The Pursuit Of Happiness

TUCKER'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

2011-05-10T22:56:00.001-04:00

Growing Boy Birthday Invitation

Shop for special Birthday wishes at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

We're Baaaaack!

2010-10-19T12:48:00.000-04:00

Our Snuggle Munchkin- 4 mos

What Rhymes with Tucker?

2010-07-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

I know you didn't just think that.....
Pucker! Pucker up! This one is a kisser! We keep him covered in kisses all day long. Aww... just thinking about it makes my heart melt. I'm at work on lunch break. Tucker is now a month old and weighed in at 8lbs 12 oz on Monday. He is eating like a champ!Tucker interlocks his fingers sometimes, especially when nursing. He's such a good little baby.

When he is not being held He is usually doing THIS...

It's a classic case, really...I just won't say of what, or someone might get mad.

Other than a lack of sleep- we are loving every moment- literally.

A few things I've learned:

Carey doesn't care if he matches. I like to color coordinate down to the burp cloth.
There is a fine technique to washing baby clothes and keeping them looking like new.
You can give a new mom advice, but inevitably, she'll learn the hard way. (I'll be punished for this statement later.)
No sleep and working at 6 am is near impossible.
Sleep is near impossible.
Breastmilk volume doesn't increase like formula... it changes composition (3 oz of breastmilk can be equivalent to 5 oz formula)
peeing up the BACK of the diaper is common in newborn boys.
There are many kinds of spit up... the "hurler", the "dribbler", projectile vomit, the "when did this get on my shirt?", the "suck it off your binky" type, the "yogurt mouth"
Icecream on my lips brings Tucker to his happy place in 1.2 seconds flat and for atleast 5 mins thereafter (I'll be punished for this statement later.)
2 mommies, 1 baby- and a dirty house? Yeah-living proof, right here.
even treasured family pets become villians when you find a hair on the binky- yech!
Washing the baby in his own pee-peed bath water is far more fathomable than wrapping up a soapy baby, emptying the water, and starting over again. He'll get another bath tomorrow.
There IS such a thing as projectile poop.

The joy of motherhood abounds.... it really does. :)

Bizzy with Baby

2010-06-21T11:42:00.000-04:00

We are busy enjoying Tucker... I intend to write all the details when I can stop holding him and admiring his sweetness... enjoy the pics!

Tucker London is here!!

2010-06-10T07:18:00.000-04:00

He was born Saturday, June 5th at 1:09pm. He weighed 7lbs and was 20 ozs long. After going home, Tucker was admitted to the hospital for jaundice, so we are still waiting to be discharged again. Hopefully we will get to go home again today. We are in love with this little miracle!!!!

Cerclage Removal Complete!

2010-06-01T13:04:00.009-04:00

We have arrived. 37 weeks is full term and we reached that milestone on Sunday- Yipee!
Today Carey and her step mother, Marie (who has been such an amazing support through all of this) went for the cerclage to be removed. It was an in-office procedure, that went better than she had hoped for. If there were any complications removing the stitch, Carey would have gone in tomorrow for a spinal block and removal in the "O.R." (needless to say we didn't want that to happen). The stitch was removed in about 3 mins. There was some blood on the doctor's hands and Carey continues to bleed a little, which the doctor said was normal. This next part is only documented for readers curious about cerclage removal...it may be Too Much Information (TMI)for those not otherwise interested... Carey said there was a clot that came out after all was said and done. I'm guessing maybe it could be the equivalent of a mucous plug? We never did get a firm answer as to whether or not she still actually had a mucous plug after delivery of Owen- apparently no one knows... Anyhow- now that you are thoroughly grossed out...

The doc said Carey is 1cm dilated and 80% effaced. Google searches are no help as to this being indicative of impending labor within a certain time frame. So I guess this leaves us like everyone else- playing the waiting game until "D-day".

Yes, the bags are FINALLY packed! I've asked Carey to work on a birthing plan today, but my guess is that the 2 percocet that they gave her for pain will take her out for the afternoon and I'll breathe easier some other time.

We have worked on my list of TO DO's all weekend, however, and made some major progress. We cleaned the entire house, packed the baby's bag and both of our bags, washed the 2 vehicles, installed the carseat, listed items on ebay, went to a birthday party, saw a movie, fixed the kid's bikes,bathed and groomed the dog(at home-woof!), went grocery shopping, did all of the laundry, packed the kids for summer camp on Sunday, and a bunch of other miscellaneous tasks. All that to say- we were productive this weekend- and worked together to get it done.
When I rewrote my list last night (minus our accomplishments) it was still pretty lengthy- but much more manageable now. Thank you Carey :) I need a freakin' Xanax. :)

Sorry, no pics of the cerclage removal are available hahaha... Instead, I'll leave y'all with a video I enjoy watching for a laugh every now and then- if you don't know the song, it won't be as funny- but even if you don't know the song you have to laugh. Til next time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXxvsShaAoA&playnext_from=TL&videos=jpwS_YxkwzQ

Tucker's newest pic

2010-05-23T19:38:00.002-04:00

Tucker's last ultrasound...he smiles.

T is for Tucker

2010-05-22T22:51:00.005-04:00

We're already losing sleep!

T is for Tucker- and named appropriately so... we are Tuckered out! It's Janine here- bypassing my ebay money train to catch y'all up- not to mention I am freaking TIRED. I have been totally busy at work, and coming home to frantically gear up for our new arrival... They told us in childbirth class that she would start "nesting", but I feel like I've built about 20 in the last 2 weeks. The pressure to have the house spotless when our guests arrive- and not being able to use Carey as a helper is taking it's toll. I'm a little overwhelmed- oh! and PMS is putting me into BITCH overdrive. "Love wash over a multitude of things..." as Sara Groves sings... Thank God for my understanding partner and children.

We are so close now at 36 weeks and we *never* thought we would reach this point. We are nervous at any little sign of possible or remotely possible- or near impossible symptoms that could indicate trouble. I'm not helping matters any by being like, "Danger, Wil Robinson! You have swelling to your hands and face!" Proceeded by, "Did they check your protein? How much did you gain? Are you seeing spots? Is he moving ok? Do you have any discharge?" Yes- you would not believe how many times a week I ask this question. It's insane. This morning my serious gf orders breakfast from bed- she's trying to do her "kick counts" and is concerned. I fixed her the cereal with the highest sugar content (cocoa pebbles) and a tall glass of apple juice. We pushed, we prodded. I was this ***** close to doing a external cephalic version, i swear. I had a hold of his little buttocks and was trying to help him move a little :) Finally we played his song "Cody's song" by Kenny Loggins (yes, we are aware it's a little gay-er than say, John Mayer..but we are ok with that. :) And it worked... he was well on his way to 10 kicks and then some.

Carey is not loving the lugging. Of our bouncing baby boy, that is. She is having a hard time sleeping. When she tosses and turns she has to hold her belly like a bowling balland it's like she's in slow motion- poor mommy. She's eating massive amounts of food, but she is doing great weight wise- I'm proud of her for that --> I didn't do that part so well with mine. Her feet are getting bigger and she is sleeping a great bit. Overall she just can't wait to get him OUT! I think it's funny how our bodies prepare us for childbirth like that. Just a month ago she was petrified of giving birth and was saying things like, "I'm realizing he has to come out SOME way!" and now if they offered her delivery today- she'd be all over it.

We STILL don't have a middle name. We STILL don't have his room ready. We STILL don't have the bag packed all the way. We STILL don't have a birth plan... I'm a little spazzed out at this point. I'm tempted to say something positive here, but I know how silly that is, given the circumstances- we only have 2-3 weeks left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, uh... Carey, now that atleast 14 people in the world are reading our blog- How's about a birth plan, eh???

I took some belly shots this evening- when I get time, I DO intend to make a music montage... lol... I love those things :)!

Finally got the crib put together...what do you think??

2010-05-04T16:53:00.000-04:00

Baby Boy Is Growing!!

2010-04-22T21:01:00.000-04:00

At ultrasound yesterday, he weighed 3lbs and 12ozs!! He is measuring right on schedule and seems to be very healthy. My doctor has scheduled my cerclage to come out on June 2...at 37 weeks. It is great to be talking about 37 weeks..I remember not to long ago when his survival was questionable. We have a baby shower on Sunday, so hopefully I will have some pictures to post then. Please continue to keep us in your prayers :)

88 days maximum

2010-03-24T07:38:00.005-04:00

Wow... 88 days is the very most time my love will be "with child". Our baby boy is steadily growing. He has been more active in the daytime, whereas he used to be active at night. It never fails, though, at 11pm he decides to get busy in there. Sometimes I will push on her belly and he will play a little game with me. I push, he kicks back. I push, he kicks back. I talk to him every night. I say things like, "Hello, baby! Are you having a party in there?"- at which point he gives a good "BAM!" to her bump... After that, we play a lullabye or two and he starts to squirm. We haven't figured out if it's pleasant for him, or if he is moving away. However, my parents did it for me in utero and I did it every day for my 2 boys... so that's what baby boy gets too!
Carey's dad will come to set up the crib next week because we will be at our greatest milestone yet, 28 weeks!!! I still have a lot of work to do, clearing out the "study" of our accumulated junk...it's our "hoarder" room... ebay stuff, baby stuff and the original room stuff...sigh... it's going to be a long and hard weekend.
I have 3 papers to write for school in the next 2 weeks, which has me overwhelmed. I also have a ton of yard work to do- on top of the kid's spring break and working full time. I plan to take 2 days off so I can manage, though I don't plan on squandering the kids vacation. We usually plan something big in April and I feel guilty not being able to go.
Carey has been given permission to drive and move around more- but I think she is taking it a little futher than necessary. Although, I have to admit, I like not having to do the dishes!!! :) She isn't complaining as much about her stomach hurting this week *knock on wood*. She seems to hold some pride in being in the third trimester. She should. She made it happen by doing all the doctor said to do. She has an appt on Thursday- and I will miss little booger on the "big screen"
:( . I'll definitely try to post this one and update the blog on how big he's getting.

Almost 24 weeks!

2010-02-26T19:49:00.000-05:00

Things are going good for now and we are almost 24 weeks :) We are trying to keep the baby in utero as long as possible, but every week that goes by is a milestone to us because we arent sure just how long he is going to be able to stay. I am on bedrest now and trying to make the best of it. We finally got cable and I am watching a ton of ~~reality~~ educational shows :)

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post about the pictures of Owen. We miss him every day. Please continue to pray for us..every prayer helps.

Last Blog Post

2010-02-17T19:49:00.000-05:00

Janine posted pictures of our baby Owen on the last post. It occured to me that these pictures of him (being so small) may make some people uncomfortable. We have gotten used to looking at them, so I apologize if anyone finds them uncomfortable to look at.

Owen James

2010-02-17T12:35:00.000-05:00

This is Owen about 30 minutes after birth. He is alive here and lived to be 2 hours old. He was absolutely beautiful. He had very big hands and feet! The color in the second pic is because they stamped his feet in ink. Carey came home from the hospital on Friday, and went back in on Monday about 4AM. She was discharged last night again. We are holding onto baby "B" with all our might. We just need to hold out (at a minimum) 3 weeks! Our family has been the best you could ask for through all of this... I hope to blog in more detail as soon as I can, so I don't forget it all...look for more soon!

Update

2010-02-11T19:43:00.000-05:00

This is Janine here...
stopped by the house to take a shower and check on the kids...
Carey is due to come home tomorrow if all goes well tonight. She developed pneumonia and is taking a course of antibiotics. She has been off of the meds that make her stop contracting for 24 hours now and is doing well. Now all we need to do is hope the cerclage will stay til term. tomorrow we go to the high risk OB for an ultrasound to check on the cerclage and baby B.
Coming home to the ruins here is hard. I feel like i am in suspended animation... so much to do- and no energy...
going back to the hospital in a bit.

Sadness

2010-02-10T13:58:00.002-05:00

Carey is in the hospital. We are grieving the loss of baby "A", who was delivered yesterday at only 15 oz and 9 3/4 inches long. We had a heartbeat for nearly 2 hours and we loved him and took in every little detail while we held his tiny little body... Carey's cervix decided to dilate and thin on it's own. When she started bleeding we went straight to the dr's office where they discovered she had a "bulging bag" The amniotic sac had "hourglassed" into her cervix, with Owen still kicking as usual. After an amniocentisis to check for infection (done once for each), they calmed the contractions in the uterus. Then, her water broke. We have been to hell and back in 24 hours...A long story short, the high risk OB developed a plan to deliver Owen- who would surely die- and stich her cervix closed to save baby "B". The chances of success with all of the factors involved were slim- but the doctor managed to stitch her cervix. Carey is in bed, with major doses of Magneium sulfate to ,again,calm the uterus' contractions. the baby has a strong heartbeat and as far as we can tell, is doing fine. I have a lot of things to tend to at the moment, but when I can I will try to add more details of our journey. Please pray for baby "B" to be able to stay in utero and Carey's continued health.

Comfortable sleeping

2010-02-07T05:23:00.000-05:00

is now something of the past I think! My belly isnt really all that big, but I can't find any position that is comfortable and even pillows arent helping :(

New slide show.... 21 weeks

2010-02-06T22:06:00.002-05:00

http://www.rockyou.com/show_my_gallery2.php?source=ppsl&instanceid=156476749

be sure to click on the little speaker in the bottom left hand corner!

Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails..

2010-01-20T17:20:00.002-05:00

that's right!! 2 of them!!

Help us find a boy name, win a giftcard!

2010-01-13T10:43:00.003-05:00

Check out the widget I made (my first) to the right...We have found perfect girls names (we aren't telling :) ) but really need help finding boys names! There is a $50 giftcard in it for you if you win! Ask your family and friends for some suggestions! We are looking for a name that isn't too common. We may be having twin boys, so names that go together MAY be considered as well. Thanks!

Baby B Kicks!

2010-01-13T09:35:00.002-05:00

Carey has felt kicks for SURE now.. and I felt a itty bitty kick last night- it's so (I've spent 2 minutes looking for the right word) awesome, wonderful, neat, uh... sweet! Can't wait til Friday to see them again, make sure they are healthy and happy in there... getting enough to eat :)

One week...

2010-01-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

until we find out if we are having boys or girls!! I think I will relax a little after that....or not LOL!

Girls? Boys? Both?

2009-12-22T08:52:00.002-05:00

Carey went to the doctor Thursday. The babies heartbeats were both heard, which was a sigh of relief for both of us. This early in the game you always wonder what's going on in there and pray everything is ok. She hasn't felt any movement yet, but is anxiously anticipating ANYTHING that feels like it :) We will get to find out if puppy and kitty are boys girls or both on Jan. 15, so stay tuned... We will take a snapshot of the belly this week (a bit late, but it just started pokin out a little this past week). Over the weekend we shared Christmas dinners with family and relayed the news. It was well received. Time sure is slipping away! The ticker says 180 days... ugh... stress...

Less than 200 days left!!

2009-12-04T07:50:00.000-05:00

Every milestone is exciting to me in this journey!!! Babies are still doing good as far as we know. I go back to the doctor on 12/17 and hopefully I will get to hear the heartbeats at this visit. I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!!

Ultrasound video- almost 9 weeks

2009-11-14T20:31:00.008-05:00

Carey always gives me a hard time about video-ing these things, so at the beginning she is being rude (while she still can). The ultrasound indicated 2 healthy, growing babies and you can hear the heart beats towards the middle of the movie. They are still so itty bitty that it may take an expert eye to make out the legs on these little boogers!

Can't wait til Friday

2009-11-10T08:24:00.002-05:00

We will get to see our little ones! Carey is going in for an ultrasound at 11:00 on Friday. Maybe I can save the video to show! Look for it on Friday evening!

2 BABIES!!!

2009-10-30T10:28:00.003-04:00

Yes we have 2 babies!! We were very surprised when we saw the ultrasound the other day. They both look great and have strong heartbeats. I think we are still both in shock. They are due the day after my birthday...June 20th. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Holy Betas, Batman!!!

2009-10-19T21:17:00.001-04:00

My beloved pregnant one has been eating enough for three or four... and I'm thinking is there a reason for that? She had her third beta test today which came back at 6571. Today is day 22. Check out the average numbers. The numbers are looking scary- median numbers for triplets aren't even that high... but we hear betas can vary greatly (I'm still praying for one single healthy baby) Tonight she is having "night sickness" and needs assistance. She wants a trash can by the bed, Tums, and "No moving around!"
I had Hayden take a picture of her belly tonight. It looks like a checkerboard. Estrogen patches leave a stubborn bandaid type of residue in their rectangular shape. Carey lines them up in rows :) We have a ritualistic type of cleaning every couple of days. I "get" to use the cotton balls and Neutrogena oil on her while she relaxes on the bed. She likes it when I am in service to her- kind of like when you get a pedicure and the little asian ladies rub your feet and legs when they are through... she eats that stuff up. ( and I received a "Hell no!" when asking to post the belly pic ;)

If I knew how to post music...

2009-10-14T08:20:00.004-04:00

The song would be "I'm So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters... laughing...I just watched the video for the first time on YouTube. If you click the title of this post, you can see it! WOWSA! hahaha
Carey has the blood test today to confirm the pregnancy(ies). I already know she's pregnant. I think she is in disbelief, so she wont TRULY come to terms with it until the blood test comes back positive. I can't get this song out of my head.
So, I expect she will hear from the nurse this afternoon. I'm just so excited for her! For us!
We went to the movies the other night. She had her feet propped up on the seats in front of us at the $2 theater. We are the theater's biggest customers- and there aren't alot of people there on the weeknights...so it's like our own little slice of heaven :) . We bring a blanket and our own candy. Carey got nachos with cheese and jalepenos...she never ends up eating more than 2 of the jalepenos...I don't know why she gets them, really, but it's kind of cute. So, she turns to me and says, "I think this is the happiest I have ever been in my life." It makes me feel good to know she is where she wants to be.
About the unfinished post: Carey was supposed to tell you how they surprised her with a catheter, but she was a busy bee last week!
She has had a couple of bouts of morning sickness already, poor baby...she stopped to pick up some Tums this morning on the way to school. I was eating those like freakin tictacs when I was pregnant! I am so anxious for her to call or message me!!!

I havent had my blood test yet but...

2009-10-13T06:29:00.000-04:00

If you look closely you can see it is definitely a positive :)

2 Embryos Transferred!

2009-10-05T09:25:00.009-04:00

On Friday we had "Puppy and Kitty" tranferred to Carey's estrogen laden womb...Carey suggested we name them, but I didn't want to assign gender or get too attached. So puppy and kitty it is. The doctor and embryologist said the embryos were "beauuuuutiful."- Really. She said it that way- which made us beam (as if we had something to do with it). The doctor said you couldn't ask for it to be better, they were already hatching out of the zona. So,Carey took a valium on the way to the clinic and was feeling pretty good when we arrived. She looked like a cartoon character with her droopy eyelids, but she wasn't really animated- chillin like a villan :0) So I decided to do a photo shoot, which REALLY annoyed her. She always gets huffy when I take pictures in unusual places. I, personally, think it's cool to be able to capture a moment in time. This was a moment I wanted us to remember. The valium took a little of the fight out of her, but 10 pictures of eye rolling, 5 hateful looks,3 of us and 5 blog worthy ones later, she had enough. Shortly thereafter, her valium nearly metabolized, the doctor came in to take her back. She gave me a kiss and a hug. They said it would be about 15 minutes. About 5-10 minutes later she was being rolled back in. Both of us wondered why she needed a valium on the way to the office, but as our eyes met, I knew there was probably a good reason for it. She gave me the wide eyed look we give one another when we are trying to telepathically communicate- let the other one know something without saying it... They closed the curtain and I came to the bedside in a whisper asking "what happened in there?"...to be continued...

Cycle Day 2

2009-09-11T14:42:00.003-04:00

Well today is cycle day 2 and my RE says we are on track for transfer on 10/02. I am starting estrogen patches and baby aspirin and lowering my lupron to 5 units today. The countdown is on again!!!

Sorry it has been so long!!

2009-09-08T12:18:00.002-04:00

Like I said..it has been super busy around here! Here is what has been going on.

We have had a stomach virus in the house for about a week. Hayden is on round #2. He was home last week with it and I just had to go pick him up again. Pepto Bismol is awesome!!

Both boys are settling in to school pretty good. We have started a new project with them that involves them being responsible for themselves. They have to pick out their own clothes, get themselves dressed, brush teeth on their own, and do their homework on their own, etc. They said that we nag them too much, so we are going to see if it works. Mackenzie is already getting notes home from his teacher about not doing his homework, but we are going to give it some more time and see if he comes around. This seems to make the environment here more pleasant.

I have my first test tomorrow for my medical microbiology class (I know...I should be studying now). Keep your fingers crossed that I do well!

Mackenzie has a birthday on Wednesday and he will be 12..he is growing up so fast!!

Still working on house training the puppy. He is getting much better...but not quite their yet.

Embryo transfer should be in about 15 days!!!!

I am still around

2009-08-27T06:19:00.002-04:00

just trying to get adjusted to all the new stuff going on. We are about 4 weeks away from transfer. I will try to catch up soon :)

Things are about to get crazy!

2009-08-11T09:22:00.002-04:00

School starts next week for me and the kids! Macks is going to middle school (first year there) and this will be Hayden's last year in elementary school. I will be going to college also full time. I am excited, but worried about getting everything ready. I like to be prepared so I am trying to work out all the drop off and pick up schedules around my classes (which are different times everyday). I think I have it figured out except for Thursday afternoons when I need someone to pick them up.

The kids got to see their dad finally..he came home from Iraq!! He has been there since January, so they were so excited to get to spend some time with him. We dropped them off on Thursday and then went to VA Beach for the weekend to visit with Janine's brother. It was a very lazy trip. We went to the beach and just hung out at their house most of the time. We got back home Sunday night since Jan had to work on Monday. I am going to be picking the boys up on this coming Sunday to get ready for the big week.

I am still on Prometrium and waiting for AF to come so I can get this transfer going. I just hope it goes fast! Well that is all I have for now..I have to go chase down the dogs :)

Transfer was canceled :(

2009-08-05T07:57:00.003-04:00

Only a minor setback..but still a setback. We were so hoping that it would be this week! I felt really bad on Monday night, and went in on Tuesday for an ultrasound and the doctor found fluid in my abdomen and my ovaries were still really swollen (the tops of them were above my belly button)! My doctor said that if we did the transfer and I were to get pregnant that I could possibly get very very sick and she didnt want to risk it. I don't want to be sick either, but I am ready for my baby :( So the plan now is to transfer in about 6 weeks after my body has calmed down. We still have a bunch of embryos. They were freezing 4 yesterday and said that today they would have at least 10 to 12 to freeze, so we have nothing to worry about there. My doctor has an awesome success rate with frozen, so that makes me feel a little better. We can also schedule the transfer for a Friday when Janine can go with me (she wasnt going to be able to go this week because of work) so that is another positive. I think this is the best scenerio, but I hate the wait!!

Ok well good news and bad news

2009-08-02T14:46:00.001-04:00

I still have 28 embryos, but I have some overstimulation and may not be able to do the transfer this month :( I will find out tomorrow.

I have 28 fertilized eggs!!!

2009-07-31T10:15:00.002-04:00

That's right!! They retrieved 44 and this morning the lab called and said that 28 fertilized!! I will get an update on Sunday, go in for ultrasound on Monday, and most likely transfer on Tuesday. This is so exciting!!!

Retrieval is Thursday!!

2009-07-28T16:46:00.001-04:00

Ok so I trigger tonight at 11:30 and retrieval is Thursday morning at 11:30. Keep me in your prayers!!!

P is for progesterone

2009-07-26T17:07:00.002-04:00

I am terrified about the progesterone shots!! I should be having my retrieval at the end of the week, and I know those big nasty needles are coming. I dont want them :(

I went to the doctor today and I have a ton of growing follicles. They took my follistim dose way down. There is some concern of OHSS so say a prayer for me that all goes well.

Cycle Day 1

2009-07-15T23:43:00.003-04:00

Well today is cycle day 1..again. This time is different though because this is THE CYCLE DAY 1!! This is the last time I will be doing this! I have struggled alot to get to this point and now I don't know whether I should be happy or scared or optimistic or sad. I just really don't know how to feel. I know that I do feel scared. I know that I do feel pressure to get this right (and I really dont have any control over it). I also feel like the rest of my life depends on what happens in the next month. Oh I think I am going to be sick...

I know that I only have a few people that even read my blog..and that is ok :) So you few that are there, please say a prayer for me tonight. Pray that this IVF cycle goes smoothly. Pray that the end result is a child for us. Pray that I make it through this without losing my mind. I really need the prayers. Thank you so much!!

O is for Obe

2009-07-09T22:16:00.002-04:00

He is our newest edition. He is a Chihuahua that Janine bought me at Mother's Day. We love him, but he is driving me crazy!! I cant get him trained to pee outside. So he brings our animal count up to 4 (2 dogs and 2 cats) and we are not getting anymore. I don't know if I will even keep him if he doesnt soon learn that peeing on the kitchen floor is not ok!!! He is such a beautiful boy :)

Waterfalls and Serial Killers OH MY!!

2009-07-08T10:47:00.002-04:00

The boys went to camp last week in the NC mountains. When we went to pick them up we stayed for awhile and looked at all the beautiful scenery. This is a waterfall that we stopped at to let the kids swim. It was amazing..and very cold in July! We also had to drive through the town in SC where there was a serial killer last week. It made national news (so you may have heard about it) and we didnt even know he was that close until we got home (he was about 45 minutes from where we live!!).

N is for Needles and No kids!

2009-06-30T14:56:00.003-04:00

Well the Needles are for the IVF process that is now under way. I am on BCPs and start Lupron on 7/07. This wasnt the way this was supposed to go, but it looks like this is the only choice for us now. I am so worried that this isnt going to work. I am almost so worried that I dont want to do it. Once I do it, if it doesnt work, then I really dont have much hope left. I can't afford to do this more than once (at least in the next several years). So doing it now means this is it!! BTW..that was the last of the negative comments...cause this is going to work!!!!!! I will be pregnant soon!!

No kids = kids are away at camp until Friday. This is the first time they have gone to an overnight camp alone. They are about 2 hours away. They can't call and they can't email, so I hope they are having fun. I find myself wondering alot about what they are doing and if they are being safe and watching out for each other. The camp is sponsored by the military for children of deployed parents and it is free for them to go. Say a prayer for them and hope they are wearing their lifejackets, sunscreen, and bugspray.

Happy 4th of July!!

Camping was ok..

2009-06-16T08:52:00.002-04:00

It wasnt something that I would want to do on a regular basis. When we got there on Thursday, the campground had just had a major storm, and trees had fallen and there was no power. I know that power isnt really a big issue when you are camping, but for me taking a hot shower is a big deal. So I didnt get to shower until Friday night around 11pm. I was looking and smelling like a seasoned camper for sure LOL!! The kids had fun and got to swim alot and I even went out in a canoe (which I loved!!). Maybe we will go again, when the kids are old enough to keep the fire going and put up the tent themselves..until then I think I will be sleeping indoors :)

We are going camping

2009-06-11T16:38:00.002-04:00

I have never been before. Never slept outside or in a tent. I dont know how this will go because it is really hot outside. I will let ya know. Wish me luck!!

Things have been crazy round here!!

2009-06-10T10:32:00.002-04:00

I have been busy these past few weeks!!

Mackenzie had lots of activities for the end of the school year and then the kids got out of school.

We got a new puppy that is taking lots of my time.

I am now in school and having to study harder than ever.

My ebay has picked up and i am selling alot right now.

Soooo...hopefully things will get back to normal soon. We should be getting started with IVF in the next month!!!

M is for Mufasa and Mischa

2009-05-21T12:36:00.003-04:00

Mufasa and Mischa are our two cats. Mufasa is the old man and Mischa is the young lady. They dont like each other or other animals...which leads to problems quite often. Mufasa enjoys playing in the sewer and laying on our neighbors porch. Mischa spends her time killing birds (and trying to bring them inside) and laying on our bed sleeping. The picture above is Mufasa..at age 15.

L is for Lisa and leisure time

2009-05-04T21:47:00.002-04:00

Lisa - is my older sister. She is the nicest person I have ever known (and I am not just saying that because she is my sister..she really is.) She will do anything for anyone and be happy that she is doing it..even if she really doesnt want to. She is a good friend to me and listens to all my sob stories and complaints. She is beautiful, successful and an awesome mother.

leisure time - is something that I should have had alot of lately. Being that I am unemployed, I should have extra time...but I don't. How did everything get done when I had a job? What will happen when I go back to work??? Needless to say that day will be coming too soon!!

The picture above is me and my brother and sister :)

K is for Kelly

2009-04-29T11:37:00.003-04:00

Ok..I was having a hard time coming up with any K words..so I sort of worked the K in. Kelly is a lady that I just met today. She works at York Tech. She informed me that I will be starting school this summer and it will all be paid for by WIA (since I got laid off from my job). They will pay for my classes, books, gas, and anything else that is necessary for school. I am going to be taking medical lab tech classes. This was not my first choice, but everything else had 1 1/2 - 2 year waiting lists. I am really excited!

J is for Janine, Josh and Jonatha Brooke

2009-04-23T07:14:00.003-04:00

Janine - means "Gift from God"..or that is what her parents say :) Only her family can call her Jan. I try to and most of the time she gets pissed. At work they call her J9. Don't you think Jan is so much easier??

Josh - is Janine's brother. He is her only full sibling (same mom and dad). He lives in Virginia Beach. We only see him a few times a year..but love him dearly. Jan...I mean Janine..tries to get him to move down here all the time but it is just not gonna happen.

Jonatha Brooke - www.jonathabrooke.com - She is an amazing musician that Janine introduced me to. She is now one of my all time favorites. She is not very well known ..but should be. Check out her website :)

Fertility Statue

2009-04-21T12:25:00.003-04:00

So in San Francisco there was a fertility statue at the Ripley's museum. Here I am rubbing it and hoping it works :)

We Are Home!!

2009-04-20T09:08:00.001-04:00

Vacation was lots of fun.. but it is great to be home! I am going to catch up on all my favorite blogs and will write here as soon as I get a chance :)

VACATION!!!

2009-04-06T07:48:00.002-04:00

We are leaving for vacation on Wednesday and will be gone until 4/19!! We are going to visit California, Oregon and Washington. Janine's sister lives in Washington so that is the purpose of the trip, but we are going to see a few more places while we are there. See ya when we get back :)

I is for IVF

2009-03-30T22:53:00.001-04:00

IVF - is where it looks like we are heading. We had such high hopes this time..but this wasn't the one. We will have our baby...one day :)

H is for our House and Hayden

2009-03-27T07:10:00.005-04:00

Our House - We have lived in our house for 3 1/2 years and we really like it here. We are in a great neighborhood and school district. The kids have lots of friends here and sidewalks to ride their bikes. We had to do some work when we moved in..and there is still alot more to do. We will have it the way we want it one day. I hope to stay here for a long, long time (unless we hit the lottery LOL). FYI...I was excited about posting pictures of our house...but now i can't find them anywhere on this computer. When the computer genius gets home I will have her look for them.

Hayden - he is our youngest. He is smart and sensitive and handsome. He is head strong and bossy. He is loyal and loves to make new friends. He likes movies, magic, video games and eating. He is one of a kind :)

G is for Guilt and Gia

2009-03-21T11:16:00.006-04:00

Guilt and Gia...

No, they don't go hand in hand. As a matter of fact, these are totally unrelated. BTW, this is Janine blogging...the guilt is mine for not participating in Carey's adventures on here. It's also for all that is bothering me today. I am upset with myself for being so overweight, guilty for eating junk food and not getting nearly enough exercise. I am guilty of not being a friend who stays in touch, missing my best friend's wedding to go on vacation, and not answering my phone about 75% of the time. Getting lost in the wealth of information on the internet is much like burying my nose in a book. I'm an intellectual, a seeker of knowledge. The computer is millions of varied topics, free for my browsing, yet I feel guilty for the amount of time I am immersed in it. I wonder if I had my nose in a book all the time 20 years ago- would people think of it in the same way? My guess is probably not... Anyways, So the biggest thing affecting me today is my current physical state- and to be honest, I'm extremely overwhelmed by the amount of disappointment I feel in myself right now- I am on the verge of tears.

Okay, so I will end this depressing and "who wants to read this kind of crap?" posting on a happier note. GIA...

Gia is my (hopefully) soon to be sister in law. She successfully transformed my closest brother Josh (13 mos apart) from a hopeless alcoholic *sorry, Josh* to a real man with aspirations. She is witty and has a pretty good sense of humor. She is intelligent, fluent in spanish, and beautiful. She is driven and makes conscious decisions. Gia and I are alike in ways, but vastly different in others. I appreciate her love for my brother, and I hope they can continue the relationship in the supportive ways they began. I heart Gia...

PS. I am hoping we can make it til Tuesday for Carey's pregnancy test!!! Cross your fingers!

We will be back to our regularly scheduled program after the break

2009-03-19T11:33:00.002-04:00

I am going to Daytona Beach, Florida tomorrow to visit with my mother and my brother. My niece will be having her 2nd birthday party on Saturday. I will write again when i get back :)

F is for Feet and being Fortunate

2009-03-16T06:31:00.003-04:00

Feet - I have huge friggin feet!! They are size 10...or sometimes 11!! My dad has always called them skis..and I have hated it my whole life. The good thing is that i can usually find shoes on sale because not many people buy them that big :)

being Fortunate - I don't have a job now and that is stressful...but I am trying to focus on what I do have. I have Janine, who is my soulmate. We have wonderful (and challenging) children. I have a loving family. I have great pets. I have devoted and supportive friends (who I don't see often enough). I am fortunate and thank God for giving me this wonderful life.

Above are some pictures of usat the lake last weekend.

E is for Ellie

2009-03-14T17:50:00.002-04:00

I am not finding much to blog about that starts with "E"... so this will be short and sweet :)

E is for Ellie our dog. She is an awesome pet. We have had her for about 2 years. She does lots of tricks and guards our house and yard. She tries to mother the cats and the kids. She is so smart and definitely one of the family.

D is for Dieting, Destiney

2009-03-10T19:27:00.005-04:00

Dieting- is something I am always doing..or trying to do!! I have been overweight most of my life and can never seem to get control of it. I try to blame it on my PCOS or being big boned..but I know that I just eat too much junk. I don't like alot of vegetables so I eat way too many carbs. Hopefully one day I will reach my goal..but until then you have to just love me the way I am:)

Destiney - is my friend's daughter. She and her sister come over and the stay the night with us alot. We just love her and think she will be a famous model one day (see picture above).

C is for Carey, California, and Carolina

2009-03-05T13:57:00.002-05:00

Carey - of course is my name. I never liked it growing up because no one ever ever spells it right. It is spelled like a boy, so I could never really find things with my name printed on them as a kid (unless it was something for a boy). I have several nicknames: CareyBell, CareyBerry, CareBear, and my all time favorite..NOT....ScaryCarey.

California - is where I am going in April. Like I said before I am not looking forward to the flight, but I have never been out west, so I am super excited! Janine and I are taking the boys and we are flying into San Francisco for 4 days, then we are driving up through Oregon and Washington to her sister's house on Whidbey Island. It is a couple hours north of Seattle at the Navy base. We will be gone a total of 12 days and I will take tons of pictures and videos.

Carolina - is home for me :) I have lived and worked in Carolina (North and South) my whole life. Even though I have never lived anywhere else, I have a great appreciation for home. I am 2 hours from the mountains and 3 hours from the beach. The people here are friendly and really show their southern hospitality. Come and visit ya'll :)

B is for Babies, Brusters, and The Bachelor

2009-03-04T21:28:00.002-05:00

Babies - We have been wanting one for a long time :) We are now on try #7. I trigger tomorrow and IUI should be on Saturday. I have 5 follicles this time, so my nurse called me to warn me about the chance for multiples. I am really not worried by this because we done this 7 TIMES already and nothing!! We would love to have a girl since we already have 2 boys, but a healthy boy will be just fine too. I think we have decided that if the doctor uses both of the vials of IUI that we have left then we will move on to IVF next..if not we will do one more IUI cycle. PLEASE PRAY FOR US THAT THIS TIME WORKS!!!

Brusters - has my most favorite ice cream..I love that place!! They have a flavor called Peanut Butter Puddles that is amazing. We have a Brusters about 10 mins from our house and we take the kids every chance we get. If you ever get the chance to try it..you really should!!

The Bachelor - I am sure that everyone has heard what happened already, but I am still pissed about it. I really like the show, but after Monday night I am really considering not watching again. I personally think it was set up that way. I hope that Melissa finds someone way hotter than Jason!!!

A is for Adam, Andrew, Avery, and airplanes

2009-03-03T20:30:00.003-05:00

Adam, Andrew, and Avery are 3 of the people that I love most in the world..and I hate airplanes...so the good stuff first.

Adam - He is my only brother and is 3 years younger than me. As kids we used to fight all the time, but now that we have grown up and he has moved away to Florida I miss him like crazy. He has a great job and beautiful family and I am very proud of him.

Andrew - He is my first and only nephew. He is 7 years old and lives about 10 miles away from me. He is an excellent swimmer and very smart. I don't see him as much as I would like, but I hope he knows how much I love him and what a good boy he is.

Avery - She is my beautiful 2 year old niece. She is my brother's daughter and she lives in Florida. She loves babies, horses, and being outside. She looks a lot like me when I was little. I am going to see her in 2 weeks and I can't wait!!!

Airplanes - I hate them!! I have only flown a handful of times, but each time I feel sick and like I am going to have a panic attack. I am flying again in April and it will be my longest flight yet..all the way to California. I am scared already :(

Blogging The Alphabet

2009-03-02T23:43:00.002-05:00

So I got this idea from a blog that I read sometimes and I thought I would try it to see if I can actually finish it. I am going to write a blog on every letter of the alphabet and give some info about me that has to do with the letter that I am blogging about. I may not get to it every day, but I will try my best to stay consistent. I think a lot of posts will be about people who have names that start with that letter, but I will try and put some other stuff in also. I am still having some trouble with formatting my posts the way I want them..so bare with me and enjoy :)

Plans For Baby Update

2009-02-26T12:02:00.002-05:00

Just an update :) I went back to my RE in Charlotte and decided against the surgery..so we are going to try 2 more IUIs before moving to IVF. We are on cycle day 8 right now and I am taking Lupron and GonalF injections. I go back in on Saturday for US and bloodwork and will hopefully be having IUI sometime next week. I am so lucky that Jan has domestic partner benefits so I can have most of my visits covered by insurance. Keep your fingers crossed that number 7 is lucky!!

I am just gonna say it....

2009-02-24T10:31:00.002-05:00

I AM UNEMPLOYED!!

Ok..I feel much better. I lost my job due to a layoff on Jan. 20th. I have never been laid off or fired..and this is much harder than I thought it would be. Just to actually say it out loud makes me feel like a failure. I am trying to change that in my mind.

Thank goodness for unemployment..but this leads me to another problem. I am entitled to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. The amount that I am getting through unemployment is less than what I was making before..but it isnt too bad. The problem is that when i am looking online for jobs..I am not seeing any jobs that are even paying as much as my unemployment! I don't want to feel like a mooch and just sit home and draw unemployment, but I can't afford to take one of these lower paying jobs. This has to be the case with alot of people looking for work..right??

Beach Trip

2009-02-22T15:01:00.003-05:00

Janine and I took her mom and stepdad and Hayden to the beach last weekend. It started off kind of rough because the room we had reserved was gross..but we found a nice hotel with an indoor pool..so it all worked out. Here are some pics :)

Ok I think I fixed it!

2009-02-19T11:31:00.001-05:00

Ok I think I finally figured out how to get the comments back...but now all the stuff on the side of my blog has moved to the bottom and I can't get it back to the side. All the articles I read say just to drag and drop it, but when i drop it, it moves right back to where I had it before. This is so frustrating!!!

We are still here :)

2009-02-19T10:47:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in a long while and it is mostly because I can't get the blog to accept comments anymore. I am bummed about that and I think I am going to maybe have to set up a new one :( I have tried to fix it but I can not figure it out. If you have any ideas of how to fix it, email me at careyandjanine@yahoo.com . We have had a lot going on these past few months and I am going to write it all down today or tomorrow. The picture is Hayden and his birthday cake (he had a party last month).

Doctor's Visit

2008-12-08T18:46:00.003-05:00

We went to our doctor's appointment on Friday with a new RE that I haven't seen before. He was very nice and easy to talk to, and his first suggestion was something that my doctor has never mentioned before...SURGERY! He wants to do laprascopic surgery to check for endometriosis and fibroids and possibly ovarian drilling. I have been researching it a little bit, and the ovarian drilling seems kind of risky because of the scar tissue that can develop. So..I am once again confused about what the next step should be. Should I go back to my old RE and do IVF or should I have the surgery and try a few more IUIs?

Comments

2008-12-02T09:57:00.003-05:00

Janine added this pretty color to our blog, but now I dont see a way for people to leave us comments. I am going to have Janine (the computer guru) try to fix this. Please keep reading :)

Back To Work!!

2008-12-01T09:22:00.004-05:00

I havent blogged in a while, but I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. We had a great day and enjoyed spending time with family and friends, but now it is back to work. I have 3 more weeks, then i am off for 16 days straight!! My office is closing for 2 weeks over Christmas and I am so excited! I havent had that much time off since..hmm well NEVER!!!
We have our appt with the new RE on Friday! He is one that came highly recommended and he is 3 hours away, so I am hoping that he will give us some hope that I can do this on my own. We still love our doctor in Charlotte, but a second opinion never hurts. We are hoping to have a baby next Christmas!!!

I will update soon with pictures. Happy Monday!!!

Boring Bloggers

2008-11-18T21:57:00.002-05:00

So I agreed to the blogging for the "back up to my mental hard drive", remember? So why am I concerned with our mundane profile? Why am I not studying right now? Who really cares about our longing to have a baby, or a nacho cheese accident, or my thoughts on abortion? I am sooo overtired... but work and class tonight has left me wanting "me time". Carey is cross-stitching, watching a CSI type show. Ordinarily I would have a gnawing feeling eating at me because she is wasting her life watching tv...arrgh! But the cross-stitching somehow justifies her unproductiveness (I'm thinking this could be an actual word)- and I am okay to pursue countless youtube videos and google searches :). Last night I was watching beat boxing on youtube- who knew these talented people existed? One link led to another...I watched Ellen episodes of talented child prodigies, asian 13 yr olds beatboxing, wheel of fortune funnies, and one especially funny video called "what is a ho?" We laughed pretty good at that one... and I ticked my mom off when I posted it on her newly developed myspace page. "How do i get it off of there?"!!! She says, disappointed I have tarnished her online image...hehehe... Speaking of online image- i am trying to clean mine up a little. I heard that people get paid to do this- totally understandable if you ask me- I was so much more open about my sexuality before I had a real job to maintain and a family to protect... and I think those old personal ads on Gay.com are finally deleted. Did I mention that I graciously deleted Carey's profile on there too? :) That girl is all mine xoxoxo.

Letterboxing

2008-11-17T13:11:00.002-05:00

Hayden and I have a new hobby...Letterboxing! I read about it on another blog and thought we would give it a try. The way it works is very simple. People hid letterboxes all over the country and we use clues to find the letterboxes. When we find them, we stamp with a rubberstamp in the book in the letterbox and then use the stamp in the letterbox to stamp our book. Stamping is a way to keep track of all the letterboxes that we find and to remember the experience. We found our first letterbox on Saturday. It took us a few hours and we got lost several times, but we finally found it by a tree in a park in Rock Hill. It is a fun activity that gives me a chance to spend some one on one time with Hayden. He is such a smart boy and I love his excitement over doing this together. We forgot the camera this time, but I will post pictures of our next find :)
Happy Monday everyone!!

Nacho Cheese???

2008-11-12T17:18:00.007-05:00

Earlier today I noticed I had a voicemail on my cellphone. I called my voicemail and this is what I heard:

Mackenzie : "Carey, can you call Grandpop and tell him I need him to bring me an extra set of clothes up to the school? I spilt juice all over my pants and then some kid slung nacho cheese all over my shirt. I don't want to walk around like this the rest of the day. Thank you."

Plans For Baby

2008-11-10T10:12:00.006-05:00

I haven't mentioned our TTC journey on our blog yet, so I guess now is as good a time as ever. I have felt kind of down about being on hold with it for so long, but I think that we are about to get started again.

We love our boys very much and would really like to have at least one (maybe 2..we go back and forth on that) more together to complete our family. We talk about it alot to and the boys are excited. They would love to have a brother (their dad has a daughter so they have a little sister already).

We have already done 6 IUIs with a Reproductive Endocrinologist in Charlotte, but no pregnancy yet. I have PCOS, which has made this a little tougher. I did one cycle with Clomid and 5 cycles with injectible fertility drugs. We have an appointment in December with a different doctor in Raleigh to get a second opinion and see if we should move on to IVF or try a few more IUIs.

Keep us in your prayers for good news in December!

Having Fun With Our Computer :)

2008-11-09T09:14:00.007-05:00

5 Wonderful Years!

2008-11-06T09:02:00.004-05:00

Janine and I have been together 5 years now! It seems like just yesterday that I met this amazing woman with cute freckles and hot legs LOL! She is one of the most driven, loving, selfless people that I know. I love the family that we have created and am so thankful to have found my soulmate!

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2008-11-06T07:39:00.001-05:00

My soulmate... Always and forever

Our Furry Children

2008-11-04T15:10:00.005-05:00

Since I shared pictures of the boy children, it is only fair to our four-legged children to post their pictures too. They are all 3 near and dear to us and we love to show them off :)

Choosing Life

2008-10-31T01:29:00.004-04:00

It's late and I am up entirely too late...So I get into these YouTube obsessive modes and take my wandering mind for a stroll...Google, Youtube, YouTube, Google...the quest for knowledge and enlightenment :) Carey said to me that since she's had a time getting pregnant she feels differently about a woman's right to choose now. I never really thought about it to tell the truth- not a lot anyways. I guess as you age you learn to appreciate life and see children for their innocent beauty, instead of a responsibility. So here it is** Carey,you'll be hearing this for the first time as well, because you are snug as a bug in an electric blanket upstairs, sleeping** I want to advocate life... Who knew I would come to such revelations on this blogger thing after being so vehemently opposed to sharing my life with total strangers? I haven't written in a long time and I guess it allows me to sort thru all of the stuff swirling around in the noggin. Feet.Are. Blocks. Of. Ice. Can't Take. It! Must have electric blanket and my best friend to help me warm up a little! 'Night.

Learning how to post pictures

2008-10-30T18:25:00.003-04:00

I hope this works! These are our boys. This picture is a couple years old..but it is the only one that I have of them together where they look like they actually like each other :)

What have we become?

2008-10-30T08:51:00.003-04:00

Last night something happened that made me think about how society molds us into the kind of people that we are. Do we trust too little? Are we too afraid? Is the world so bad that we dont feel safe in our own homes?

Janine and I were in the kitchen and the kids were upstairs in their rooms. The doorbell rang and Janine went to the door. We never answer the door if we dont know who it is, she she was yelling "Who is it?" loud enough for the neighbors to hear, but no one answered. We thought it was strange, but went back to what we were doing. A few minutes later the doorbell rang again and there was a knock on the door. Both of us went to the door this time and yelled again for the person to tell us who they were.. but we heard nothing. Hayden came running down the stairs and said he saw a boy running through the yard. We figured that some neighborhood kids were knocking and running. I remember doing this as a kid, but last night it kind of scared me. So Janine and I and the kids each stood at different windows to see if the kids would come back. Sure enough about 5 mins later we saw three boys come into our yard. It was dark, so we didnt recognize any of them. That scared me even more. The younger boy then started walking up to the door. As soon as he was about to knock on the door, Janine starts yelling "Shoot him! Get the gun and shoot him!". The boys took off running as fast as they could. Needless to say they didnt come back. We were in the house laughing hysterically because we had scared them so bad. It serves them right for trying to pull a prank on us! We talked about it on and off the rest of the night, because we knew we had put them in their place!

This morning when the kids and I were leaving for work and school, we found a big bag of candy on our front porch with a note that said we had been "Booed". The note said to enjoy the candy and to "boo" someone else (which means to leave candy on someone else's doorstep for Halloween). I immediately felt horrible! I am sure the kids last night were actually bringing us candy and wanted us to get it inside before we went to bed.

I still dont know who the kids were, but I am sorry that we scared them. I realize now that is was all in fun. I dont want us to be the "grumpy neighbors". I guess it doesnt hurt to trust people a little...but how much is too much?

Jeez!

2008-10-29T12:19:00.002-04:00

Requests from the Missus..."Please write just one thing in the blog today?"... My new motto (I just made it up today)

"Its okay. It's not life threatening or world changing…. "

BTW, I hate the idea of blogging...showcasing your life...seemingly self-important...but if I look at it as a diary to hold those thoughts that we should remember, I guess I am ok with it... a sort of back up to my mental hard drive :)

I am going to try this blogging thing

2008-10-28T18:02:00.002-04:00

I am not a good writer, but I am a spectacular talker. I can talk to a brick wall (and enjoy it)! I am going to attempt blogging and write down some of the everyday conversations that I have with friends, coworkers, family, pets, and brick walls :) Hopefully Janine will get involved too. I want to have memories that I can share (good and bad) with our kids. I dont remember alot of things that I am sure I should. So this is my attempt (ours..if i can get her to play). Please be gentle with criticism..."If you can't say something nice..."