Sick and Tired

That's what I am.  Sick and tired.  But not in the annoyed/mad sort of way.  I'm sick and tired in the literal pregnant sort of way.  Yeah, Sadie is going to have a brother or sister in July!  Hooray!

Jazzercise - Part 2

Some of you might recall that I started going to a Jazzercise class a few months ago.  I told you all about my first class.  I'm happy to say that I've become much more comfortable with the class and routines.  I find that it's worth going just for the entertainment and people watching.

There is a little lady who has to be in her 70s.  She's cute.  Short, sweatband around her head, and quite often her shirt tucked into her panties.  I like watching her.  She sticks to the low impact version of the routines, but I'm proud of her for exercising!

Then there is the lady who knows EVERY word to EVERY song, and she's not afraid to sing them.  She does some weird yelps and cat calls.  She doesn't follow the routines exactly all the time - she just sort of does her own thing.

The Asian instructor is lots of fun.  Especially when we listen to the Britney Spears song I Wanna Go.  It cracks me up when she says - ooh, yes, I want to go all the way.  Do you want to go all the way?  (I wish I could write with an accent.)  Yes, we are super ladies!

And I MUST mention one other individual.  I refer to her as The Creeper.  It doesn't matter where in the room she starts off (although it's usually towards the back somewhere), she usually ends up behind me.  She is also an older lady, but there is something not quite right with her.  But then I think....if there is something wrong with her, she shouldn't be driving to the Rec Center.  So does that just make her weird?  I don't know.  She took her makeup application lessons from Tammy Faye Baker, she wears glasses with a chain, and she is always in a daze.  Her feet barely leave the floor (except when she's making her way closer to me - intentionally?), her arms never raise over her shoulders, and she looks scared.  I think the workout she gets climbing the stairs to the class is more of a workout than what she gets from being in the class for an hour.  There was one time today that I turned around, and she was RIGHT THERE.  Creeped me out!

The instructor who is there most of the time is good.  I like her.  Probably close to my age.  However, do you know the song Party Rock Anthem?  (I had to look up the name)  Well, when it comes to the point in the song - everybody's shuffling.... she tells us to "freestyle".  ha ha ha ha!!  This girl don't freestyle.  This girl ain't got a freestyle bone in her body.  This girl goes into panic mode every time we are asked to freestyle.  Good grief.  I'm glad I still stick close to the back.  Oh, and this same instructor kept telling us to make sure our legs and feet stayed together for one move.  I thought - she's telling us to keep our legs and feet together, but her legs aren't together.  Then I paid attention to her feet.  Yeah, they were together.  She's just so skinny that her legs don't touch.  Uhm, mine do.  Darnit!

The class is fun.  Entertaining.  It makes me sweat.  I'll keep going....because I'm determined to one day fit into those cute little yoga pants!

Annoyed

I know there are many things way worse to get me frazzled, but.....

• inconsiderate people
• if you park on the line, it makes it really difficult for me to get my child into the vehicle
• no diapers in the size I need at Target?  come on!
• two days ago I called India (most likely) to discuss billing/insurance stuff.  I could only understand maybe every 2-3 words the person said.  I don't even know if the person was male or female.  I decided to call back today to try and talk to someone else to clarify what was discussed earlier.  How, HOW, did I get the SAME person on the phone?  He/She said (I think) - yes, you called on 10-18 and I told you blah blah blah.  I still am unsure of what is going on.
• my child throwing a fit in Target - I should have known better than to take her during nap time
• yard crew showing up in the middle of nap time
• dogs going crazy at the yard crew in the middle of nap time

My Hair and Me: A Hate Hate Relationship

My hair has always been a stressful part of my life.  Always.  I honestly could only recall maybe a handful of times I thought - hey, my hair looks good today.

I sit here not even knowing where I want to go with this post.  I'm just so fed up with my hair!  I've had it long, I've had it short, my mom had it cut in an embarrassingly masculine cut at one phase in my life.  I've gone through periods of rolling it with hot rollers to calm the frizz.  I got a Chi, but it took way too long.  I always thought I wanted a perm to help get the curl more uniform, but my mom refused to let me get one.  And now I'm glad she wouldn't let me go through with it.  Who knows how much money I've spent on gels and creams and defrizzers and deep conditioners and and and!  My grandmother, who I love dearly and miss like crazy, used to tell me - if you'd just get your hair cut really short, it would do like mine.  Uhm, Meme, I don't want it to look like yours!  (Think....Ronald McDonald)

I didn't even like my hair on my wedding day.  I could shoot everyone (especially the photographer) who saw me having pictures taken and didn't tell me about the hair sticking out on the side of my head.  There's just no controlling it.

I always resort to just pulling it back into a ponytail.  I know it's not a great look, but what are my other options?  I pull it back and Kris says - take your hair down.  I wear it down, and Kris will say - fix your hair.  He's not happy.  I'm not happy.

Last week I'd had enough.  I scheduled an appointment to have it cut.  When the stylist asked me what we were doing, I just gave her a look.  Oh no, here we go again.  Sit down.  She knows the routine.  I'm going to debate, look at pictures, and then do nothing to make a change.  I'm scared of change.  I'm scared of my hair.  About a year ago, I decided to go with a few little wispy bangs.  Kris told me that he liked them....if I was a twelve year old girl.  Anyway, I sat there looking through magazines.  Not one person in Hollywood has problem hair.  Or short hair, for that matter.

After much discussion, we decided that we needed to get away (far, far away) from the bell shape.  Unfortunately, I came home with a ball shape.  I always leave the salon with my hair semi-wet.  You don't want to see my hair if you actually dry it with a dryer.  So I'm not placing the blame on my stylist.  She really couldn't tell exactly what it was going to do with it still damp.  It looked pretty good while damp.  And then I stepped outside.  Stupid barometric hair!

As usual, it was in a ponytail when Kris got home.  He wanted to see it.  I took it down and he just looks at me.  Told me to turn around.  And then turn around again.  No comments.  Not a good sign.  There's just still....too much hair.  AAAHHHHH!!!!!  I called and left a message for my stylist.  I told her we need to do some more work.  But what?  If I keep cutting on it, I really will end up looking like Meme.  I'm too young to have Meme hair!

So, what to do?  I have no idea.  All I know is that I'll never be without lots of conditioner.  And a ponytail holder.

Never a Dull Moment

Never.

We just returned from a long weekend trip with my parents and nephews.  I know, I know, Branson is supposed to be for old folks, but these young folks made the trip.  Kris and I wanted to fly, but there are no direct flights from Houston to Branson.  If we flew, we'd have to fly to Atlanta and change planes.  That would take over seven hours, not counting getting to the airport, checking in, renting a car, etc.  So....ROAD TRIP!  Woo hoo!  I know you all are jealous.  I actually think road trips are fun.  Kris doesn't necessarily feel the same way as I do.  Especially after this past weekend.

We left from Houston Thursday night at 8:00 and made it to my parents' house a little before midnight.  The next morning we picked up my nephews and hit the road.  Oh, I guess I should back up and say that we rented a car.  Kris didn't want to put the extra miles on our vehicles.  And boy, are we glad he made that decision!  It wasn't an hour and a half into our trip when Sadie started throwing up.  The child has NEVER thrown up in her whole sixteen months of existence.  Until this weekend.  When I say throwing up, she was seriously vomiting.  Thankfully we were close to a rest stop, so Kris quickly pulled in.  Sadie was crying and puking as I was unbuckling the car seat as fast as I possibly could.  No way was I going to take her out of the seat in the car.  I get her out and take her clothes off.  The poor baby was so weak and shaking and crying.  I wanted to cry with her.  My mom took her, cleaned her up, and put new clothes on her.  I cleaned the car seat while Kris cleaned the rental car.  I needed to clean the little buckles, so I told Kris to dig out his toothbrush.  I didn't want to use mine because I just bought a new one a few days prior.  I don't know how long it took us, but it was not a quick process.  We finally got back on the road with all the windows rolled down.

Next stop, Dollar General.  Baby wipes, paper towels, two different air fresheners, and a new toothbrush.  Things were going ok, stopped for gas, a little further down the road we stopped for a picnic.  The kids were able to run around for a little while.  Back on the road, thirty minutes later we had to pull off for a diaper change.  Zay, my nephew, wanted to know when we were going to get there.  At the rate we were going, the next day!

Kris had a conference call at 3:30, but we couldn't have Sadie in the car in case she started making noise.  At 3:00 we stopped.....put Zay in the car with us, Sadie in the car with my parents.  Zay ended up falling asleep, so Kris was able to talk without any disturbances.  Forty-five minutes or so later, my parents pull over.  Mom said that Sadie was crying and calling for me.  I get in the car with her, dad drives the rental car, mom drives their vehicle.  Thirty minutes later, we stop again.  Zay wasn't feeling well.  It could have been the hills and curves or it could have been the smell of the air fresheners and puke.  Car seat change again - Sadie back with us, Zay back with my parents.  aaahhhhh!!!

We FINALLY get to our potel, as my youngest nephew called it.  We pull in, and Zay gets sick.  In my mom's brand new car!  Seriously?  Can we not catch a break?!

Time for dinner.  We decided to go to a smaller section of Branson.  However, we didn't realize HOW small it was.  There were only a few fast food options and one mexican restaurant called Tequila's.  Tequila's it is.  Kris, Sadie, and I go in and get seated.  What's taking my parents so long?  Kris goes to check.  Zay got sick again.  They go back to the potel and we eat alone.  It was quite a hole in the wall with interesting people to watch.  At one point we lost it - we started thinking about the day and couldn't stop laughing.  When our food arrived, it made us laugh even harder.  They call this mexican food and expect us to eat it?  ha ha!  We had to stop at Sonic for milkshakes to get the taste of Tequila's out of our mouths.

Saturday was Silver Dollar City.  It was fun, but it was crowded.  Everyone except my mom and Sadie toured the cave.  I took Zay on his first real roller coaster ride.  Yummy cinnamon rolls.  Craftsmen making knives and rolling pins and sugar/syrup and quilts.....

Sadie in the wilderness schoolhouse 

Sadie and daddy on a ride.  Poor Kris had to fold himself in half to fit into the little seat!

The kids were wiped out after a busy day.  But the day wasn't over yet.  Next was the Noah's Ark musical.  It was really great!  We loved watching Sadie get so excited about seeing live animals on the stage.  She was pointing, clapping, bouncing, and trying to call them.  Too cute.  By the end of the first act, though, she was getting restless.  Kris ended up taking her to a "cry room" for the second act.  The sets were truly incredible.  I don't know where the show will be appearing next, but if you have the opportunity to see it, you should!

Sunday was back to Silver Dollar City.  It was more enjoyable because there weren't nearly as many people there.  Roller coaster ride again, train ride, good food, nice weather.  Time to head home.  

Sadie slept a short while after we got on the road.  When she woke up, she was watching her silly song DVD.  I had noticed a really pretty scenic overlook on the way up and wanted to stop on the way back.  I spotted it and told Kris to pull in.  As soon as we pulled in, Sadie started throwing up again.  This time worse than the first time.  Here we go again.  My parents didn't see us pull in, so we called them to let them know what happened.  They turned around.  The cleanup process began again.  This time we used MY toothbrush.  Poor Sadie was down to her last outfit.  We considered just setting the rental car on fire and leaving it on the side of the road.  How were we going to get the smell out?  Kris put a disposable bib on Sadie - one with a big pocket on it to catch "stuff".  Thankfully she didn't have to use it because she was fine the rest of the trip.

I'll spare you the details of the rest of the trip.  Nothing too exciting happened.  We made it safely home.  Tired and stinky, but safe.  It was a crazy few days, but I guess all that matters was this:

Three cousins and two grandparents spending time together....memories, even if they were crazy memories!

Just a Glimpse

In case you wanted to know all about Sadie's day, here are some snippets.

Before "school", she'd been playing with her baby doll.  She stretched out a changing pad and pretended to put a diaper on the baby.  Then I found her doing this:

It was picture day at school, so I attempted something unusual - putting something on her head.  She wasn't too sure about it.  Neither was I.

When I picked her up, her teacher told me that picture day was a big failure for Sadie.  She cried and cried, and the photographer couldn't get a decent picture even after many attempts.  That girl!  She's usually such a little ham for me.  I'm going to take her back tomorrow and stay with her to see if they can get a decent picture.  Wish us luck.

A few minutes ago, she decided to accessorize herself.  I don't think she has a future in fashion.

Now I can hear her in a kitchen cabinet.....let me go see what's going on in there.  I'll take my camera, just in case.

You Think You've Seen it All?

Well, you're about to.  (Please excuse the poor lighting and video quality.)

Yes, that is my child dancing along with a Britney Spears cheerleader monkey.  Leave it to the grandparents to find such a treasure!

Why Do We Live in Houston?

Seriously.  I have no idea.  Whenever Kris and I travel, we always ask ourselves that.  What's so great about Houston?  Do we like the weather?  Not really.  Is there much to do?  Nope.  Beautiful scenery?  ha ha ha, NO!  So, I think we should move to Canada.

I've actually been to Canada several times.....six times, actually.  Two of those times were just quick cross the border for a day trips, but still, I love it.  The fall foliage, hiking, rafting, God's beautiful creation.  Could you ask for anything more?

For our honeymoon, we flew to Calgary and then drove up to Banff.  It was fun getting to go back this past weekend for a "hike up" memory lane.  Five years ago, we hiked to the top of Sulphur Mountain to get this view.  However, with a baby in tow this time, we took the gondola.  There was still plenty of hiking to do once we got to the top, though.

I could get used to this!

I don't recall seeing anything close to this in Houston:

Sunrise behind a mountain and over the water?  Yes, please.

This one just makes me laugh because it looks like Kris did some Photoshop work to get me into the picture.

So, could I move 1,807 miles away?  I just might could be persuaded.

Inappropriate? Yes. Hysterical? Definitely.

In advance, I apologize.  I've been going back and forth trying to decide whether or not to post these.  I guess the immature and sad part of my brain and conscience won out.

But before we get to that, how about a cute picture from yesterday's fun adventure at the beach?

Sadie had so much fun!  We couldn't keep her out of the water, and she wasn't afraid of the waves at all.  Finally, we had to just leave the beach to get her out of the sun.  There was no way she was going to play in the shade of the umbrella.

OK, now to the "good" part.....

Do you see him?

Hold on....wait for him.....

And there he is.....

in all his glory!

There are so many things I could say, but I think the pictures say all that needs to be said.

The Randomness of My Mind

Sometimes I wonder if I have ADD.  Or OCD.  I don't know, but I think I have something.  I can't think of anything to write about that warrants a whole blog post.  However, I have lots of little random things.  So, as usual, here I go with my bullet points:

• I bought Sadie a set of dvds (or is it dvd's?) that she absolutely loves.  Right now she's on round two so far for the day.  They are kiddie songs with kids from the early 90s singing.  The clothes and props are so silly, but she just can't get enough of them.  I, on the other hand, CAN get enough of them.  Make them stop, please!!
• dvds or dvd's?  Grammatical errors make my skin crawl.  I know I'm not a perfect writer.  Far from it.  I want to make dvd plural, not possessive.  So how do you spell it so that it is not read d-v-d-s?  While we're on the subject of grammar and spelling errors, would it be rude of me to offer my editing services to Sadie's MDO program?  I wanted to dig my red pen out and correct a letter given to us last week.
• One of my biggest fears is fire.  I'm fine with a fire in the fireplace, candles, campfires, etc, but I have a huge fear of my house burning down.  It never fails that when I return home from being away, even for a short period of time during the day, I always breathe a sigh of relief when my house comes into view.  With that being said, my heart is breaking for those who have lost their homes in the wildfires!
• We have been in our house for three years now.  It takes me a really long time to make decorating decisions.  I finally found fabric I like for curtains in our bathroom.  I have measured, remeasured, and measured again.  Last night we hung one panel that I finished yesterday.  WHY is it too short?  aaahhhh!!!  Time to invest in a seam ripper so I can let a hem out.  
• And finally (for today, because I have other things bouncing around in my mind), a shout-out to a fellow crazy out there.  (You know who you are, J.C.!)  I still get anxious when someone ahead of me in line decides to write a check AFTER the total has been given to them.  Really?!  
• Wait, one more.  Females on the sidelines at sporting events reporting.  OK, so you have big boobs and you're pretty, but I doubt you know anything about the sport.  I just can't watch them.  

My congratulations or apologies go out to those who finished reading this nonsense!

Sadie's Sunday

Actually, let's back it up to Sadie's Saturday night.  But before I get started, let's back it up even further.  When I was so desperately wanting a child and it just wasn't happening, sometimes it would make me a little bit crazy to hear people complaining about their children.  My child does this, my child won't do that, my child, my child, blah blah blah.  I was always thinking - if they only knew what I would do to have a child who does those things!  It often came across to me that they considered their children a burden.  My apologies if I ever sound that way.  I would never ever think of Sadie as a burden - only a true blessing and answer to prayer.

Anyway.....didn't mean to go off on that.  However, with that being said, Sadie fought her nap yesterday.  Then she fought going to bed last night.  A little after 10:00, it was finally quiet in her room and I was able to wake up Kris who had fallen asleep on the floor next to her crib.  At 1:10 a.m., she woke up.  When I say woke up, she was WIDE awake.  Until 2:45.  aaahhhhh!!!  She wasn't crying, but she was standing up in her crib pointing at everything in her room, laughing at me when I told her to lie down, and saying 'choo choo' when the train went by.  As tired as I was, she knew how to melt my heart by reaching out to me for a hug and saying 'mama, mama, mama' over and over.  And I thought - what a blessing!

Then this morning before church, she found a crayon and did this:

She was so proud of herself.  I was in another room when she came to me.  I knew she wanted to show me something.  She ran to her chair, sat down, and pointed at her artwork. 

After that, she went from being a little monster to a little angel:

Who could get mad at something so cute?

Later in the day, I found this:

I'm glad my dog likes Cheerios!

As I sit here writing this, I'm happy to report that she went to sleep without any problems tonight.  Hooray! I hope she sleeps all night, because who knows what she will get into tomorrow!  I will need my energy to keep up with her, that's for sure.

This, My Friends, Is My Life. And I Love (Almost) Every Minute of It!

Yesterday, Sadie was a Category 2.  She was leaving a path of destruction everywhere she went.  What got into that child?

I should have known it was going to be an interesting day early on in the morning.  The dogs were barking their "we need water" bark.  Well, of course they needed water, because the water bowl was missing.  Gone.  Nowhere to be found.  No traces of spilt water.  How in the world did Sadie carry off a water bowl without spilling any?  I walked all over the place with tiny steps hoping to find a wet spot to clean it up.  Nothing.

She has a push toy/walker thing that she was using as.....a horse?  To herd the dogs.  She was chasing the dogs with it, running over tails, herding them into a corner, and laughing hysterically.  I have to admit, it was really funny.  At one point I couldn't catch my breath from laughing so hard at her.  And if you know my dog who has social anxiety disorder, it was complete torture for her.  Wherever she ran off to try and hide, Sadie found her.

Little things like this went on all day.  When Kris came home, before he made it into the house, I warned him of what he was about to face.  And what did he have to face?  Here are a couple of examples:

She has quite a library next to her potty, and these are just a few of the books that fit into the picture.  There were others scattered on the other side of the room and into my bedroom.  And where, you ask, is the bowl part of her potty?  Who knows - I had to go search for it.

Yes, that is a bottle of pepper sauce in her hands.  She discovered the she can open the spice drawer and reach in to pull out a surprise.  See how proud of herself she is?

By the end of the day, I was worn out.  But what's new?  That's ok, though.  I love spending my days with my girl.  Even if she is a storm waiting to happen!

Oh, and that missing water bowl.....she handed it to me later in the afternoon.  I still have no idea where it was.

Jazzercise (yes, it still exists)

Back in the day, my dear friend Elizabeth and I used to be hardcore workout buddies.  During the summer we were taking whatever step, aerobic, strength training, kill-me-now class they were offering every day.  When the school year rolled around, we were at the gym by 5:30 a.m. playing racquetball and lifting weights or running stairs.  However.....things change.  I've pretty much fallen off the wagon, with the exception of a stroller aerobics class I took before summer got here.  I had planned on keeping up with walking during the summer, but my excuse has been that it's just too hot for me (and Sadie) to be out exercising.  Sooo.....

The next best option I have is Jazzercise.  It is the only class that offers childcare at the gym just down the road from me.  Literally, less than a mile from my house.  I no longer have a reason to not exercise.  I signed up and went to my first class yesterday.  Here are my thoughts and observations:

• I found myself a nice cozy spot on the back row and gave thanks because there aren't mirrors on all the walls.
• Why am I the only one wearing shorts?  Seriously, the ONLY one in a class of maybe 30?  I would much prefer the bottom half of my legs to show rather than having yoga pants that cling to every little big inch of me.  hhhmmmm.....will I stand out more by wearing shorts or by wearing fitted pants?  Yeah, I'll stick with my shorts for now.
• Lots of music with a Spanish/Latin flare, a little bit of Shakira mixed in.  Does the teacher realize that makes me focus on chips and queso?
• Just who is making those catcalls in the middle of the songs?  Oh please!
• She expects me to do a cha cha and moves with "attitude" without laughing?!
• mmmm.....quesadillas, please!
• I might have been able to rock out to step aerobics years ago, but it's going to take a few more classes before I get the hang of this.

Thankfully I made it through the class without having to stop for a break.  It sure would have been nice to have Elizabeth with me, though.  I needed someone to laugh with!  I plan on keeping it up.  And maybe, just maybe, in a few months (like by next August) I'll be to the point where I'm confident enough to wear fitted yoga pants.  

Fix You

Is this night number seven?  nine?  twelve?  I don't know, but it feels like number fourteen.  What has happened to my Sadie?  Why is she not sleeping?  She's been waking up each night and staying awake from one to three hours.  It's killing us.


Tonight she woke up at 12:30-something.  I decide that I'm going to go all Super Nanny on her.  We've tried patting her on the back, holding/bouncing her, rocking her, going to the guest bed with her....we can't do that every night.  Something's gotta give.  So Super Nanny it is.  I went to her room and told her to lie down.  She did.  I stood over her and prayed.  I thought she was out, left the room, and as soon as I sat on the edge of my bed, the tears started again.  I go back.  Sadie, lie down.  She did.  But she cried.  And I prayed some more.  And she cried some more.  I gave her a bottle, told her to lie down, I left the room.  (We're on about minute 40 here.)  She drank the bottle, was quiet for a few minutes, and then stood up crying.  Again.  So again, I go to her room.  Sadie, LIE down.  I have no new words to pray.  I'm so thankful that we can go helplessly/wordlessly to the Lord.  


As I left her room (now over an hour from the first time she woke up), Coldplay's lyrics kept going through my mind.  I'm sitting here at my computer while keeping an eye on the baby monitor, and now I have this stuck in my head:


When you try your best, but you don't succeed (yeah, we've tried night after night to sleep)
When you get what you want, but not what you need 
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep (AMEN!)
Stuck in reverse (that's what it feels like - we went from good sleeping to.....)

And the tears come streaming down your face (for hours and hours)
When you lose something you can't replace (can you truly replace lost sleep?)
When you love someone, but it goes to waste (my love for Sadie will NEVER go to waste)
Could it be worse? (yes, things could be much worse than not getting sleep - I should be thankful that's all I have to complain about)

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you (I wish I could "fix" her)

And high up above or down below (she's upstairs, we're downstairs)
When you're too in love to let it go  (I love her too much to let her cry in her room alone)
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you 


Yeah, I know, not exactly what the guys of Coldplay had in mind when they wrote this song.  I felt it applicable this evening (wait, morning) to my situation.


Good news, though!  After only an hour and a half, the monitor is now silent.  She's wiggling around, but she's not crying.  That's a start.  Please, Lord, help her go to sleep and STAY asleep!  Feel free in joining me in this prayer.  If you are awake at 2:03 a.m., that is.

My Child, My Child

The last few nights have not been the best in the Westbrook home.  Actually, Sadie slept all night last night, but she didn't go to sleep until almost 10:00.  We battled for over an hour.  Usually all we have to do is put her into bed with a bottle (shame on us) and she's out within a few minutes.  Not last night.  We are blaming it on teething.  Poor baby.  Anyway, it's been frustrating and tiring.  However, I quickly get over that frustration (not often getting over being tired, though) when I look back through pictures like these:

Go ahead and make yourself comfy.  Yes, she did this on her own - reclining in a laundry basket with a pillow while watching television.

And proof that we don't take things too seriously around our house:

Our little white trash orphan baby.

Yes, those are pajama bottoms on her head.  Yes, that bib is about two sizes too small.  Yes, her outfit (complete with watermelon juice) is about three sizes too small.  Yes, I should be embarrassed for posting such a picture.

And finally.....

And yes, those are two different shoes.

So what did Sadie and I do today?  We shopped.  She has new play clothes that fit and new shoes.  

What's my point?  None whatsoever.  I'm just crazy about my child.  No matter what.

Why....?

• Why is there always laundry to do?  I mean, we're only three people living here.
• Why am I not skinny?  It seems that much of every meal is given to a little girl who can't seem to ever get full!
• Why won't God send rain?  I mean, I'm praying daily for it.
• Why has my child turned into an insomniac the past two nights?  Up from 4:30-6 one morning and 1-4 the next?  aaahhhh!!!  
• Why does my dog have to bark at everything?  Probably because I have him conditioned - the only way he will come inside is if I shake the box of dog treats.  So does he go outside and bark simply to get a treat?  
• Why am I not toned from carrying/bouncing/lifting said insomniac?
• Why am I sitting here when I need to run errands?  Well, it's kind of nice to be able to sit for more than two minutes without being disturbed.
• Why am I happy?  Because I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart!

So, What Do You Do?

That's a good question.  A question that keeps popping up in my mind over and over since I was asked that a couple of nights ago.

Kris had a customer in town from Canada this weekend, and he stayed with us a couple of nights.  Friday night he asked me - so, what do you do?  I sort of looked at him confused.  I told him that I honestly don't know....I take care of Sadie.  He responded - yeah, but when you don't have her, do you go to yoga?  Do you meet up with friends?  Do you go have coffee somewhere and unwind?  I laughed.  1. I do not have the body to wear yoga clothes, so I don't go to yoga.  2.  Yes, I occasionally meet up with friends, but Sadie is always with me.  3.  Coffee?  No thank you.

Yes, I have Wednesdays "off" when I take Sadie to Mother's Day Out.  However, those days are usually filled with errands and other little things that I need to do around the house.  Not much time to do extra things just for fun.

The guy later asked me - ok, so when Kris has baby duty and puts her to sleep, what do you do?  Again, I had to laugh to myself.  Oh, you mean when Kris isn't working or going to HOA meetings, or finance committee meetings, or working, or golfing, or working?  Kris actually was home this afternoon and asked me if there was anything I wanted to do - like go get a manicure or pedicure.  (Yes, a pedicure would have been wonderful, but I don't feel like I deserve to spend that money on myself after having just written a check to the city of Houston for a parking ticket - aaahhhh!!  I still can't get over that I got one.)  What he doesn't understand, though, is that I'm perfectly content staying at home and doing nothing with him.  If he's home, I want to be home too.

So, what exactly do I do?  Well, I blog at 12:41 a.m. when I can't sleep.  That's something, I guess.  But that's pretty lame.  I need to do something so I'll have an answer to that annoying question that I seem to get fairly often, not just this weekend.  If any of you out there have suggestions of what I can do in all my free time, please let me know!

My Week in a Nutshell

In a very large nutshell.  Like a walnut shell.  Or a Brazil nut shell.

• Sunday - flat tire, thankfully at home, Kris was working and couldn't change the tire, so roadside assistance showed up at 8:30 p.m. to fix it.  
• Monday - took the tire to shop, they fixed the wrong tire (long story), had to wait longer for them to fix the correct bad tire.  In-laws came to keep Sadie while I went to a doc appointment.
• Tuesday - I honestly don't remember what I did Tuesday morning, but I know I got out of the house.  The washing machine died, I spent the afternoon checking the breaker, all the outlets, etc.  No luck.
• Wednesday - took Sadie to "school", went to Target and grocery store, came home with a migraine.  Waited around for someone to come look at washer.  Picked up Sadie.  Visited someone in the hospital, came home sick (from headache).
• Thursday - woke up with the same headache.  Had to have a biopsy on my thyroid (no worries, I'm sure everything is fine.  Power of positive thinking.), five needles poking in my neck.  Not supposed to be lifting Sadie - should have been spending the day taking it easy with ice on my neck.  However, I was dealing with the washer issue.  Went to Lowe's to check some out, came home to give a report of what I found to Kris, dropped off laundry at a generous neighbor's house, back to Lowe's to make a purchase, Sadie flips out of the shopping cart landing on head and then flat on her back, she screams, manager wants to call an ambulance, I frantically try to get in touch with Kris, take her to an emergency clinic, she's fine, pick up laundry from friend's house, back home.

And the week isn't over yet.  I think tomorrow I'll find a cave and hibernate for a few days.  Anyone care to join me?!

Ways to Spend Money

There are the fun ways:

1. new clothes
2. home improvements
3. travel
4. dining out

And there are the not-so-fun ways:

1. electric bills in the summer
2. medical stuff
3. parking tickets
4. new washing machines

Why are the not-so-fun ways more necessary than the fun?!  bbboooooo!!!!

Regrets

OK, I'm already regretting my last post.  As I thought more about it, I realized how much I sounded like Eeyore.  You know, from Winnie the Pooh.  Those things I listed still bug me, but I'm not in a bad mood.  I promise.  I am happy.   And I know it.  So I am clapping my hands, stomping my feet, and saying AMEN!

Things That Are Really Bugging Me These Days

• the heat - that just goes without saying
• the radio - why are all radio stations so annoying?  I can never seem to be able to find any good music on.  I'd often rather listen to Sadie's silly music.
• the price of gas.  And groceries.  And everything else.
• other drivers - aaahhhhh!!!!
• coming up with new things to cook for dinner - although I did come home from the grocery store today with a couple of ideas.
• headaches - why are they back?!

Wow, who sounds like a grouch today?  Yeah, me.  I had to get out in the heat today, but before I was able to go to Target and the grocery store I had to get gas.  After spending a fortune to fill up my car, I had to drive behind people who didn't take driver's ed.  I obviously came home with a headache.  However, there are....

Things That Really Make Me Happy These Days:

• the Funfetti cookies that are in the oven
• my home that has wonderful a/c 
• my husband who works so hard every single day
• this girl who I get to go pick up very soon - I miss her!

I caught her in a rare moment of seriousness before going to "camp" this morning.

Things may bug me, but....life is still great.  I have much to be thankful for.

The Westbrook Girls: A Day in Our Lives

For those of you who just love hearing the details of my day/life, this is for you.  I'm taking the idea from a couple of other blogs I have recently read.

Thursday, July 28

5:00 a.m. on the dot - Sadie wakes up.  And when Sadie wakes up, it's not a gradual thing.  It's more like HELLO WORLD, I AM AWAKE AND NEED ATTENTION!!  We let her cry for a few minutes before I took her a bottle (which used to be the magic cure for a baby waking up at the wrong time...USED TO be).

5:32 a.m. - Kris, she's been crying for 32 minutes straight (with the exception of the 2.5 minutes it took her to drink the bottle), please go get her and bring her to me.

After tossing and turning a while, she fell asleep.

6:47 - HELLO WORLD, I AM AWAKE (AGAIN) AND NEED ATTENTION!!

6:50 - I take her to the potty.  Half asleep, I sit on the floor in front of her and we look at books.  She takes care of her business, I put her big girl panties on her, and the day begins.

7:00 - Good Morning America on one television, Sprout on the other.

7:40ish - Get Kris off to work.

7:50 - put Sadie in her high chair while I make her breakfast

8:15 - I put a load of clothes into the wash, but shame on me, I should have immediately put Sadie on the potty.  I know better than to get distracted when she finishes eating.  Who had a big accident?  It wasn't me.

9:00 - I hear Sadie crying.  I find her standing IN a drawer underneath the television.  That could have been bad - she could have fallen out of the drawer, into the television, television could have fallen on her - aahhhhh!!!

9:30 - Sadie is tired, I put her in bed.  That didn't last.  I had to go bounce her to sleep.  She was out, I put her in bed, and she immediately stands up.  Why was I not surprised?

9:40 - I got her back to sleep, but I had to hold her.  I caught up on a recorded The Little Couple episode while she slept.

10:15 - Sadie wakes up, I take the clothes out of the washer.

I think we need to get out of the house - run a couple of errands, grab some lunch, go to the museum so that we'll be out of the house when the yard crew gets here.

11:30 - finally ready to leave the house - good grief, that only took half a day!

11:37 - get Sadie out of the car, run into a store to pick up a gift I had ordered, back to the car.  What a hassle to get her out for something that only took 60 seconds.  Had I known it was going to be so quick, I might have left her in the car since I was parked at the front door!

11:50 - we went to Michael's.  Sadie, sit down.  Sadie, you can't stand up in the cart.  Sadie, if you stand up again, I'm going to have to buckle you in and you know you hate that.  OK, time to buckle.  There is the whine/cry/scream I knew was coming.  Please don't attract attention, Sadie.  If you SIT, you can get in the big part of the cart.  She actually did well.

12:25 - Buffalo Grill - yum!  After standing in line while holding a wiggling baby and all that goes with a little one ready to eat, it was time to order.  Lunch went well, she was very well behaved and ate a lot!

1:00 - let's go.  I am carrying a to-go box of green beans, a to-go cup, Sadie's sippy cup, a bib, my sunglasses, my keys, and my child.  Sadie loses a shoe.  I squat down to pick it up and get bean juice all down my left leg.  AAAHHHH!  I try to clean myself off and get to the car.  How am I going to unlock my car and get the door open?

1:10 - (yeah, it took a while to get to the car after the green bean mess) Juggling 117 items in my arms, I get the door open, throw Sadie into her car seat, and spill coke all down my right leg - soaking my shorts, going into my shirt and purse.  It should dry soon, I'm still going to the museum.

1:16 - in the car, on the road, I am no longer in the mood to go to the museum, so we turn around and head back home.

1:30 - Sadie is already tired again, but I know if I put her in bed, the yard crew will show up and wake her.  So we go upstairs and play to keep her awake.

2:00 - oh, good, there's the yard crew....but they always eat their lunch in the truck before working on our yard....please, guys, get started so Sadie can go to sleep.

2:20 - GREAT, it's raining!  Praise the Lord.  The yard guys aren't working, but they're aren't going anywhere either.

2:40 - rain stops, the guys get to work.  Sadie has been unhappy for the past hour because she's so tired - she goes between crying and putting her head on my shoulder.

3:15 - I can't put her off any longer, I put her in bed with a bottle.  She drinks it and cries.  I don't blame her.  If I was as tired as she was and the noisy mowers were keeping me from sleeping, I wouldn't be happy either!

3:32 - The guys are finally gone, the crying has stopped, she's asleep!

3:40 - Maybe I can sit for a minute?  I doze off, my phone wakes me up.

4:20 - I hear a train in the distance blowing its horn.  I begin to pray.  Please, please, don't let it wake her up.  The horn stops, but the bell starts ringing.  It wasn't long until the crying began.  I pick her up, she puts her head on my shoulder and was very calm.

4:25 - I bring her downstairs, she's relaxed, I think she's dozing off.  The doorbell rings.  AAAHHHH!!!  (just a couple of days ago I took my "please do not ring the doorbell" sign off because it was faded.  Time to make a new sign.)  Needless to say, she's awake.

4:30 - potty time

We play, we fold clothes, we play some more.  I try to clean on the kitchen.

5:30 - we start getting ready to go to dinner.  It's chicken night at the club - our favorite!  We didn't have to leave until 6:30, but I knew we needed an early start on getting ready in case because I knew something would interrupt us at some point.

No, Sadie, you may not play with the fingernail polish.

6:15 - I'm sitting on the edge of the tub washing my feet, almost time to leave.  Sadie starts pointing at her stickers - she wants one.  You have to go to potty before you get a sticker, Sadie, you know that.  So she walks to her potty, lifts the lid, and sits down.  Here we go again.  I take her diaper off and we sit.  And read books.  And it's almost time for us to leave.  She didn't do anything.  No sticker.

6:25 - I go back to getting ready - I must hurry!

6:30 - oh my gosh, Sadie, I forgot to put clothes back on you.  She's running around naked.

7:00 - Time for dinner.  Thank goodness!

blah blah blah, blah blah blah.....

8:50 - She's in bed.  It's quiet.

10:29 - Why am I still awake when I have the opportunity to be asleep?!

I wonder what tomorrow will hold?

(for those of you who read to the end, congratulations.  And I'm sorry.)

Target, Oh How I Love (wait, scratch that)...Target, Oh How I Hate You

It happens every time.  What is it about Target that totally sucks me in and drains my pocketbook?  Seriously.  It doesn't happen at Wal-Mart.  But with Target, it happens every time.  And it makes me crazy.

Sadie is at "camp" today, leaving me a day to myself to get some things done.  I needed some Command hooks and dishwashing detergent.  Two items.  I should have been in and out of Target within ten minutes or so and shouldn't have spent more than ten dollars.  ha ha ha ha ha!  Their first marketing strategy is to put the wonderful dollar bins at the front door.  Not to mention that it's school supply time (which totally makes my heart race with excitement).  So, my trip to Target:

ooh, school supplies, I love school supplies!  Little board books for Sadie for one dollar?  Yes, please.  She needs more practice with her numbers and colors.

I have a couple of coupons that expire at the end of the month.  It's like throwing money away if you don't use them, so I might as well pick up a pack of diapers and wipes since I know I'll need them eventually.

Dog food, yeah, the dogs will be out by next week.  I'll go ahead and put that in the cart.

Wait a minute?  Seriously?  Two aisles of summer merchandise 50% off?  Score!  (although, I did show restraint here since I really have no need/room for brightly colored plastic tubs, beach towels, chairs, and ice chests)  I walked away with only two items which were only a dollar each.

I don't have anywhere I NEED to be right now, so I'll keep browsing.  It's kind of nice being able to stroll the aisles.

Wait a minute, what did I come in here for?  Command hooks, that's right.  And detergent.

A couple more little items, and I think I've done enough damage.

So, the lesson for today:  Only go to Target when Sadie is with me and it's close to nap time.  Then there will be no lingering and spending!

(Sorry, Kris!)

Germaphobe? Maybe.

Germs.  I don't like them.  I don't think I'm obsessed with defeating them, though.  But then again, in some ways, maybe I am.

When flying, I always wear pants because I do not want the skin of my legs to spend much time in contact with the seats.  How do I know who sat there before me?  I cannot get into bed at night before taking a shower.  I do not want to sleep with the germs I've collected throughout the day.  I really really hope that Sadie has no desire to play in places like Chuck E. Cheese, Chick-fil-a, etc.

However, I took Sadie to the Children's Museum yesterday and let her play.  And play.  And pick up toys that other kids had been playing with.  And yes, some of those toys went into her mouth.  Amazingly, though, I didn't stress too much.  I was very appreciative of the employee who was constantly cleaning the equipment.  Also, the toys were rotated about every 30-45 minutes.  Workers would come in with giant tubs, pick up ALL the toys in an area, and put out "fresh" toys.  Adults had to have their feet covered with those surgical foot covering things.  Granted, we came in and immediately changed clothes and disinfected our hands (as we did occasionally during the time we were there), but overall I wasn't grossed out.

Then there was this afternoon.  Just when I thought I might have had a breakthrough by letting Sadie play at the museum, we went to the eye doctor.  The waiting room was crowded.  Kids were on the floor playing with toys.  Toys that I never once saw being cleaned or exchanged.  I saw a couple of people with their feet in the seats.  I felt a tiny bit sick.  I came home and scrubbed my arms where they rested on the armrests.

Maybe something's wrong with me.  Or maybe it's a good thing I'm germ conscious.  Hey, I like that better - 'germ conscious' rather than 'germaphobe'.  I don't sound as much like a freak if I refer to myself that way.

So, the point of this post?  None whatsoever.  I am just thinking about how anxious I am to take a shower.

One Day.....

One day I'll have something interesting to write about.  Maybe.  Hopefully.

My Day "Off"

Sadie is enrolled in a little day camp at our church one day a week this summer.  It gives her an opportunity to socialize with children her own age and be away from me for a while (I'm sure she gets bored being with me 24/7), and it gives me an opportunity to get some things done that I don't normally get to do.  Like run errands.

So we get up this morning, I make breakfast for Sadie and daddy, I pack lunches, I pack bags, I get everyone out the door.  Well, sort of.  Sent Kris on his way easily enough, but as Sadie and I are getting ready to leave, I hear a squeal/cry.  She comes walking out of my bedroom, and she's soaking wet.  She had obviously been playing in the dogs' water bowl in my bathroom.  aaaahhhhh!!!   And she looked so cute in her little purple octopus shirt with plaid shorts.  We had to make a quick change and head to church!

Before coming back home, I made a stop at the grocery store.  Drop off groceries, grab a bite to eat, and out the door again.  Granted, my next stop was to get a pedicure.  A much-needed pedicure.  No, I don't spend all my days off luxuriously being pampered.  Today was an exception.  I needed to make a few stops before coming home to get some things done around the house.  However, I developed a splitting headache and came home before accomplishing all that was on my to-do list.  I thought that maybe I could lie down for a few minutes to give the Advil time to kick in, so I changed into comfy clothes, got my phone to set the alarm in case I dozed off, and saw that I had a message.....

Hi, Mrs. Westbrook, this is Miss --- from the Chicks class at church.  Has Sadie been to the doctor lately?  I think she has pinkeye.  Great.

Clothes back on, back into the heat, call the doc's office on my way to church, make an appointment.  Pick up Sadie, we have a little time before the appointment....maybe we can run into Target as long as she doesn't touch anyone and I sterilize the shopping cart before and after.  To the doc, yep, pink eye.  Lovely.  Antibiotic drops, 3x a day, 5 days.  Wow, perfect timing since Kris and I are leaving early Friday morning for a weekend away.  Sorry, TyTy, you're going to have to play doctor!

Next stop, Walgreens.  They said they didn't have the prescription.  Yes, the doctor sent it in.  I was there.  Hhhmmm....let me look again.  Oh yeah, there it is.  Forty minutes later (WAY too long to spend in Walgreens with a sleepy one year old!) the pharmacist said - ok, your two prescriptions are ready.  Two?  Yes, eye drops and lidocaine.  Lidocaine?  Yes, for her mouth.  What's wrong with her mouth?   The lesions.  Uhm, she has no lesions and I'm not giving her lidocaine, you can put that back!  So, we came home with eye drops.  And this, my friends, is what $83 looks like:

Back home, do the dishes that were left behind this morning, clean up the dog food that Sadie has played in, try to get Sadie to nap since she hasn't napped, try to do something to get my headache to go away, beg Kris to come home ASAP.

Aaaahhhhh.....there's nothing more relaxing than a day off!!  (but I wouldn't have it any other way - how thankful I am to be able to run around with my baby girl when needed!)

Worth the Wait

I used to consider myself a fairly patient person.  As I got older, though, my patience grew thin.  I was ready for life to begin.  I wanted to date and get married and start a family.  That's all I ever wanted.  However, it just wasn't happening as quickly as I wanted it to.

I graduated from college, started teaching, and would go home and sit alone each night.  Yes, I could have been proactive and tried to do something about it, but my personality isn't one to go out and mingle.  And since the majority of my friends were already occupied with boyfriends, husbands, and children, it's not like I had many people to go out with.  So, I waited.  And waited.  I was set up many times, had many interesting dates, and even met some great guys.  On the Not So Great Guys list, there was the one who told me at the end of the date that he was hungry.  He asked if I was also.  When I said no, he told me it was because I ate more than he did at dinner earlier in the evening.  Uhm, excuse me?  I was the one taking home leftovers, not him!  Then there was the one who reminded me of Lord Farquaad from Shrek.  Remember the scene where he rides up on a horse looking so valiant, but when he got off the horse he was really short?  Well, I met him at a restaurant, he was waiting for me on a bar stool.  He seemed fine when I first saw him....until he jumped off the stool and was a little runt.  Yeah, that's not going to work!  I could go on, but for the sake of your boredom, I won't.

It was actually my mom who told me to try online dating.  The first service I tried was eHarmony.  That has a national database, right?  OK, so what does it say about me when out of all the participants nationally, they could only match me with three people?  Sad, huh?  Only one of those three actually contacted me, and he was one weird dude.  We never met, but I had no desire to meet.

Then came the next dating site.  A few dates that didn't work out, and then....bingo!  I met Kris.  I knew I liked him on our very first date.  It wasn't long until I knew that he was THE one.  However, the timeline in his mind didn't exactly match mine.  So, I waited.  Well, I didn't have to wait too long.  We dated for a year before getting engaged.  And then six months later, we were married.  Tomorrow, we celebrate our fifth anniversary.  These past five years have been the very best ever!  He was definitely worth the wait.

So, what's next?  I didn't want to wait too long before having children, but I also wanted to enjoy married life for a bit too.  And obviously, God wanted me to enjoy it a while too.  Because when we felt we were ready, God felt otherwise.  So we waited.  And waited.  And went to doctors.  And more doctors.  Then it happened.  We were blessed with Sadie, who turned one last Saturday.  Believe me, she was definitely worth the wait.  What a treasure she is!

The point of all this......God always blesses.  In His time.  The things/people He chooses to give you are always worth the wait.  Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9  That verse was my lifeline for several years.  I had to keep trusting that I would reap a harvest at the proper time (not necessarily MY time) if I didn't give up.  So, I waited.  And it was worth it!!

A Few of My Favorite Things....by Sadie

Getting into EVERYTHING:

getting into Momma's camera case

Climbing stairs:

Since she can open the gate, we decided to block it with a chair......

so what does she do?  Move the chair!  She's so proud of herself.

Playing in the water:

Making a dog food mess:

Melting my Momma's heart: