The Potts Family

Family Reunion

2011-10-25T22:59:00.006-04:00

My mom's side of the family had a family reunion on September 24th. It was really nice to see everyone. Especially since some of my aunts haven't even met Lily. Yeah, I know, she is 2! It was a nice time. It was raining in the morning, so the rest of the day was cold and damp. However, we still had a good time!

The Griswold Family

All my aunts and uncles

My cousin minus one

John and I

All the little kids

The In-laws

My sisters and I

The Potts Family

Aunt Kelly, Uncle Ryan, and Lily

First Hair Cut

2011-09-15T22:44:00.003-04:00

I know I am so behind on this, but Lily got her first haircut Aug 29th. We went to Amber Jo's Head to Toe. I always get my hair done by Amanda and now Lily does too. It was a big deal. John got home early to share in this occasion. He was not about to miss out on this....he is such a good daddy! Anyway, Lily did GREAT!! At first, she was scared, but that quickly resolved. She made funny faces in the mirror and didn't move her head at all (unless Amanda asked her too). She got a lollipop and a ribbon for doing a good job!!

The before look

The first cut!

The After shot

****I took more pictures than that, but to spare your time and mine I only put up a few

Holiday World

2011-09-15T22:25:00.004-04:00

On Labor Day, John and I took Lily to Holiday World for the first time. It was a little chilly that day, so the water park was a no go. However, we still had a good time. After John got off work, we headed to Santa Clause. My sister's family came as well, so Lily was able to ride some rides with her cousin Dillon. They both had a good time. I was able to get away and ride some rides with my sister and hubby. All I can say it that now that I am older......I do not enjoy rollercosters anymore. I thought I was going to have a brain injury from all that movement. Not my idea of fun anymore.......

The Potts' at Holiday World 2011

10 year reunion

2011-09-15T22:00:00.004-04:00

2001: Can't Be Out Done!! Well, that is what we thought anyway. That was EHS class of 2001 motto. I can't believe I have been out of high school for 10 years. That is crazy! Anyway, Labor Day weekend we had our reunion. Not a whole lot of people attended, but it was nice to see the ones that came. Hopefully, the next reunion more people will come.

The class of 2001.....well, the ones that came anyway

One of my best friends, Emily

Good Friends After 10 years

Me and my hubby!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

2011-08-19T14:51:00.003-04:00

John and I took Lily to the "petting zoo" in Washington last weekend. We thought it would be something fun to do. She really loves animals. There were two things she loved there.....the goats and the camel. She could have cared less about everything else. We decided to spend the money and let her ride the camel. She LOVED it. Lily still talks about the camel! Hopefully, this fall, I will be able to take her to the zoo. I was actually hoping it would cool down to go next week. However, I haven't checked the weather yet. Me and hot weather......we don't click.

So proud of my hubby!

2011-08-18T22:02:00.003-04:00

I am always proud of my hubby. He works hard to provide for our family and is always there to take care of me and Lily. He gets up early, works all day, goes to bed late, he even gets up with Lily in the middle of the night....he rarely ever complains. He is such a wonderful daddy and hubby. I really don't know what I would do without him. He is the best!!

Anyway, John has a new accomplishment. John is a turkey farmer for Farbest. He gets the turkeys just hatched and raises them until they are 5 weeks old or more. He puts in 50+ hrs a week. Their work is physical. He works in the extreme heat and cold, he works weekends and holidays, and works long sometimes weird hours. He very rarely complains. He needs to be a saint or something!! So, back to his accomplishment. John has taken the role of manager for not just one hub but for two. (that's a big job). Then, he recently took a class (don't ask me about details because somethings I just don't understand) but he is now a Certified Livestock Producer. He got a certificate and a huge sign put on the building because of it.

So, because of this accomplishment......I made a big deal and took pictures!!

The turkey barns

John's sign

Lily with daddy's sign

So proud

Lily and daddy

Play dates are always fun!

2011-08-09T21:23:00.005-04:00

Last week, Lily and I got together with my friend Amy and her son Loxton. We like to get the kids together and visit for awhile. Since they live in Illinois, we don't get to see them that much. Lily and Loxton always have fun together. Loxton calls Lily his girlfriend!! Too cute! I didn't get a whole lot of pictures. Amy got more of them. Anyway, always a good time spending time with old friends.

Later that evening, John and I took Lily to Strassenfest in Jasper. We let Lily ride some rides. She really enjoyed them. However, in the pictures, she looks mad. I promise she really enjoyed herself. She cried when we had to leave!!

Family fun!

2011-08-09T13:42:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, John, Lily and I decided to head to Illinois to spend time with my family. This is the first time in a long time that John was able to go with me. However, Lily and I had a fun trip, but John did not. John woke up that Saturday morning sick. Which turned into a full blown stomach bug by the time we got to Illinois. Needless to say, John spent a lot of time in the bathroom and on the couch. I felt so bad for him. It really sucks to be sick when you are not at home.

Anyway, Lily really enjoyed being with her cousins. She has so much fun with Dillon. Now that Braden is starting to walk, things are going to get even more crazier!

Well, here are some pics of the weekend!

Tea For Two

2011-07-19T23:10:00.003-04:00

Lily and I made the trip to Illinois last month for my nephews birthday party. Dillon was turning 5 and Braden was turning 1. It was a nice party. Lily really enjoyed spending time with her cousins and her Nana.

A few days before we were heading to Illinois, Lily got a cute invite to a tea party at Nana's house. It was absolutely the cutest thing!! So, we packed up her "attire" for the tea party. That Sunday after my nephews' party, my mom through a tea party for Dillon and Lily. They both had a good time......

Lily ready for the Tea Party

Waiting for Dillon to arrive

Dillon and Lily

Ready for their tea

Having a good time

Not a baby anymore :(

2011-05-27T21:08:00.003-04:00

This is my beautiful BIG girl! This picture makes me realize that she is growing up faster than I would like. Definitely a little diva in the making. However, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you Miss Lillian....even though you are becoming a big girl!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Lillian Mae!!

2011-05-11T12:12:00.000-04:00

Well, these pictures are out of order. However, I don't really have time to correct them. These are a few pictures of Lily's birthday party. She had a cupcake theme. Anway, hope you enjoy them!

Birthday girl!

Riding her Dora jeep

Lily taking Loxton for a ride

Lily's new ride....Dora Jeep

Lily's new playhouse

Blowing out her candle

Lily's outfit

Decorations

What's going on with Lily?

2011-05-11T11:19:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my baby girl is 2. Seriously, where is the time going? I feel very blessed to be her mommy. She is such a sweet, happy, and healthy little girl. I can't even imagine my life without her. She loves people!!! This little girl is very sociable. She has not meet a stranger (this is a good and bad thing). Always telling people hi, waving at them, and blowing kisses. She has a huge smile that just brightens your day!!

Lillian's favorites:
Mickey Mouse anything!!
Dora anything!!!
She loves to sleep with moose, minnie mouse, pooh, piglet, and dog dog....yes, they have to all be with her when she is sleeping!
One minute she is very much a girly girl, then the next minute very much a tom boy.
She loves animals, being outdoors, slides, playing tea party, reading books, going bye bye and playing with her best friend Eva or "Eve" is what she calls her.
She loves to cuddle at night...with mommy and daddy

She is starting into the picky stage with food. However, she still likes raisins, apples, Gerber puffs/crunch, ice cream and peas.

Lily sleeping habits: well, she doesn't have any. Most nights we will try to get her into bed between 8-9, she will sleep until 8:00-8:30. However, when I am working, she gets up at 6am. She usually takes 1 nap for about an hour -2hrs. This schedule is what we stride for, some days we are lucky, other days not so much.

Last Dr. appt. Lily weighed in at 26.7lbs and 33 in. tall. Wears 18 months shorts/24 month pants-with adjustable waistband, and 24month/2T tops. She is in size 6-7 shoe. Still in size 4 diapers (hopefully not for long....potty training time)

Lily can count to 14. She knows animals and their sounds and shapes. We are working on colors and alphabet. She sings "Row Row Row your boat" "I'm a little teapot" "Rain is a good thing".

This is Lily in a nutshell. However, there is so much more about her :) She is changing daily!!

My Vacation So Far

2011-05-10T22:51:00.007-04:00

I was very blessed with the opportunity to have 10 days off!! I am so lucky to say the least!! I have been off for 7 days now and I am not wanting to go back :(

So, what have I been doing on my days off???

Well, I started off running errands, cleaning, taking Lily to her 2yr check up, Lily's 2nd birthday party, Lily's birthday, Mother's day, playing outside, running more errands, cooking, followed by more cleaning. Geez, those 7 days have flown by!!! I feel like I haven't really relaxed at all.

So, my first day off, I left Lily in the living room for a minute to use the restroom. I seriously wasn't gone for long. In the process, Lily opened up her "toy box" and took out all her toys and jumped in it.

So, the next day, I spent 6 hrs cleaning the house. I cleaned and cleaned. John's mom took Lily for the day, so I could clean. I was very thankful for that!!

Later that day, John wanted to mow the lawn. Lily loves when daddy mows. She always gets to ride with him when he is done.

Then, she wanted to push mow!

Lily at Dr. Bies office, she is such a character.

Lily's birthday cakes. I had to drive to Santa Claus for them. However, so worth!!

Decorations for Lily's party

Lily's outfit for her party. I actually made the tutu :)

My birthday girl! Can't believe she is 2!

Lily and I on Mother's Day....Lily's birthday.

Lily picked out these bows for her hair....we had to put them just like that. Fortunately, she got tired of them in her hair an hour later. She has such a personality :)

Well, this is what I have been doing. I will post more about Lily 2 year milestone later. This momma is tired!!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T12:58:00.004-04:00

This year, I was unexpectedly off. Easter was my holiday to work. Our holidays we work 8 hrs instead of 12. So, I was supposed to work 7am-3pm. My co-worker wanted more hours and asked if she could work 11-3 for me. I didn't mind to give her my hours, if this meant I get to see Lily more :) Anyway, Sunday morning I got up, got in the shower, and the phone rang. It was work telling me I could be off the 4 hrs I was supposed to work. No on call....just off. Yipee!!! I had literally just got in the shower, so I turned if off, dried off, and went back to bed for an hour and half. I was so excited to go to church with John and Lily!! This was the first holiday both John and I have been off together (since Lily has been born). Yeah, I know, it's pretty sad. Anyway, we had a good day. The weather could have been better though!! Hoped everyone had a very blessed Easter!!

Dying Easter Eggs for the first time

Lily's pretty eggs

Look at that focus!

Showing Mommy her egg

Easter Bunny came to visit

Lily in her Easter dress

The Potts Family after church

Playdates are so much fun!

2011-04-24T21:03:00.004-04:00

Lily and I meet up with my friend from Illinois and her son in Evansville one day for a playdate. We try to get together as much as we can, but time sure does pass us by. However, I think the kids had a great time. We went to Gattitown and then the mall.

Just being real

2011-04-22T20:46:00.002-04:00

You know, why didn't I get a manual on parenthood when Lily was born??? I seriously think every mother needs one. Just when I think to myself, yep, I am ready for baby number 2, something happens and I think Lily needs to be an only child.

Ok, so I am going to be real as can be. No, sugar coating here. The terrible 2's is just that....TERRIBLE. This little girl is not even 2 yet and she has Miss Diva written all over her. So, let's back up. I have to work full time. Yes, I know, big shocker. I am lucky enough to have a job that I work three 12 hr shifts a week. I get 4 wonderful days off, but those 3 days I work are usually hell. So, back to my story, my 4 days that I have off, I have my daughter. No babysitter for this gal. I honestly like being able to spend time with my daughter, seeing her learn and grow. However, when you have a TERRIBLE day at work and in the back of your mind you are so looking forward to your day off the next day and when your soon to be 2 year old daughter is teething (yep, I did say that) and is an out of control monster.....you just as well be at work.

Don't get me wrong....I LOVE my daughter. I would do anything for her. I will always be there for her. I thank GOD everyday for bringing her to my life. She is my everything!!

HOWEVER, this particular day......

I decided to schedule Lily's Easter and 2 year pictures for today for 10am. Well, Lily usually takes her naps between 11-noon. So, I thought, if I schedule her pictures at 10am, I would be the first one since they open at 10. I could get her pictures, pick out the pictures, and head home. I could be back around 11:30. Give her a small snack and then she could take her nap. My first mistake: I tried to plan something. Anyway, Lily woke me up at 5:30am. She was ready for the day. However, she didn't get the memo that I was sleeping "in" until 6:30am. Anyway, she was up. I tried my best to get her back down because today was picture day and wanted her to be well rested. Second mistake: should have known better. So, I gave up. We got ready. I had her all ready to go when I realized I couldn't find her bows to match her dress. I looked all over for them. Nowhere to be found. Ok, so fast forward to arriving at Olan Mills (yes, I know. They aren't the best. But I was going to save my money and wait to spend more on my mini session with Sandy Clarke on May 1st.) And this is my third mistake: I went to Olan Mills. Back to the story, we arrived early. I knew that they didn't start until 10am, but with 257 being flooded and Portersville Rd close to being flooded I didn't want to be late if I had to take alternate routes. The photographer was absolutely rude. She was mad that we were early. She then proceed to tell me that they were booked solid this morning. The internet had a glitch in the system and scheduled customers every 30minutes instead of an hour. Well, quite honestly, that is not my problem. So, I had two outfits. She just flat out told me I had to pick one. OK....then Lily's pictures were very rushed. I honestly think the quality of pictures were terrible. She really didn't even cared about what she was shooting. The next customer arrived early and I basically got kicked out of the studio. OK, so part of the session is getting to view your photos and pick out the selections for the package. This lady had the nerve to ask me to come back because she wanted to shoot every one's photos in the morning and then go back to view the photos with each customer. I WAS HOT!!! Again, I was literally pushed out of the studio. So, I went back to my car, changed Lily, and we walked around Kmart for over an hour. Finally, I got to view my photos. At this point, just like I expected, Lily was tired, hungry, and wet. I was already pissed off at this lady.....so we started to view the photos. She was taking her sweet time to crop pictures and change colors and so on and so forth. Lily is sitting in the chair next to me getting very antsy, so I knew this was going to be a very bad situation. The lady kept going through the pictures literally picking out the pictures she liked. I thought, well, why am I here?? Ok, so now Lily is screaming, "EAT, EAT." Ok, I had some raisins in my purse along with some toys. That kept her busy for a whole minute. Then, she kept getting off the chair and running into the studio to get props. So, I ran after her. Then, Lily would get off the chair and do a circle around it or try to play in the trash. Meanwhile, the lady is still working on more edits. Then, Lily runs out into the store. So, I chase her and bring her back. This time, I am holding her and not letting her get down. Well, you would have thought I was killing her. Lily screamed so loud. The phrases, "I want down, Leave me alone, I have to poop, and You hurt me (yes, she said it)" all came out. As she is screaming, she is trying to head bunt me, pinch me, scratch me, and bite me. The full force tantrum was OUT!!!!! That stupid lady looked at me like I was killing her or something. I was so embarrassed and pissed off. I could feel my face get red and my blood pressure rising. I was shaking and on the verge of a panic attack. The woman that got her little girl's pictures after me was waiting and was trying her best to calm Lily down as well. I think she knew what I was feeling. Afterwards, Lily and I walk towards the bathroom and I am telling her that her behavior was unacceptable...you know the spill...I think all she heard was blah, blah, blah. We got to the bathroom, changed her diaper and the whole time she is screaming again at the top of her little lungs like I was killing her. I get her dressed and I put her down so I could wash my hands. Well, of course, Lily goes straight to the toilet to try to put her hands in the water. Ok, at this point, I was fighting back the tears....I had enough. I put Lily in her car seat, called my friend Kelly and she talked me down. Of course, I wasn't even out of the parking lot and Lily was asleep. GO FIGURE!!! Anyway, Olan Mills got a nasty email from me.

Lessions learned: you get what you paid for, never let someone walk over you, and going out in public with Lily is going to be at a minimal. Oh! Call the doctor on Monday to get a prescription for Xanax (only kidding...or am I??)!

Recent pictures of Lily

2011-03-29T10:03:00.003-04:00

Here are some recent pics of Miss Lillian. Gosh, I can't believe how big she is getting. My baby girl is going to be 2 in May. I am sad, but happy all at the same time. She is starting to use a lot more sentences when she talks. Which I absolutely love!!! She is pretty good at shapes and numbers. She can tell you which each animal is and what sound they make. Lily loves Mickey Mouse, Dora, Handy Manny, and Spongebob Square pants(which I won't let her watch very much of him). She loves going outside and just playing in the dirt and rocks. The last few months Lily has been really good at saying our dinner prayer and at church, you can hear her say, "Amen" after the prayers. Melts mommy's heart to hear that. Lily is getting more clear in saying, "I luv you mom." That never gets old to hear. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pictures.

If you don't mind, please say a prayer for me. There are two big things coming up that I am hoping goes good for me. I don't want to say what it is just let, but just think about me!

My worst week of my life.......

2011-03-07T10:39:00.003-05:00

I really wish I was being dramatic. However, I don't think I am. This post will be very hard for me so just bare with me....

Wednesday, March 2nd, I found out that I was pregnant. However, a millon bad things popped into my head. The week before, I had got my period on time and a very heavy period to be exact. Then Wednesday March 2nd, I started spotting, which was kind of weird for me, so I took a pregnancy test. I honestly wasn't expecting a positive result due to me already having a period, but I was shocked to say the least that it was indeed positive. In my mind, I knew something wasn't right, but John was already excited. On Thursday, I called the doctor's office and explained to the nurse what was going on. She wanted me to get to the hospital immediately for lab work. So, Lily and I went to Memorial Hospital as fast as I could get there. We did lab work and waited in Jasper for 2 hrs like she asked me to. Well, I got the news that everyone dreads. I was indeed pregnant, but my progesterone level was too low to substain pregnancy and if I hadn't already done it, then miscarriage was coming. Dr. Beckman called it a chemical pregnancy. My body got ready for pregnancy but the fertilized egg never implanted. He thinks that my body had already expelled the tissue with my period. I was devastated to say the least. Deep down I knew it was coming, but was hoping for the best. I quickly drove myself to John's work and brokedown there. John took me and Lily home. I was a wreck. The next day, I had to get a crown put on my tooth and then I had to go back to Jasper to get more lab work done. The results were clear, I was in the process of having a miscarriage. My levels were dropping even more. Saturday, I decided that there wasn't anything I could do and needed to go to work to get my mind off of things. Not really a good idea on my part. I was able to finish the 12 hr shift, but the whole time I was there I was bleeding....BAD!!! Sunday, I worked for 4 hrs while another nurse came in to relieve me for the rest of the shift (Thank you Wes!). Again, the day was about the same as Saturday. I felt very weak and drained. I think my hemoglobin levels (blood count) is low. It's so hard for people to understand the affects this does to your body both physical and mentally. I have been on a rollercoster of emotions for the past 7 days now. However, this is just something that takes time to heal. I am doing better. I can say the word miscarriage without crying now, so that is good. One step at a time......

If you don't mind just say a prayer for me and my family while we are going through this!

Ready for Church

2011-02-27T16:43:00.002-05:00

We were getting ready for church this morning and thought I would take a picture of Lillian. I thought she looked so cute. She even picked out her shoes. I can't believe how big she is getting!!!

Visiting Friends

2011-02-18T12:57:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday, Lily and I made the 2 hr drive to Illinois to see our friend Rachel and her new baby Cale. We haven't seen him yet and finally had the opportunity to go (thanks nasty weather for delaying it). Anyway, we had a good time visiting. Wish we could have stayed longer. The trip worn both Lily and myself out. We didn't stay overnight in Illinois, so it was a quick trip.

Lily trying her best to hold Cale

While we were there, we stopped by to see my mom. She was babysitting my nephews. So, it was good to see them as well.

Lily visiting my mom at work....PreK at Eldorado Elementary.

Saying bye bye to Dillon and Braden

A new beginning......

2011-01-30T18:31:00.002-05:00

As I am sitting here eating the rest of the M&Ms, I stop to think.....this is the end. I am starting a weight loss program on February 2nd. I have to weigh in and get lab work, then they will evaluate my BMI and tell me that I am fat (like I already didn't know this, I am NOT blind). Then I have to take classes regarding my health, I will talk to a nutritionist, and attend exercise classes for the next 8 months. Yes, 8 months!! I weigh in every 2 weeks. I am very nervous and excited about this. I really hope that I can be successful. So, wish me luck and say a small prayer for me. I must lose 50 pounds by September!!!! That's my high school reunion......motivation is really not my friend.

Frustration

2011-01-24T12:56:00.002-05:00

Can you tell by the title how I am feeling???? Do you ever feel that things never work out to your favor?? I am feeling so frustrated right now. A lot of little things are just adding up to put me in a bad mood. I hate being in this mood too. Its not fair to my family either. Anyway, like I said, I have had a lot of little things that added up, but what really topped it off was hearing back from the bank. Let me explain.....

We were in the process of refinancing our house. We sent in all the paperwork, paid for the inspection, etc. Well, we bought our house in 2006 when the interest rates were really high like 7%. We always thought that in 5 or 6 years we would move to our "bigger" home, so we would just deal with the interest rate. Well, the economy took a plunge and thank the Lord neither one of our jobs has really been affected by the economy. So, we are very blessed both of us have a job. However, our dreams of moving or building a bigger home is put on hold. We don't know what the future will bring, so we aren't going to rock the boat right now. Anyway, we thought....we have excellent credit, when we bought the house we had quite of bit of equity in it, so why not refinance and save money for something later on. Like I said, we were in the process of refinancing to an interest rate of 4.6%. Wow!! Big difference from 7%. So, we had our house inspected. The BIG ball dropped......since the economy is so bad.....we lost equity in our home. We still owe less than what it's worth, but we lost a LOT of money. So, now the bank said that we could still refinancing, but we have to come up with like 5K at closing. Seriously??? So, it's a no go. John and I aren't willing to pay that for a home we don't want to be in for the rest of our lives. Pretty bummed. Actually pretty pissed. It's really not fair that we pay all our bills on time, we go out and work our butts off, and still we can't ever get a break. Maybe I should quit my job, have a million babies, and have all the taxpayers pay for my family.....just like I am doing now. Geez, so not fair.....

Winter wonderland

2011-01-21T16:06:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm sad to say this, but yesterday was the very first day that Lily got to play outside in the snow. It just always seems that when it snows someone is sick or we are working. Yesterday, John and I were both off and decided to take the opportunity to take Lily outside in the snow. She LOVED it. We didn't stay out there long. Her poor little nose was getting so red and her gloves were too big which was making her hands cold. Anyway, I did get a few pictures.

Heading out the door

Lily's conversation with daddy, "oh WOW daddy! Snow!"

Showing mommy the snow

Say cheese!

It was SOOOO cold!!

Some call it a blessing....I call it a curse

2011-01-20T23:07:00.002-05:00

So, you are probably wondering what I am talking about. I will tell you what my problem is......I can NOT find a bra that fits. Yes, I know, I really shouldn't be discussing this on the Internet. However, this is a huge problem for me. I have always been "blessed" in this area. In high school, I was a size 0 and wearing a C cup. However, as my weight increased, so has that area. When I was pregnant with Lily, I saw letters in the alphabet that I didn't think they made in bras. Yeah, I am being for real. So, almost 2 years after giving birth, the "girls" didn't really go down. I still have 8lbs left from Lily (it really feels like 50lbs though). So, I don't understand. I mean, if I got pregnant again now....geez, what new letters will they come up with. So, moral of my story, I can't find a bra. I went to Victoria Secret...spent $90 on the biggest bras they got in the store. I can technically wear them, but they aren't the most comfortable things in the world. I went to Wal-mart....found one that fits pretty good, but after being washed a couple of times, it was falling apart. I have look at all the major department stores too. So, my new solution before going through the humiliation of getting a bra made, is going to Victoria Secret online and getting the biggest size they got there (they have bigger sizes online, but not in the store.) So, I really hope this works.

So, if you ever wish to have bigger boobs....just think about it hard and long. Do you really want to go through what I am going through. I can't find a bra that fits, my lower back hurts a lot, and when you lay down on your back, you have a hard time breathing from the load that is on your chest. Yes, if I could afford a reduction....I would in a heartbeat!!!

Congratulations

2011-01-05T11:21:00.004-05:00

Our besties Adam and Rachel Anderson had their baby yesterday! John, Lily, and I are very excited for them. We can't wait to meet the little guy!

Cale Ryan Anderson

Born January 4, 2011 at 3:41am

7lbs 14 oz 20 inches

Welcome to the world Baby Cale!

Christmas with Our Children

2010-12-07T09:29:00.003-05:00

Memorial Hospital has an annual Christmas party for the children of the employees. We took Lillian last year and thought it was really nice. So, we took her there again. She seemed to enjoy herself. However, she wasn't a fan of Santa. She waved at him and gave him kisses, but wasn't really into sitting on his lap. Anyway, Lily got to see reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Winnie the Pooh. She liked them all, but wasn't about to leave daddy's side to get a picture with them.

Crazy things that make up my life

2010-11-08T10:39:00.003-05:00

Where do I begin since my last post?? Let's see, Thursday I was sick. When I say sick, I mean head in trash can, butt on toilet, weak, temp, chills, headache....yeah, that sick. I woke up at 3am with what I thought was acid reflux, I took some tums headed back to bed and well you know what quickly progressed. John said that he would come home a little early to take care of me....well, I had him on the phone at noon telling him to get home NOW. So, John got home and we got me ready to go to the ER. I spent the next 5 hours there hooked up to an IV. I was very dehydrated, I couldn't keep any food down, let alone any medication down. I felt a little better when we left, but mostly just drugged. You know that feeling. Anyway, I came home and went straight to bed. The next morning I felt so weak with the biggest headache. Saturday was better, but Sunday I didn't feel too good again and today started like Thursday, but not even nearly as bad. So, I'm looking forward to this bug to completely go away!!!

Friday, John took off work early and took Lillian to her 18 month check up. Yep, I am right, she is 18 months. Geez, where is the time going? Her measurements are 32 1/4 inches long, 21 lbs 10 oz. She grew a little more than 3 inches in 6 months!!! She is very petite for her age though. Dr. Bies said that her verbal skills were advanced for her age. Which of course John thinks she is a genius. I always worry about her since she isn't going to daycare and stuff. I just want her to learn!!!

Saturday was John's 30th birthday. We had a small dinner at the house with his family and some friends. I was very exhausted to begin with, so it was a very long day for me. I think John enjoyed himself. I know Lily did!! She is the most sociable little girl. She loved having company over.

Right now, I have been doing a lot of praying. I don't really know how to explain how I am feeling. I have a lot of emotions built up right now. I feel that my life is in need of a change. I am not big on change either, so this is a hard step for me. I have seriously had the worst year of my life when it comes to my health. I am constantly sick. First, I had my gallbladder taken out. Then head colds and stomach bugs. It's never ending. So, I have thought about my life and I just feel that I have too many unnecessary stressors in my life. I will explain my life: I married a wonderful man that is from Montgomery, IN. When we met, I was working/living in Evansville and at a job that I was happy with. However, John is not a "big city" guy, so I made the decision to move up here to be with him and his family. I do NOT regret this decision. However, with this decision, I am at least two hours away from my hometown and my family and friends. My mom doesn't do a whole lot of driving, so I never get a visit from her (or my hometown friends for that matter). Right there, I feel isolated. I have friends here, but it's not the same sometimes. If I want to see them, I have to arranged my schedule to go home....which isn't for a long time and hard to do with a child. Then, John works crazy hours. He is always on call (when they have turkeys), so he never gets to chill out. Which stresses me out because he is always on edge. He likes what he does, but not so much the hub where he is at (old equipment, etc). Then, I have a wonderful little girl that I have no idea what I would do without her. She is my everything. However, I get NO time off. Being a full time working mom is hard, especially with a husband who works crazy hours. John's mom watches Lily when I'm working or have appointments, but we don't have the greatest relationship (will not go into detail, but let's just say I can never do anything right.) and I don't want to overuse her. Then, I work in the ICU. The most stressful place I could possibly work. Add sleep deprived and brain dead to the mix and it's a long 12hrs. So, I have decided that I am going to leave my position at the hospital. I am starting to apply to other places that isn't so stressful. Please say a prayer for me. I am in desperate need of this change. Something has to give....so I am hoping this will help!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-06T11:07:00.004-04:00

This year we took Lillian to Illinois to go trick or treating with her cousins Dillon and Braden. Eldorado does trunk or treat and thought that would be a better thing to do than to pack her up and go house to house here. Plus, Dillon really wanted Lily to go with him. I was really excited to take her this year because she understands a little more of what is going on. Lily had a great time!! Mommy and daddy were quite exhausted by the end of the night. My mom really enjoyed having all her grandkids there. Plus, we also celebrated my mom's 55th Birthday! Anyway, here are so pics of our fun weekend in Illinois!

"Trick or Treat"

Lily's goodies from Nana

Dillon, Lily, and John

Dillon and Lily

Dillon the Airplane

Braden as a Tiger

Our Little Family on Halloween

Lysol is my new best friend

2010-10-17T22:27:00.003-04:00

Sickness has spread quickly in our household this week. Lily was the first victim. Tuesday night, we laid her in bed, she was doing fine. At 11:30, I was headed to bed when I heard her cough a couple of times and then screamed. I went to her room, opened the door, and immediately knew what happened. The smell was unbelievably nasty. I turned on the lights to find her bed covered with vomit. So, needless to say, Lily got a bath. John stripped her bed and put it in the laundry. While I was putting on her new clothes, she vomited again. Well, you see the trend. We went two hours straight of this. Poor Lily, she couldn't stop. John was begging me to take her to the ER. So, at 1:30am we went to the ER. The doctor gave her a dose of Zofran and immediately....she stopped!!!! WoooHoooo!!! No temp, no diarrhea, and no dehydration, so we were free to leave. We got home at 4am. I slept 3 hrs, got up and headed to work for a health screening. Yeah, that was fun.

John and I had plans to go to Brown County to spend the night for our anniversary on Wednesday night, but decided that it would be best to stay home with Lily. So, we cancelled. Thursday, Lily was doing better, so we left Lily with Grandma and we took off to Evansville for early Christmas shopping and dinner for our anniversary. We went to Toys R Us, Hobby Lobby, Gordman's, Kohls, dinner at Outback, and Target. While we were in Target, John started getting grumpy and I noticed him starting to look pale. John said that he was ready to go home. So, I finished up our shopping and headed to the checkout. Of course, we get the lady that didn't have a clue how to check out. John was antsy and finally just took off to the bathroom. Well, I didn't think much of this because John ALWAYS has to pee. I'm not even kidding you on this. So, he comes out and says, "WE GOT TO GO HOME NOW!!" So, we take off to the car in a very fast walk, I kept asking him if he was alright. He just kept saying, "I don't feel good." Finally we get to the car and John is saying that he is going to throw up. Luckily, I had an emesis basin in my car from when I was pregnant, so I handled it to him. So, I knew he felt bad, but seriously, when John doesn't feel good he always acts like he is dying. So, of course, I'm not taking him very seriously on the matter. We got to the Lloyd Expressway and John let loose. Needless to say, it was an hour and a half in the car with John violently throwing up. My stomach hurt just listening to this. When we got home it was another 3 hrs of this. I gave him a double dose of zofran and then phenergan before he finally stopped. I thought I was going to have to take him to the ER.

The next day, he was doing a little better. However, we found out that John's mom was up all night with vomiting. So, after hearing this, I knew I was next. Sure enough, Saturday morning I wake up to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea. Thank goodness, by the time it got to me, it wasn't as bad. I missed work Saturday and Sunday. However, I am feeling a lot better.

In other news, last weekend we took Lily to Lark Ranch in Loogootee. It was nice, but of course we pick a hot day to go. I think we stayed a total of 2 hrs. Lily had fun riding a horse with daddy. It was a fun day until I got stung by a bee. It was certainly not the highlight of my day. Of course, it got me on my middle finger. I couldn't bend my finger because it was swollen, so here I am flipping off people. Not fun!!!

Just in case I don't get on here later this week, I want to say Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband John of 3 years!!! Thank you for always being there for me and Lillian. You are the best husband and daddy! I can't wait to spend many more happy years with you! I love you!!

So far, so good....

2010-09-30T19:56:00.003-04:00

John and I are trying to potty train Lily. So far, we are doing pretty well. I bought the potty back in August, but just tried to introduce her to it. In my mind, I wasn't going to start this potty training thing until after Christmas. However, Lily seems to really like her potty. She seems to do #2 a lot in it. So, I haven't really been stressing about her going peepee on it yet. However, two weeks ago she pulled me into the bathroom so she could go peepee in it. I was shocked!!!! Then on Monday, while giving her a bath, she said, "potty" while pointing to it. So, I thought she needed to use it. Sure enough, she went. WOW!!!! Then, today she screamed for the potty while we were at Home Depot. WOW again. Don't get me wrong, she still goes in her diaper, but she is starting to realize when she needs to go. This is a huge step!!! I thought about getting pull ups for her, but John doesn't think we are ready for that step yet. I understand, she is only 16 months. I can't believe how big Lily is getting. It makes me happy and sad all at the same time.

These will probably be the only pics of her on the potty.....I haven't decided yet if this is appropriate or not.

Playdates are so much fun!

2010-09-06T21:55:00.003-04:00

My friend Kelly and her son Eli came over on Saturday. I love to get Lily together with other kids. She and Eli both had a great time. It was so good to talk to Kelly. John got the pleasure of pulling the kiddos in the wagon....did I mention he was a great dad??

By the end of the playdate, both kids were tired and cranky. I wish I could say Lily slept good that night. However, she is getting another tooth and woke up in the middle of the night! Anyway, we are hoping to get the kids together again soon! Thanks for coming over to play Eli!!

I am thankful

2010-09-05T13:37:00.003-04:00

I have a friend that isn't doing well in her personal life. I am trying my best to be there for her and to be a good friend . At the end of each conversation, she always tells me that I'm so lucky. Well, it got me thinking......

I am a pretty lucky woman....I may not always say it or show it, but I am very thankful. I'll explain:

I have the best hubby. He is everything I have always wanted in a man. He is very honest, loyal, and understanding. I'm not saying he is perfect because nobody is, but he is close. I couldn't see myself with any other man. We hardly fight, but when we do, we are very eager to straighten things out and get back to normal. He does the little things that mean so much.....he definitely pays attention to detail (unlike myself). He takes care of me and is happy to do it. He calls me at work or while he is at work just to see how my day is going. Sometimes, when I'm really good, John will bring me Sweet Tea to my work. (doesn't take much to get on my good side) He thinks I am beautiful when I look my worst. John does his best to help out around the house. To top it off.....he is an AWESOME daddy!!!!! I love my husband!!!

I am very thankful for a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She is my world!! I had a worrisome pregnancy with her and thought multiple times that I would lose her. I thank God everyday for her. She has the most beautiful smile that can light up a room. She loves her mama and her dada! I love to watch her learn and explore. I am thankful for her hugs and her kisses!!

I am thankful for a good paying job. I may not always enjoy my work, but I do have a job that I can support my family with. I have money to put food on the table, clothes on our backs, and a little extra to spoil Lily with. I also have good co-workers that has your back when you need it the most.

I have a house to live in. It may not be the best or the biggest, but it's my home. My very first home I have ever bought with my hubby. This is the place we came to after our wedding and this is the place we brought Lily to after leaving the hospital after she was born. It may not be perfect, but it's our home.

I am truly thankful for my family and my friends. I may not see them as much as I would like, but I know they are there for me when I really need it. They lift my spirits when I need it and praise me for a job well done. I love them all!!

I am truly blessed with the gifts God has given me. It is so easy to get caught up with "keeping up with the Jones." You always want what you can't have or you are jealous of those who do have it. Many of times I have to step back from all that and do a reality check. So, now I am trying my best to be thankful for the things I have and not worry about the things I don't.

Pigtails and Cinnamon buns

2010-08-31T20:37:00.005-04:00

Today was the very first day that Lily let me put pigtails in her hair. She likes NOTHING on her head or in her hair. She is one particular little girl. However, I tried again today to put pigtails in and she let me do it. Yeah, I'm still in shock over it. The top of her hair hasn't caught up with the bottom part. It looks kinda of funny...but cute at the same time!

Side note: I made homemade Caramel pecan sticky buns last night from scratch. Basically it's a cinnamon bun. However, never made this before. I really wanted to see if I could do it. I had failed attempted on Sunday due to old yeast. I tried again after buying fresh yeast.......OH MY! They were good!! What do you think?

You're invited to a Tea Party.....

2010-08-30T22:51:00.004-04:00

When I was about 5, my grandma had a little table and chairs made for me. I would spend hours and hours writing, coloring, or playing with them. My grandma gave me these table and chairs right after John and I got married. She told me to save them for whenever I had kids. Well, John and I did store them. Today we got them out of storage and gave them to Lily. We decided that Lily was probably old enough to use them. So, the rocking chair got moved out of her room and the table and chairs were put in it's place.

It wasn't long until they were put into good use. See pictures below........

I'm sure this will be the first of many tea parties for daddy! Let me tell you, I think daddy had more fun than Lily!!

Fall is coming!!!

2010-08-30T10:24:00.002-04:00

Well, I have been blessed with a pretty deceit schedule the last couple of weeks. I am on a 5 day stretch off, so I can't really complain there. Again, work has been crazy busy.....I really don't think that will ever change. That is pretty much the norm anymore.

Last week, I got Lily's Halloween costume in the mail. I was really surprised because they called me and told me that it was on back order until Sept. 20th. I really liked the costume and told them I would wait until then. Then, a couple days later I got an email saying it was shipped. WOW!!! Anyway, Lily looks so stinkin' cute in it. I hope it gets cooler because I think Lily will be too hot in it. Oh! Well, I guess I should tell you that she is going to be a cow. Last year she was a turkey, this year a cow.....next year I'm going to get my way....she will be a princess or at least something more girlie.

Last weekend, Lily started to get sick. She woke up Saturday morning with a low grade temp. Of course, we did the whole Tylenol alternating with Motrin for the day. She seem to do pretty good with that. Then Sunday morning at 1am, she woke up. Usually on the nights I work, John gets up with her. I heard him turn on the lights and say, "oh my." I knew something was up. I got up and Lily was drench with sweat. We took her temp 104.8. John immediately started freakin out saying, "we are going to the ER." Well, I'm not taking her to the ER without treating the temp first. So, I gave her Motrin waited an hour, it was 103.3, gave her Tylenol and Pedialyte and took her temp again an hour later 101.2, and then waited another hour it was 100.1. Remember me saying that John gets up with her on the nights I work......John and I were both up with her that night. Needless to say, 2 hrs of sleep was not fun and then working 12 hr shift. I was dragging all day. She did run a temp all day though. Monday morning she woke up with a temp again, 102.5. I called Dr. Bies and we were seen that afternoon. Well, Lily just had a virus, which I thought she probably did, but it didn't hurt to get her ears checked anyway. By Wednesday, she was back to normal. Thank goodness!!!

John and I are still in the talking stage of building a house. We have land and a building plan, but that's about it. John wants to build a house now while the interest rates are low, which I do agree with that. However, in 2 years, we will have a lot less debt. We will have all of our credit cards paid off plus one of my student loans, with another one almost paid off. So, I do want to wait, that way I can get what I want in the house and not worry so much about it. I really hope by then, the interest rates aren't 7%.

A couple a days ago, I reached this panic state. I don't know why or how it happened, but I just realized I needed to lose a lot of weight. Yes, I am overweight. I know this, I have always known this, but the reality hasn't really sank in. I'm not looking to be a size 0, but I really would like to be a size 6. Why wasn't I blessed with the high metabolism genes??? I really do have a lot of issues that I don't know that I can deal with to actually have time to exercise. Just like all mothers out there......who is going to watch my child??? I'm not going to get a good workout, if I'm constantly watching to make sure that Lily isn't into everything....I'm not going to hire a babysitter for 1-2 hrs. By the time John gets home, I have housework to finish that I couldn't get done before he got home. Plus, I have to make dinner and do dishes. I work full time at the hospital 12+ hrs 3 days a week. My job is beyond stressful. Seriously, how do people do it???? I have tried the workouts with your child...the only thing I can do that Lily will let me do is walking....However, it has been so hot this year that I won't let Lily be outside for long periods at a time. I'm not making excuses.....I just telling you the obstacles that I don't know how to overcome. Suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

I was going to post pictures of what I looked like in high school, college, before Lily and after, but I got too depressed. Maybe later!

Well, I hope everyone has a good week!!

Say Cheese!

2010-08-28T17:03:00.003-04:00

John and I have been teaching Lily the phrase, "say cheese!" We have been taking lots and lots of pictures of her and she would never smile, now I think she gets it!!

Everytime she sees my phone or camera she will point to it and say, "CHEESE!!" We might have created a monster!!!

Busy Busy Bee

2010-08-15T10:18:00.003-04:00

Yes, I say this every post......I have been very very busy. Between work and activities with Lily, I feel like I have NO time off to relax. Work has been more and more busy. The patient load has been unreal. I can't even explain to you how stress out I have been here lately. Not so much the patient's sickness that I have been stressed out about, it's how DEMANDING they have been. Can you tell that I am not enjoying my job anymore???

During the last couple of weeks, Lily and I have been busy. We had dinner with my friend and co-worker for her bday. She has a son that is 8 months old, so Lily and Eli had a good time with each other. It was nice to spend some time with her outside of work. Then, the next day, Lily and I went to Evansville to spend some time with my friend from home and her son. It was absolutely HOT!! We didn't get to go to the park or anything. I felt so bad for Lily. She was hot and miserable. The next day, John was off and we took a drive to Patoka Lake. Lily liked the outdoors. Again, it was HOT!! However, it was a nice drive. Something to do to get out of the house.

On August 8th, Lily turned 15 months. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. She is so active. I can hardly keep up with her sometimes. I love her more and more everyday!! I really don't know what I would do without her. My big girl has gone potty 3 times, twice in the big potty and once in her potty. She is not quite ready for potty training, but we are trying to get familiar with it.

Yesterday, we went to see our friends down in Evansville. It was a good time. The bad thing is, I hate that they are central time and we are Eastern time. It really messes with Lily and her schedule. Anyway, we went to Babies R Us and get her a new umbrella stroller. It wasn't really the one I wanted, but I wasn't willing to pay $150 for the one I wanted. There was really no need for me to buy it, so I got the plain one for $30. You just can't beat that price.

Next week I have 4 days off, so John is taking off as well. I bet I will have a tons of pictures and more to blog about then!! Hope everyone has a good rest of the weekend!

Sweet Home Eldorado

2010-07-24T14:25:00.004-04:00

Lily and I made our way back to Illinois this week. We went to visit my mom. We had to take her to Missouri for a doctor appointment. Driving 2 hrs for a 30 minute appt and another 2 hrs home just doesn't justify itself. However, my mom likes this doc, so go figure.

Lily and I got to visit with my sister and my nephews while we were home. Lily does so well with little babies. She doesn't get jealous at all. She actually wants to hold the baby and giving kisses. I am very surprised, but hey, I will take it. She kept pointing to Braden saying, "baby." I would say, "yes Lily, it's a baby." Then she would pucker up and give baby kisses. Then, she constantly wants to pet the baby like its a dog or something. She is very good with him. Kind of makes me feel good knowing this, so when we decided to have another baby, she will be alright.

My nephews, Lily, and me

Well, I have had a head cold for a week now. It gets better and then worse. I have a constant headache with this. Sometimes it is just pretty dull. Then my head feels like it is going to explode!! I have taken everything. I'm so over this headache thing.

John and I almost have all of our bedroom furniture in. Yes, I know.....John and I had bedroom furniture that was over 3o years old and it was a full size bed. Our bedroom isn't big enough for the bedroom suite that we really like, plus it was like $5000. So, we decide it would be fine to keep what we had. Well, my sister had this furniture in her spare room, but had to get rid of it to make room for Braden. She asked us if we would buy it off of her. Ok, the furniture is nice, not really our style, but for the bed with mattress, dresser with mirror, side table, entertainment center, and a deep freezer for $500.....we really couldn't pass up that opportunity. I think it really looks nice in our room. I just have to get new curtains, a table for John's side of the bed, and we don't have the entertainment center yet. It is really nice to sleep in a queen size bed!!!

Our new bed

Our new dresser

I just want to say Congratulations to my cousins Becky and Henry. They welcomed Kyle Nathan Eirich into the world July 21 at 9:51 am. He weighed in at 7lbs 4oz and was 20.5 inches long. I can't wait to meet him!

Lily in my old rocking chair at Nana's house.

My pretty girl...she is getting so big!

Anway, here are some pics from our visit to Illinois:

Visiting Great Grandma and Grandpa

Lily and her buddy Dillon

Lily and her new ride at Nana's

Eating a popsicle

Firecracker, Firecracker....

2010-07-13T22:29:00.000-04:00

Well, I can't believe we are halfway into July. I feel like life is just slipping away from me. It's already halfway through 2010. Where is the time going? Seriously? I really want to know!!

Right now, I feel like I am on a bad luck streak. I get on these streaks from time to time. Let me just tell you, I can't wait until it is over. It's like, what else can go wrong?? I'll explain later....

July 4th is my favorite holiday. I don't know why. It's not like we do anything special. However, this year, I was off, and we decided to have our friends Jen, Aaron, Dale, Mary Beth and their son Wesley over for a cookout. It was so nice seeing everyone. We got to see Wesley for the first time. He is so cute! I loved holding him. It almost gave me baby fever!! Anyway, earlier that day, we went to Otwell for the parade that they have for the 4th. We had to leave before it ended because Lily was getting way too hot. We totally forgot her hat and she was bright red and sweating. We got there late and didn't get the shaded area. So, we left, I was pushing fluids (yeah, the nurse in me was coming out) so she wouldn't get dehydrated. John and I had every intention of taking Lily to the fireworks that night. However, she was so tired, we couldn't keep her up (Thanks eastern time zone!)

Lily meeting Wesley...she gave him a kiss!

My nephew Braden Jack entered the world on July 7th at 4:36 pm at The Women's Hospital in Evansville. He weighed in at 7lbs 13 oz and 19.5 inches long. He is such a doll. His big brother Dillon is not a happy camper. He doesn't want the share the spotlight. However, if he pretends that his name is Ian, then he will acknowledge him. Long story about the name Ian, but Dillon wanted to name is brother that so bad, but my sister didn't like it at all. So, I guess Dillon will call him that anyway.

Meeting Braden for the first time

Ok, so on to my bad luck streak. I guess you can say it started in June when I got my first speeding ticket. I was going to work and a cop clocked me at 59 in a 35. However, I was NOT in the 35 mph zone yet. I was in the 45 (yeah, it's still speeding, but not as bad). Anyway, the cop asked me where I work and I told him. He asked me if it was an emergency....ok, so I could have easily lied here. However, I thought, no if you are truthful, he will give you a break. So, I was completely honest with him and I got a big fat ticket. $191.50 later, I am broke and pissed off.

Then, some issues has started with my family, which I will not go into. Then, I went to the grocery store yesterday. I was not having a good day as is, because Lily was NOT cooperating. Anyway, I came home and I dropped the gallon of milk I just bought and it busted all over the kitchen floor. Of course, this is an invitation for Lily to play in it. So, that was a huge mess to clean up. This morning, I was getting in my car to go to work, I backed up and heard this horrible sound. John was getting into his truck and jumped out. I seriously thought something was caught under my car. John made me get out. He looked and couldn't find anything. So, instead of looking and both of us being late for work. He just took me to work. John thought something was going on with my brakes. Tonight, John fixed the problem....THANK GOODNESS!! There was a rock stuck inside my tired up against my brakes. Wow...didn't know it couldn't make such a sound. Then, the worst thing so far, I had a patient's family refuse me as a nurse. Seriously!!! I have NEVER in my career as a nurse had this happen to me. At first, I was really upset about it. However, after hearing the reason, it made me mad and sad at the same time. I will tell you that health care is becoming ridiculous. A hospital is not a hotel. I cannot be a nurse, teacher, psychologist, mentor, pharmacist, maid, cook, spiritual leader, personal assistant, or babysitter at the same time. I am one person trying my best. This is why, I really hate my job. You do your best and people seriously expect more out of you. In this case, I did everything they wanted, but yet, it wasn't good enough. So, whatever.

Well, I guess that's it for me. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I just hope mine gets better!

Lillian's 1 year pics

2010-06-26T16:25:00.001-04:00

Playdates, births, and birthday parties!

2010-06-23T17:16:00.000-04:00

As you can tell by the title of this blog, it has been a busy month. I know I say that everytime I blog, but it seems like life is so crazy.

Work is absolutely insane. Summer is suppose to be the slow period for us. However, that is just not the case. We are getting slammed!!! There are a lot of sick people out there!!! There were a couple of days where I just wanted to cry at work. It has been a very stressful month.

My friend Amy and I met up in Evansville. We thought it would be a good idea to get the kids together for a playdate. We went and ate at Panera. We did some shopping at Babies R Us and Toys R Us and then to Wesselman Park. We had a great time. I especially love getting Lily together with other kids. I want her to learn socialization skills since she doesn't go to daycare. Loxton and Lily had a great time. She slept so good on the way home!!

Our good friends (and John's cousin) Dale and Mary Beth had their baby boy, Wesley Dale Potts, on June 6. They didn't find out what they were having. So, it was a big surprise to find out it was a boy! However, everyone thought it was a boy! Congratulations to them!! Can't wait to meet him!

John and I went to look at a house in Haysville. After looking at this house and others, we are totally against buying another house. We will either add on or build. Haven't really decided on which yet. Everything just costs so much and we want to be completely sure. So, no hurry. We will still think about it.

My nephew Dillon will be the big 4 on June 27th. However, we had his bday party last Saturday. My sister is 36 weeks pregnant and is getting a c-section on July 9th (if she makes it), so she had the party early. I can't believe he is 4. Wow! Where is the time going??? He was such a good boy, very excited boy, but still good!! He got all kinds of things for his bday. My sister Kelly and I got him a bike, with a helmet and horn of course. He was really excited about that.

After his party, we took Lillian swimming for the first time (in a big pool). She liked it so much better than a baby pool! It was nice to get in the water. However, it was more like bath water.

Just want to say Happy Father's Day. I know it was Sunday, but I don't think dads get enough praise. John is the BEST daddy!! He loves his little girl and Lily loves her daddy. Lily is very much a daddy's girl. If he is around, she wants nothing to do with me. I'm so glad that Lily has a daddy that cares so much about her and wants to be very involved in her life. I am so lucky to have him as a husband!! Thank you John for always being there for us. We love you!

Decisions, decisions

2010-05-28T09:11:00.000-04:00

So, John and I have been contemplating on what to do about our future. I'll explain. We bought our house in 2006 knowing that we would not stay in this house forever. We basically bought it for a starter house. We bought our very first house we looked at here in Daviess County. Trust me, we looked at other homes in Evansville, Newburgh, and Oakland City, so we pretty much knew this was the one. So, now we are at a place in our lives where we need to make some decisions. Now that we have Lily, our house is getting smaller and smaller with all of her toys and stuff. The location of our house is not ideal for small children either.....too much traffic. Plus, we are still in our 20s (well, John won't be for long) and I would like to find a place to live for the rest of our lives so after 30 years, we can have our mortgage paid off and still be young enough to enjoy ourselves.

So, here are the options we are exploring: 1) we move to a home closer to Dubois Co since both of us work there. 2) we add on to this house like crazy...it would take a lot of work. 3) We build a house on John's parents land. 4) we move to my hometown in Illinois and remodel a home there. In my opinion, I'm saying no to option 2 and 4 all together. Option 3 sounds nice, but there are some cons that go along with that as well.

To be truthful, none of those options are all that great. Living in Daviess County is not that ideal for me. I'm sorry, but I'm just not a fan. I have met a lot of really nice people here, but I have also met a lot of not so nice people. It's those few that basically leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I'm not a fan of moving home to Illinois either. I do NOT want people knowing my business and talking about me. I know you will get that anywhere, but not a whole lot of people know me here, so it's nice. John tells me that I have to pick here or there. We can't move anywhere else. So, the lesser of two evils would probably be here.

So, anyway, we are trying to decided on what to do. Knowing us, we won't do anything. Neither one of us is good with change. However, this is pretty important. If we ever had another baby, we pretty much have hit capacity in our house now. So, we don't have our house on the market, but if anyone is interested in our 3 bedroom 2 bath home with a partial unfinished basement on 1 acre of land in the Glendale area...let us know!!

Lily's 9 month pics

2010-05-27T22:16:00.001-04:00

Hope you enjoy Lily's 9 month pictures. I'm a little late getting them up due to my computer having issues. Anyway, Lily's 1 year pictures will be in around June 9th. So, hopefully, my computer will let me upload them.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-05-23T11:55:00.000-04:00

Wow, it has been a really long time since I last posted. Time keeps getting away from me. I wish I could just slow down, relax, and enjoy life like you are supposed to. Working full time and being a mommy is very hard. Yes, I know I only work 3 days a week. However, those days are very LONG and stressful! I have been contemplating on changing my status to weekend option. I would work two days (24 hrs) a week, but get paid for three days (36 hrs). The only thing is, I do not get benefits like vacation, sick time, etc. So, that worries me. However, the money is awesome and 5 days off a week is awesome as well. I just don't know what to do.......any suggestions?

Well, May 8th was Lillian's 1st Birthday. WOW! I can't believe she is 1 already. Again, time is just slipping away from me. Lily had a great birthday. She got lots of new toys and clothes. She is pretty much set for awhile. We were going to have a cookout, but the day was cold. We ended up moving the party inside. My house is too small for an extra 30 people!!! We managed though. I was a bit stressed. I don't handle crowded rooms well!!! I needed a xanax after her party!!! My family from Illinois came to her party. I was so happy that they got to come!!! Lily was so happy to see Nana!!!

Before I forget, I want to say Congratulations to my co-worker Tammy! She had her beautiful baby boy, Kolten Jake on April 26th. He was 8 lbs, 6 oz and 21.5 inches long. He came out with beautiful dark brown hair!! So cute!!! Congratulations to Erin Owens on the birth of her baby girl, Colbie Brooke! She was born May 21. I don't know her measurements, but she is a beauty as well!!

I got a surprise a week and a half ago....my best friend Rae told me she is expecting!!!!! WoooHooo!! John and I are so happy for her and Adam!! She is due at the end of December! She is very excited. We hope for a healthy pregnancy for her!!

Yesterday, we took Lillian to the zoo for the first time. John and I went there a couple of years ago while they were in the process of building new things. We thought that Lily might like it and we wanted to see some of the changes. It was VERY hot out. We kept Lily in the shade most of the time. She really seemed to enjoy herself. I don't know if it was because she got to see some animals or if it was just because she was outside. Either way, she liked it. Lily and daddy were buddies yesterday...which it was fine. I don't do well in hot weather.

Well, I guess that is it for now. I will try to post more often. However, I may have to delete this blog because I just don't have a lot of time to deal with it. We will have to see. Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

April is flying by!

2010-04-17T16:54:00.000-04:00

Geez, where is the time going? Seriously? I'm just now realizing that's it April 17th!!!

Well, Easter has come and went. Lily enjoyed her first Easter. The Easter bunny left her a basket at Nana's too. I guess she was extra good this year!! She looked so cute in her dress. I'm glad my family got to see her in it. John had to work that day, so Lily and I headed to Illinois to celebrate with my family. It was good seeing everyone, even if it was a short visit.

I'm getting excited about Lily's birthday. I can't wait to have everyone come to share this special day with us. I love the stage she is at right now. (I say that in every stage though). I know it won't hit me until that day that my baby girl is 1, but right now I'm just enjoying getting things ready. Her theme: LaDyBuGs!! I bought her the cutest outfit for her birthday too! Last week, I bought the rest of her bday presents...so excited!!

I officially quit Deaconess on Tuesday. It was so sad turning in my things. They already had stuff packed. When I got there, they only had 2 patients on the floor. Deaconess did the employees wrong. I guess they first told them that they would find them a job since they were closing the unit. Then, they said that they had to find their own job. Only 8 nurses got a job!! It's really sad. I'm not going to go into details, but Deaconess screwed them. I loved that unit and that hospital. I was definitely a supporter, but now, I'm not for sure. If they can't respect their employees, then they can't respect their patients.

April 8th, Lillian hit 11 months. Yep, 11 months. This little girl is into EVERYTHING!! I can hardly keep up with her sometimes! Right now, she is such a daddy's girl. It absolutely kills me. She always wants her daddy. Who cares about mom!! Now she is starting this phase of fighting sleep. She has always fought sleep, but this is worse!!

Anyway, Monday is going to be a wonderful day here at our house. We have been having issues with our water heater. At the start of my shower, I would have both hot and cold water on, but my the end I would just have hot. (it is never hot). We had the plumber come out yesterday. He came up from the basement holding a pipe from the water heater in one hand and this white almost looked like chewed up gum. He said that water heater has lime build up. Basically, the only way to really fix it would be to get a new water heater. He said that he could fix it for now, but we would always have this issue unless we replaced it. So, Monday afternoon, I will have a new water heater and hopefully, a nice hot shower on Tuesday!!

Congratulations are in order!! They are all healthy and beautiful babies!!

Gabriella Belle Zurliene

7lbs 20 3/4 in long

April 12, 2010

Logann Patricia Miller

8lbs 12oz 21 1/4 in long

April 12, 2010

Zachary Samual Miller

8lbs 20 1/2 in long

April 8, 2010

HaPpY bIrThDaY!!

2010-04-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my 27th birthday. Yeah, I can't believe I'm 27. I'm in my late 20s now, no more mid 20s for me. I don't feel that old, I still feel like I should be 21. It's so weird how time can get away from you. Anyway, yesterday was a pretty good day. Lillian let me sleep til 8:30, which I was very happy for that. We hung around the house til about 1:30, then I took Lillian to see Dr. Bies. Lillian has started this running nose, sneezing, and coughing business. Last time she did this I waited for almost 2 weeks and ended up with an ear infection. So, I thought I would beat this early and took her yesterday to the doctor. Well, I just wasted $120. Dr. Bies said that her ears were perfect, but her throat had some granulation which means irritation. He just thought that she was getting a "spring cold." I am to give her Cold and Allergy medicine and watch her. Needless to say, I wasted my money because I was already doing this. However, she did weigh 20 lbs and 14 oz. She is getting big!! After the doctor visit, John took me and Lillian to eat at The Mill House...Yummy!!! He even got me dessert....Wow...It was good!! We came home and visited with each other before putting Lillian to bed. Of course, during that time, I got my birthday presents from Lily and John. Lily got me "Child of my Heart" Willow tree. It is so cute, I about cried! John got me the Shark Steam mop and a fishing pole. Yes, I really did ask for the shark steam mop. I have wanted that thing since it first came out. I LOVE IT!! John got me the fishing pole because he thinks we need to do things more as a couple. I don't mind to go fishing....I just don't know how. Oh! My fishing pole is purple....My favorite color!!! I would have to say that my birthday was a success!!

Lily started this new trick yesterday. When Lily woke up yesterday morning, I hear this banging noise. Usually, Lily kicks the side of her crib or the mattress, but it didn't really sound like that. So, while she was banging away she was calling out, "mama." Of course, I had to go see what she wanted. I peeked my head around the door to see Lily standing up, hitting her hand against the top part of her crib wanting my attention. I thought it was cute, but wondered how she did this because Lily doesn't go from a lying position to standing up. I was very confused, but happy to be greeted this way. So, later that morning, I tried to lay Lily down for a nap. I laid her down and started to walk away. Lily rolls to her belly, gets on all fours, and then pops up to a standing position. I just stood there shock because I have never seen her do this before. I tried to lay her down again, and she did the same thing. So, I didn't have time to play that game, so Lily got moved to the pack n play while I took a shower. Last night, we got Lily almost asleep and laid her down in her crib and guess what happened? Yep, that child would not lay down. So, Lily got moved again to the pack n play. John was worried about her, so at 8:30 last night we were taking apart her crib to move the mattress all the way down to the toddler bed position. Now, Lily can't climb out, but I can't get her if she is laying down. I am so short, I can't reach her!
This morning, I was awaken my Lily yelling, "mama." This time, when I went in there, she was sitting and had her hands up wanting me to pick her up. It was so cute!!

Sorry that I haven't posted pics in awhile. I promise I will as soon as I get them uploaded. Hope everyone has a Happy Easter!!

I am in shock

2010-03-28T10:39:00.000-04:00

I haven't been on here in awhile. Many crazy things have been going on. Work is crazier than ever. One week we are slow, then the next we are absolutely full. It's been stressful to say the least.

We took Lily to get her Easter/9 month pics last week. I didn't want to do her pics when she was 9 months because I knew Easter would be coming soon, so I just waited a month. Her pics were alright. I'm glad I didn't spend too much on them. Lily wasn't in a very good mood. Her teeth were bothering her and most of the pics had her hand in her mouth. We were able to get a few good ones though. As we were finishing, there was this lady that wanted to get her picture taken with her children and didn't have an appointment, so she had to wait. Her daughter was absolutely rude, not just to her mother and other siblings, but to us as well. She was the biggest brat. Her mother did nothing to control her. I wanted to smack her across the face (I would never do it to anyone) but oh my. I don't understand people sometimes. I would never let Lily act like that.

Last night, we went to Evansville to celebrate my upcoming birthday. It was fun. Our friends Jen, Aaron, Dale, Mary Beth, Chris, Meghan, and Austin all come as well. It was so much fun catching up with them. We haven't got to see everyone like that in a long time.

Well, I am kind of sad. I just found out that I have loss my job at Deaconess. I have worked there since November of 2001. When I moved to Evansville for nursing school, I started working there as a CNA. They were very good to me. I started my nursing career there. I learned so much. I left in March of 2008 to work full time at Memorial in Jasper and work as needed at Deaconess. I physically could not drive the hour and a half to Deaconess main campus three days a week. Plus, the cost of gas was sky high. Well, after a few incidences (long story), Deaconess has decided to close that unit down and convert it into a Med-surg unit. The staff doesn't know what will happen with them. However, I am sadly going quit because I do not have to time to train on a different floor, if they even decided to keep me on payroll. I am very sad. Deaconess was my home. I started out there and I was always hoping that one day, I would end up back there. Insert tears!

I am hoping to post new pics soon. I am getting ready to go to John's family for Easter celebration. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Where's the sunshine??

2010-03-15T15:54:00.000-04:00

Man! Last weeks weather was wonderful. What the heck happened??? I was getting so excited for the sunny and warmer days. Lily and I got to enjoy the weather by going to the park and spending time on the front porch! Last week spoiled me.

Lily's new carseat finally came in the mail on Wednesday. I think I was more excited about it than Lily. We went with the Evenflo Titan Elite. So far, I really like it. Lily also seems to like it as well. That night, I ordered Evenflo Titan Sport carseat for John's truck and grandma's car. Hopefully, they will be in soon because Lily does NOT fit in her infant seat anymore!! Now, I am officially broke after paying for 3 carseats. Geez, why does everything have to be so expensive??

trying out Lily's carseat

Our first outing in her carseat

I am starting to get emotional about how big Lily is getting. I can't believe she is 10 months and I am planning her birthday. I feel like she should be 3 months old. I still have her jumperoo out that she is too big for, her swing, and her infant carseat. We are going to have to put all of them away in the attic. That makes me so so sad. However, Lily still uses the swing. She is getting close to the weigh requirements on that thing, but sometimes that is the only way to get her to sleep. So, John and I really need to start breaking her from that habit. I think John is going to have a harder time than Lily. John can NOT stand to hear Lily cry. He is all about holding her and comforting her when she cries. However, not every situation needs to be dealt like that. So, if you can't tell....daddy is a softy, but he loves his little girl!

Thursday was my first day back at work. I actually had a really good day. I had two really good patients for 12 hrs. Plus, I didn't get any admits!! That's a good day! Friday was a decent day. I got two very sick patients. I was pretty busy all day long, but I wasn't up for an admit, so that was a good day in my book! It was good to see everyone.

I feel so behind on things. I had this weekend off, but the weather has really brought me down. I still have stuff to do like vacuum, dusting, clean the bathrooms, Lily's laundry, put Lily's pack n play in the closet, and move Lily's mattress down on her crib (she's starting to climb). I have had 3 days off and nothing done. I think I'm just going to blame it on the time change and the weather...sounds good anyway. Next week, I work a pretty weird schedule. So, I really don't know how much I will get done.

trying on her Easter dress

Having fun with Mommy!

Happy 10 months Lillian!

2010-03-08T22:28:00.000-05:00

Yep! I can't believe it....I just can't believe it! Lillian is 10 months old today!!! To celebrate this special occasion, I took Lillian to the park today. I got the good Ole' stroller out and we walked by the lake. Of course, what is a trip to the park without a visit to the swings. Lillian seemed to enjoy herself. She was very good for mommy today. I was very thankful for that!!

So, what is Lillian doing now? Right now, she is pulling up on everything to stand and taking a few steps. She is still very unsteady, but that girl wants to walk!!! Lily has two teeth, but working on 3 & 4 as we speak. She still doesn't "crawl" she scoots everywhere she needs to go and she is pretty fast at it too. She is getting into EVERYTHING! Baby food is not happening....she gets it in her mouth and spits it back out at you. She wants table and only table food. She still takes 5-7 oz of formula every 4-5 hrs. She is mastering the sippy cup. Sometimes, she still forgets to hold it up for more. She will NOT for the life of me hold her own bottle if you are holding her. She will hold the bottle if she is in her carseat and that is it. If you are holding her, she wants to hold your hand. If you won't let her hold your hand, then she is done eating. That little girl has some attitude!! Lily gives kisses on the check now. It's very cute!!! She waves bye bye. Her new words: hi, bye, Lily. She still says: mom, dada, duck. Her favorite toys are anything that plays music!! She loves to listen to music and dance!! She has officially grew out of her infant carseat. I'm waiting on her new carseat to arrive at the end of this week! So, that's Lily in a nutshell!

Happy 10 months Lillian! Mommy and daddy love you very much! We are so proud of you!

I can't believe the weather!

2010-03-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

I have been staying pretty busy on my two weeks off. I'm finally feeling better! I am still sore from time to time, but it depends on what I'm doing. My incisions are almost healed. I go to my follow up appointment tomorrow and go back to work on Thursday. The last two months have been a challenge for me. I never felt so sick before (including morning sickness from pregnancy) and I even felt depressed. I didn't want to do much of anything, but now I feel GREAT!!! It's amazing how much a gallbladder can ruin your life!!!

Well, last Sunday, was the first day I could actually hold Lily. The surgeon said I was able to left her and only her, but I couldn't physically do it. Trust me, I tried! So, I packed our bags and we went to visit Nana in Illinois for a couple of days. It was so good to see my mom. My sister, nephew, and brother in law came over to visit with us. Lily and I went to go visit Granny and Granddad (my grandparents). They were so excited to see Lily. I also got to visit with my friend Ansley for a bit. We didn't get a hold lot of time, but it was still good to see her.

My sister decided on a name for her baby. She is going to name him Braden Jack Wiggins. I am so excited to meet him July 9th. We still don't know how Dillon is going to react his baby brother.

We came home on Tuesday. However, we got home much later than expected. I had to run by Deaconess to do some inservices. What I thought was going to take me 10 minutes, ended up being an hour and a half. I had to bring Lily and it was a mess. She would not let me focus on anything else except for her. So, I didn't get home until 6pm. I was so happy to see John and he was happy to see us. Later that night, Lily surprised her daddy with pulling up to a standing position by herself. She had done it before, but not to where John could see it.

Thursday was not a good day! Lillian was starting to get a new tooth and she was a terror!!! She was fussy, crying, and mean all day long. My nerves were shot to say the least. At one point, I picked up Lily and she was screaming and throwing herself everywhere. She ended up hitting me in the nose with her head. I thought I broke my nose. It hurt so bad. It's still sore, but I didn't break it....thank goodness! So, when John came home, I just handed Lily off and told him I needed a break! So, John arranged a babysitter and he took me out to dinner. Very nice of him, but he still didn't have a clue how bad she was that day!!

Saturday, Lily still wasn't in the best of moods. Of course, she wasn't sleeping well due to her tooth. We had a birthday party to go to that evening, so we were trying our best to get her to take a nap.....yeah right!! We ended up being late to the party. Lily decided to pee everywhere 3 times before leaving the house. Needless to say, that was a mess! Anyway, we arrived! The birthday party was for Austin Olds. He turned two! Lily and Austin got to ride around in a wagon thanks to Uncle Aaron. Lily LOVED the wagon!! (I guess we will be buying her one for her birthday!) I really wish I would have taken a picture of it. It was so so cute!!!

Congratulations Luke and Ashley Schultz! Bowen Matthew arrived March 7th at 1:15am, 7lbs 14.7 oz and 20 inches long! He is beautiful! Congrats to Rae....she is an AUNT!!

Sunday wasn't as pretty, but we took Lillian to the park. She seemed to enjoy it! She is definitely a people watcher!! On our way home, John washed his truck. Lily and I were playing and I just happened to see that her tooth FINALLY came through! YAY! Sad news though, she is getting both her top teeth now...great! So, our drama continues with the teeth.

Recovery

2010-02-23T16:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the big day. I woke up at 5:05am. This is the usual time I get up for work. However, I wasn't going to work that day. I was going to surgery. I have to admit, I didn't sleep well due to the thoughts running through my head about surgery. I deal with this stuff everyday as a nurse. I know that gallbladder surgery isn't a big deal, but being the patient and knowing I had to deal with scared the crap out of me. I knew the procedure, I seen hundred of gallbladder surgeries when I worked in surgery at Deaconess. So, I know what goes on. Still, I hate being the patient.
Anyway, grandma came to pick Lily up at 6am. I gave her millions of kisses before she left. (I have been through surgery before, let me just tell you, this is the first surgery I have since Lily's birth and it scared me more thinking that something could go wrong and I wouldn't get to see my baby girl again. Little dramatic, but still, you never know!!!). Anyway, John took me to the hospital, I got checked in. My surgery was scheduled at 9am. I was in Same Day Surgery til 9:30am. Didn't know what the hold up was, but I was getting more and more nervous. Finally, they came to pick me up to take me to holding. I was placed beside this 90 year lady who was getting her eyes done. I didn't know the exact procedure, but she kept me entertained while I waited. Dr. Kurucz (Marcus is what we call him though) came to visit with me. He said that the water to the hospital got shut off that morning and they couldn't sterilized the scopes they needed for my surgery. So, that is why there was a delay on my surgery. The scopes were being sterilized. He also told me that he went through the ICU department and Vanessa and Ronica harassed him about taking good care of me. He told them that he was going to mess with me and put a colostomy bag and a big dressing on my abdomen to make me think he had to do this extensive surgery. He is so funny! (Thanks Vanessa and Ronica for checking up on me). My nurse came to introduce herself and then the anaesthesia came to talk to me. Marcus told me before he left that he was going to go do a colonscopy real quick while the room was getting ready. So, I waited in holding for about an hour. Finally, the nurse came out and said they were ready for me. I got some "happy juice" before I even got to the room and that is all I can remember. I didn't even get to see the room, I was out. I woke up at 11:45 in PACU. I was sleepy and sore but pretty much alright. I had three nurse taking care of me. (Marcus ratted me out and told everyone that I was an ICU nurse, so they were trying their hardest to take extra care of me) My PACU nurse said that I was the best patient she has had in a long time. I woke up fast and I didn't complain of that much pain. My vitals were great. The only issue I had, which was completely normal, my throat was sore and dry from being without food and water for 16 hrs and having the endotracheal tube for breathing during surgery. I kept coughing, which was not helping the pain situation. Oh! Let's not forget, I was checking my stomach for any unnecessary dressings Marcus may have placed. He didn't do anything like he said he would! I'll have to give him a hard time at my follow up appointment. Anyway, I was out of PACU by noon.
I went back to Same Day Surgery. John was waiting on me when I got there. It was so good to see him. He told me that Marcus came to talk to him. Marcus said that the surgery went great. He went ahead and fixed a hernia that I had. However, he said that I would probably need to get it done again later. He just sutured the hernia down, but later I will need mesh. He couldn't do it now with the risk of infection. I was surprised I had a hernia, but then again, all I do is lift on people. I have noticed a difference where he fixed it though. Well, the nurse came in and gave me a pain pill and told me that I had to walk and use the bathroom before I could go home. Then, she left. I waited for about 30 minutes before she came back in. I immediately told her I wanted to get up and use the bathroom. She was really surprised! I walked down the hall (with my big butt sticking out) and went to the bathroom. I don't know if that hernia was pushing on my bladder or what, but my bladder felt completely different....in a good way! After giving birth, my bladder wasn't the same, but now it's back to normal...too weird.
I was discharged home around 1pm. I was so happy to get home and to relax. We went to CVS to get my pain medication and to McDonald's to get me a sweet tea and John some lunch. I came home and immediately changed clothes and made a spot on the couch. I took about a two hour nap. I felt a little better, but not much. Lily came home not too much later. I was SO SO SO happy to see her. I can't lift her, but I gave her a million more kisses. Marcus said that Lily is the only thing I can lift for two weeks, but for the next couple of days I'm not going to hold her. Especially since I had a hernia along with this.
Last night was a very long and uncomfortable night. I couldn't lay flat because of the gas that they used during surgery it would come up to my shoulders and I felt I couldn't breathe. John brought extra pillows in to lift my head up. I tried that for a couple of hours but it didn't help. About 1 am, John got me up and I laid on the couch. That didn't help either, so 3:30 am John helped me up and I went back to bed. I slept for 4 hrs before Lily woke up. John got up with Lily while I stayed in bed, but I couldn't go back to sleep. Today, I have been really really sore. Not as bad as yesterday, but still sore. I am hoping in the next couple of days I will be back on my feet!
I just wanted to say Thank you for all the well wishes. I really appreciate it. I really appreciate my co-workers who are checking up on me...you guys are the best!

Updates

2010-02-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

Lillian started getting sick last Wednesday (2/10), she started out with a runny nose, cough, and slight temp. As the days went on, her runny nose and cough kept getting worse. She wasn't running a temp or anything. At times, she was getting a little wheezy. I watched her all weekend and finally on Tuesday, I called the doctor to see if I could get her in to get tested for RSV. That has been going around like crazy. Lily would wake up in the middle of the night crying. She wasn't hungry or wet. She just couldn't breathe. Plus, with grandma just getting over a cold, I thought she could have it. The nurse thought it would be a good idea to bring her in. So, John left work early and took Lily to the doctor. To my surprise, Lily has an ear infection. I wasn't really expecting that, which I would take that any day over RSV!! So, Lillian got started on some antibiotics. She still has her cough and runny nose. So we will see how this plays out.

Lillian passed out....she didn't feel good

Kisses for mommy!

Of course you all know that Sunday was Valentine's Day. It was really special this year because Lillian was here to celebrate with us. Sunday, we had planned to go to Evansville as a family and go out to eat. However, with Lillian being sick, our plans got changed. Lily stayed with grandma while John and I ran to Evansville to eat at Red Lobster. It was really good. Then, we came home. It was a short visit, but I really wanted to see my baby girl. When we got home, we had her gift waiting on her. She really enjoyed it. I think she liked the bag it came in more than the actual present. Oh! I can't forget....John treated me like a queen! I got flowers, candy, Bath & Body works lotion, and a DS game. I loved all my gifts!! I got John a massage to True Day Spa in Jasper. He is always complaining about his back and shoulders, so what a good way to relieve the pain. Plus, I don't have enough hand strength to give him one myself. Lily got her Daddy some candy. He loved it!

Lillian got some new clothes, pjs, and a book. I think next year I will just give her a bag...haha!

Our family pic for Valentine's Day!

After giving our gifts to Lily, we just sat around and played. As soon as John turned on the Olympics to figure skating, Lily was memorized! She kept looking at the TV! It was so cute!

In other news, I am having my gallbladder taken out on Monday. I am nervous and excited at the same time. I just want to live a normal life. I carry around zofran all the time in case I get hit with some nausea. Not fun. John is taking off Monday-Thursday to be with me. I told Marcus (my surgeon) that if I had to be admitted, then I wanted to go to ICU to have my co-workers care for me. He said, "if you end up in the ICU, then I really screwed up." Geez...thanks Marcus!!! No, he is a good surgeon. He likes to joke around. We really enjoy getting his patients. So, Monday at 9am, I will be in surgery. Wish me luck!!!

My friend Heather is moving back to Evansville this weekend! I am so so excited for her to be moving back! She moved about 2 years ago to Chicago, I haven't seen her since then. So, her moving back is so exciting to me. She hasn't met Lillian, so I am excited to see her!!

I finally have Lillian's first birthday party planned! I picked out her theme yesterday. It is so cute!! I am very excited about her birthday. I know this means she won't be a baby any more, but I am still excited for her. I can't wait to see her eat her cake and see all her family. She won't remember this party, but I sure will!

Oh!!! Yesterday, I get a bill in the mail from Jasper Pediatrics for $405. I was shocked to say the least. I looked at the bill (from Sept/Nov 2009) and insurance didn't cover a penny. Lily is covered under both John and my insurance. So, she is double insured. Needless to say, I was pissed!!! I was hot last night. I had the bill, the insurance cards, and the phone in my hand to yell at someone. Well, of course, it was 8:30 at night, nobody was going to be there. I was hot....did I mention that? John was doing his best to calm me down. I don't think John has ever seen me this upset. I mean seriously, I have a lot to do during my day (just like most ppl) and having to deal with this on top of everything else....come on!!! So today, John called both insurance companies to straighten this mess out. John didn't want me to call....1) he didn't want me to stroke out 2) he didn't want our insurance cancelled from me screaming at them 3) he didn't want me to make a fool out of myself. So, it all worked out in the end. They will be picking up the bill.

Well, I better go. Wish me luck on Monday!!

It's a boy!

2010-02-13T10:45:00.000-05:00

Well, we just found out yesterday that John and I are going to have another nephew in July! My sister Carrie is having another boy! Her c-section is scheduled for July 9, 2010, that is if she doesn't go into labor before then. I am very excited for her. However, I just knew she would have another boy! I hope Dillon is ready for a little brother!

In other news, Lily is now sick :( She got her cold from grandma. I'm a little upset with the situation because grandma was sick for a week before she bothered to tell us she wasn't feeling good. I don't see grandma, John drops her off and picks her up, so I had no idea she was sick. The whole time she was watching Lily. I about had a fit when I found out. Seriously, if you don't feel good....say something! Don't feel like you have to watch my daughter and get her sick in the process. I'm so upset because I work in the hospital.....I know what is going around. The peds unit has been packed with RSV and flu. I don't want that for my daughter. Poor Lily has been sneezing and coughing like crazy. She doesn't sleep very good because she can't breathe out of her sweet little nose. I feel so bad for her. I would be more than happy to have this than her. Poor baby!

Congratulations to Ryan and Chelsa Knepp on the arrival of baby Corbin! He is a doll! I can't wait to meet him! Glad everyone is well! Keep us updated!

Happy 9 Months Lillian!

2010-02-09T15:16:00.001-05:00

I can't believe my baby girl turned 9 months yesterday. Wow! That is really crazy to me. I really enjoy seeing her learn new things. She is just so much fun at this stage! Everyday is something new!! I love you Lillian! Mommy and daddy are so proud of you!

Pretty Girl!

Mommy stop singing...you aren't that good!

Look Mommy...I can do it by myself

Now if I can only get that remote

Let's see.....last Friday, Lillian came home from grandma's. She learned a new trick....Lillian knows how to clap now. She did it all day long on Friday. Yesterday, I was off and she was still clapping!! Maybe this is a sign that she is going to be a cheerleader like her mommy was!!!! Lillian is trying to stand. If she holds on to something, she can stand for a few minutes. Yesterday, she even took a step by herself holding on to the couch. I'm so not ready for her to walk!!! Lily loves cords......the lamp cord and the radio cord....yeah, she is all over them. I have to watch her more closely now. She wants to pull at them and of course...put them in her mouth. I can't keep up with her sometimes!!

My hubby and I

Lillian's first Valentine's from Nana

She LOVED it!!

Ok, so I know I shouldn't be like this, but I have to get on my soap box. We have these neighbors that live right next to us. They don't have a whole lot of yard, so their kids have asked us if they could play in our yard a couple of times. Honestly, I don't care if they play in our yard. Last month, they knocked on our door and asked if they could go sledding down the hill in our back yard. That's fine, we just told them to be careful. Again, I don't care if they play in our yard....what gets me is that they leave all their toys in our yard. I'm a little OCD....I can't handle their stuff in our yard 24/7. We have balls, bikes, and a sled in our yard that isn't ours. This is winter too. Can you imagine how summer is going to be? John and I take a lot of pride in our home and yard. We really try hard to keep everything looking nice. They don't care...they have crap all over their yard, front porch, and now our yard. I don't think that is very respectful. I would NEVER let Lillian do that to our home, let alone someone else's. I don't think that is a whole lot to ask for...you play in our yard, you pick up your toys. Am I wrong?

I hope everyone is enjoying the snow day! It looks so pretty outside, I just don't want to go outside to see it. Again, I'm not feeling that well. I can't wait to get my gallbladder out. I have lost a lot of time and money from work and I can't afford to keep this up. I know I will be out another 2 weeks after my surgery....that is a real bummer. I was hopefully for a week. I can't wait to go see the surgeon and get this planned out! John is planning on taking the day off and go with me to my appointment. I was really surprised because he never goes to doctor appointments with me. Even when I was pregnant, he went to 2-3 appointments at the most. So, I was really suprised when he said that he wanted to go with me.

Lily Pie

2010-02-04T10:35:00.000-05:00

Lily in her new outfit that Aunt Jen and Uncle Aaron got her for Christmas.

Playing in her Pack N Play....she looks like a caged animal. She didn't like it too well.

This is usually what my house looks like at the end of the day!

FINALLY.....I got some answers!

2010-02-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

Today, I went for my gallbladder ultrasound. I wasn't really expecting anything. Everything that I heard was that the ultrasound isn't a good test. I had numerous people ask me why the doctor didn't order a HIDA scan first. I had to explain the cheaper/less invasive procedures first. Well, anyway, I was laying on the table uncomfortable with all the pressure from the ultrasound probe on my stomach. I wasn't moving or saying anything. Whatever I needed to do to get the test done right!!! After 15 minutes, she was done. I asked her if she saw anything. She looked at me and said,"Well, I'm not allowed to discuss results with anyone." I said, "that's fine, I completely understand. I just wanted to know if anything showed up. I have been going crazy about this for a month now." She said,"Unofficially, you have a gallstone. There is something there." So, I immediately felt relieved for many reasons....1) I'm not crazy. There is actually something wrong with me 2) Now I know what is causing my pain and nausea/vomiting. 3) I don't have to go through any more tests! Well, the rad tech said that the radiologist would read the test today and then pass it along to my family doc. She would then call me either Thursday or Friday with the results.

Well, today around 3, the doctor's office called me to confirm that I have gallstones. Dr. Burgeson wanted to refer me to a surgeon. They asked me if I had a preference (uh, yeah). So, I'm going to see Dr. Kurucz on Feb 17th at 3pm. So, hopefully, I will find out more then.

In other news, Lily had a massive blow out today. Yes, it's news to me because she hasn't done this but twice in her whole lifetime. Needless to say, Lily got a bath and our sheets on our bed got wash. I don't know how it came out of that diaper, but it did.

Well, I'm starting to plan Lillian's first birthday party. I have no idea about the theme of the party yet. I have some ideas in mind. I just can't believe that I'm already starting to think about this. Next week, Lillian will be 9 months. I can't believe it!

Next week, I should be finding out if I am going to have a new niece or new nephew. That is if my sister can decide if she is going to find out or not. One minute she wants to go and then the next she wants to be surprised. I can't keep up with her.

Oh!! Saturday, John and I had a scare. See, we were getting ready to go out with Jen and Aaron. I was in the bathroom fixing my makeup and John was in the bedroom with Lillian. He was changing clothes. All of a sudden, I heard this thump and Lillian screaming. I went running and John was holding Lillian freaking out. I immediately knew what happened. John put Lily on the bed while he was changing clothes. When he turned his head to get a shirt, Lily fell off the bed. I knew this day would come, but I didn't think it would be this soon. John was crying and holding Lily so tight I couldn't see her. John kept saying, "is she alright?" He would not let me touch her. Finally, I had to scream at him just to look at her. The nurse in me came out.....Of course I started looking for any broken bones, bruises, redness, etc. Then, I started doing a neuro check. Lily seem to be fine, just scared. John was so freaked out!!!! He bugged me all night long about her. He almost had me worked up. I kept telling him I would page the dr. on call or we could go to the hospital and get a CT of her head. He kept saying, "is she alright?" Lily ended up sleeping in our room that night. She is absolutely fine. John would not make a good nurse....he gets too worked up. That boy needs some xanax sometimes!

The other day, we finally had to take the mobile off of Lillian's bed. She was trying to pull herself up with it. So, we had to say goodbye to it. Her bed looks so weird without it. It really made me sad to take it off. I used to go in her room before she was born and just play her mobile and imagine a baby in the bed. Now look at her. Wow! I can't believe how big she is!

I also want to say one last thing......Chelsa, I think you are the strongest person I know! You have been through so much this past year. What would usually bring someone down into depression, you find the strength to keep going and to praise GOD for all your blessings. I look up to you. I read your blogs about Andon and every time I cry. I cry for you, your family, and for Andon. I know one day you will see him again! Happy Birthday Andon!!! I will be praying for you and Corbin....healthy baby & mommy and easy delivery!

Hip Hip Hooray!

2010-01-28T20:11:00.000-05:00

I guess that talk I had with the tooth fairy really paid off. Lily got her FIRST tooth!!! Now, we are working on the second! YAY! It's about time!!!

Oh! I also want to say Get Well Soon to my sister. She has the stomach bug and she is 15 wks pregnant. She had to go to the ER last night to get a shot of phenergan because she couldn't keep anything down. I also want to say Get Well Soon to my nephew Dillon whom has a viral infection. I love you both! Hope you guys get to feeling better soon!

And Yay for me!! I'm starting to feel better!!!

Updates

2010-01-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I finally went to the doctor. I was feeling alright, but knew I needed something done. I brought Lillian with me to the doctor....I really didn't know how that was going to turn out. Sometimes they frown upon bringing small children with you. However, I really didn't have a babysitter and I wasn't going to miss my appointment. Lillian did GREAT!! She is so outgoing....she definitely takes after daddy in that department. All the receptionists, nurses, and doctors wanted to see Lillian. She ate up all that attention....let me tell ya, she doesn't get enough of it at home!

Anyway, I told the doctor what was going on. She said that she was pretty sure it was my gallbladder and that a lot of women start having issues with it after they have a baby. She ordered me a gallbladder ultrasound. I will be getting that next Wednesday....unfortunately that was the soonest they could get me in. The doctor said that if the test was negative, she would ordered me a HIDA scan (xray for the gallbladder), if that was negative, then I would have an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy). That is a procedure where they send a scope down my throat pass my stomach into the small intestine. They will definitely have to give sedation for that. Anyway, the doctor wants to start with the cheapest/less invasive procedures first and then go up. I'm really hoping that the ultrasound is all I have to do.

In other news, we are looking for a new car seat for Lillian. She has almost outgrown her infant car seat. In all honestly, she would probably benefit from a bigger one sooner than later because she has to be uncomfortable in the one she has. I started looking at them, but haven't really done any research in them yet. I first wanted to see the cost before I really looked into them. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I just assume (probably more of hoping) they would be a lot cheaper than what they are. Again, I haven't really looked at them, but are they like infant car seats where you have a base? John seems to think they are and I think they are stationary. So, if I'm right, then we are going to have to buy 3 of them. Then, if I have to have my gallbladder removed I have to pay my deductible of $500....needless to say, I'm going to be working a lot of overtime in the next month or so. Does anyone have any suggestions or advise for me? I would appreciate it!

Well, I finally uploaded some pics of Lillian. Here are some recent pics.

Lillian trying out the Gerber puffs Getting ready to go to Eville

Helping daddy fold laundry

She still loves to swing

Dear Tooth Fairy

2010-01-24T23:02:00.000-05:00

Dear Tooth Fairy,

I understand that you give children money for losing teeth. Children put their teeth under the pillow for hopes of big bucks in the morning. I have a new proposition for you!! See, my daughter Lillian is 8 1/2 months old and she still hasn't gotten any teeth let. However, this poor girl is miserable. How about I put money under Lily's crib if you make all her teeth come through? I know this isn't in your job description, but do you think you can bend the rules just this one time?

Thanks,
Melissa

This N That

2010-01-22T08:32:00.000-05:00

Well, there hasn't been a whole of stuff going on here at the Potts' house. We are pretty much taking it easy. I still have been feeling bad off and on for 3 weeks now. I finally get to go to the doctor on Monday....YAY! I am definitely asking for 3 things while I'm there........an UA, C&S (for this stupid bladder infection that I still have), to get my cholesterol checked, and I definitely must have a gallbladder ultrasound! One day I am absolutely fine and then the next day I am vomiting/diarrhea/with abdominal pain. I can't live my life like this. There are many people out there that are trying to convince me that I am pregnant again, but I just don't think that is what is causing this. However, I didn't realize I was pregnant with Lillian til I was 10 weeks, so go figure! But after taking 3 pregnancy tests and they all being negative...I would think that would be a good indicator that I wasn't!

Saturday, Lillian and I went to Evansville to meet up with my best friend from home Emily and her little boy Maddux. It was so good to see them and to get out of the house for the day. We ate at The Olive Garden....Yummy!! We also went to the mall and walked around for a little bit. It was so good to catch up with her. I miss her a lot. I don't get to see Emily a whole lot since she is going back to school to get her Master's. She is one busy girl!!! Then, Lillian and I went to my favorite store before going home....TARGET!!! I just love Target! Their stuff is more expensive than Wal-Mart, but they got a lot of cute stuff. Lillian got some new things. I couldn't resist!! I also got two new workout videos. (which, I did one of them and it totally kicked my butt! I'm still sore!). Later that night, Aaron and Jen came over and watched the Colts game! It was really good to see them too! They love Lillian so much! They are awesome Godparents!

I am still trying to decide if I want to go back to school for my MSN. I have been seriously thinking about this for a year now. I just don't know how I'm going to be able to go to school part time, work full time, and still raise a family. Lily is only 8 months old, I want to spend time with her and I don't want to wait 4 years to have another child while I'm in school. So, I really don't know if this is the best step for me to take in my life. I really want to be a wonderful mother to my child(ren) but I also want to be a good nurse. With everything changing in the health care industry and the more demands they put on nurses, I just don't know if I can be a floor nurse for the rest of my life.

My friend Kelly comes back to work tomorrow. She was on maternity leave. She came to work yesterday and brought Eli by. He is so so so cute! I could just hold him all day! She is such a wonderful mother too! I am so glad she is coming back tomorrow!!!

Well, like I said, not a whole lot is going on here. I have some pictures that I need to download. So, I will post pics soon. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Miss Lillian's 8 month stats

2010-01-13T20:31:00.000-05:00

On Monday, I took Lillian to see Dr. Bies for her 8 month check up. I was very glad to hear that she was doing great. As a first time mother, I have no idea what I am doing and/or what to expect. I just pretty much go with the flow. I figured that I have some common sense and a bachelor degree in nursing, so how much damage can I do?

Anyway, here are Lillian's measurements: weight 19lbs 3oz, height 28in, head circ. 45cm. I was actually surprised about her weight. That child definitely feels bigger than 19lbs!!!

In other news, I went back to work on Tuesday after about 10 days off due to sickness. I'm still not feeling well. I still can't get into the doctor until Jan 25th. Something has to be done about this stupid gallbladder!!! Plus, to top it off, I have had a bladder infection off and on for 8 months. After having a c-section and getting a catheter, my bladder has not been the same. I have taken Cipro (antibiotic) and that didn't help. Now I'm taking Macrobid daily for 1 month. I have about 5 pills left and still feel the symptoms of a bladder infection. Last night I was up at 1:30, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30 and then 6:30 trying to use the bathroom. Geez, I didn't know that the stress of birth and hormone changes can do this to a woman, but apparently it can.

Today, was the day that I let Lily have her first Gerber puffs. She absolutely LOVED them. I took pics, but haven't downloaded them yet. It is so much fun to see how she reacts to new foods!

Well, it's getting late and I must get ready for bed. I have to work the next two days. I really really hope these next two days are uneventful!! Yesterday was a crazy day and I don't want that again! Plus, I have to pack Lily's bag for grandma's. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

8 months already?

2010-01-09T15:52:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe it...Lillian is 8 months old. It feels like yesterday that John and I were headed to the hospital to have her. Lillian has been such a blessing in my life. I don't know what I would do without her. I love seeing her sweet smiles, hearing those wonderful laughs, and watching her doing new things. She brings so much joy to my life. I wish I could freeze time. I know that she will grow up before I know it. I just hope and pray that Lillian will grow up to be a happy, healthy, and intelligent young lady!

These pictures are from our photo shoot yesterday!

In other news, I haven't been feeling well this week. Tuesday, I woke up for work. I felt pretty good. I was in the shower and all of a sudden I just have the urge to vomit. Needless to say, it was downhill from that point on. I threw up all day long. Wednesday, I felt better, but still have some nausea. Thursday, same thing, but started to get right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Friday and today the same thing. I really think my gallbladder is acting up. I have been trying to eat light, which I have lost 5 lbs!! However, I still feel like crap. I can't get into my doctor until Jan. 25th. So, this is going to be a very long couple of weeks for me. I hope I can just get through these couple of weeks!!!

I just want to say...the snow is so beautiful! Lillian and I haven't got to be in the snow too much since I haven't felt that great. We look outside the window all the time. I love looking at it. John, Lily, and I went to John's brother on Thursday. John was going to go sledding with his nephews. However, we were quickly interrupted with the alarms from the turkey farm going off. The heaters weren't working, so Lily and I went home while John went to work. She looked so adorable all bundled up! She even went to sleep!!

Well, I hope everyone has a good weekend! Stay warm!

I think I fallen off the face of the earth

2010-01-06T18:44:00.001-05:00

Geez....it's been a long long time since I last posted something on my wall. It has been a crazy 2 1/2 months. Work seems to be getting busier and busier all the time. We have had more sick people than usual...I know they are sick, but they are really really sick people. However, we haven't seen the H1N1 yet...praise the Lord!!!

October:

Lillian got to celebrate her 1st Halloween. It was exciting, but during that time she was fighting a cold. We didn't get to do a whole lot of trick or treating. We just went to John's parents.

November 6:

John celebrated his 29th birthday! We both had to work that day, but we went out with friends that weekend. It was a lot of fun. Next year, I have to plan a huge party. My hubby will be the big 3-0!!!

November 10: Lillian was very very sick. She ended up developing gastritis. She wasn't eating, having a lot of diarrhea, and a temp of 103. It was very scary to see a child that young so sick. We went to the doctor and they just told us to watch her for 7 days....you got to be kidding me...7 days of that!! However, Lily started to turn around in a day. It probably took a whole week to fully recover, but she was fever free for 6 of those days. Lillian 6 month status: weight 18 lbs 7 oz 26 1/4 inches long.

November 12, my good friend Vanessa had her baby, Avery Lorine Dedrick. She is such a blessing, especially for Vanessa and Brad. They went through In-vitro 3 times. This was the final time they were going to try. She was born happy and healthy! She is so beautiful!

I found out that my oldest sister Carrie is expecting her second child July 16th. She will be a schedule c-section so we think she will have the baby much earlier than that. Dillon, my nephew, wasn't too excited to be a big brother....he is 3 and used to being the only child. However, I think he is doing better with it now.

November 22: Lillian was baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church at Haysville. We decided to have Aaron and Jennifer Andrews as her Godparents. Aaron and John have been best friends since 16 and Jen is one of my good friends as well. So, we thought they would be a wonderful godparents. They absolutely love Lillian like she was their own!

Lillian got to see Santa for the first time at the mall. I was so scared, I didn't know how she would react to him. She basically just sat there and stared at him for awhile. No crying involved.

December 5:

John, Lillian, and myself went to Christmas with our children at Memorial Hospital. They were throwing a Christmas celebration for the employees children. It was absolutely wonderful. I didn't know what to expect, but it was really great. Lillian had a good time and got lots of goodies.

December 8:

My good friend Kelly had her baby boy, Eli Dale Collins. Kelly works with me and Derek, her husband, works with John. So, we were both excited for his arrival.

December 9:

I said bye bye to one of my loves, my Toyota Camry. I can't even explain how much I loved that car. However, it was not practical for a growing family. It had absolutely no truck space. I could only fit Lily's stroller in the truck and that was it! Plus, every time I got Lily in and out, I would hit my head. Needless to say, I got a new car. Buick Rainier is what I got. It is fully loaded. I actually lucked into this car. One day after my kids are grown, I will get a new camry!!!

Dec. 10:

Lillian got her 6 month pictures taken. However, it was actually 7 months. I was running a bit behind. Oh well. Chelsa Knepp made Lillian the cutest tutu. John and I absolutely LOVE it. Those pictures of her in the tutu were my favorite!!

Let's not forget that this was Lillian's first Christmas. This little girl is so spoiled!! I think she owns every toy at Toys R Us...seriously! John's quote, "Geez, we need a bigger house just to hold all her toys." That is no joke. I still have toys in boxes because we don't have anywhere to put them. I really think Lily had a very good Christmas. I was very thankful to have Christmas off this year and get to spend Christmas morning with my family. I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Usually, John and I have a New Years Eve party. However, with Lily and the fact I had to work New Years Day, we didn't have it this year. Bummer!! John and I went to Hammerheads with Chris and Meghan Olds to eat. It was a good time. We got home about 10:00 and I was in bed by 10:30....we were rebels, let me tell ya. John and I were talking, we didn't even think we could stay up until midnight even if we wanted to. Man! We are getting old!

I guess I'll give you an update on the things Lillian is doing. Right now, she is eating seconds in baby food. She eats fruits in the morning and veggies in the evening. She takes 7 oz of formula every 4 hrs. She gets a biter bisquit on bath days. She has started using a sippy cup with apple juice. She holds her sippy cup and bottle for grandma and grandpa, but refuses to do it for us. She has started crawling backwards....not going forward yet. However, she is working on it. Lily has no teeth whatsoever. She likes to play on the floor sitting. She does excellent sitting. She loves bath time. She plays with her rubber ducky. Lily is saying, "dada, mom-mom, nana, hi." She has also said, "next year, duck, ladybug, bye." This little girl is a talker!!! Lily is starting to pull up. I caught her pulling up in her pack n play and on the floor using her toy box. Lily still likes her jumperoo. She fights sleep like nobody I have ever seen. She usually sleeps through the night, getting anywhere between 7-12 hrs of sleep. Oh! The best news of all....she grew out of her acid reflux...she doesn't have to take Zantac anymore....yeah!!!

Well, I just wanted to add one thing. I know everyone has seen Lillian's birthmark. I was the very first one that noticed it when she was born. The doctor didn't even see it. The birthmark is on her right upper arm. It's called Hemangioma. It's a bright red and patchy. It occurs more commonly is white girls. I am very aware of what is going on and so is the doctor. She gets it check out every 2 months. The doctor said that it should go away by the time she goes to kindergarten. If not, we could do corrective surgery to remove it. The only reason I am bringing this up is that I have had numerous people ask me if my daughter is alright. She is absolutely fine. I have had strangers come up to me and say, "oh she is so adorable. She has the biggest blue eyes." Then, their eyes goes down...the person steps back and says, "WHAT IS THAT?" Pointing to her arm. People can be so mean and so rude sometimes. Do you honestly think I would take my kid out in public if she was contagious? I really hate it for Lily. All I have to say is that Lily is happy and healthy. I thank God everyday for bringing her in my life. Things could be worse, it could be right on her sweet little face. Just recently, I had a girl I went to high school with email me and asked me if my daughter was alright. She had seen a picture of Lily on Facebook and wanted to make sure she was alright and didn't have cancer! Yeah, seriously, she asked me this. Until this email, I had completely forgot about her birthmark. That birthmark is not who Lillian is. It's just something that is on her, like a freckle. So, please, don't ask me about it and don't even bring it up. In my book, that is old news. Lillian is fine...she doesn't have cancer!!

Well, I hope I caught everyone up on what has been going on for the past 2 months. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

Here are some more recent pics of our family!

Happy Anniversary!!

2009-10-21T21:39:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to say Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband. We celebrated our 2 year anniversary yesterday. Although we both worked and didn't see each other yesterday, it was still a good day. I can't wait to grow old with you John and to celebrate many more happy years together! I love you with all my heart! Thank you for being a great husband and a great dad!!

the first night we met 11/5/05

Our wedding day 10/20/07

Our most recent picture together 9/25/09

Congratulations!

2009-10-14T20:47:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to say congratulations to Dale and Mary Beth Potts for their beautiful new home. I can't wait to see it again when everything is unpacked! Also, the best news...congratulations on having a baby. Their baby is due in June! Can't wait to meet him or her!!

Also, congratulations to Gabe and Blair Henson...they got married today on an island (I'm sorry I forgot the exact location), but I bet it was beautiful! Can't wait to see pictures! I bet the weather was a lot better than it was here!

If I forget to post...I just want to say Happy Anniversary John! It's been the greatest 2 years of my life. I can't wait to spend many more happy years with you. Thank you for being the greatest husband and greatest daddy! I don't know what Lily and I would do without you. Our actually anniversary is October 20th. However, I don't think we will get to celebrate our anniversary. October seems to be very busy for us. I work everyday next week and he will be getting birds in, so our celebration gets put on the back burner. However, we don't need a day to celebrate our marriage.....we celebrate everyday!! I love you John!!!

Oh! I also want to say Happy Birthday to Dale and to my brother in law Ryan. They both celebrate a birthday on October 18th. Happy Anniversary to Chris and Meghan Olds...they too will be celebrating 2 years of marriage on October 27th!

More of Lillian's 3 month pics

2009-10-04T10:11:00.000-04:00

Hope you like them!

This and that

2009-09-29T22:01:00.000-04:00

So many things have been going on. First, John got a promotion at work....yipee! He is now the manager for Hub 1 in Dubois. He has started in the position last week, but he is officially the manager on October 7th. He seems to like the job so far, but he is still in training.

Our best friends Aaron and Jen got married over the weekend. It was such a beautiful wedding. Jen looked absolutely amazing! We had a really good time. John and I were both in the wedding. We were so honored to be a part of their big day. They are in Jamaica right now on their honeymoon. I can't wait to hear all about it!! Congrats Mr & Mrs Andrews!!

Work is still crazy! We keep getting sicker and sicker patients everyday. We just flew out a 24 year old on the vent. WOW! Seriously...that is too young!! Oh! A couple of weeks ago, we sent a 23 year old to Louisville on the vent and she was pregnant!!! That is scary stuff! So, I am preaching....get your flu shots and wash your hands frequently!!! If you are sick...stay home...I don't want to see you at Wal-Mart!!!

I got to go home a couple of weeks ago to see my family in Illinois. It was so nice to see everyone. You don't realize how much you miss home until you go back. Lily and I went by ourselves. John had to work. We missed him bunches while we were gone. Lily got to experience her first Town and Country Days.....she seemed to enjoy it. She was good...she was wishing she could have a corn dog too!!

We started Lily on solid foods. We tried the whole rice cereal thing first. She ate it, but she didn't like it. So, I tried to mix the cereal with baby food, again she ate it, but she didn't like it. So, I just tried the baby food....she LOVED it!!! She was eating it up like crazy!! We have tried the sweet potatoes and the green beans. She loves the green beans. I guess I wasn't putting it in her mouth fast enough because she grabbed the spoon out of my hand. She is something else!! In other news, I'm waiting for her teeth to appear. This child has been chewing on things, drooling like crazy, and fussy at times. I just wish this tooth would come already. We have been dealing with this for a long time now.

Well, the last couple of days have not been that great for me. On my way home from work last night, I ran over a cat. I was so upset about it. However, this cat ran out in front of me and I really tried to stopped. Then, on my way home today, this semi was going south, while I was going north. Anyway, this semi was driving like a bat out of hell, he was in my lane. To make a long story short, Lily and I are alright, but my windshield is not. When the semi was getting back to his lane, he hit a rock and it hit my car. Of course it would hit my car...I have the worse luck in the world. So, now I have to figure out if I really need to talk to my insurance company or just pay out of pocket for a new windshield. Oh! That just makes me so mad!!!!

John and I are going to go look at a 4-Runner tomorrow. My co-worker is selling hers. I really need a SUV. My car is slowly getting smaller with Lily and all her things. I'm not trading in my car or selling it. We actually need another vehicle anyway, so this is a good opportunity. Hopefully, we will get it. Not really wanting a payment, but sometimes you just have to suck it up.

Well, I'm really going to try to be better at posting!!

Here are Lillian's 3 month pics:

Alright...not all of then uploaded like they were supposed to, so I'll upload them later. Too tired to do it now!

I can't believe it's halfway through August!

2009-08-18T13:06:00.000-04:00

I can't believe August is flying by. I have been incredibly busy with work and Lillian. I'm just now figuring out that it's August 18th! Wow! Where is the time going? I live a very busy boring life so that's why I haven't been on here lately. I just feel like I have nothing to say. Lily is getting so big! I can't believe she is 3 months old. In a couple of weeks, we go back to the doctor and we go back for her second round of shots. That will be fun....can you hear the sarcasm??

Tomorrow, mommy gets a day out. My friend Jen and I are going to Evansville. I'm so excited! I have to go get my wedding rings inspected and cleaned, then Jen and I are going to pick up our dresses (my bridesmaid dress and her WEDDING dress!!), and then do some odds n ends. I haven't been to Evansville in awhile, so I'm really excited to go!

Well, that's pretty much all I got going on. See, I told you that I am boring!!!! Anyway, I do have some new pics of my baby girl! She is getting so big!!

Aunt Jen & Lillian

Uncle Aaron & Lillian

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

2009-08-05T19:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I have been extremely busy these past couple of weeks. I'm trying my best to adjust to going back to work. It hasn't been easy that's for sure. I haven't had the best of luck when it comes to my patients. So, needless to say, I'm going to have some overtime on my paycheck because I can't seem to get out of work on time. My usual time is 9pm when I'm supposed to get off at 7:30pm. Oh well. There's nothing I can really do about it.

In other news, Lillian got to stay in her very first hotel room over the weekend. Lillian and I went to Springfield, IL for my cousin's wedding. Unfortunately, John had to work, so I ended up going with my mom and sister. My sister Kelly that lives in Seattle come in as well. So, she finally got to meet Lillian. It was a very busy weekend for us. A lot of driving too. However, Lillian did great! I was very proud of her!!!

Monday, we finally got our new washer and dryer. Let me tell you, I will NEVER buy anything from Lowes again. They have made me so mad!!! We bought our washer and dryer July 3rd and just got them Monday....so right there I was mad. Then they sent us the wrong dryer than didn't even work. So, to make a long story short... John yelled at them and we got the right dryer that works. It was so much drama. The manager from Lowes was really lucky that I wasn't home....because my hormones are all over the place and he wouldn't have liked what I had to say. I'm still mad about this. They didn't even say sorry to John for the inconvenience that they caused us. That is what makes me so mad!!!

Anyway, please say a prayer from me for the next couple of weeks. I have a busy work schedule ahead of me. So, I'm going to be working a lot with not a whole lot of sleep and missing my little girl like crazy!

Here some new pics of our baby girl! I can't believe how fast she is growing!

Lillian

All dressed up for the wedding

My nephew Dillon, me, my sister Carrie, and Lily

Aunt Kelly, Uncle Ryan, and Lily

My sisters and I

Mommy and Lily

All the kids except for John

I survived my first day back!

2009-07-21T20:53:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was an interesting day for me. I was supposed to work 7am-7:30pm. I got a phone call at exactly 5:07am stating that I was going to be on-call from 6am-2pm. They said they had low census. I said ok. I went ahead and took a shower and got Lily ready to go to grandma's. So, John took Lily to grandma's before going to work and this started my morning of waiting by the phone. I ended up falling asleep on the couch about 7:30am. I was awaken again by the phone at 9:45am. This time it was my boss. I thought, well, I'm getting called into work. However, she told me she was going to go ahead and take me off call til 2pm. So, I didn't have to sit by the phone anymore, but I was probably going to have to go into work at 3pm, so I really couldn't do anything. Anyway, I picked up the house a little bit, had lunch, and was on the Internet. Then, I got another phone call at noon. This time it was the charge nurse begging me to come in. Evidently, they were getting slammed with 7 admits all at once. I told her I would be there in an hour. The whole time I was getting dressed and driving to work, I was getting so nervous. I kept thinking...do you remember your passwords? Do you remember how to use the monitor? Do you remember the rhythm strips? I kept thinking of things I haven't done in 6 months. By the time I got to work, my stomach was in knots. I went to my locker, dropped off my stuff, and was out on the floor for the first time in 6 months. I was absolutely scared out of my mind. I was just thankful that I was getting a patient with abd pain rule out pancreatitis. This is not exactly an ICU patient. I was thrilled!!!!!! So, the admission process took me forever. Some things changed on the Meditech computer system that we use. However, the patient was very kind and very understanding. So, I was still working on her orders at 6:30pm, when I was told I was getting another patient. Let me tell ya, you are pretty much screwed when you get a patient that close to the end of your shift. Pretty much means you are not leaving on time. That was exactly what happened. I didn't clock out until 9:00pm and it takes me 30 minutes to get home. So, when I finally got home, Lily was in the process of falling asleep. I only got to see Lillian for about 15 minutes. I really wanted to see her and play with her, but knew she needed to go to bed. As I was laying in bed, I just prayed that I didn't screw anything up. I hope that I did alright. I never ever want to hurt anybody! Anyway, I'm still alive and well, so I guess you would say that I survived my first day back!

In other news, Lily is still hanging in there with her teething. Today, I seriously thought I was going to lose it though. She cried and cried for an hour straight. I couldn't do anything to help her. I started off with a diaper change....didn't help, I went to fix her a bottle...didn't help, I got a cold pacificer out...didn't help, got a teething ring (didn't fit her mouth at all)...didn't help. Finally, I decided to use those teething tablets. I do not use medication if I don't have to. However, I was out of ideas. So, I got those tablets out. I ended up using two of them. I didn't know how long it was going to take, so I made her a bottle with a couple of ounces in it so she could at least chew on the nipple. Anyway, within 15 minutes, she was out. She was finally relaxed!!! She has been great for the rest of the day!! I'm thinking she is getting another tooth on the bottom now. However, she didn't really let me look into her mouth, so I could be wrong on that one.

Well, I will post some pics of Lily. She is getting so big!! I can't believe how fast the time is flying by!

I can't believe it!!

2009-07-17T22:26:00.000-04:00

I just can't believe it....really, I can't. My 10 wk old baby girl is teething. Yes, teething. I thought I had another month or so before I had to worry about this. I didn't see it coming. I feel like a terrible mother. About a wk and a half ago, Lily starting this drooling business. My mother in law, started telling me that she was cutting teeth. I thought to myself, there is no way. She is only 8 wks. (Remind you, she also told me that I was either burping her wrong or not enough b/c she kept spitting up a lot, while I kept telling her she had acid reflux. I was right on that). Anyway, I didn't really take her "suggestion" to heart. As the week went on, I noticed her trying to "eat" her hand more and more, along with her drooling. Again, my mother in law made the comment on Wednesday that she looked like she was cutting teeth. So, after she left, I got my pin light out to look in her mouth. I didn't see anything at all. So, I got out my book the doctor gave me for a reference. It told me I would find inflammation in her gums or white dots. I didn't see a thing. So, Thursday she was fussy, but she seem like she wanted the bottle more and more. So, I thought, she is going through a growth spurt. She didn't eat a whole lot with each bottle though, so I thought something else was going on. Again, I looked in her mouth and nothing. So, today, she was getting a little more fussy. She was not satisfied in anything we did for her. She wasn't eating like she has been. I only saw a couple of smiles from her, that is very unusual. So, again tonight, I looked in her mouth. Oh My!!! I found a white dot on each side of her mouth with some inflammation. I immediately started crying. My baby girl is growing up WAY too fast!! Plus, I felt so stupid because I wasn't getting the hints. Of course, I got out the teething rings and all that. Unfortuntely, Lily is still young and those things are too big for her mouth and she will grasp the teething rings, but taking it to her mouth and keeping it there is a whole different story. So, what we are doing is putting her pacifiers in the fridge to get cold and then putting it in her mouth. She LOVES it!!! Fortuntely, for us, she still enjoys her naps and bedtime. She is probably like her mommy....thinks everything will get better after a goodnight sleep. Gee...I hope so.

In other news, I go back to work on Monday. I'm actually getting better with the idea. I really hope they give me some good patients to ease my way back. I haven't been a "nurse" for 6 months. So, I'm feeling pretty nervous about going back. When I was 22 wks pregnant, I wasn't allowed to lift anything, so I was placed in a secretary position. Then, I had 10 wks of maternity leave. Man! I sure hope I remember all my passwords and stuff. I started having nightmares about work too. I had a dream the other night that it was 8:30 at night and I hadn't charted a word, I got a new admission and didn't have a thing done with that, and I had an IV to put in. To top it all off, my shift had ended at 7:30pm. All I could think about was getting home to see my daughter. I woke up thinking, "did I get all that stuff done?"

Anyway, please say a prayer or two for me....1) to give me strength while Lillian is teething 2) to be able to leave Lillian while I'm at work (I'm very very nervous about it...it's a long story and I don't have time to explain).

Well, I have some new pics of Lillian, but it's late and I haven't downloaded them yet. So, I will share them another day.

Two months already

2009-07-10T08:07:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it. Lillian is already two months old. Where is the time going? It feels like yesterday I was walking into the hospital to have Lily. Man! Before long she will be potty trained, going to school, dating, going to college, getting married and having kids. I know, I'm getting ahead of myself, but the time is really flying by.

July 20th is my first day back to work. I'm excited, but nervous about it. I haven't been apart from Lillian more than 4 hours. I work 12 hour shifts....so, what am I going to do? I feel like I'm going to miss all the little things going on in her life. However, I am also excited to go back to work. I miss the adult conversations. I miss going out in the world and feel like I'm contributing to our family (with a paycheck). I'm definitely going to miss my sweet baby girl, but I'm not a stay at home mother type. If I could take Lily to work with me....that would be the best thing ever!! I don't think they would let me though.

Anyway, Lillian went for her two month appointment on Wednesday. She weighed 11lbs, 14 oz and was 22 3/4 inches. Her head circumference was 39.8 cm. The doctor said she was perfect (like he had to tell me that!). After that, we headed to the Dubois Co. Health Department for her shots. (I wanted them done at the office, but my insurance wouldn't cover them. Isn't that a preventive measure? Insurance companies are so funny sometimes. Needless to say, it was going to cost $200 out of pocket. So, we went to the health department for $8 per shot) Lillian got three shots and them the rotavirus cocktail. She did unbelievable. She cried for a minute and then went to sleep. So, I'm trying to figure out if she was really crying because of the shot or because she was tired??? She slept all the way home and then some. I was really nervous about the shots. I was by myself and didn't know how she would react. So, I was so relieved when she did so well.

Mommy, I am hungry! (she is already a princess)

I'm better now....take my picture!

This is my better side!

I kissed it and made it better!

I don't think she like Pooh...she kept slapping him like crazy!

Daddy and Lily

Sleeping in her big girl bed!

Happy 4th!

2009-07-07T22:12:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I'm a little late. I hope everyone had a fun July 4th. I always love this holiday. I don't know why either. It's not like we have a huge party or buy fireworks. I just really seem to enjoy this holiday. I usually spend the day doing absolutely nothing and then going to see fireworks. This year was pretty much the same thing. However, we had our friends Jen and Aaron over. We cooked out and just enjoyed each other's company. Lily got to spend some time with her Aunt Jen and Uncle Aaron. She just loves them!! At 9:30 the guys decided to put together a ceiling fan for our bedroom. Needless to say, it took two hours to get it together and working. However, it looks awesome!!! Thank you guys for your help!!!

Anyway, here is some pics from the 4th. Hope you enjoy them!!

Lillian and mommy celebrating the 4th!

Lillian showing off her cute little outfit!

Daddy and Lily having fun!

Aunt Jen feeding Lily

The new fan!!

Sweet Home Eldorado

2009-07-02T22:12:00.001-04:00

Last Tuesday, John took Lillian and I to Illinois to visit with my family. My nephew Dillon was turning 3, so what a perfect time to go! The trip started off rocky. See, my mom has really bad arthritis, so John cleaned her gutters and mowed the lawn for her. While John was mowing, I went to the back of the house where my room is and changed Lily there. I heard the loudest bang. I really didn't know what it was. I took Lily back to the living room and put her in the swing and was heading out the front door when I noticed that the storm door glass looked weird. I opened up the front door and to my surprised, all the glass from the storm door ended up in the living room. I was freaking out!!! Taking a closer look, I noticed that the door was hit by a rock. My mom has landscaping rocks out front and my nephew Dillon likes to move them into the yard. Needless to say, John and I are getting my mom a new door. Not a fun moment for us. Then later that day, my mom called the heating and air people to come out to check her air conditioner. The night before it ran all night long and didn't get cooler than 75 degrees. So, they came out to check and of course there was a part broken on it. Alright, that is fine, but this is a brand new unit. My mom just bought it and it was a bigger unit too. They told my mom that they had to order the part and it wouldn't be in for 4 days. So, I had to pack our bags and head to my sister's house. It got very hot very quickly in my mom's house. I got to spend a lot more time with my sister and nephew though, but I didn't really get to see my mom as much as I wanted.

Anyway, during my trip there, I visited with my friend Amy who just had her baby boy, my friend Ansley, our friends Adam and Rae, I got my Tropical Sno (YUM!), went swimming (got burnt), and got to attend my nephew's Blues Clues party!! I got to stay there for a week. That is the longest I have been in Eldorado since college. It was good to visit and for everyone to see Lillian.

Today, I went to work to see my co-workers and to bring Lillian to visit. She had so much fun. She just smiled and giggled at everyone. She LOVES the attention! She is definitely going to be a princess!! Then this evening, we went to our nephew Curt's baseball game. John was so hard on Curt, definitely gave me a glimpse into the future if Lily decides to play sports.......yes, cheerleading is a sport!!!!!!

Well, I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend. John, Lillian, and I are going to hang out with our friends Aaron and Jen on Saturday and go watch the fireworks that night. I'm so excited!! I love 4th of July....I don't know why either....I just really like it!

Lillian in her first swimsuit...I think she likes it!

Hanging out with Daddy!

Amy, TJ, and Loxton

At Aunt Rae and Uncle Adam's

Aunt Melissa and Dillon....His Blues Clues Party!

He LOVES Blue

His cute little cake!

Heading back home!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T16:46:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to say Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! However, I want to say thank you to my amazing husband for being the greatest daddy! Lillian just adores her daddy! She has him wrapped around her little finger! I hope you have a Happy First Father's Day!!

The Father's Day gift Lillian and I got for daddy

He liked his gift!!!

Daddy and Lily (she is supporting our favorite team)

She loves her daddy!!!

Happy 6 wks Lillian

2009-06-19T13:55:00.000-04:00

Hope you enjoy these pictures!!

they were both cranky!!!

These pretzels are making me thirsty!!

2009-06-18T17:02:00.000-04:00

Man! It's been a crazy, busy week. I really don't know why either. I haven't really done a whole lot. Monday, I went to my postpartum visit. I was really sad to go. I really like my doctor and the staff, so me not seeing them every week is kinda of sad. I checked out fine. I got my prescription for my birth control pills....sorry John, no baby number 2 for awhile :) Anyway, I left Lily with Grandma Potts. I was a nervous wreck the whole time I was gone. I didn't want to leave her, but knew that my visit would go smoother with her not with me. Plus, I had to go get John a Father's Day gift. So, it was for the best that she didn't go. I was able to get everything done quickly so I could return home to be with my family.

Tuesday, mommy had a meltdown. Lillian was so cranky. Anything and everything I did was wrong....she cried nonstop. I was becoming a nervous wreck and I knew she could sense it too. Luckily, John got off work early and called home. I told him he needed to get home as fast as he could, I needed help. So, of course, daddy walks in the door and all is well with Lily. I guess she just needed her daddy. I was just so happy she wasn't crying. Later that night, Lily had her first real tummy time. We laid her down and let her go to town. She really liked it. She did such a good job getting her head up. She can keep it up for a couple of minutes at a time!! Of course, mommy thinks she is a genius!!

Tummy time!!

Look at her!!

"I think I can do it"

Wednesday was our family trip to Wal-Mart, CVS, and the bank. Lily always does such an amazing job when we go out. She either sleeps or just looks around. We haven't had a meltdown in public yet.....however, I know it is coming.....I can just feel it.

Today was cleaning day here at the Potts'. I honestly haven't cleaned like this since I found out that I was pregnant. So, I just went to town. I'm so embarrassed to say that the bathtubs haven't been cleaned since last August. So, that was definitely a chore in itself. After I finally cleaned everything in the house, we went to John's brother's house to feed their animals while they are on vacation. I wanted to take Lily there so she could see the chickens, turkeys, cats, dogs, rabbits, and cows. Needless to say, she fell asleep. I guess she wasn't too impressed with all those animals. Maybe when she is older she will like them.

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. Our friends, Adam and Rae are coming up to spend the weekend with us. They haven't got to see Lillian since she was born. Oh! They are in for a surprise. She is so different from the day she was born. I can't wait for them to see her!!

Oh! On a side note, Lily is doing a lot better with her feedings. She is not spilling up as much. Don't get me wrong, we still have a feeding from time to time that she basically vomits back up. However, for the most part, she is doing really well. Plus, she is taking her Zantac a lot better too. Mommy is so happy about this!!

Well, I will leave you with a couple of pics from this week. I hope you enjoy them!

At cousin Curt's baseball game

Uncle Aaron and Aunt Jen visiting

Lily and daddy

Look at that sweet face!

She's going crazy!!

Lily's feedings

2009-06-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

In one of my last post, I was saying how Lillian is having a hard time with her feedings due to what I thought was acid reflux. Well, Monday, we went back to the doctor. The nurse weighed her to see if she was growing adequately. Well, she weighed 10lbs and 1oz. So, she is getting feed. Dr. Bies came in and talked to me about what was going on. I told him the details and answered his questions. He thought that she has acid reflux as well. He prescribed Lillian two different medications, Reglan and Zantac. He told me that the reglan would probably make her fussy. So, that night I started the medications. She took the reglan just fine. It smells like a cherry flavor. The zantac was a different story. She spit that medicine right back out. I was so upset because that is the medicine she needs the most. I couldn't try to give it to her again for another 12 hours. So, I just waited to see how the reglan was going to help. Tuesday was an alright day. She was still spitting up a lot, pretty much the same as before, and she was starting to get a little fussy. However, it was no big deal. Wednesday, we went to Evansville for the day. She did really good until the ride home....then it was like I had a different baby. All night long she was fighting sleep. Plus, she still wasn't taking the zantac very well and her spitting up was exactly the same. Thursday.......let's just say mommy about had a meltdown. Lily was cranky ALL DAY LONG!! She would not take a nap, she was still fighting sleep. She cried the majority of the day, she was still spitting up like crazy, we were fighting gas, and mommy was cleaning up bodily fluids from both ends of her body. However, she actually took the zantac. I called my sister that night almost in tears. (my sister is a pharmacist) We talked about reglan and the pros and cons about giving it to her. So, we both made the decision the side effects were worse than the benefits. So, I completely stopped it. She was so miserable. So, today was a much better day. She was almost to her self again. We had one or two little bits of crankiness....but it quickly went away. I actually saw a smile or two today. However, in this whole drama, her spitting up has not gotten better. If it was just a little spit up, I would be alright. However, this is more like vomiting. I feel so terrible that she has to go through this. I hate when it's feeding time. Lillian and I usually end up wearing the formula....it's not fun at all!!

Anyway, today Lillian is 5 wks old. I can't believe how fast the time is going. I have 5 more weeks of maternity leave left. I'm already dreading to go back to work. I don't want to miss anything going on in her life. However, I'm not the type of person that could be a stay at home mom either. (It's not like I would ever have that opportunity, unless we won the lottery).

Well, I'm going to take this opportunity to express my biggest pet peeve at the moment...............it's when people gives me "advice" on how I should raise my child. Some people are very nice and state it in such a way that you hardly could tell they were giving you advice. Then there are some people that basically tell you what to do, when to do it, and how to do it and that your way it wrong. Every child is different and every mother is different. So, please keep your opinions to yourself. A new mother doesn't what to feel threaten or feel that she is doing a bad job. If a new mother asks for advice, then feel free to share, but please be cautious on how you say it!!! This is a time when the new mother's hormones are out of control.....so proceed with caution.....

Monday is my postpartum visit with Dr. Beckman. I'm actually looking forward to it. John thinks that Monday will be the start for baby #2.............I DON'T THINK SO!! He keeps telling me that Lillian keeps asking for a baby brother to play with. He is absolutely crazy. I think he needs some more sleep. I still have some baby weight to get off and I can barely take care of Lily. So, I don't know what is going on in that mind of his.

Anyway, I will leave you with some pics from this week!

The onesie is an inside joke....but she looks so cute!

She loves the ceiling fan!

Our little family

My sweet baby girl sleeping

my baby girl at 5 wks

On our way to Jasper

Our first stoller ride...at the River Walk in Jasper

Why I Love My Husband

2009-06-06T19:46:00.000-04:00

I just have to say....I have the best husband in the world!! John is not only the greatest husband, but the greatest daddy to his little girl! He is the type of guy that would do anything for anyone. He is so kind and generous to all. I can't believe that I am so lucky to have him as my husband. Everyday he amazes me....I love him more and more as each day passes! John is my best friend. I can tell him anything and he can tell me anything. He does so much for me and Lillian....I don't know how he does it. He is so strong-physically, emotionally, spiritually. I wish I could be half the person he is. He is always so positive....he always tries to find the good in everyone. I am so thankful for him and the child he has given me. God is truly wonderful!

I just had to brag about my husband. I am blessed and thankful for a great man!

Adjusting to parenthood

2009-06-02T21:03:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's been so long since I have posted anything. John and I are still trying to adjust to parenthood. I can't believe our little girl is almost 4 weeks old. The time is just flying by!!! I love getting to spend time with my baby girl daily. I really don't know what I'm going to do when I go back to work. I still have 6 weeks left of maternity leave and I'm already dreading to go back to work.

Anyway, it the past couple of weeks, we have had some drama with her feedings. I first started out breastfeeding. However, my milk didn't come in quick enough and my poor baby was losing so much weight. So, needless to say, we started her on formula. Good thing too!!! She was a whole new baby once she got some food. Now, our issue is that she keeps spitting up.......it's more like vomitting to me. I think my baby has GERD. She has all the symptoms of it. So, tomorrow morning I'm going to call the doctor to see what we can do about it. I'm to a point that I absolutely hate feeding her.....everytime she finishes her bottle she gives me this look like, "mommy, you better watch out!" Sure enough, by the time I get her up to my shoulder to start burping her she vomits half the bottle if not the whole bottle I just gave her. I feel so helpless. I have done every trick in the book that I have learned in nursing school to help her with this issue, but nothing seems to work. So, hopefully, tomorrow I can get some answers.

Besides that, everything is going well. We took our first visit to Illinois to see Grandma Alice. Lillian did excellent on the ride there. She slept the entire time in the car. We were so tired when we came home on Sunday. We saw so many people while we were home. It was so good to see everyone and for them to meet Lillian, but I think I was more tired than Lily. We can't wait to go back at the end of June for cousin Dillon's birthday!

Lillian is sleeping really well. I am very lucky for that. We get up twice a night for feedings and she usually goes right back asleep. She is still sleeping in mommy and daddy's room in her pack n play. We borrowed a bassinet from my sister, however, Lillian hated that thing. She would never sleep in it. So, we quickly went to plan B. We ended up buying another pack n play at Babies R Us when there was a sell. So, now we have one in our bedroom and one in the living room. She just loves them both!

Hopefully, I can get on here a little more often and give you updates on our sweet baby girl. I'm going to post some pics of Lillian.

Daddy and Lillian going to church

Lillian at 12 days old

3 weeks old!

John and I at Ashley's wedding reception......we look so tired!!

John and I go from a couple to a family

2009-05-17T08:49:00.000-04:00

This post will probably be long. I haven't been on here in awhile. As you may know by now, Lillian has arrived!!!! I was scheduled for a c-section at 4pm on May 8th. However, that morning, the hospital called and said that they were ahead of schedule and wanted me to come in earlier. So, John and I quickly got everything together. I was at the hospital at 11:30am and was prepped and in surgery by 12:30pm. That whole process is a blur to me now. Anyway, at 1:00pm Lillian Mae was born. She weighed 8lbs 11 oz and 21 inches long.

She came out screaming!!!! As soon as I heard that scream, I just started crying. After nine months of worrying, she was finally here and healthy! I got to see my baby girl, but I didn't get to hold her.

They took her to the nursery, while I was sent to recovery. When I got to recovery and my vital signs were at baseline, I got to see and hold my precious baby girl! I was just so amazed by her. It's so hard to describe the feelings/thoughts that were runny through my head.

I was finally taken to my room. As the nurses were taking me, I got to hear the lullaby play in honor of Lillian's birth. It was so awesome to know that lullaby was playing for Lillian!!! When I got to my room, I was hooked up to a monitor (which I was quickly annoyed by) and an IV. I was not loving the fact that I was pretty much trapped in my bed. However, my legs were still numb, so where was I going???!!!

John and I were greeted by our best friends from Illinois, Adam and Rae. They were so excited (almost more than John and I) about Lillian's birth. They couldn't wait to get their hands on her! What can I say.....she's a cutie!

Anyway, that night was probably one of the longest nights of my life. John and I were trying to adjust to being parents and I couldn't physically get out of bed to help take care of Lillian. John did such an amazing job with her. You could already tell that she had him wrapped around her finger!

The next day, we were so tired. I finally got disconnected to everything and was finally able to get into the shower. I felt a lot better after that. Then, we had so many visitors. We were so grateful for everyone coming to visit. Lillian, especially loved it. This little girl LOVES to be held.

Everything was going fine, until the end of the second day. I just started to have a meltdown. Lillian kept screaming. I was trying everything I knew how to get her to stop. I knew deep down that she was still hungry. I was breastfeeding and my milk hadn't came in yet. It was pretty much a site to see at that point.....my 2 day old baby screaming while mommy crying uncontrollably and poor John didn't know what to do. John had to call the nurse in to help in the situation. At that point, I was done with breastfeeding. I wanted a bottle with formula to give to my baby. Both John and the nurse talked me out of it. They told me to keep trying.

The next day was a little bit better. Lillian was still fussy, but nothing like she was. I was feeding her almost every hour. The pediatrician didn't seem to concern about anything that was going on. Lillian's weight went from 8lbs 11oz from birth to 7lbs 13 oz. I was a nervous wreck, but I still got discharge orders for both of us. I kept thinking to myself, "if I could just get home, things would get better." When we got home, it started out great. Lillian was eating and she wasn't fussy at all. She was resting well. I didn't seem to be as nervous. However, that all changed that night. She cried from 10pm-5:30am non-stop in a high pitch scream. John and I did everything we could to try to calm her down. There was a point she wasn't going to eat at all.

So, at 8am, I was on the phone with the nurse for Dr. Bies. I told her what was going on, and she quickly scheduled me an appt for that afternoon. John and I took Lillian to the doctor. Her weight was 7lbs 9oz. I was in tears. John and I talked before we went to the doctor. We (probably more me) decided that if her weight dropped again, that we would start her on formula. So, Dr. Bies came in and we talked to him about our concerns. He first told me to do some supplement feedings along with breastfeeding. Again, I started crying. I told him that I just couldn't do it anymore. My milk wasn't in and my baby girl was starving. I wanted what was best for her and breastfeeding wasn't it. He started giving me a lecture on the benefits of breastfeeding and benefits of formula and on and on he went until John told him I was a nurse. You get a lot more respect from doctors when you tell them you are a nurse :) Anyway, we started her on formula. Dr. Bies wanted to see us again the next day for a weight check. So, the next day, we went back and her weight was 7lbs 13 oz. Yea!!! She gained 4 oz overnight! My little girl was so content. Mommy and Daddy were so happy! We go back next week for another weight check!

I just have to say, being a mom is the hardest and best job there is. I love to see all the new things Lillian is going to do and experience. Oh! I just have to brag on John! He is the greatest dad in the world. He loves his baby girl so much! When he is around, I barely get a chance to hold Lillian b/c he won't let her out his site. It's very cute to see him around her. Plus, he is still the greatest husband as well. He always makes sure that "his girls" are happy! He is absolutely the best!

My sister got married yesterday. I really wish I could have been there to see everything. Hopefully, my family took a bunch of pictures so I can see what everything looked like. Anyway, I am very happy for my sister. I wish her and Ryan a lifetime of happiness.

May 8, 2009

2009-05-07T10:42:00.000-04:00

May 8, 2009 sounds like a good day for a birthday!!! Lillian's birthday anyway. Yes, she will be here tomorrow!!!

I went to the doctor today for my 39 week check up. My blood pressure was 124/60. I gained 2 lbs for a grand total of 26 lbs. No protein in my urine. Lillian's heart rate was in the 150s. My fundus measured 43 cm. Yes, 2 more cm than last week. Dr. Beckman eyes got huge! He said, we are doing an ultrasound today. I'm alright with that. Then, he checked my cervix. I am 3 cm dilated. I was so thankful for that!

Anyway, I had my ultrasound. Lillian's head and legs were measuring right on schedule. However, her poor belly was measuring 41 wks and 6 days. The ultrasound weighed her in at 9 lbs and 3 oz. The ultrasound tech immediately said, "honey, this baby is coming out." So, I had to wait for about 30 minutes to talk to Dr. Beckman again. He ran acrossed the street to the hospital to assist in a c-section. So, I waited for him. When he came back and looked at my results. He just started laughing. We knew she was going to be a big baby, but not really thinking that big. So, we started discussing my options. Poor Dr. Beckman....I knew what he wanted me to do, but he was too afraid to just say it. I think he has been yelled at a time or two. He kept talking and finally I just stopped him and told him that I wanted a c-section. He started smiling and said....good, that is the right thing to do. So, my c-section is scheduled for tomorrow at 4pm. I can not wait to see her!!

Please say a little prayer for both Lillian and I!!

Interesting couple of weeks

2009-05-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

First, there is no baby yet. My last doctor's appointment on Thursday was very disappointing. I had not progressed any. I was so upset. I cried all the way home. All last week, all I did was walk, I was so active around the house (my house has never been cleaner), I have done all those things that is supposed to induce labor. Yeah, right....done of those things work. Last week, I was just starting to become miserable. It just hit me all of a sudden too. I was doing fine until last Tuesday. Anyway, to make a long story short....no baby yet. So, I decided to go back to work on Friday since there was no progress. Friday was absolutely the worst day. To be honest, work was not bad, but I was hurting so bad. Not really contractions, but I had the worst back pain in the world. The pain was radiating down my legs, I had so much pressure in my pelvic area too. I had the hardest time walking. I don't know if she was just on a nerve or how she was laying, but I seriously thought I was going to die. I thought numerous times to call the OB unit and talk to one of the nurses there. However, I didn't want to bother them b/c they were calling us for help....so I knew they were busy. Anyway, Friday night, I didn't sleep at all. I was still having that pain. Then Saturday the pain was gone when I woke up, but came back towards the end of the night. Sunday, I was supposed to work, but I was put on call (I was so happy that they did b/c I lost the rest of my mucous plug and I was really tired). Now I am on Maternity leave....I am not going back this time. So, now I am waiting on Miss Lillian to come.

Anyway, at my last doctor's appointment, the doctor pretty much gave me a lecture on evidence based practice on how inducing labor to a first time moms is not healthy for mom or baby.......pretty much all I heard was blah, blah, blah. I really didn't care at that point. I was too upset. All I know is that I'm going to have a big baby and more than likely she will be delivered via c-section. Again, that is fine, but let's schedule the thing then. Right now, I'm an emotional wreck. See, my older sister is getting married May 16th in Seattle, WA. First, I'm upset b/c I can't go see my sister get married....I won't be able to be in any of the family photos and I won't get to see anything in person. That upsets me. Then, the doctor does not plan on doing anything until after I pass my due date, which is Sunday, May 10th. Fine, if I get a c-section they won't schedule it until May 14th or May 15th, which all of my family will be in Seattle. That makes me so so upset. I want my family there or at least on their way when I have my baby. So, you can see I'm just an emotional wreck.

I'm keeping in mind that my mom gave birth to all of her children on her due date. Which is actually pretty impressive. My sister gave birth to my nephew 2 days before her due date. So, I am just holding out....thinking maybe this is a family thing.....we all have our children really close to our due dates. Wishful thinking anyway.

My next appointment is this Thursday. Hopefully, I won't even make it to then. However, if I do, I really hope I hear some good news that I am progressing. I keep telling everyone to think good thoughts for me!! I'll post some pics of my huge belly soon.

My doctor's appt yesterday

2009-04-24T10:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I was so excited to see Dr. Beckman and to check on Miss Lillian. Everything seems to be progressing. I have gained another 2 lbs (which was really good b/c I feel like I have gained 10lbs). My blood pressure was 116/60. No protein in my urine and my strept test came back negative....yea!!! Lillian's heart rate was fast and strong (I don't know why I always forget to ask him what it is). This week my fundus measured 39cm. That is 1cm less than last week. Dr. Beckman joked around saying that my baby is shrinking....hahaha. He said that Lillian has probably dropped a little. He went ahead and checked me. I'm still 1 cm dilated, but now I'm 50% effaced and Lillian has dropped into my pelvis. Lillian's growth is at a standstill right now, which is good b/c she is already ahead. Dr. Beckman said that if I make it to 39 wks, he will probably do another ultrasound. However, I just have to take it day by day.

Monday, starts my maternity leave. I was supposed to start it on May 4th, but everyone thinks I'm going to deliver early. However, my boss told me to call into work and they will put me on the schedule for a couple of days next week if I want to work. That way I can push off my maternity leave for another week. I really don't know what to do. My fingers and toes are so swollen, they are painful. So, sitting in front of a computer all day long typing orders in does not sound like fun. However, a paycheck sounds good!!! I guess I'll have to talk to John about it.

Anyway, Here is a picture of me at 37 wks and 3 days of my belly. As one person told me, yes, I really do look like I'm going to pop!! People just have the nicest things to say to you when you are pregnant.....if you can't tell.....that is sarcasm

It's been a busy week!!

2009-04-22T21:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had a baby shower at work. Let me tell you, I have the best co-workers ever. The shower was wonderful. Lillian got a lot of cute stuff. This little girl is going to be so spoiled!!!

Today, I woke up and I was on a mission. I had so much more energy and was ready to organize things....could this be my nesting phase??? I started off in Lillian's room, our bedroom and then the kitchen. I sorted out the laundry for John to do when he got home. I cleaned what I could, finished my thank you cards, and I even got the bottles out and started cleaning them. I don't think I hardly sat down today. John got off work early today......so he started on the laundry and we went for a walk. After that, we went to Wal-mart to get a few things (of course, we got stuff for Lillian too!). Then cooked dinner. I did the dishes and then made sure Lillian's bag and my bag was ready to go. I also made a bag for John and a snack bag for him while at the hospital. I have been on a mission all day long!!!!!

Tomorrow, I go back to the doctor to see how things are progressing. Hopefully, not too much longer until I meet my little girl!!! Less than 3 weeks to go!!!

My baby shower in Indiana

2009-04-19T21:51:00.000-04:00

Today, my mother in law had a baby shower for me and Lillian. I always get so nervous being in front of people. However, it was so good to see everyone. Miss Lillian got a lot of wonderful things. She will definitely be well dressed for awhile!!! John and I are so blessed to have good friends and family to share with us the birth of Lillian. She is going to be so loved!!! I can't wait for everyone to meet her!!!

the diaper cake I got......it is the cutest thing!!

I'm so glad Missy and Nicole came to the shower. It has been so long since I have seen them!! I miss them so much!!!

She may be here earlier!!!

2009-04-16T17:37:00.000-04:00

Well, I went for my 36 week appointment today. I was nervous because there were going to check me to see if I was dilated and to get tested for strept B. I waited in the waiting room forever. I guess since they were off yesterday, they schedule everyone for today. Anyway, my blood pressure was good 106/74. I did my usual urine sample....no protein. I told Dr. Beckman about my acid reflux that I have been having and bless his heart.....he gave me free samples of Protonix....exactly what I wanted/needed!!!! Dr. Beckman dopplered her heart rate, which was fast and strong. Then he measured my fundus. I was measuring almost 40cm. Which means I grew 6 cm in two weeks. So, he immediately wanted an ultrasound to see how big she is getting.

However, I still had the dreaded test to do. He did the swab for the strept B test and then he check my cervix. I am 1cm dilated and she hasn't yet dropped into my pelvis yet.

My ultrasound was interesting. Her head was measuring on target. Her legs were measuring 37 wks and her belly was measuring 38wks and 5 days. The ultrasound tech said everything was fine, but it starts to become a problem closer to delivery b/c the head may be able to come out, but the belly would be a problem. So, Dr. Beckman said he wanted to see how I do next week. If I am still growing, then we may be inducing my labor early or I may be having a schedule c-section. Lillian may even out and everything will be fine, she measured ahead before. So, we will have to wait and see.

When I got home, I told John about my visit. (He didn't go b/c he thought he wouldn't be able to handle them "checking" me, which is fine. If he is uncomfortable, that makes me uncomfortable). Anyway, we put the car seat in the car. It took us forever!!!! Putting a car seat on leather seats is a pain in the butt!!!!! However, we (I should say he) got it in.

So, now I'm just waiting on Miss Lillian to get here. I can't wait to see her!!

Getting closer!

2009-04-14T19:50:00.000-04:00

Well, I have made it to 36 weeks. I can't believe it!!!! I am looking forward to meeting my baby girl. Both John and I are trying to get things ready for her big arrival!!! John is going to put the car seat in my car later tonight. We thought that if I go into labor while I'm at work, then that is one less thing to worry about. Plus, my car would already be at the hospital. It's so weird being this close to delivery. At work, if I even say OUCH....everyone looks at me.....even the cardiologists. Dr. Dawkins keeps telling me that he has only delivered a couple of babies before so he is a little rusty. I just laugh at him.

Anyway, today was a good day for me. I got to go to True Day Spa in Jasper and get an Expectant Mother massage. Oh, how I needed that massage!!! That hour seemed to fly by. The lady was so good too. She was always making sure I was comfortable. She even brought in extra pillows for me. I wish I was rich......I would get one everyday!!!

After my massage, I went to Elder-Beerman for some new pajamas for my hospital stay. I needed some that buttoned up the front for breastfeeding. I found two pairs that I liked. John met me there. He got off work early and took me out to lunch!! What a good husband I have!!!

When we came home, we started house cleaning. Of course, I can't do much of it. What I can do, I have to take frequent breaks. John basically did all the housework, while I laid on the couch taking a nap. He didn't say a word either......I told you he was a good husband!!!

Tomorrow, I get to go talk to Human Resources regarding my FMLA time and to get Miss Lillian on my insurance. Then, Thursday I have a doctor's appointment. Sunday, my mother in law is throwing me a baby shower for John's side of the family and Tuesday I'm having a baby shower at work!!! So, I'm going to be pretty busy for the next week!!!