Mondays aren't so bad

aaaaaaaaaaaaah what a beautiful day! We played outside and had a generally low key day. :) My girls are both in bed with no fight or tears. I love these days.

I'm slacking

It's been about a month since we started Chantix. It's working! Yay.

Not so crazy dreams and no depression (thank goodness).

Anyways, my absence is explainable. Jovyn started going to occupational therapy for Sensory processing disorder. She has been in the OT program for 4 weeks, and is doing pretty well. She shut down today and refused to do anything her OT asked, so she got to spend some quality time with the corner.

Anyways, over the past few weeks, I have spent some time thinking about things no one prepared me for, when it comes down to kids. Thanks Mom and Dad, I'm sure this was a joke on me for your amusement. I believe that more and more everytime I call my mother and she laughs at me.

So here is my list of things I was never prepared for with my kids.

~Poop flies- When my oldest was a few weeks old, I was changing her diaper... I'm sure you know where this is going. She projectile pooped... in my face. Not lovely.

~Kids do not like to wear clothes- again... this was my oldest daughter. Even now at 3 years old, she strips her clothes off whenever she thinks she can get away with it.

~They are monkies and you are their jungle gym- Self explanatory I think.

~They can and will sniff out any candy in the house- Steve had shoulder surgery a while back and my brother came into town to watch Jovyn while I was hanging out in the hospital with a doped up husband who didn't know up from down. Anyways, I went home to sleep and woke up to Jovyn in my face and my brother at my bedroom door. Nothing weird right? Yeah... except her face was covered in a bright red sugary substance and the biggest grin you will ever see.

~If you make it a game kids will do it- Back to when Donny(my brother) was here. We had a big tub of popcorn, the holiday one, and Donny was snacking on it... only he didn't lift a finger, he had Jovyn throwing it into his mouth....

~Kids are perfect angels.... when the grandparents are around- I have never seen my oldest so well behaved as when she is around either set of grandparents.

~They have endless energy- The last visit to my moms house was in March for early Easter, My Step-dad had Jovyn running laps... well more like she just chased him for 20 minutes or so chanting "gotta save myself, gotta save myself"

~They don't like sleep as much as mommy and daddy- They will regret this one day and that is what gets me through the nap time refusal and midnight wake ups.

~Bottomless pits- They NEVER stop eating, at least my kids don't. This applies to both of my children. Jovyn will eat all day long (thankfully he idea of a snack is fruit so I don't mind) and she just doesn't gain weight, I'm a little jealous of my 3 year old. Coryn will keep eating if you let her, and that is why she is my chunky munch. Just rolls on rolls and I love it.

~Whatever you say can and will be used against you- I have noticed Jovyn saying things that I have said to her when my patience is worn thin, such as "I don't have time for this" and "are you insane?!" It's probably the only time I will laugh at some of those phrases.

I'm sure there are more things that my kids have done and will do that will end up on this list eventually. But for now this is all I can think of. I think it's cartoon time.

No more smoke?

Hubby and I have finally decided to definately quit smoking. We got a prescription for Chantix.. Now we just have to decide on a date to start taking the meds. It comes in 4 weekly packs, daytime and nightime doses. The first week is a low dose and only has 3 nighttime doses. The 3 weeks following are slightly over 1mg doses twice a day.

We have read about the side affects and are willing to put up with them to make ourselves healthier and help keep our children healthy. We have both been smoking for aprox. 10 years give or take. We have lately started to realize the effects smoking is having on our bodies, as well as the effects it could have on our children. Neither of us want our kids to start smoking when they are teenagers, or ever. If we were to keep it up, the odds of our kids lighting up one day are too high for us to ignore. On top of that, I am tired of getting sick all the time and coughing every morning when I wake up. It's a disgusting habit that I wish I had never started. It's possibly the one thing in life that I truly regret doing. I want to be healthy for my kids, and for myself. My desire to watch my kids graduate and have kids of their own, as well as seeing my great grandchildren is too great to ignore. I want to run with my kids without feeling like I am going to collapse.

I will try to do daily updates of our journey to quit smoking. I'm hoping this will be it and I will never pick up another ciggarette in my life.

As for the day we are starting.... I have no clue. We want to be able to remember that day and tell our kids how speacial it is to us.

Maybe April 1st. I would like it if we didn't pick up a ciggarette on our 4th anniversary (April 13th)

If you smoke, really take a look at how your body is doing. Think about it. If you want to live a normal healthy life, quitting smoking is the first thing to start you on that path.

Time flys when you are growing up

My little beanie baby will be 3 on Saturday. She has asked for a Princess Party :) We all have to dress up and eat cake. Fun!!

I also started to think about these past 3 years, and everything we have gone through as a family. I was induced on the 16th of January, it was snowing in Texas. A beautiful day to bring a life into the world. My husband had made it down the day before, just barely. Steve was in Tech school for the air force and had to rent a car to make that 2 hour drive on an icy highway. He made it in an hour and a half. We woke up at 4 or 5 am on the 16th to get ready for the long day in the hospital. My mom was there with us from 6am to well past midnight. Jovyn was born at 11:48 pm. The most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life was that little girl looking up at me with her eyes wide open.

6 weeks later, we were napping while daddy was in class, and I woke up to a blue face on my angel. My heart shattered. I don't remember how, but I did everything I could to bring her back. I called 911 when she was breathing and pink, they sent EMT's over, the checked her out and advised us to go to the hospital. I wasn't leaving without my husband. Steve came home and took us to the E.R. She was in that hospital for 3 days. Something about slight pneumonia, and an infection. The day we brought her home was one of the happiest of my life.

We moved to Missouri on Mother's day that year. After a few months I wasn't feeling well. After a trip to the ER one morning, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Another heart break. I had a fantastic doctor and by Jovyn's first birthday I was doing better. I was on a heart moniter for her birthday party, because my heart was pretty weak at that point.

Just after her 1st birthday, Steve and I were constantly fighting. We weren't in a great place financially and it almost destroyed us. I went to my mothers for a few months, so we could clear our heads. I came back in May, just in time to move again. We have been in this house ever since. Jovyn's second birthday was held here. She had most of her favorite people here for it.

Now as her third birthday nears, I think some more. Have I done everything right so far? The answer to that is given every time I look at her. She is always smiling, even when she hurts herself, she gets right back up (sometimes after an icepack and bandage) and gets back to what she was doing. She loves to joke around, and "play pranks" especially pulling peoples pants down, or hiding under her bed so she can jump out at me. Her bedtime ritual consists of hunting monsters with her Tinker Bell flash light. Most importantly, she tells me how much she loves me, and that I am her best friend.

I sit here watching her play in the living room, with that smile that never leaves her face, and I realize, I have done everything right. I have a fantastic child who will grow up and love everyone, just because of who they are. She is happy and giving, beautiful and full of life. I only hope I can be as happy and caring as her when I grow up.

Happy 3rd birthday Beanie Baby.