My Life Or Something Like That!

2008-12-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Why is it, that as Women we feel the need to make sure that our houses are superclean if anyone is coming to visit? Is it really a determination of who you are? I've been going a little crazy today trying to clean and keep Ella from dragging stuff all over the house. The playgroup that I belong is doing a cookie exchange tonight and it's here at my house. Everyone knows that I have two small children and that it really is next to impossible to keep my house clean. That's wrong...my house is "clean". Not that I would eat off my floor but it's respectable.

My house is cluttered. It's amazing to think that I have 2500 square feet of house and I can't seem to find a home for all our stuff! Papers, pens, sunglasses, tape, monopoly pieces, camera cords, paper, toys...stuff!! Where does all this stuff come from? I think a little man comes in at night and multiplies everything.

Stop stressing Paula and enjoy yourself tonight......

2008-11-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

Who Needs Pockets???

2008-11-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

Mike sent this to me....for those that know Ella, can't you just see her doing this?

Halloween Night

2008-11-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

My brother Bill and baby Grayson!

Ella stealing candy
Little kitty Ella

Reaching for candy

Anna "talking" to Aunt Chris

It was a beautiful night for Halloween! 70 degrees, a Friday night. Expected a huge turnout for candy....I think we had maybe 30 kids! There were only a few houses on our street with their lights on. So needless to say, I have a TON of candy left. I'm pulling out all the suckers for Ella, the tootsie rolls I'm taking to my sister Jen!

Tonight Mike and I are headed out to some Adult Halloween parties. I'll post those pics tomorrow....Could be a late night!

2008-10-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks Sarah for the template idea......Cute stuff!!!

It's a strange day in the house. Ella is STILL napping...she's been asleep for almost 3 hours! I should be taking advantage of that and doing the laundry that is sitting all over the kitchen, or putting away the laundry that has made it to the washer and dryer. Or I should be cleaning my bedroom or any of the million and one things I need to do.

But I'm not! I took a little nap, read a magazine, played with my blog and now, I'm blogging. It's kinda nice to be a slacker once in awhile and do nothing!

I love this time of year. I love the crock pot...You know how it is. For whatever reason, most people don't use their crock pot enough during the summer. When Fall hits, I pull it out, dust if off and start cooking. I love throwing things in there in the morning and letting the smell drift through the house all day. By evening, there is no panic to get dinner on the table. Tonight is roast, carrots and potatoes. Thursday I'm making a chicken, Swiss cheese, tomato thing...I'll let you know how it turns out!

2008-10-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Guess who is rolling over? Miss Anna has rolled over from her stomach to back several times now....isn't it kinda early? I'll see if I can get video...

2008-10-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

My daughter is driving me nuts! 2 year olds are a royal pain in the butt.....I had to sit and feed her lunch today because she refused to eat. I know she was hungry, just being stubborn. This is what happened when I turned her loose with peanut butter and jelly sandwich!!

Anna is getting so big! Went to the dr Monday and she is 13bls and 23.5 inches long. 95% all around. I can't beleive that she is getting so big, so fast.

2008-10-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

This is a series of shots of Ella. She was pouting over something.....In the end she got Ice cream...I know we are suckers!!

2008-09-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Grayson giving Anna, "vampire kisses"
Ella pouting....
The Williams girls....
Dress up time Pirate hat

2008-09-26T10:14:00.001-07:00

For those of you with 2 kids...how do you do it? And I mean little kids...a 2 year old and a 2 month old! What in the hell were we thinking? I don't know how anyone with 2 small kids can ever have a clean house. I don't even want a spotless house, just less cat hair everywhere and the beds made. I can't even do that because as soon as I make them, Ella thinks it fun to rip all the pillows off and make it her own personal trampoline.

Typical day....feed Ella, Feed Anna, clean up after Ella, clean up kitchen. Take shower, get both kids ready...feed Anna. Try and run some errands..although I've only figured out how to go to Target and the grocery store with the both of them. Feed Ella, Feed Anna, clean up after Ella. Pick up all of Ella's toys, put Ella to bed, try to put Anna to bed....

Try to get something done around the house but it's so overwhelming! My bedroom has become the dumping ground for EVERYTHING! So I'm trying to sort through maternity clothes, other clothes that don't fit, stuff that needs to find a new home, trash, diapers, bottles, books, magazines....it's crazy!!

Can you tell I'm having ONE OF THOSE DAYS???? And later I get to drive an hour each way to pick up a catalog show that someone is doing for me, that couldn't even get $200 in sales so know I have to figure out how to get $100 more on her order to enter it.....WTH!!!

Anna's crying....

Pictures...

2008-09-19T07:36:00.001-07:00

I was taking pictures of Ella and Anna yesterday. Anna kept falling over and Ella was "trying" to help her up...

We went and made pine cone bird feeders in our playgroup Tuesday....well everyone did except Ella. As some of you know, Ella has the weird fear of pine cones. I don't know if it's the texture, if it looks like a bug to her...I don't know. Anyway, she would have none of the pine cone bird feeders, so Ronda went and found her a stick to put the peanut butter and bird seed on. So I know have a peanut butter, bird seed stick feeder hanging from my front tree!!

I'm trying to get a picture of Anna smiling. She is laughing and smiling a little more each day. I just can't seem to get the picture.

We are heading off to our International Pirate day playgroup....pics to follow.

2008-09-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Funny things Ella does....

She is painting her toenails with ketchup.....

Crazy Hair

2008-09-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else see why this picture of Ella is so funny to me?

Hint: check out her hair....

Anna and her "do" today....a bit crazy...and a wink!

2008-08-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Is it possible that a 2 week old and a 2 year old can already be conspiring against me? I swear they have this secret language and everyday they are talking to each other. Every single day Ella goes down for a nap at 12pm..usually naps until 2pm....Every single day I've tried to get Anna to sleep at the same time, so I can get in a little nap. Every single day Anna refuses to sleep and the minute Ella wakes up at 130-2pm...Anna is out like a light!!!

Is this what Mike and I have to look forward to? The Williams sisters strike again???

2008-08-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

It's been 5 days since Anna arrived and we are surviving. Anna has been a great baby so far, sleeping and eating like a champ. We've only had one rough night so far, knock on wood that it continues. Last night she was only up once and we got about 7 hours of sleep. It was split up of course with a 3am feeding but otherwise it was kinda nice.

Ella is doing okay with Anna. She is starting to show a little jealousy and she likes to "help". Anna is about the size of one of her baby dolls and Ella hasn't figured out that she can't grab her by the head!! I think in time she will be a great big sister but for now, we really have to watch her.

"Hi, Sister!!"

2008-08-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

"Hi, Anna! I'm Ella and I'm your big sister!"

2008-08-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Paula here.....

Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes. We are all doing wonderful! Anna is snoozing and Mike is chilling playing games on his Iphone. I can't wait for everyone to meet her.

We should be home on Wednesday if all goes well. See you all soon!!

Post Spa Photo

2008-08-04T13:51:00.001-07:00

Anna, after she got back from the SJW Spa and Bath.

Until later...

2008-08-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Uncle Dave!

2008-08-04T12:25:00.001-07:00

"You Know What I'm Thinking..."

Our Newest Addition!

2008-08-04T12:20:00.001-07:00

Welcome here, Anna!

Born: August 4, 2008

Time: 1:20 p.m.

Weight: 8 lbs, 10 oz.

Length: 22 inches

Mom and baby are both 100% healthy!

"Okay, this isn't fun anymore!"

2008-08-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Call to the doc... Epidural's only working on ONE GODDAM LEG!!

(Backup is on the way... )

Donations Are Accepted (What the hell..)

2008-08-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

In case you are wondering...

We accept Visa, M/C, and Paypal

Progress

2008-08-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

85% effacement

4 cm

Click here: WAHOO!!

Best Money Spent

2008-08-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

$1800 lovely Anesthesiologist dollars in 12 minutes.

$120 per minute and according to the expert (Paula) "the epidural is definately worth every penny of it!"

Translated: $9,000 per hour.

Rate Your Pain

2008-08-04T07:43:00.001-07:00

I must hand it to Paula-- she's a trooper. Those "peaks" on the monitor were getting to '90' and she said it just felt like "pressure." Now that the water has broke... those same peaks are a "holy crap."

I can't wait for the "THIS IS YOUR F*CKING FAULT, YOU F*C*ING B*S*A*D!! G** ME TH* **C* O** *F H***!!

The epidural god is on his way...

Taking a Break

2008-08-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

... and by that I mean "OF THE SACK!!"

Things should pick up real quick...

(No picture on this one-- use your imagination!)

Okay, by request (my own) here's a picture:

You Guys Are GREAT!

2008-08-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

Paula loves that people are following and commenting on the blog. It's helping get her mind off the harsh reality that an 8 pound baby is going to be coming out soon!

Getting personal in here

2008-08-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

No more interrogations, please.

It's going to be a long day.

2008-08-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

Doc says we're 2 centimeters. Geesh.

(ee-shay ought-thay e-shey uz-way at east-lay ive-fay.)

Disclaimer

2008-08-04T05:13:00.000-07:00

The picture in the last entry *WAS NOT* actual footage of Paula. It was a Google search for shot. (We've gotten two calls about her arm already!)

"Aunt Jen" called and let us know that Ella was looking for us this morning. It's amazing how we already miss her, the little runt.

Ptosin going in THREE... TWO... ONE... now. (Apparently, more signatures are necessary.)

Another thought: This baby had better NOT come out with a weiner. We're expecting an Anna, not an Edward!!

Paula says these beds aren't made for pregnant people-- they're just plain uncomfortable. "Oh wait.. the manual explains a lumbar inflatable support." Okay, I'm just joking-- we don't read manuals. Ever.

STICK

2008-08-04T04:58:00.000-07:00

The first stick. Sample 1, Sample 2, Cord Blood donation...

Ouch!

From my standpoint

2008-08-04T04:16:00.000-07:00

General observations:
1. Dusty overhead lights.
2. There's the sound of a very large washing machine next door.
3. There's a bazillion useless questions by the nurse. ("Do you have any aches or pains?" Duhh)
("Would you like a visit from our priest?") Uhh, no thanks. God knows I hope we don't need one. ("Pierced nipple, navel, tongue or other parts?") Heh... maybe she should've removed that benwah thing...
4. There's a unique but familiar smell of "hospital cleanser."
5. Haha. I just realized the washing machine sound is the ultrasound monitor. Now it's not quite so annoying. :)

BTW, Dave-- There's a hide-a-bed in here that they've put in since you were here.

Today's the Day-- Anna Is On Her Way!

2008-08-04T03:52:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 4, 2008.
5:57 a.m.
We just settled in at the hospital.

"Hi, we're the Williams and we're here to check in-- reservations for two... err, three."

Room 2264 a familiar and comfortable room. Dave & Em had Sparkey (Grayson) in this very room.

Paula hasn't had any meds yet (the doctors aren't at work) and she started having contractions. (Maybe I'll get a discount if we don't need the meds.)

Paula wants to know, "Why do these lovely hospital gowns have a pocket on the front?"

(And 'Posted by Paula' below actually means, 'Posted by Mike')

2008-08-03T03:11:00.001-07:00

Mommy Time Outs.....

Shouldn't we all have them?

2008-08-03T02:43:00.000-07:00

It is 430am and why am I not sleeping? I've been awake for an hour having BH off and on, nothing regular just the norm. It seems every night this happens. My mind then starts thinking, Oh yeah something is going to happen and then nothing. I'm tired of waiting. I know soon enough I'll be complaing about not sleeping because the baby is keeping me up but I seriously have no patience. I don't like to wait and I hate surprise.

I think God is testing me...

I'm also craving an Iced Vanilla Latte from Panera

2008-07-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

Yep, still pregnant. My due date is tomorrow and nothing yet. Mike keeps saying it's going to happen tonight or tomorrow...I just don't think she's ever coming out.

My sister is in town and we spent the day walking the mall and spending money. Ate some spicy Mexican food for dinner so I'm hoping something might happen besides having tired feet!!

We will let you know when something happens....

2008-07-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

To my dear husband:

If you ever spill juice into my oven and all over my stove after baking your BBQ and don't clean it up, I'm banning you from ever coming into the kitchen again!! I just spent an hour scrubbing burners and the stove to remove the baked on gunk. I love you and your BBQ is the best but seriously, I will have to hurt you next time you do that!!

Love,
Paula

2008-07-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Ella and grayson
Mommy looking really tired..
39 weeks
Sigma and Ella...he really just tolerates her.

This baby has dropped so low that my clothes don't fit. Pants won't stay up so I'm consistenly pulling them up and my shirts no longer cover my belly. I'm wearing the XL ones in hopes of covering my dropping belly, but that's not even working anymore. It's really getting annoying. I really need to have this baby soon before I hurt someone. I'm really getting crabby!

2008-07-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Still pregnant and still crabby! I have no patience and no time for stupid people. I'm tired and big......

Ella had her 2 year dr appt yesterday. Everything went great and she doesn't have to go back until 3. Of course, we will be there a bizzillon times in the next year because of the new baby.

I'm off today to buy blinds for the front rooms. Mike will be busy this weekend installing those...if anyone wants to come help!! I've got everything ready for the baby..I think. I've got all the diapers, wipes, itty, bitty baby clothes. Bags are packed, laundry is done, food has been stored in the freezer. My sister and Mom are on standby waiting for the big moment. I'm ready, Mike's ready, I think everyone around me is ready.....

YOU CAN COME OUT NOW ANNA BANANA!!!!

2008-07-21T20:57:00.001-07:00

Had the weekly OB visit this morning and everything is good. Still only at 1cm but the baby is really low. I guess come Sunday (the 27th) I'm full term so she did say that if I make it back there Monday, they would schedule my induction for sometime next week. I'm going to push for Tuesday but I guess it really just depends on the hospital availabilty!

It's hot and yucky here. I've been getting all the stuff done around here, laundry, cleaning ect. I've got Mike busy this week hanging new light fixtures in the bathroom and hopefully putting up blinds in the front rooms. Stuff we've been needing to do but keep putting it off.

Send me some labor dust.....

2008-07-19T15:40:00.001-07:00

Ella has a habit of getting out of bed at night and falling asleep in various places around her room. Usually it's behind the door so that Mike or I have to squeeze between her and the door to pick her up and put her back into bed. Last night, I was checking on her before heading off to bed and gently opened her door so I wouldn't bash her in the head. She wasn't there...Cool, I thought, she actually stayed in bed and my big pregnant self won't have to bend over to pick her up!

Looked in her bed, No Ella...Looked around the room...No Ella. I finally looked down and spied a toe...yes just a toe peeking out from under her bed! I started laughing and called for Mike to come up and see this. I was laughing so hard, I almost peed my pants! Mike, finally pulled her out from under the bed and put her back into bed.

I'm guessing that she dropped her bink behind the bed and crawled under there to fish it out. She either got too tired and just fell asleep there, or couldn't figure out how to back herself out so she just stayed there. Whatever it was, it was really funny!

This is the 2nd time that we have lost our child under a bed. The first time happened when she was just a baby and we were letting her sleep in her car seat. It was the only place that we could get the girl to sleep through the night. One morning, Mike leaned over and I hear him say, where did Ella go? During the night, she had wiggled out of her car seat and rolled under the bed! She was sleeping under the bed, again!

2008-07-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'm totally nesting! When I nest, I tend to redecorate and rearrange things. I wish I would be the cleaning type, I'm sure my husband would be happier.

So far, I've put up new pictures, fixtures and towels in my downstairs bath. I know Dave is sad that the Hydrangeas are gone...,no more reading material. I've gotten rid of my dining room table and made the dining room a playroom for Ella. So, if you come to my house in the near future, plan on either eating outside or on the floor because I only have 2 chairs.

Being pregnant makes your brain shrivel I swear. Today, I loaded Ella into the car, put the bags in and went to put the cart away. Got in the car and drove away. As I'm pulling out of the parking lot of Target, I notice way too much movement in the back, I turn around and guess who is trying to buckle herself into her car seat? I totally forgot to buckle her in! I pulled into the first parking lot and fixed the situation but I couldn't believe that I did that!

It's the weekend of our annual float trip. I'm kinda sad that we are not there...sitting by the fire, telling stories. Although I can't say that I'm totally jealous, I kinda like my air conditioning and clean showers. It's going to get together for us to partake in the annual event. With 2 babies now and trying to find a babysitter for a weekend for the both of them.

2008-07-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

It was a long day.....

It started out with Ella and I going to the license bureau to title our new van. Thought I had all the necessary paperwork, waited in line for 20 minutes WITH A 2 YEAR OLD, only to be told that I didn't have all the necessary paperwork. Seems that in the 5 years since I last bought a vehicle, Missouri has changed the way things are done. The title is now given to the buyer, not mailed to the loan company. So, when the lady told me this, I started to argue with her, while wrestling a 2 YEAR OLD! Why would I have the title? I asked her...It's a brand new car, the loan company has the title I say. She keeps telling me, no the dealership should of given it to you.

Now I'm mad and march off to the car. Get Ella settled with Elmo and call Mike. He calls the dealership and calls me back. I know have to drive from Harvester all the way to Wenztville to get the flipping title. The dealership never told us that we had to pick it up....So here I am, mad, pregnant, hormonal and MAD!! Mike had apparently made me sound like a raving lunatic because the finance lady that MET me at the door was very nice and apologetic. By then, I had calmed down and found it kinda funny. I think she was expecting me to come screaming into the building by the look on her face when she saw me.

Anyways, in the end everything worked out. Got all the paperwork, stood in line again for 20 minutes with a 2 YEAR OLD and got the new plates for the van. Some very nice old lady fed Ella candy for 20 minutes...God Bless You!

__________________________

I was on the hunt for sand buckets for Ella's birthday party...couldn't find them anywhere. I looked at Walmart, Target, Dollar stores, Marshalls and finally Hobby Lobby! I did however discover that Hobby Lobby has their calendar messed up. They apparently think it's fall.....I couldn't find a sand bucket BUT I did find 10 aisles of CHRISTMAS STUFF!! Seriously!! I mean, garland, ornaments, ribbons, crafts you name it, they had it. I was laughing so hard, I almost peed my pants, which is not very hard for me these days. I almost bought Christmas tins to put the goodies in...thought the parents would at least get a good laugh out of that but nixed that idea.

I did finally find them at the last dollar store I stopped at!

2008-07-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

Earlier today Ella and I took a ride out to my Sister In Laws house in Warrenton. Beth wanted to see the new Thirty One Catalog and Janet wanted to play with Ella. Ella was her usually self, playing, eating, eating some more. After a few hours, we loaded up in the car and headed home. She seemed pretty content in the car, watching Elmo, checking out the "strucks".

I decided at the last minute to make a stop at Target for some necessities...as we started to pull into the parking lot I noticed Ella was falling asleep. Wanting to be able to take advantage of that, I turned the car around and headed towards the house. For whatever reason I decided to take the "backway" and as I drove, I hear that unmistakable sound of a person getting ready to hurl. I look in the rearview mirror and see my daughter covered in puke and it just kept on coming! Of course, there is no where to stop and finally I pull into a subdivision (did you know you could totally squeal tires in a minivan?). I wiped her off the best I could with wipes and her beloved "blanket".

The stench was horrendous. Here I am 9 months pregnant, I've already got the "dog nose" thing going on, smelling this. I've got all the windows rolled down, hanging out the window like one of those dogs you see. I start to feel raindrops and start praying that it doesn't down pour. I would of gotten really wet because there was no way I was rolling up those windows.

Got home, stripped Ella in the garage and left the mess for my dear husband to contend with when he got home. Bathed Ella and she zonked out in my lap. She had a few more episodes but I'm hoping that she got whatever it was out of her system. She is now sleeping soundly, hopefully for the remainder of the evening.

First time I've had to deal with "big girl" vomit! Nasty, nasty, nasty. Daddy came home and hosed off the car seat in the front yard. Padding has been washed and everything is starting to smell fresher around here.

Good times!!

2008-06-12T05:56:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!! 2 Years later, my kid finally acknowledges me....she said Mommy!! Mike brought her in this morning and she said...MOMMMY!! Yeah!!

2008-06-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

I'm tired....

8 months pregnant.....

almost 2 year old to chase.....

House to clean......

husband to take care of......

I'm tired!!

2008-05-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

A trip to Walmart is always a fun time. Today during our quick trip in Mike and I saw the following:

Girl acting like she was Jessica Simpson, complete with miniture dog in bag.....

Man with freshly shaven Mohawk...

Women wearing a red sports bra and red cotton exercise shorts.....

Young kid asking us about Jello shots....

Funny stuff!!

2008-04-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy and leg cramps...forgot about how bad these were until I was awaken at 5:15am with one in my right calf.....It felt like someone was trying to tear my leg off. If you've ever had one of these you know what I mean, if you haven't, consider yourself lucky!! Pregnancy leg cramps suck...they don't go away very easily and seem to last all day. I was still limping around this morning with I got up and it is STILL tender at 1:30pm.

Ella has gone 3 times now in her potty!! Yeah!! She is getting really good about telling us that she needs a new diaper, most of the time she has already wet/pooped herself but she is telling us!

2008-04-16T09:14:00.001-07:00

So this morning Ella once again woke up dry. We attempted to put her on the potty but she was having nothing to do with it today. No big deal, put her in the shower and she proceeds to pee....get her out of the shower, put on new Feel n learn pull up. I was getting ready to take her to the potty, when she starts whining and trying to pull her pants/diaper off....checked it and yup, too late. So, I guess 20 minutes after downing a cup of milk is too long, need to check after 15 minutes. I think if I can just get her to pee on the potty, then we will be getting somewhere.

Do any of you remember that movie, Look who's talking, part II? All I keep seeing is John Travolta and Kristi Alley with the potty seat on their heads dancing and singing around their apartment singing, Pee, Pee on the potty, Pee,Pee on the potty to the tune of a congo line. Cracks me up!!

Mike and GraysonPaula and Grayson
Fell asleep with Mommy...wasn't feeling good this day!

This is how Daddy found her...she was really quite for about 10 minutes so he went looking for her...she had fallen asleep in the chair. How cute!!!

2008-04-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ella is almost 21 months old and she is showing us signs that she is ready for potty training. I can't beleive that she is old enough for that yet.

She has been bringing us diapers when she is poopy and trying to pull her diaper off when it's wet. She woke up this morning dry....couldn't beleive that she went all night with a dry diaper!!So, we went and bought her a potty seat, training pants, these new feel n learn pull ups.....here we go.

I've started doing the purse/bag thing again...www.mythirtyone.com/3568

It's different from Diva girl, in that these bags are ordered and most of them can be monogrammed. They also offer other products.....check out the catalog and if you see something let me know. You can also host your own party online, no matter where you live!!

We are slowly narrowing down the name list, I think we are down to these two:
Delanie (lanie) and Anna....leaning more towards Lanie right now.
And, I still love, love the name Claire but I can't seem to get Mike to warm up to it...I'm still working on him!!

Today is tax day and of course we waited until the very last possible minute to file...of course as in the past, we filed an extension but I still had to do the paperwork and do the whole post office thing. I swear one of these days I will get this done a month ahead. That's my goal!

2008-03-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Ella and Daddy in their Easter Best
Hunting for Eggs at Grandma Judys Apprently you can see better with the glasses on upside down????

Ella fell in the mud....

2008-03-19T11:24:00.001-07:00

It's been raining here....and raining.....and raining.....it has finally stopped and left us with about 3 inches of water and a small pond in the back yard.

I noticed yesterday that every ball field I passed was either half under water or completly submerged....why is it that they always seem to build ball fields near creeks or other bodies of water that are prone to flooding??? Or even why they are built in low spots so all the water just collects and sits there? Is there a rule book somewhere I missed?

2008-03-16T09:37:00.001-07:00

For Jen, new Hairdo.....

Baby #2

2008-03-03T14:10:00.001-08:00

We went this morning with Mikes parents and my parents to find out the sex of the baby....

It's a girl! I was kinda hoping for a boy but I'm totally happy with having another sweet baby girl. Mike is happy, he really wanted another girl.

So now it begins....finding a name, crib bedding, furniture, new clothes. A lot of things will be able to be passed on to the new baby but I still will want some new things. I won't have to get a new stroller or car seat so I can spend more on new clothes for the little one.

Ella got her first haircut last sunday. I think she is the only 19 month old that is already wearing "product" in her hair. She has super curly hair that needs spray gel and detangler every morning. Here she is posing.....

2008-02-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

So I'm spending a week up at my sisters helping out after her surgery and have discovered that two children will be plenty. 4 boys, 3 dogs, 2 pregnant ladies and 1 Ella equals complete chaos.
Ella has decieded that most food is not acceptable and has taken to only eating the following:

Hot dogs
grapes
eggs
apples
any kind of chip ( which is called a cookie)
green beans

Do you know how hard it is to concoct a meal with only these foods? I'm hoping that it's just a spell and she will start eating other foods soon.

So I've started feeling the baby move in the last few days and its a good feeling. Up until this point it's always nerve wracking for me .

2008-02-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

Well the forecast pulled through and we got 7-8 inches. This morning we took Ella out for some snow time....

She did not want to come back in. We only stayed out for 15 minutes or so, I was afraid she would get too cold.

Having a hard time walking the deep snow

Ella eating snow

Snow Moustache...

2008-01-31T13:45:00.000-08:00

It has started snowing. They say that by this time tomorrow we could up to 10 inches of snow. That is a lot for St. Louis....I'm sure everyone was out this morning stocking up on the bread and milk. Because we don't have snowplows and won't be able to get out for days. I do admit that I did go the store and get milk yesterday. I wasn't going to run out of milk for Ella and have to drag her out in the snow.

Aunt Jen sent us some beautiful dresses for Miss Ella, isn't she just the cutest? She is getting so big and saying so much. Although she is talking a lot, I think she is still so frusterated about not being able to tell us excatly what she needs.

We had her 18 month checkup and she was 25lbs and 33 inches long. Dr. said she is doing great. I'm a little concerend about how she will act when the new baby gets here. I'm hoping that she will be young enough that it won't faze her too much.

Speaking of new babies, I've been doing great. Still haven't heard the heartbeat but hopefully next week at our Dr. appt we will. That always makes me feel better. I'm 14 weeks and already busting out of my jeans. I'm in the maternity clothes already.....

Just so you all know, the Christmas wreath is STILL hanging over my fireplace. Any bets on how long it will take my procrastinating husband to take it down?

2008-01-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

I'm glad the holidays are over. It was fun but I'm done. Everything Christmas has been put away, minus the giant wreath over my fireplace, which I will have to ask and resort to nagging to get my husband to take it down!

Ella had a great Christmas! She got lots of presents and has been having a ball playing with her new kitchen. We moved Ella into her big girl bed yesterday! It was a little bit of a struggle last night, keeping her in bed. But I think she will do okay. I wanted to start now with the transition of moving her into a bigger bed. We will be using her nursery furniture for the new baby and Ella will be getting new stuff.

We had our first major boo-boo this morning. I had put Ella into her room and because she can now get up and explore her room at will, she decided to crawl behind her bed and pull the ceramic Guardian Angel night light that Aunt Jen bought her, down on top of her head...

I've already had a lady at Kohls ask me very suspiciously what happened....I hate that when your child has a bruise, bump or scratch some people automatically think you did it.

2007-12-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

So Ella is sick....first time ever! What bothers me is that on Christmas Day we had my family over. There were 2 sick kids and 2 sick adults! Piece of advice, if you kid is hacking all over the place and you are sick don't come to my house! What are people thinking? It would be one thing if I didn't have children but come on! Do people not use their brains anymore?

On one of the message boards I frequent, there are several moms complaining that their kids (at 17-18 months) are still waking up 2 and 3 times a night. They ask, what should we do? They say that they sit next to their bed until they fall asleep, get up when they cry in the middle of the night and feed them, put them in bed with them....WTH?

I've had Ella on a schedule since she was about 8 months old. I don't rock her to sleep, stay by her side, ect. She gets a book, brushes her teeth, hugs, kisses and off to bed. I think these kids have never learned to fall asleep on their own. I wouldn't be a very pleasant person if I was still getting up a couple of times a night to feed Ella.

At this point, the only think I can suggest is to let them cry it out. They need to be "trained" to fall asleep on their own and sleep through the night. Man, I sound like a hard ass!!

2007-12-21T14:25:00.001-08:00

Christmas is almost here and for once, I'm almost done with everything. I'm hoping tonight I can finish up the last of the gift and grocery shopping. I got my cards out on time, presents are all wrapped, except for the few I still need to buy, and cookies are baked. My house is still a mess and there is the issue of Ella.....

She has been so good this Christmas season, until now. I was worried about her tearing the tree apart and ripping up the gifts but being the angel that she is......she hadn't touched a thing...until today! She discovered the pretty beads on the tree, wants to wear them, thinks its now fun to rip open the packages. So, I've spent the day placing gifts around the house in places I know she can't reach. If any of you receive a gift with a "patch" on it..you can think Ella! I wasn't re-wrapping anything so I just creatively "patched" the spots. I think it will give it character, don't you? I just hope that I don't forget where I put things and end up finding them after the Christmas season.

We didn't get Ella's picture taken with Santa this year, so don't be looking for one. She is terrified of the Big guy and I wasn't in the mood to traumatize the poor kid by forcing her to sit on his lap. Besides, we have the same Santa at the mall as we did last year and the old guy was shaking so much I was afraid to hand my new baby over to him. I beleive it's a Parkinson's thing, not from missing the alcohol!!

So in its place, I give you the best of Ella...in the Santa Hat!!

2007-12-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

I've become super clumsy in the last few days. I suppose I can chalk it up to the pregnancy. Last night, Mike got a good laugh when I attempted to scoop us some ice cream. It started when I pulled out the 2 different containers of ice cream (because we can't decide on one). As I pulled them out, a large hunk of frozen ham fell out of the fridge and attacked my foot...OUCH! As I hobbled over to the counter and started scooping, I dropped the ice cream scoop! Another mess...

I ate my ice cream and got up from the couch to put the bowl away and tripped over my own foot. I almost nose dived into the fireplace! I don't remember being this clumsy with Ella. Mike was laughing and I was getting more and more mad at him by the minute. I threatened to punch him if he didn't shut it!

Yeah! It's going to snow tonight! I love the snow.....Ella is screaming upstairs...

2007-11-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

Dress Up Time!! I was bored...Ella got new clothes...Are they not just the cutest things you've ever seen?

It is going to be a long 9 months....I miss my daily nap that I was able to get with Ella....

2007-11-25T10:54:00.000-08:00

Almost 2 years ago Mike and I found out that we were pregnant with Miss Ella. It was the day before Thanksgiving and I had been feeling kinda crappy for a few days, so we decieded to take the test....

Fast Forward to Friday Morning...Day after Thanksgiving...Not feeling so hot so I thought what the heck, I'll take a test...Yep, You guessed it....We will be adding a new addition to the family the end of July 2008!!

It's kinda sad to think that Ella will no longer be my baby...I've got to learn how to love 2 babies....

2007-11-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

I'm done with Diva Girl...the 8 boxes of purses that I have to send back are sitting on the front porch waiting for UPS to pick them up. I'm kind of excited, kind of sad. I'm excited to have my dining room back....I'm excited to not have to tell Ella, NO, 16 thousand times a day for getting into my stuff. I'm sad that I won't get a few hours of Non-Mommy time each week....

So being in charge of a Moms groups is hard. It's amazing to me how petty and catty women, grown women, can be. The thing I have to get over is trying to do everything myself...people want to help, I should let them, they don't do things the way I would do them, so I just do it myself.

The weather has finally changed into fall...yesterday it was around 70, today it's 48. And windy...meaning the chore of bundling up Ella has begun. And of course, she poops as I put her in the car!! Ugh!! Off comes the hat, off comes the coat, off come the shoes, off come the pants, change diaper and then chase her around the house trying to put all the listed items back on her.

It also means, freezing my butt off at the gas station. I can't stand putting gas in the car when it's cold and windy out. I swear, the wind can be as calm as can be and as soon as I start pumping gas, it's like a hurricane is coming. I know I could probably get back in the car and some people I know even leave the car running. I have this fear of my car blowing up, how many people do you know that have actually had this happen? I know it's probably a million in one chance, but I don't have the best of luck. I think I'm making that Mike's job for the winter....

Christmas is approaching and I've started the shopping. It is hard to buy for an almost 18 month old. Will she like this? Do I really want to spend this amount of money on something? What is she going to get from the other 100 people that will buy her something this holiday season? Where in the world will I keep all these receipts, so when she receives several of the same gift, I can exchange them? Just as an FYI...so far she has a TMX tickle me Elmo and one of those alphabet magnetic sets.....

Off to get some things done while she is sleeping....

2007-09-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

I'm a horibble blogger, I've learned to accept it...so should all of you!!

Things have been busy around here. I've deciede to quit Diva Girl. I really love the company but I just can't keep up with the 8 parties a month that they require me to do. But, I am looking into a new business that is similar to Diva Girl but I don't have the montly party requirement....

Ella has been busy...well, being busy!! She is everywhere, into everything and loves to play with anything that isn't really a toy. Mike and I have talked that for Christmas, she will be getting her own remote, cell phone, box of wire, ect. to play with.

We bought her Halloween costume...isn't she just cute as a bug!!

Ella loves my purses. Her she is carrying one around the house. She gets it around her neck and carries it that way...I guess she is on her way out!

Mike and I (with Daves help) are in the process of putting in new kitchen/bathroom floors. I will post the before and after shots when it is finished.

2007-09-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

For you Jen...Let Landon know that Mike is

a Super Hero Too!!!!

2007-08-28T14:47:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy week. Miss Ella has another tooth....so that makes 6 and she has another incisor trying to poke through.

We signed up at the O'Fallon version of the YMCA (the Renaud Spirit Center) yesterday. We are going to sign Ella up in swim lessons for the fall. We are also looking into the Kindermusik classes. She loves music (especially the Eagles) so we are thinking this is going to be right up her alley!!

A couple of weeks ago, I started a Moms group on the meetup.com website. We had our first meetup today and was able to meet one of the other moms. It was nice to have some little ones the same age as Ella to play with. I also found out that the other O'Fallon Moms group is stepping down as the organizer and I think I'm going to take over! YIKES! That means I will have about 30 moms and kids looking to me to come up with unique outing ideas.

Any ideas?

2007-08-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

random questions
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not that I know of………my mom said that our Dad had an ex-girlfriend named Paula.....
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Friday night....got a little teary eyed talking about the whole Gary thing to Dave
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING NO....it's really sloppy
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? turkey
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? One little curly haired princess...Ella
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yep!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Who, me?????
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Absolutely positutely NOT.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't really eat cereal...I guess if I have to choose something it would be Raisin Bran Crunch
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Most of the time...No
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? yes
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Peanut Butter Cup
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
15. RED OR PINK? Pink!
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My lack of self confidence
.17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST ?
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Honestly? I don’t really want to receive that many emails, but would love to read it on their blog!!!.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Navy Blue Shorts
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A piece of my nephew Kenny's birthday cake
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The TV
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Bright Pink
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Good food cooking, rain
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Mom
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I stole it from Jen's Blog...yes I Lub her!!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? baseball, football
27. HAIR COLOR? Light brownish with blond highlights
28. EYE COLOR? Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Pastas....Good Salads
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Absolutely happy endings!
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Bourne, went to the actual theater with Dh last week!!!! This is too funny...This was the first time Mike and I have ever been to the theater together!
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Navy tank and Pink tank
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? I love both. That’s why I love the Midwest, get a little bit of everything.
35. HUGS OR KISSES? I love hugs!!!
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Anything Chocolate and Peanut Butter
37.MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Chris
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND My Hubby
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?Just Finished Jodi Piccult..>Songs of the Humback Whale
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Grupo Taca...airline my Step-Dad worked for
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHt? Nothing…
42. FAVORITE SOUND? Ella giggling..
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Hmmmmm, prolly Rolling Stones,
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Went to Peru a couple of years back
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can spend lot's of money in Target....I guess my husband wouldn't really call that a talent though
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? St. Charles, MO
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? everyone's

2007-08-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

This is one of those mysterious of life....I don't get it. I always wonder, Is there neck cold? Are they covering up a monsterous hickey? Are they hiding some sort of embarrassing tattoo? I brought this up in conversation last night with my husband, Dave and Emily....my husbands response? "They should make sports coats sleeveless for hot days?" We all just looked at him....as Emily said, that would look wonderful with a long sleeved dress shirt!!! Too Funny!

2007-08-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

It was a late night last night. Ella woke us up at 12:10am, not very happy, as she had vomited all over her bed and was running a fever of 101! This was the first time that she has run a fever so I was running around not sure what to do! What fun! We cleaned her up, changed the sheets (which I might add is the biggest pain in the butt on a crib) and tried to put her back to sleep.

By this point a storm was approaching and for all that know me....I hate them! So, Ella was awake because her internal clock was apparently telling her it was morning! I was awake because I was busy running between the window, the computer (to check the weather), my cell phone (to check the weather) and the TV ( to check the weather)!! Mike was awake because he was putting towels in the window (it leeks from time to time), rocking Ella (not working at all), and yelling at the cats because they decided to start fighting at 1am!

By 2am all was quiet, everyone was sleeping! To add to the excitement, I decided that I was going to develop a nasty sore throat and sinus headache. So today, I feel like crap and have already sent Mike to Walgreens at 7am to buy drugs!

Today, Ella and I will be lounging around in our PJs all day....watching TV and playing with all her toys. I don't feel good, she doesn't' feel good.....Fun for Mike later!!

____________________________________________

In other news, Ella got a 5th tooth! I think I can feel a molar trying to poke through, which I think is part of the cause for the vomiting and fever last night. Not to mention the fact that my Mother was feeding her the crispy part on fried chicken last night.....

Mike and I are officially trying to have another baby! I'm nervous that if and when we get pregnant, this baby is going to be a nightmare. Ella was so easy, pregnancy and labor was easy, she has been easy! It scares me!!!

2007-07-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Ella Beans!!!

One year ago

Today

Here are some other pics from her first Birthday cake last night....Tomorrow is the big party so there will be more cake and present pictures later. Enjoy!!

First bite of cake....I think she likes it!!

Ella's birthday present from Mom and Dad....cruising the neighborhood with Daddy

Already a purse girl, dragging around "Aunt" Emily's purse

2007-07-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's coming people, in 4 days, Ella is turning one! One! Where in the world has this last year gone? I have so much to do this week in preparation for her party on Sunday. I'm stressing out way too much about it. I know, I know, nobody will even notice all the little things I'm doing. But, I feel like it is absolutely necessary to tie all the silverware with pretty matching ribbons.

Mike and I went camping last weekend. It was fun, except for the fact that I got sick on Saturday and spent the whole float drinking water and trying to keep myself from hurling. We also were unprepared for the cold weather. When was the last time that is was 50 degrees, in St. Louis, in July? Crazy!! We are now thinking about taking Ella camping in August.....most people think we are crazy but hey, if things get too crazy, the nearest hotel is only like 25 minutes away!!

So other then that, I've just been busy keeping Ella out of everything. Her new favorite game is to pull everything she can out of where it belongs. I'm consistently following behind her picking up DVDs, CDs, Paper, trash, purses, books, guitars, or whatever else is on the floor or within her reach.

2007-07-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

I know it's been almost two months.....I'm posting now and that's what counts right?

Things have been crazy busy around here. We were in Mexico the last week of June, so all of June I was busy packing, shopping, getting all my purse parties in and more shopping. Then the 4th of July, you get the picture.

Ella is almost a year old!! Can you believe it? I can't believe a year ago she was small enough to fit in my belly and now, well, all I can say is that the girl likes to eat!! She is starting to walk and is into everything. Keeps mommy busy during the day!!

So today at the post office, this older gentleman asks me if she is walking yet. I say no but she's trying to. He says, "oh don't worry honey, she will one day. " Really??? I thought she would just start flying one day. For those that know that song....here's your sign!!!

The other day, Mike and I bought a tent and set it up in the backyard. Ella was trying to help and was having a blast helping us and playing in that thing. We ended up having to take it back after a pole broke and the bag ripped. I guess you get what you pay for.....so the search is back on for the "perfect" tent.

2007-05-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

So it's been awhile. I've got so much going on right now. I have only 4 hours a day to do everything: If Ella is sleeping I can get on the 'puter, do the laundry, clean the house, organize and do paperwork for my purse business, make phone calls, pay the bills, ect. When she is awake, it's all about entertaining her. She is so busy and into everything right now. Since the weather has been nice, we try to get out of the house. Grocery shopping, visiting my Mom, going to the park. I need to update websites and ect.....

Anyway, so I thought I do this little quiz thinging...stolen from catizhere:

RULES
• Use the the first letter of your name to answer each of the following.
• Answers must be REAL places, persons, things. . .NOTHING MADE UP!
• If you can't think of anything, skip it.
• Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same initial
.• DO NOT use your name for the boy/girl name question.
• DO NOT use a search engine to look up answers!
• GO!
1. Your Name: Paula
2. Famous singer/band: Prince
3. 4 letter word:Pump
4. Street name: Park Place
5. Color: Purple
6. Gift/present: Purse
7. Vehicle: porsche
8. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Pencils
9. Boy's Name: Peter
10. Girl's Name: polly
11. Movie Title: Punch Drunk Love
12. Drink: Pabst Blue Ribbon
13. An Occupation:Physician
14. Flower: Petunia
15. Celebrity: Paulie Shore
16. Magazine: Parenting
17. U.S, City: Pittsburgh
18. Pro Sports Team: Pirates
19. Fruit: Pomagrante
20. Reason for Being Late to Work: Puking
21. Something You Throw Away: Poop!!!
22. Things You Shout: Punk!!
23. Cartoon Character: Pepe La Phew (not sure on the spelling)

2007-04-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to change my hair but haven't gotten up the nerve to do it, until now!! Yesterday I went to a new salon and told them to do something, I didn't care what as long as they didn't shave my head and dye it green. Instead this is what I left with:

New Cute and Color....

Old me..

What do you think? Wise choice? or bad mistake?

2007-04-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...it's been awhile. I've been so busy though and with Miss Ella napping, I have a little bit of time.

She is crawling, EVERYWHERE!! She's discovered that she doesn't like the hard floors, so she does this one legged, scoot, crawl thing. Pretty funny to watch! She loves to chase Sigma around the house and get into whatever she can.

She has gotten a 2nd tooth! We've been attempted to switch her over to all finger foods at this point, but she still likes that mushy stuff from time to time. She has started to pull up as well and cruise along the couch. Today she discovered the stairs. I guess that gate we bought a few weeks ago is going to be taken out of the box soon.

We have officially made the switch of rooms. Ella is now in the room that used to be Greg's and Greg is now in the other. After a week of painting and more painting, we are finally done. We still have to hang up all the pictures and shelves but that can wait until a later date.

_________________

I have a job now! For a couple of months I've been looking into something part time. For sanity's sake I needed to do something, for me and get some adult time. So, I'm now selling purses and accessories. That should keep me busy as I have to do 8 parties a month. That's all they require and they provide me all my inventory, business cards, CC machine, ect. I got all my stuff yesterday, 8 very large boxes full of stuff. It was exciting going through all of it.

I think that's it for now...

Happy Birthday Dave!!

I've lost 58lbs since having Ella 9 months ago

I'm now wearing a medium (been a very long time)

don't know why I'm rambling.....

2007-04-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

So anyone know how to figure how many activity points (weight watchers) pedometer steps are? I've started wearing one to see if I can make it to 10000 steps a day (5 miles)...I made it to 7334 yesterday! Not too bad.

Mike and I are going to be painting tonight and tomorrow if anyone cares to stop by and join in the fun. Hopefully we can get it done in a week or so.....our painting projects always seem to last forever. Ellas' room is techinally still not done.....and that has been almost a year!!

Ella's new thing is the piano, whenever we get to my Moms, she makes a beeline for the piano and crys until you set her up there. Too Cute!!

Check out her website for more pics, I've been uploading all morning so there are new ones in last months and all new ones in this month.

2007-04-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Lord Help Us!! Ella has been busy this week accomplishing things that I'm not ready for. She is now crawling like a champ, her favorite things to go after, shoes, the cat and electrical cords!!

Since she has learned to crawl, she has also learned to sit up by herself. Not such a bad thing, except she hates to lie down now. Including, trying to change her diaper, changing her clothes, sucking the snot out of her nose....makes for a long process that used to only take a couple of seconds.

Another big moment this week, she is pulling up. She gets on her knees and gets stuck, hasn't quite figured out how to actually stand up yet. I'm sure that will be happening any day now. Her new big thing is pulling up in her bed and slobbering all over the rails.....

That will be changing as the first tooth is trying to rear its ugly head! Teething sucks!! She is crabby, doesn't nap and is very snotty, which by the way you would think I was wiping her nose with sandpaper the way she screams when I come at her with a tissue. You can see the little white tooth trying to poke through, it won't be long and I will be installing those little plastic guards on the crib to keep her from chewing her way out!!

On a different note, I'm taking on a new business. Yes it involves home parties, but no it's not a typical, please sign up under me kind of thing!! I've been researching companies for quite some time because, well, I need a life. A part-time job doesn't work because of Mike's schedule and I don't want to work all weekend and every night. I finally found one that doesn't require presentations, doesn't require me to buy a bunch of inventory (they supply it all) (including shipping) and I can do it whenever I want. I will be working for www.divagirlpurseparty.com . I will travel to Omaha, hopefully in May for training and then I'll be ready to go.

This company provides me with all the inventory, invites, business cards, cc machine, ect and all I have to do is have 8 parties a month. I don't see this being a big deal. I've got lots of friends and an even bigger family. I'm really hoping this is what I've been looking for.

Oh yeah, I'm going to Mexico in 64 days!!!! :)~~~~~~

2007-04-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Not much going on here. Trying to keep the newly crawling Ella out of EVERYTHING!! She is teething, not fun at all. The schedule we had in place, gone. Doesn't nap, doesn't eat....just a snotty, crabby mess!! Here are a couple of pics from Easter yesterday. Hope everyone had a great day!!

2007-04-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Things have busy around, sorry for the lack of blog posts. My sister was in town last week and that is always a busy time. Shopping, shopping and usually more shopping. Ella now has a complete wardrobe for the summer. Still need a swimsuit but I think we are done.

The little princess has started crawling. Last Saturday she was just kinda rocking back and forth and all of a sudden....she was off and into everything. It's been fun though, chasing after her, pulling her away from the DVD player, Mikes guitars, the cat, my magazines, if it's on the floor, it's fair game.

The cold snap here in the Midwest sucks!! Last week I had the air on and was wearing shorts.....this week, the heat is back on and I'm wearing my shoes again. I hate wearing shoes, I like my flip-flops.

Here are a couple of new pics of the princess, enjoy:

Ella's new sleeping position

Cute little Easter BunnyEaster DressEating a popsicle with Uncle BillAunt Emily helping out with the popsicle thing

2007-03-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Who's going to bail me out of jail for murder?

I'm seriously about ready to go next door and rip the manly parts off of the construction workers that are tearing out the neighbors driveway. Don't they know I have a tired baby over here that wakes up every freaking time they throw another giant chunk of concrete into the trash bin?

GRRRR!!! Nobody asked me if it was a convenient time to do this...NO IT'S NOT!!

Maybe I'll just take the overtired, crabby baby over to them and they can figure out how to keep her from screaming her pretty little head off!!

2007-03-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

We have been taking Ella to the Little Gym for a couple of weeks. She loves it! I finally got some pictures today of our future Olympic Gymnast:

Some pics from the park yesterday:

2007-03-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

OMG!! Okay, so Ella has learned to do this spitting thing, has been doing it for awhile but has just decided that doing it with a mouth full of food is fun!! So, I'm on the lookout for some type of giant Mom bib, sorta like this one:

This is what Ella looks like after a dinner of green beans that she thought would be fun to spit all over the place. Notice the spoon in hand, I got tired of fighting with her over who was going to hold it....guess who won!And a cute pic, the blackmail pic for when she is older:

Lawn Darts, Jarts and Farts

2007-03-02T23:11:00.000-08:00

Hey Dave, Click Here....

2007-02-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

I stole this from catizhere, hope she doesn't mind. I thought it was cool:

Not much else going on here in the land of Ella. Still trying to get her on a schedule. I don't know how people do it. I've tried and failed and tried again. It would be so nice to know when she will be taking a nap, getting hungry, ect. It would make going out of the house a little less stressful for all parties involved.

Over the weekend, we went out to dinner with some friends and I actually had to leave the restaurant because Miss Ella was throwing her first ever temper tantrum!! It was not pretty.

To all you "experienced" parents, when do you start disciplining your child? I don't mean, grounding, spanking or that sort of thing, just simple "No, Ella we don't spit" or "No, Ella we don't stick our fingers there." Do they understand that word yet? Is that why "NO" is a lot of kids first word?

2007-02-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

Today is nasty and cold AGAIN!! I've got a pot of chili bubbling away on the stove and cornbread in the oven for later. I'm so ready for spring!!

I've got a bunch of pics of Miss Ella to share, check out the rest on her website:

Mommy and Ella at the park

Ella trying to make a phone call to Aunt Jen...Playing with Grandma and all her Mardi Gras beads, notice Ella is more interested in the bagNot sure why my child is trying to eat the stem of the banana,

2007-02-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Is it wrong for me to want to tie Ellas hands behind her back when I'm trying to feed her?

The child wants to feed herself, which is fine, except she doesn't understand that the spoon, full of food, goes in her mouth and not her _________ (insert body part besides her mouth).

Guess who just woke up from her nap? Gotta go!!

2007-02-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

I should know better than to try to take Ella out to dinner after 6pm. But, against my better judgement, Mike and I packed her up and went to meet Dave and Emily for dinner around 7:15pm. BAD IDEA!! She was pretty good until 8pm hit....BEDTIME!!!

Ella wasn't happy with anything, didn't want her bottle, didn't want to sit, she wanted to sleep and NOW. When the child is unhappy and screaming, Mommy gets a little stressed.

Why? We have all been in the store, restaurant, ect and heard the distinct cry of a very mad baby. I know I always think to myself, "the poor little thing" or "man, I know how the mom feels". I hate it when she crys in public. I feel like I have to silence her at once. I don't want to make other people mad because my baby is crying in Target, Applebees or wherever. Why do I feel this way? Everyone else is probably looking at me, thinking about how crazy I look. Babies cry, I know that. I just don't want mine crying in public. It makes me feel like a bad mom, one who can't control her baby.

2007-02-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Trying out box sizes for shipping: I've been threatening to ship Ella to my Mom when she is bad, so we were trying out box sizes. (Don't call the CPS on me, I'm just kidding. I would never ship her in a box, I would at least put her in a crate, so she could breath) (Again, just kidding)

Ellas first craft project:For all of those that have received or will be receiving their Valentines Day cards from Ella, she wrote her name in all of them. She is soooo smart!!
We even colored on the table for a few seconds while Mom was looking at Daddy!! Just a little extra something for Mom!

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Mike is never going to come again for lunch. Today, within 10 minutes, Ella pooped and puked on him. Lovely isn't it? She is worse than having a dog in the house. There was poop and puke on the carpet today. This is why I'm getting hardwood put in!

2007-02-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get Ella to fall asleep on her own for her naps and at nighttime. So far nothing has worked. So today I tried the Ferber method. The first night you attempt the Ferber method, you put your child to bed as you normally do. Your baby should be tired but still awake when you put her to bed, so that she is left to fall asleep on her own. After you leave the room, the baby will inevitably start crying. Allow her to cry for about 5 minutes, then re-enter the room to console her. It's important that you stay in the room for only a short time - even if she is still crying - and that you don't pick her up or rock her. This second time you leave the room, wait 10 minutes before returning in the same manner. The third time wait 15 minutes, and set this as a maximum wait time for the rest of the night.
Every time thereafter, enter the room briefly and then allow your child to cry for 15 minutes. Eventually, she will fall asleep on her own during one of the 15 minute intervals in which you are out of the room. The second night, you should begin with a 10 minute wait before re-entering the room, followed by 15 and then 20 minutes. In a similar fashion, increase your initial and subsequent wait times by 5 minutes each night.

Hopefully this will teach Ella to learn to go to sleep on her own. The hardest part is going to be listening to her cry. We tried it at nap time today and it worked well. She got a bottle and then closed her eyes. I knew she was tired so I took her to bed, gave her a kiss and told her that I would see her in a little bit.

It only took 20 minutes and she was out. I can't wait to try it tonight and see if it will work. She is waking herself up in the middle of night and doesn't know how to get herself back to sleep.

We will see how it goes.......

PS. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

2007-02-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

The poor baby girl is sick!! She woke up last night around 3am and ate her normal 8oz bottle and then puked it up all over Daddy!! She did that once more and finally fell asleep in Daddys arms on the couch. Poor little thing is all congested and has been running a fever all day!

It's so hard to see your baby not feeling well. I just wish she could talk and tell me whats wrong!

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Funny story behind this pic. Last week I took these pictures and sent them off to Walgreens to be printed. When I went to pick them up, they accused me of violating the copyright law and were not going to give me my pictures. After telling them that I would bring in my camera with the pictures still on them, he finally gave in and gave them to me (with a warning that he better not go to jail). Maybe I should go into business......

2007-02-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

It has been so freaking cold here in St. Louis that Ella and I haven't been out much this week. Yesterday, before the POOP incident, we were in a pretty good mood so I decided to take some candid pictures of my very cute daughter:

(the POOP incident involved one very poopy girl, one poopy diaper, one poopy onsie, poop on the floor, in her hair and all over her backside. It also involved pee on the floor). VERY, VERY, bad day for MOMMY!!!!

2007-01-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

God help us Ella has learned to roll!! Last Thursday she started rolling onto her stomach anytime she was placed on her back. Over the weekend she practiced that alot at Aunt Jennifers house. Today, she is rolling. Like a steamroller!!! Look out folks. Put away your breakables....Ella is on the move.

2007-01-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

In response to Daves Blog comment on what he will teach my child on Feb. 3....let me tell you what will really go on that day.

3pm Dave and Emily are so excited to watch Ella
3:30pm Ella poops, Dave and Emily have first major fight over who will change diaper.
3:35 Emily wins and Dave has to change the diaper....
3:36 Dave discovers the Ella has Exploded out of the diaper and has pooped on her neck
3:37-4:00pm Dave, with the help of Emily, changes Ellas entire outfit, bathes her and throws dirty outfit in Kitchen trash.
4:15pm Dave discovers that Kitchen now smells like a toxic waste dump and takes out trash.
4:30 Daves neighbors call and complain that there is horrible smell coming out of the garage.
4:35 Dave takes trash to local dump....
5:00pm Dave and Emily feed Ella
5:15pm Ella spits pureed Green Beans all over Dave, spits up on Emily and farts.
5:30 Dave takes Shower, Emily sponges off.....
5:35 Emily changes diaper
5:37 Diaper on backwards, try again
5:40 attempt again to feed Ella,
6:00 play with Ella
7:00pm Give Ella a bath
7:30 Decide that bath time was not a good idea and Dave sends Emily to Walmart to buy sponge mop.
8:00 Emily returns to mop up the 8 inches of water on the floor in the bathroom
8:30 attempt to feed Ella, again.
9:00pm try to rock Ella to sleep
9:30 Cops show up to ask Dave and Emily if there is a problem with the child.
9:35 Cop attempts to rock Ella to sleep
9:40 Elderly women next door knocks on door to ask if there is a problem as she is being kept awake by screaming child.
9:45 Elderly women attempts to rock Ella to sleep
9:50pm Cop and Elderly women sing duet to try and coax Ella to sleep
9:55 Another Cop shows up and asks if there is a party going on
9:56 Other Cop joins in on the duet (now a trio)
10:00pm Mike and Paula arrive and take the now poor, traumatized child
10:01 Ella is sleeping soundly in Paulas arm,
10:05 Mike and Paula wonder what Dave and Emily did all night.
10:30 Dave and Emily decide that they will never watch the baby again...Have several Shreks.

2007-01-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

I've found the something that babies fear other than the nurse with the needles at the doctors office.......The Snot Sucker. Ella can see that thing coming for her face and she starts screaming before we are anywhere near her little nose. I can't wait for the day I can just grab a tissue and say "blow".

For all of you that have requested a new pic:

Getting ready to head out in the cold. Her hat is still a little big....

2007-01-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION

Following picture is not for children to see

Mike and I saw this on the Discovery Health Channel.....Can you believe that someone is actually this big? How in the world do you cart those bad boys around?

2007-01-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

For those of you in the Missouri area you know about the recent disappearance of a little boy in Franklin County. The news stations are now reporting that he has been found alive and has been returned to his family. Just as equally exciting is the fact that he was found with another little boy that disappeared 4 years ago, Shawn Hornbeck.

I'm so glad that they found both of these boys alive and well. I have been praying that they would be safely returned. Mike and I had a conversation last night about this and I can't even imagine what there families were going through.

I don't understand how a person can do this. What right do they have to take another persons child? I would want that persons head on a platter if anything ever happened to my daughter. What goes through a persons mind when they are contemplating doing something like this?

God has done a wonderful by bringing these boys home. Everyone hug your child a little bit tighter tonight, tell them you love them and be thankful that they are safe!

Randomness....Is that even a word?

2007-01-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

Picture of Ella in her first shopping cart rideKenny helping with my new patio a few years ago
Just a few random pictures I found on my camera I thought I would share.

The weather here in St. Louis is getting ready to turn nasty. It was almost 60 here this morning and I just checked the weather and it is down to 35!! Raining here with it changing to sleet and ice sometime tonight. It is supposed to continue on through the weekend so we could be looking at significant ice accumulations once again.

Ella is getting so big! I look at her everyday and am just amazed at what she is doing. This week she is really getting good at sitting up all by herself. Every once in a while she will lunge for a toy and over she goes. We have also introduced the sippy cup this week, just getting her used to it. So far I think she likes it, more to play with it than anything!!

Life has been pretty routine here in the Williams house. Just trying to get her and I into some sort of routine. The only thing that is for certain right now is bedtime at 8pm. Other than that, its a day by day thing. Depending on her mood....typical girl!!

Have I said that I hate WalMart? I hate that all the carts have messed up wheels. I hate that the baby seats look so nasty. I hate that there are never more than 3 cashiers working even though there are 500 people in line buying salt and snow shovels. I hate that the self- checkouts are never open!

2006-12-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to post for several days now but as always as soon as I start little Miss Ella wakes up and wants some attention. So I've given her a dose of Tylenol (for the teething) and she is out right now.

The last few weeks have been so crazy and busy. We got back from our trip only to have to shop like mad for all the Christmas gifts we hadn't bought. Got that done with and had to get ready for the New Years Eve Party we hosted.

Now that the holidays are done, Ella and I are trying to settle into some sort of routine. She is now big enough for the exersaucer, thank you Lord, so I get a little break to get some things done. I love that thing and so does she! She has also discovered Sigma in the last couple of days. She loves to try and grab at him! So far he hasn't seemed to mind.

She rolled over from back to front on Tuesday. That was pretty cool! I can't beleive how big she is getting. Before I know it she is going to be crawling!! YIKES!

There are new pics on her website...go have a look!