you came into this world, I felt you were a special child and you have such a profound effect on everyone you meet. You wave hi and smile at everyone, flirting with the girls and high-fiving the guys. Your daddy says you will be just like me, which is a good thing :) I love you dearly, and I am so glad to have this time with you.

Love,

Mommy

Buying Generic

2009-04-03T14:58:11Z

In order to save money, we have started buying generic/store brands on a lot of our grocery items. Everything from tylenol to toilet paper. It is crazy how much cheaper this stuff is and most of the time it is the same exact ingredients and made by the same company. But there are a few things that I just cannot buy generic on because the quality is not as good. Peanut Butter is one. It has to be Jiff for me. The other stuff doesn't taste as creamy. And Brad is a Crest kid, so we have to always buy Crest toothpaste. Just curious if other people have this quirk?

Catch Up

2009-03-30T17:44:16Z

A lot has happened since my last post. A whole lot. So forgive the length of this blog, but I am airing it all for those who care. The two of you? Or maybe more (I hope :)

As of Monday, April 6^th, I am official a part time employee of my company. This has been a project in the works for me for a little while, and it is finally happening. The very long version of this story is

here:

As you may or may not know or remember, about 8 months ago, my company went through a turmoil with a former employee (a very long confrontational story :) and I had to take over managing the Dallas office remotely while still maintaining my current responsibilities. In order to do this task properly and effectively, I decided that Drew would have to go into day care because I needed to commit 8 full hours every day to manage everything and I couldn’t afford to pay someone to watch him at the house for that amount of time.

I wasn’t totally happy and at peace about this, but I didn’t know what else to do. I found a place that I thought was great and had a real curriculum for toddlers and a special air filtration system for germs and a webcam to monitor your child and basically everything you could ask for in a child care center. Drew started going in September and I cried for two weeks every time I dropped him off J. And while Drew learned a lot and made special bonds with his teachers and gained lots of social skills, he ended up with lots of viruses, ear infections, runny noses and 3 febrile seizures. I know this is all part of being a kid and you can get ear infections and colds when you’re not in day care, it just seemed like it was one thing after another and every single time Drew had even a sniffle, I felt super guilty. After this last seizure, I had enough. I know it’s not the day care that causes the seizure, but there are two things that get me: 1.) Is he more prone to get them with the bacteria/viruses he picks up there? And 2.) What if he has one there and I am not there? I can’t bear to think of it without bursting into tears every time.

So Brad and I sat down with our finances and figured out a way that I can work part time and afford for someone to come and watch Drew at our house a couple days a week while I do that. The thing is, even at the small wage I am paying for 3 days a week, it is still a ton more money for a “nanny” than day care is. And it should be, especially for the person to come to my house while I am there. But I had to really work to budget for that because it is worth it for me to know he is here.

I am a little nervous to how Drew will get used to the transition of not going to day care every day and to my abilities to carry on with the curriculum the child care center was using, but mostly I am excited to take him to the library and the children’s museum and teach him things while still carrying on with my career that I have worked so hard for and that I am good at. Forgive my modesty :) The struggle to be both a great mom and have a great career is the most challenging thing I have ever done, but I think that I have found the balance that is right for me.

Brad also has some career changes going on. He is starting another job with another government contracting firm. I won’t get you all up in his business on my blog, but do know it is a very interesting story full of drama and a little divine intervention (email me if you want details). He starts on Monday, April 13^th, and we are pretty excited. It is the next step in his career and he deserves it.

He has one week off before he starts his job, so we are going to take a small family vacation to Callaway Gardens in GA http://www.callawaygardens.com/. I am so excited to get away and take a trip with just the 3 of us, which we haven’t done since Drew was much younger. I can’t wait to take Drew swimming and sight seeing around town. I am a little nervous about the 6 hour car ride to GA, but hopefully DVDs, plenty of stops and a long lunch break in a children’s play area will help.

Oh and speaking of divine intervention……

When Brad and I first moved back to LA in 2006, the very first thing Brad did was put his name on a waiting list for Saints season tickets. A very long waiting list, filled with thousands of names – no exaggeration. We didn’t hold our breath or anything, especially since Brad’s pawpaw is a season ticket holder and we get to go to a couple of games a year. But Brad has always wished for his own tickets. Well, my friends, dreams do come true because we got a call from the Saints two weeks ago asking if we were interested in season tickets. There were quite a few things available, but there were some unbelievable seats open in the club level section underneath the suites. I am talking maxed out seats and special access to the best food in the dome. Of course they were way more than I thought we would spend, but when my hubby looked at me with those puppy dog eyes and said, “You know, I don’t have many dreams in life, but this is one of them,” I knew it was true and I couldn’t say no. I can’t wait until the first game to check out our seats and wear my special club level pass J

I could probably say more, but that is quite enough don’t you think? Next time I won’t wait so long in between posts, especially since I have been on other people about that lately ;)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

2009-03-05T18:45:39Z

What happened to my usually cooperative, healthy body? In the last 3 weeks, I have been hit with the following:

1.) 24 hour stomach bug causing uncontrollable vomiting. Fun and gross right?

2.) Flu - which by the way, I can't remember ever having and it sucks. I literally could not get out of my bed one day. I called Brad crying because I didn't know how I was going to bring Drew to Mimi's house that day. After some phone calls, Brad got it taken care of, and I stayed in bed from morning until night. That was two days ago, and while I feel a little better, I am still not 100%. Does anyone get the flu shot? I am definitely considering it now because I can't afford to lose this many days of my life.

3.) H.Pylori www.mayoclinic.com/health/h-pylori/DS00958- When I had the endoscopy done, they also did a biopsy. Turns out I have a bacteria in my stomach that is causing me to feel so bad and have all of these acid issues. It is very common and treatable with strong antibiotics. I told the nurse that I was kind of glad they found something because I have been on Nexium for a few weeks now and it had not been working. I thought I would be feeling much better by now. Check out what I have to take to make it better........

4 pills in the a.m. 4 pills in the p.m. for 14 days. Awesome.

Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something?
Me and Drew to tell you the truth. I think some big changes need to be made around here and I am working on what that may be. More to come soon.........

On a positive note, I have discovered that Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/jackieduv/ lets you upload videos. Please check out this awesome video on my site to experience my greatest accomplishment as a parent so far. You may think I am crazy, but at least you will smile :)

The Player

2009-03-01T19:16:19Z

I just found out I was getting played. By my own son. So today I had to be a real parent, not just that adult in the room who takes care of the baby's needs. The past few days Drew has not wanted to eat any real food, only snacks like goldfish and cheerios. I let him slide a little since he has been sick, but since he has not had fever since Friday night and seems back to normal, I thought something was up. I fixed him a lunch of turkey stew (which he usually loves), and he refused to eat it. He asked to get down from his chair, went to the pantry and pulled out the yogurt pretzels. When I refused to give him one, he went back to the pantry and pulled out the cheerios. I thought, "This is one smart kid." He thought he could convince me by accepting to eat a healthier snack than a yogurt pretzel.
I told him that he couldn't have any snack until he ate a bit of the turkey stew. After 10 minutes of a solid meltdown, I decided to compromise and gave him a piece of wheat bread with butter. I told him he at least had to eat that and then I would give him a pretzel. After a few minutes of pouting about it, he decided to eat the piece of bread. I kept up my bargain and gave him one pretzel. He ate it happily and then went down for his nap.
And I think I just taught him a lesson right? I guess the biggest thing I was trying to do was to show him that I wasn't going to give in to his tantrum and that he had to eat something of substance. And wow, just like that I am a real parent and not just a caretaker. I am someone who has to discipline and teach lessons. And I hope I can do this well enough to raise a caring, generous child. There is no turning back.....I am a full blown responsible adult/parent. Just someone stop me if you catch me wearing "mom jeans."

He is just that kid

2009-02-28T01:25:16Z

Drew had another febrile seizure last night. Since this is his third one, I should be used to it by now, but I'm not. It still scares the bejeezus out of me every time. I know what to expect and how to handle, but I am still shaken to my core because it happens so suddenly and there is nothing you can do to prevent it or stop it (at least that I have found). We actually brought him to the ER again because it seemed like he was taking longer to recover than usual, his breathing was labored and after giving him tylenol, it seemed that his temperature was rising instead of falling. I didn't think I would be able to keep it down by myself and I didn't want him to keep having the seizures, so I brought him in. Of course, as soon as we arrive, he is back to normal, pointing out all of the cars in the parking lot (his new favorite word :). I guess the truth is, I needed someone to tell me it was going to be okay. That this won't affect him in the long run. That he will grow out of it by age 6 latest. And that is exactly what I heard, so it was one expensive reassurance ;) Turns out he had a pretty massive ear infection despite the tubes. And it happened so fast because we were just at the ENT a week before and he had no issues. The ER doc said that mucus was covering the tube and blocking everything up. He said that Mucinex would cure it pretty quick but since you can't give it to children under 2 (there is no research that says it will be ok), we had to go a different route. Drew got a shot of the strongest ear infection medicine there is and a prescription for a very strong antibiotic that the doc said would kill anything. He said this was probably overkill, but I didn't care, I just want him to be better. Crazy thing? Drew had no symptoms. He was his same happy playful self, never indicating once that he was in pain, not even pulling on his ear. The doctor said, "he is just that kid that is affected by fever and gets febrile seizures." I guess it could be worse right? It just breaks my heart that this special little boy has to go through this.

I Made It!

2009-02-13T17:56:36Z

There is a saying in my family that I haven't ever thought twice about until my boss questioned it one day. You see whenever someone in my family flys or drives somewhere without the rest of us, we always say, "Call us when you make it." And when I call my mom as my plane touches down, she always says, "Glad you made it." One day I told my boss this as he called me when he arrived from traveling and he burst out laughing, saying, "What did you think I wasn't going to make it?" And I guess it is funny and maybe kind of morbid?
But my point is, after all my worries about the procedure, I made it and with no problems :)
In fact, I have completely lost that moment of my life as I was out of it. They told me it was "contra-sedation" where if they asked me to turn over or something I would respond ,but they could have told me to jump on one leg as I don't remember a thing. I remember them saying that the medicine would burn as it when in and then everything got blurry. When I woke up, I was in recovery and they were walking me to my mom's car. It was totally different than I thought it would be. They told me that the scope was smaller than bites of food that I probably chew. In my demented head, I thought it would more like a feeding tube so that was much better. Plus, my nurse was the mom of a friend I went to grade school with and who I hadn't seen in 15 years. So that was nice and reminded me of why I love life in a small town :)
Anyway, I don't need surgery. Just two types of medicine to try to fix this up so yay for that. I would much rather this option.

And today is Friday and we have a weekend filled with mardi gras events and a pedicure for me :) And while I am not big on Valentines Day, I love romance and I always like to be surprised by my hubby who usually does something special for me. I don't want or need elaborate gifts, I just like to feel special every now and then. What girl doesn't?

It's Carnival Time

2009-02-02T18:19:15Z

This was a pretty good weekend. It was eventful, but not so much so that it wasn't relaxing. On Saturday, my sis came over and we played Sears Portrait Studio with the kids. I am a terrible photographer, so it didn't turn out well at all. Plus, Drew totally wasn't feeling it. The whole event can be summed up in one picture:

Sears Day

Ahem...Moving On. I have decided to make some wine charms that I will hopefully get to sell at my WBTC classes. Since I use real wine glasses (not the plastic ones) for my tastings, I figure that people can use these to know which glass is theirs. I enlisted my creative sis to make these and I bought all of the supplies. I think they turned out really cute. What do you think? Any suggestions? The ones I am going to show have a NOLA theme, but you can really go anywhere with this. Another question...How much max would you pay for this? Be honest. I won't tell you what I am thinking of charging yet just to see where you stand first.
This is what they look like:

Wine Charms

We have a backyard mystery that needs to be solved because I am getting freaked out. About 2 weeks ago, my parents were over and hanging in the back yard and they saw a cat behind our hammock. My parents are cat people and began calling out to the cat to come to them. When the cat didn't move, they went to take a closer look, and the poor thing was dead. Just keeled over behind the hammock. I know it had to be there for at least 2 days because we hadn't gone back there for that long, but my gosh, I hope it wasn't back there longer. Anyway, Brad just wanted to throw it away (b/c he is allergic to cats and hates them - hope no one is too offended by that oh and the cat had no tags or anything), but my dad asked him to please bury the cat in the yard because it was the right thing to do. So Brad did and now there is that. Well yesterday we saw another dead animal in our yard. A rabbit. Now this rabbit had been half eaten (sorry I know it's gross) and was being consumed by bugs and stuff. Yuck-o!!! So I want to know...Is something killing animals in my backyard? What the heck could it be? A raccoon? Do they kill stuff like that? I am super freaked, and I hope it isn't something really crazy. Yikes.

On Sunday we took Drew to his first Mardi Gras parade. I think he was a little overwhelmed because he looked at all of us like we were crazy, but he did like when the fire and police trucks came by. He also got a jumprope and a toothbrush (from Bippo the Hippo, remember him?) that he loved and would not let go of for anything. We will go to another next weekend, and I hope he gradually gets used to it. After all, this is a big part of his future, and seriously, I am excited to teach him all the joys and fun of Carnival season. I am posting all of the pics on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/jackieduv/ so check it out.

Bad Mommy Moment

2009-01-28T17:46:16Z

Ok I have a great proud mommy story complete with video that will invoke many "aww how cute" sounds, but as I wait for my technical director (aka Brad) to upload the video, I must share my bad mommy moment that happened yesterday.

Drew has been learning how to talk on the phone. We let him play with an old phone that we don't use anymore and he carries it around next to his ear starting with "Oh" for Hello and then proceeds to talk babble and nonsense into it. Well I was busy getting ready yesterday morning and he asked for our real phone. I let him play with it, so what happened next is my fault.

Drew called the cops on me.

Yeppers, Drew dialed 3 9s and 15 1s and apparantly that works because the next thing you know, cops were knocking at my door at 6:45 a.m. They did try to call me first but I didn't know it was them because an unknown number came up on my caller ID and I didn't answer because I was changing Drew's diaper, and I didn't know who it was. Anyway, I was a hot mess when I answered the banging knock (you know how cops do). I had a snoflake robe over Brad's white tee, pink pj pants and black mickey mouse socks. I hadn't even brushed my teeth or hair yet, so I can't imagine what these guys were thinking.

They explained that someone called 911 from our house and I just stood there looking at Drew like, "Really?" Then they asked if I was home alone I guess to make sure someone wasn't holding a gun to my head or something. My friend told me that usually they ask to come in anyway, but thank god they didn't have to and they were nice and understanding and left.

By oh gosh I was mortified and this one goes down in Drew's history book for sure. So two notes to self - You don't have to dial just 911 for it to work and don't let Drew play with the real phone.

Ahh a day in the life, right?

Mensa Bound

2009-01-13T21:01:51Z

In my rational mind, I know that all of the new things that Drew does is just a natural part of being a growing toddler, but my mommy mind forces me to call my mom every time and say, "Drew is a genius!!! Guess what he can do now?"
So indulge me if you will in the top 5 reasons Drew is super smart:

1.) He knows the difference between a cat, dog, bird and a frog. Because we read a book (daily :) with a frog in it and the frog sticks out his tongue, that is what he does to mimic a frog. See this video to know what I mean.

Video 1
http://www.winesbytheclassnola.com/personal/drew2.wmv

2.) He doesn't love to take a bath, but if you ask him to take a bath with bubbles, he will run to the tub and rush to get in saying, "Baubau" or something like that.

3.) He knows the difference between brushing your hair and brushing your teeth (as in, Drew, brush your hair/teeth) and can do both, although not too well :)

4.) If I give him a thermometer and ask him to take his temperature, he will stick the thermometer in one ear and then in the other ear because he knows I always take it in both sides.

5.) The other day he got hold of a napkin and ripped it up to little pieces, and tried to put a little piece in each ear because he knows we put cotton or a blocker in his ears to take a bath and he was imitating that.

I just wanted to post these super cute things to remember them always. We are also making progress on the sports end as he can throw a ball overhand and he knows how to put the ball (and everything else:) in the basketball goal he got for Christmas. He also knows the signal for touchdown although he did get confused this year when we would say "Touchdown Drew!" and meant Drew Brees, but he will figure it out eventually ;)