Thursday, August 20, 2009

11 Months of Kaedyn.... Our Monkey

In 20 days ... my baby, my Monkey, is turning ONE YEARS OLD... this year has gone by so fast and he's changed SO MUCH in the year it's amazing!! I have to admit that things were very different between Calahan and Noah... I mean going from a 8lbs baby to a 1lb baby is HUGE... then Nathan came along at 3lbs and then another 8lb baby comes along after 12 years of having a "normal" baby and having two preemies inbetween who took their time growing and learning.... it seems like he's been on the fast track to learn everything. He is such an amazing little boy though, I couldn't have asked for a better baby. I mean sure, the first 3 months were hell, and I suddenly understood by Mother's eat their young, but after we stopped breast feeding and he started to get satisfied (because I wasn't getting the pig enough) and he got over the colic and needing to be in my arms 24/7 ... it started to get amazing... and it has been amazing. I can't even say "I can't wait until he walks and talks.." because I CAN WAIT... he's my last baby and he's growing up so fast, so forgive my super sentimental walk down memory lane....














1 Month Old ...
October 9th thru ....











2 Months Old
Nov 9th til....









3 Months Old
Dec 9th til...









4 Months Old
Jan 9th til...







A couple videos...






5 Months Old
Feb 9th til...






6 months old
March 9 til...





7 Months Old
April 9 til...





Jumping and LAUGHHHHHHHing...





Going Going Going... no where...





Giggle Box


8 Months Old
May 9 til....



And two videos







9 Months Old
June 9 til ...




10 Months Old
July 9 to...



And a video


11 Months Old
August 9 to now



He's starting to walk!!!









Dennis Go Blog!

GUESS WHAT!!!

My husband is FINALLY breaking down and taking my suggestion, and starting a BLOG!! YAY!!!

Pampered to Professional

I helped him set it up tonight, so there is only one entry but if you all don't mine - PLEASE go show him some love and follow him!!

If you didn't know, he's been going to culinary school and he'll be sharing lots of food type stuff in his blog :)

Check him out PLEASE & Thank you!!!


Writers Workshop: My Name is... And I'm a....

Drop by Mama Kat's and join in the fun!


So I decided to confess.......... Have you ever seen the World of Warcraft commercial... with Ozzy? Or William Shatner.... or Mr. T... or Van Damme??? Well, I guess that I have to join the WowAA Club....

My name is Annissa.... And I am a Mage

I get to visit very pretty places .....
Ride my kick ass horse named Willow (I have other horses then just her, 7 to be exact, at the moment)
I meet interesting....ah.... creatures......
I also get to cast kick ass magic spells, create portals to other places for fast travel - and a lot of fun stuff! Not to mention, she has a sexy dress!!

Because I finally got her (after a year of playing - cuz I don't have a whole lot of time to) to a lvl 55 and so I recently got to create my legendary Dark Knight ... don't ask me what she does yet, but she seems pretty cool!
Fallon is my druid, she also is pretty spectacular! She gets to turn into a bear, a cat, a walrus/seal type thing for swimming and a cheetah for running fast! She gets to ride around on a tiger too! ROCK ON!!
Tinkerwinks is my bad little gnome warlock.... the big blue guy behind her is her best friend, we call him Fussy ... she's very short, but she hopes her pink hair makes up for it in noticability! She's on the good side, but so so bad!
Then there is my Shaman .... she gets to toss up totems of healing and fire and other stuff ... she's still a baby along with my other toons....
But I also play a little on the BAD side...... it's fun to be BAD once in awhile. And ya know what... she's the prettiest bad guy on the block! I mean who wants to be a Troll, or Undead, etc when you can be a BLOOD ELF! Teehee....

So there you have it....... my name is Annissa and I'm one of those weird people who play World of Warcraft! (and hey - if any of you want to play, let me know - I'll send you a free 10 day trial! -wink-) LOLOLOL...


Things I Love Thrusday....

I love my husband....
And my family.... all 4 boys...

They are NOT the best family photos but they are the most recent. I want to get some nice ones done sometime soon, but we'll see ... I think we might take a trip to the park to do our family photos, the kids 2009-2010 school photos and all of that. Since we're homeschooling, we get to take the photos ourselves :)

It's been awhile since I was on, and it was an excuse to show off my family.


A Thousand Words Thursday: Photography Up North


We went on a trip up north (Northern WI/MN) during the summer, in the middle of July. Since I haven't been on and sharing, I thought I would share this for my return (er, apparently first) A Thousand Word Thursday.... Anyway - we stopped in Two Harbors (after visiting my Godmother) and showed Dennis the big lake... Lake Superior that is. He hadn't ever been that far north, so it was nice ... the first photo the boat on the side, see all the birds chasing it? LOL...











(yes these are rail road tracks going into the lake.... hummmmm)



Thursday, July 23, 2009

Moving... Homeschooling... More...

...

I haven't dropped off the radar......... completely....

We've had SO MUCH going on ... Nathan has been sick off and on and I just haven't wanted to be on the computer, but I'm starting to get back to "normal" now... I think I just needed a vacation of my normal. I ended up reading 2 books (so far) working on my third... not to mention all the books I'm picking stuff out of for homeschooling.

So we are "officially" starting our Homeschooling today ... we're going to start out slow and just kind of take it easy the next couple of weeks. I have some fun little projects for the kids.

They are going to do a project today about "Favorites" and I'm going to give them a book of blank paper and a stack of magazines, paper, scissors, and they can cut out stuff they like - favorite stuff ... and have fun with it. We aren't going to do it until later morning or early afternoon though.

There have been some ... things ... happen and we're faced with finally having the opportunity to leave the state of Wisconsin. Which is better - for a lot of reasons. We love it here (both Dennis and I) but with him finishing up school and us looking towards our future, we realize that there REALLY aren't any big opportunities for him here. So he's looking into doing an externship in FL - at Disney - which would be paid (great thing) ... and we'd go with him. He has to start his externship in March so we'd be leaving here, our home ... in late winter. That's if he gets in. After his externship is over (it's a 6 month deal) ... we are going to move to a different state, at least for a few years. We've really decided on either North Carolina or Washington State.

North Carolina my best friend is, and his family ... Washington my parents are there ... my mom & step-dad and dad & step-mom. It's a hard choice... so I'm coming up with a pro's and con's list.



NORTH CAROLINA

Pros

  • Jenna & Family
  • Family
  • Beautiful Environment (Ocean, Mountains)
  • Lower Cost of Living (vs WA)
  • “More Forgiving”
  • Laid Back
  • Easy Going Folk
  • Easier Homeschooling Laws
  • Getting out on our own quickly (own place)

Cons

  • Hurricanes
  • Heat
  • Family
  • Slight Gang Issues



WASHINGTON

Pros

  • Family
  • Whales
  • Beautiful Environment (Ocean, Mountains)
  • Higher Pay Rate
  • Cooler Weather
  • Lots of Rain

Cons

  • Higher Cost of Living
  • Earthquakes
  • Volcanos
  • Harder Homeschooling Laws
  • No Friends (anymore – pout)
  • “Less Forgiving” Straight Forward Nature
  • Stuck Up People (I don't mean this in a bad way, just more likely to be the case not the rule)
  • Easy to feel rushed
  • Major Gang Issues
  • Harder to find housing we’d be able to afford





Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Computer ... Avoidance ...

I totally admit - I've been avoiding my computer... total computer avoidance ... I have been dealing with a lot lately and I'm not sure what is going on in my own head a lot of the time.

So - a few weeks ago I noticed the bulge on the right side of my belly. Now, I married to a chef in training who loves to make this food that is heaven, and I haven't lost any weight since Kaed was born, infact, I've gained. It blows, let me tell you... but what can I do other then what I am. *Trying* ...

So ... I of course, freak out... all sorts of things are running through my head, maybe one of those fibroids I had while pregnant has come back with a vengeance... and of course, that evil "c" word popped in my head... I mean it's that evil place we all travel to when something odd comes up.

So I became an ostrich. Avoided the computer, avoided my email, didn't talk to anyone I didn't live with really and just closed myself off and out as much as possible. I can't deal with this stuff. It makes conversations Dennis and I have about "what would happen to Cal and Noah if something happened and (God forbid) I die" ... I want Dennis to have them, to raise them - even though he isn't their biological Dad and I want them to have a relationship WITH their biological Dad, Dennis is their Father in every way other then biological. That's all there is to it. He would take them, and that is where I want them to be. But legally right now, as their step parent, he wouldn't have a say. So... maybe it opened my eyes into the fact that ... if (God forbid) anything happens to me, that needs to legally be possible.

Dennis got worried of course when I finally got it through his head of what was going on - he went straight to that evil "c" word and we spent the night talking and I was crying. I mean, I'm sorry but when the man you love with every fiber of your soul says to you "no matter what it is, I will stand beside you through it all, loving you" it makes you cry. It makes you feel loved. Situation sucks, and normally a person doesn't NEED to say that, it can be left unspoken, however... it's so nice and relieving to hear it.

Anyway - I finally managed to pull my head out of the sand and went in last night. It's a hernia. Since it's not symptomatic I don't have to have surgery yet. Yay for that, surgery and I don't mix well. So, the c-sections and pregnancies have weakened those muscles or whatever it is that holds all that in, and it pop'd through. Ahh she says, that's what that horrid pain was a few weeks back ... my insides tearing open to cause MORE issues... yay...

On top of all of that, my CFS is back... I'm having some major back pain right now, my legs are having a lot of issues, and I have a headache that is NOT leaving... I'm super nauseated, I'm two weeks late (and NO I'm NOT pregnant - Dennis got fixed) ... everytime I fall asleep, it's like I don't sleep at all but I sleep long and hard ... I cannot wake up, I spend most of the mornings the last few days just fighting to stay awake ... my energy level has shot so far down it's not funny, and I'm so forgetful right now. So forgetful. My arms feel like they weigh a ton all on their own. It sucks when you have to mentally approach movements just to do them...

My last severe relaps was December 2002 (when Noah was 10 months old) ... and lasted for several months, and now, I feel like it's happening again - a major relaps - and guess what - Kaedyn is 10 months old ... go figure huh?

I hate this crap - and on top of it, you hear about the CFS cousin Fibromyalsia (however it's spelled) all the time ... but not about CFS. The other night I was watching Deliver Me and I saw a Mom on there with CFS and I was shocked... I was like "OMG - she has what I have" ... and I totally related with her worries and fears during pregnancy and all that stuff. I even tried to wake up Dennis... when I brought it up he's like "Yeah, so..." and I am telling you "apparently you don't understand, I have never seen anyone on TV with CFS before" ...

So yeah ... anyway ... I'm struggling to stay awake right now. The babies are asleep - Kaedyn put a huge fight. I have dishes to do, but all I can think of is crawling back into my chair and just sleep - forever...

My mom is coming this weekend and my house is a mess right now. I just don't have the energy to fix it either, and Dennis doesn't have the time. He's back in school and he's working at night... so what am I going to do?

The boys are doing good though - Calahan got his 2nd cast off (he had to get a 2nd one because the first one was almost full arm, but the 2nd was just his hand and wrist, and most of his arm to his elbow.... so he could work on re-working his elbow muscles by bending it...

Noah seems to think the babies are his personal dolls.... I don't know what to do about it...

Nathan is doing well - he got tubes in his ears 2 weeks ago and he's doing well, you can see a difference but not a huge one. He was running a 104 temp last week and it even got to the point where they (the DRs) thought he might have H1N1 (Swine Flu) and started treating him for it, but it wasn't - thankfully! He's doing better, BUT ... he's been super crabby since then.

Kaedyn is just Mr I wanna grow up... he's doing so much and he's so happy - I love it ... he has started refusing his formula and baby food though - he wants to be like everyone else. He's clappinga nd waving and cruising furniture, he's eating anything and everything he can get his hands on... And his favorite thing to do, is to find wherever Nathan puts down his chocolate milk, and drink it as fast as he can...

Other then all that, life is pretty good :) I can't complain. We struggle, we do what we have to do to survive and we are happy - that's all that matters.


Sunday, June 21, 2009

I'm Alive ... and SIMS 3

Okay - so I took a break. Forgive me? I've had a hard past couple weeks. Just been tired and dealing with a lot of stuff. Some of which I don't want to get into... don't worry, nothing is wrong with Dennis and I - we're awesome. I'm not pregnant... and all the kids are as healthy as they were before. Nathan has gotten a lot more clingy and Kaedyn is TOTALLY on the move now. He won't cuddle anymore. He wants to explore! Wahhhhhhhh

That and I've started playing SIMS 3 ... oh boy - help me! LOL... it's addicting. My girlfriend and I got this idea of sharing the stories of our SIMS. So we started a blog to do it on. There is a lot on there already, we've only had it up 2 days. Of course no one is reading it but us... LOL... it's hilarious. We have "family" sims... we have cheating sims ... we have hard knock sims... we have sims who don't seem to know what they want. We've slowly started sharing their stories and catching up on those that we've developed a bit.

If you want to check it out .... please do so.... your more then welcome to do so :)

I was up until 3 last night, and it wasn't even because of SIMS. It was because of my husband. First, I was tried, but NOT tired... but I closed out my game, in the middle of building a house, and went to bed with Dennis. Just as I was starting to fall asleep - he got up and asked me something. So I answered... fell back to sleep and he got out of bed waking me up. Then he was up searching the house for something until 2 ... and I couldn't sleep without him. So I went and sat in the living room watching him search until he finally decided to go to bed. So we went back to bed, tv went on - let's watch something - veg out and fall asleep. So he starts watching this show that doesn't trill me at all - and of course does the opposite of relaxing me. So after awhile, I do end up falling asleep. Then next thing I know, Nathan is coming into our room, crying with his blanket.... and Dennis pop's him in our bed ... I'm half asleep so I just curled him up with me and rubbed his head. Finally we all fell asleep... we don't have a family bed, and I hope this didn't start something. Nathan has a VERY hard time sleeping in his bed lately - no clue why. :( He's been sleeping on the couch... ::sigh::




Happy Father's Day

It's FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!! YAY!!!

Hello everyone..... yes I live!! I figure I better get on here and say HELLO before ya'll send out the coast guard! I will get into that in a minute.... but right now, I just wanted to ....


Happy Father's Day to all the men around me, my Daddy readers and those I read, my Daddy friends, my Dad, my Step-Dad ... and especially my Husband.

I have to say when I divorced my first husband and had two boys to raise pretty much by myself, I was scared but I quickly got over it. I was just sad for them because I wanted them to have that steady positive male in their lives. I think every child needs it - especially boys. I don't think it matters if they are a friend, an uncle, grandfather... whatever ... just as long as they have one - someone - they can trust, turn to, learn from, and admire.

I remember the first time Dennis say my boys. We were already engaged, living together for about 2 months... my boys (it was just Cal and Noah then) had been in Washington State visiting my parents for the summer. Two months without my boys - it was hard. Then I went out there and spent 2 weeks with them before flying home with them. We had webcam'd with Dennis and I had explained to them. Noah of course was excited - and Calahan was hesitant. It was to be expected. Noah was only 4 and Calahan was 10.

So ... I admit, I was nervous. I loved Dennis with all my heart and believed he loved me. But walking into a ready made family wasn't easy.

He got up in the middle of the night to get to the airport, he went to baggage claim and met us there. He approached them first and he was great. Getting down on Noah's level, and shaking Cal's hand... then he turned to me and kissed me.

We set the best ground rule we could - we always agree infront of the kids when it comes to the kids, even if we don't. If need be, we go discuss it (or side line discuss it) and then re-deal with it. It's worked out wonderfully. The boys respect Dennis more then they do me. ::sigh:: LOL...

Anyway .... I want to thank Dennis for all he does. For all he has done. For taking on and dealing with all the baggage that the boys and I came with. For loving us, for being there. For creating two more beautiful babies with. For being who he is.

I love you Dennis!!




Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Teething, VOTE, & Wednesday's TO DO List!


Did I happen to mention that Kaedyn is teething??? He's teething and teething - and he really isn't a happy teether! The teeth that are coming through now is his front top two. With his bottom two neither pop'd out before the other, they pop'd out at the exact same time, exact same rate... yeah, I was happen when they did though, cuz man... eased his mood a little bit!!!

So I haven't had time the last few days to do much of ANYTHING but cuddle crabby babies, make bottles, change diapers, do household stuff and take care of the older two.

Before I forget, my mom wants me to ask ALL OF MY READER (ya know, the TWO of you) ... to vote for her friends daughters? Grandaughters? not sure... anyway ... she says

Need everybody's help - Do as many email address's as possible per household and vote for Abi. This round ends on Thursday - If she ges enough votes there's one more round of voting we will need help with.

So please click and vote!! Washington's Cutest Kids

You can vote once per day per email I think she said. And she stressed, don't vote for the other kids!! LOL

Anyway .... I have a to do list today!

* Get Cal up and ready for school
* Get Noah up and ready for school
* Make bottles
* get babies dressed
* clean up living room for PT
* PT at 8
* Re-Do Nathan's Bto3 objectives
* Make Breakfast
* Cleared Answering Machine
* Make Phone Calls
- Call to reschedule Noah's Kidney Doc Appt
- Call to see if we can change Nathan's Neuro Appt (to local)
- Call Dentist to see what is up with the appt that was suppose to be made for Cal Waiting for a call back
* Clean my desk
* Clean Dennis' desk
* Finish cleaning living room
* Vacuum Livingroom
* Get Dishes done (got 2 load done)
* Get 1 load of laundry done
* Get 2 loads of laundry done
* Get 3 loads of laundry done
* Fold clothes & put away (already done)
* Fold & put away #1 load
* Fold & put away #2 load
* Fold & put away #3 load
* Vacuum Hallway
* Vacuum Noah's room
* Vacuum Nursery
* Sweep Kitchen
* Watch "He's Just Not That Into You"
* Do Bachelorette Review
* Do other TV Review
* Update Nathan's DD Blog
* Update on Cal's broken arm
* Update in here
* Update Homeschool Blog
* Do LilyPad Blog

And if I get all that done, I think I am going to demand the rest of the century off! LOL...

Stay tuned!!