Daddy is in the HOUSE

I can't lie, it is good to have Clayton home...

AC was VERY tired when we went to pick him up at the airport. She was barely awake when he tried to talk to her. It wasn't the homecoming he had imagined, I am sure, but he was pretty tired too, so I think he understood.

When she woke up the next morning, I brought her into our bed and asked her who that man was. She whispered "Daddy". Then I asked her what she was going to tell Daddy, he erupted in giggles when her response was "Toy store. Princess cycle." She didn't forget who made her those promises on the phone! It wasn't long before I was hearing "No, Momma, Daddy do it." She is enamored and it's like he never left.

It has been a whirlwind week. There was so much he wanted to do while home, I don't think we'll get to all of it, but we'll certainly try.

The princess cycle was high on the list of priorities, obviously. We got down every tricycle at Toys 'R' Us, but she didn't want any part of them. She wanted the 10 inch Disney Princess bike. So the Disney Princess bike it was...and Daddy didn't stop there, she also got a basket, streamers, a horn, a helmet, and elbow pads. Nana got her a hula hoop. Later she picked out a Disney Princess fishing pole at Gander Mtn for our trip to NM. It was a good day to be AC.

We got family pictures taken and they were wonderful! Wil did a FABULOUS job and I can't wait to get them in. Speaking of pictures, Clayton got me an anniversary/birthday gift. I got a new camera! A Nikon D60...I have so much to learn about it. Mom sent us a Best Buy gift card for our anniversary, so we decided to use it towards this purchase. To be honest, it kind of made me ill to spend that much money. I'm such a tightwad!

Unfortunately, I got sick on Monday and Tuesday my physical therapist took one look at me and told me to go home. I guess I looked really terrible. It probably didn't help that we had spent the morning at the Discovery Center...

Last night Cyndy (SIL) and her boyfriend, Wes, got here. We all went to Palo Duro Canyon today and they hiked up to the cave. They had plans to go further, but storms were coming in and we didn't want to get stuck down there, so that concluded out trip to the big hole in the ground.

Clayton also presented his dad with a shadow box. It included a flag that had been flown in battle in Afghanistan which had been dedicated to George as well as a certificate saying as much. There was also a Marine Corps coin and a limited edition Marine Corps knife. George served in the Marines, so this meant a lot to him. I think it meant just as much to Clayton that his dad liked it so much.

I think I'll have to conclude, we need to get home and pack up the car as we are headed to Red River tomorrow!!

Until Then,

AC's Mom

Little Miss Sassy Pants

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would hear, "No talking, Momma" before my child was 2. I'm not kidding, when she doesn't want to hear what I am saying she will tell me to stop talking. Now, this has never happened when she is being harangued, only when I am chattering at her and she prefers that I stop. That being said, she has yet to get a spanking for it. I feel, however, that said spanking is immanent. Nana told me that she was "getting onto" AC the other day and AC put her fingers in her ears. Of course, my MIL laughed and couldn't bring herself to spank her. I don't know if she hasn't performed this trick at home because she KNOWS she will get punished, or if she is planning a public humiliation of her dear old mom...
She is so bossy... In addition to tell me when I can sing, talk, etc. She feels it is her right and responsibility to boss every living creature. Her 4 year-old friend, Lily, was over the other day and AC, perched on her high chair, pointed at Lily and instructed her to, "Don't do that. Stop it." I don't even remember what Lily was doing, but it was nothing that warranted a reprimand. Least of all from the 21 month-old. I have, on several occasions, had to tell AC that she is not that child's Momma and she is not to tell them "no no". And don't think just because you aren't a human that you are exempt from her demands. She is constantly telling bugs to "go away". Yesterday we were outside and the neighbor's dog was barking, she shook her little finger at the privacy fence between the houses and yelled, "No talking, puppy!" The birds were on the receiving end of her ire when she told them, "No sing!"
As wishy-washy as I feel I am at times, it's nice to know that my daughter didn't inherit that particular trait. She knows what she wants and wants it now! Granted, that aspect of her character isn't always a boon, it sometimes gets her into trouble, but it is encouraging as her mother to know that my child knows her mind and isn't easily swayed. It may foreshadow many fights in the years to come, but I can rest assured that come the tween and teenage years, the crowd will be following HER, not the other way around.

Until then,

AC's Mom

I feel like a newlywed...*sigh*

Clayton comes home in 8 days! It feels as though there is so much to do and so much that I haven't done to get ready for him to come home. I have already started straightening and I need to do laundry (things that can be done now). However, most of the items on my "to do" list are things that will need to be done in the few days before his arrival: vacuuming and washing the car, sweeping the garage and porches, cleaning the house, washing the sheets, etc. Don't think me ridiculous, but I called a friend who cleans houses to come and clean for me the day he comes home. It's just one less thing for me to stress about. By the time I get everything straightened and organized (Clayton is WAY organized and I am not), I won't have the energy to clean as well as I want to.

I didn't think it would be so stressful for him to come home. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond excited to see him again, euphoric, but I didn't expect to be nervous to see him. My friend, Katie, warned me about this, but I didn't think it would apply to us. I was WRONG! I know my apprehension is self-made, but I can't help it! He has lost 60 lbs! I have lost NONE... Do you know what that does to my psyche??? He will come home all good lookin' only to be greeted by the tubby, frazzled wife he left behind. I know that he loves me no matter what, but I just don't want him to be disappointed on any level. I'm doing what I can. I will get waxed and spray tanned just before he comes home, that will make me feel a little better. I may still be fat, but at least I will be golden and streamlined! Like Mom says, "Tan fat looks better than pasty fat."

I have also been getting AC prepared to see him. I don't want her to be scared or freaked out. I don't think she will be. She has talked to him often enough on the phone, looked at LOTS of pictures, and we talk about him all the time. She may not totally understand what is happening, but she knows that, whatever it is, it is a good thing; something to be excited about. She has been bouncing around like a demented squirrel lately chanting, "Daddy, daddy, daddy". He has also promised her that we will go to the toy store and she can pick out a tricycle when he gets home. I don't know that she really knows what a tricycle is, but, let me tell you, she is STOKED! She has been tell everyone, "Daddy home. Toy store. Cycle. I pick it!" We have also been practicing what she will say and do when she sees him. She is all about running and yelling for him, hugging and kissing him, and telling him, "I lub you, Daddy." Whether she actually performs is another matter entirely, but I hope she does. All in all, I think she is excited enough that it will be a fun experience for her and she will warm up to him quickly.





Don't expect too many blogs when he is home!

Skinny Amanda, she DID exist!!

Until then,


AC's Mom

Some days are just good days

Ever have a day that, no matter what your child does, you can't help but look at them and feel overwhelmed? Not in a bad way either, but overwhelmed by how much you love that little person.

AC doesn't suffer from lack of attention or affection on any given day, however, on those good days, she is smothered. I want to hold her, kiss her, and ingrain her sweet smell into my memory as I know it won't last forever. I don't ever find myself wishing she were older or wishing days would pass faster (except when I'm counting down the days until I see Clayton). In general I try to hold onto every moment I have. Too soon, your cuddly newborn wants to crawl on the floor, then walk, then is learning to use the potty; I don't even want to BEGIN to think about school.

It's bittersweet to see her grow and develop. Bitter in that she, bit by bit, doesn't need me anymore and sweet in that I can see that I'm raising an independent, well-adjusted child. She really is that, independent and well-adjusted. I couldn't be more proud of her, not because of, but in spite of my abilities as a mother.

One day I won't hear, "Hold you, Momma", but I pray that I am raising her in a way that "I love you, Momma" never goes away.

Until then,

AC's Mom

Appeasing the masses

I've been badgered to blog more. Like I said, I'm appeasing the masses. (The "masses" consisting of two of my MOMS Club friends and my cousin... They can take away my computer, but they can't take away my sense of self-importance.)
Clayton comes home June 2nd!! Yahoo! I excitedly made an appointment for us to get family pictures the first Saturday he is home. I have been looking forward to it until it occurred to me, I have to be in these photos...suck... What am I going to wear??? I may have to get something new as I don't want all the pictures to show me plucking my shirt away from my stomach roll. I also don't want to look pregnant. Speaking of, I have been asked THREE TIMES over the last 4 months if I'm expecting, by women no less! I wanted to tell them that I'm "expecting" to lose 15 lbs, thank you for asking, but I don't think that is what Jesus would do...
AC is growing like a weed and cracks me up regularly. A few weeks ago we were at the mall when she decided she has to "poo-poo-potty". (Which includes pee, poo, and gas...let me tell you, I love maneuvering my cart in the bathroom and papering the toilet seat all while chanting "Don't touch" like a savant only for her to sit on the toilet and fart.) She is sitting on the toilet when a woman comes in to use the stall beside us. When AC hears her pee, she starts clapping and shouting "Yay!!! Poo poo da potty! Canny!" , her version of what I say at home when she goes in the potty. Can you believe this woman didn't even laugh??? I would have fallen off the toilet in a fit of hysteria. In fact, I laughed so hard I almost peed myself. Speaking of potty training, anyone who says they potty trained their kids in 3 days is either lying or has a magic wand. AC has been pooping on the potty since February with only three accidents. Pee is another story. I clean up at least 3 puddles a day and although everyone says not to use Pull-Ups, I do. Call me crazy, but I don't relish changing my daughter's clothes in the grocery store bathroom while the poor stock boy has to clean up a pee lake in the middle of produce. Maybe I'm just not going at it hard enough, but, really, I have errands to run and things that need done. She's not even two, I think we are ahead of the game and if you think otherwise, keep it to yourself, my child is a GENIUS!
My genius is also a parrot. She repeats EVERYTHING. I think it's hilarious. She doesn't hear anything she shouldn't according to me. Her pre-school teacher may have an opposing view. I think it's funny when she says "crap", "oh my gosh", "darn it", and "Wat up, yo". I also think it's funny when she says a word that sounds like something else. For example, when she says "frog", it sounds very much like another four letter word that starts with "f". "Upset" sounds like "Oh, sh*t" and so on. I get her to say those particular words all the time because it cracks me up... Am I a bad mother? No, just one with a sense of humor.

Until then,
AC's Mom

Too mundane for words

So, "nothing is hhhAPPening!"
I have absolutely nothing to write about. AC is fine, MIL and FIL are proceeding as normal, and there are no good "wierd neighbor" anecdotes to share. Fo' real, I need some excitement up in this joint...yo hizzie...
Seriously, is there a boring and lazy gene? If so, I think I have it. My house is a mess, there is laundry piling up, and I haven't worked out in two weeks. Sometimes I wish I was like Kate Gosselin with her OCD wiping the floor 3x per day. No kidding, she probably doesn't need to work out because, unlike me, she doesn't find unseasonably warm weather an acceptable excuse to sit on her ass and watch DVRd shows all day long.
At least I am being industrious, I suppose. I have been making so many hair bows that my fingers are experiencing early onset arthritis. I bought scads of ribbon to make bows for AC and am just making as many as the roll allows. I figure I can throw them all into a basket when finished and take them to a MOMS Club meeting.
Pink Lion Gifts is now open for business. My dad is so proud. The $40k+ he spent on my education is actually in use. I have paintings lying gathering dust in my shed at home, so I took some pictures, edited them on the computer, and opened a cafepress store. If you buy something I will love you forever. So far, my mother has been my only patron.
AC now can't leave the house without grabbing her red purse and loading it with her Elmo cell phone and Disney Princess key fob. What a girl... **SO PROUD**

Until then,

AC's Mom

The week from Herpes

**Disclaimer: If you will be offended by my disgruntled attitude towards a local medical facility, please do not read further. I will not respond to b*tchy emails and will delete comments that I feel fall into this category.**

So, as most of you know, I have had a sh*tty week. I feel as thought I have been living under a rock. This is SO reminiscent of the first few newborn weeks, but with less napping.

Last Thurs. night AC developed a low grade fever and a small blister on her lip. I thought nothing of it, she runs a fever when her teeth start pushing through. Friday morning, she had another blister and still had a fever, so I called the Dr to schedule an appointment. The earliest they could get us in was the afternoon. When my MIL came over around 11 a.m., she freaked as AC had SEVERAL bumps on her mouth. It seemed like they were appearing or growing every time I turned my head. Needless to say, MIL's freak-out pushed my tenuous rein on panic right out the window. We headed to BSA Urgent Care. They poked and prodded, took swabs and ran tests, but couldn't come up with an adequate explanation for what they generically referred to as "the virus". Great, my kid has an unidentifiable virus...way to comfort the white knuckled mother. The NP checking AC out went to have a Dr consult. They sent us away with a Rx for antibiotics. Had I been thinking clearly, I would have asked WHY they prescribed antibiotics for a virus. (They didn't find any other infections that they could have been treating. Furthermore, my daughter is allergic to penicillin, leaving choices for antibiotics slim. This means she shouldn't have them unless absolutely necessary because the more you are exposed to a certain antibiotic, the less effective it is.)

So, we went home. MIL offered to stay with her while I ran a few errands that were looming. When I got home, MIL was freaked out again as the spots had multiplied and were all over her tongue! I called Urgent Care and talked to a nurse who suggested the ER. Okay, this is the FIRST ER trip I have had with AC, I was agitated to say the least.

The ER was a breeze, the Dr knew right away what was wrong, AC had Herpes Stomatitis. It's a common virus that manifests in toddlers around 2 years old and will go away on it's own. She was a little incensed (she didn't hide it well) when she found out that Urgent Care had prescribed antibiotics. To my disappointment, AC's age prohibited any Rx or meds for the condition besides Tylenol, Motrin, and Benadryl. With instructions to keep her hydrated, we went home.

The week following was LONG and EXHAUSTING. We spent entire days without leaving the house. In fact, I didn't even know it snowed yesterday until 7 p.m. Fo' real.

She was in so much pain, she wouldn't eat and would cry because she was hungry. This also made for long and frequently interrupted nights. Then, to top it all off, I was preparing us a snack this past Thurs. only to turn around and find AC pointing one of my good kitchen knives at herself. I screamed (who wouldn't??) and she dropped it, slicing two of her fingers in the process. I bandaged them, called both my mom and MIL, and sank onto the couch in a maelstrom of tears and snot. After 3 mos. of being absolutely fine, the damn broke and I sobbed like a baby. The combination of missing my husband, stress, exhaustion, fear, and relief just did me in.

AC is ok, they aren't deep cuts and she is taking every opportunity to remind me she has an "ow" and I must kiss it. She was well enough to actually eat yesterday and spent the night at MIL's last night. (A full night's sleep is highly underrated...) I think we will finally be able to go to playdates and on outings this week if I can handle people looking at the huge scabs on her face and thinking I must abuse her. I think we are on the downhill side of this and it couldn't have come sooner.

See? Scabby...

Until then,

AC's Mom

Inconsistent? Me? No...

Seeing as this is the first blog in two months, I think I might be a tad inconsistent. Or maybe more of a procrastinator.
(Insert genius transition material here.)
I just got finished reading Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster. You. Must. Read. This. Book. Holy mother, I think I have found my new role model. Being the pathetic stalker that I am, I messaged her on MySpace. What a loser. (Yes, I will post if she replies, but if she doesn't, kindly do not mention my piteous behavior.)
AC is sprouting an attitude and, quite frankly, I have NO IDEA where she gets it. Could she possibly be imitating me when rolling her eyes complete with the sardonic throat-clearing noise? No...
I may not have mentioned previously that I am attempting to lose the weight I packed on while pregnant. My MOMS Club is doing a weight loss challenge in which we all complete challenges and weigh in once a week reminiscent of "Biggest Loser". Good Lord, I think my team is going to kick me off. I gained 4 lbs the first week and have since maintained those damn pounds the remaining weeks. I deduced rather quickly that merely deciding I want to lose weight was not enough. I had to actually DO something. Thus began my OCD-esque calorie counting. For real, I was starving. No wonder super models are reputed to be horrible. I was a raving b*tch because I was STARVING!!!!
Okay, 86 the calorie counting.
Then came working out. That was ok. I joined the local community college gym and by doing so forfeited childcare, classes, and a pool, but saved an unconscionable sum in membership fees. What I was doing was apparently not working, so I have hired a trainer. I will meet with her once a month to re-evaluate my fitness regime and diet. At first I thought she was the happiness gestapo, but have since let the words of wisdom sink in. I believe I am ready to "grow up" and stop eating like I did in college. All along, I think I was hoping by some miracle I would fit into my size 4 jeans again. It's time to take responsibility for my wellness, both physically and mentally...adulthood sucks like that.

Until then,

AC's Mom

Party Like a Rock Star

The title of this blog is, of course, facetious. It was more like "Party In a Rocking Chair"!
I have taken up crochet. I started my first project yesterday, New Year's Eve Day, and finished before going to a friend's house that evening. Then, at said friend's house, we proceeded to pig out in our pajamas and watch a movie and a Friends episode before shouting, "Happy new year!" and going home to bed. The excitement boggles the mind...
AC hung out with Nana and Papa (M and FIL). They went to bed pretty quickly, but AC did okay going to sleep. We have had some bedtime problems since Clayton left. She won't go to bed on her own anymore and wakes up screaming anytime between 2 and 5 a.m. The screaming is abated only when I pick her up and bring her to my bed. She then falls asleep touching my face. I think that with Daddy leaving and not coming back and all the family that was here for Christmas leaving, she is, to say the least, freaked out. The 30th was the first night she stayed with Nana and Papa since Nana had her hysterectomy. She screamed all night for Mama. I told Michelle to call me if she got too upset, but they struggled through it which was probably why she had a good night last night.
What's hard is that I don't know how to make her understand that Daddy is gone, but WILL come back. She brings me my phone at least once a day to call Daddy. I tell her that Daddy is working far away and we can't call him, but he loves her very much and misses her. I don't know that she understands what I am saying, but I don't know what else to tell her. How do you explain to a 16 month old that her Daddy is gone for a year, but that he will come home and he is ok?
I try to get her to talk to him when he calls, but she isn't into talking on the phone lately. We do watch the videos we took before he left of him reading books to her. After we get some money saved up, I think we will look at getting him a laptop so we can Skype. That will be great. I haven't seen even a picture of him since he left. I want to see him!!
We are going to run some errands later today and maybe I will go home to do some laundry...maybe not...

Until then,
AC's Mom