Peas, Please

On our way to Logan's first day of preschool/MDO this morning, the Black Eyed Peas song "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night" came on.

Logan: Mommy, what kind of song is this?
Me: It's by the Black Eyed Peas. Why? Do you like it?
Logan: No. I only like green peas.

Then at dinner tonight, he was picking at his peas (which he usually devours):

Logan: Is there pee mixed in my peas?
At first I didn't understand him so he pointed "down there" to clue me in.
Me: No. And we don't talk about that at the dinner table.

He's very big into talking about his penis and pee (although I always call it tee-tee with him, not sure why he says pee--wait, it's because I say pee...oops). We were at Wal-Mart the other day and walking past the deli counter, as clear as day:

Logan: Are we going to get a penis?
Me: No. And we don't talk about that at the store. You're too loud. (as I am trying not to laugh)
Logan: But why? (laughing hysterically)
Me: (I got nothing) Let's go see if we can find the applesauce.

What am I going to do with this child? It's so hard not to crack up laughing but I also know that it's not always appropriate for him to talk this way. Not to mention that he is becoming a full-on boy, tooting and burping, or pretending to toot and burp, and laughing like crazy. I KNOW he'll never grow out of that.

I've Finally Seen the Light!

It has been an anxiety-ridden last 6 months--deciding not to return to work was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. And I never thought that would be the case. I always thought quitting to stay home with my child would be the easiest decision I ever made, but when you are attached to your students/teacher friends/the income it is much harder than I ever thought. I trusted Chris, though, and took the leap and this summer has been hard on me. Ask anyone, mainly my sister, and they will tell you I have been an anxious/worried mess. Many have suggested medication. :) I was just freaking out about quitting a job I loved (most of the time), losing half our income, and never getting that job back (at that school) when I was ready to return. Poor Chris wasn't quite sure what to say during all this. He thought when I quit all my stress would be gone--but does he not know who he married? I just find other things to stress about. He wondered if I would ever be happy and I can't blame him for feeling that way. I was unhappy when I was working because I wasn't home with Logan and now that I am not working, I was still stressing out. He does everything in his power for myself and Logan and yet I have been questioning everything instead of just trusting and appreciating him. Well, it finally changed yesterday.

I am not sure why or exactly what even happened, but I was sitting in the living room watching TV when, around 4:30, Logan came out of his room in his t-shirt and underwear (this is what he wants to wear around the house) and said "Good morning" in his sweet little voice and came to me and hugged me and continued to lay on me.

Now this wasn't the first time he has done this--he wakes me up every morning with a "Good morning--it's sunny outside" as he proceeds to crawl in bed with me for another 30 minutes before "let's go pick out bressast (breakfast) now."

So I am not sure why it hit me yesterday but as soon as he said it, something just came over me and made me realize this is what I've been missing--being there for him when he wakes up from naps, falls down, learns something new, sings and dances in the living room, says all these adorably hilarious new things. And then all was right with the world. My worries were gone (as much as they can be for me) and I realized things were going to be okay.

Sure, I am going to miss my students and teacher friends and school like crazy but they will all be there when I decide to return. I have already missed so much of Logan's first 3 years, I am finally able to appreciate that I don't have to miss any more!

A Pool and a Pie

I wish we had a pool, or at least easy/free access to one. That's one compromise I made when we bought this house that I am wishing I hadn't. At the time, Logan was not a big fan of swimming but now he would spend the entire day in a pool, I think. He is swimming (actually underwater) in small 3 foot spurts (although he wants to go further--it still makes me nervous). Keller Pointe is only a couple miles from us but expensive and usually crowded. He'd be happy with just a pool to play with his toys in. Our next house will definitely have to either have a pool (not my first choice due to maintenance) or have one in the community--I will not compromise on that next time since he loves the water so much. And it wouldn't be so bad for me either on these ridiculously hot days. We may be looking to move in the spring, so next summer we may have our wish!

Now, the pie. I have been wanting a chocolate pie the past couple days and tonight Logan and Chris were out of the house (swimming) so I had my chance. Since I had a decent amount of time, I decided to make a pie from scratch instead of doing the boxed pudding kind. It's very good, but rich. It's supposedly the chocolate icebox pie recipe from Luby's. The recipe is copied from grouprecipes

**My Notes**

Chocolate Icebox Pie From Lubys

* Time 135 minutes
* Serves 8

Ingredients

* 2-1/2 cups milk divided **I used skim milk**
* 1-1/3 cups sugar
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
* 7 Tablespoons cornstarch
* 6 Tablespoons water
* 3 egg yolks, extra-large **I only had large eggs, still used 3**
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 cup miniature marshmallows
* 1 pie shell, 9-inch baked **I had ALOT of filling, almost could have made 2 smaller (8-inch) pies**
* whipped cream, sweetened for topping
* chocolate curls or shavings for garnish

How to make it

* Combine 2 cups milk, sugar, cocoa, and butter in a medium-size saucepan. **Use a larger saucepan--my 2 quart was not big enough once everything was added in**
* Bring just to a boil over medium heat.
* In a medium-sized bowl, completely dissolve cornstarch in water.
* Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk.
* Whisk in egg yolks and vanilla until well-blended.
* Gradually add egg yolk mixture to mixture in saucepan, stirring constantly with wire whisk.
* Cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes or until mixture is thickened and smooth.
* Add marshmallows and stir until they melt and mixture is smooth.
* Pour into pie shell.
* Press plastic wrap directly onto filling.
* Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
* Remove plastic wrap.
* Top with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate curls.
* Note: Pressing plastic wrap directly onto hot pie filling prevents a tough, "skin" from forming as pie cools. Use a potato peeler to make decorative chocolate curls or shavings from a chocolate candy bar.

So good, but the whipped cream was almost too much since the pie was already rich. I need to start getting some cravings for healthier food--cookies and pie are doing me no good.

Cleaning Schedule

I am so tired of having a messy house and having to rush around when someone is coming over making sure it is clean enough. And that's if I have notice, Heaven forbid a surprise visitor show up at my door. Although, if you are comfortable enough with me to show up unannounced then I probably am not worried about what you think of my housekeeping skills. :) Anywho, a friend at work was telling me how she cleaned certain rooms everyday and once she got the system down, it was really quick and easy and her house was always "company ready." Of course, the first couple weeks will take longer because the cleaning will take more time but as the weeks go on, it should be just maintenance. After googling different websites/blogs for cleaning schedules and not seeing one that suited me, I made my own. But even now, I'm seeing that it probably won't work once I start teaching at a MDO in September on M/W--I'll have to switch some rooms/days around, but that won't be a big deal. For now, I made my heaviest day Monday because during the summer that's the day that we typically stay home all day and recover from the weekend.

Monday~~Bathrooms/Closets (2)
Tuesday~~Bedrooms (3)
Wednesday~~Living Room/Big Laundry Day
Thursday~~Kitchen/Entry/Laundry Room
Friday~~Dining Room/Playroom

Dishes and laundry will still have to be done daily, as well as general decluttering/tidying up but that should decrease as well once the system in running smoothly. I typed up this list with a checklist of what needs to be done for each room, for my own sanity and in case Chris ever helps he'll know what to do (although admittedly he is a much better/more focused deep cleaner that I am). I am hoping I can get most of the cleaning done in the morning before we go out for the day or when Logan is napping. If all else fails, I can do it after dinner or when Logan's asleep since it hopefully won't take too terribly long. Wish me luck! And let me know if I left something out or if you have a schedule that works for you. I am definitely not married to this one, just trying to get something going.

BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies!

So last night I was home ALONE--as in no Logan, no Chris. And I had no clue what to do with myself. My sister was working and this "alone time" happened so last minute I had no time to make other plans. And no money to go shopping. Bad timing, but I digress. It was a nice night alone. In the quiet.

So as I was watching TV/playing on the laptop (that I am borrowing from my dad--love this thing, even if it is old it's better than sitting in the office with no TV or comfy couch) I decided cookies (mainly cookie dough) sounded excellent. But I didn't want to make the normal back of the bag recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I googled "best chocolate chip recipe" and this recipe was one of the first ones. I looked at some other links but they were either too complicated or had some extra ingredients that I didn't. This one had the typical ingredients, just in different amounts than normal. The actual link has pictures, etc. but here's the recipe (copied from Savory Sweet Life):

**My Notes**

Alice’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes approx. 45-48 cookies using a sm-med 2tbl. cookie scoop

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened **I only had unsalted**

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour *If at all possible, please weigh the flour **I did not do this**

1 tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt *please do not use table salt, the sea salt gives the cookies a nice flavor and hints of texture. If you only have table salt, use 1/2 tsp. *When using sea salt, you will get small crunchy flecks of salt when you bite into the cookie. If you do not like this taste, go with 1/2 teaspoon of table salt.

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups/16 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips *I use Nestle Toll-House **I used Target brand**

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes on medium speed on a K-5). Add both eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed. The cookie batter should be somewhat thick. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper **I did not use parchment paper**. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown **mine were done in 11 minutes**. Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface. Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

*Troubleshooting*

-If you’re cookies are coming out flat and not like the pictures there are probably 3 reasons for this.

#1) Baking powder and Baking soda is old. If your baking powder and soda is older than 1 year and has not been in a sealed (preferably air tight) container, it has lost some of it rising qualities.

#2) Creaming. It is not enough to just cream the butter and sugars until it has come together. This recipe requires you to beat it with a mixer for at least 5 minutes until the texture of the butter and sugar turns to light and fluffy-just like the picture.

#3) Flour. Flour should be weighed. This can make or break the recipe because just scooping flour into a measuring cup will never yield ideal or consistent results.

SO GOOD! Seriously. Crunchy (a little) on the outside, chewy on the inside. And they came out looking like no other chocolate chip cookie I've ever made. They just look better. I'm eating one (or three) right now. Yum. Enjoy!

He's Swimming! Well, almost.

Logan has been taking swimming lessons for the last week and a half from a physical therapist with my school district who has been doing swimming lessons for like the past 30 years. Now Logan is not afraid of the water--unlike other parents at the lessons, that was not my concern. He is a little too comfortable in the water and that was my concern. He'll jump right in (as long as his head is above water), not understanding why he can't swim. Anyway, the lessons are only 30 minutes long and I was wishing they were longer, wondering what they could possibly get done in 30 minute group lessons (3 in his group). First she just worked on him being comfortable in the water, check. Then she got his face/head in the water without letting him dry their face off--he needed to get used to water on his face. Parents were instructed not to offer a towel or anything during lessons. Strict, strict. She put him on his back and helped him "float" and then flip over and reach for the step. She had him put his face in the water and kick to her while she was holding his arms. She even pushes on his neck to force the head to stay down--that was hard to watch at first, but now I see the progress so it's okay. Now he's jumping off the step to her and swimming a couple feet to her! I mean, he's not great and I am still not comfortable with him alone in the water, of course, but wow! He knows what to do and he is not at all panicky or scared of putting his face in the water at all anymore. The last class is tomorrow and it is the "show off" class where we can bring cameras/video cameras and see what they've learned. Since I'm there everyday, I don't know if I'll see anything new, but I'll be taking video and Chris will be there.

Proof that he's learning and generalizing came tonight, though. We were at the Keller Pointe swimming and he really wanted to swim, not just play! He was letting go of the rails and "swimming" to us. Sure, it was only a foot to get to us, but still. He's 3. I'll take it. Chris took him to the toddler area where the water is not quite 2 feet deep and Logan started showing him what Mrs. Debbie (swim teacher) had taught him. He was putting his face down and pushing off and using his arms and legs and everything he had to swim to one of us. He did this for like 30 minutes straight, I swear. Over and over again. He'd come out of the water so proud! But we need to get the kid some goggles. He swims with his eyes wide open (and his mouth, somehow) and his poor eyes were beet red tonight. Yet somehow he didn't fall asleep until after 10...

"You're Wearing Me Out"

Yes, that is Logan's latest saying. Apparently, I wear him out...but I have to in order to get him to nap. We were walking out of Target one day last week and he said "Mommy, you're wearing me out." I about fell over laughing. Where does he hear this stuff?

So far this summer we have been to Sea World, movies, water/splash parks, bounce houses, library storytimes, and countless other places to stay busy. Otherwise, I swear this child would watch movies all.day.long. And there has been a day or two where that is what we have done. If that makes me a bad mother because I allow my child to watch TV for more than one hour per day (gasp) then so be it. At least it's educational--the child loves Nick Jr. and Baby Genius (thanks T-Luv), how can those be bad? Sure, there's a Scooby Doo or Tom & Jerry thrown in there occasionally, but it's not some violent cartoon or Sponge Bob or something like that.

Anywho, Logan has been an absolute blast this summer...except for the back talk issue, which I'll get to later. We can have actual conversations, I can reason with him, he can tell me what he wants/doesn't want to do. He's a completely different child from last summer. We had fun last summer, sure, but he was still very much a baby and needed me for a lot. Not so much this year. He's potty trained, able to entertain himself, and get what he needs for the most part. The child can even put in DVDs to get a movie started (especially if I told him no). He loves going to the park and swimming. He just started swimming lessons, which he is loving so far.

Back to the back talk issue. Not fun. We are in the middle of a horrible phase where he thinks he can talk/yell back and actually get away with it. Up until now, he has been pretty easy. I think we got out of the 2's without having "terrible" issues. But 3 is a whole other story, in my opinion. He hit 3 and he discovered he could argue, slam doors, and place demands/refuse demands. Time outs didn't phase him, being sent to his room worked temporarily, but let me tell you after the first time this child got a spanking--he was pretty heavenly...for a couple days. Spankings don't happen a lot, but when the limit has been reached and nothing else is working/getting his attention, they happen (I know, gasp again). But the back talk hasn't really stopped. It's still a daily issue and I am sick of it. Now we are threatening to take privileges away (TV, gymnastics) and he doesn't like that at all. We haven't had to take anything away yet but I'm sure it will happen. I'm hoping he's starting to get the hint that talking back isn't going to fly around here since he's been corrected over and over and over again in multiple ways. His newest thing is "I don't love you anymore." Wow. I thought we still had years before we heard that.

Summer Plans

3 more days of school and I'm done for the foreseeable future...both exciting and nerve-wracking! I'm trying to make plans for the summer--SeaWorld is first, we're leaving this weekend to go since my aunt will be moving soon and we can stay at her house in SA for free. I need to look up all the library story times and we will for sure hit up all the sprinkler parks quite frequently. Summer will be harder on a budget--in the past we haven't really had to worry about paying for the extra activities since we weren't paying for childcare over the summer, but this year we are having to budget, save, and pay off things so the extra money really isn't there. I'm debating about getting a Keller Pointe membership just for the summer so Logan and I (and Chris, when he's off) can use the pool as often as we want to instead of paying $17 every time we want to go. Logan is really into the water and points out the water park every day we drive by, so I think he would enjoy it, but would we get tired of going?

Logan is so excited for the summer. He keeps saying "we're getting ready to go to summer." He thinks summer is a place, I guess. We got him a little inflatable pool and he loves to splash around. He will be taking some swimming lessons this summer where I won't be in the water with him (phew!) so it will be interesting to see how that goes.

Summer plans as far as baby making are inconclusive. At my last visit (this past Friday), I had a large cyst on my left ovary (caused by the Clomid) so I can't do any treatment this month because it could cause the cyst to rupture or something like that. It's really expensive, the fertility doctor, so we kind of want to take some time off and enjoy the summer without having to worry about budgeting $500/month for treatment and dr. appointments. I think I'm going to try some herbal supplements and monitor my cycle using a friend's fertility monitor and see how that goes. And wine, lots of wine. :)

Taking the Plunge

So I did it...I officially resigned yesterday, effective June 5, 2010. I will be a SAHM starting then! I am excited beyond belief, I finally get to do what I have always wanted. I am also scared beyond belief...finances will be very tight, but everyone I have talked to said it was the same with them and they wouldn't change it for the world. Chris is extremely positive about it and is constantly having to reassure me that we are doing the right thing. He is so much better at having faith than me. I have faith in him that he will do whatever he has to do to keep us afloat, but I hate that he will have to work ALL THE TIME to make this happen for us. But he is willing to make the sacrifice for our family and I love and appreciate him so much for that. I am so lucky to have such a hard-working husband who only wants the best for his family no matter what he has to do.

Of course, I will be working part-time to help out hopefully. I would love to work at a MDO so Logan can go--I really want to get him into a "school-like" environment. I don't think he is one of those kids that would do well at home all day, he needs the socialization and the "rules" that a classroom would provide. I don't think he would do well at all if Kindergarten was his first experience with that. His sitter has been wonderful--she has had him since he was 5 months old--but it's time to move on. We still plan on meeting up with them for outings next year. I would also be open to watching 1 or 2 kids full or part time. If I do it full time, then I would still put Logan in a MDO 2 days a week and I would just stay home. I don't want to watch a lot of kids because I still want to be able to go places with Logan. If he has a program at school, I want to be able to go see it, which I wouldn't be able to do with a lot of kids. But nothing is for sure yet, except the not going back to work thing (scary).

In other news, I found out I have PCOS on Thursday, which explains everything that has been going on with my body since the age of 12. I am a little frustrated that no other doctor has ever caught this since I've apparently had it my whole life, but I guess that's what specialists are for. So I'm on new meds (Clomid--watch out everyone) and having a procedure done Thursday to look for blocked tubes and then we'll see what happens. Everything has kind of fallen into place this month, so maybe this will be it!

Decisions, decisions

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be one of those moms that stayed home with their kids and was really involved with their school once they were school-age--you know, did the room mom stuff and volunteered at the school. So I was, of course, disappointed when I had Logan and realized I could not stay home. For one, I had just started my first year of teaching when we found out I was pregnant. Number two, we weren't in a good financial place to live off of Chris' income alone. But I found an awesome sitter who has had Logan since he was just under 5 months old and she has been wonderful. I never worry when he is with her, which is great. But my problem is that I don't feel like I am giving my whole self to Logan when I am off work. I am tired and grouchy and just not very fun, I am sure. And at school, I know I am not giving my all because I am always thinking of Logan in the back of my mind and wishing I was the one home with him. So, it's extremely hard to feel like you aren't 100% satisfied in either aspect of your life--home or work.

Chris and I have discussed me staying home once we have another child (if/when that happens--that's another story) because at that point childcare costs would almost take up half of my paycheck. I would have to do something on the side to bring in some income, but if we could get some stuff paid off and learn how to really budget, we're hoping we can make this work. We just started taking the Financial Peace University course at a local church and so far, it's been good. Of course, we're only one class in but I think it will be good for us. While at the first class, a couple of other women were talking about how they stayed home with their kids and how it was the best thing they ever did. It was as if they were talking to me directly. I hated missing Logan's first steps and even his first poop in the potty and I don't want to miss any more and if we have another child, I really don't want to have missed out on his/her firsts as well. One woman at the class was saying how she didn't even know how to potty-train her 3rd child because the daycare had done it with her other two when she was working and now that she was staying home, she was clueless. I don't want to be that way.

After the class, Chris and I were talking and he sensed the push as well. We both just feel like these things are coming to us for a reason and we need to start preparing. Now, I do not hate my job by any stretch but I know I am not working as hard or doing as much as I should as a teacher due to my mind/heart really not being into it at this point. But I am also scared to stay home. What do you do all day? I don't want to lay around on the couch and watch TV and get fat(ter). I want to say that I will do all this educational stuff and enrich my kids' lives and everything, but it would be so easy to be lazy, too. Just being honest. Although, I'm sure the laziness would get old real fast (for me and especially for Chris). On the other hand, when would I go back to work? And when I did, would I get back in at the school I am at, which I love? There are no guarantees and I absolutely hate interviewing. I got so lucky with the job I am at--the interview was so laid back. But things are changing and school districts are tough now, even though it's only been 4 years.

So, for so many reasons, the decision is a tough one. I never expected it to be tough but when you factor everything in, it really is. Of course, I am definitely leaning towards the SAH route and we'll just deal with the other stuff as it comes. We've even discussed moving even though we just moved into this house a year ago. But if we're not tied to our location for my job and the sitter, then there's no reason why we couldn't move closer to Chris' work and live in a cheaper tax area than Keller. One step at a time, I know, but the mortgage is our biggest bill and if we could lower it and still have the space we needed, then why not?

The other decision: Logan's birthday party. I just realized that his birthday is a month away and I have no clue where to have his party. I don't want to do it at the house again, that's a beating. The gymnastics place I was thinking of doesn't have any good times available. And I was thinking about doing it at a park again, but the weather always makes that iffy. I've got to figure something out, though. Invitations need to go out and plans have to be made.

Think I'm stressed much?

He is his mother's son

So Monday, February 15th 2010 is a day that I will probably bring up to Logan for years to come. We had just finished eating dinner and I was cleaning up the dishes and Chris was playing with Logan at the table. Something about pulling Chris' finger and Logan letting go, etc.--giggles all around. Next thing I know, Logan pulls his finger and lets go with force and falls backward off the pub-height chair onto the tile floor. Now I didn't "see" him fall but I heard the impact and looked at Logan and he looked stunned and then the tears came. Chris picked him up and tried to calm him down and convince him to breathe (Logan tends to forget to do that when he freaks out) and took him to the couch. When Logan regained his breathing abilities he wanted me immediately. Chris got him ice and he layed on me and actually let me put ice on his head (duh--should have been clue #1). Of course he was still crying and obviously in pain, but I couldn't tell if he had a bump or just a bumpy head so we weren't freaking out. After a little while we started trying to engage him in conversation to make sure he was okay. I asked him what show we were watching (Yo Gabba Gabba--which he knows) and he was unable to spit out the words--almost as if he was speaking gibberish or something (should have been clue #2). But after a couple minutes he was able to tell us so we still weren't freaking out. For the rest of the night he just wanted to lay on the couch but he was talking to us and not crying anymore so we figured all was good. He went to bed as normal.

The next day I took him to the sitter and told her about his head and for her to let me know if she notices anything strange. She didn't call me that day but she called Wednesday to tell me he was complaining of his head hurting when he was jumping on their mini trampoline. I decided to call the doctor just to make sure all was okay. They got us in immediately to do a neuro check. At this point, I was feeling horrible--why didn't we take him Monday night or at least Tuesday? What if there is something wrong and we didn't do anything about it and now it's too late?? And Chris wasn't so great either, he was blaming himself since he was the one that caused the fall. Anyway, doctor's visit checked out fine. Pupils-fine, motor skills-fine, mild concussion-yes. Just have to watch him and make sure he doesn't jar his head anymore (aka--no more trampoline for a while).

Thursday is normal--even went to gymnastics with Chris (probably not the best idea, looking back on it) but they did leave early because Logan was complaining of his head hurting. He came home, I gave him some Tylenol and he ate and went to bed.

Next morning I am getting him ready to leave and I put his hoodie on his head and feel a mushy spot on his head and realize it's taken over the right side of his skull. Now I'm freaking out. For some reason, I still sent him with Chris to go to the sitter (what was I thinking??) thinking I'll call the doctor but they don't open til 8:30 anyway so I can at least get to work on time and then leave. Big dummy. I call Chris and tell him to bring him back. I took him to school with me and did my morning duty and then took him to the doctor at 8:30. No call, just showed up when they opened. Of course they got us right in and the nurse practitioner that we saw on Wednesday saw us that day. She felt the mushiness asked some questions and decided he needed a skull series (x-rays) but called Dr. Robert in to make sure he didn't need anything else. I, of course, got a little emotional hoping there wasn't anything else wrong. Luckily, the x-rays didn't show any fractures and they didn't feel the need for a CT scan so we just have to watch him to make sure he doesn't hit his head again while he has the mushiness, which by the way was a rather large hematoma according to the doctor. The hematoma (fluid under the skin) could last 2 weeks to 2 months. My poor child.

Almost exactly 2 weeks later and the mushiness is almost all gone, thank heavens. He still says it hurts occasionally but the child LOVES medicine so I have a hard time knowing if he's saying it just to get medicine.

That was my first real Mommy scare--sure, he's had other small things happen but nothing this major. I'm sure it won't be his last, but head injuries are really scary. I feel like I can almost breathe again. Now we're just waiting on his chipped/damaged tooth (from Christmas) to abscess so the dentist can extract it--yep, that's the latest injury...will it ever end?? Probably not, he is a boy and he apparently inherited my grace.

Dang it!

So that is Logan's newest word--"Dang it!" I know there are far worse things he could say, but I really don't want my 2 year old running around saying it. When I first realized that's what he was saying, he told me Daddy says it. Chris then told me he heard it from TV--I don't hear "dang it" very often on TV--especially on Nick Jr., which is pretty much what TV consists of right now. Anywho, I told Logan he should say "Oh, man!" instead if he gets angry/frustrated (which is a lot these days) and now I hear that all the time, which gets REALLY old. Every once in a while he'll slip a "dang it" in there to see if I'm listening and all I have to do is shoot him "the eye" and he promptly corrects himself with "oh, man!"

Now we really have to watch our mouths--not only does he repeat but he uses it in the right context as well, which is a whole different ball game. I don't cuss (except "crap"--gotta watch that one) and Chris rarely does, at least around us, so it shouldn't be too hard. It's the extended family (namely my brother) that we are going to have to watch, although they find it to be hilarious when Logan repeats--"Bone Daddy's, woo!" is the most recent one. We're in trouble.

30 minute increments

That's how my weekend was spent--30 minute increments. Well, we gradually worked up to hour increments, but still, that takes a toll on a weekend when most of your time is spent in a bathroom (with a 2 year old, people). But things are going great! Logan stays dry all day, except the pooping thing, but even naps are dry. He goes potty every time the timer goes off, which is now every hour. That 30 minute thing was a beating. By the time we got off the potty it seemed like it was time to go back. At least now he is able to produce. He got Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs on Saturday for filling up his potty chart and is now working toward earning Up, which I am sure he'll have in the next couple days.

I have tomorrow off to see about Logan's gray tooth. He fell on Christmas night and hit the coffee table. All looked okay, barely any blood, so I thought he was fine despite the horrific sound it made when he actually hit the coffee table. A couple days later I noticed some bruising on his gums, but the kid was biting into a whole apple with no trouble, so again, I thought we were in the clear. A week or so later I noticed him not wanting to chew with his front teeth and started noticing some discoloration. So, yeah, the tooth is probably dying. Guess we ought to go see about that. This is the same tooth he has chipped and fallen on before, so obviously Logan and this tooth were not meant to be.

We also will be going to my doctor tomorrow, which is always fun. I have taken Logan with me before and he does great except for all the questions--

"Mommy, why are your pants off?"
"Put your shoes on."
"Mommy, where's your penis?"
"Where's the doctor?"
"What's that?"

Fun stuff. Starting month 4 of meds and I'm sure he'll suggest injections, but I am just not going to pay out of pocket for injections. I'll keep doing what we've been doing, but I am not going to take us to the poor house to have another baby. I've been blessed once, I don't need to push it. It will happen if it is meant to. Kind of sucks that I am at that point, but I know how lucky I am to have one child. Sure, I would LOVE to have another one and I don't even want to think about never being pregnant again, so I am choosing to stay positive and have faith that whatever will be will be.

I will update tomorrow. I am sure there will be some stories to tell from his dentist visit and my doctor visit. Wish me luck.

Potty-Training isn't a beating after all...

or maybe I'm just doing it wrong. We have been doing the timed thing since Thursday (take him every 30-45 minutes). He usually is able to go potty at least a little bit and has only had 3 or 4 accidents since Thursday (not counting nap or nighttime--or poop, but that will be later, I am sure). But this is with us telling him to go every 30-45 minutes. Does this suddenly change over to him telling us he needs to go? Cause he has yet to do that. He will tell us right after he goes since he feels it now, but that's as far as we've gotten. I'm already growing tired of the 'every 30 minutes' thing and I am trying to stretch it to 45, which has gone pretty well. When he can't go, he says "There's no tee-tee in my penis." So cute, this kid.

He's so dang cute in his little underwear, too. I bought him some boxer briefs, but I haven't put those on him yet. I know those will be adorable.

He's very excited about going potty right now, which is a change from a couple months ago when he was just completely content in his diaper. When he fills up his potty sticker chart (which will happen today, I am sure) he was told he gets a movie. He chose "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." My preference was "Up" but I am sure we will be starting another potty chart when this one is filled.

Now, he really is growing up and I need another baby, stat!

Are you sure, Mommy?

We went to a dog-themed birthday party this morning and on the way home Logan was pretending to eat out of the dog bowl he got at the party and he said he was a doggy and proceeded to bark. The conversation went as follows:

L: I'm a dog, Mommy.
Me: Really?
L: Yes, woof, woof. Are you a dog, Mommy?
Me: No, I'm not a dog.
L: Are you sure, Mommy?
Me: Yes, I'm sure.
L: (Puts bowl on head) Well, I'm a hat dog, Mommy!

I'm sticking to it...sort of

So, I did it. I woke up Monday morning at 5:20 and was on the treadmill by 5:30! During my 30 minute walk I learned something, though--don't close/rub your eyes while you're supposed to be walking. You will forget to walk and, therefore, roll back with the treadmill and fall. And your husband in bed next to the treadmill will watch it happening and not give you a heads up. Luckily, I caught myself on the nightstand and didn't completely bust, but yeah, not my greatest moment.

I woke up Tuesday as well and walked for 30 minutes again. But I have heard that exercising in the morning gives you more energy throughout the day. Not so much for me. I am not a fan of waking up at 5:20 and it shows. I am still yawning all day long and exhausted when I get home. What it does make me, though, is HUNGRY. I used to not get hungry between breakfast and lunch and now I can barely make it to 10 am without my stomach talking to me.

As for Wednesday, I completely overslept. I guessed I was so tired that I reached over and hit my phone when the alarm went off and instead of hitting snooze, it turned off. Oops. Sort of. It sure was nice to sleep in.

We'll see about tomorrow. It's gonna be awfully cold and I just don't see myself getting out from under my warm covers any earlier than I have to. Ugh! See, I am talking myself out of this exercising thing already! What is my deal?

In other news, I'll know in about 5 days if I am pregnant or not. I hope it worked this month, but I'm not getting my hopes up. But that sure would explain my hunger, fatigue, and complete absent-mindedness lately...

Back to Life, Back to Reality...

I am really not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. The breaks are awesome, but they make going back really hard. I have loved sleeping in with Logan, getting stuff done around the house, playing with Logan (at least not being too tired to do so), and having family over several nights--which doesn't happen when I am working.

Going back to work also means I am supposed to start Resolution #2--walking on the dang treadmill 5 days/week. Ugh. I know I need to do it. Part of going back to work means finding things to wear and I hate (HATE) the way clothes fit right now and how horrible I look in them. So, I bought new tennis shoes yesterday with the purpose of using them starting Monday morning. I'm gonna do this...

So now I have to try to stretch this last day of my break out as long as I can and then start the countdown to Spring Break (mid-March). After Spring Break is TAKS month (April), which goes pretty fast and then May is here and that is usually very relaxed (since TAKS is over) and then SUMMER! So, we're on the downhill slope. Sad, huh?

I'm REALLY bad at this!

So, it's been over 6 months since I updated this thing. I just don't know that people really care about reading about our mundane life. Sure, Logan cracks us up, but I don't know if people really want to read about what my kid does. But, anyway, I'm going to try to update more often, for memories if nothing else. I was going to resolve to update every day, but then I realized that wouldn't last long, so I'll just say I'll do it more often. That sounds do-able and not at all committal. :)

The last 6 months have brought some changes, not major ones, but changes nonetheless. Logan is growing like a weed and talking up a storm--I think he just likes to hear himself talk at times. We can have full-on conversations with him and understand almost everything he says. He is very much a boy--loves to play with cars and is interested in just about every sport. I think he's pretty smart, too, but I guess all parents think that way of their kids. He knows most of the letters of the alphabet and can recognize some numbers up to 10 (all of this depending on his mood, of course). We can't tell yet if he is going to be right-handed or left-handed, but he definitely kicks and bats left, which Chris is excited about. We'll see. There is discussion of Blast Ball this Spring, but I only want him to do it if Chris or Uncle Ryan coaches.

The potty-training thing that was started over the summer has kind of taken a back-burner. He will go if we put him on the potty, but he doesn't tell us when he's wet or even when he's poopy (unless we ask) so I figure I'm not going to push it. He'll let us know when he's ready. He's starting to hide and get embarrassed about it, though, so maybe it won't be much longer. He did tell us he was ready for a big boy bed, though, so Chris took down one of the rails of his crib and he slept in it for several days without a problem. Well, except we discovered he sleepwalks like Uncle Ryan. We would find him behind his rocking chair, in the middle of his room, walking into walls (in his room), etc. He would wake up crying and not know how he got there. So, we put the rail back up until we can get him a big bed with rails. He just wasn't sleeping well and neither were we.

We also started trying (really trying) to get pregnant this past summer, but it has not been so easy. Logan was a complete, COMPLETE fluke. Both doctors I have seen have confirmed that. I've tried 2 different meds with no luck. If it doesn't work this month, then my dr. wants to get more aggressive with injections. I really hope it works this month so we don't have to go that route. I just keep second-guessing myself. Logan happened at what seemed like a bad time (I didn't have a job) but it worked out perfectly. So, maybe there's a reason I am not getting pregnant right now. Maybe the timing is just not right. I would really like to be able to stay home once I have a 2nd child, so maybe God is just trying to tell me that wouldn't be possible if I got pregnant right now. We shall see, I guess.

My 2nd resolution is to walk on my treadmill 5 days a week. I got a free one from a lady at work and it has just been sitting in my bedroom, only getting used 2 or 3 times since last April. Pathetic, I know. So, I figure, if I can lose some weight and be happier with myself, maybe everything else will fall into place. Now, I just have to convince myself to get up at 5:15 am every morning, starting this Monday...

My 3rd resolution is to find a local church so that we can get involved and Logan can go to Sunday School and VBS like I did as a child. Chris and I used to go to church out in Weatherford when we were dating and first married, but it was a long drive and VERY Baptist, which is not a bad thing, just not our thing. I want to find a small church with lots of young families. My best friend Lindsey goes to a small Methodist church, so we might try that one first.

Sorry this was so long, but I had to catch up. Once I start posting more often, they won't have to be this long!