Audio Only

Dennis typically listens to The Bert Show or The Regular Guys in the morning so he has a different outlook than I do as I listen tirelessly to Boortz. He heard this clip on The Bert Show earlier this week and played it for me last night. It's amazing, scary, sweet, and sad all at the same time.

Please listen to this audio clip of a 911 call made by a 5 year-old girl.

This clip makes you think about several important things.

(1) Life is short
(2) The importance of remaining calm in an emergency is SO GREAT
(3) Be nice to your kids. They might save your life some day.

Happy 37 Weeks

Connor,

You survived your first Valentines Day and made your dad's birthday this year extra special.

These past four weeks have been especially busy for all of us. First, you rolled over onto your stomach (on purpose!!) on January 24th. Your dad and I were especially proud of this skill because we were starting to wonder if your belly was too big and was preventing you from rolling over that way. But, you proved us wrong. You are a true athlete just like your parents. Whether or not your belly is too big, you still managed to roll over and stay on your stomach for a few minutes. And after a day or two of practicing that, you looked like a skilled super-star rolling front to back and back to front.

You can sit up on your own, now, too, and enjoy zooming around the house in your walker. It should be called your zoomster rather than your walker. You tend to bump into Echo when she isn't looking so she rarely stays on the floor anywhere near you. It's safest for her to lay on the couch or to watch you from a distance. Typically, she will run the other way when you are coming towards her.




I went to Orlando for a sales meeting for a few days and when I came home, you waved to me. And then you gave me a "high five". I was so impressed. Now you like to wave at the TV, at your dad, at Echo, at the wall... and you are narrowing in on being able to clap your hands together.

I savor every moment when you let me hold you close because your busy legs want to get down on the ground to explore as quickly as possible. Once you start crawling, I know that I will be able to hold you less and less. After all, it's not nearly as fun to have your mom hold you when you could open a cabinet, grab a purse off of the table, pull a plant down onto your head, or chase Echo around the house.

Connor, I love you!

Love,

Mom

P.S. There is NOTHING cuter than seeing you cuddle up with Mr. Bear and Mr. Bunny every night in your crib.

My Valentine

I went to the gym and ran an errand or two yesterday. When I came home, I was reminded of reason #23,478 that I love my husband.

And Connor, my second Valentine, we are hoping that your dance skills will far surpass the skills of your parents.

Resolution-Schmezaolution

Yesterday I realized, with the help of a good friend (um... Katie), that I have not posted anything in a while. I started a post - three different times (2 in my head and one online) - but had not found the time to complete it. The funniest part is that the post that has been a work-in-progress for several weeks is about my not-a-New-Years-resolution-resolution.

Ok, so it isn't that funny but just go along with me here.

So, here it is. The long-awaited and much-anticipated blog post. [Insert Drum Roll.]

Ah-heh-heh-hem.

Its a well known fact that New Years Resolutions are as effective as diets. They just aren't. A "diet" or "resolution" is more of a temporary committment to make a change. If you really want to make a change in your life, you need to change something more permanent. So, I'm making a permanent resolution but need to call it something else. Who makes "permanent resolutions"? I'll just say that I'm making an update to my personal slogan. Yeah, that's it. Because everyone has a personal slogan.

My updated personal slogan is to finish what I start. This may sound easy but it has proven to be extremely difficult since Connor joined our family. I contstantly feel like I have 28 BILLION (yes, BILLION) things that are half-way completed. Nothing ever seems to get finished.

The laundry is washed and dried but not folded; the bills are paid but not put into the budget; we are almost-there with Margarentals but not quite finished launching it; I talk to my parents while holding Connor or walking Echo, so I'm not really doing either with my full attention. The list is endless.

So, my new personal slogan is to finish what I start. It's not going to be easy, but I can - and will - do it. The funny part that I mentioned earlier is that I started this blog post almost two weeks ago and I'm just now finishing it. So I am going to add an addendum to my own personal slogan. Not only am I going to finish what I start....but I will do so in a timely fashion.

Personal slogan updated. Check.

What's Eating Connor's College Fund?

At the first of each year, we review our budget and our spending habits to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to achieve our goals. It sounds much easier than it is, especially since this years revision includes an expensive addition as of June last year.

I am interested in other people's suggestions here, so please feel free to give any and all opinions and advice. Dennis and I typically spend about $500 a month on groceries. AND, that doesn't even include Connor's formula (which is far from cheap, by the way) or Echo's Eukanuba. That's WAY too much money. And I mean, WAY.

Last week when I was meeting with customers over lunch, one lady shared with me how little she spends on groceries. Sure, she goes to at least three different grocery stores a week, but she claims to spend only about $60 per week and she feeds FOUR PEOPLE with that. Her trick, as she unveiled, is using coupons. No challenge will go unanswered so I am pledging to be the best couponing expert you've ever seen.

I even used some coupons last week. It was fun. And exciting, in a weird way.

AND, did you know that most grocery stores DOUBLE coupons every day (as long as the coupons are for $.50 or less)? I didn't know that. And now that I'm empowered with this information, I will go forth... and save money. We'll stop eating Connor's college fund and instead eat the same food as before...just on the cheap.

My scissors are ready as I anxiously await the newspaper tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll even practice cutting tonight. Hmmm....

Margarentals

As many of y'all know, Dennis and I are starting our own business and we are very excited about it. Margarentals, as the name suggests, is a frozen drink machine rental business. The machines will be used for adult get-togethers (parties, wedding receptions, outdoor events, tenant parties at office or apartment buildings, etc.) and childrens events (birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvah's, school events).

We won't supply the booze - - just the machines, the instructions, and the mix. Our task - and we do not take it lightly - is to save people from having (or attending) an average party. We will single-handedly bring Atlanta's events to the next level.

Our website should be up and running very soon. In the meantime, though, you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook. And, if you have any marketing ideas or suggestions, please let us know.

Until then, Dennis and I will be drinking - eh, I mean, hard at work testing out - the numerous flavors and syrups to make sure we have the best product for our customers.

It's a hard job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Happy 33 Weeks

Connor,

You have been out in the "real world" for almost as long as you were inside of me. Isn't that hard to believe? Every morning when I shower, I look at my c-section scar and remember that crazy - but wonderful - day 33 weeks ago. Wow.

What have you been up to since my last letter to you? Well, you've accomplished a lot. We celebrated your first Christmas here on Earth (last Christmas doesn't count...you were on another planet, I guess, not sure of the name of that planet, but we'll skip that part for now). Your grandparents indundated you with presents, as you can imagine. After our drive to Missouri, you can officially say that you've been in Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. I guess that brings your grand total of state visits up to six when you include going to Hilton Head several months ago and the fact that we live in Georgia. You are very well traveled for such a little man.

As you can tell from the pictures, your mouth has been very busy. Not only are you jabbering a lot lately (and I mean that in the most endearing way possible), but your teeth are coming in and you look like such a little BOY now. A little boy...not a baby anymore! Your first two teeth, the bottom two, came in on December 15th and your top ones are still coming in but cut through not too long after the first ones.

Your smile is still the sweetest thing in the world. We can measure your mood and how you feel by the number of smiles we get each day. Unfortunately, last weekend there were only a few smiles that crossed your sweet little face. You were really sick for the first time - - and are still getting better. We've been giving you nebulizer treatments (albuterol), amoxicillin, and prednisone to help cure your croup and, as the doctor said, "a touch of pneumonia".

The first few days that you were sick, we only saw 3 or 4 smiles cross your face ALL DAY LONG. That's when we really knew something was wrong. Now that you are taking medicine, we see at least that many smiles in the first few minutes of the day. So, we're progressing along nicely.

Connor, you have been so busy growing, teething, jabbering, and playing in your walker that you haven't learned to crawl or sit up on your own just yet. That'll come, I know, and Dennis and I will be running around even more than we are now just to see what you are getting into. You change every day and I hope you know that we love you and are so happy to have such a sweet, beautiful, smiling baby.

Love,

Mom

Sleep Talking, Anyone?

Has anyone ever told you that you talk - or walk - in your sleep? Dennis will make weird noises from time to time but what wakes me up the most is the screeching sound of his teeth grinding. Pretty sweet, I know.

Today started off extra early because our Little Man hasn't been feeling that great. And don't worry, he's not sleep walking just yet. He does offer up a scream or loud noise in the middle of the night fairly frequently, though. I wonder what a baby could have have a nightmare about? Maybe he's really more concerned than I realized about the Obamacare disaster that is taking place in Washington?

Speaking of politics, I'm not usually too excited about the Fox & Friends segment on Fox News. But, as we had it on this morning, I heard something that made me laugh. Please check out this blog, it's absolutely hilarious.

Anything to get a giggle

I am a wuss, there is no question there. And now that Connor has 2 - almost 4 - teeth in his mouth, it does hurt when he bites down on a finger. It hurts, but I may have exaggerated a little bit in this clip just to get him to react.



Man, I just can't get enough of his laugh. It's SO contagious and SO friggin' cute.

Making it Official

I've lost the majority of weight from being pregnant - and taking the myriad of drugs that helped me to get pregnant - but I haven't reached my goal of my pre-thinking-about-being-pregnant weight.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. So, as of today, January 9th 2009, I've started P90x. Yes, it is the THIRD TIME that I've started this program in the past few months. This time, though, I'm going to do it for more than just one day. I'm committed and it is official. And we all know that anytime you post something in your blog, it's for real. It's as official as writing a law or signing a contract.

The Challenge: Keep up with the P90X program FOR REAL this time.

I will even go so far as to weigh myself and keep you up to date with my progress. My actual poundage won't be displayed for all of the world to see but I'll keep you posted on the amount of LB's that I am dropping.

I'm not going to weigh myself til Monday, though, because I am going to a 2 year-old's birthday party this afternoon and I'm sure that there will icing. And cake. So it just doesn't make sense to really start til then, I guess.