Fun in the Water!

Coco Key Water Resort is having an awesome deal right now where if you get there before 5 pm you can get in for free. Yesterday Cory took off work 30 minutes early and met us there. The Davis family met us there as well.

This is Madison's favorite place in the whole world. I have to admit that it's one of my favorite places in the whole world too, and after last night, it may be one of Macy's favorite places as well. Both of my girls are fish, just like their mommy! Whenever we see the billboard or hear the commercial on the radio Madison lights up! Quite often in our house the Coco Key jingle is heard being sung by Madison and myself.

Madison sliding

Fish #1

Fish #2

As soon as I put Macy in the water like this, she started moving her arms like she was really swimming. She's a natural! Please excuse the cleavage shot. (Nice one hun!) Also I don't know how to change this so it's not sideways.

This morning I gave the girls a bath to wash off all of the yucky chlorine. I forgot I had bought some fun bath crayons forever ago so I got those out, and Madison had a blast writing on the walls.

Macy's new signature look!

Halloween Fun!

We ended up getting our fill of Halloween fun this year. We kicked off our Halloween fun at the annual Davis Halloween Party. They had a party for the kids during the day, and an adults only party at night. Cory and I wore our costumes with our kids at the kid party since our costumes all went together. I made all of our costumes, with the exception of Madison's. We were characters from Yo Gabba Gabba (a wacky cartoon show). Madison was Foofa, Macy was Muno, Cory was DJ Lance, and I was Plex.

Me as "Plex" the robot

The Yo Gabba Gabba family

Madison trying to hit the pinata
at the Davis Halloween party

We definitely ended up with enough candy to last us for the year after trick-or-treating at 6 different places. Last Sunday we started at the zoo for their annual Halloween event. We then headed to Village Point for candy and games. We ended the day at our friend's church's trunk or treat event. We had a lot of fun and got loads of candy.

In the cold at the zoo

This past Friday I babysat for Emma & Ethan, and we took all of the kids to the Westroads trick-or-treating event. It was crazy busy, and the kids were disappointed in the lack of candy they got, but I assured them they'd get plenty the next night. Halloween night we went to grandma's to trick-or-treat, and then went to Stonebridge Church's event. That was a lot of fun. We then headed over to our friends' Heath & Michelle's house so that Madison and Braeden (her future husband) could go together.

Ethan as "Thomas the Train", Madison as "Foofa"
Emma as a witch, Macy as "Muno"

Madison & Braeden before going out

Macy wasn't warm enough in her costume
so I put her in my coat to keep warm

In the end, we ended up with gobs of candy that none of us really need. Some of it has already disappeared with Cory to work, thank goodness.

Glitz & Glamour!

Saturday afternoon started out horribly with Nebraska losing badly to Texas Tech. Cory was not happy, so the phone call I received during the 3rd quarter was a relief. My friend, Kirsten, turned 30 on Friday, and her husband, Lance, surprised her with a 6 hour limo ride that evening. She called to say they wanted some company and would be picking us up in 20 minutes. Grandma was nice enough to keep the kids so we could go.

I felt so glamorous having a limo pick us up at our house. We went to the casino first and lost a couple of bucks there. We drove around the Old Market for a bit, and then had a nice dinner at Vincenzo's. Overall it was a really fun evening out with some great friends and without the girls.

Kirsten & me in the limo

Drink up, honey!

At the end of the night

Today Madison's friend, Lexi, turned 4 years old. Her mommy, Beth, couldn't decide what to do for a party for her and ended up deciding to just have Madison and Lexi play at Clara's Closet. This place is a little girl's dream come true. It's this fun little old house in Elkhorn. The girls spent about 30 minutes trying on different dress-up clothes, jewelry, tiaras, and purses. They were more into the jewelry than anything else. During the first 5 minutes there Madison said to me, "Can I have my birthday party here?" I had to explain to her that she had just had her birthday party and wouldn't be having another one for quite awhile. Bummer!

They had their nails painted and light make-up put on. Next was a photo shoot in their favorite outfit, followed by a tea party. They were taught etiquette during their "tea" (apple juice) and muffin party. Each girl got 2 pictures to take home. It was such a fun day!

Madison loved the necklaces!

Lookin' pretty!

Getting nails done

Photo shoot

Tea party

Macy wanted to play too!

A Memorable Birthday!

I'm not sure what will be more memorable about Madison's 3rd birthday - the 6 inches of snow we woke up to or her puking and having to leave her birthday party. Okay, probably the puking part.

We have talked about and looked forward to this day for months. Madison was so pumped up for her big birthday party with all of her friends. We woke up that morning, and I could tell Madison didn't feel the greatest but it seemed to just be a cold. I told her that it had snowed, and she was so excited to go see. Madison, Daddy, and Bailey spent some time playing in the cold and building 1/2 of a snowman. Not sure why they didn't finish, but oh well. She loved it!




After about an hour nap it was time to head out for the party. She was so excited!

The party was at Premier Gymnastics and was supposed to be tons of fun. 12 of her closest friends showed up and had a great time, but unfortunately the birthday girl did not. Shortly after arriving, as we were all headed into the preschool gym to play, she puked all over the floor. I was mortified, but at that point I was really hoping it was a combination of the phlegm from her cold and all of the excitement of the day. I asked Madison if she still wanted to play, and she said, "YES!" She played with her friends for a little while, but I could just tell that she still wasn't feeling the greatest. She ended up getting sick a couple more times at the gym, and while all of her friends played and bounced in the jumpy house, she spent the time in the bathroom with Cory.

Friends playing in the gym

After the fun was over, it was time for cake and presents. We got everyone set up in the party room. After singing "Happy Birthday" I decided it would be best to not let Madison blow out her big #3 candle since I didn't want her to accidentally spit on the cake. I already felt terrible about her being sick and being around the other kids. I still don't know if I should have just canceled the party as soon as she puked the first time. Her friends had a great time, so I think it was worth it for that. I just pray that no one else ends up sick.

Gorgeous Dora cake made
by Tiffani

Poor thing did not feel well

After singing, Cory ended up taking Madison home. I had to announce to everyone that the birthday girl was going home and would have to open up her presents later. Some of the kids were bummed, and Madison was so upset, but it was for the best. It was odd finishing the party without her.

At home, she got sick again and was completely miserable. She put on pajamas, and when I got home with all of her presents she immediately wanted to open them. It took her at least an hour to get through them because she just couldn't sit or stand for very long. It was hard for her to even muster up any sort of excitement about the gifts. Our friends were very generous, and she got some nice things that she was able to enjoy a bit more today.

Fun princess blanket
from Braeden

Pillowcase dress from
Christian & Noah made by
The Upper Room
(I promise that she likes it,
even though it doesn't appear so)

Snow White movie
from Makenna
(what a fake smile)

Wand & Tu-tu
from Reagan

Macy wants to open some presents too

We were supposed to go to the Amazing Pizza Machine with Grandpa Jack & Lori and Grandma today for her actual birthday, but she still wasn't feeling too good so we stayed in. She opened gifts throughout the day, and played with a lot of the toys. We put the candle back on her cake tonight and sang "Happy Birthday" again, and this time we let her blow out the candle. She finally got to eat a little bit of the cake that everyone had raved about. All in all, things didn't go exactly as planned, but when I put Madison to bed tonight I asked her if she had a good birthday and she said, "Yes!" That's all that really matters!

5 Little Monkeys game
from Grandpa Rich & Dawn

Playing the game with Daddy

Playing with doll from
Grandpa Jack & Lori

Madison and Grandpa Jack

Yummy!

Dr. Fran gave us the green light to start cereal with Macy, and boy did we have fun with it! Madison had fun watching and laughing as Macy made a huge mess. All in all it was a success! Lately she's been spitting it out more and more so we haven't been giving it to her every day. I'm going to give it a little more time before I push it more.

The first taste

"Look Mom, I can help!"

Food coma!

"What are you feeding me?"

Please excuse the annoying
Mommy voice

Success!!!

After almost 18 months of ups and downs, laughs and tears, messes, and a mommy almost ready to tear her hair out - Madison is FINALLY potty trained! I'm amazed that I'm finally able to say this. There were days that I seriously thought we'd never get to this point. I'd thought I would be sending my Kindergartner off to school in 3 years in diapers.

This has been the hardest part of parenting that Cory and I have experienced thus far. I'm sure in about 13 years I'll be wishing for these days to return, but for now I'm so relieved that this is over with. I'll be turning around and doing this again in about a year, but for now it's wonderful to only have 1 in diapers.

As a reward, Madison will get to ride her new bike for the first time tonight. I bought it a couple of months ago as bribery, but it never worked. This child cannot be swayed by bribery. She has a mind of her own, and she was going to do this potty training thing when she was good and ready. She's a control freak - I wonder where she gets that? :) Certainly not from me, right?

Anyway, I'm so proud of my big girl and just had to share the news with everyone! Go Madison go!

Busy Times!

The last week has been a little crazy in our household. I hurt my back last Thursday and have been somewhat out of commission since then. Well, as much as I can be with a toddler and infant to chase around. Since hurting my back, I have been unable to beginning running again. This has been a huge disappointment for me. I'm hoping to start again sometime in the next week or so.

On Friday, Cory had a vasectomy. I'm not sure he'll like me sharing that with the world (or the 5 or so people who actually read my blog), but it was a big deal. Him being in pain and me being in pain were not a good combination. Luckily, grandma was around to help out a lot with the kids, and he has pretty much made a full recovery since then.

Monday was my last day of work as a nanny. I love those 2 little ones like they're my own so this will be a really hard transition. Madison loves them like siblings and has asked about them every day since we've been gone. She still does not understand that we won't be going to their house every day anymore. I'll still babysit every now and then (like tomorrow) so we'll still see them quite a bit. I'm still searching for a new job. I've had a few promising interviews, but I haven't heard back on them yet. I'm really crossing my fingers to get a new nanny position with a wonderful family that I met yesterday. The stress of job hunting is weighing on me, and I want it to end soon!

We've had a really tough week of making decisions. Madison was accepted into the Early Childhood Special Education program at my mom's school as a Peer Role Model. We already had her signed up at the Gingerbread House preschool on Monday and Wednesday mornings. The program at Pinewood is 5 days a week in the afternoons (1-3:40). This means she can no longer take naps. After weighing the pros and cons of each school we ended up enrolling her at Pinewood as a Peer Model, and I couldn't be happier with the decision. Today was her first day, and she did great! She loves her teachers, and the program is fantastic. There are 4 special ed kids, 2 peer models, and 3 teachers in the class. What a great ratio! I was worried that the program would not be "academic" enough, but it definitely is. I really expect her to excel in the program and really develop some strong leadership skills. Her teacher is really determined to help get her potty trained, and I couldn't be more thrilled with this. The lack of nap today really showed in bad behavior this evening, but I'm hoping she'll get used to it soon. She better!

In front of her "locker"
on the 1st day

Doing puzzles

Today was also Macy's 6 month well-baby visit. She's finally putting on some weight! She's now 13lbs 2oz (4%), 24.5 inches (9%), and her head circumference is 42.2cm (39%). She's still a peanut, but at least she's on the charts this time. Dr. Fran was pleased with her growth and said she looks a lot healthier. He gave us the green light for solids in about 2 weeks. We're also going to ween her off of the MSPI formula that we've still been supplementing with and try regular formula. I'm still breastfeeding as much as possible, but my body is just not cooperating. I'm going to try to keep it up until her birthday because I really want to try to keep her healthy this winter.

This weekend will be a fun and busy one for us, between fun with friends and the first Husker game. Can't wait!

6 Months Old!

I can't believe it! My little baby is 6 months old already. Where has the time gone? Since this is our last baby I have really tried to be conscious about relishing every moment with her and enjoying each and every milestone. It's just crazy to think about where we were 6 months ago when this tiny 4lbs 11oz little miracle was born. Oh how our lives have changed for the better.

Macy is really starting to become such a fun little thing. She giggles at the crazy things her big sister does. I tried catching it on video the other day, but she seems to be a little camera shy. She is rolling all over the floor and is even trying to scoot on her belly. She can get her legs going, but she has a hard time getting her upper body to move. She is also just starting to sit up for really short periods of time. We are getting her 6 month pictures and Madison's 3 year pictures taken in a couple of weeks, and I'm really hoping she'll be sitting up in time for those.

We go in next week for her 6 month well-baby check and shots (eeeekkkk!) I can really tell that she's been packing on some weight over the last couple of weeks so I'm hoping she's somewhere around the 13lb mark. I'm still supplementing with formula since my milk supply really has not improved, even with going off of the MSPI diet and quitting running (I'll be back to running starting tomorrow, but I'll save that for another post).

Here are a few recent pictures and videos of my beautiful girls:

She loves sticking her tongue out!

Look at me! I'm 6 months old today!

First time in the Jumperoo (her feet
actually touch the ground)

"My mommy's lazy and makes me
hold my own bottle."

Madison was jealous that I was taking Macy's
pictures and not her's

Ethan & Madison (they are sure
going to miss each other)

Giggling at grandma

And the Results Are In!

So, before I begin with the race recap, I have to talk about the night before. Friday night I had Bunco group. I kept debating back and forth and having discussions with Shannon and Lisa (my racing buddies) about how much food I was going to eat at Bunco. This is my first month in over 6 of being off of my no dairy/soy diet and getting to eat all of the yummy food everyone makes. I must say, these girls outdid themselves this month with the cheesy dips and fabulous desserts. As soon as I saw the spread, I dug in! Later that night, while I was getting ready for bed I suddenly had this horrible sick to my stomach feeling. I realized I had definitely pigged out too much. I ended up setting my alarm for 6:30 a.m. and going to bed, just hoping the pain would go away and be gone in the morning.

In discussions that night at Bunco I was telling a few people that over the last 11 weeks since we started running (33 days total), we have never felt a drop of rain or been rained out. That's amazing when you think about Nebraska summers. Uh oh, I totally cursed us!

I slept good that night and ended up waking up (feeling good) to LOUD cracks of thunder at 6:00 a.m. Then I heard the rain start pounding against my bedroom window. I laid there for a minute and thought to myself, "This cannot seriously be happening. Why did I have to bring up the rain discussion at Bunco last night?" I suddenly jumped out of bed to turn on the TV and watch the radar. The upbeat weather girl on channel 6 comes on and basically says that the day's rain should hold off until sometime around noon. Are you kidding me lady? It's pouring outside, and can't you hear that thunder? She's obviously not going to be any help so I hopped on the computer to look at the live radar. Not good! Thunderstorms everywhere.

I got ready anyway and headed to Shannon's house by 7:15 for our agreed upon meeting time. We were all really bummed about the weather but decided to head to Lake Zorinsky anyway. There were several cars there when we pulled in, so that was a good sign. We ran from the car to the registration tent and asked what the plan was. We were told that they were going ahead with the race, rain or shine. I was shocked that they'd let us run with the lightning. We were also informed that the race didn't start until 8:30 (we thought it was at 8:00). We gathered our registration goods and headed back to the car to wait for an hour. While we sat there the rain continued heavily, and the lightning and thunder didn't let up either. Shannon and Lisa talked about not racing, but I said I was racing either way. The organizers of the race didn't care about the lightning, why should I?

At about 8:15 we decided to face the rain and head to the restroom. The rain had let up a bit, but it was cold! We hung out in the warm bathroom for a bit and then headed outside. Other runners (hardcore looking ones at that - I was intimidated) started gathering around the starting line, and suddenly the rain stopped! It was crazy! Right around 8:28 the storm completely disappeared. No rain, no lightning, no thunder. The head guy said a little speech about MS (the cause we were running for) and buzzed his horn signaling the start of the race. And we were off!

The course was kind of weird. We went back and forth across the same area a couple different times. The roads and paths were a little slick from all the rain we had gotten, but it wasn't that bad. The first mile was fairly easy for me, even with a large hill to climb. I didn't bring a watch with me because I didn't want to obsess about my time. I just wanted to run at my own pace and hopefully make my goal. At just past the 1 mile mark I yelled to Lisa to ask her what time we were at. 11:22. Awesome! That was my fastest mile yet. Shortly thereafter we came upon a much-needed water station.

At around the 1.75 mile point I was starting to wear down. I kept watching the parking lot to see if Cory and the girls had arrived yet. I finally spotted my van, and I was excited. I got back to the water station, and just past that, I saw Cory and my girls. Madison saw me and waved. She ran towards me and yelled, "Hi mommy! Run fast!" That was exactly what I needed at that exact moment. I told her I loved her and kept going. Knowing she was watching me and would be waiting for me at the finish line made me run harder.

I went back and forth between running and walking (there was no way I could run the whole thing) to conserve my energy and catch my breath. I knew I still had that same hill to climb again just towards the end of the race. When I got to the hill, I was totally exhausted. I had to push so hard just to walk up it. When I finally reached the top I knew I only had about 1/4 of a mile left. I also knew I had to be getting close to my 38 minute goal. Lisa was about 30 seconds ahead of me, and Shannon was about 1 minute behind me so I couldn't yell out to either of them to find out what time we were at. At that point, I was really wishing I had brought a watch. I told myself I would run until the end, but I just couldn't quite do it. As I approached the finish line I could see a big board with the time - 38:12, 38:13, 38:14.... I knew I hadn't hit my goal and I was disappointed, but I ran hard to the end. I never saw my ending time, but I think it was around 38:20 or so. I was so proud of myself for finishing but disappointed for not hitting my goal of 38 minutes.

The winner of the race ended up finishing 16:07. Craziness! The final results were posted on the organizers' website later yesterday and my official time was 37:50! Woohoo! I have no idea which time was accurate, but since it's posted on the web I'm going with it. I reached my goal! I finished 99th out of 114 people. Slightly embarrassing, but I justify it by telling myself that the people that showed up on that rainy day had to be the hardcore runners. That weather wasn't for sissies!

All in all, I'm really proud of myself for sticking with this, even through all of my ups and downs. For now, I'm hanging up my running shoes to take care of my baby, but I plan to be back at it again next spring, when I'm done breastfeeding. I hope to be stronger and faster next year!

The approach to the finish line (in the blue shirt)

Crossing the finish line

Mission accomplished!

Lisa, Shannon, and me after the race