Hello Summer

*Since I posted my Monday meme a day early, I'm posting Tuesday's a half day early!Since I last posted on Thursday, May 27th, I had my first day with Logan of the week since I'd been sick as of the previous Saturday. The good news was that he continued to be "the terrific twos," the bad news was that I am not my best self when I am sick, so I had no tolerance. I tried to make the best of it - we went for a 45-minute walk around the neighborhood that Thurs, but temps were in the 90s (summer is definitely here) so I'm worried it's not going to be as nice (cool) of a summer as last year because my walk was not enjoyable. The heat/humidity just makes me feel "blah."

The evenings at least were cooler - one day I took Logan to the park for over an hour after picking him up at Babysitter's, and another night Joe took him to the school playground for a good amount of time. I haven't bought Logan a swingset because I like that the parks/playgrounds get us to leave our house.

This summer is different from last summer as far as Logan doesn't like our backyard as much. I have such nice memories of last summer: sitting on my deck with either a book or the laptop while Logan ran around happily. This summer he only wants to play in the front yard which is much hotter - and for me it's harder work because I have to stay right by his side because I don't want him running into the street. But, I always do it because some days being a stay at home mom will feel like a job. :p However, one day last week I was just so not in the mood to go in the front yard so I said firmly, "I'm the Mama, and today it's either the backyard or inside." He protested for about a minute and then took the lid off his sandbox and happily played for over a half an hour. Hmmm, that wasn't that hard! There you go, Logan, it only took me until you were twenty-five-and-a-half months old to tell you "no" for my own selfish reason. :p

On Friday, May 28th, Logan and I met the guy who lives in my old house because I picked up a baby shower invitation from a girl I went to high school with (he told me on facebook that it was delivered to my old house - but forgot to mention it was two months ago so the shower was passed). Afterward, I took Logan to a park by the apartment where I lived when Joe & I first moved to Omaha in 2003. I'd taken Logan there one other time and he'd enjoyed it, but this time we could only stay fifteen minutes because the sun was so strong.

At home he helped me make a pizza (the day before helped make my first pot roast) and both days took 4-hr naps which were nice since I didn't feel I had improved health-wise any days that week which made his grogginess harder for me (as I said last month, nearly every day when he wakes up from his nap he whines for a half an hour). So, I used my tactic from last June (when Logan was at his whiniest) and told him that Mommy was going upstairs and when he was done whining I'd come back down. I ran to my room, shut the door, and layed on the floor - and then my mom called and saved the day! She said that she & my stepdad wouldn't mind watching Logan for the weekend.

Originally, the three of us had planned to go back to Iowa since it was Memorial Day weekend. We have not gone back "for no reason" since Logan was born two years ago! There has always been an event, and so we usually just have time to see family and no friends. However, even Joe wasn't 100% recovered from his virus like he'd hoped, so we decided to save our socializing trip for another time. But Logan could still go. . . :-)

We met my mom & stepdad at our halfway point at 10 am on Saturday, May 29th. When Joe and I returned to Omaha we went out for lunch to The Summer Kitchen Cafe where we hadn't been for awhile so I'd missed my tuna melt!

On our way home we decided to swing by the movie theater to see movie options/times for that night - and noticed Sex and the City-2 was playing in five minutes! The parking lot was almost empty but I remembered from two years ago when I went with friends we had to buy tickets in advance because theaters all over were completely full. So, Joe & I decided to make it a date! (Joe used to watch the show with me and liked the first movie after I bought it on DVD.) My only complaint was that they covered too many topics so they didn't have time to go deeply into any of them. Therefore, I liked the first movie better, but I think this way there will be a part three! :-)

Joe joked that they used my idea - I won't give it away for those who haven't seen the movie - but there's a part where they decide to do something different in their marriage - but aren't sure if it's okay because it's not "the traditional way." However, it's something I wrote about in March that I plan to do in the future. Hmmm, so maybe it will be the new traditional marriage :p

For supper that night we had planned to try a Mexican restaurant near where we live, but got there a half an hour before opening so we went to Margarita's instead. We hadn't been in awhile (since we keep going to Roja when we're in the mood for Mexican) and enjoyed a yummy meal.

On Sunday, May 30th both Joe and I both felt 100% recovered!!!!! It was so wonderful to have energy and be in a good mood and feel productive again! I had completely taken a break from my "workout & eat healthy plan" and it has since been hard to get motivated again. :( I am trying not to give up since I only had 6 lbs to go before my goal weight - but I haven't weighed myself lately because I'm worried I've already gained back ALL of the 16 lbs I lost since January! At least that's the way it looks from the video of myself I posted here on Saturday. :p I hope I will find my motivation again this week.

We met my parents at 7:30 pm Monday, May 31st to pick up Logan. He had been asking about them all week (begging to go to their house) so he had a great time (and of course slept until 10 and 11 am in the mornings for them)!Tuesday, June 1st I was taking a shower in the morning and when I got out, Logan had the phone to his ear. I could hear the automated message saying "please hang up," etc. so I unplugged the phone (something I used to do, but it had been several months since Logan messed with our landlines so I'd stopped). I was worried that he'd called someone (like 911) - but about 15 min. later my stepdad called and was like, "Is everything okay?" I responded, "Yes. . .why?" He said that he'd called my house and at first thought the call got cut off but then heard breathing so he said, "Logan, is that you?" I guess Logan made a sound and so my stepdad was like, "Where's your mom?" Logan said, "Wa-wa!" My stepdad didn't realize that's his word for "water" (Logan says it whenever he's referring to swimming, bath, or showers). So my stepdad was like, "Is your mom okay?" Logan said more firmly, "Wa-wa!" My stepdad said, "Can you go get her?" Logan, frustrated at this time that my stepdad wasn't catching on, shouted "WA WA!" and hung up the phone! I cracked up laughing. . .and was glad he was the one who called and not someone else :p

That night there was golf-ball-sized hail and tornado warnings so Joe didn't golf with his league as he usually does.

Logan went to Babysitter's on Wednesday & Thursday (June 2nd and 3rd) rather than Tuesday and Wednesday because I had an appt. with our builder on Thurs (we'd been getting water in our basement when it rains due to the house settling - but hopefully it's fixed now) as well as our first oil change for the vehicle we bought in Jan.

On Friday, June 4th I had my first hour-and-a-half massage which was heaven (I kept falling asleep - ugh!) and then we went out for Chinese (Wednesday I'd spent the day reading cover-to-cover the book I mentioned I'd bought in my post More Tidbits. It was okay. . .my least fav of E.G's five novels, but it'd be impossible for every book to be as fantastic as her others so I'm still a fan!)

Saturday, June 5th we went to a surprise birthday party for Brooke who had turned 30 the day before. :-) The party was at 2 pm (Logan's nap is usually at 1), but I had thought I'd be able to put Logan down early. Not the case. When he fell asleep on the ride home I thought he'd continue sleeping at home since he usually still does when that happens. Nope. Those 15 minutes were all he took of his nap that entire day and he went to bed at his normal time of 8 pm.

Sunday, June 6th Joe had to work. Logan wanted to ride his Scut (a Christmas gift from Joe's sister), but is still too small. On Monday, June 7th Logan and I were going to go to the zoo with Brooke & Kaelyn but with rain in the forecast for the entire day we decided to postpone the zoo to Friday. (However, it didn't end up raining at all so Logan and I enjoyed the perfect temp that afternoon in our backyard - it took a couple of minutes but I talked him into playing back there again!) I forgot to mention last time we went to the zoo I was hit on. Or at least a guy walking by me stopped, looked me up and down, and said "How YOU doin'?" That was my comedy for the day.

On a sad note, a different friend of mine found out her mother has uterine cancer and had to have surgery on Monday. Please pray that it didn't spread and that now she will be fine!!!!

I'll end with some notes that I forgot to put in my updates a couple of weeks ago:

For the past month Logan has started a habit of touching his top lip as a comfort thing. If you just glance at him you might think he's picking his nose, LOL, but we've noticed he does it when he's being introspective. . .my mother-in-law said she can tell it's calming to him.

Speaking of his mouth - at some point his second bottom molar came in! I have no idea when, but I was brushing his teeth last week and saw that both of them are fully in. So only two more to go and he's done with teething forever!

He says the "This Little Pig" nursery rhyme and it sounds adorable. At the end he shouts, "weee weeee weeee HOME!"

The house behind us has been for sale for the past three months. We hope we get nice neighbors. Aside from the woman who took her son trick or treating to our house in 2008, we've never spoken to the people who live there (they are a military family who moved in a week or two after we did in 2007), but shortly after Logan was born my dogs were barking outside and their neighbor came over to tell me he couldn't mow the lawn because my dogs were too loud. When Joe went to the backyard to get them, the guy who is now moving clapped. Thus why we haven't gone out of our way to become friends. The woman is a hair stylist so she has a salon in her house.

The other day Logan figured out how to try and escape from his carseat. Not good. I've heard too many stories of toddlers getting out of their carseats and flying out of the windows in an accident.

Logan has now stopped the typical butt-up-in-the-air way babies sleep. Since he was four months old he always immediately rolled to sleep on his tummy, but now often sleeps on his back again (and has been loving his pillow)!

Lately his thing is to yell, "Where are you?" whenever he looks for something (when he calls Cosmo in from outside he says "Cosmo!!!! Where are you?")

Ever since Logan was a year-and-a-half old when I ask, "Do you know what?" He answers, "I love you" in the sweetest voice!!!! My dad used to do this with me when I was a little girl and so I started it with Logan after he turned a year old.

When he wears jeans he stands around with his hands in his pockets which makes us laugh.

I find him sometimes playing in the full-length mirror which I used to do when I was a little girl so it's fun to watch him - peeking behind the mirror, making funny faces, etc.

He still says "ahh" (refreshing) after drinking sometimes, and puts his hands behind his head to "kick back" on a chair when he's relaxing.

During his entire life when I'm dressing him I've asked, "Where's your arm?" when putting on his shirt - he started responding to this when he was still an infant so it's neat to see him continue to do so, as I realize his brain remembers the routine from birth!

Since he was a year-and-a-half old Logan will say "mmm" out of the blue because Joe said it once back then and Logan imitated him and started laughing so Joe pretended to punch Logan in the stomach. So, ever since then when Logan wants to play that game with his dad he will say "mmm" to get Joe to punch him in the stomach. It's cute. :-) He's still a mama's boy, but I can tell they're going to get along great in life and be buds :-)

Ever since Logan was an infant, he's had a few of Joe's old childhood toys to play with which he has enjoyed. My mom had given me a box of mine as well but it'd been in the basement until a couple of months ago and then one day Logan found it. . .but he wasn't impressed with My Little Ponies. :p

As of the last week of May (when he went to Babysitter's three days that week since I was sick), he says "mine" again. He'd only said it during one week back in the fall which I'd written on my blog - but that had been it. However, all of a sudden he's showing possessive signs for the first time! Only, since he still calls himself "baby" it sounds more like he's saying "my baby" when referring to something of his, haha!

His babysitter jokes that he's the most "regular" kid she's ever had. It's true - there's only been a couple of weeks in his entire life where he didn't go poop at the exact same time every single day. :p

Also the past month he has been saying "there" a lot. Everything is either "over there," "in there," "up there," etc.

I can't remember if I've already written here that ever since last fall when he sees the ISU or Chicago Bears logo he knows they mean "football." This summer we plan to introduce him to baseball by taking him to our very first College World Series game here in Omaha!

This final paragraph doesn't have to do with Logan - but I wanted to say that I'm really upset by the big oil spill last month :( I have cried tears over the poor animals being affected. I had thought after the last spill, lessons had been learned. This can't happen again! I thought by now it would have at least been stopped. I pray that they are somehow able to lessen the severity. . .until then I can't bear to watch the news.

On a happier note, stay tuned for Friday's post to find out what dessert I made while Logan was gone Memorial Day weekend (yes, I purposely made a treat while he was away so that I wouldn't have to sneak bites - admit it, Mothers, we all do that, LOL)!!!!

Our Easter Weekend

Since my last update post on Thursday night, Logan had another two-year-old moment on Friday. We went out to eat to Roja for Mexican food and Logan was sitting next to me and tried to get me to leave my seat on the booth. When I didn't, he went to Joe's side and pushed him off so that Joe was on the floor! Logan then told Joe to sit next to me and any time that he tried to go back Logan wouldn't have it. So there Logan was with the entire side of the booth to himself while Joe and I sat side-by-side. :p

Other than that, though, Logan has been pretty chill since. It was an excellent first Easter weekend (technically it was his second Easter but we didn't celebrate last year because he and I were both sick. In fact, it's been about 4 yrs since I actually enjoyed Easter because the year before last I was one week away from having Logan - need I say more - and the year before that I was sick as well! When I woke up with a sore throat this year I was like "no way!" but thankfully it went away the next hour). I think my body reacts to the changing of seasons more than it does to being exposed to virus'!

Anyway, so on Saturday morning we went to Logan's first Easter Egg hunt! I got him a Lightning McQueen basket so he was excited. :-) While we were waiting for the hunt to begin, I looked at the little boy standing next to us because he appeared to be the same age as Logan. He looked really familiar. After staring at him for a couple of minutes it dawned on me - I had just seen his picture the night before on Facebook! I'll admit I'm kind of nosy and so a year-and-a-half ago I had gone to the search box and put in the name of the family who had moved into our old house. They were on there so I said hi and hoped they liked the house. I hadn't said anything more to them other than over Christmas they had put a comment on my page letting me know I had a Christmas card there. But the night before they'd changed their profile pic to show their little boy helping to paint his bedroom (they're expecting baby #2 on the 19th of this month) and so I had clicked on the photo so that I could see our old house with color on the walls! We had learned two years ago when they closed on the house that they had a son born the day before Logan, because we both spoke to their realtor for the final time on the phone while we were at the same hospital! Small world! He was there with his grandma so I didn't say anything but snapped a picture and then posted it on their page that night. They said "yes, that was him, wow - how funny, what a coincidence." I told Joe how I never would have known had I not seen his pic on facebook, so it makes you wonder how many other people we walk by in this world that are connected to us in some way but we'd normally never know!

When the hunt started, Logan knew right what to do - in fact, he'd tried a couple of times to "put the balls in his car" before it was time! But because there were so many kids up to the age of 4, and even parents running around getting eggs, they disappeared super fast. But he happily put two in his basket and was even excited to find a couple of half eggs. Everyone appeared to be done so we thought that was probably it - but then Joe spotted two more! So that was a great bonus - Logan didn't have to compete with anyone else for those. He was happy to learn there was candy inside :-) The entire way home he kept saying "more? more?" So we made an Easter Egg Hunt at home for him, too. I had bought some plastic eggs and put some little candies in them and then threw them around our backyard. Joe's mom had sent gifts for him so Logan enjoyed opening them up, as well as a card with stickers from my mom and stepdad.

Also that weekend we went to church for their Easter program and on Sunday we gave him a Thomas The Train & Percy Train for his gift from us. Logan still only likes church for a half an hour. He sat really still and quiet on my lap during all of the announcements and music (although he got scared at one point during the music because it was too loud for him) but the second half an hour (the sermon-message) Joe took him out again. I even brought a couple of books this time, let him bring his Easter basket, as well as a snack, but it didn't help. Everyone says the more routine it gets (and older obviously) the longer he'll sit each time so eventually all three of us can stay for the entire service!

After his nap we went to the park -- our intention was for Joe & I to play Frisbee Golf because we received an entire set for Christmas, but mainly Logan just played on the playground. He caught on right away to the rules of Frisbee Golf, though, so he attempted, too. . .maybe someday we'll all play together.He had his first happy meal for supper (chicken nuggets, apple slices, and a dinosaur toy from McDonalds) and it was PERFECT weather so I took him on an hour walk around the neighborhood before bed.

Monday it was only in the 50's so we didn't play outside - glad we had "stay at home mom day" set up with Brooke & Kaelyn at Culver's for lunch. I hadn't eaten there in years (as in 8 or 9 yrs!) but liked it. That reminds me, there is another really good hamburger-fast food place here called Don & Millie's. Joe and I ate there several months ago because we had a free coupon and I was like, wow this is really good, from now on this is where I'm going if I want fast food. But we don't eat fast food very often (twice this week was rare) so we haven't been since.

Some funny things he did yesterday: This is TMI, LOL, but after I went pee, Logan brought me a box of tampons! I had my period last week so he'd obviously seen me with that box when I'd go in and out of the bathroom :p

In the evening he saw a couple of pop cans laying around and took them to the garage and put them in their appropriate place. This was AWESOME because that has been a major pet peeve of mine in my almost 7 yrs of marriage to Joe: he NEVER puts his empty pop cans where they belong, I am ALWAYS the one to do it. So Joe enjoyed that. . .I told Logan he needed to teach Daddy how to do it!

Logan and I plan to go grocery shopping today. It's supposed to be 72 degrees, but rain off and on, so maybe we'll be able to go outside in between the thunderstorms.

Good news - I figured out a way for him to let me brush his teeth again: start using toothpaste! I was going to wait until his two year check-up on the 19th, but our pediatrician already told us that is what he'll be telling us, so I figured two weeks sooner isn't going to make a difference. Especially since it's non-flouride (which is what is recommended for another year since toddlers can't really spit until then and flouride can be dangerous). It must taste fine because when I tell Logan, "You can use toothpaste like Mommy and Daddy if you let me brush your teeth," he opens wide and lets me do a good job. Let's hope this continues because he had done excellent since he was 10 months old, but now had gone an entire month without any brushing!

We had to throw away his one and only hard sippy cup (I wrote a couple of posts last year about why straw cups are better) because it wasn't in good shape anymore, but he begged me for a Lightning McQueen one so he still has one sippy cup but a ton of straw cups.

Other things to report: when I picked Logan up on Friday from Babysitter's, she said that she thinks he's going to do well with female relationships when he grows up. When I asked her what she meant, she explained that she has never seen a little boy his age so in tune with females and their expressions and emotions. She said he always looks to see what her facial expression is to know what she is thinking/feeling and then responds accordingly. He's very observant with everyone's nonverbal language. She said males usually aren't, LOL!!! I hope she is right because that is actually one of my top goals for him - to raise a man that will be an excellent husband for a woman some day. There are too many jerks out there. . . I don't really get it because a lot of them come from good homes/good moms but I don't think it's something that parents usually emphasize or make a priority because there's so many other things to focus on and once our children are ready for relationships we aren't involved in that part of their lives. But I think it's my job (as well as Joe's) and now is the time, because every moment I have with him is already influencing his future in some way.Speaking of his babysitter, I told her about the attitude that came out of nowhere and she said she has yet to see that. In the year since he's been going, she's never heard anything from him that comes close to a whine, let alone a "no" or any attitude. So hopefully that will continue for her as well. They had an Easter Egg Hunt at her house on Friday and she gave him a goodie bag when I picked him up.

In conclusion, I can't remember if I've mentioned that Joe's nephew & wife who are going to have a have their baby this July are having a boy - they plan to name him Randall. (They're the ones with a girl, Aubrielle, who will be two in June.) Meanwhile, Joe's other nephew & wife who had the girl, Reagan, that turned two in February and had the new baby boy in September, Anderson - is already 25 lbs! Logan, you've been beat - that was Anderson's 6 month weight but Logan was 20 lbs back then. She had to stop nursing awhile ago (but is still pumping) because she can't keep up with his hunger and also he has all of his teeth! Also for baby news - my cousin Kate, who lost baby boy Caden in October 2007 and had a baby girl Adyson on New Years Eve 2008 is expecting another baby this October! She has had her cerclage (been stitched up so as not to go into pre-term labor like she did with both her prior pregnancies) and all is going well!

It's A New Season

It's Tuesday's meme:Wow, so exactly a week ago I was writing the post about my new life and then over the weekend I received an e-mail from my brother that couldn't have come at a better time. Over the weekend he was talking to a friend of his out in Los Angeles - an editor of a magazine that closed in the 1970s but they are bringing it back this June and she asked him if he knew any writers in the Midwest. Even though the magazine is just in California, they want writers all over the US to write columns with different perspectives and info. Being the wonderful brother he is, he told her about me! When I found out that I'd be flown out there a couple of times a year for celebrity events/parties I couldn't refuse!

I'm still learning all of the info about the magazine. . .and am beginning to wonder if I'm really what they are looking for or if I'll even be able to write what they want, but after last week's post about going out of my comfort zone, I told them I'd give it a try! Maybe having this on my resume or meeting people from other magazines out there could develop into something that is my perfect fit!!!!

As for my update for last week: as I said in my post Fun At The Zoo, Joe took Logan to the zoo last weekend and then I took him with Brooke & Kaelyn on Monday, March 15th. That evening we bought him an early birthday gift - a kiddie table! He had started falling off the regular chair (while getting his arms or legs caught in the bars) so I am so glad he loved this right away and has since been eating all meals there. It'll work great for when his friends come over, too.On Tuesday, March 16th, I went with Stacy to a place where she could get me some hair stuff since I loved the Moroccan Oil but it didn't work out for me. I guess this stuff is similar but not an oil so hopefully won't make me break out. Because, only this week have I been able to finally return to my Sephora make up and cleanser since it took awhile for my face to clear up just after trying the Moroccan Oil one day one week.

On Wednesday, March 17th (St Paddy's Day) Logan came down with the second fever of his life. I don't know whether it was a virus or teething, but whatever it was started in the middle of the night because he woke up crying so we brought him in our bed and he was SUPER restless. In the morning when I was changing his diaper and clothes I gasped at how burning hot he was! I took his temp and it was 102. So no Babysitter's house that day. Despite giving him Tylenol every 4 hrs it just rotated between 101.5 to 102 all day. He cried every hour and needed me to hold him just as often. It was the second hardest day of his life! (The first being last summer when he was 14 months old because that day he had decided to try and destroy the house as well. :p)

He was always better once the Tylenol kicked in, and thankfully we had nice weather so we were able to play outside without a coat in the backyard for the first time since last Sept or Oct! I had the windows open for a little bit (for the first time since then as well), however since he was screaming so much that day I kept them closed for fear our neighbors would call child protective services, LOL, j/k.

Thankfully, he took a good nap and slept without waking up all night, but he still had his high temp on Thursday morning, March 18th and spent the morning crying again. So I had to cancel my plans with Lisa & Andrea who had planned to come over for pizza and a playdate with their kids that day :( (By the way, Logan officially turned twenty three months old that day!)

Before noon Logan's temp went down to 99 and never went back up! He still wasn't his normal chipper self, but being outside again at least prevented him from crying all day. I went on my old half an hour to hour walk with him that I used to do last summer (I didn't remember it being as hard, ahem) and he rode his big wheel a little bit and sat on our neighbor's driveway while Jenn's kids colored with chalk. I was so happy to have Joe's help that night - he was told that his 60/70 hrs a week is over sooner than expected - yeay! Logan spent the evening hopping, skipping, and dancing - happy as could be. So he was back to normal on Friday, March 19th to go to Babysitter's house (and has been in a great mood ever since); that was our friend Chris' last day at work as she is moving next week to Washington D.C. She had a goodbye party and my parents came on Saturday, March 20th to watch Logan. Joe and I took advantage of our time together and went to see Valentine's Day at the movie theater, out to eat to Hector's (a Mexican restaurant - we'd never been to their main location before, it was good - however Roja is still my fav :-)) and then stayed in a hotel that night. I didn't expect to LOVE the movie, but I did!!!!!!!! Good message. We came close to not seeing it -- we had hoped to go to the Cinedine -- a new place in Omaha where you can eat a meal while you watch a movie, but I just wasn't interested in any of the films playing. I kept trying to talk myself into one of them, but we finally decided to wait until there is something interesting showing so that we can enjoy the Cindedine to the fullest :-)

We also bought Logan a second carseat. Until now whenever he rode with Joe he was in the same one we took him home from the hospital! Chicco makes carseats up to 30 lbs and since I am a stay at home mom we only needed that one until Logan wanted to face front, then my parents bought us the Graco one he uses now when he was 14 months old (even though he was 24 lbs at a year old). We moved the Chicco carseat to the other car and this has worked for us the past 9 months, but Logan is now 28 lbs so he's been overflowing in it the past month! So, we bought another Graco like the one in my car, it faces front and goes up to 100 lbs so this should be all that we need to buy forever!

Anyway, back to the goodbye party - I can't believe that I only met Chris a year-and-a-half ago. She wrote me the nicest letter and promised to keep in touch. I'm going to see her, her husband, and 13 month old son one more time (this weekend). . .I'm sure I'll cry!

My parents left on Sunday afternoon, March 21; last month I had written that Logan wasn't going to be having the solo weekends at my parents' place anymore but thankfully everything went well with them watching Logan at our place.

That evening we went to a pizza party hosted by Logan's babysitter so that all of the families could meet each other. I can't believe this Wednesday will have been a year since he started going (8 hrs a week until last month, now he goes 17 hrs).

Everyone came (13 total children, but all are part time so the most she has in one day is 7). There is Ryder (5 - he'll start kindergarten in the fall) and his brother Hudson (will be 3 in May or June); Henry (5 - he'll start kindergarten in the fall) and his two sisters that just come in the summer Josie & Jackie (9 & 7); Ryan (almost 4) and his sister who just comes in the summer Maddie (8); Jackson (almost 4) - he'll have a baby sister in 2 weeks!; Mia (the youngest, 8.5 months, and only girl during non-summer); and brothers Abrahm (5 - will start kindergarten this fall), Cy (3), and Zay (will be 2 in July).

Logan didn't really care about any of the kids except his whole face lit up when he saw Zay! He even said hi, waved, and reached out his hand towards him. Both boys smiled so cutely to each other! Too bad they're moving, I talked to his mom and she said they moved here two years ago from Idaho and are hoping to move back next chance her husband gets with his job. But all of the families who go to Babysitter's live in our neighborhood, so maybe Logan will grow up with some other kid he meets there (if we stay)! Because, so far none of his friends are going to be going to his same school.

At first Logan was acting very fearful and shy and clingy but I think it was seeing everyone in an unknown setting (we were at Johnny Sortino's restaurant where I'd only been once before and it was with Joe when I was pregnant. I liked it, though, so we'll have to go back)! Babysitter said that often when she sees the kids out in public they become statues, like they can't comprehend her in a different environment, LOL.

But, I think it's also what I wrote last month about how he's showing insecurity for the first time :( I was hoping since up until the past month or two he's never shown any shyness or stranger anxiety that he would keep that confidence, but I think it's like my dogs - I remember that when Bella was a puppy I was amazed at how nothing scared her but then overnight it changed when she was about a year old - then she was scared of everything she should have been and a few extra things, haha. So I think fear is just a maturity thing, it's healthy & good for survival, so my hope is that once he gets used to the new feeling, he will regain his confidence at the appropriate times. I don't care if he's the shyest, quietest kid in public - as long as he's happy and secure. (He still didn't mind us leaving him with my parents.)

Monday, March 22nd was "stay at home mom day" at Brooke & Kaelyn's house. Kaelyn turns 11 months old this Wednesday and is walking all over the place! She took her first steps at 9 months old but still crawled until a couple of weeks ago, now she's given that up completely! It's been fun to see all of her milestones/stages since we've been getting together regularly since she was 4 months old. (It's also weird to think this is when Logan started running all over the place. His first steps were on March 15th, 2009 but he was walking across the room within a week and after that never crawled again!)

Logan and I spent the rest of the day outside, it was a little chilly because of the wind, but the snow is finally 100% melted for the first time since last October or November so Logan had fun drawing on our driveway with chalk for the first time and he even ran around the block with me chasing after him!Nothing else to report, other than American Idol is on tonight! Lacey Brown was the first to leave the Top 12 last week. I liked her, but she wasn't on my list for possible winners so I wasn't surprised. I loved-loved-loved my fav's performance (Lee) last week. So it's official, that's who I'm hoping is the winner! (Until now I've teetered between thinking it could be him or Michael.) I wish that I had put Crystal and Siobhan on my list instead of Aaron and Andrew, but oh well. I still like Didi for the girls, but have a feeling she's going to go, however Crystal or Siobhan - if not both - are going to make it into the top 3. Just as long as Lee is there, too :-)

Follow Up

Oh how I love my little guy! Nothing has ever made me happier in my life! I don't think it even is possible for anything else in the future! What is better than an infant/toddler laughing every hour of every day? What is better than being entertained by my son acting goofy on purpose? (Last night he was turning around in circles in his diaper and falling down.) The innocence, the sweetness. . .coming over to hug me and wanting me to hold him - he's wanted me to do this the past couple of nights before bed, and as I rock him I think of what a gift it is to do it. . .what a gift he has been to me these past twenty-three months. Without him my life is almost empty and meaningless. So, I couldn't be more thankful for him -- but I don't really like the way that last part sounds because, yes I am happy right now, but would I be without him? I don't want him to ever think that is his job or that he needs to be those things in my life. He has his own separate path and all that really matters is that he is happy (which he is right now), just as everyone should be on their own.

That brings me to now explain/follow up March 5th's post (thus, it's a long post today). Not the details, because I don't want to expose other people's private info and family secrets -- but basically, I discovered a lot of truths about where I came from, my past, and talked to several people I hadn't spoken to in 17 to 22 years who filled in the missing puzzle pieces of my life! (Which reminds me, my autobiography posts will start this Thursday.)

I had no idea I've been walking around in chains. . .chains that I put on myself. Once I was able to make sense of everything and everyone, the chains lifted. Clarity. Freedom. Understanding how I got to this place, and why I've felt and thought the way I have, makes me able to move forward in a different and much healthier way than I ever have before. (I don't believe there is a right or wrong way to do things, just right or wrong for individual people.)

So many questions and endless possibilities are now ready for me to answer and experience. I've never been ready before. Too fearful. Maybe it was turning thirty, but I have no fear now -- what a fabulous feeling!!!!!

Time to live my own life and be my own person. It's going to take years for me to get everything into place. After all, it's been over seven years that I've been letting life happen for me. Life's been great and gone exactly according to the plan I made over seven years ago, but last week I read another book -- this one called Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner that opened my eyes that it's time to make a new plan. I used to think a lot about where I wanted my life to go, but I stopped once I got married (aside from knowing I wanted children). It's been nice "being in the moment" but there's nothing wrong with thinking about the future, too. (And I don't mean just with new year's resolutions.)

I received the book for Christmas 1999 because I thought it would help me with what I wanted to do in the broadcasting business. (I was a sophomore in college at the time.) The author was a Christian in the mainstream TV media, and my hope as a TV journalist was to spread positive messages, tell inspiring stories, and focus on the good -- not all of the depressing, bad stuff that takes over the news. Over ten years later I finally read the book and that was indeed the message (being a light in the dark) -- but I was wrong about it being for TV journalists. This book is written for writers! (Although anyone in "the arts" would enjoy it, as he covers artists, photographers, actors, etc. as well.)

Here's my truth: for 10 years I was passionate about being a TV reporter/anchor. From ages 12 to 22 my life revolved around this. I interned for two summers for the biggest radio station in Iowa and then got a job right out of college at a TV station.

I sometimes wonder had I worked somewhere else - somewhere that I'd had a positive experience - if maybe I would have continued in that field. But it was such an awful experience that I felt it had to do more with being my authentic self rather than where and who I worked with. When I quit three months later, there wasn't a part of me that wanted anything more to do with being a TV reporter, nor have I ever missed it or felt curious/interested since then. That ship definitely sailed.After the summer of 2002, I got a job at another TV station, only I was a tape editor. Loved the people, loved the adrenaline rush of having one of the most important jobs during the live newscasts (imagine newscasts without video to accompany the anchors/reporters or something going wrong with the video), and loved working on my own (I had my own room with edit machines and I was free to edit the video that the photographers had recorded however I wanted, as long as it went along with the news copy, and I put the tapes into the decks at the exact moment they played on-air. . .it was a dance: tape 1, tape 2, tape 3, tape 1, tape 2, tape 3). I never had one bad day. I didn't even mind the hours (I worked 2 to 11 pm) because I am a night person.

But, it wasn't something that I could do long-term if I wanted to make family my first priority (which I did). I was getting married in April 2003 and Joe was certain we'd be moving from Iowa because there weren't any jobs there in his profession. Sure enough, that's what happened. Two weeks before we were married he started his job in Nebraska and I quit mine at the TV station.

When I moved here, I sent my resume to all of the television stations, radio stations, and even libraries! But the job market was awful that year for everyone I knew looking for a job, so it wasn't surprising that I only heard back from one.

It was a Christian radio station. I was super excited because that'd been my top choice. During my summer of hell as a TV reporter I had dreaded going to work each morning. Especially since my supervisor seemed to have the need to inform me every day that he was an athiest and tried to get into debates with me (you can read more about it on my post last year titled All Kinds Of Stuff - if you scroll down to the pic of me by the door). So, to keep myself positive, during my car rides I would listen to a Christian radio station. The people and environment seemed completely opposite than the one I was in. I decided that's what I wanted to do instead: be a radio DJ on a Christian music station.The people and environment at the station in Nebraska were exactly as I'd hoped. Well, except for my office manager - I was scared of her! I was the office assistant on Mondays because she took that day off. She was very strict and admitted herself that she was anal with her instructions for me, and informed me that my job was to clean the toilets, vacuum, dust, empty all of the trashcans - basically all of the cleaning for the week was my job. I hadn't planned on ever being a janitor, but I never complained and always did it with enthusiasm because it beat where I'd been the year before! She moved away a year or two later and fortunately I never had any negative moments with her.

But I put way too much pressure on myself. I worked both in the office and on air for three years. I realize now that no one was expecting me to be the perfect Christian. . .but I was. So I'd often come home with a headache or feel that I'd spent my days not being anymore authentic than when I was a TV reporter. It was in a completely different way -- this time was because although the job itself was right for me, perfection is impossible. I didn't want to let on that I had any flaws (or sins) when in reality nobody else was expecting that of me or being that way themselves. But, I felt like I was on a lower level than them. I figured if they knew "the real me" they wouldn't think I was worthy to work there (what if they didn't approve of the TV shows I watched or movies I went to? I'd spent one year of high school living in a bubble, there are pros to that haha, but I'd learned that there will always be someone to find fault with a book you read or a song you like. I'm mature enough now to know whether something has a positive effect or negative effect on me and I try to avoid the negative but it does not mean my list is the same as the next person because we're all different).

Anyway, so it was inevitable that I'd leave because how long can a person hold themselves back? In my defense, I had no idea that I was doing this. It wasn't conscious. I was ages 23 to 26 and truly wanted to be the person I was trying to be each day. When I left in 2006, I figured it was because my passion in life was to be a writer. So, for the past almost 4 years, that is the "professional path" that I've been on.It was the right decision -- but I did it for the wrong reasons. In reality, I see now that the reason I left the radio station is because I couldn't spend another hour only showing one side of me.

For example, my friend Brooke who I talk about here that I do "stay at home mom day" with -- I worked with her all three years but we didn't become friends until I left. She sent me an e-mail one day and we began writing back and forth. When is the most natural place for me to be real? When I'm writing. (That's why this blog is so good for me - I write about the good, the bad, and everything in between.) For the next two years we developed a great friendship over e-mail and since the fall of 2008 we have been getting together regularly. In fact, my entire social life became completely fulfilling once I got pregnant. So maybe it was Logan -- as if he hasn't already done a thousand wonderful things to my life already, it's been easy for me to not hold back with anyone, anywhere, since he was born.

For the past few years I've been living my best in this life, but now it's time to find my best life to live.

Having Logan was the best thing I've ever done, and getting to spend each day smiling with him as a stay at home mom has been such a blessing. I've never taken one day for granted and hope my giddy-eyes never cloud. (In many ways the newness still hasn't worn off.) But last summer I blogged (My Update On My Writing) that I want a career again once my kids are in school. (I said that I would do it now if I didn't have Logan and want one more because it's a matter of getting out of the house; I've signed up for some work at home mom jobs but I realize that's not what I'm looking for.) I haven't been able to figure out what to do because the reason why broadcasting was the only option for me for 10 yrs is because I never had another moment of being interested in anything else! (Although I wouldn't mind working at a spa but that is for selfish reasons, LOL. And, even though I'm taking that photography class next month to officially start that hobby, that is something I want to keep as a hobby.)

Getting married was my easy way to not having to figure it out. Had I remained single, I would have had to figure it out back in 2002 or 2003. Ever since the past summer I've tried, but it wasn't until reading that book last week that I've realized the answer has been easy this whole time: the best career for me is anything that involves writing.

I always thought my only option as a writer was to work for a newspaper or do what I'm doing now - be a freelance writer and work towards becoming a novelist. I've never had an interest at working for a newspaper, and fiction writing can still be my passion - hopefully one day will be my career, but being an author is one of the most out-of-a-person's control professions there is! I was voted Most Ambitious in high school for a reason: I like to make goals and accomplish them, but it's been almost four years for this one and I will never be able to have an answer as to "when" the time will come.  (This pic was taken when I was in high school.)There are plenty of other jobs outside of the home that entail writing. My plan now is to get a temp job before my kids are even in school - maybe letting an agency throw me into a part time position that I have no clue even exists, but where I write. Maybe then I will discover I can be my authentic self for the first time in a job setting and it can develop into something stable/solid once my children are in school.

I'm also not closed to the idea of working for the radio station again since I really liked it there. I just want to make sure that if I go back I am there to stay (for example, I wouldn't want to apply right now for a part time position while Logan's at his babysitter's house because I'm planning to get pregnant this fall and what if I'm sick again - that will be too much stress. Or, since we're waiting to see what happens with Joe's job this summer. By the way, our option for moving has narrowed down to rather than within the next five years, it will happen between the years 2011 and 2013 - otherwise not until child #2 graduates from high school which is approximately the year 2029)! I know this time I could just relax and be myself because I am at a better place now at age 30, knowing who I am and being proud of that. But, after reading Roaring Lambs, I'm thinking that "the professional category of my life" should be writing in the mainstream.

It is going to be more of a challenge to turn my other decisions from the past 7 yrs around so that I can now do them for the right reasons. (Now that I've come up with a professional plan, I'll work on the plans for my other areas.) Some areas may still work the way they are now and others might not. I am not in a rush to figure out what goes in what category. Just having this knowledge and knowing that I can, and am ready, and am already getting started - puts me on the best path since college (which I always say was the best time of my life aside from the year Logan was born - now I see that is why, both those times in my life things weren't perfect but I actively lived "my life" with joy each day). So now you see what I was talking about two weeks ago. . .it all started with that church service, followed by that New Age book I read, then having the missing puzzle pieces of my life filled in, and finally the last book. Coincidence or not that everything happened back-to-back at the perfect time? Last week I was starting to get overwhelmed, but I came up with the following ideas that have given me peace:

Once I start earning an income, I want to get my own tiny apartment. Joe feared this meant I am planning to leave him -- no, I just want a second residence in the same area he is, but that is "my own place" to write (many authors do this). (By the way, attempt #2 for my writing retreat in a hotel to finish novel #4 is going to be April 30th to May 2nd -- can't wait.) Thankfully, Joe is being wonderful through all of this. . .the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with Logan because he gets being a good guy from Joe!

I'm really excited this summer to travel for the very first time by myself. I've blogged here several times about how I'm going to visit my best friend for her 30th birthday. . .it will be my very first time on a plane by myself. I am incredibly scared but determined to prove to myself that I can "take my own vacation" (and maybe this will be the start of many in the future).

I also plan to take a road trip -- by myself this summer, somewhere, without having a clue what I'm going to do when I get there.

This Thanksgiving or Christmas I want to volunteer at a homeless shelter and some day go to another country to do something helpful.

There are many things I have never thought I could do because I am not living "on my own, by myself." Who says that just because I got married right out of college that I just have to follow Joe around and only make decisions for myself that fit into our current life? That I can't still experience my own, separate stuff? A lot of these things are what people do in their twenties and then they feel ready to settle down in their thirties. Who says you can't do it the other way around? My husband isn't a social guy so I tend to just be a homebody which is fine (we are a good match because that is how I want to be most of the time) but I also have evenings when I would like to do something out of my comfort zone - like go to an art gallery - but I don't because I tell myself I can't by myself. How do I know until I try? I've never been one to think that I need a man (except to give me my sweet Logan!!!). Even if I do all of these things and don't have positive experiences, it's much better to have had the opportunity to find out, rather than to never know!

I looked at myself in the mirror the other day, thinking I wouldn't like my reflection because I've gained back some of my weight I've been losing - but instead thought I looked younger! I've blogged here before that I feel at some point after 2009 started, I aged. A lot. I think some of that had to do with me realizing deep down that Logan was my only choice that I'd made for the right reasons in over seven years. Maybe I've just gotten used to my new aged reflection, LOL, or maybe it's because 2010 is going better than last year because I've put an end to that pattern. Wouldn't it be nice if thinking younger makes you look younger? :-)

Tuesday Newsday

Today's meme is:We didn't end up doing anything over the weekend after all - the first of Logan's two year molars popped through so he was not himself (only three more to go and then he's done with teeth forever)! That means when we do get together with Chris it will be for the last time - as her last day at work with Joe is March 19th. :-(

Despite Logan being very restless on Friday night and crabby on Saturday, I'm still loving this age and he's been back to normal since. Babysitter said that usually by now (almost 23 months) you can tell whether they're going to be challenging so she doesn't think his terrible two yr is going to be that bad. (I'm really hoping that she is right.) She is predicting that when he is in school he's going to be a very good student academically and well-behaved. She said he pays very close attention and catches on to everything quickly, and is the only one who doesn't put up a fuss about anything at any time at her place. He just goes along with everything. When it's nap time he lays right down and goes right to sleep. When he wakes up, he won't get off the mat until she tells him it's okay. She said the more kids there are the quieter and calmer he is, the less there are the more he talks and runs around.

Whenever I pick him up he goes right to his coat (he can pick it out of the line up) and then heads upstairs and acts like he is showing off to me that he is independent or something because he opens the front door, walks to the car and tries to open the car door himself, and then climbs into his carseat and attempts to buckle himself in. This is good because I have reached my carrying weight limit. Last week I mentioned that he was suddenly having me carry him more so I don't know if it was that or the fact that he is 27 lbs (plus some ounces) but this is the first time my back has ever hurt when I pick him up. I can't recall ever having back pain in my life, aside from when I was pregnant (and that was the top 'cuz of my chest growing a lot, this is my lower back) so hopefully now that the molar that had been causing him grief has popped up he won't be as clingy.

Babysitter is having a pizza party next weekend for all the parents to meet each other so that should be fun. (March 24th will have been a year since Logan started going and I've only said hi to a couple of the moms in passing.)

Logan and I went on two walks last week - it was wonderful! I think by the end of this week all of our snow should be melted for the first time this winter, so I'm hoping that means we can start playing outside every day again! We've paid for another zoo membership so our pass should arrive later this week.

I am amazed at what a sports fanatic Logan seems already. I mean, Joe watches football but that is pretty much it. We don't really go to sports events or play sports ourselves and yet Logan's whole face lights up when he sees something sports-related. His entire demeanor changes - he gets so excited! For example, both days on our walk we saw boys playing basketball and he pointed and got really hyper in his stroller yelling "Basketball! Basketball!" When they made their shots he'd yell "Boom! Boom!" and clap. He didn't want to stop watching. . .I don't think we'll have a choice as to what activities we put him in when he's older!

For the past couple of months he has requested me to take his picture! It's been several months since he has liked cheese (which was his very first fav food so I'm still shocked by that) so I've learned that instead when he says "cheese" he really means for me to get my camera. Today I took some pics of him drawing with markers and he got upset when I put my camera away! So I guess if he's not an athlete he's going to want to be a model :pThat reminds me, I have waited to take a photography class because I thought my only option was something that lasted several weeks. But there is a one-day-class for people to learn more about the camera I bought last July that sounds like a good place to start - so Joe and I have signed up to take that next month which I am looking forward to so that I can get my photography hobby going!

Lately Logan has been taking his dishes to the sink after he eats which is another totally-on-his own thing that I like.
Sadly, on Saturday Logan got his first black eye :( Until now his worst injury in his almost 23 months was when Bella bit his head last August (pic was in my post titled I Love This Age) but this one is worse because there is also a cut next to his eye with a lot of swelling. He was running on the couch and fell, hitting the side of his head on our chest that is right in front of our couch. We felt so bad for him - he kept screaming and wouldn't let us put his Frosty Bear (ice pack) on it, so the only thing to finally get him to stop crying was when I told him how I have hit my head before and so has Daddy. He then asked if Bella and Cosmo have, too, to which I said "yes" and told him stories. He was very interested the rest of the night, off and on, asking me to repeat the stories of when Daddy & I have hit our heads before.

On Sunday he decided to put a golf ball in his mouth which also turned on the water works because he couldn't get it out! So Joe had to help him - I don't know why he put that thing in his mouth, he's been playing with golf balls since last summer (which is when he stopped putting things in his mouth) and had never done it before. At least that was better than something smaller that he could have choked on.

I wish I had something to report about his potty training, but after my post Randomness when I said that he was going to start wearing only pull ups so that he could use the toilet every day, I got burnt out! The good news is that he was really excited when I told him that he could read his new Elmo book and have his M&Ms (that I wrote had been his Valentine's Day gifts) whenever he used the potty. Until now, he's really never favored a particular book before but can't get enough of his Potty Time With Elmo book! He was the one to ask to use the potty every other hour of every single day that first week and he would sit there for a full half an hour each time (the longest he ever had) asking me to read that book over and over! I was so relieved that he's completely lost his fear of the shield. But despite that - urine did not ever enter the toilet!So, I took the next week off. And what I mean by that is I was a bad mom by just not taking him there - Logan still asked to use the toilet (even at the grocery store) but I've figured out that when he says that it means he is literally peeing at that moment which is why we can sit on the toilet for a half an hour and nothing happens. He started asking me if he could poop in the toilet at 16.5 months old which has always worked because that takes longer to come out, LOL - but he's not capable of actually holding his urine yet. I've tried to put him on the toilet at random times but that hasn't been successful, either.

But the following week (last week) we went back to the pull ups every day, and switched to dried fruit so he wouldn't have a sugar overload from the M&Ms since he was spending so much time in there, haha!

He's still super motivated to do what we do, and definitely understands what the goal is, so this week we are doing half and half. I still take him in every time he says he has to go, but am still putting diapers on him half the time, too, and staying more like 10-15 minutes rather than 20-30 minutes. That's all that really matters at this point anyway, since toddlers aren't physically capable of bladder control until they're between two and three years old (for daytime, and three and four for nighttime).

On another subject, we've been able to decrease his Aveeno lotion to just once a day (after bath before bed)! And, he seems to be doing fine wearing clothes that aren't 100% cotton, as often as they are clean! It may be because winter is leaving, or because he's hardly caught any virus' the past several months, or because he's turning two in five weeks (a common age for eczema to go away) - or maybe all of the above! (We'll probably never be able to stop using the lotion entirely, though, because one day we forgot and although his eczema didn't come back his skin became dry.)

On Monday we went to the library and grocery shopping. Today we're going to hang out with Stacy and Jaxson. Tomorrow I have my appt. with my therapist where I'm going to be talking to her about my Friday's post - hoping she can help me put it all into action. I'm sorry to be so vague. . .it's just a very long, ongoing story that I don't want to write about until it's concluded.

Speaking of conclusions, I'll end with great news about my bro - on Friday he got the lead role in a TV pilot! It's a comedy (sitcom). . .I really hope it gets picked up!

It Worked!

Today is The UnMom's Random Thoughts Tuesday! Logan's eczema is gone again--yeay!!!! So I'm definitely a fan of Aveeno (which I began using on him Saturday). I won't be quitting with lotion this time - he's getting it 3 times every day no matter what the season (and I'll continue following the other things for eczema that I mentioned in yesterday's post, Snow Day).

He went down for his nap easily on Monday as well as today (Tuesday) and last night at 8 pm for bed time. He slept 'til 8 am yesterday and 7:30 am this morning. Yesterday's nap wasn't until 3 pm because Brooke and her 7.5 month old daughter Kaelyn came over in the morning and stayed until then. The days go by so fast when we have "Stay At Home Mom Day" - we had so much fun having girl talk. I think Logan is getting to an age where he can start playing with other kids rather than just around them so it was cute to even see them briefly play together. Kaelyn is starting to crawl and has two teeth so that was cute!

Today Logan requested "bed. bed" by pointing upstairs for naptime. We had just gotten home from helping Daddy. Joe had called because he was stuck in snow, and when he got out of the car to dig himself out, he accidentally locked his keys in the ignition with the car still on!!! Unfortunately, he was on Offut Airforce Base where no one is allowed without a special pass, so he asked if I would take his spare keys to his office and then his boss could bring them to him on the Base.

When I got to Joe's office his boss wasn't there. I waited 5 minutes before I went to the door but it was locked so I waited a few more minutes before calling my friend Chris who is the only person I've met who works with Joe. I haven't mentioned her on here in awhile because I hadn't seen her since August when we went to that writers group that one night! She has been going through a lot. Her son who was born in February was really colicky for his first three months and since then has had one illness after another. He also struggles with asthma, bad allergies, and constant eczema. She said he's been healthy about 3 days in the past 4 months. He was going to have tubes put in his ears because of ear infections but they think he has Pneumonia right now so they have to wait until he recovers. Earlier in the fall he had Meningitis which was very scary and he's also had stomach issues. He wakes up about 6 times a night because he almost always has a fever or is in pain. She is planning to take him out of daycare (where he's been going since July) and instead hire a nanny to see if he'll be healthier not around so many children. She said she hasn't had time to do anything fun or for herself since August and never even gets on the computer to e-mail or blog anymore, so please pray that things improve for her soon!

Anyway, she said she would give Joe's keys to their boss for me. When I got home I put Logan down and then Joe called soon after and said his boss had given his keys to some other guy and that guy had come to Offut Airforce Base. So Joe was back at his office and all was well.

Meanwhile, I was waiting for our TV to arrive. Instead of being delivered on Monday as planned, they'd called and said they were coming today. I was worried it was going to wake up Logan, but at 1 pm I happened to notice the truck before my dogs (amazing) and so I put Bella & Cosmo outside and then opened the garage door so the man just put our TV in there and Logan slept 3 hrs.

I'll end with a funny story from Sunday night: We hadn't been able to find our remote control since our snow day last Wednesday. Joe and I had looked EVERYWHERE and were getting really frustrated. Then I said, "Logan, do you know where our remote is?" He ran to the couch and started pointing behind it. But we'd already looked behind there several times, as well as taken all of the cushions out and hadn't seen anything! So this time I decided to actually move the couch so that I could walk behind it - and that's where it was!!! I couldn't believe it - five days after I'd last had it Logan remembered (because he must have been the one to hide it there)!

This & That

It's time for another Random Thoughts Tuesday! Logan has his first comfort item (he has never wanted anything to do with stuffed animals, blankets, pacifiers, etc.): balls!

In my post last Wednesday (Today's Agenda: Shopping) I mentioned that Logan hadn't put down a raquet ball when he was over at his friend Jaxson's that Sunday. Well, we went shopping as planned last Wednesday - and Logan wanted to take along three balls that came with his jungle toy we got him for Christmas. He's never wanted any toys in the car before (much to the disappointment of me, as that has always made more work for me, lol) so I let him take them with - and he didn't let go! I had to really make it seem like a lot of fun to throw the balls in the car so that he wouldn't take them into the stores. Then on Sunday there was NO talking him into letting go! Joe and I drove to some pretty trees to take pictures of Logan in the leaves since it was a rare nice day outside. He didn't let go of the two balls even when we returned home the rest of the day and then took them to bed!!!! Last year he slept through our photo shoot - here are two pics then compared to two this year, wide awake!For shopping last week, I did end up returning the purple jacket I posted a pic of, and instead I bought a red sweater for our family pic on Friday. But I guess it didn't really matter because we didn't end up buying a family portrait anyway! Just Logan's 18 Month Pictures.

I also bought myself some new foundation since mine had run out - and it had been three years since I'd bought any! I've only used it for special occasions because my face is prone to breakouts and also I've never felt I can get the exact right color. (I've used both Clinique and Lancome) But the skincare specialist at Sephora insisted that I can wear their foundation every day because it's so light I won't ever feel it and it blends into the skin so it finds your exact pigmentation. Also, there is acne fighting stuff in it as well as an SPF of 30 and anti-aging -- all which I need! It's also organic so it's very healthy for the skin. I've never really paid attention to skincare before, but now that I'm turning thirty in two months I feel it is a priority. Especially since I've been using clearasil for 12-13 years - it's time I say goodbye to that! I feel it has changed my skin to an orange splotchy color and might be doing more damage in the long run even though it is the only thing that works as far as preventing breakouts for me. (I also use that brand of cleanser and a toner.) I've tried everything out there - both organic and non organic products and I either get pimples or my skin dries out and peels or is so shiny I feel self conscious when I go out in public. So we'll see how it goes, otherwise I'm going to make an appt. with a demerotologist so I can find out how to survive without clearasil because I refuse to buy it anymore! The skin care specialist almost made me cry when she was talking about how the skin on my face is nowhere near like it is on any other body part (which are all soft and smooth and the same color) so I definitely need to improve my regiman, maybe even adding exfoliating and/or a moisturizer. For more on the 4 Basic Skin Care Needs, click here.

As for my lipstick, Logan has been ruining every tube he gets his hands on :( But I didn't buy any because I can still use them. . .even if they look like globs of clay.

Now that Logan's 18 months old we're having to hold him down when we cut his fingernails :( Fortunately he just cries for a minute and then he sits well for the rest of them.

Back to last week: I bought Logan the green shirt that he wore in some of his 18 Month Pictures, but it was good I still brought his original brown one because I ended up liking that one better.

We went to the library, too, which was fun. Unfortunately, Wed. night I heard him coughing on & off every hour so I wasn't surprised when he woke up with virus #6 of the year. On Thursday morning he went to Babysitter's and the rest of the day his nose was running non-stop. We had planned to go to a "Healthy Trick-Or-Treat" with Andrea and her son Drew that night but I wanted to make sure it wasn't the swine flu, so we didn't go.

It appears to just be another cold because he hasn't had a rash or temp (I've never mentioned here that when Logan was 11 months old my mom gave me a Temporal Thermometer which I love so much better than all of the other kinds out there. I don't see how parents could get accurate temperatures before! Logan is so squirmy, I never felt confident with the underarm one which we had used until then. This one is so easy because you just run it over your forehead and wal-la, you have a reading. Logan likes it, too, so he actually sits still while I do it and then wants me to do it again and again, haha). A few times he started to act crabby and so I gave him NatraBio's Children's Cold and Flu Relief -- I refer to it as "miracle stuff." It's almost scary how well it works -- within minutes he goes from being fussy to giddy happy! But it's organic and I've researched it and nowhere can I find anything negative about it! I prefer mixing things up so that I never use anything too much since moderation is usually the key to avoiding negative effects. Therefore, I only use Tylenol when Logan is teething, since the first time I gave it to him last year I wrote a post titled My Son's Fifth Month and talked about the problems associated with too frequent use. So thanks to this stuff, I never have to give Tyelnol for when he's sick!

I thought I might have to cancel our pictures on Friday, but that day his nose wasn't as bad and luckily we didn't have to wipe it at all during the photo shoot. I'd hoped that meant it was over, but although it's slowed down and almost gone - he's not completely back to normal yet.

As I said in my post on Friday, we weren't as happy with our photography experience as in the past. We'd gone to Portrait Innovations last year and LOVED our pictures. The photographer had been great and I'd had no complaints except that I'd ordered too many, and so I went this time knowing exactly how many I wanted since they make you choose on the spot. But this time I don't know if our photographer was new or what but he didn't even introduce himself, he was just like, "Come on back" and didn't ask us what we wanted or try to warm up to Logan or anything. He just quickly told us to sit Logan down in front of the background. Well Logan was like what the heck is going on? So he made it clear he was about to start crying. So then the guy said, "Okay, let's start with the family pictures" and told us to sit down with him. Well Logan was still not sure what was going on so he just sat there stunned while the guy snapped one photo after another, like he didn't have time for us to try and get Logan to smile. I was hoping maybe one would still look alright, but I wasn't comfortable either because usually they tell you how to sit or what to do with your hands, etc. but he didn't! So I was just going by memory since I grew up getting yearly professional pictures.

Then when the photographer was done he was like, "Let's try just him again." When Logan started to cry, the guy ran off! He came back with a lady who was able to make Logan smile and gave me a fluffy thing to poke him with - so if it weren't for that, we wouldn't have gotten any shots. I was still expecting better, though - the guy didn't catch all of Logan smiling and also many photos were off center and not positioned right.

When we told him that we didn't want all of the pictures he was choosing for us to have, he acted as though it was a huge deal - like he couldn't believe we wouldn't want like 30 poses! I wanted to go through and eliminate all of the pictures I knew for sure I didn't want but he had to stop me after each one and explain what we'd be losing with a cheaper package and that the prices of the sheets actually go up that way. When we got down to 8 poses he was like, "This is our best deal, this is what everyone gets so are you paying with check or credit card?" Um, I'm not done! Plus, "everyone" doesn't do anything!

I continued to tell him which photos we didn't need until we got to three (this could have been so much faster had he not stopped me after every photo I eliminated). We decided to go with that package which I AM happy with and we even got a free bonus 10 x 13 that contained three other photos in one.

Needless to say, I'm definitely continuing our plan of "try every photographer around" rather than go back to them for Logan's second birthday pictures. We've done Target and JcPenney, so Wal-Mart is next. I'm hoping by the time I've tried every place around I'll have a favorite to go to from then on. None have been perfect, there's been pros and cons with all of them, but Logan's one year old pics (JcPenney) have been my favorite so far. Aside from them putting all of their photos in collages with effects for free, it could also be because Logan was the happiest, though - he smiled the whole time so it was easy and fast.

At least PI had a play area for Logan while Joe & I picked out which pictures we wanted. There were other kids there and he enjoyed playing with them. Afterwards, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings. I need to stop going out to eat each week!! The Five Factor Diet allows one "cheat" day a week and for the first week I didn't cheat at all, but the second week I did two full days and this third week I've done two full days as well because Joe & I went to Margarita's for Mexican on Saturday. But that means while I lost 5 lbs my first week, I only lost 1 the second week and I've lost 1 this third week (tomorrow will have been three weeks since I started it). I'm glad I've lost a total of seven so far, but I still have the most noticeable - 13 - left. I've been doing good with exercising, though. I had never done more than a half an hour on the eliptical since we bought it July of '08 but the past two weeks I've been doing it for a full hour while I watch TV!

Aside from going out to eat on Saturday, Joe went over to our friends' house to watch the ISU Cyclones Vs Nebraska Cornhuskers. We were so excited that ISU won!!!! (Where we went to college, we live in Omaha now.) I didn't get to watch the game with our friends because Logan decided to go down for a nap at 9:45 and didn't wake up until 1:45! By the time I fed him and changed his clothes, the game was almost over. But I was so happy to hear the news - ISU hadn't beat Nebraska in Lincoln since 1977!

On Sunday I snipped Logan's curls that he's had since 13 months old! He's not ready for his first haircut yet, but I think those curls were a fluke because the rest of his hair grows in super straight, so I thought I might as well cut off his one big curl and put it in his baby book :) I'm guessing it won't grow back, but we'll see. . .

On Monday Brooke and I were finally able to have another stay at home mom day. Logan and I went over to her place and stayed until almost 1! Logan fell asleep in the car on the way back home and slept for 3.5 hrs! When he woke up he ate and then we went for a walk because it was actually nice weather again outside! Something upsetting happened on our walk, though, but I'll save that for a future post.

To conclude this one - we were invited to two Halloween parties this past weekend but Joe & I didn't get a chance to buy ourselves costumes so we were party poopers. Logan, however, loves his Tiger costume now!!! (In my post titled Hello, I'd shown a picture and talked about how Logan hated it when we first bought it.) I'm so happy, it looks like he'll wear it for his first trick or treating this weekend! His babysitter is also having a Halloween party this Thursday. I'm excited for Halloween, I've always loved this holiday because it brings me back to my childhood when I loved to play dress up and, of course, eat candy! That's what it's all about nowadays - it's a holiday for kids. . .and parents get to be kids for a day, too :)