Monday, March 31, 2008

Hooray For OPENING DAY!!!!!

Today marks the first day of the Yankees' regular season. Growing up in a household of Yankees fans, I've turned into quite the fan myself. I'm so excited that I can hardly contain myself!

Baseball reminds me of a much simpler time in my life. In high school I was so addicted to the Yankees that I knew every player's number, batting average, position and their number of RBI's. I seriously watched every single game and if I had an obligation that caused me to miss a game, I would tape it and watch it later in the night. Crazy, huh?

THEN.. Came John! I love my husband but he has a HUGE flaw! He's a Brave's fan. Unbelievable!! So, because I love him slightly more (Okay, A LOT more) than the Yankees I usually end up watching the stupid Braves play so I don't have to be away from him. We have more than one TV but I just can't stand the thought of being divided every night over a silly baseball game. The post-season is a different story because John's team hasn't been making it to the playoffs lately (HAHAHAHAHAHA) but during the regular season, I just catch my Yankees when I can. Even if I don't watch the games though, I always look forward to catching the highlights and scores.

I hate to admit this to myself (and anyone else that know me well) that since Brooke was born I don't always like to watch the games. Since her birth, if I have a free minute to myself, I think of the piles of laundry, the dishes in the sink, the floors I haven't mopped, the shower I haven't taken, or the husband who I haven't spent any time with. Ya know? Baseball is an amazing game but it's very slow moving and I sit there in between pitches thinking of all of the other things that I'm neglecting to enjoy my game. So, unfortunately, now I'm just a busy fan who is lucky to catch a few innings here and there.

This season won't be quite the same for me because my Joe Torre is gone:-( He was the Yankees' manager for the longest time and now he's a Dodger. That doesn't even seem right. It will be so sad not seeing his extra big nose in the dugout. Ugh... The Joe Torre era is over.

The game starts at 1 and it's 12:55 now so I must be going! Luckily for me, Brooke's napping so I get to catch the first few moments of the Yankee's season without distractions. It won't last long though! Let's go Yankees!!!!!!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Best Of Friends

My dad's been in Peru on a mission trip since last Tuesday so my mom has been in the need of some company. She had to watch Nathan for Ali and Luke tonight but I asked her to come over anyways. Once my mom and Nathan got here, Brooke was in heaven! She squealed with delight once she saw Nathan and she didn't stop laughing and smiling for the entire night!

We all went out to run some errands and Brooke and Nathan were in the back seat of the car holding hands, singing and laughing hysterically at one another. The real fun began, though, when we came home and put these kids in the tub. They were so unbelievably sweet together! Nathan wanted to help wash Brookie's hair and he rubbed her head with such love and gentleness. Meanwhile, Brooke kept leaning over to give him kisses. They splashed and splashed in the tub for what seemed like forever! Of course they carried on deep conversations with eachother too! I love listening to them banter amongst themselves because it's almost like they have this code language that only the two of them can understand! I seriously think I just sat there the whole night marveling over how much they love one another.

I love how Nathan looks how for Brooke like he does. Whenever he sees her juice cup he picks it up and says, "Brookie, Brookie" and then he runs over and puts it in her mouth. He also gets very concerned when her bow is missing! Both kids are highly interested in the big ribbons that sit on top of Brookie's head so often times it gets lost while they are playing together. Thank goodness for Nathan though because he always notifies me when the precious bow is missing. I then ask him where it is and almost 100 percent of the time he'll find it. He's so smart! Nathan also hugs and kisses Brooke and awful lot too. Sometimes we'll look over and he'll have his little arms wrapped around her neck. Mind you, Brooke doesn't always appreciate the affection, but it's still adorable to watch!

With any good friendship, though, there comes fighting! These 2 kiddos can sure get into some pretty rough arguments. Sometimes they don't like to share with another very well and that always creates a knock-down-drag-out-fight. On the other hand though, sometimes they surprise me by how well they share. I guess it just depends on what kind of mood they're in.

It's funny because before we knew Brooke's gender, I thought that having a little boy first would be ideal because I grew up with a big brother. Having a boy as my oldest child just seemed like the "perfect" family. When I found out that Brooke was a girl I was ELATED and I so incredibly happy, but I still kind of felt a little bit sad that she wouldn't have an older brother... If that makes sense to any of you? Anyways, I say that to say that I think (and hope) that Nathan will fill some of those roles in Brookie's life as they grow older. They are so much like brother and sister now and I really, really hope that they will just continue to be close as they grow.

I never had cousins growing up and I want that so badly for Brookie. The fun times that she and Nathan share are so special and I'm so happy that Brooke is blessed with a built-in play date!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

The Way To My Brookie's Belly

We have totally revamped the way we feed Brooke. For months this kid would eat NOTHING. I seriously don't even know how she sustained herself (other than nursing throughout the night). It was really frustrating because she refused 95% (or more!) of the solid foods we gave her.. Even though we kept reintroducing them and giving her plenty of time to get used to them.

I had her weaned off of baby food because I just assumed that she would be more interested in real foods. I was obviously wrong! So, at a loss of what to do, I brought back the baby foods. I was kind of leery about taking a step BACKWARDS, but hey, the important this to me is that my kid is properly noursished! Now that she's eating the baby food (and loving it, might I add!) she has sparked a new interest in solid foods. I had been giving her table food on her tray and hoping that she would eat it. Now what I'm doing differently is giving her a container of baby food with her dinner and I'm allowing that to be her main meal. That way any solid foods that she decides to eat are a bonus and I won't worry as much that she's not getting the vitamins and nutrients that she needs. It's funny because the second I put Brooke in her highchair she'll raise her hands up and say "all done!" I have to convince her otherwise, which I do by giving her her spoon. She really loves if she can feed her meal to herself so we prepare for a big mess and she does suprisingly well!

Now that Brooke is eating she's not waking up 5 million times in the middle of the night to nurse! Hooray!!!! Last night she slept almost 6 hours (which is an improvement). I seriously think that she just wasn't full because she wasn't getting enough foods during the day. Now that we're revisiting baby foods, she has a renewed interest in eating in general. Yay for us!

In other news, we went to our new house last night for my father-in-law to look it over. He knows all about house "stuff" so we brought him along for his opinion. According to him the hot water heater and furnace looked like they were about shot. The heat upstairs wasn't even working! So, we're working on getting a home inspector sometime this week so we can tell this guy what needs to be done in order for us to buy his house. I'm not really all that concerned about it because if work needs to be done it's this guy's responsibilty. We're happy with him just giving us money towards repairs and not actually fixing the things himself. We'll see!

Okay, Brooke's napping so it's time to be productive! Enjoy your weekend everyone!!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Bringing You Up To Speed

Brooke has been doing so many new things lately and I just realized that I haven't written them down in a long time. So for my memories, here's the list of her latest developments:

~She says "light" and she always wants to turn light switches on and off. She actually flips out if you don't let her.

~She blows kisses.

~Whenever someone says "bow" she touches her head where her bow sits and says "bow" over and over again. If she gets mad she rips her bow out. Ouch!

~She can do the sign for "more" and "all done" and she can also say both of these things too!

~She says, "happy, happy!"

~She continues to love shoes. She takes all her shoes and puts them in a big pile and will attempt to put them on for as long as we let her. She of course says "shoe" also.

~She used to call everything she drinks "juice" but she can now differentiate and say "milk."

~She says "no" defiantly. The other day John called her and told her to come and she shook her head and said, "No,no,no!" We'll need to nip that one in the bud!

~She now says "out" or "down."

~She is complete love with her cousin, Nathan, and she says his name over and over again.

~She says "Grammy," "Mommy," "Daddy," and "Grandpa."

~If someone happens to sneeze, she clearly says, "Bless you!" She'll also do a fake sneeze just to get you to laugh at her.

~Whenever she sees a phone she says "Hi!"

~We're trying to teach her to cover her mouth when she coughs. She won't do it when she actually coughs, but if we tell her to cover her mouth, she'll do a fake cough and then cover her mouth. She's so funny!

~She loves to scribble. She has a MagnaDoodle that she adores and she also has a princess coloring book that her daddy bought for her.

~She likes to feed her baby dolls her milk and she tries to put spoons in their mouths. She'll be such a good mommy one day!

~All of her molars are either completely in or in the process of being cut. All that we're waiting for to come in is her 4 eye teeth.

~She's still sleeping in her crib like crap. Yes, this is something that really needs to be nailed out but her sickness set us back:-(

~She still refuses to eat much of anything. We recently started her on baby foods again to spark some interest in foods and slowly but surely she's learning to eat. This is a huge challenge for us.

I'm sure that once I get off of this computer I'm going to think of so many more things that she's doing, but for now, this is my list. She is getting so big and she's turning into such a special little girl with a mind of her own. 2 words I would use to describe her would be independent and determined. Brooke prefers to play by herself than with me (which makes me sad sometimes!), which is what I mean by calling her independent. As far as her determination goes, it's so funny to watch her because once she has her mind set on something, she won't stop until she's accomplished it. She isn't the type to get frustrated with something and move on quickly. It's so amazing to me how much an individual she is already, even at this young age.

Alrighty, time to go do some housework. I'm going to see Grease at the local high school with Vicki (my brother-in-law's fiance). I'M SO EXCITED!!! So, anyways, I have to get my stuff done so I can go enjoy my night out.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Time For Pictures!!

Here are some pictures of our new house. The pictures truly don't do it justice! It's much brighter and open when you're actually in it but this is the best I can do until we move in. So, here you have it....

The kitchen with a view of the dining room:


The full bathroom:



Brookie's Room:


The spare bedroom for now:


The master bedroom (There are no pictures of the adjoined sitting room though):


The family room (We'll probably make this into Brooke's play room):


An outside view of the house:


The entry way. I'm not too fond of the wood panelling, but I think it will look really nice if we sand and paint it.


This is living room with a view of the family room:


Our pool:


This is our only downstairs bedroom. We're not sure if this will be a guest bedroom or an office:


Our cute little half bath:


So what do you think? I'm in love!! I can hardly wait to get my hands on it and settle in. God is so good!!!!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

A Special Day To Remember!

4 years ago from today John officially asked me to be his girlfriend. It's funny because I don't remember just being a simple, dating couple... I think we went from just seeing each other to immediately wanting to get married and be with each other forever. We seriously fell head over heals for one another and we never looked back.

Then, 3 years ago from today, John asked me to be his wife! I'll never forget how amazing and special it felt to take that next step with the man I loved more than anything in the world. He was (and definitely still is!) my very best friend. I lean on him and go to him for everything. He's my rock and I would be completely lost without him! I still look down at my engagement ring from time to time and I remember the amazing day that he first put it on my finger. I love being committed to him and knowing that we're in this life together. What could be better than that?

I think about all of circumstances surrounding John and me becoming a couple. We've known each other since I was 15 but that's a COMPLETELY different story. In a nutshell, we LOATHED each other for a long time. Seriously, he's the last person in the universe that I saw myself dating, no less marrying! However, things and feelings changed and as soon as we started dating it was obvious that we were made for one another. I love our love story. It's... Different! Definitely NO love at first sight for us!

In other not so sappy news.... WE GOT A HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is the most beautiful house that I could have imagined! It's bigger and much better than that other stupid house we almost bought. God really worked this situation out for His good! The house is over 2000 square feet, it has all new carpets and wood floors, a new above ground HEATED pool with a huge deck, and TONS of space! Downstairs it has a family room, an enormous living room, a laundry room (that's bigger than my kitchen now) a guest bedroom with its own half bathroom, a dining room, and eat-in-kitchen, and a full bath. Upstairs has a huge master bedroom with a separate sitting room (that would actually be big enough for another bedroom if we ever needed it to be) and there are also 2 other gigantic bedrooms. The house is amazing and I can't wait to move in. Most importantly, it's in a cute little village with sidewalks and other nice houses. Can you believe it? I got EVERYTHING on my wish list!!!!! God is so good! I'll post pictures when I get a minute.

Okay, I'm off to watch American Idol! I can't wait!

Monday, March 24, 2008

Our Easter

We had a great day yesterday! I wasn't able to blog about it then because we were insanely busy, but I couldn't move on without mentioning it!

First of all, John had the day off and that was WONDERFUL. We rarely get to attend church together so it was extra special that he could be there on Easter. After church we went to my parents for Easter lunch and then we went to John's grandma's house to eat AGAIN. Lol! Needless to say, we were stuffed before the day was over. After our Easter meals, we went over to Luke and Ali's for a game night and Brookie and Nathan were able to play together for a good while.

My only regret of the day was that we didn't take any pictures:-( Brookie looked adorable in her new outfit and new shoes. I just wish I had captured it on camera! John also bought me a new dress and shoes and it felt very nice to have a new outfit. I love all things girly!

And of course, what's Easter without Jesus dying on the cross? I think that it's easy to get so caught up in the hype of Easter clothes, Easter baskets, and all of the other commercial things of Easter that we minimalize the emphasis on what Jesus did by DYING for our sins. The biggest thing that has been on my mind this year is how much Jesus had to swallow His pride to die on the cross. As if His father turning His back on Him, his disciples denying Him, and the physical pain he endured wasn't horrible enough for Him, on top of that, He hung on the cross while people mocked Him and taunted Him. Think about it, He is so powerful and He could have so easily freed Himself from the agony of the cross, yet He hung on there, naked and battered, for you and me. That is something that I can never, ever thank Him enough for. If that doesn't transform your life, what will?

Brooke didn't wake up until 11 O'clock today. Can you believe that? John and I were shocked and we slept in too. It felt AMAZING! She's doing a little bit better. Her lungs still sound pretty yucky and I don't think that she should still be wheezing like she is. I'm debating whether or not I should call the doctor tomorrow. We'll see!

We saw a GORGEOUS house today. I don't want to go into details about it because I'll just get all excited, but we're praying about putting an offer on it tomorrow. This is such a huge decision so we want to make it with great care and consideration.

Okay, it's time to go make the husband's lunch. We all know that that's my favorite job in the world. HA!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

She's On The Mend!

Today has been a much better day in our house as far as sickness goes. Thank the Lord!!! Brooke woke up this morning at 10 (I could get use to this new late morning thing) and she was only running a 100.2 degree fever. She was also happy and giggling so I just knew it would be a better day. All she wanted to do this morning was sleep so of course I let her! She slept from 11-12 and then from 1-3:30. I think she just really needed to catch up on her rest from being so exhausted. Apart from a yucky cough, runny nose, and horrible wheezing, she is recovering nicely! She's still getting her breathing treatments (which are NO fun to give to a squirming toddler) but her lungs still sound icky. My poor girl!

John's parents watched Brooke tonight so we could get OUT. We seriously needed the time away to just remember that we had each other too. When your baby is sick it's easy to lose sight of on another and focus every single hint of energy you have left onto the baby. Brookie wasn't running a fever and she was completely happy, so we decided that a date night would be a good thing. We got back to a bathed, fed, medicated, and SLEEPING baby! It's so nice to have family that will love her and take care of her so nicely. We're blessed!

I got gosh darn pulled over on the way home from John's parent's house tonight. I was so ticked off because it's not like I was going all that fast. Really, the cop got me right after the speed limit changed from 45-40 so I hadn't completely slowed down yet. I had to play the "my-husband-is-a-cop-card" and fortunately the guy let me go. John knew the guy but he was sleeping in the passenger's seat next to me. I was shaking so bad because who really WANTS to be pulled over? Of course I had to hear the lecture from John on how I shouldn't speed. Sometimes I think it would be easier to just get a stinking ticket than to have to hear my police officer husband's disgust at me getting pulled over. Anyways, I hope it's a LONG time before I get pulled over again.

Alright, it's off to bed for me. I'm sleepy and we have a long day tomorrow with many Easter festivities to attend. Night night!

Friday, March 21, 2008

Yes, She's STILL Sick:-(

Brooke was up many times last night with that same old 103 degree fever. She was restless, unhappy, and very upset. This morning she woke up wheezing severely and almost gasping for air. Her lungs sounded awful and I was VERY concerned for her. I don't love taking her to the doctor several times in one week, but my gut told me that I should take her in. The doctor's office was closing early due to the holiday weekend, but Brooke's doctor said he would fit her in, even if he had to stay late. He's just the best!

So, as it turns out, my little girl not only has a nasty case of bronchitis, but she also has an ear infection:-( He said that it's a VERY good thing that I brought her in because it was have definitely escalated over the weekend and more than likely she would have ended up in the hospital. He patted me on the back and in his Indian accent commended me for "Being such a good mommy and bringing her back in." Right then and there they gave Brooke a breathing treatment, which opened up her airways. We also had a machine delivered to our house (that we had to buy) so we can give her a treatment every 4-6 hours. She hates them but they really help her out a whole lot. She's also on an antibiotic to treat her ear infection. This her first ear infection ever so we've been lucky up until this point.

Please pray for my baby. She's really, really sick and I'm just praying that God will heal her and that she'll be back to herself in no time. The doctor said that tomorrow she should be a lot better, now that she's on medication. Hopefully that's the case!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

We've Got The Wheezing, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Fever-Running Blues

Yes, unfortunately my Brookie is still sick. On the bright side, she seems to be doing a little bit better. This morning she woke up at around 7 and her fever was over 103 degrees. I gave her medicine and she went back to sleep until 10. It was heavenly to sleep in, might I add! Thankfully she had no fever when she woke up (which is an improvement). Her fever returned around 12:30 so I gave her some Tylenol and she's been napping since.

I'm concerned because today she's developed some wheezing in her lungs. She's also taking really quick, shallow breaths, which I know can't be that comfortable. I've been checking on her in her sleep and she sounds pretty decent right now. I think it's worse when she's awake because if she cries or gets upset all of the irritation in her lungs is exacerbated. If she's still struggling when she wakes up I might just take her back to the doctor. The doctor did say to let him know if she was having a hard time breathing or if she was wheezing. For years I suffered with really bad asthma and I cringe for her because I know how uncomfortable it is to have your lungs feel like that. My poor princess:-(

I am very happy because Brooke has been pretty happy today. Her giggling, laughing, and smiling has returned. She still is more fussy than usual but she's not a total crab like she was yesterday. I just think of how miserable and grumpy I feel when I'm sick and I feel so bad for her.

That's about all that I have to say for today. When Brooke's sick that pretty much consumes my life, which explains why I have nothing else to talk about. Lol! Oh, the life of a stay-at-home-mom. Lol!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

My Sick Baby

My poor princess woke up every couple of hours last night just burning up. I kept alternating the Ibuprofen and the Tylenol and she ended up sleeping a long stretch from 4-9 this morning. As soon as she woke up I could tell that she had a really high fever because she was hot to the touch and she was shaking. Her temperature was 104! I felt so bad for her because she was miserable and pitiful.

There's a nasty virus going around but I I took her into the doctor, just to eliminate the chance of her having an ear infection of strep throat. Sure enough, the doctor said that it's just that virus and that there was nothing that he could do for her. Unfortunately for Brooke, he said that it will probably last for another couple of days. I just want my precious baby to be better NOW!

My mom gave up her lunch hour to meet me at the doctor's office so I wouldn't have to go alone. I thought that was really sweet of her. I was really touched that she cared that much.... Not that I'm surprised though! My mom always shows me she loves me.

Brookie has been SO lethargic today. All she's wanted to do is nurse, cuddle, and sleep. She fell asleep on the way home from the doctor at around 12 and then she slept in her crib until 2:15. This was a great reprieve for me because I did ALL our laundry, scrubbed the floors, made dinner and took out the trash and recycling. Not too shabby! She woke up for about 15 minutes, which was long enough for her to inhale some juice and a whole container of yogurt. She then wanted to nurse and she went to sleep for another hour! She did the same thing AGAIN.. She woke up to play for a few minutes only to go to sleep for another 40 minutes. I hardly knew what to do with myself. She also went to bed for the night at 6:15. I couldn't keep her awake any longer.

As I spent my day with Brooke and around the house, I realized how very blessed and lucky I am to have the great life that I do. I am so privileged to be able to stay home with my daughter without having to worry about how the bills will be paid. John works so hard so I can focus on the matters of the house and take good care of Brookie. I love the quiet moments when she's sleeping so I can do my housework. I also love when she wakes up because she is such a joy to have around. That kid has placed a perpetual smile on my face. It's true:-) Life is good. The fact that Brooke is sick has reminded me of how very, very much I LOVE caring for her.

Well, I'm off to go spend some time with John. I can't wait to curl up next to him on the couch and relax for once. I hope Brooke sleeps well so our time together doesn't have to end too soon!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Poor Brookie:-(

Little Miss Brooke is sick:-( As of last night she had a runny nose and yucky cough. She woke up this morning completely grumpy and she has continued that way throughout most of the day. When she woke up she was burning up with a temperature of almost 103! My poor little princess! I gave her the Ibuprofen at 4:45 and by 7:30her fever was already up to 101 again. Before bed I gave her some Tylenol to knock her fever down so she could rest well. She's been coughing like crazy and waking up a whole lot but she hasn't had a problem putting herself back to sleep.

When Brooke is sick it's like a part of me hurts for her. I can't explain it... It's almost like I have this butterfly in my stomach that makes me feel so uneasy. I feel so sad for her too! She is just NOT herself and she's breaking her mama's heart. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a different story but I don't think so with the way things have been going. If her fever returns in the morning I'll take her to the doctor and hopefully she'll be better in no time.

Not to sound selfish or anything but I must say that when Brooke is sick it's so hard on me. I love that baby and taking care of her is my true joy. However, it's pretty isolating to be stuck in the house alone with a sick, unhappy baby. We're so used to be out and about so it's really hard when we're couped up in the house for days on end. Luckily I have some good shows taped on our DVR to keep me busy for a few hours here and there.

That's all I have to say for today. I'm off to try to go get some rest. I sure hope that Brooke doesn't have an awful night tonight. She feels so awful so I'm pretty much expecting a rough time of it. Maybe she'll prove me wrong?!?!??!

Monday, March 17, 2008

Update

I just wanted to write one quick update on our housing situation. We ended up going to see both of the houses this afternoon. The one that John wanted to look at was a really nice size BUT it needs lots and lots and lots of TLC. It is at the top of our price range so it's not like we would be able to put a whole lot of money into it to make it look the way we would want it to. That's a HUGE drawback.

The house that I was so excited about turned out to be a disappointment:-( It was absolutely gorgeous... Don't get me wrong! However, it had no formal dining space and that is one of my biggest complaints in this house now. I love to entertain and cook for people and I want a house that will enable me to do that. The living room was also really small and the family room that was supposed to be in the basement was honestly just a nasty basement. I don't even know how they got away with calling it a family room! We loved the upstairs rooms and bathroom but we just can't past the other issues the house has. Bummer:-(

So, the quest for the perfect house continues. There's NOTHING available on the market now. There are lots of homes listed for sale but most of them have a sale pending. Our realtor says that we'll just need to be patient and hopefully people will put their houses on the market in the Spring. Let's hope!

Closure, At Last!

Today is one of John's days off but unfortunately he's spending it at work:-( He has some defensive driving course to take so they dragged him in on his day off. It's 8 hours of overtime but I would MUCH rather have his company. Tomorrow is his other day off and he has to be at court at 10. The poor guy is going to get like NO break. So sad! Because of his crazy schedule we really use his days off to reconnect and enjoy one another. Oh well... I guess there's no sense in complaining about it!

First thing this morning I talked to the lawyers about everything that happened yesterday. That stupid fax that got us all up in arms and frustrated was about nothing worthy of our time or consideration. The dumb lady wanted a copy of the appraisal (that we had to pay $325 for) to give to the bank so they could think about doing a short sale. We denied her a copy of it because we don't have the time to wait around for any more. I thought I would be nice and just give her the copy of it (because really, what does it hurt me?) but my lawyer said not to, for some reason. She still has to sign a release for us to get our deposit money back but I guess our real estate agent is getting those papers from her realtor today. The moment we sign those papers is going to feel so good! I can't wait to get this whole nightmare behind us.

We found 2 really cute houses that we want to look at so we're going this afternoon when John gets out to look at one and then we'll go sometime tomorrow to see the other one. The one we're looking at today doesn't look near as nice as the one we'll see tomorrow but John really likes the pictures of it so we're going to give it a chance. The one that we're looking at tomorrow is cheaper by $7000 and the taxes are significantly less. In my opinion it also looks A LOT nicer. It has a new roof, new windows, new siding, a new furnace, 3 large bedrooms, an office, a brand new kitchen, a large living room... And a completely finished basement with a large family room and laundry room. I'm SO excited to see it! We drove past it last night and it is the most gorgeous house we've looked at. The backyard is landscaped so perfectly. It's in a quiet little neighborhood with very little traffic. The location is perfect and I think it would be a perfect fit for us. I'm really trying not to get my hopes up because I've learned not to count my chickens before they hatch. It's just so hard when you fall in love with something!

So, that's that. I feel relieved that we're not stuck in housing limbo anymore... We KNOW that we're not getting that house and that will enable us to press forward with our search. I never thought I could be "homeless" and have such peace but I do. Thank you God!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

The Housing Saga Continues....

I WANT TO SCREAM RIGHT NOW! I'm seriously on the verge of insanity and I think that even the slightest thing could send me over the edge at this very moment. I know that it will shock you all, but there is still more crap going on with that stupid house that we were supposed to buy. I'm baffled at this point.

Here's the latest...

First of all, I don't know if I wrote this in a previous post, but in case I didn't, I'll write it in this. Before we went on vacation we were told that there was a slight chance that we could still get that house. Our lawyers told us to go on a vacation, enjoy ourselves and give the whole thing time to boil over. The issue was that the lady doesn't have enough money to close on her house so the bank would have to accept a short sale, meaning they would have to allow us to buy the house for less than the lady owed on it. Basically, they would have to agree to lose money. The lawyers said that short sales take lots of time because banks don't move quickly but because we were going out of town and couldn't take any direct action anyways, that we should just let the whole thing sit for a week. So, that's exactly what we did.

When we came home we found out (according to our lawyers, anyways) that nothing had been done about the supposed short sale and that the seller's lawyer didn't contact our lawyer's office to even try to make this thing work. It was Friday night when John and I officially had our lawyer close the door on the deal. We pretty much knew it wouldn't work out anyways but it wasn't until then that we had the lawyer fax her attorney a letter saying that we wouldn't hold on anymore. After we were told for certain that we would not be buying that house, our mortgage lender (who happens to be my brother-in-law, Luke) had to close out our file, which took us all kinds of time and effort to process.

So, this weekend John and I had been looking for homes on the computer, only to discover that there is NOTHING out there. We also started looking at apartments to live in temporarily because things were beginning to lean towards that direction. We were at peace with everything and we were willing to accept the fact that our plans for buying a home might be delayed for a few months.

Today is what puts another stupid twist in this whole thing... We met up with our realtor to look at some houses this afternoon (and all of them were crappy, by the way) and with him he brings a letter from that lady's lawyer. It was a letter sent to our lawyer and then forwarded to him. It said something like this, "I left you a detailed voicemail and nobody responded. I think what I have to say will be beneficial to your clients." We tried calling that man today to see what the heck that meant and because it's Sunday, of course we can't get a hold of him. Now we're wondering what the heck is going on... Did the bank approve the short sale? Is there some other arrangement that they want to make with us at this point? John and I are also wondering how 2 professional law offices could have their facts so gosh darned messed up and out of whack. Does this all even make sense to anyone??????????

So, first thing tomorrow morning I'm getting on that phone and I am making some phone calls. I'll call these lawyers as many times as it takes to get to the bottom of this. I personally don't even want the house anymore and I'm hoping that we're not legally bound to it. John, however wants it and I have to submit to his leadership as the head of the household. He would like to fight for the house and I just want to move on. After the first time we saw it in disarray, I just don't have the same fondness for it that I once I have. I have absolutely NO desire to live there, but again, I want to respect the plans and ideas that my husband has. That is what God has called me to do as his wife and let me tell you, it's NOT easy, especially in this situation. Even if this whole house thing does work out, there's one major glitch... Our mortgage application was closed out and Luke says that we will have to completely start over again to get the mortgage. That process takes about 30 days. Figures, huh?

I know this was a long post with a lot of tedious little details. I don't usually ramble like this! If you read this and have a second, please think of us and keep us in your prayers. I just want to follow God's will and make the decision that He would have us to. I'm so confused right now!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

My Miracle Baby

Happy 13 month birthday to my beautiful baby girl!!!! 13 months have flown like crazy and suddenly I find myself as the mother of a toddler. Man, how I love that baby. She's just as precious as they come!

John and I were talking about our housing situation last night. There aren't a lot of houses on the market now so I was kind of down in the dumps. He said something so profound that made me reevaluate what I was feeling. He said, "Ya know, it doesn't matter where we live. It doesn't matter that we don't have a house now or what house we end up in. All that matters is that our daughter is healthy and strong and that we are so blessed to just have her." Together we talked about how this time last year she was so sick... She was constantly throwing up, going through lots of blood work, seeing special doctors to "fix" her, etc.. We were faced with the possibilities of taking her for bone marrow testing and few other scary, scary procedures. Honestly, it was my worst nightmare as a new mother.

As I rehash those memories while I write about all of this, my eyes are filled with tears. My tears last year were as a result of pain, anxiety, self-pity and worry, but this year, I am taken back by how God provided for us and took care of Brooke. If there was nothing wrong with her ever, the fact that she is HERE is a miracle in itself. However, I think that I am more mindful of how much of a miracle she really is, due to the hardships we endured to get her here.

Last night as I nursed Brooke before bed I just stared at her in awe and I cherished every second that she wanted to be still in my arms (Which, might I add, was NOT long). Also at this time last year, I was told that I had to stop breastfeeding because I was "doing more harm than good." A year later, I'm so glad that we still share that special ritual and that I didn't call it quits when it got tough. I'm truly reaping the benefits of that right now.

God has been so good to my family. I look back on the events of Brooke's life and am constantly reminded of that. I like to think that I would still be praising God and giving Him the glory, even if Brooke wasn't okay, but I'm not sure if I would, sadly enough. I'm not where I need to be in my Christian walk but God has really proved to me (as if He really needed to!) that He CAN really do anything and nothing in my life happens to me without His knowledge. As hard as Brooke's trials were last year, I am so glad that God used that in my life to shape me into His image and to strengthen my faith. Pretty cool, huh?

Friday, March 14, 2008

Stuck In The Dinner Rut

Does anyone else feel like they cook the same foods over and over and over again for dinner? I get so sick of it! Is dinner as big of annoyance to all of you out there? Or is it just me here? I love to cook but I hate thinking of new and creative things to make. John also doesn't like anything too fancy or different so that limits me to some degree.

Here's a list of what I typically make-

Chicken:

~Chicken Parmesan
~Chicken Cordon Bleu
~Hawaiian Chicken
~Chicken Marsala
~Chicken Stir Fry
~Pan Fried Chicken (With country gravy)
~Chicken Fajitas
~Barbecued Chicken (That I usually marinate in Spiedie sauce or coat in barbecue sauce)
~Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Pork:

~Ranch Pork Chops
~Grilled Pork Chops (With Barbecue sauce)
~Stuffed Pork Chops With Apple Glaze
~Marinated Pork Loin
~Ham (With my special glaze)

Beef:

~Grilled Steaks
~Chicken Fried Steak (Made with cube steak)
~Chili
~Tacos
~Steak Fajitas

Pasta:

~Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
~Spaghetti (With my homemade sauce)
~Homemade Lasagna
~Manicotti
~Mexican Stuffed Shells

Fish:

~We usually use Tilapia because it's what John likes. I either grill it, pan fry it, or seal it in foil with lemons, veggies and seasonings and bake it.

Also, I always have quick-fix dinner stuff on hand in case we're in a hurry. Things like cheese steaks, frozen ravioli, and ground beef for hamburgers are usually things I whip out when we need dinner fast. I feel guilty serving stuff like that when I have the time to make a "real" dinner. That's just me though! As for things like soups and stews, I don't make a whole lot of them because I feel like they get old. It figures... It's SO easy to make a pot of soup!

I just read through my list and seems like I make a lot of different things but every night I make dinner I think I'm going to scream out of boredom! I've tried looking through cook books and watching cooking shows (that I'm MEGA addicted to!) but I feel like the recipes are too adventurous for John and Brooke to eat or like they're just different renditions of things that I've been making for ages.

As for the rest of you, what the heck does your family eat for dinner? Does anyone have some good recipes for me? I'm sure you all are much more creative than I am when it comes to feeding your families:-)

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Bye Bye, Routine:-(

Brooke's sleeping schedule is so incredibly messed up right now. It's HORRIBLE. San Diego really did us in, man. It's the absolute pits. It figures that we nailed down our nap and nighttime routines BEFORE we left. Just wonderful.

She fell asleep at 7:30 last night on the way home from church so I put her in her crib. She woke up a half an hour later so I picked her up to nurse her because she didn't eat before bed. Less than 15 minute later she woke up screaming. She's getting some molars so I decided to be forbearing of her and I picked her up. I gave her Ibuprophen and cuddled with her for like 45 minutes to make sure the medicine had time to work, just in case her mouth was bothering her. I put her in her crib a little bit before 10 and she screamed hysterically the second I let her go. An hour later she finally fell asleep and then she woke up at 3 for me to come get her. Before vacation she went right to bed every night without so much as a fuss and now she's playing this game with us all of a sudden. I know that molars are difficult and all, but yesterday she didn't act bothered or grumpy at all so I find it hard to believe that her lack of sleep was 100 percent teething related. I think that her sleeping arrangements in the hotel had her convinced that she could sleep with us from now on. Who knows what goes through her mind!

Naps are even worse right now... When we were in San Diego Brooke just napped on the go while she was in the car or in her stroller. We were so busy that she just rested when she needed to. Today I tried putting her in her crib when she started showing me her sleepy cues and she's been screaming for 25 minutes now. I stood by her crib and rubbed her head and loved her and she was almost asleep. As soon as I walked out she woke right back up and was furious. She's still screaming and I'm going to keep going back in every 10 minutes. She's been happy and silly all day so I highly doubt anything is really bothering her. She's up there yelling, "Mommy, Mommy!" While this is hard I know that the only way I'll get her back on track is by letting her cry for a bit. Nap time is too important to just give in. I'm also a firm believer that if I let her cry for 20 minutes and then give in it's cruel and confusing to her. I definitely don't want to send her mixed signals.

I'm just so frustrated. It's been a long couple of days of adjustment since we've been home. It would be one thing if she would at least sleep through the night but she's still wanting to nurse ALL NIGHT LONG. As much as I love her and love nursing her, her nighttime nursing is just not normal. In addition to everything else we have going on, I know that this too is something else that needs to be nipped in the bud.

Do I sound frazzled to you? I'm seriously feeling like I want to rip my hair out. This will pass... I know. Babies go through fazes like this and unfortunately there's not much I can do about it. Does anyone have any advice??? It think I've asked for sleep advice before but it can't hurt to ask again!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

All About Our Trip:

I finally got most of my unpacking and house work done and I just put Brookie down so I now have some time to write about my wonderful trip. I'm going to share lots of pictures too so be prepared to be amazed. Lol!

The weather was perfect while we were there! It was about 70 degrees every day and the sun never stopped shining. We couldn't have had better weather if we asked. Thank you God! I guess that's just how San Diego is. Can you imagine?

Day One:

This was my favorite day of the whole trip! The first thing we did was tour the USS Midway, which is a famous Navy ship that was actually in WW2. Any of you that have known me since high school know that I'm not exactly a scholar in history, but somehow, this boat captured me. We were able to talk to actual men that worked on the ship when it was working and you could see where they slept, ate, worked, and spent their free time. It was so cool!

Here's some pictures of John and me on ejection seats that were used on the fighter planes. Pretty cool, huh? Luckily they didn't eject though:-)





After we got some lunch at Anthony's Fish Grotto, which is right on the harbor, we went to Point Loma. Point Loma is one of the first lighthouses ever and from it we could see the beautiful Pacific Ocean and the California hills. You can see some of it from the pictures but it doesn't nearly do it justice! We also got to tour the lighthouse keeper's house, that was from the 1800's. It was so interesting to see how they lived back then.

John and Brooke at Point Loma:



Brooke cracks me up!


Day 2:

We went to the famous San Diego Zoo. It was overwhelming but it was so cool to see all of the animals. I couldn't get over how clean the zoo was! It cost us almost $70 to get in there so as far as I'm concerned, it better be spotless! Lol

Here's Brooke at the kid's petting zoo. She loved the goats and sheep!



Me and Brooke and the zoo:



The zoo wiped Brooke out!


Day 3:

We went to the most ritzy towns that day. We went to Coronado, which is like a little island. We walked on the beach and we discovered that Brooke is terrified of sand. She's so sweet! I accidentally left the camera in the car for this:-(

We then went to La Jolla to visit the aquarium. After that we walked on the beautiful La Jolla Beach and we saw baby sea lions that were just born. Words can't describe how awesome it was to stare out and see the ocean for miles and miles on end. Brooke still wouldn't walk on the sand though!

Here's John and Brooke at the aquarium. You can see La Jolla Beach in the background.


Brooke at the aquarium:


Mommy and Brooke at the aquarium:


John and Brooke walking around in La Jolla:


Day 4:

Sea World! We had such a blast!!!! Brooke loved the animals and the shows they did with the dolphins, whales, and sea lions were absolutely amazing. It was kind of expensive but it was an experience like none other. We had the best time ever!

Brooke loved to stand at the glass at look at the animals. She thought they were so cool!


Brookie is enjoying a little snack at Sea World:


Still at Sea World


Day 5:

We went to Balboa Park, which bored me to tears! It was all kinds of historical mubo jumbo that I looked at for John. It was a nice walk though. I'll at least admit that! After that we went to Horton Plaza, which is a 6 block outdoor mall. It was great fun! For dinner we ate at Sea Port village, which is a little area of shops and restaurants that is right on the ocean. We loved it so much that we went there 3 times.

Sea Port Village




All in all our vacation was perfect! John went out of his way to make sure I had a great time and that I felt special. He's just the best! He goes back to work tonight and I'm kind of bummed but I guess life must go on some time.

Brooke's routine is out of whack so right now she's in her crib screaming. I hate this! It's a small price to pay though for the wonderful time we had in San Diego.

Speaking of getting back to real life, it's time to go make John's lunch. I sure didn't miss doing that while I was on vacation!!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

We're Back!!

Hey everyone! It's 10 PM and we just walked in the door less than an hour ago. We had the time of our lives. I seriously couldn't have asked for a more wonderful, relaxing, exciting vacation. I loved being with my little family and having no cares in the world. We even came back with nice tans! Unfortunately though, vacation is now over and I guess we have to get back into the swing of things... Like work, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, etc... I wish vacation could have lasted longer!

I'll blog about our trip in detail soon and I'll show off all of our pictures, but right now I'm just too tired and overloaded with laundry to write about much of anything. I will say that Brooke did absolutely amazing the whole trip! She was no problem whatsoever on the plane rides (all 6 of them!) and she was happy, silly, compliant and flexible for all of our adventures and activives on our trip. She's the best:-)

I'll get around to reading up and commenting on all of your blogs soon. I hope you all are doing well!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

One Last Post Before Vacation...

I can't believe that we leave for San Diego tomorrow! I have the feeling that tomorrow is going to be a crazy day. Here's what it looks like:

~We leave Syracuse at 4:20 P.M. (It's about an hour away so first we have to drive there, obviously. Luckily Sarah is dropping us off so we don't have to pay for parking. I love that girl!)

~We arrive in Detroit at 5:51 and then leave for Minneapolis/Saint Paul at 7:15 so that doesn't give us much time to kill.

~We arrive in Minneapolis at 8:23 and then leave there at 9:15. That's a MEGA quick layover.

~FINALLY we arrive San Diego at 11:05 (Which is really 8:05 local time).

To me, the thing that stresses me out so much is that the layovers are so quick. I have the feeling that we're going to be rushing from terminal to terminal and that we won't have nearly enough time to give Brooke a decent dinner. I guess the crazy day we'll have tomorrow is just a small sacrifice to make for a week in beautiful San Diego. The only good thing about having so many layovers is that the flights are broken up into small flights. That way Brooke won't get as antsy during the flights... Knock on wood!

I packed my diaper bag full of all of Brooke's favorite goodies. I have her dried fruit, Gold Fish, Cheerios, Mots for Tots juice boxes, and her animal cookies. She also likes to scribble now so I'm going to pick up a few crayons tomorrow. All that, accompanied with some other of her favorite toys, should be enough to keep her engaged for the plane rides. And then, if I get really desperate, there's my almighty boobs that seem to fix everything. Ha! I'm so glad that we're still nursing, especially at times like this.

I have major anxiety over this flight tomorrow with Brooke but I think that it will be what I make of it. If I go into it thinking that it will be awful then it most likely will be, but if I have a good attitude and am determined to make the best of it then it won't be quite as bad. Let's hope not anyways:-)

That's about all I have time to write for now. I will really miss getting on here and blogging while I'm away. It's something I enjoy so much and look forward to every day! As soon as I get back I'm going to share all of the important details and pictures. Have a great week everyone! I'm sure you'll miss reading about my interesting life when I'm not here to post. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Monday, March 3, 2008

The Most Ridiculous Moving Update Yet:

So, we went for our walk through this afternoon and it turned out to be RIDICULOUS. There was trash everywhere, her stuff wasn't out of the house yet, and all of the carpets were still filthy. We were really frustrated because we've given her ample time to take care of things.

We left angry and we called our lawyer. As it turns out, the lady has not been paying her mortgage and is about to foreclose on the property. IN ADDITION, she also doesn't have enough money to pay for closing costs such as lawyer and realtor fees, transfer taxes, etc... Because she agreed to sell us the house for less than she owes on it it's not like she can pull out any money from us buying it.

The final verdict is that we are not buying the house. After almost 2 months of planning on moving there and having our stuff all packed, the lawyers say that there is not sense in lingering. The house is being foreclosed on and apparently the whole process will take months to sort through. This could have all been avoided if the lawyers had done their research before we got this far into the process.

Josh is graciously letting us live here until the beginning of May. I feel awful because I know how excited they were to start moving some stuff in here and make it their own. I'm thankful that he's being so compassionate towards us! When we get back from San Diego we're going to start our home search completely over again and if we don't find anything by the end of March we'll be looking for an apartment.

It's so difficult now because we're packed up. Do I unpack or keep all of our stuff in boxes? What a big pain in the neck this has turned into! It figures that I took all of our pictures off of the walls today. I guess I should have waited a bit longer before I so zealouly prepared our house for the move that didn't happen.

I should take peace in the fact that God isn't suprised by this and that He's not up in heaven wondering where we'll live. He has the perfect house for us and before we know it we'll be settled somewhere. I guess we just have to patient and have faith in the mean time. This whole process has been pretty frustrating but I'm trying so hard to take away the valuable lessons that God is trying to teach me in this time of need. The next few months and weeks should be pretty interesting...

Even More Moving Drama

While John was out and about patrolling last night he drove past the house we're supposed to be buying. He looked in the windows and saw that the carpets were still dirty and that there was still stuff everywhere. Wonderful, huh? He also noted that there we NO footprints or anything in the fresh snow, meaning that nobody had been there doing anything.

As if that wasn't annoying enough, my day started with a frantic call from our realtor. Remember, we're supposed to close tomorrow at 11. He called the lady to get us in the house to walk through it one last time. She demanded that we wait until the end of the week, saying that she wasn't done working on it. What an ignorant, foolish lady she is. She's really starting to tick me off! We decided to get our lawyer involved and he made a phone call to her lawyer saying that we WILL close tomorrow at 11 and if we don't then we're not going through with it. He also said that we're going on a walk through of the house today because we need to verify that she's actually making progress. So, apparently, we have a walk through later on at 4.

This walk through is going to be a nightmare, I just know it. That lady seems to be so carefree about this whole thing and John and I really feel like we're going to be disappointed when we walk in there. Other than the mess from all of her crap, we're still concerned about the carpets and the stove. Apparently, from what my realtor was saying, this lady has her finances in the gutter and she's not doing so great. He thinks that if we ask for money to fix the stuff she ruined then she won't be able to come up with it. I have mixed feelings about this. Do we want to lose a nice house over $2000??? Or is the principle of the matter too great to settle for anything less? I just don't know what to do. I'm praying that God will give us His peace and wisdom as we go there today.

Ugh, my life is so unsettling right now. I know it I said it yesterday, but I have boxes everywhere for the move and I have suitcases and laundry everywhere for vacation. I have no idea how any of this is going to work out. I know that nothing is too big for God to handle but I'm still really struggling with not knowing how this will all work out. I'm such a worry wart and I know that I really need to stop that. "All things work together for good, for them that love God and are called according to His purpose." Pretty amazing, huh?

So, please be thinking of us today. I'll try to get on her to update you all on the progress of the house. Hope for the best!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Reality Is Setting In

This afternoon John's parents took Brooke so I could do some major packing. I got all of Brooke's packing for San Diego done. Yay for me! So that's out of the way and then I moved on to packing up my house in preparation to move. Everywhere I look I see empty cabinets, walls, bookcases, and closets. It doesn't feel like the warm, familiar home that I've lived in for the last 2 years. It feels like this cluttered, unwelcoming mess.

I feel so emotional about this move all of a sudden. This house, though it may be small, has been my HOME, where I've felt loved, safe, accepted, and secure. It's hard for me to fathom not pulling into this driveway after a long or busy day. Instead I'll go somewhere else. I know that we can't stay in this small house forever but it's so hard for me to think about leaving the first home that John and I ever owned.

I realize that once we get settled into the new place that it will soon become home. After all, home is not the walls around us, it's the people and the love. It's just so hard because we're not even 100 percent sure if the house will work out. We could go for our walk through tomorrow and find it to be still disheveled. What also makes this so hard is that we're leaving for vacation on Wednesday so we won't be able to get settled and get organized before we leave. I honestly don't know how I'm going to enjoy vacation with that hanging over my head.

Right now I feel like I want to relax in my home but with all of Earthly possessions in boxes and in disarray, I feel so out of sorts. I don't think that I could relax if I wanted to.

Life goes on, right? Change is hard but I'll live. I have so much to be thankful for and where I live won't change any of that.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

The Joys of Teething

Brooke has been an absolute mess for the last couple of days. She hasn't been sleeping great, she's been waking up miserable and screaming, and she's also been super clingy. I suspected that she was teething but when I looked in her mouth I was truly shocked! All of her back gums are wicked swollen and she already has 2 molars that poked through the skin. Poor baby! I'm glad that the molars are making their way into her mouth so we can get this teething business done and over with ASAP. I hate teething!!!! It's such a pain and it messes up everything, it seems.

Today was a nice, slow day with nothing too exciting to report. The biggest excitement is that Brooke took a 2 hour nap!! Yay for me.. I really enjoyed those couple of hours to myself to relax. For once I didn't run around our house and clean during her nap. I'm kind of obsessive about cleaning sometimes but today it felt nice to not give a rat's flip about housework for a change. However, tonight I made up for it so I don't think that this will become a regular occurrence. It's really hard because a lot of stuff is in boxes and out of sorts due to the impending move. That allows for some extra clutter. It's honestly driving me crazy!

Well, for once I have nothing left to say. Things are quiet and I like it that way! Time to go empty the dishwasher. What a blast! I sure hope my girl sleeps well tonight.