Keeping Up With the Fitz's

A Little Bump in the Road

2010-06-08T13:56:00.001-07:00

It has been quite awhile since I posted and now that I seem to have plenty of time on my hands for atleast a little while, I am going to post a bit more often. So a little bump in the road has occured on the Fitzgerald's path to awaiting the arrival of Baby Kiptin Ryan. My pregnancies have all been uneventful and beyond enjoyable and I absolutely love being pregnant and really miss it once it is all over. This pregnancy has been very similar to my other 2 and I have really stayed in great shape the whole time working out 5 days a week and my energy level has been beyond what I ever expected. So why would I think that it would suddenly take a turn. The last week or so, I have been saying that the pressure has been pretty intense low and I never remember feeling so much pressure before I delivered. I sort of eased up a bit at the gym on Tues. and took it easy with my workout and still really felt uncomfortable. Tuesday nite I was hurting but went to sleep and woke up with the same pressure throughout the day. Finally at naptime, I was having problems standing up straight because the pressure had gotten so bad and for me to be alarmed, I guess I knew something wasn't right. I called the dr. and they told me to go ahead to the hospital and get monitored. What....this wasn't in my schedule and Jack had his last baseball game and trophy hand-out tonight and I never missed a game before. I was full out panicking because things just weren't ready for all of this to happen atleast not tonight. The panic set in but I now had another baby to worry about too so off to the hospital we went. Meanwhile I had to rely on my neighbor, who is also one of my truest friends to come over and watch my 2 kids along with her 3. By the time we got to the hospital, I was in a lot of pain with intense pressure and was worried to say the least. After being checked in, I was hooked up to all the monitors to check the baby out and his heartbeat was great and at first they weren't seeing any signs of consistent contractions, which would then in turn mean, preterm labor. After being there for about 2hrs., I started panicking about Rob or I not being there for Jack's last baseball game and his trophy hand-out so I decided to convince Rob to go home and get the boys and bring them to the baseball game since it seemed like nothing was too serious here with Kiptin and I. I must say that the whole time I was laying in the bed, I kept feeling contractions but it just wasn't showing on screen and the nurses weren't saying anything so I was in the clear, right?? NOPE...Rob couldn't have left more than 5 minutes when everything seemed to go a bit chaiotic. THe dr. came back in with a nurse and said we are so sorry but the monitors we had on were not picking up the contractions you had been having this whole time and unfortunately, we can now see you are in preterm labor and your contractions are about 5 minutes apart and we are going to start giving you steriods in case the baby's lungs aren't 100% developed and a shot of something to stop the contractions and antibiotics in case of Group Strep B, which I never got tested for yet so just in case, baby would be safe from it. If the contractions could not be stopped or I dialated anymore, I was told they had to take Kiptin immediately when any of those signs occured. Talk about panic, I just sent Rob on his way to baseball with the boys and I did not want any of this baby stuff to take away from Jack's special day so I just didn't tell Rob what was going on. I called a few times to see how everything was going and to get an idea on how quickly he would be done just in case things took a turn for the worse. After he called me from inside the car on his way home with the boys, I then told him what was going on and he needed to come back as soon as he had everything settled down at home. When I initially went in, I was excited to maybe see Kiptin that day but until the visit from the NICU doctor, I knew he needed to stay put. After Rob got back to the hospital, the dr. from the NICU came in and started explaining to us the best and worst case scenerios for a baby born at 34wks. Even the best case scenerio was not what I wanted. To think my baby could be in the NICU for weeks, need a feeding tube, need assistance breathing, any of this was way too much for me to handle. I was a wreck and all I could think of was what did I do?? Was it my fault?? Did I workout too much?? Did I not give my body enough relaxation?? Instantly it was something I did wrong or didn't do. The mother's guilt is so bad and I am not sure if it will ever let up. I am constantly running around and doing everything under the su for my kids and if for 2 minutes I do something for myself I think I am not being the best mom I could be. So anyway...by about 5am that next morning, the contractions were under control and I was probably going to be released that evening after my dr. came in to check on me and the maternal fetal monitor dr. came to do a 4D sono on the baby. THey said around 7pm ish, I would be on my way of all looked good. So my dr came in around 6pm and I was still only 1cm dialated and the only orders were a seditary lifestyle. (AKA modified bedrest) What!?!?!?!?! Me, staying still and relaxing??? Who would watch my kids and entertain them, would they be upset with me or the baby for this?? There went the mother's guilt. TO be honest, after the discussion with the NICU doctor, I was ready to listen and do what was best for the baby to the best of my ability. Around 10pm, the sono dr. came in just a few hrs late because his own child had a 105 fever and he was home taking care of her. He had this new sonogram machine that was worth more than a real sonogram machine that you would see at a dr. office because it was the size of a laptop. It was incredible!! When he had me all hooked up, there right in front of our eyes was our angel in 4D and looked like a real person with chubby cheeks, hair, big lips and of course, the BIG Fitzgerald head that seems to be the one definite gene my kids inherit from their dad. I was looking at Rob as he was watching the screen and you could see the smile from ear-to-ear as he looked at his 3rd son safe and sound. Because all my pregnancies have been uneventful, we don't get to see what the baby looks like after 28wks until they enter the world and here we were looking at our son that actually looked like a real person in there. To say we left with a smile on our face would be quite the understatement. So how has life been the last week or so...difficult. Rob luckily was able to be home from when I got home from the hospital until Tuesday so that was beyond a relief. Basically I am trying to relax on the couch when I can, which is basically when the boys go to nap and Rob gets home from work. I have been going to the gym everyday since Tues. from 9:30-11:30 so the boys can still get out some energy and take their classes that they love and I have been sitting in the lounge or by the pool and reading to keep myself busy. After that its lunch time and playtime and then naptime which is when I get to put my feet up again. My children are used to being on the go and I can't blame them because I would hate to be cooped up inside a house too so I am trying to keep things as normal and routine as possible. Rob just can't understand why I can't just stay on the couch but it is literally impossible with 2 kids. The minute the pressure gets bad or Rob comes through the door, I do try to sit down and Rob takes over even though he is exhausted from work and everything else he does around the house. Rob has been an angel through this and is really trying to take over completely but I can see he is worn down and nervous about the baby and keeping him safe. Overall, I feel great and just happy he is staying calm inside and soon we will meet our HEALTHY baby boy. To think I won't be pregnant soon is so sad to me because I just love every minute of it but I can't wait to get my hands on this little guy.

My Baby Shower

2010-05-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight is my baby shower for our soon-to-be 3rd son, Kiptin Ryan Fitzgerald. Three of my closest friends, Amy, Amie and Jen decided to take the time out and put together this shower even though I feel horrible making anyone spend a dime on me when I was fortunate enough to have a shower for our 2nd baby just 2 years ago. By after they twisted me arm (not really) and told me it was going to be a small little thing at the nail salon where I would get pampered and rubbed, I had to agree. I truly am so fortunate to have such great friends and I think about how life would be very different if my friends weren't a big part of my life. Part of why I am so excited about tonight's festivities is because I get girl time with a bunch of great ladies who I truly enjoy being around but don't get to do it quite enough especially without the little ones. Well I wanted to finish this post before I left but I can't because I want to be on time for the 1st time in my life to something and if I am not, Amie is going to kick my very pregnant ass even though I am the guest of honor. TO BE CONTINUED...

So....the shower was wonderful, the mani and pedi was fabulous and dinner was delicious and my friends ROCK!! I had such a nice time just chatting, lots of laughs and having everyone together hanging out. I had a chance to catch up with some friends who I don't talk to enough and it was just such a relaxing, non-stressful environment and I loved every second of it. Amie and Amy went all out and made it a very special time for me to always remember. Even though I didn't get home until 11ish, I was so excited to open all the gifts. OMG... all my friends are so generous and thoughtful and I can't thank them enough. I am in diaper and wipe heaven!!! I have diapers from newborn to size 5 (hahaha) and I think I can wipe my children's rears about 1000x a day and still have enough until they get married. I cannot tell you what an amazing feeling it is to know I have that many diapers and wipes because I sure hate buying those items because they are too damn expensive and all children do with them is poop in them and use them to clean up the poop. See when you spend money on clothes, atleast you and other people can comment on them and say, "Ohhhh, how cute!!" but I never had anyone say, "Boy, those are nice diapers or your kid looks adorable in those fancy diapers". Some of the other adorable gifts that I couldn't stop looking at and picturing Kiptin in was a onesie that said "Mom's New Man", 2 Dr. Suess onesies and for those who know me well, I am obsessed with Dr. Suess, the most adorable blanket that is embroidered with Kiptin Ryan on it, a Little Brother onesie (so cute), the cutest airplane outfit for Jack to give to Kiptin when he is born since Jack has an obsession with planes and thinks everyone else should too, etc, etc, etc!!!

Well I was going to download some pics but my computer is not cooperating with me on this fine Saturday morning, so once I can get this damn thing working I will post some pics from a great nite. Thanks again everyone for being there to help me celebrate this special time in our lives and thank you, thank you Amie, Amy and Jen for being so kind and thoughtful and throwing me this shower.

Things That Are On My Mind Lately...

2010-04-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

So I haven't blogged in forever even though I said I was going to keep on top of it. Just seems like when I have some time to relax, I always get involved with something else and my blogging takes a back burner. I couldn't decide what I was going to write about today so I finally came up with just a bunch of things on my mind lately.

1. I can't believe that my pregnancy is almost over. About 9 wks. to go and Baby #3 will be arriving into our family.

2. Am I nervous...not about being a mom of 3 or about caring for a newborn but about other things like getting out of the house in a timely manner. I am quite a perfectionist so it takes me forever to get out of the house with 2 kids because I can't leave before my house is in perfect condition and the boys are all groomed, clothes ironed, hair perfect, etc. Throw a newborn into the mix...that could be quite a task.

3. Registered Jack for full-day kindergarten last week and I am not doing well in the least bit. The thought of him not being with me all day is so sad to me. He is my buddy, my pal. I can have full conversations with him, ask his opinion, he understands my sarcasm, etc. I just don't know where 5 yrs. have gone and it blows my mind how fast time flies. He is so excited though and is definately ready so I try to be excited too in front of him but it is breaking my heart.

4. Nolan is still my little active boy with quite the sense of humor. He is so much like me when I was a baby, it is scary. Not just looks, but personality too. He has no fear, he will do anything to get a laugh, rough and tough but is a cuddle bug and has such a good heart. My parents laugh when I tell them about my lil' monster because I got one just like me.

5. Rob has been so helpful lately even more than usual. He is working 2 jobs but still will wake up early with Nolie and let me sleep a little extra these days. He also helped me clean the house last week, which is usually an all-day task and let me tell you, it meant the world to me.

6. Taekwondo is Jack's new favorite obsession. He is loving it and so are we. He has built up such great self-confidence and determination to one day be a black belt. His listening skills and multi-step directions have improved drastically just in the last months because of it and I think it will be awesome for school next year.

7. The whole family living in NY and us being here is still really bothersome to myself as well as Jack. I am not sure when it is going to get easier or if it ever will. Jack seems more bothered with it now then before. He talks about them constantly and all his wishes he makes consists of going to NY or moving back to NY or surprise visits from the family, etc. As far as me, I am definately jealous that my parent's are always with my sister's children. They take them for sleepovers almost weekly, babysit them just to spend quality time with them and I know my Jack and Nolan would love that type of time with them too. We are planning a trip right after the baby is born to drive to NY so my family can spend time with them and get to meet the new baby.

8. Looking forward to my mom's visit for the arrival of the baby. When Nolie was born, she was there for his arrival and ended up having to stay longer than expected because she fell in our garage and wasn't allowed to fly. It was fabulous, well not the injury but the outcome. This time, I am planning on setting up some type of obstacle to try to cause some injury that will once again force her to remain here with us for just a wee-bit longer.

9. Soooooooo looking forward to Rob's school year coming to an end and us having time together as a family especially with the new addition in July. Hopefully we take full advantage of his time off and come up with a bunch a fun things to do this summer.

10. Jack is doing great this year in baseball. Last year his coach was a nice guy but I don't think he taught the kids one thing about baseball and Jack was bored out of his mind. He totally lost all interest in the sport. Whereas this year, he has a great coach and is learning so much about baseball. He is hitting the ball straight from a pitcher instead of a tee this year and is so proud of himself. I think he is also loving the idea that his Grandparents come and watch him play and we all make such a big deal out of it.

11. Last but not least, I am freaking out about being in the hospital for 4 days and how Nolan is going to deal with that. He is literally attached to my side and I have never been away from him for more than a few hours. I am so nervous that when he comes to visit his new brother and I at the hospital, it is going to be quite an issue when it is time for him to leave and he realizes I am staying. Jack was so much older when I had Nolan so he understood the whole need to recover in the hospital and that he could come visit when ever he wanted and there was no jealousy. We shall see how it all works out...

I would love to end by saying that I am going to keep this blog thing updated but I shouldn't make promises I probably won't keep. So until next time...

Jack's 5th Birthday Party Success

2010-03-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Wow....what a amazing day!! A few months before jack's birthday, I received some flyer in the mail for a special deal if you bought Grand Opening Night for Disney On Ice and when was it....Jack's actual birthday. I knew we wanted to bring him and at the same time, I was also trying to plan where to have his party this year. We were not coming up with any great ideas and didn't want to just spend $100's of dollars at some place that really wasn't that exciting or that he was just settling for so.... I decided to have Jack's party at Disney On Ice. When I thought about it. it seemed a bit costly but then when I added up any party place, dessert, supplies, favors, etc., it wasn't too much more and it was something different and I thought his friends would really like it as well. I decided to go ahead with the plan and order 22 tickets for Opening Nite and prior to showtime, have everyone over for cake. Due to me ordering the tickets so early and the day I got the flyer, I totally lucked out with the seats. I was able to get 22 tickets together and the best part, amazing seats pretty close to the ice with a perfect view.

The children all seemed so excited before the show but to see everyone at the show was priceless. Everyone of the children had huge smiles on their faces and their eyes were glued to the show. It seemed like even the parents had a great time. All I know is Jack was on Cloud 9. He had a perma-grin the entire day from when he woke up until when he went to sleep at midnight. It was the absolute perfect day!!! He loved it so much that he made us promise we would pretend it was his birthday again when he woke up the next day. I guess this year was the 1st year he really was obsessed with his birthday, so much so he did a countdown calendar for the month of March. As a parent, it was amazing to just see him so excited about turning 5, having his friends there with him on his actual birthday and of course, getting presents. After several conversations with him about gifts not being the most important part of his special day and making sure he doesn't attack people when they show up for his party by ripping the gifts straight from their hands went completely in one ear and out the other. The minute a knock on the door was heard, he would run to the door and in some cases say "Hi" first but for the most part, he took his gift and added to his pile of gifts he had set up on the couch. Well, I tried and I apologized to the guests and hopefully everyone can understand that he is a 5 year old boy obsessed with toys but truly enjoyed all his friends and family being with him on his special day.

Thanks everyone for making my angel's birthday so special and unforgettable!!

Wow, How Time Flies...

2010-03-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Our Angel, Jack Dylan

Jack's 1st birthday

Jack's 2nd Birthday

Jack's 3rd Birthday

Jack's 4th Birthday

Our Jack is 5!!

We cannot believe that 5 years ago on March 24th, our first love of our lives was born. From the minute we laid our eyes on him, we were so in love. 5 years later, Jack still continues to put a smile on our face each and every day. Happy 5th Birthday Angel!! We love U!!

Where's Your Purse??

2010-03-19T12:22:00.001-07:00

So the other day I decided to go take the boys to the park for about 1/2hr while dinner was in the oven. I headed down to good old Riverwalk park with the boys in the Power Wheels and Peanut. When we arrived we were quickly greeted by an adorable little black girl that basically jumped in front of Jack's moving vehicle and tried to highjack it and throw him out. I told her that we were just going to park it because we needed to save the battery power so we could get home. She really didn't love my reponse and tried to convince Jack that it was necessary for her to try it out. After she failed to get Jack to agree with her, she headed over to my 12 year old dog and began tugging the leash from my hand and telling me to just let go, she needed to take my dog somewhere. I explained very nicely to her that I had to hold her because she would run off and due to her age, she gets nervous. So....she moved onto my kid, Nolan. She told me to stop touching the swing because she wanted to push him but Nolan was not very friendly to say the least. He was lunging forward trying to hit her and screaming bloody murder for her to let go of his swing. The lady next to me was laughing her ass off because no matter what I told the girl to do, she would just move on to the next personal belonging I brought with me to the park. Well, finally she gave up on Nolie after he got her good and refused to stop swatting at her so she began talking and questioning me. Here is exactly how it went...

(Girl) Hey lady, do you know you have a baby in your belly?

(Me) Yes honey I do and it is going to be another little boy.

(Girl) Why, do you hate little girls??

(Me) No not at all, God just wanted us to have 3 boys.

(Girl) Where do you live??

(Me) I live right here in the neighborhood.

(Girl) Hmmm

GET READY for her next line...

(Girl) Lady, where is your purse??

(Me) What??

(Girl) I asked where your purse is??

(Me) At home, why do you ask??

(Girl) Just wondering and where did you say you lived. You should bring it next time.

Okay, this could be completely innocent but is it me or is this a strange thing for a little girl to ask out of nowhere?? Ladies, keep your purses away from little girls at Riverwalk. It could be a dangerous place.

And the Results are In...

2010-02-14T07:17:00.001-08:00

We only waited about 5 months to find out the sex of our lil one but it seemed like eternity. We were so prepared for Friday for our dr. appt at 9:45am. Rob took off of work weeks ago and we even asked my mother-in-law to watch the boys so Rob and I could enjoy finding out the sex of Baby #3 over a nice, quiet lunch. Well moving to Texas, you think you would never have to worry about snowstorms, right??? WRONG...of course the day before our appt., we get a Texas-like blizzard and everyone freaks out, so much so every thing gets closed down for the next damn day. And then we got the dreaded phone call the night before from my OB canceling my appt. for Friday morning. Can you say D.E.V.A.S.T.A.T.E.D. We were so upset because of how long we looked forward to this day. So the next morning, I whined and cried to basically everyone including Amie, who is determined to always make the impossible, possible. Literally 15 minutes after getting off the phone with her, she calls to tell me she has made an appointment at a Diagnostic Imaging Place for us to go get a 4D sonogram to find out if our munchkin is a she or a he. I truly think she probably paid this company thousands to open the doors that morning because it seemed like they were the only public place opened in the whole state of Texas. To say I was excited would be quite an understatement. It was probably one of the few times in my life that I wasn't just on time but an hour early for my appointment. I couldn't wait to be able to put a name with the lil' one inside me and tell Jack and Nolan if they were going to have a little brother or sister. So.....IT'S A BOY!!! We had the sonographer put the sex in an envelope and Rob and I went to lunch and opened it up. We were so thrilled to know our little angel was going to have the 2 best big brothers and be loved beyond belief. I felt like I was on Cloud 9 the whole day. How lucky are we to have 2 healthy boys already and now to prepare to bring another one into the world is simply the most amazing feeling in the world. And to spend the day alone with my husband was just as amazing. We never have alone time...EVER!! I don't think we have had alone time since before Nolie was born and we sure needed it. Just to be able to have an un-interrupted conversation and talk about things that we ever have time to talk about without taking care of the kiddos at the same time was incredible. We say that we are going to try to do this once a month even if its just lunch and walking around the mall again so hopefully we do it. Thankfully my mother-in-law watches them when we need a babysitter because as most of you know, I am a complete control-freak and my routines are a bit more then most people can handle but my mother-in-law Joan is great. She just follows my OCD structure and routines and I never worry when I am gone because I know the boys are having a blast and eating and sleeping when they should.
Now I am looking forward to Monday morning because I have my rescheduled 20week sonogram at my OB office to check out the baby and make sure all is perfect and of course, we will get to see his little package again to be 1000% sure he is a BOY, but after looking at the pics, I am POSITIVE that he has a weiner.

A Natural Laxative

2010-02-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

Warning, if you are eating or plan on eating anytime soon maybe you should skip this blog post. Here it goes...

So my boys always take baths together but Jack has been trained to be prepared to jump out in a fraction of a second if he sees any warning signs from his little brother which include:

#1. Nolie suddenly standing up

#2. A reddish tint to his face

#3. Or a stare that looks like a deer caught in the headlights

Jack is pretty damn good at reading the warning signs and yesterday was no exception. The boys are playing, laughing and splashing and I am doing my hair and makeup for the day when Jack screams, "Oh no, here it comes" and dives head first out of the tub onto the rug. Sure enough, I turn around and there is Nolie standing, reddish color to the face and the stare. I grab at my washcloth stash to try to intercept the poop so I can avoid it landing in the tub with all the toys and a tub worth of water but was a fraction of a second to late. Now, Jack is gagging and asking over and over, "Mom, how do you get all that poop out of that tub?" Good question....

So after about 20 minutes of feces removal and intense cleaning of the tub, all is good in The Fitzgerald household. So if you ever have an issue with your child or children being constipated, a free remedy to your problem is simply a bath.

Our Trip to the New Grocery Store...Unforgettable

2010-01-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

On Friday, the boys and I decided we would go to the new Kroger by our house to do a little food shopping and let Jack pick out his $5 Transformer toy that he earned for getting rid of many of his old toys in the playroom the other day. When I told him he had earned a little toy, he basically fell over in excitement because since Christmas, we have a new rule in our home that toys are for holidays and birthdays and the children do not get toys for no reason anymore because it became an obsession and was expected every trip we took to the store. Jack must have asked about 1000 times when we were leaving so he could pick out his new toy, which I explained that he was only allowed 1 toy that was no more than $5. He agreed and thanked me over and over again for this special occassion. So we were off...this was going to be great!! Jack was going to get a new toy and be thrilled that he was allowed one even though it was not his birthday yet and be thankful beyond belief and Nolie would be happier than a pig in poop because he could ride in the new car shopping carts that had a steering wheel that wasn't ripped out or broken yet and a tv as well inside with some kids shows.

Well things took a turn for the worse...

We start off at the toy aisle, where Jack is already going for the $30 toys and I continue to show him the few items that he can pick from. He finally decided he is going to take all 5 of the Transformers in the shopping cart and make an educated decision while we are food shopping. About 5 minutes into food shopping, he begins to harrass me about getting 2 instead of 1 and has a long explanation why they need to be purchased together. He goes on and on how they are brothers and cannot be seperated or else they will be sad like he would be if Nolie wasn't with him. Persuasive, yes but I was sticking to my guns on this one. Jack can convince anyone of anything but I needed to remember that I laid down the rules and he should be happy with 1 and understand that one is better than one. For the next 40 minutes, he is still asking for both no matter how many times I have told him not to bother asking me again because the answer is no. I explained being greedy and how he was taking advantage of the situation. At the same time this is all going on, Nolie is trying to escape from the locked doors of the car shopping cart. He is kicking the doors open, sticking his hand out a slot that is the size of half his fist and jiggling the handle so it will pop open. I decide food shopping is over and we begin to head to the register. I give Jack full warning to choose 1 or else we are not getting any. So who would have guessed, I get on the line that the cashier looks at me like he doesn't no where he is or what he is doing. The lady that was in front of me looks back at me with a face that clearly was saying, "Get off the line if you know what's best for you". Well of course I don't and I unload my shopping cart and get my coupons all ready...big mistake!! Jack now begins to flip out and begins crying because he can't decide and needs both. If anyone knows Jack, he is a loud talker and an even louder crier. I mean so loud that people from 7 registers away are looking to see if someone is being slaughtered because it is that disturbing of a cry. With a smile on my face, I bend down and talk to him and explain to him that it is a hard decision but he needs to remember how lucky he is to have earned the chance to get a toy and how many children would love to get one toy. Well the more I talk to him, the louder his cry becomes. At the same time, my cashier has begun ringing up things that I am not sure where he got some of the items. My $.84 asparagus was rung up as $4 avocadoes, 3 cookie mixes were rung up but I only had 1, my 1 onion was $3, not sure how?? Okay, so my patience is about done and I am beginning to sweat. Jack has now snuck both Transformers down the conveyor belt hoping that I am so distracted with Mr. Wonderful Cashier that I will not notice that he has ended up with 2. And Mr. Nolie, he has now figured out the whole door thing and is dangling out the door with the seatbelt around his legs and wiggling out onto the floor while ripping the bags off the counter. Jack is still flipping out and I tell him that he will not be getting any of the toys because of his behavior. I then go ahead and make the mistake of giving the cashier coupons. I should have known he has no idea how to enter coupons so he flips on the light for assistance. Is he serious??? My one kid is hanging out of the car with the seatbelt acting like a tourniquet and my other child is screaming crying so loud that I think he is hyperventilating and everyone in the store is starring at me because I have this shit-grin on my face like life was perfect at that moment. Well after the help comes for coupon assistance and to fix the 9 million mistakes, we are headed for the door. Jack now begins screaming, "I need my toy, I know which one I want, HELP!!" I tell him, "I'm sorry but you lost your privledge to get a toy so it is time now to leave". As I head to the door, he runs back down the aisle to get the toy and now I have lost it. I am loudly calling his name and telling him to get back here immediately or else he will loose marbles for this unacceptable behavior. He comes back and is literally uncontrollably sobbing and screaming crying. We begin walking to the car in the pouring rain and the whole walk to the car, I am explaining how upset and embarrassed I am of his behavior etc. By the time we get in the car, he is trying to get control of himself enough to say how sorry he is and he knows how wrong it was. To be honest, I was shell-shocked. We go to the grocery store almost every other day for something and my kiddos are great. THey are so used to going with me on all my errands and they really never have behavior issues, especially Jack. I was literally exhausted!! By the time I get home, I begin to unpack and what do I find, the poor lady before me on line's coldcuts. Obviously, my fabulous cashier forgot to give them to her and I now was the lucky recipient of about $25 worth of coldcuts. Normally I would have went back immediately and returned them but even if I knew that a reward of $1000 would be given to me, I do not think I could step foot back in that store that day!! So, does anyone want to go food shopping with me next week??? I promise it will be a great experience.

Boy or Girl??? We shall see...

2010-01-16T14:52:00.001-08:00

On Friday, the boys and I went to my OB appt. to listen to our little angel's heartbeat and check to make sure all was safe and sound. Well, the 1st 2 minutes, I was about ready to pass out when the dr. kept going up and down my lower belly trying to find the heartbeat. It is always so scary when you are newly pregnant because you do not feel the baby moving so you just assume all is good in there. This is why I love these appt. because I feel so much better after I hear that swish-swish sound of a healthy beating heart. So the heartbeat was at 155 and if you believe in Old Wives Tales, fast heartbeat=girl. Would I like a girl, sure but would I love another boy, no question about it. If my angel is healthy then sex really doesn't matter to me. Both my boy's heartbeats were in the 120's so I guess we shall see....

February 12th will be the day to see who will be joining our family...boy or girl???

Bye-Bye Naptime

2010-01-14T07:01:00.000-08:00

So Jack is almost 5 years old and will be starting full-day kindergarten in August, which is quite a long day for the kiddos. Jack has always been an awesome sleeper and napper, so much so that he takes about a 2 1/2-3hr nap each day and never misses one. I am often referred to as the Nap Nazi because I am religious when it comes to schedules and bedtime. I could be in the middle of waiting on a checkout line at the store and if it looks like it might cause us to be a bit late for naptime, I will leave without my stuff. When I was pregnant with Jack, a friend swore by the book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and it became my life saver and I constantly refer to it as my kiddos sleep schedule needs a change such as taking naptime away. The whole book is basically about how children need a sleep schedule and the importance of naptime and how it can actually affect the capacity to learn and the time the brain needs to grow.
So....in my book it began talking about taking away naptime at about the school age because children need to be prepared to go a whole day without a nap and if they are not slowly introduced to this, they will become cranky, irritable, frustrated because their body's are not used to a full-day without the nap in between. Also, without a nap, the child will go to bed earlier, fall asleep faster and be fully rested for an early morning wake up for school. Over the last few weeks, I would let him skip nap here and there and during that time when Nolie was napping, we would go relax in my bed for that time and watch tv. I did notice that at 7:30pm, he was cooked and when we put him to bed, he fell asleep instantly and did not wake again until 8-8:30am the next morning. So this week, I decided that it was that time to stick with it and get him used to no nap. I must say he is ready for it now, where as a few months ago, he was not. He is not having breakdowns from being so exhausted and truly does rest for those 2hrs. I must admit, it is nice that at 7:30pm, the boys are both in bed and it is Rob and I's time to chat, relax, watch tv and just wind down from the day. When Jack took the 3 hr. nap, we didn't put him to bed until about 9pm and he would be up for quite awhile in his room before falling asleep. It also left us no time to chill out before we went to sleep. My sweet boy does let mommy nap during relax time and rarely makes a peep because he says the baby in my belly needs quiet time. All in all, skipping naptime and making it quiet time isn't as hard of an adjustment as I thought it would be.

Year in Review

2010-01-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

So 2009 has come to an end and like every year, you have the good and the bad memories that come along with a 12 month span. Overall, we had a very nice year but at the end of it we were ready to start clean. Now we are looking forward to see what 2010 has in store for us. Here is a quick trip down memory lane for 2009...

*Wonderful Christmas vacation in NY and we sure needed some good family time and time to be thankful. Jack was finally released out of the hospital after a week 2 days before we left for this trip. Without a doubt, the scariest, most helpless time in our lives. Seeing your child lay in a hospital bed getting worse instead of better was something I would not wish on my worst enemy. Thank goodness all my angels up above were listening to my endless prayers to watch over my sweet boy and let him recover and be home soon in my arms where he belongs.

January:
*Rang in the New Year in NY
*My brother came to visit us
*Nolan came down with RSV

March:
*Jack's 4th birthday
*My father came to visit us, which puts Jack on Cloud 9 everytime Pop is around.

April:
*Jack's birthday surprise...Aunt Carrie, Isabelle and Stephen came to be at Jack's bday party. One year later, he still talks about the morning he woke up and there was a knock at the door and when he opened it up, there were his favorite cousins in Texas. The problem is, he thinks that every year there will be a knock at the door by his bday and they will appear. HINT, HINT Aunt Carrie. No pressure but do you really want to disappoint your nephew on his 5th birthday.
*Our 1st Easter at our house with friends and Rob's family

June:
*Our trip to NY- fabulous as always!!

July:
*Our 7th Wedding Anniversary- wow...how time flies!!

August:
*Grandma and Pop arrive to help celebrate Nolan's 1st bday, which was so nice having both sides of the family here. Aunt Ellen and Uncle Rich also flew in from NY for the 1st time.
*Nolan turns 1
*My surprise trip (my parents had no idea) back to NY to stay with my sister and watch her kiddos. Now that was fun being the nanny everyday for 5 kiddos and watching them play every second of the day together.

September:
*My 31st birthday

October:
*Peanut's 12th birthday
*Halloween- Jack was a Jedi and Nolan was a scarecrow
*Baby-making #3 begins and who knew...this would be the lucky time!!

November:
*Found out Baby Fitz #3 is on his/her way...due July 16th

December:
*Rob's 34th birthday
*Getting prepared for our trip to NY for the holidays
*Our Ny trip was a success and we are ready to ring in the New Year!!

Now for our bright future for 2010:

*Jack's 5th birthday
*Baby Girl or Boy will be arriving the end of June of 1st week in August
*Nolan's 2nd birthday
*Jack will begin full-day kindergarten in August
*Hopefully Rob's dream will soon payoff and we are thinking 2010 will be the year!!
*Hoping for many family visits from NY family members...start booking your flights NOW!!
*Christmas in NY by car!!!!!!!!!!

Well Happy New Year everyone and good luck to all your hopes and dreams coming true in 2010!!

Nothing Like Seeing The Heart Beat...

2009-11-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

Today was the day we all got to go see our littliest angel-to-be. Rob and the 2 boys were there right beside me to see the baby on screen and watch his or her's heart beat for the 1st time. I thought it would be that familiar feeling and sound that I heard 2 times before with Jack and Nolan but it was as if it was the first time I ever saw a baby on a sonogram and watch the heart beating. It was the same "oh my god" feeling, I cannot believe this is going to be my little baby. This is when I thank God for blessing me with 2 beautiful boys and baby ???? on the way. The sonographer says "baby" looks great and the heart is beating perfectly. It was music to my ears!! Now time to enjoy the journey and love every minute of this precious baby growing inside me.

Thanks for all your prayers for a great drs. appt because it worked.

1st Dr. Appt. for Baby ???

2009-11-23T15:40:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is our first dr. appt. for our newest arrival due in July. So excited!! I cannot wait to hear that little heartbeat beating and see my baby on screen. Even though you know you are pregnant and there is a little baby in there, it just comes to life after you see and hear it. Last time I was at the dr. office Nolan was 6 weeks so it will be funny for Dr. McIntire to see the little boy she brought into the world, who is now a big boy.

Please say a prayer that everything goes great!! Looking forward to updating after our big day is over.

The Fitz Family is Growing!!

2009-11-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, you did read the title right...we are expecting Baby Fitz #3. I am literally just weeks pregnant and planned on waiting to tell everyone just like I said I would with the other 2 pregnancies as well but I just cannot help in sharing our great news. I know that waiting to tell until the 1st trimester is over is the safest way but I look at it like if this little angel is meant to be, it will be so why not have others' share in our excitement. It just amazes me to think that Nolie will be a big brother and Jack will be one again. I thank God everyday for my angels and for allowing us to bring another lil' angel into the world. Saying we are excited is quite an understatement....we are on Cloud 9 and will look forward to meeting our newest addition in the beginning of July.

What's Been Going On....

2009-10-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

What's been going on in the Fitz's household....

#1. On Sunday, Amie and I threw our dear friends, Tracy and Chris a baby shower for their soon-to-be daughter, Harper. We were both so excited to put this shower together because Chris and Tracy are going to be the greatest, caring, loving parents to their lil' girl. Lil Ms. Harper is their soon-to-be little miracle and boy is she going to be spoiled...but in a good way. Chris and Tracy are a couple that when you hear they were having difficulty for quite some time trying to conceive, you think, "how could such a wonderful couple who so badly want to be parents and just love a child to no end not be able to have one when they want". There are many people out their who get pregnant when they don't want to or decide they don't want a child and here you have 2 deserving people who having a child became difficult. Well back to the shower... so all our neighborhood friends came and helped shower Tracy with well wishes and presents for the baby. It was just an enjoyable shower and it seemed like everyone was having a good time. Well as you can see, I am so looking forward to seeing Harper cradled in Chris and Tracy's arms and being able to talk to Tracy about how incredible motherhood truly is.

#2. Our little baby Nolan has decided it is time to start getting ready to chase his big brother Jack around. He took his first step the other day and the best part is, all 3 of us were right there to watch it. I am excited to see my lil' angel walking around but I must admit, I am nervous as well. Nolan is a bit different than Jack was at his age. He is a bit more of a trouble maker and very sneaky!! Even when I go to the bathroom, I am always nervous that those 2 minutes could mean Nolan has climbed the stairs by himself, is in Jack's room trashing it, throwing his toys in the garbage can, in the pantry pulling down snacks, or dumping the bathroom garbage can over. Even though he is a little terror, he is so freakin' cute. I just can't get enough of him and trust me, he can't get enough of me either. So yes, he has taken a few steps so it is just a matter of time until my little boy is running free in the house and shadowing Jack. Stay tuned for more details...

#3. Looking forward to my dad's arrival on Oct. 24th. We always look forward to having Pop here because Jack is obsesssed with my dad and of course, I love seeing him too. My dad is just a genuine good person and truly loves his family. This is one reason I want to have a girl at some point because a dad and daughter have this special kind of bond. Nothing like Daddy's Little Girl.

#4. Looking forward to this weekend's garage sale....wish me millions!!

Vaccinations...hmmmmm???

2009-09-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks, I have been really thinking a lot about vaccines and the safety and the necessity of them. There has been plenty of research on the news, facebook posts, etc. and I really haven't paid too much attention to it until this weekend. The only vaccine that I have really worried about in the past is the MMR. I have heard way too many stories from being a teacher for 7 yrs. as well as a family member who swear that their child was perfectly normal until they received the MMR shot and then suddenly the child showed signs of autism and not long after was diagnosed with it. After hearing these stories that sounded almost identical to one another, I decided to hold off giving Jack his MMR until he was full out speaking in sentences just to be 100% sure. Besides that, whatever the dr. tells me the boys need, I get. I just assume that they know what is best for my child better than I do when it comes to medical stuff because they went to medical school and I didn't.
Well after a long weekend with a lot of research and discussion with a good friend of mine from HS, who is a dr. himself, I am completely disgusted with what I read and heard about vaccinations and drs. The bottom line is many of these vaccinations that are given to our children are not necessary and contain the most horrific ingredients such as formaldehyde, mercury (link to autism), chick embryos, etc. Then why would they give them???? Because it is a huge money maker for pharmacetucal companies, drs., each time the vaccine is given. That is why the vaccines have increased tremendously over the last few years. When I was a child, chicken pox was a common thing during elementary school and no one died that I knew of from it and now there is vaccine for it, as well as the flu, rotovirus, hepatitis, etc, etc, etc. WHy suddenly are these once normal infections suddenly life-threatening according to our pediatricians. Trust me, up until today, I gave my children every vaccine that I was told they needed except the MMR but talk about a complete change in heart. The only reason I am writing this blog is because I wish I knew this info. earlier so I could have weighed the pros and cons prior to the vaccinations. The main thing I learned this weekend about vacciantions is if you choose to vaccinate, do not give more than one vaccine at a time. There has never been a study on the effects of vaccines when given all at one time. The levels are tested for the one immunization given but not when it is paired with other vaccines as well. Drs. are not usually fond of you when you say you do not want them all together and that you will come back every few weeks to get all the vaccines needed. I am going to put a few websites that I looked into if anyone is interested in looking into this whole vaccine debate.
Well hopefully this will open your eyes up to not trusting anyone but yourself when it comes to your children. My boys are my life and I will be damned if anyone is going to tell me what to do of there is even a 1% chance of harming them.

Some websites: (These are just a few.)

http://www.nvic.org/

Doctor Admits Vaccine Is More Deadly Than Swine Flu Itself & Will Not Give It To His Kids
Source: www.youtube.com
Title speaks for itself. SAY NO TO THE VACCINE!

Flu Vaccine Exposed: Think Twice!
Source: www.youtube.com
Studies show that flu vaccines are unsafe and ineffective. This uncensored presentation by the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute (www.thinktwice.com) includes a visual depiction of flu vaccine production -- how the flu vaccine is made and what it contains! ...
Vaccinations can produce brain damage in children.

Russell Blaylock, M.D., a respected doctor and nutritionist, has some urgent health information that could dramatically affect your health and well-being. Please take a moment to read his information at
Newsmax.com

Save the Best for Last...

2009-09-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

When writing about my trip to NY in a recent blog entry, I purposely left out my brother-in-law because I wanted to save the best for last and give him his very own blog entry. Why you ask...he is that incredible!! My sister's husband Stephen is such a great guy. He can always make you see the brighter side of things, make you laugh by simply acting like a jack-ass, a real genuine person. I think back to when my sister met Stephen and how he changed her life instantly. He truly adores her and still after all their years together, he cannot keep his hands off of her, which could be why they have 3 children together. He works more hours than anyone could imagine just to give his family a great life. Even with all his hours at work, he still seems to have time to stop by my parent's house and mow their lawn so my father does not have to, give my dad a hand with things around the house, fix up his backyard so it looks like a country club, make many "unusual" things out of landfill treasures he finds while at work to decorate his own house, and of course, makes sure he has time to spend with his kiddos.

So as you can see, my sister is quite lucky to find such a great husband and father but then again, they are perfect for one another because she is such a great wife and mother.

This is a shout out to you, Steve!! You better get yourself to Texas soon or else the next blog will talk about how crappy a brother-in-law you are.

Nolan's 1st Birthday

2009-09-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday!!
"My Very Own Smash Cake"

Time to get wild!!

I had to post some pics of Nolan's 1st birthday because they are so damn cute. He had such a great day with so many friends and family right there by his side. This day was one of the many moments in my life where I cannot believe how thankful and fortunate I am to have a wonderful husband, 2 beautiful boys and so much family and friends that are such an important part of our lives.

What's Been Going On....

2009-09-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Once again, I did not keep up with my promise to keep my blog up-to-date but life is just so busy. My plan for this blog entry is just to catch everyone up with whats been going on in our life.

1. Nolan turned 1. Can you believe it?? My baby is growing up way too quick, so when is it time for the next?? We have been in deep discussion about it because we think we would like 4 children and I do not want to be 40 still having kiddos so my time line might need to be adjusted. I just love being a mom and cannot see me ever done with having kids. I truly enjoy watching them grow, especially up with one another and knowing that my dream of finally being a stay-at-home mom has come true. Well, time will tell!!

2. My parents came from NY for Nolan's celebration and it was so nice having them here. My Jack is just so in love with them and is just a different person in front of my mom and dad than he is with anyone else. He has no boundaries and feels no embarrasement, which explains his circus acts or made up language with my mom. I love seeing the boys with them and it still hurts to know that my children cannot just go over to their house or them come here on a whim because of the distance. I know it has affected Jack even more now because he understands distance and knows it will be awhile before the next trip to NY. My main focus is to make sure the visits never stop because I would love for Nolan and our future children to grow up loving my parents the same way Jack does. Due to their constant efforts and ours, I do not think this will ever be a problem.

3. Our trip to NY to stay at my sister's house and watch her kiddos for the week was incredible. My parents had no idea we were coming being that they just left visiting us 4 days earlier. They came to my sister's house and were pleasantly surprised when we popped out. My sister's live-in nanny was away so I was the replacement for the week. That meant 5 kids and me!! It was tiring don't get me wrong but it was amazing. I spent such quality time with my niece and 2 nephews and Jack & Nolan got a huge dosage of cousin time. When we lived in NY I was only 5 minutes from my sister and we saw each other daily, have dinner together many nights and loving on my niece and nephew. When we moved, this was one of the most devastating parts of it. Knowing I could not see them all the time and watch them grow up still can make me tear up. The final day when I said goodbye to them was one I will never forget. Besides the kiddos, just being with my sister for a week was so nice. Even though she worked every day, before she left for work and after, just sitting with her chatting was why I truly love having a sister. My sister is quite an incredible person. She works full-time, has 3 kids and a step-daughter and just always seems cool, calm and relaxed. Nothing much gets her in a daze and I a lways admired her for that. She makes her home so calm and relaxing. Nothing is rushed.... I truly love my sister with all my heart and think she is quite an incredible wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, etc.

4. Rob is back at work and I miss him!! We were so spoiled to have Rob home all summer and Jack and Nolan are missing him a whole lot. Every morning Jack wakes up and says, is Daddy home today?? I miss my best friend. How many more minutes until he gets home??? And Nolan, the minute Rob walks in the door, Nolan lights up and smiles ear-to-ear when he sees his daddy. He just loves his Daddy. Rob is doing incredible in his career. When we moved here, he was hired as just a 5th grade teacher and then the following year was asked to work for the Gifted and Talented program and now this year, he is the head of the program and has been offered many different opportunities. He was paid to write the curriculum for the district, asked to teach development courses to collegues in the district and is also speaking in a convention in Dec. in some other state for the McKinney ISD district. I knew he had it in him but was never given the chance to show what he had but one given the opportunity, he has run with it and has been beyond successful. I am amazed at what he has done in just 2 years since we moved and I just wish I could express it as much as I feel. Superiors to him ask him his opinion and I know it has to feel so good to him to see how far he has come but he is so humble.

5. Since I met Rob 13 years ago, he always spoke of something big happening in the future for us and he believed in himself. As the years have passed, Rob has always come up with ideas that were incredible and sounded so successful but nothing ever came of them. He has always had issues with procrastination and it has always held him back from his dreams of something BIG happening. After he has been so successful in this school district and teaching the Gifted Children, he decided to start pursuing his dreams of something BIG happening. Well we just found out about a week ago that Rob's idea might mean a totally different life for us. It is beyond our wildest dreams and only time and meetings will tell. The thought of this idea turning into what all involved think it will turn into is uncomprehendable to me but we are all excited and looking forward to the next step. I just cannot wait to be able to turn around and help everyone in our lives' that have helped us or our truest friends that we would love to turn around and thank them in a way we could never dream of.
Hopefully in my next blog I can share more about our possible dream coming true...

Now that I have spent the last hour catching up, I will once again promise that I will stay on top of my blog with even a few lines as a post, just something.

Oh and I forgot, I turned 31!! It was a great bday with friends and family and an awesome dinner with Rob and the kiddies. I am totally loving my life and could never imagine being any happier or more fortunate at this age.

My Littliest Angel is One!!

2009-08-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Nolan Ty- 8/19/08 at 2:23am

7lbs. 13.9 ounces

Proud Big Brother Jack

Growing so fast...

Always smiling

Happy Birthday Angel!

A year ago my littliest angel, Nolan Ty was born and out came this perfect little boy, who puts a smile on our faces everyday. It just amazes me that a year can come and go that fast. I can remember being in labor the night before and Rob loosing his patience with me because he felt he was going to be delivering in the car (thanks Jen L.) because I was taking way too long to get ready to look good for the pictures when he arrived into the world. The thought of hearing him cry for the first time or seeing his little face brings back such amazing memories of finally meeting my little boy after 9 months of anticipation. Well, he was worth every second of that waiting because he is truly incredible and I cannot wait to see him grow year after year.

Happy 1st Birthday, Nolan Ty!!

I've Come To Realize...

2009-08-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

1. I've come to realize that my chest-size... is perfect thanks to some very special doctor.
2. I've come to realize that my job... is the best thing I could ever do...stay-at-home and raise my boys.
3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving... I have the best conversations with Jack.
4. I've come to realize that I need.... to stop worrying about how clean my house is even though I enjoy coming home to a clean house.
5. I've come to realize that I have lost... the desire to gossip negatively about people like we did in high school. Once you become older, you sort of realize that all it does is hurt someone and makes people realize the type of person you truly are.
6. I've come to realize that I hate it when... people do not think about how cruel they can be to others.
7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk... I do not enjoy the thought of waking up the next morning, which is why I do not get drunk anymore.
8. I've come to realize that money... can make some people very happy or others' very different in a negative way.
9. I've come to realize that certain people... are truly good people and others' decide when they want to be.
10. I've come to realize that I'll always... be so in love and thankful for my children, my husband and my family.
11. I've come to realize that my sibling(s)... mean the world to me and it still is so difficult that I live so far from them.
12. I've come to realize that my mom... is my ROCK and I cannot imagine being able to live without her. The thought can make me sick. I try to raise my children just like she raised us and I think I am doing a pretty good job.
13. I've come to realize that my cell phone... has way too many kinks in it since it was the 1st touch screen from Nextel and they should replace it for free.
14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning... I loved seeing my boys' faces.
15. I've come to realize that last night before I went to sleep... I prayed.
16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking... about my dog and hoping she is not truly sick.
17. I've come to realize that my dad... was an amazing father growing up and I can still remember how involved he was in everything we did. I love to hear his voice on the other line when he calls just to say "Hi".
18. I've come to realize that when I get on Facebook... I am sucked in for longer than I wanted to be.
19. I've come to realize that today... I got too stressed out and shouldn't of blown up the way I did at my hubbie.
20. I've come to realize that tonight... we are so blessed to have so many friends here in Texas.
21. I've come to realize that tomorrow... is going to be a busy day to get ready for Nolan's 1st bday party and my parent's arrival.
22. I've come to realize that I really want to... keep my children with me forever.
23. I've come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost this is... maybe my sister??
24. I've come to realize that life... seems like a dream to me because I am so lucky with all the people who are important in my life. How can one person be so fortunate??
25. I've come to realize that this weekend... is going to be amazing!! (my parent's will be with me, Nolan's 1st b-day party, and Jack will be in heaven with Grandma and Pop here.)
26. I've realized the best music to listen to when I am upset is... sad music, but why???
27. I've come to realize that my friends... are more important to me than I ever thought they would be.
28. I've come to realize that this year... has been absolutely incredible. My 2nd angel was born!
29. I've come to realize that my ex... should be my "ex" because I am with my soulmate right now.
30. I've come to realize that maybe I should... not think about cancer every day. It is my biggest fear.
31. I've come to realize that I love... what my life is all about...my children, my husband, my family, my friends, my dog. Life is Good!!
32. I've come to realize that I don't understand... why God cannot eliminate diseases, accidents, death. Life would just be perfect!!
33. I've come to realize my past... is what made me the person that I am today and I am thankful for what my past has taught me.
34. I've come to realize that parties... are so different when you are older and a mother. You think before you drink.
35. I've come to realize that I'm totally terrified... of anything ever happening to my children, husband and family.
36. I've come to realize that my life... is Perfect except for my family not being in Texas with us. If I could change that I don't think life could get any better.

Weaning Has Begun

2009-08-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

The time has come...Nolan will be 1 next week so I have begun the weaning process with breastfeeding. I cannot believe it has been a year already and I must say that I am proud of myself for nursing for a full year. With Jack, I did it until he was 7 1/2 months and then with working full-time, my supply was decreasing too much and it was becoming more frustrating than enjoyable and I did not want to ruin the enjoyment I had with it for those 7 months. I always said if it became more of a chore rather than special time between the baby and me than it would be a sign to give it up and switch to formula. Well, I loved this year of nursing Nolan and it helped that he was good from the start with breastfeeding. For a whole year, I only had a 3 hour window to be away from him so it is going to be quite strange to be able to be away for a day and not have to worry that he is waiting to be fed. Since last week, I starting mixing breastmilk and whole milk together for one feeding in a bottle and he has had no problem and then 2 days ago, I starting eliminating nursing in the am for another bottle and once again, he is doing great. It is a little hard though because so much of me loves that mommy/baby connection and seeing how content he is snuggled up against me but I always said I would not be that person who would nurse my child until he went into kindergarten. So now I am down to one time nursing only and I am going to work on that one this week, which means by his 1st birthday, he will be a big boy on whole milk. Well, the pump will be on its way back into the attic until the next Lil' Fitz arrives...Goodbye to milk straight from the tap!!

Our 7th Anniversary!!

2009-07-27T09:54:00.001-07:00

Seven years ago today, I was saying my "I do's" to my soulmate and I never thought I could love Rob anymore than I did that day but I do. My love for him is so much more now that he is also the father to my little angels and shows me each and everyday how much he truly loves me as a person.

Now it's time to look forward to our little getaway tonight with just the 2 of us!!

Almost 7 years ago....WOW!!

2009-07-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

On Monday, it will be 7yrs. from when I married the love of my life. I remember this day like it was yesterday and how much planning went into making this day so perfect and it was, every bit of it. I can remember seeing Rob standing at the alter when I walked down the aisle and just knowing that he was the one and I could not wait to say, "my husband". Well 7 years later, I am still so proud to say "my husband". Not only do I still get that butterfly feeling when he walks through the door after being at work, but now I also get to see him as a dad. He is the most incredible dad and the boys are so in love with him. No matter what, he makes time to run around and play Jedi's with Jack or spend time with Nolan by rough housing with him and they both love their special time with their Daddy.

I just wish everyday I stepped back and realized just how lucky I am to be loved and in love with such an amazing man and incredible father to my children. Too many days go by that I forget to tell him how much I adore him and how proud I am of him for all his accomplishments because life is so busy.
We are so excited to be celebrating our 7th Anniversary on Monday and are looking forward to our night with just the 2 of us...hotel, dinner, etc. We plan on just enjoying our time together and I cannot wait to update my blog with the great details.

Just Enjoying Life and Being Thankful

2009-07-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

So we are back from our trip to NY, which was just an amazing time. My children were loving being around my parents, sister, brother and cousins, especially Jack. It was as if he never left NY. He grew up with my sister's 2 children and he was always at my parent's and sister's house and even though time passes where he doesn't see them in awhile, the minute he walks through their doors, he is 100% Jack. For some reason, this time really meant so much to me to see that he still fills so comfortable around everyone. After 10 days, I felt very content with the time I spent with my family and was okay with having to return to Texas. I just needed to be reconnected with everyone in my family more than usual. Sometimes the distance bothers me more than other times.

On my way home and since that trip, I have been thinking about how lucky I (we) am in life. I have a loving family, the most supportive and loving husband, my two beautiful boys are happy and healthy, great friends, etc. I guess as you get older, you begin to realize that the little things or people that upset you is not really that big of a deal. Everyone makes mistakes but as long as they can recognize it, then is it really worth being upset over it??? As long as I stay true to myself and remain a good friend then I have done good as a person.

Our NY Trip So Far...

2009-07-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

As of Monday nite, we have been here in NY staying with my parents and I cannot begin to explain how much I was looking forward to this visit. I was really getting a little homesick and missing the family and Jack could not stop talking about playing with his Pop-Pop, dancing to Baby Loves Jazz with Grandma and running around with his cousins. Now that we are here for about 5 days now, I can see that when it is time to leave on Wednesday, it is going to be very hard to say goodbye. The kids have been so good so far. Nolan has had absolutely not one issue with not sleeping in his own crib and is still the happiest baby ever. He just curls up, tush in the air and off to sleep he goes. Jack wakes up happy and goes to sleep happy because he is loving being hugged and kissed hundreds of times by my mom and gets to play planes for hours at a time. Well, off now to go granite shopping with my mom and the boys are off to go to the driving range with Dad.

I will post again when the trip has come to an end...

What an Eye Opener

2009-06-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

So Sorry It's Been So Long

2009-06-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

My plan for this post is to just post some things that have been going on in The Fitzgerald's life. It seems like the days go by so quickly and by the time night comes, I am pooped.

Rob has gotten a new side job at Randy's Steakhouse because it sorta feel into his lap and offered a lot more money than working at his prior side job. It is a great opportunity since next week he will be done with school and will be home the whole week so he plans on working maybe 3 or 4 nights during the week to just get ahead of the game and be able to enjoy ourselves the whole summer knowing we have this "fun" money. But as far as this week and next week, he still has work and has been literally walking in the door and changing clothes and running out to be at the restaurant. It has been hard and exhausting for him and for me. I love being home with the boys and thank God everyday that I can stay home and raise them but it is definately exhausting without having Rob home until about 10:30pm. He is tired too from going from one job to the next but it is just for these 2 weeks until teaching is over. But besides exhaustion, he has been doing great there so far. His first night, he had one table that their tab was $90 and they tipped Rob $100. Could you imagine tipping someone $100 when the tab is less than that. The 2nd night was $95. Both nights were slow nights because they were a Wednesday and Thursday. We will see how tonight goes but it seems like this is going to be a nice, well-paying 2nd job.

Now onto Friends...I always knew that I had some great friends here in Texas but I have really noticed just what amazing friends they are. My 2 friends Amie and Amy are genuinely great people and it opens my eyes up to what true friendship is all about. I can honestly say I think I have become a better person because of my friends. I never once think about what I can or cannot tell them because I know that they will never judge me or repeat what I say. It is so strange that I can hang out with a friend every single day and look forward to the next day that we can hang out again. Wouldn't you think I would need a break, I don't, I love every minute I spend with these 2 people. We all feel like we can be 100% ourselves and say whatever and just hangout and have the greatest time. I never once hesitate to help out them because I know they would do the same thing for me if I needed it. I am so fortunate to have met these 2 people and I will never let them out of my life.

Lastly, on June 30th we will be going to NY until July 8th because I am going through family withdrawal and cannot wait until August when my parents come for Nolan's 1st b-day. I cannot wait until my family sees how big the boys have gotten, especially Nolan. It is so hard because Jack grew up with my parents, sister, brother, and nieces and nephew and as he gets older, it seems to bother him more than when we first moved. We lived so close to all of them so he saw them constantly so now he is more aware of how far we are from them. I will never regret my move here because it was the best thing for us but I will never say it isn't hard. It hurts a lot, sometimes more than others. Anyway on a positive note, I cannot wait to see them and I am counting the days until then. Chilling with my family poolside, listening to the kids run around and loving every minute together, waking up seeing my parents, listening to Jack play with my dad and his planes all day long, Jack and my mom singing Baby Loves Jazz, etc, etc, etc.

Well, I am going to try my best to keep up from this point on even if it is a few short lines.

Say a Prayer

2009-05-14T07:53:00.001-07:00

Today is a day that one of my truest, closet friends has been dreading and I only wish I could be there with her, holding her hand or just hugging her the way she was there for me when Jack was in the hospital. Unfortunately today, she needs to be strong and confident that her mother will be just fine during a small heart procedure. The relationship she has with her mother is almost identical to the one of have with my mother. It's the type that you cannot go more than an hour without call them or thinking about them. They are just the world to you and you could never imagine life without them.

Please just say a prayer that everything goes smoothly and this will soon come to an end and everyone will be home and happy.

Thinking of you!!

My Poor Nolan

2009-05-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

So Nolan almost 9 months has only been sick 2 times, but when he gets it.....he gets it!! First sickness was the RSV that lasted over 2 weeks and then he gets this double ear infection that has taken 2 rounds of antibiotics to get better. Doesn't sound that bad, right???? Not until I tell you that this morning he wakes up and his face is covered in a red, blotchy hive like appearance and by the time 11:30 rolls around, his hands and feet are swollen and it hurts for him to even move his body. Went to the dr. at 12pm and it turns out that he has something called "EM", which is short for some medical term that basically is a skin irriation to a severe drug reaction from the meds he was on to fight off the double ear infection. It will take about 2-3 weeks for the hives to run its course and for the swelling and joint pain to completely subside.

IS this some kind of sick joke????? My heart is literally breaking when I look at my lil' baby in so much pain and looking like such a train wreck. After Jack's whole hospital ordeal, sickness is not something I deal well with because to be honest, I am just traumatized from Jack's simple cold that turned into a absess on his vertebrae and needed surgery.

Well the doctor said he should be quite miserable for a few days and to keep him out of the sun because it will irriate him even more. The big problem is what do I do with Jack??? I cannot keep a 4 year old in a house for a few days with nothing to do. I really feel bad for Jack because here he is energized and ready to go out and release some energy and now I can't go anywhere.

I always try to stay positive and thankful and think about how this isn't the end of the world and life can be so much worse, but damn, this sucks!!

Could This Be True???

2009-05-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

As you know, I have worked for my neighbor's company for quite awhile now and once I had Nolan, I continued doing orders from home but unfortunately they were sparatic. I have been saying over and over again that I need to land a big corporate company that is in need of promotional products to really make consistent, decent money. I have been trying to think of part-time jobs to make a little extra money but not having to return to work full-time because the main reason I moved here was to be able to stay-at-home and raise my children.

Well....my prayers were answered. Thanks to a great friend and of course his wife, I have landed a huge corporate order that will be ordering tons of promotional products and as long as they are satisfied, this job can last anywhere up to 10 years or so. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess positive energy makes good things happen.

I can't wait to find out more details!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking Forward to Church Day

2009-05-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we started going to Hope Fellowship Church, which is quite a big step in our family's life. Both Rob and I were brought up Catholic but church wasn't an every Sunday type of thing. Religion and praying were always important when I was growing up but not by going to church. My family always prayed and we would always say our prayers together before bedtime and of course, holiday mass but that about sums it up. As far as Rob is concerned, he went to Catholic school growing up and did not have such great memories with the nuns, so it left a pretty bad taste in his mouth.
When we moved here to Texas, we were blown away by how important religion and church were to so many of our friends. Church as we remembered it was nothing like how our friends were describing it. So to get to the point, about a week ago, we decided to give it a try. We talked about faith and how we think we need to have this family time with each other and raise our children knowing how lucky we are to all be here and that we have so many angels watching over us. After Nolan's beautiful birth, Jack's hospital scare, Nolan's RSV, my headaches, we feel like this is where we should be right now in our lives, thanking God for everything he has done for us and watched over us when we needed him most.
We went on Sunday and truly enjoyed our time there. Boy are things different, great music, a pastor who we could totally relate to, so many people with open arms, the environment in general, set the mood for the whole day. We are really looking forward to this Sunday.

Poor Nolan

2009-04-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well Nolan's 103.8 fever the other night turned out to be a nasty double ear infection. How could that be when he barely complained. That's Nolan!! We are just blessed with a "happy kid". So yesterday the dr. put him on amoxicillin and said he should begin feeling better in about 36 hrs. and to be prepared for a possible "rough" night. Well for the first time, Nolan was not a happy camper at about 11:45pm last night. Went to sleep at 6:30pm without a peep and then woke up with a blood-curdling cry that lasted for about an hour and a half. It was heart-wrenching to see Poor Nolan like that. He was just in so much pain and to not be able to relieve it was the worst part. Finally after about 1hr and 1/2, he fell asleep in his bed and awake at 8am happy as our lil' Nolan always is.
Say a prayer tonight that our lil' guy feels better.

Babysitter Andy was a Success!

2009-04-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Here you have an awesome guy that just found out he landed a "sweet" new job position, where his wife can just plan out how she can spend his new income and what does he do to celebrate.....
watch all 4 kids while Amie and I go and get pampered. Well this time worked out a bit better for Andy. No one had any poop accidents, where Andy needed to empty out the entire bottle of baby soap in the tub to clean off the poop off my child, no water poured out of the ceiling, no ant infestations in my house. Everything was just perfect, except poor Andy was starving to death because his wife placed a pizza order with the Allen Rosati's Pizzeria instead of the McKinney one, which is why it took about 2 hours for it to arrived. Well in a way, it was better off because by the time Amie and I got home, it was still pretty warm. Just to show you how sweet Andy is, we walked in to him absolutely drenched so I just assumed maybe he jumped in the shower for a sec., not sure why he would do that but hey, you never know. He assured us that was not the case and he was just sweating his ass off in our house. If you have ever been to the Rittler's house, it is -20 degrees at all times, so I guess our house seems like an inferno but my point is, Andy did not want to turn on the AC because he did not know if we wanted it on for the season yet. Oh my God, are we that bad????? Damn it Andy, don't be so sweet.....turn the AC on before you die!! We love you guys!!!

The Family Fun Has Come to an End

2009-04-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Late last Thursday night, my sister and her 2 children arrived from NY to surprise Jack for his birthday. Friday morning Jack woke up and my sister and the kids went outside and knocked on the door. Jack still half asleep, opened the door and basically was frozen in shock. He backed up and had an ear-to-ear grin on his face and said, "My birthday wish came true". Well from that point on until Tuesday, the cousins played all day into the late night and Jack was definately in heaven, especially after he had a difficult time when my father left. It was as if they were never apart. They felt so comfortable with one another that they even had no problem arguing with one another and ganging up together. To sum it all up, the kids had a great week and I so enjoyed my sister's company. It is crazy how fast 6 days can go but we cherished every moment of it. Nothing is better than waking up to my niece and nephew's voice upstairs waiting to come downstairs since they get up around 6am and us "Fitzgerald's" do not start waking until 8am. This was a time I will never forget and to see my Jackie Boy that excited is priceless!!

My Dads Visit!

2009-03-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, my dad flew in from NY to spend some time with us and we are lovin' every minute of it. I must admit, he was quite excited to leave NY and arrive in nice, warm Texas, but it didn't really work out that way. Well anyway, Dad is lovin' his time here, yet freezing his ass off. Jack has been attached to Pop's side every minute of the day and will truly be devastated when tomorrow morning comes and Pop leaves us. Nolan is also lovin' Pop's attention. Even though he is going through his Mommy stage, he has no problem going to Pop and giving him those big smiles, enjoying Pop giving him a bath, etc.
Well Jack and Pop are at the Aviation Museum in Addison now (2nd plane museum since Pop got here) and I know Jack is in heaven spending time with his airplane buddy. For some reason, this departure will be extremely hard for Jack this time, which I believe is due to him getting older and understanding how far he is from NY. Yes, moving here was the best decision for our family, but it sure is hard to say goodbye to the people you love and miss most. Being close to my dad also doesn't make it any easier. I am and always will be "Daddy's Lil' Girl".

Happy 4th Birthday to My Sweet Angel, Jack Dylan!!

2009-03-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here he is just 4 years ago...Jack Dylan born on 3/24/05 at 3:22am weighing 8lbs. 12ounces.

Our Precious Little Boy

Jack Dylan- 1 year old

Jack's 2 years old

Jack's 3 years old

Happy 4th Birthday, Angel

Our 1st Family Bike Ride

2009-03-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went for our first family bike ride. Jack got a new bike for his birthday and we thought Nolan was ready to ride behind mommy. We had such a nice time!!

Our Vacation Memories

2009-03-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful vacation and enjoyed every bit of the family time spent together. The boys just had the greatest time and so much so that we stayed an extra day.
Here are some of our favorite pics...

2009-03-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

San Antonio, Here We Come!!

2009-03-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

We are off to San Antonio tomorrow for a much needed family vacation. We are only going until Tuesday, but I think we will truly enjoy every minute there. Rob has been busting his butt working at both school and then the restaurant on the weekend and I feel like we never get to spend time together as a couple or as a family as much as we would both like. We are staying at a hotel right on the Riverwalk so we hope to walk up and down that a few times, go to Sea World on Monday, The San Antonio Zoo on Tuesday and definately enjoy the Rainforest Cafe one night for dinner.
Can't wait to be able to update my blog with great pics of our li' family vacation!!

Jack's 1st T-Ball Game

2009-03-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

Today was the start of Jack's T-Ball season and Rob and I might have been even more excited than Jack. Rob has been practicing baseball with Jack for quite awhile and could not wait to see if his coaching paid off. Well, it sure did!! Jack was slamming that ball and running the bases. After an hour, he sure was pooped but could not wait to go and get his special prize for being a good listener to the coach. If anyone knows me, they know I am quite a pain in the ass when it comes to sugar and unhealthy foods but my promise to him was to get him a Gatorade after the practice. Yes, I know you are probably thinking, maybe you should start with juice first before going straight to Gatorade but a promise is a promise.

Well, if anyone ever saw Alvin and the Chipmucks movie when Ian gives the chipmunks those tall iced lattes, well that was basically a replica of Jack after drinking a Gatorade. It was very amusing. Nolan was having the time of his life watching Jack bounce off the couches.

After today, I think the reward might be something a bit less intense than Gatorade, maybe Apple Juice instead.

SHOP TIL' YOU DROP!!!

2009-03-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

So I have this amazing website that I have been using to shop and I need to share. It is www.hoopladoopla.com and here are some details. They have a list of hundreds of stores including GAP, Children's place, TARGET, zappos, etc. and each store has a certain percentage that you get back. SO for example, I just ordered from TARGET and I got 5.6% cash back on my purchase. How it works is....after you place your order, the % back goes into your hoopladoopla account and then a check is sent or you can choose to put it into your Paypal account. I have been using this for about 1 month or so and loving it. Within the last month, I have gotten back almost $60 back in checks. Also, there are so many coupons as well when you order. It is amazing!!! Hope you enjoy!!

Jack's Dream Come True!!

2009-03-01T12:21:00.001-08:00

For anyone that knows Jack, he had one true love in life that will always remain...his crib. Jack loved his crib from the moment we put him in it at 10 weeks old. He loved it so much that at 3 1/2 years old, we needed to intervene and break them apart. Jack is the furthest thing from a tiny boy, so picture Jack at 3 1/2 in a crib with no desire to even climb out. We knew that with the baby coming, we probably should do it before just in case it took a few nights of wakings, we would not be exhausted from dealing with the baby as well. After a few days of convincing, Jack agreed to take apart his crib and go into a big boy bed only if he got to use Daddy's tools to take it down. DEAL!!!!!!! Jack has been crib free for about 9 months now until the other day.....this is what I walked into and boy, was he happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Boy's Sitting!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe my lil pumpkin is sitting already. Is he a bit wobbly....yes, would I leave him unattented...no, but he is sitting up and loving his toys from a whole different angle.

Where does the time go??????????????

"Oh What a Night!!"

2009-02-23T06:33:00.001-08:00

I am finally ready to sit down and blog without having to worry about running to the bathroom from horrible nausea due to a great party on Saturday night. Lets back track a bit....

Saturday, we did a heck of a lot of running around with birthday parties to go to during the day, food to make for the night but I still had this energy in me because I knew it was bound to be a good night. It was going to be the first time since before I got pregnant with Nolan that I could actually DRINK and not worry about contaminating my baby with milk that would get him drunk too. I worked all week on getting a nice bottle pumped for Daddy to give him in the morning just in case I was still not feeling 100%. Well for anyone that knows me well, the party started at 7pm but we did not get there until 7:45pm, partly because The Rittlers held my husband ransom for the whole day to help them out meanwhile I am trying to bake, stir queso, take care of my 2 kids and shower and get ready. Anyway we got to the party and I got my drink on.

Talk about a great night!! Everyone was just enjoying chatting it up, drinking it up, and just having an awesome time. Some people were interegating others' about Facebook connections, others' were spilling drinks on the carpet (see pic with Amie laughing her ass off as my hubbie ruins her carpet), and even Lyla wanted to party!! Around 1:45am came around and it was time to go home. To say the least, I was a bit tipsy!! All day long I thought to myself, "How the heck did i do this all the time in college and then go play lacrosse the next day still drunk or with a hangover". I basically stayed in bed the majority of the day because I felt like "crap". I hugged the porcelin God quite a few times but by around 10pm last night, I started feeling close to normal. After a great sleep last night, I am excited to say, I feel terrific!!!

So as far as drinking anytime soon, the answer is NO, THANK YOU!! Great party, but a bit too much drinky, drinky!!

Nolan's 6 months

2009-02-19T07:29:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe it... Nolan is already 6 months today and it is such a great, yet sad feeling. I feel like time goes by way too quickly when you have children. I remember him in my belly like it was yesterday, picking my mom up at the airport 2 days before he was born so she could be here for his birth, driving to the hospital with a permanent smile on my face knowing I was about to meet my 2nd little angel, seeing Jack look at his brother for the very first time, sitting alone in the hospital just staring at him for hours just amazed at how perfect he was, watching Rob look at his 2nd son with that look of instant love, driving home with the most priceless item in our backseat to introduce him to his new wonderful life with his family that loves him more than words can describe.
Happy 6 month birthday my angel!!

I Realize....

2009-02-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Juli's idea, which I loved, I am now writing a few things down myself that I realize.

1. I realize that I am so in love with my children that sometimes all I want to do to them is maul them with kisses and it is probably quite annoying to them.

2. I realize that my move to Texas was probably the best decision Rob and I made, but the hardest as well.

3. I realize that my fear of sickness and cancer takes up way too much of my life- (I do not think Jack in the hospital, Nolan's RSV and my MRI scare has helped the situation either.)

4. I realize that I am still head-over-heals in love with my hubbie, especially lately when he is working so much and I feel that emptiness without him around.

5. I realize that I need to teach Jack how to play on his own and not always play with him. Very hard for me to do thanks to mother's guilt!

6. I realize how much I miss my family and how excited I get when I know an upcoming trip is in the future.

7. I realize that we will probably never be rich in this lifetime.

8. I realize that I have amazing friends that I can truly trust.

9. I realize that the reason I am always late to everything is because I do stupid stuff like this, which is why I must go right now because I am running late to an appointment.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today was such a nice day with Rob and the kids. Nolan woke up first to celebrate his 1st Valentine's Day. He just loved his new gift....toy keys. We are still surprised Jack woke up as late as he did, even though it was earlier than usual, but he has been anticipating his Valentine's gift since the night before. Last night we read a book about a little mouse that got a gift from her mommy and daddy because they loved her and she was their Valentine, which then made Jack realize, "hey, if you love me than I am probably getting a present tomorrow, right???" Well thank goodness I prepared myself and we purchased Jack a Darth Vader costume since Rob and he are Star War fanatics. Jack has been asking for his costume everyday for about week and was going to continue doing so until his birthday so we both thought for our own sanity we would get it now for Valentine's Day. What a hit it was!!! Jack almost passed out when he saw it and immediately got into uniform. Well what is Darth Vader without a Darth Vader lightsaber??? Daddy to the rescue....after we went for breakfast, off to Toys R Us to exchange his old Anakin lightsaber for a brand new Darth Vader saber. And of course, Jack was still in his costume during his outing with Daddy.

To say the least, he was quite a happy boy and Nolan is still loving his keys. I guess it is safe to say, Valentine's was a success.

I must say, I have the nicest, coziest, new Valentines pj's from Rob that are an incentive to never get dressed again.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!!

Jack's Birthday Surprise!

2009-02-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

I guess I could start off by saying I was pleasantly surprised when I received a phone call from my sister today asking which week would be a better week for her and my niece and nephews to come visit us here in Texas. Never did I think I would be getting that call since she has a handful of kids and herself and possibly her husband to have to buy airline tickets for and as you mus tknow, they are a freakin' rip-off. Well, she is planning on coming the 1st week in April which is only a week after Jack's 4th b-day, so I am planning on throwing Jack's party that weekend so his cousins will be there to help celebrate. Wait, the best part is, I think or I should say, I hope I can keep a secret from him and let them surprise him when they show up. Jack might just crap his pants!!!! He is obsessed with his cousins since he basically saw them everyday until we moved here and now that he is getting older, he realizes that we live quite a distance from them and he will not be able to see them for awhile. Everytime Jack gets upsets over anything, he somehow ties in that he misses his cousins.

Well, had to share my excitement!!!

Official Results of the MRI

2009-02-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

Received a wonderful phone call that the official report of my MRI was perfect. Nothing fishy, thank goodness. Now I need to go for the MRV, which is an MRI of the veins and blood vessels.

Thanks for your prayers!!

The Bill Arrived

2009-02-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

For the last month or so, I have been wondering just how much Jack's week stay and surgery cost my insurance company. Just curious....
Well it arrived and hold on to your shorts people..... $37, 407.25

We must of got a discount or something, wouldn't you say???

My Late Night Delivery

2009-01-31T08:47:00.000-08:00

So if you read my last post, you know one of the answers to these cluster headaches was getting a perscription for oxygen. No big deal, right??? Well last night around 8:30pm the delivery came and what I was expecting was a tad bit different than what arrived. I was expecting a small, green oxygen tank that we all think of when we hear oxygen. Something I could just throw in the corner of my room and not be reminded that I am using oxygen at 30 years old. (just is a bit depressing)
The man asks me, "Is Colleen Fitzgerald home" and I said "Yes" and he said, "Is she in bed?". I responded with "It's me, I'm Colleen Fitzgerald". He seemed quite surprised and look at me strange and said, "I will be back in about 10 minutes because it will take me awhile to fill the tanks". After he left, I am thinking, how long does it take to fill a small green tank for the amount that I need it, which is whenever these headaches pop up, which is maybe every other day.
About 10 minutes later, I hear the door open and hear something quite large being wheeled through my house. I turn around to see a 5ft monster size oxygen tank, one that you would see at a balloon warehouse to fill about a billion balloons being put in my room. I immediately said to the guy, "You have to be kidding me" and he said, "If you think this is bad, you probably don't realize this is the smaller of the TWO"!!! WHAT?????? "Yes Mam, that is why I was a bit surprised when you said you were Colleen Fitzgerald because with this type of prescription for oxygen, I just assumed you were bed-ridden and planning on being on this for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week".
So now, there are two massive oxygen tanks in my bedroom and it is supposed to be the answer to my problem. So if you come by or see me outside naked and my kids running around the street, then you should know, I am probably on an OXYGEN HIGH!! Hey, I need to make the best of it, right???

MRI seems to be fine!

2009-01-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

The dr. called and said that he looked over the MRI himself and did not see anything such as a mass or tumor. The official results will not be in for a few days but just hearing the dr. say it looked good was enough relief for now.

Then the best medicine of all arrived....new UGGS in the mail!!!

Neurologist Tomorrow Morning

2009-01-29T13:17:00.001-08:00

As most of you already know, I have been dealing with the most horrific headaches for about 4 weeks now and have been treated for a sinus infection by the general practioner, the Emergency Room and the Urgent Care and guess what people.....it is not a damn sinus infection. I am not a dr. but if this shit was a sinus infection, don't you think one of you medical professionals would have cured it with medication. As I said before, I am not a dr. nor do I have a degree in medicine but after hearing about and researching Cluster Headaches, I am leaning towards that as my diagnosis. The first article I read was titled, "Suicide Headaches" and if that is not the perfect description for what I have been dealing with then I do not know what is.

Well anyway, I am scared shitless about seeing a neurologist because it deals with the whole brain thing and I know they are going to put me thru plenty of tests and scans and that scares the shit out of me but to be honest, I am at the point where I feel like I am scared to death to leave me house or even go to sleep because when they hit, I can do nothing but crawl up in a ball and cry.

Please say a little prayer for me!! My appt. is at 10:30 in Dallas, so hopefully I will be writing a blog that is positive and maybe they might even find any answer and a solution to my issue.

We Put Our Foot Down Tonight....Finally

2009-01-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

Everyday I bitch and complain that I feel like a short order cook at dinner time because I make the main meal for Rob and I and then I make something special for Dear Jackie Boy, which ends up being one of the following: chicken nuggets, pasta, pizza bagels, cheese sticks, grilled cheese.

Isn't that quite a variety??? Well I made my typical comment to Rob about busting my ass making this lovely dinner and now I have to serve Jack something else. So Rob responds with, "Hun, you say that every damn night, do something about it". I then I responded with, "Aren't you a parent, can't you deal with this?" Rob goes off and tells Jack, "listen, the new rule is, whatever we eat, you eat or else you go to bed hungry".

Let me stop for a minute and tell you what we were making Jack try for tonight....Chili- hot spicy Chili. What a food to start with!! All I could think of was the amount of hot sauce I dumped into the pot and how maybe I should of not had Rob put his foot down tonight and maybe wait until tomorrow night.

Well people, the kid freakin' liked it!!!! I could not believe my eyes. He tried it and did not even throw himself on the floor saying his stomach was killing him.

I like this whole "Put your foot down thing". Why did I not try it years ago??? Nolan, watch out....you will be eating everything we eat. We will not make this mistake again, I promise!

Update on Nolan

2009-01-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

Went back to the dr. today to recheck Nolan's RSV and to make sure the cough did not get worse or turn into a wheeze. Well, the good thing is it is still just a horrible cough and nothing worse but it still is so painful to hear my little boy cough so hard that it actually scares him. Basically, it needs to run its course and there is no meds to really give for it. I can use a nebulizer if I want but it will not really make that big of a difference because it is one of those things that just needs to work itself out of his system. The dr. says by Monday, the cough should be moderately better but can take up to 2 weeks to be gone.

I wish I could press the fast forward button and go about 2 weeks ahead and have my whole family back to the healthy family we once were. Where are you 2010 because so far 2009 sucks!!

The Drama Continues...

2009-01-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

Just when we thought this year 09' would be a better and brighter one than the end of last year 08', we were wrong. This year is not off to a good start. We started the year off with Rob having a virus, then me coming down with a ridiculous sinus infection, which has sent me to the ER and Urgent Care a few times, Jack coming down with a nasty cough, which in turn, led to our newest situation...Nolan has RSV. Basically all it is is a nasty cold that a baby cannot handle well and it becomes this respiratory infection. The dr. believes Nolan's was caught in time and it will just be a bad cold, fever, mucus to deal with but should not turn into a hospital stay. He will need to go back to the dr. on Thursday to make sure he is not getting worse. My little angel is so sick but still somehow can put a smile on his little face.

To be continued...

Oh What a Night!!!

2009-01-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

What is better than a great friend, a facial, and a massage all in one night at one place...nothing!! The other night, Amie and I went to Valencia Day Spa and were treated like we were queens or like two people who thought they had lots of money. It all started off with a nice refreshment (VIB) and then an hour facial and 1/2 hr. massage and at home the shit was hitting the fan. Our husbands had the children at my house and in just 2 hours, you could only imagine how crazy things got. Here are a few of the things we were told that happened, so you can only imagined what really happened.............

1. The ceiling sprung a leak due to the toilet upstairs at the same time Sam had an accident in his pants.

2. Sam popped the lightsaber out into his face, which then caused a bloody nose.

3. The children refused to eat what was being served.

4. Nolan was still up at 8:30pm when his bedtime is 7pm.

5. Walked into Jack eating Pringles in the living room (which is a no-no in my house) at 9:15pm.

6. The house looked like a tornado touched down in it with crap all over the place.

Could you imagine if we left the men here for a few more hours....I might not have a home!!

2009-01-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

Some Pics of Our Holiday in NY

Merry Christmas, everyone!! Well we are back from our trip to NY and we loved every day we were there. Jack was reunited with his Grandma, Pop, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. Let me just say, he was in heaven. Boy, did he need this to cheer him up after the whole hospital nightmare. Everyday seemed like Christmas to him because he woke up to his family that he truly does miss when we are back home in Texas. The funniest thing is, when he saw his cousins, it was like he never left. They instantly just hugged each other and then ran off to play for hours and hours. And then poor Pop... Pop has shared his love of aviation with Jack over the years and now Jack has the obsession, which caused Pop to have to fly planes each and everyday around the house with Jack but he sure had fun. Then you had Grandma, who played hide-n-seek with Jack and chased him around kissing him all the time. Well as you can tell, Jack had the time of his life!!! And precious Nolan was perfect as always. I swear, this wonderful baby never makes a peep. Nolan got to meet his cousins and his Aunt Carrie and Uncle Stephen for the first time and they sure gave him plenty of loving.

And yes...Santa was good to the boys!!

We Are Off to NY

2008-12-21T11:09:00.001-08:00

We are off to NY tomorrow at 5am and we are all looking forward to this trip even more after this whole hospital thing with our Jack. I just cannot wait to get away and let my mind, body and soul get some rest. Being so strong for that week for Jack has really taken quite a toll on me. I am emotional weak and feel like I am breaking down everytime something is not perfect. Poor Jack the other day had a breakdown getting his haircut, then at Target, then came home and spit out his medicine and that was about all I could take. I ended up balling my eyes out from just sheer exhaustion. Jack is just so tired and cranky from the whole experience and from lack of sleep for about a week in the hospital and my patience is just so low right now. I feel like if we just get away and think about spending time with our family, hopefully we all come back rested and back to normal. I think Jack seeing his cousins again will cheer him up and maybe take his mind off of the horror he experienced last week.
We wish everyone a wonderful holiday and an awesome New Year filled with HEALTH and HAPPINESS!!

Our Nightmare is Over!

2008-12-18T07:56:00.002-08:00

Well our nightmare is over!! Jack was released from the hospital yesterday at 4pm due to his wonderful progress since the surgery. He was supposed to stay until Thursday because that is when the results from the culture come back but they felt that he was doing so well that he could leave and begin antibiotics orally instead of through IV. We have never enjoyed our home so much as we did last night. Just seeing Jack laying there on the couch was priceless. He is still quite cranky and tired but who cares, he is on his way back to being a healthy, energetic boy again. Hopefully in a few more days, he will get over his night terrors he has been having since this whole ordeal so we can all get some sleep again. It is so sad to hear him crying in his sleep asking for the pain to stop or just moaning, etc. I guess it is all just bad memories and soon they will be forgotten and in his past.

Thanks again everyone for your prayers, well wishes, gifts, dinners, calls, emails, etc. We are so thankful for all our friends and family and we will never forget what all of you have done for us.

WE LOVE YOU!!

HAPPY JACK-E

2008-12-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

Sitting here now with my love in the hospital and he is beginning to act more like himself. He is smiling again, which we have not see since we got in here. Every dr. and nurse walks in and says, "Your smiling", which they are happy to see because it is an indication that he is feeling better. Jack's sense of humor is back as well. Due to all the antibiotics and fluids they are pumping him with, his gas is ridiculous and he has not taken a bowel movement in over a week. Well the reason I decided to share this with you is because last night we are all cuddled in the bed and he says, "Mommy, my fart smells awful". It was so precious...can you tell I have gone insane. He really has made a drastic recovery since the surgery. The dr. said she literally watched the color come back into his face the minute she began to drain the absess from his neck. He has not needed any pain meds since the ones given to him in the recovery room. He is also able to move his neck now more freely, but not perfect yet. This poor boy has been poked over and over because the stupid IV keeps collapsing his veins or slipping out. Last night I slept here with him because he refused to let me leave and it broke my hurt because throughout the nite, he would start crying in his sleep and was reliving some of the nightmare that has gone on in his life the last week. I think it will be quite awhile before he and we forget this whole ordeal. Something as simple as a normal cold caused this week stay in the hospital and horrible memories we can't ever forget.
The good thing is the nurses think he might be able to leave today even though the culture is not back until tomorrow because it seems he is clinically perfect. No fever, minimal pain in the neck and throat due to the incision and breathing tube, and happy again!! The Dr./surgeon should be in soon to tell us if this is a definate or not or if we need to wait one more day until we can leave. Being that he has been on IV drugs this whole time, they will try to switch him over to oral at some point to make sure he can tolerate it and then make the decision about leaving. I just cannot wait until Rob, I, Jack and Nolan are sitting together as a family again on our couch cuddled as close as possible without suffocating one another.

IT'S OVER!!

2008-12-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

I am happy to say that the surgery is over for Jack. He went in around 1:30pm and was done by 2pm. Everything went great and he is on his way back to our Jackie that we know and love. He is all nice and drugged up now and in a deep sleep for the first time since last week. The dr. said that by tomorrow Jack should be feeling 95% better and can probably leave on Wednesday or Thursday. And yes, we will be going to NY on Monday believe it or not.

Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes because it made the world of a difference.

SURGERY AT NOON

2008-12-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

I am devastasted to even have the write this but I promised to keep everyone updated. After the CT this morning, the scan showed that the swelling did decrease from the IV antibiotics but the absess grew in size, which is why they are doing the surgery this afternoon. They are planning on making an incision through the inside of the throat and draining the absess that way, but do to the size and spot that the absess is, they are not sure if they can get at it completely so if they cannot, they will need to make an incision on the outside of the neck and go in that way. My baby will have a scare on his neck and they will not even stitch it up, instead they will let it close from the inside out. I ask for everyone to pray for my angel. This is absolutely ridiculous that we are going through this when we should be home getting ready for the holidays and our trip to NY with our new baby and our Jackie Boy.

There is a light at the end of this dark tunnel....they say if all goes well with the surgery, we will be home in 24-48hrs. And we can still go on our trip back to NY.

Once the surgery is over, I will give you the latest update on our brave boy.

LOOKS LIKE IT IS LEANING TOWARDS SURGERY

2008-12-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

Well here is an update...

Tomorrow morning they are planning on doing a CT scan to see how the absess is looking, as far as the size of it. If it looks like it shrunk drastically then they will keep him on the IV meds until it is nonexistent. If it does not look much different then they will operate tomorrow afternoon. Well, I was thinking he was doing a bit better but maybe I am wanting that so much that I am imagining he is getting better.

One of my favorite nurses here just came in and basically broke my heart and now I sit here crying next to Jack as his is slowly dosing off to his cartoons. I asked her what time the CT would be tomorrow so I can make sure both Rob and I are here for it and she said, "well if they still do it, then it will be real early". I was a bit confused so I questioned her because I thought they were definately going to do it but she said that it looks as if he is not really responded that great to the antibiotics and they might just skip the CT and operate instead. She feels that by now, he should be much more comfortable and capable of turning his neck and the swelling should be a lot less than what it still is. I am devastated to say the least. The thought of them wheeling him away on me and not being able to hold his hand might just be my breaking point. Where does the strength come from because I think I need to go get some more!

MY BRAVE BOY

2008-12-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

As must of you all have heard by now, my Jackie Boy is in the hospital. On Thursday nite, we rushed him to Children's Hospital in Plano to only find out hours later that Jack has an absess on his C3 and C4 verterbrae behind his head on his spine. After blood work, x-ray, nothing was showing up until the CatScan showed the absess. This explains why he was in tremendous pain and was loosing the ability to move his neck in any way. Rob and I were initially devastated when we were told that it might be this, but after all the tests were coming back negative, we were just hoping that it was this absess because atleast it is curable. Me, the emotional person that I am, has really been doing quite well or atleast in front of Jack. My breakdown was when I was watching Jack go downhill so quickly from the ride to the ER, laying lifeless on the CT table, and just watching him moan for someone to help his pain. The hardest part for me everyday is saying goodnite to him and walking out that door to go home to my Nolan. Even though Rob is right there laying next to him and rubbing him and being the great dad that he is, I loose it everytime I walk out of that hospital and know my baby is still hurting in there and not home with me. I then go home and put a smile on my face for my little baby, who also needs me. I find the energy in me to play, and bathe the baby and then put him to bed and then it is my time to just breakdown. I just do not know how many more nights I can go home to my quiet home and see Jack's bed empty. All I know is the day will come and I cannot wait until Jack is screaming and running around the house making all of us laugh again. Talk about putting life in perspective! Please pray for us...yes, I have become quite religious after this because if it wasn't for God and our angels watching over us, I do not think I would ever be able to handle this and somehow or someone is giving me this strength that I need.

Makes You Appreciate Things in Life

2008-12-08T20:05:00.001-08:00

After hearing way too many sad stories tonight, I had to take a step back and thank God for all the wonderful things I have in my life right now. I have two healthy, beautiful boys, an amazing husband, the greatest family back in NY, the best network of friends, and we are all healthy!! Unfortunately it takes a really sad story or a few to make you realize just how lucky you are sometimes. We all joke around and bitch and complain about things in our day-to-day lives, but I truly would not change a bit of it, just venting. Tonight I am praying and praying hard for a few people... this poor family that just lost their 4 year old son in a car accident last night, Erin and Geoff's trip pays off and Geoff gets this liver that he truly needs and deserves because of the great person that he is, and that our friends get pregnant and have the baby that they will make the happiest, most loved child in the world.

I hope my prayers are heard tonight!!

PICTURE TIME DURING THE LOVELY CHRISTMAS SEASON

2008-12-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

Round #1: Last Saturday

Every year I cannot wait to send out my Christmas cards and as the 12 months pass until the next Christmas, I forget the torture that comes along with getting the pictures done involving children. I wake up on Saturday, all cheery because I have somehow hit the jackpot by getting the 12pm slot at Picture People. Just perfect because Nolan just will be getting up from a 3 hour nap and Jack still has about 1 1/2 hrs. until his naptime. Yippee...happy children=great pictures, right??? Rob and Jack head to Picture People first to check in since they were out getting Jack's haircut and then I could let Nolan get his full nap if we did not have to go early. From my past experiences at Picture People, which is quite a lot since I am obsessed with getting pictures for every damn holiday, I have learned that they never run on time and I mean NEVER!! So Nolan and I are running only about 15 minutes behind and as we are pulling into the parking lot, Rob calls and says "You better hurry up, we are up now". I walk through the door to only see that we are the family that will be on display in the front room of Picture People so every damn person who is staring through the window will distract my 3 year old. Then we meet our Picture Lady. If you have ever seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off, you will understand how great these pictures are bound to turn out when I have the person who is as exciting as the teacher in the movie that says, "Bueller, Bueller, anyone, Bueller". We begin our session and it sort of goes like this.... Rob and I are sitting on stools and Jack is supposed to be standing next to Rob and Nolan is on my lap. The lady in her monatone voice is saying over and over, say "Spaghetti" and Jack is looking at her like she is a complete jackass. About 5 minutes into the session, Jack is bored out of his mind because the lady sucks and he decides to have his own fun for all to see. She tells him to stand and he collapses on the floor because his legs are broken, when she says stay on the floor, he begins to jump around like his ass hit a flame. We move on from the family picture , which means an attire change because the picture lady said she got some great pics. I turn around to Rob and quietly say, " She is bullshitting herself because she sucks and Jack is acting like a horse's ass, there is no way she even got one good pic. Well onto the next pose, my 12 lb. baby propped up on Jack, not a problem for Jedi Jack, right??? Wrong...Jack begins falling over like a fool because his brother is causing him a terrible belly ache for the fraction of a second that Nolan was leaning on him. Now I am sweating like a damn pig because I have the lights beaming down on me and I am quietly threatening Jack and holding Nolan up at the same time because he is being thrown off Jack. The reason I am quietly threatening him is because 1,000 freaking people are staring at us in the store and thru the glass window so I am trying to act like that perfect mom, who believes that telling your child that he is not making the best choices will work. One more shot and now I turn into a psycho by grinding my teeth and squinting my eyes at Jack and saying, "You are not being a good listener and I am calling Santa". Well, he flips out and starts balling and says, "Mommy, you scared me with those eyes and your teeth". Guess what....picture time is over!! We wait around for about 45 minutes to view these picture and making ourselves believe that there were some good shots taken. Surprise, surprise...they sucked ass! The lady showing us the pictures asks us how things went and you can only imagine the mouthful I gave her. Is she oblivous and not looking at the pictures she is showing us. After viewing them I make the brave decision to do a re-shot tomorrow. Crazy...yes!! After I say that Rob looks like he is ready to either pass out or punch me. He questions if he heard me right about 10 times and I just smile.

Round #2:

A Success...a new photographer, a new day, and my much more cooperative, Jack!! Yippee!!

ENJOY OUR PICS!!

What a Great Time of Year

2008-11-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

This is always a great time of year, not only due to the wonderful holidays but using Santa to convince your children to behave is also a bonus. Yep, you guessed it, we are blackmailing Jack about a hundred times a day by threatening to call Santa and tell him everything. Now here comes the best part, one of my friends tells me about a website that you actually download your child's picture and Santa will basically threaten your child by saying that he is watching them very closely. Freaky..yes, but absolutely brillant! Well here I am at 10:30pm blogging because I am trying to keep myself busy until 11pm when I will be leaving to begin my holiday shopping for the Midnight Madness Sale. It gets worse, I am also continuing this shopping spree at 5am tomorrow as well. I am determined to get all my shopping complete in just 1 day. Can I do it, maybe after I load myself up with a few Starbucks Caramel Mocchiatos but I will let you know just how successful I truly was.

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!

Jack's Smile for Grandma and Pop

2008-11-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

I asked Jack to give me his best smile so I can send it to Grandma and Pop and this is what I got!! Not exactly what I was thinking.

Isn't it Amazing???

2008-11-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

Let me bring you back to about a week ago when I emailed my sister about my new blog.... About 15minutes later, the phone rings and on the other end is my sister saying, "You have way too much time on your hands and I think it is time to get yourself a job. Why do you think anyone wants to know what happens in your life from day to day".

Now let me fast forward a bit...

A few days later I get a phone call from that same person who told me that I have way too much time on my hands asking some inquistive questions about how to set up a blog. Funny, huh?? Well guess what, sissy is blogging now. Isn't it strange she has found the time to blog and let me tell you people, she even works 5 days a week so where do you think she is blogging from. This might explain the downward spiral of the stock market. She is a stock broker who is obviously avoiding the horrific turn the economy has taken and sitting at her desk wondering how much worse the stock market can get and blogging!!

Well anyway, I can guarantee it will be worth you reading her blogs because she is quite amusing, I must admit. Well I guess it helps that she has 3 kids under the age of 5 and all hell can brake loose at any time of the day at the Marone Household!!

Well sissy, Welcome to the Blog World!!

Typical Guy

2008-11-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

Boy, do I need to vent! We decide to go to the mall this morning to get a few gifts that we needed for some upcoming birthdays. We of course were on a time constraint because naptime was near. It sort of went like this:
Nolan was starting to get really hungry and Jack was chanting "I want to go to the playground" over and over again. We headed to the play area at Stonebriar mall and I decided to nurse Nolan as Jack played. Keep in mind, Rob is with me at the mall. Suddenly, Jack comes running over to me saying, "I need to go poop and pee real bad". No problem right, Rob can take him quick while Nolan is still attached to me eating. Think again my friends, where is Rob??? I am scanning the whole area where we were and there is no sign of Rob anywhere. At the same time, Jack is saying, "Mommy, it is starting to come out". Here I am now walking frantically all around the mall by the playarea with Nolan dangling from me eating under the coverup and screaming Rob over and over again as Jack is turning red in the face because he is ready to explode. Well after about 10 minutes, Rob comes strolling out of one of the stores and here I am furious. Do you think maybe they could let you know that they are going somewhere?? I tell you, sometimes they do not think!!!

Proud of the Hubbie

2008-11-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

Okay I am new at this whole blogging thing so I apologize for being excited and wanting to post again. Tonight we went to visit Rob at our friends restaurant, Fortuna Grill. He has decided to work there one night a week for a little extra cash for the holidays and some money to begin going on some family vacations. For those of you that do not know, we moved here from NY to escape the financial strain that living in NY puts on a family. We were living in a $400,000 house and paying a $4100 mortgage a month, which meant that we had no choice but to work not only our jobs as teachers, but side jobs as well to keep our heads up above water. When we moved here, we were in shock that we could live here and I could stay home and even have money to play with. I was sort of surprised that Rob had no hesitation to work another side job just to make our lives that much better when his friend offered him a shift at the restaurant. He is working for one of his closest friends, Mark, which I think Rob is enjoying helping him out as he begins his new career as owner of this Italian restaurant but still, he must be exhausted from working all day. Well anyway, we show up at the restaurant around 6pm and Jack was smiling from ear to ear when he saw his daddy there. He was so proud of him that he was working at Mark's restaurant. But what was priceless to me was to see how hard Rob was working after working a 8am-5pm teaching job that day. You could totally see that us being there was so important to him since he did not get to really see Jack the whole day since he literally ran in and changed to only have to leave again. Jack and Rob are inseperable. Don't you know, they are Jedi's! Well I needed to give props to my husband when he deserves it because there will probably be plenty of posts where I am bashing him instead!

By the way, you must try Fortuna Grill!! The food is the best Italian food around, the closest to NY Italian food that I have tasted since we moved to Texas. It is not expensive and it is close by. It is the perfect place for a night out with some friends or your other half.

Yipee!!

2008-11-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well everyone, as you can see I have a blog page after 3 nights of torture. How you wonder....Ms. Erin Dunkle!! After threatening her life if she did not give me some one-on-one tutoring, she gave in and told me to come by her house. Well you should of seen her go on that computer, you would of thought she invented blogging. She is importing different backgrounds for my blog, banners across the page, font colors...you name she did it. To top it off, I actually caught on and could not wait to get home and put the boys in for naptime so I could waste some more time on my blog. Talk about a bonus...I put both boys to sleep at 1:30pm and at 5pm, still no children awake. Some of you are probably cursing me right now because you cannot believe my 3 1/2 yr. old naps, let alone for this amount of time. I admit, I have been blessed with two children and a husband, who all love to sleep.

Nolan's 1st Laugh

2008-11-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

Still Working on This Blog- Night #2

2008-11-20T21:16:00.000-08:00

Okay bloggers, HELP!! After talking to some expert bloggers tonight at my Mom's Club event, I totally was psyched to come home and get to work on my blog page. After listening to some suggestions on how to set it all up, I thought I had it all locked up in my obviously small brain of mine. Well surprise, surprise....still confused and pissed off. I have no idea how to add other person's blog addresses because everytime I put in someone's blog address it tells me there is no URL attached. What the heck does that mean?? Here I truly believed that I was going to wake up tomorrow feeling a bit better about myself because I finally figured out what everyone else in the world is doing with no problem whatsoever. Looks like I need to try again tomorrow night!! Just when I thought I had friends that could help me, the bastards are not answering my calls or texts. THANKS FRIENDS!!

What the Heck Do I Do??? Here I come BLOG WORLD!

2008-11-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, here I am at 10:22pm starting up this blog and I am completely confused and I am on the first step. I have no idea how to navigate through this site and definately do not know how to tell anyone about my blog....do I email everyone, send a letter, call them, scream out my front door. HELP! Where is Amie when you need her??? Okay, I am determined to stay up until I understand everything I need to know about blogging. I can see it already, it will be another night like when I discovered FACEBOOK. I was just going to check it out and then 7 hours later, my ass was still in front of the computer having a high school reunion with a crap load of people I have not spoken to since we walked down the aisle at our HS graduation.

Well, maybe you will get to see this blog if I figure out how to notify you that I even have one. Wish me luck expert bloggers!