Playdate at the Broekers'

This afternoon, Macie, Gavin, and I headed to the Broekers' for our Wednesday play date. We got there a little later than everyone because I wanted to make sure that Macie got a good nap in first. It was a gorgeous day!!! It was nice to catch up with some friends and Macie had a BLAST! She played on the slip-n-slide, bouncy house, and big trampoline. What more could a girl want? I forgot Macie's swimsuit, but I had a change of clothes so I didn't care if she got wet. Of course Gavin enjoyed being loved on, but he was so ready to lay on the floor and kick by the time we got home. Macie, on the other hand, didn't want to leave. She loves Jamie (plus Jamie has all of the cool stuff at her house) and I had to make her come home with me!

Today was a day where I realized how much Macie is growing up and how much more she can do. It almost brought tears to my eyes to see her playing and having such a good time with the other kids. Every day she is learning and doing new things and I am just trying to cherish every moment because I know if I blink, she will be all grown up! I'm really enjoying these Wednesday play dates and I look forward to next week!

I didn't do a good job with this picture. Macie wouldn't look at the camera:( She looked so big sitting at the picnic table with the big girls (Hannah, Keelin, and Maddie)
Macie and Maddie

"Are you sure I can play in the water mom?"

The face says it all! She is so happy in most of the pics!

Trying to drink the water!

She looks like a wet rat trying to get out of the bouncy house!

Renee was kind enough to help her on the trampoline!

Ring around the Rosey

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!!!

Patti put Gavin to sleep. The poor guy...most of his pictures are of him sleeping! Although, he looks cute no matter what he is doing!

Now this is the life...

...snoozing in the shade!

Operation De-Clutter, De-Stress, De-Debt

One of my New Year's resolutions for 2010 was to become more financially savvy. Although Brian and I have been making little steps here and there, we have been working on our finances hardcore the last month and half. For the first time we actually looked up our exact debt total. YUCK!! I knew we had a lot of work to do so we've been busy working on creating a budget, reading books, watching finance shows (Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, Til Debt Do Us Part), and writing out a step by step plan for us. We combined ideas from different people to make a plan that will work the best for us. Wow...what an eye opening experience. I have learned so much!! In some ways, I wonder, why haven't I done this before? On the other hand, we are still young. If we start living this way now, we (along with our children) will have a much brighter future!! Often times we are made fun of for cracking down, getting rid of stuff, not going out to eat, etc, but Brian and I have decided that a debt free future is worth a lot more than a little harassment! Dave Ramsey always says, "Live like no one else, so that some day you can live like no one else (debt free!)."

As far as clutter, I decided to have a yard sale. I wanted to be a part of Jamie's but I didn't have time to get everything together. Allie went in with me and we had it yesterday. It was an extremely HOT day, but we still had a good turnout! Brian and I made $225!! Well worth the time and effort!

I am trying to de-stress my life by focusing on the small pleasures in life. Spending time with Brian and the kids is the most important thing in life. We have been finding ways to do things as a family without spending much money. Movie nights are currently a family favorite and they cost us 25 cents (bag of popcorn)!! Overall, I feel like my life is heading down a new path and it's a path I hope to stay on for many years to come!!!

4 Month Check Up

This morning Gavin and I visited Dr. Voyles for his 4 month check up. He was all smiles and so well behaved. He weighs 16 pounds 3 ounces (70th percentile) and 25 1/4 inches long (50th percentile). He is right on track with all of his milestones. He was blowing spit bubbles and talking to the baby in the mirror before Dr. V came in. He also talked a lot to Dr. V. He is such a ham! He is currently eating "solids" twice a day. Next up...stage 2 foods and "solids" 3 times a day but we won't start this until around 6 months. Gavin had 3 shots in his leg and took one orally. The poor guy had to have them all in one leg because he can't have them in his right leg where the birthmark is. He has been a little grumpy, but a trooper! We go back in two months.

The nurse asked where little miss was. I love that we go to an office where they know my children and are excited to see them. Macie was lucky enough to go to the Children's Museum with Grandma. It was her first time there and my mom said she had a blast. We have some free passes so I hope to take her there soon!

New Old Toys

While Brian and Macie were gone, I cleaned out the kid's closet and stuffed animals for our upcoming yard sale. I found all of my Pooh stuffed animals that I collected years ago. I decided to get them out for Macie to play with since she loves the show "My Friends Tigger and Pooh". I also got out her food that Aunt Annie got her for Christmas. I purposely put some things away so that I could get out some "new" toys this summer. She was thrilled with all of the new things to play with. I love watching her explore new things and it was nice to have all four of us together again!

Giving Pooh kisses...he talks!

Go Colts! (Yes I know it's June)

Tonight Brian and Macie went to Garvin park for the Colt's Fan fest. Gavin and I stayed home. We were going to go to my coupon club meeting but it got cancelled. It was nice for Macie to have a date with Daddy. Even though it was very hot, they had a good time. I think Macie liked Blue the best. Brian came home with a few posters. In a few months we will be cheering our favorite team on again!!

Hemangiomas???

Today we headed to Indy for Gavin's appointment. We have been told a lot of conflicting information regarding his hemagiomas. It's been a little frustrating, but I was hoping to finally get some questions answered today. We were sent to Dr. Haggstrom because she specializes in hemagiomas. She was so nice and took a lot of time to explain things to us. Biggest discovery of the day....Gavin only has ONE hemangioma. The teeny, tiny spot on his head is a hemangioma. (Because it is so small, she doesn't seem to think that it will get bigger or raised and it will eventually disappear.) The rest of them are not. All of the spots (toe, leg, scrotum, back) are part of one big "mixed malformation". It is a type of portwine stain (meaning it will never go away). She called them "mixed" because she isn't quite sure what is under the surface. He may have lymphatic vessels (I hope I got that right) and extra veins in this area. She noted that he isn't getting baby fat in the areas and that his legs are remarkably different. Basically, we will just have to "wait and see". Gavin will be going to see Dr. Haggstrom every 6 months until she doesn't see any changes and then he will go once a year. I think this will probably be most of his childhood. She did say that she wouldn't do laser surgery to dull the color and that we shouldn't let anyone else do it either until we know what is going on. That could cause internal damage that we don't know about. She didn't seem to think that it would in any way effect his muscle growth or movements. It may cause him pain but we have no way of knowing that at this time. She said it may be especially bad during puberty and he may have throbbing veins like varicose veins. We honestly will only know this with time. She does want to do an MRI but we won't be doing that for a year or so. For an MRI, you have to be perfectly still. Obviously Gavin can't do that, so he would have be sedated. She didn't want to do that under the age of 1 because it wouldn't change the treatment.
Gavin was extremely well behaved and handled his first trip to Indy well. He got a little upset at one point because I think he was lonely in the back seat and tired of not being able to stretch out. At the appointment, he was all smiles and everyone went on and on about how cute he was. How could they not? It was funny because Brian and I felt like we were on Grey's Anatomy because there were so many interns and residents. At the end of the appointment she took pictures so she can compare growth. As she took off his diaper and was snapping a picture, she said, "I hope I'm the only one to take pictures of this." We got a good laugh out of that! We go back in December. I'll keep you posted...

Happy Dada's Day!

Yesterday was Brian's second Father's day. Brian woke up to a breakfast of sausage and eggs. Normally, he makes breakfast for us, so I thought I would turn the tables and make it for him. We tried to get Macie to say Happy Father's Day but she couldn't say fathers. Brian was thrilled to here her say Happy Dada's Day. Something about her sweet little voice makes your heart smile! After breakfast, we got everything ready for the day. I made a quick trip to Walmart to get our dad's cards and some dessert for dinner. For lunch, we went to Kiplee's to celebrate with my Dad. We got him a bottle of Country Bob's sauce and a gift card to Old Fashioned Butcher Shoppe. He loves to grill so he will be able to pick out something yummy to grill. Macie had a great lunch and enjoyed doing "cheers" with my dad. After lunch, it was home for naps for everyone (except me) and packing up for the evening. Our last stop of the day was to see Brian's dad in Sturgis. Pops and Brian grilled some chicken, mushrooms, and peppers on the gas grill we got him for his birthday/Father's Day. We also had mac-n-cheese and fried squash. Everything was SO good! We stayed long enough to put Macie in bed and then Brian, Gavin, and I went home. Macie stayed so that we didn't have to take her with us to Indy for Gavin's appointment. Overall, I think that Brian had a great Dada's Day. Happy Father's Day babe...I'm so glad that you are the father of my children! We love you!!!

Cheers!
Papaw fed Macie dippin dots...he knows the way to her heart!

Love the smile!

Grammie made Macie this dress. It is precious! It was her first attempt and it turned out so well. It was a little big so we are going to put it up for next year and she is going to to make a few more for this summer. They are so simple but so sweet at the same time!

Daddy with his babies!

Central Library

Today, we went to Central library to meet Renee and her kids. I called my mom to see if she wanted to join us because the library is one of her favorite places. She took us there all the time during the summer when we were little and so I knew that I wanted to take my kids there too. This is the first time I have actually taken them to the library. Macie has been inside one before when she was little (I voted there and checked out a book quickly) but she was still in her carrier at that time. Gavin was too little to enjoy it, but I think Macie had a great time! She did puzzles, looked at books, and played on the giant boat. She even checked out a few books. I found some books I had been wanting to read too! I'm glad my mom was able to come and see Macie's first real trip to the library. I'm sure we will have many more visits to the library!

Macie is quite the control freak. I wonder where she got that from? My mom said that she just likes to make order of her world. I guess that makes it sound better! My mom and I had to sit in a certain place while she looked at the puzzles. We had to pry her away to move on to the next thing!

Macie was very disturbed that this puzzle was missing a piece!

Picking out books

This is the best picture I got of Keelin and Macie

Someone didn't want to cooperate...

Macie and I in the upper deck of the boat

Macie looked up to Keelin and wanted to do what she was doing

Taking it all in!

Reading in the bottom deck

Macie's book choices...I like the second one the best!

Baby Crack

Monday afternoon, Gavin had his first introduction to Baby Einstein aka Baby Crack. I don't know what it is about those movies, but kids just completely zone out when watching them. Gavin isn't nearly as interested in tv as Macie is/was but he did enjoy this for a bit and it helped me to finish cooking dinner! People who criticize using the tv as a "babysitter" either have the easiest most laid back children in the world or they have personal maids and chefs!

Toe Woes

I think Max broke my pinky toe yesterday. Oh yes, as if I haven't had one crazy event after another this summer, I may be adding broken toe to the list. He was jumping up and down with excitement and landed on my toe. I knew that it hurt really badly then, but I thought maybe he just scratched me with his toe nail or something. But as time went on, it became swollen and is now bruised and purple. I haven't ever broken a toe before, but let me tell you whatever happened hurts and is a pain! I know there is nothing you can really do, so I just hope it heals soon!

Well, there's a first time for everything!

Brian and I went to bed around 10 last night. I haven't been feeling or sleeping well lately, so I took some medicine. Usually when I take something, it pretty much knocks me out. Brian went to sleep right away and I was barely asleep when we heard Macie crying. It was kind of a pathetic cry, but Brian decided to investigate. The next thing I know, he is saying, "I think I'm going to need help....something is all over her crib and I don't know what it is." My first thought was a poopy explosion because that has happened before. Boy was I wrong! Instead, she had thrown up everywhere. And I mean everywhere! Brian looked at me like he had no idea what to do, but I guess mommy instinct started kicking in because I was like, get her in the tub. After we gave her a bath and cleaned her bed and got it ready for her to go back to sleep we laid her down. We weren't in bed for 10 minutes and she started crying again. You guessed it...she was throwing up again. I get up to help and Brian had already changed her and was starting to clean up the bed. We decided to cuddle with her on the couch for a while. I covered the couch with blankets so that if she got sick again it would be easier to clean up. Poor Brian hardly got any sleep. Around 5 we put her back in her bed and she slept until almost 9. She hasn't gotten sick again and I am praying that we have a much better day! This is the first time she has thrown up and I have to admit, this is one milestone I WASN'T looking forward to!

Macie at 20 Months

I don't know why, but 20 months seems so old to me. It makes it so real that my sweet little Macie will be 2 before I know it! Even though I have been out of school for a short time, Macie is changing and growing every day. Here are some things she is up to (it's a long list but I want to document it):

• She is talking more and more and we are having conversations so to speak. Well, she always knows what it is she is telling me anyway! She will repeat most of what we say. What a scary though!
• She can climb now! Often times I find her in places and I am shocked because I forget she can climb. In fact, today I had the tray off of Gavin's high chair and I left the room and returned to find her in the high chair.
• She can tell you the sounds for lots of animals: elephant, lion, monkey, dog, cat, cow, sheep, bear, horse, owl, bird, duck, snake
• She can point to lots of body parts: hair, eyes, nose, cheeks, ears, neck, chin, tongue, teeth, elbow, knee, belly, toes, shoulder, back
• She loves tv and watches Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse, and Barney (much to my dismay) the most. She has started responding to the shows and doing what they say. My personal favorite is when she calls for "toodle" on Micky Mouse.
• She loves to be outside. We have already gotten a lot of used of her playground, especially in the swing. She loves her pool and bubbles too!
• She helps you count to ten. She can say the numbers: 2, 6, 8, 9, and 10
• She knows the word purple so if you ask her what color anything is, she will say "purple".
• She is better able to walk with me when I am holding her hand. This helps me when I have both kids by myself. I obviously have to carry Gavin and the bag, so it helps if I can kind of drag her along.
• She is very social, but also a bit shy. When we get to a new place or around people she doesn't know, she is a bit clingy. But once she warms up, watch out!
• She loves to read books and play with toys. She also wants everyone to be where they "should" be. If I'm not in my chair or Gavin isn't on the blanket, she is disturbed!
• Gavin is still her very best friend! She loves him so much. She is always trying to play with him or share stuff with him. He lights up when he sees her.
• She is starting to tell us when she has gone to the restroom. She will grab her crotch and say "tut". Is potty training in the future??

Grams B's Birthday

On Friday, Grams B turned 86! We celebrated with a lunch today in a room at her apartment complex. It was a really nice setup and we are thinking about having Christmas there next year. It would make it easier on everyone, especially Grams B. We had a delicious lunch of fried chicken and all the fixins. Macie had a blast playing with her cousins and Gavin enjoyed being loved on. We took several pictures with Grandma. I am kind of bummed though because the one with her grandchildren didn't turn out. My picture was blurry and there was a window behind us so there was a huge glare on the picture. Hopefully someone else was able to get a good one. It was a short get together, but overall a lot of fun! We don't get together often enough on my Dad's side of the family so it is always good to catch up!

Angel face
Grams B with all of her great-grandkids. This was quite the chore to take, but no one was crying (at this point anyway)! Last year, Gavin wasn't in the picture and next year we will have another baby. My cousin, Jamie, is expecting her second at the beginning of December.

Grams B with her kids

Macie loved to play with Kaylee. I had a very hard time getting a picture where she would look at the camera!

I think this picture is so funny because it looks like Kaylee is choking Macie bu she was just trying to turn her face towards the camera. Look at Macie's face...you can tell she looks up to Kaylee the way I looked up to Lori (Kaylee's mommy) when I was little.

Grams B with her cake. She LOVES sweets!

Aunt Dawn and Gavin

He was so chill the whole time!

Gavin and Anya

This afternoon, we took Grandy's over to Rachel and Eric's house for lunch. Brian and the kids hadn't had a chance to meet Anya yet. After we had both of our kids, people (including Rachel and Eric) brought us food. It was the best gift we could have possibly gotten, so we decided to return the favor. The lunch was yummy and we had a pretty good visit. Macie was a bit of a grouch and made quite a scene at one point because she was very tired, but other than that, all went well. We laid Gavin on the floor next to Anya. He looked like a giant! Anya is so sweet and tiny and was very well behaved:) They say we just caught her at a good time, and trust me, we know how that is! We are just so thrilled that Anya is here and we hope to see the Maurer family again soon!!

Anya was getting hungry!

Gavin was all grins!

Tay

As sad as it is that my kids are growing up way too quickly before my very eyes, I am also enjoying each and every stage they are in. Macie is talking more and more and she is better able to understand what I am saying. Often times I will say something like, "I'm going to take Gavin out to the car and then I'll come get you, OK?" and she will say "tay". Or I will say, "I need to feed Gavin and then you can have a snack, OK?" and she will say "tay". She sounds so sweet when she says it. The good thing is, she actually gets it and we don't have nearly as many meltdowns as we did when Gavin first came. She is learning that Mommy will get to her as soon as she is done with whatever she is doing.


We had to take Macie in for a quick trip to see Dr. Voyles today. When I was changing her diaper before nap time, I noticed red blotchy whelps on her behind. They were raised and hot. Then, I noticed two more on each thigh. I started to get a bit worried and stripped her down to do a full inspection. Thankfully, I didn't find anymore. I rubbed a benadryl stick on them and put her down for her nap. I knew that I couldn't call the doctor's office for another hour because they were on lunch. The benadryl stick didn't help at all and they were actually worse by the time she woke up. They didn't seem to bother Macie at all, but I went ahead and called in anyway. They had me bring her in around 4. I was a little nervous about taking them both in, but they were both very well behaved. Even though, Gavin was a little crabby. Dr. Voyles said that Macie just had hives. I can't come up with anything that was different that would cause it. He didn't seem too concerned, but said it was good that I brought her in. For now, she is just taking benadryl orally 3 times a day and hopefully they will clear up. Unfortunately, it may take her getting them a few times for us to figure out the cause!


Tonight, we went with Allie to the Holy Spirit Summer Social. We were a bit worried about the weather, but it held off and we had a great time! Allie jokingly called me a celebrity because I knew so many people there. It is always great to see all of the people from my school and parish and to have so many people dote on my beautiful children! Macie ate a corn dog again which she loved, but that wasn't her favorite part of the night. We decided to let her get in the bouncy house for the first time. She kept pointing to it and saying "bounce, bounce, bounce". I wasn't sure if she would even get in it, but we bought 2 tickets anyway. That was the best 50 cents I think I have ever spent! When she first got in, there weren't any other kids. She barely started getting used to it when other kids started coming in and jumping. She kept falling down and laughing the whole time. Then, she got braver. Brian got some video. I was cracking up!! She didn't want to get out and we had to pull her out screaming. Gavin was pretty chill the whole night. I snuck into the classroom to feed him. Perk of working at the school!

, She was wiped out by the time we left! You can't really tell, but she had cheese all over her face!!