This Little Piggy

Well, here we are…the last day of September. Tomorrow starts the month of pumpkins, candy corn and peanuts, the smell of Pumpkin Spice, boots, sweaters, and everything else that has to do with the season of fall. Yippee!

This week hasn’t been too interesting or blog worthy. But, I will go ahead and tell of this week just because I can. I had no extra kids on Monday and Tuesday. Nic had Monday off…so after the bank we headed to Mishawaka and met mom for lunch. Nic and I then took the kids to the mall just to walk around. You know that last part…”just to walk around”? Yeah…so we forgot that the day you have kids you can’t go to the mall “just to walk around.” By the end of our mall experience we both had a kid in our arms, even though we have a nice double stroller, one hungry and the other wanting to just lay on the dirty, nasty floor, face down, scream, and kick her legs. Can you guess which one that was? It is so wonderful to talk through the malls with every eye glued on you wondering why your child won’t stop crying. Awesome. Not that I already look like a teenage mom but now I look like I can’t control my own child. Oh well, life happens. But I did want to look at each person and ask, “so your child has never had a all out fit before in public?” But I refrained and was a good girl. So we piled the kids in the car, screaming and all and headed back to mom and dad’s. I dropped Hayden and Nic off while Colt and I went to meet some good friends to talk about Shaklee. It was a great night to catch up since I haven’t seen them in awhile.

Tuesday, Nic worked from 7am to 11pm. Seriously….how does he do it? Not sure. While he was working, I met with Tara and one of her friends, which was awesome. I love meeting new people and learning about them! That night Starla and Brooke came over to play with Hayden while I went to my meeting. To tell the truth, I have been dragging like crazy with this whole no sleep thing and I almost wanted to just stay home and maybe go to bed….but I didn’t. Man, am I glad I went. It is always SO refreshing to be around people with the same excitement you have and it was just so encouraged. My favorite part of the night was when Kyle talked about all the possibilities with this business. I have heard it over and over and have explained it over and over to people and still I get all excited inside and just want to burst!

Wednesday, I had little Kinsley, so we just stayed at the house and played inside all day long. Hayden and her are becoming quite the friends. Nic had the day off because of working the whole day before, which was awesome having him home. He made breakfast for all of us, cleaned out his closet and went through a stack of papers, and played with the girls. What a good dad he is. I love watching him rolling on the floor and playing with his kids. I love how he laughs with them and how he has that adoring look in his eyes. My favorite part was when he was playing with Kinsley’s toes and said, “this little piggy went to the market, this little piggy got slaughtered, this little piggy had bacon, I actually don’t know this game.” Really? Fantastic. Kinsley is going to be scarred for life! The rest of the day went on and Nic went back to work at 6pm until 10pm. Hayden, Colt, and I had a great night of snuggling all together and just hanging out at the house. I was seriously rolling on the floor laughing half of the night from Hayden. She is in the phase right now where she loves to hold my face, put her forehead on mine, and growl. She is just down right funny.

So here we are now, Ronan just got picked up, the girls just ate and now are in bed, and Colton is sleeping. What I am asking myself right now is…do I sleep while everyone is sleeping or clean the toy-covered house? Hmmm…I think I will sleep!

Helloooooo Fall!

I don’t know if you realized it yet, but this weekend was the last weekend in September. WOW! What a month! What an emotional month…but a good month! This last weekend we spent with friends and football (well…kinda football!). Friday night Nic was working so I met my good ole friends the Spiveys and Millers at no other place than Hacienda! Can I just say I am still not the best at handling BOTH kids by myself at a restaurant?! Thank goodness for Steve and Rick for stepping in with carrying the down right heavy car seat and tackling Hayden while I soothed her little brother after she bit his finger…the little pistol! Ok, seriously, how do you discipline your child in public when you are afraid that if you set one finger on her someone will call CPS? So, thank you boys for helping a mom out! After dinner we met back at our house to watch Get Smart…I didn’t even know we owned it…HA. But I am glad I know now because it is kind of funny!

Saturday was another day spent with friends. But before that, I met up with my mom to do some grocery shopping while Pops spent time with his mini me. I am telling you, Hayden loves Papi more than anyone and I sometimes get jealous! She spotted him on the mower the SECOND we pulled in the driveway, so of course she had to stand there, eyes glued on him, until he picked her up. When I returned home with the groceries and two sleeping kids, I was met by Nic. Between the 2 of us we got both kids in their beds and for their naps and all the groceries unloaded in record time. Because we were so speedy I was also able to put up my fall decorations!! It was then time to relax and enjoy our friends and watch some football…if you want to call it that.

Today we went to lunch with my parents, which I enjoyed greatly, not just because of the good food, but because I just love being with family. Nic had today off, which was SOOO awesome…he didn’t have to work AT ALL..no SE and no security! WOOHOO! Anyways, we were so looking forward to our afternoon nap. Both kids have had a little cold so I thought it would be a great time for EVERYONE to take a nap. Oh but did they have other plans. Hayden laid in her crib for a whole hour talking, kicking the bed, throwing everything out of her bed, and then screaming to let her out of her jail. Colton decided he just wanted to play and smile and not even try to close his eye lids. Great. This was the first time in a veryyyyy long time that Hayden didn’t nap at all during the day. But now it is 7:16 and guess what she is doing?? Sleeping. Does this mean she will be up at the crack of dawn?? Oh dear I hope not! I am really thinking maybe this will be our week of getting at least 4 hours of sleep at night. You think that will happen? By the grace of God I pray that happens!

Ok, now back to September…Can you believe that this is the last week of September?! For me, at least, it is very hard to believe that October is just around the corner, which happens to be the month that my baby girl turns TWO…yes, she will be TWO years old. Seriously, time flies by faster than the speed of light…well maybe not that fast but it seems like it! I don’t know about you but I know of some big things that will be happening this month and man am I stoked. Fall is now here and I have quite enjoyed the need of my oversized sweatshirts and wearing socks. I know, I know, I am going to regret saying that in a about a month when it is below freezing and I am wishing my little head off that I could wear flip flops again. But for this moment I am enjoying the cooler weather and actually being able to play outside with Hayden with out my sweat glands going hay-wire. I am also enjoying the beautiful gold, orange, and red colors I see all around me. The decorations, the leaves, the pumpkins. Oh man, I feel like a little girl in anticipation of a field trip to the pumpkin patch. I can’t wait to see how Hayden reacts when we take her to get a pumpkin…she will probably want the biggest one and then want to carry it all by herself, which I have all faith in her that she will carry it. She is a strong little lady. I have no doubt whatsoever that she will be one of those girls who can take care of herself.

Another reason I am loving this weather right now is because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BONFIRES! I love gazing into the blue, red, orange, and yellow flames. It is just so relaxing. It also reminds me of when Nic and I used to camp with his family while we were dating and every night we would just sit around the fire and just enjoy each other’s company. Nic would sometimes play his guitar and I would just let go of anything I was thinking about and just pray. And of course you can’t have a fire without S’MORES! Oh man, do I love those things…but of course I always had to completely burn my marshmallows so you couldn’t even see a hint of white just because I am so darn impatient! Nic, on the other hand takes his sweet old time and gets them the perfect golden color.

I am also excited because we will be doing our first vendor (for Shaklee) at Baugo Township Fire Department on October 9^th. There will be SO many different vendors out there including Lia Sophia, Scentsy, Tastefully Simple, Miche Bags, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Advocare, 31 Gifts, Dove Chocolate, Guy and Eva, Willow House, Pampered Chef, Tupperware, Uppercase Living, and many more. There will also be a Quarter Auction at 6 pm with the products from these vendors. If you would like to come and join and have some fun, let me know. Tickets are $4. There will be food and drinks as well. Just make sure you bring your QUARTERS!! Man am I stoked! The only thing is, I will be in Ohio for a shower so my WONDERFUL and dear husband is going to do the table for me…what a man! He might be the only male there but shhhh! Anyways, it will be a fun time, so come on out!

Alright, now that I have rambled on, I am going to spend the rest of the night watching Robin Hood and enjoying my husband’s company!

A Moment of Weakness

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

You know, it’s funny how I am laying in bed right now, wishing on every star that I could close my eyes, no thoughts, no distractions, and fall into that wonderful deep sleep that not even dreams can find you. But I can’t. So I am going to write from my heart instead.

I woke up yesterday after not even having a full 2 hours sleep and thought never had I ever felt so lifeless and weak as I did in that moment. Colton was up every hour. I had thoughts racing through my head about the events of the next day. Would the meeting at my dad’s office be successful? Would people really listen to what we have to say? Thoughts like that wouldn’t leave my mind no matter how hard I wished them away. Hayden woke up at 5 and then at 7, when she normally sleeps until at least 8:30. I felt like I didn’t have an ounce of energy in me to get up from the couch and walk the 10 feet to retrieve her out of her crib as she cried out, “mommy, ou (out).” But, I knew my day needed to start. Even thought it was early, I already felt the stress of being late. The house looked like a tornado blew through it-the dishes everywhere, clean clothes folded on the bed that needed to find their place, dirty clothes splattered on the floor with their like colors, toys plastering the floor…everywhere, ants stealing away the leftover crumbs from Hayden’s cracker (I know, disgusting), cookies that needed to be baked for the meeting, a baby that desperately just wanted to be held in his momma’s arms, a little girl that wanted her momma to just sit and play with her. All these things needing to be down and I couldn’t find the strength to do a single thing. I wanted to just crawl back in bed, cry myself into that deep sleep that I haven’t seen since before Colton was born. But I couldn’t. So after a sob fest over the phone to my mom (poor lady, she has such an emotional, needy daughter right now),I found myself on my knees, in tears, and prayed for a strength only God could give to me. I needed him to breathe in me the energy I needed for the day, for my kids. I had to believe that God would answer this prayer. When I looked up, I saw Hayden looking at me. She came to me and put her little hands on my face and kissed me. I knew I would get through this exhaustion, someday. Despite what some may say, sleep IS needed.

I had been looking forward to this day for a month. It was the day that Kara, her parents, and I were going to speak to the staff at my dad’s office about Shaklee. I couldn’t wait to hear Suzanne share about the vitamins and the Shaklee difference. I couldn’t wait to watch the faces of people like me learning how they can live a healthier life.

I knew that God was working, that He was showing me that Nic and I didn’t have to live in fear of making ends meet. I knew that we had finally found that answer to that prayer that I prayed several times down on my knees before God.

But I couldn’t see past my tears long enough to remember these things. In a fog that I barely remember, I baked the 2 dozen cookies, showered, got the kids ready, the diaper bag ready, left the dirty dishes where they were, and left the house.

As I was driving to Aunt Steph’s house where my kids would be spending the next couple hours, I was overwhelmed by weakness. Not a spiritual weakness. A physical weakness. A weakness I wasn’t used to. A weakness I hated with all my heart. A weakness I had no control over. As thoughts were running through my head, I looked in my mirror at flashing lights. My heart sunk, for the second time that day. I was getting pulled over. I looked at my speed, which was 5 mph slower than the speed limit. I had no idea what I had done wrong. Mr. Officer came to my door. I rolled down the window with tears fighting to come to my eyes. I tried my hardest to keep them back after remembering what Nic had said about pulling people over and them crying, which ticked him off. Without saying a word, I got my registration and my license out. I looked at him waiting for him to tell me what I did wrong. He asked me if I was ok, which I really wanted to ask him in return is, “sir, do you really want to ask that question right now?” But I didn’t. I said I was fine. He then went on to say that I had crossed over the white line a couple of times. Hmmm…didn’t even know I had. He then looked in the back seat at Hayden. He asked if she was my daughter and I said yes. He said that he should give me a ticket for child restraint. As I turned to see what the heck he was talking about, I saw that Hayden had maneuvered her arm through her strap. Great. So, he had me get out of my car, take her out of her seat, put her in the front seat, redo the car seat, put her back in the seat, and then he tightened everything extra tight. I apologized again and reassured him this wouldn’t happen again. He let me off with a warning, thank Jesus. I got back in the car, he gave me my papers, and we both headed our separate ways. Seriously, did that just happen? Yes, yes it did. I called Kara, in tears because I thought I was going to be late for sure, and she told me that her and her mom think that Satan is just trying to get the best of us. I thought about that as I continued the drive to Steph’s and then to the office. I decided I WILL NOT let Satan do this to me. I WILL NOT let him make me feel this weak. I WILL NOT let him discourage me. I WILL NOT let him have his hold on me. I went back to praying, HARD. I pulled into my dad’s office with 15 minutes to spare. I could breathe again. I saw Kara and her parents in the parking lot. I saw something that I so desperately wanted on my face at that time,…all three of them smiling. I stepped out of the car and all the sudden felt sense of strength in my bones again. I felt a sincere smile come to my face and I was ready to see what God had in plan for us in the next couple of hours. We met my dad in the conference room and were greeted with the smell of pizza. My wonderful dad ordered lunch for the people who attended. The meeting went great and I absolutely loved seeing many of the ladies I have gotten to know over the last couple of years. It was a great time.

The next thing that happened was another answer to prayer. My dad told me he would pick up the kids and then him and mom would watch them while I took a nap. That right there was a piece of heaven. I couldn’t drive fast enough (but I drove just the right amount of speed so I wouldn’t have to see Mr. Officer again). I talked with my mom for a couple of minutes before I realized my words were slurring together. I drug my feet to my sister’s room where I saw a bed. A bed that I was going to get to lay down in. A bed where I might find peace and strength after a couple hours of sleep. I commanded my thoughts to be pushed away for this precious time. I closed my eyes and I was gone. Although I didn’t find that deep sleep that I wanted to, which I probably won’t find until my kids are out of the house, I felt refreshed. I felt like I could once again be the mom to my babies without feeling like a zombie. God knew what I needed. He always does.

I didn’t write this for you to feel sorry for me. I didn’t write this to depress you. I know that there are people going through huge life changing even right now that I couldn't even imagine. But this little thing, this no sleep thing, is big to me right now. I feel like I am not even myself. I feel life I am on the outside watching my life go on. I wrote this because this is my heart. This is my struggle right now. I know this won't last for long. I know it will get better. This is me. I wrote this because I know that God is stronger than me. I know that this is a just a glimpse of my life that, while I am weak, I will remember to always turn back to God and rely on His strength, not mine.

Thank you mom and dad. Thank you for watching my children so I could rest. Thank you.

Colton is 5 months!

Dear Sweet Colton,

Today you are 5 months old. Wow. You have learned so much this month it’s unbelievable! You have found your feet, and you LOVE playing with your hanging toys with your feet. You also like to hold on to your feet while kicking them, which cracks me up. You still kick your legs like crazy and sometimes look like you are running a marathon if we hold you up in the air. You are holding onto your toys so well and are learning how to control your hand motions. You concentrate very hard and take your toys very seriously. Another thing you have learned is how to roll over. You can roll from your back to your stomach. You even get your shoulder out of the way! What a big boy you are. You still LOVE to snuggle with mommy…which I absolutely can’t get enough of. You are such a mommy’s boy! You smile ALL the time, which melts my heart. All I have to do is look at you and you grin from ear to ear. People always tell me that you are going to be one heck of a heart-breaker. They tell me how beautiful you are and how gorgeous your eyes are…and I agree!

You love your big sister. She makes you laugh …hard…even when I think she is going to flip you out of your bassinet or swing. You love talking to her and it is almost as you 2 know what each other is saying. Your eyes watch her everywhere she goes.

Wherever we go it doesn’t fail for people to stop by and say how absolutely precious you are. Some people even tickle your cheeks just to make you giggle. It never fails…you are quite the people pleaser.

You are finally taking a bottle…sometimes. You will only take one certain bottle. You would rather just nurse, so I can’t be the one to give you the bottle. You still don’t take any formula, which is fine by me.

You also have tried cereal for the first time this month and LOVED it! I was SHOCKED. I didn’t think you would. I thought you would just spit it out and make your “don’t-like-it” face (which is another face that cracks me up). But you didn’t and you liked it. I thought maybe if I gave you some before bedtime it might make you fuller and you would sleep a little better…I was wrong.

You still are not sleeping at night much, but I am learning to function on a broken up 4 hours of sleep. But I know this time will pass so I am not letting it get me down. When we finally wake up in the morning, I just look at you and you light up, which makes me forget about the restless night before and just fall in love with you all over again. When you do sleep, you like to have something over your face, which scares me to death. I let you fall asleep with your little dog/blanket and then slowly take it away from you. You also hate to sleep on your back, so I am learning how to position you at night.

I love you more than you will ever know. My heart swells with pride and love for you. God has blessed me more than I could have ever imagined. I love you, sweet boy. Don’t ever forget that….ever.

Love you,

Mommy

Sweet Sleep and Friends

This weekend went by faster than a police car speeding by with lights and sirens. Because Bubby hasn’t been sleeping at night....I woke up Saturday and felt like I was in a total fog. I couldn’t tell what time of the day it was or even what day it was. I wasn’t sure if it was just another moment of trying to get Colt back to sleep or if it really was, in fact, time to get up and start the day. However, my head was pounding and when I stood up, I thought I was going to fall right back down because the room was spinning in circles. But…I got Hayden out of her crib and started the day like any other day. Except, I did notice something different….there was a police car parked in our driveway. I immediately freaked out and ran into the room where Nic was sound asleep and promptly woke him up basically screaming that he overslept and he was going to be in so much trouble. The terrified look on his face told me that maybe I should have come in a little more calmer. After his heart slowed a little (ok, a lot), he calmly told me that he called in sick. I then remembered that from the time he got home on Friday until he went to sleep at night he was on the couch not feeling well at all. I wouldn’t feel well if I worked as much as him either. But, his allergies really got the best of him and he was down for the count. So after I realized he wouldn’t get fired for not going to work, I slowly backed out of the room, closed the door, and returned to Hayden, who was now on top of the counter fishing for Mr. Whoa and saying, “uh-oh”.

Nic finally came alive around 10:00 and told me that I needed to lay down and try to take a nap. I couldn’t believe my ears and I thought that I was so sleep-deprived that I was starting to hear things that I dream of hearing. I didn’t even ask if he was sure, I basically ran to the bedroom, shut the door, crawled under the covers, closed my eyes, and took a nice long breath and before I knew it I was asleep. For two hours I slept…two glorious hours-no interruptions, no crying, no “moooooommy”-just the back of my eyelids. When I finally woke up, the smell of eggs drifted through the air. I heard Hayden running back and forth and some noises from the kitchen. When I walked out…as a new person I might add…there was my wonderful husband, spraying down the counters and scrubbing the oven. To my surprise, he had cleaned out and wiped down the refrigerator and freezer (from when he accidently left 7 cans of pop in the freezer and every one of them exploded-I thought our house was being shot up). Colt was laying in his bassinet sound asleep, go figure. What a fantastic surprise to wake up to.

Later that night we had some friends over for the Notre Dame game. I got to see Jac, which was AMAZING since I haven’t seen her in so long….and her little tiny baby bump! She is just glowing! I can’t wait to meet baby Miller…and according to the Chinese Calendar she is having a girl! Although the Irish lost…again…I enjoyed the night with friends.

Today was spent just hanging around the house, playing with the kids, and cleaning (kinda). We spent the evening at Jason and Whit’s house. We cooked out and then sat around the fire. I am so glad that God has brought us another wonderful couple into our lives.

Now…it is 11:11 and I am making a wish that I get maybe four hours of sleep. Hmm…don’t know if it will work…but I can wish. Today was the 2^nd day totally off caffeine so maybe that will make a difference? I also was able to pump and then feed him out of a bottle so maybe that will help as well. I don’t know, we will see. Many people have mentioned Baby Wise, so maybe I will try that as well. Say a little prayer for me!

This week should be very exciting and busy, but I can’t wait!

Monday-Dinner with the Leepers

Tuesday-Shaklee meeting-come out if you want!! Kara will be talking about the cleaners!

Wednesday-Introducing Shaklee vitamins to dad’s office

Thursday-Nic’s side of the family over for dinner

Friday-hmmm I forget!

Have a FANTASTIC WEEK!!

Busy Weeks

Well this week has been another busy week with Nic and I. He has been working like a mad dog, even on his days off….poor guy. It seems like he never stops. I can’t wait for the day…which should be SOON…where he doesn’t have to work so much overtime and kill himself. While he has been working, I have been babysitting and running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to feed babies, change diapers, sing and dance to music, refereeing between the girls, taking turns holding the boys so they each get their attention. Not only has this kept me busy, but our little business is starting to build, which is such a God-thing. We have been able to talk to a lot of people, especially friends about our opportunity, which has been a TON of fun.

Tuesday night was my first “big” event for the business. Kara, Kyle, Whit, Jason, the babies and I all loaded up and headed to Chicago. I felt like a little girl again as we were pulling into the parking lot of the hotel. I wasn’t quite sure I knew what to expect, except that I was going to get to meet real people that had important roles to the business. I couldn’t wait to actually meet these people that I keep hearing or seeing on the little DVDs I watch. I think the biggest reason I was so excited was because I could see actual people where their lives have been changed by this. The whole time I was there I kept joking with my group that I would be up on that stage soon telling people our story and how this business has changed our life, as a family. But the truth is, I wasn’t joking. The reality is, everyone wants to be successful. I want to be successful. But until Tuesday night I thought I just had to dream. Just dream that we could travel, dream to have a new car, dream to make a better life for my kids, dream, dream, dream. But now I know that those dreams can come true. I don’t have to worry about not helping Nic with the finances of our house, our cars, our children. Because now, as a couple, we can make our dreams come true. What an answer to prayer. If you have read my other posts, you will know that I have struggled for a lot time about feeling guilty about staying home with the kids and not working, when really we needed the 2 incomes. But now that guilt has been lifted and I can still stay at home with my babies but also bring in income. What a great feeling! Anyways, back to the evening. We got to meet a lot of successful people and let me tell you, they are so personable! When I think of a CEO…I think of an old man sitting in his mansion letting everyone else do all the work. Not Roger. He made time to come talk to us face to face and was just the nicest man. You can just see right to his heart and how much he wants to help people…people like me. We also got to meet some other guys too that were very inspiring and showed us that it IS possible to make our dreams come true. Overall….GREAT NIGHT!

Not only was it a great night for me, but it was a great night for Hayden. She got to spend it with her Papi and Grammie. I knew she would have a blast…and she did. She got to eat ice cream BEFORE dinner and then went to Chuck E Cheese. She isn’t spoiled at all…HA! She even got to spend the night with them. She is one lucky girl!

Wednesday we got to spend some time with Nic’s mom and sister in the evening. I am pretty sure Brooke got a good night’s sleep after Hayden made her play the WHOLE time! Last night I got to see my little Hannah…and of course her mom…hehe! She is just changing each time I see her. She had her eyes open for a little while, which was awesome to see. She can now focus instead of that far off look. She is just too precious.

Today I didn’t have any extra kids, so I was able to meet with my mentor, Lora, for the first time since Colt was born. Let me tell you, it was so refreshing for me to be able to just get the kids out of the house. We met at the McDonald’s with the play gym…Hayden played the WHOLE 2 HOURS! She was in absolute heaven! Lora’s 2 boys played with her and helped her climb up to the slides and even went down the slides with her. She loved it. It was nice not having to watch her every move and chase her around. Lora held Colt most of the time so I just laid back and relaxed while we got caught up with life. I honestly feel like a new person. God knew I needed this time….Hayden needed this time as well to do something other than play around the house. It was a great time to go play because she played all the way up to nap time. But…we made one last stop on the way home…the library. There is a library right down from our house and since Hayden is really starting to sit still during stories, I thought I would see if they had some sort of “story time” for kids her age. I have heard of other moms taking their kids to the library for story time and I thought maybe Hayden would like it. I also thought that maybe this could be something I do with her and Kinsley so they get out of the house once in a while. They have a group for 0-24 months, so I am VERY excited about it. The best part is it doesn’t cost anything. As it turns to fall and then the winter I know we won’t be able to do park days or play outside so I was wondering if there were other things we could do to kind of get out of the house but doesn’t cost much. Does anyone have any ideas? I know there are play groups out there but I wasn’t sure how to connect with those. So if you know of anything please let me know. I think it would be good for the kids to do every once in awhile.

Us talking to Pat, who is a Master Coordinator

This is our little group with Matt Paddox.

The Gang

Us with "Rog", the CEO of Shaklee

Miss Hayden

Ok, so I know that I talk about Hayden growing up ALL the time, so I am going to talk about it again.

In just over a month my baby girl will be 2 years old. It is hard to swallow that she is getting older by the day. I was watching Hayden yesterday and was just so amazed at her abilities and her comprehension. That little girl is quite amazing. She understands almost everything I say and even knows when I am trying to trick her. From the time she awakes in the morning until she lays her sweet head on her pillow, she is full of energy and spunk. She is my little firecracker. She is always climbing and always on a full battery, which makes our household fun and interesting.

However, she does sit on the couch once in awhile to ready books and just cuddle. The older she gets, the more she is taking to cuddling, especially at night when she knows it is bedtime! She loves to take my arm and put it across her as if it is a shield of protection. She loves to entertain anyone who is watching her by running as fast as she can in circles and laughing with her high pitched laugh (you know…the kind that can break glass). She makes me laugh and even though she is only 23 months, she is like my best friend. She understands me. She knows when I am stressed…in which she comes up to me and puts her face up to mine and smiles. I know that sounds weird, but she does. She knows when I am overwhelmed and when she looks at me, it is like she sees right through me. Although she is a small person, she has the biggest heart. She knows when I am sad and will come up and play with my hair and put her precious arm around my neck as if to say, “mom, don’t worry, I am here with you”. I seriously sometimes have to remind myself that she is not even 2. She acts older. She is starting to really love reading and will bring me her books…especially her ABC book. Right now her favorite songs are Jesus Loves Me and the ABC’s. She gets her little pointer fingers going and does a little jig. However, her all-time favorite is Little Bunny Foo-Foo. My mom started singing this song to her when she was born and now she joins in with the motions. She is starting to organize and stack different things, such as her dinosaurs, stuffed animals, jewelry, and clothes. She helps me with laundry by taking the clothes to the washer (sometimes she even takes clean clothes), and folding the laundry by giving me the different clothing to fold, then taking it and throwing it in the hamper. She also loves helping me clean around the house by sweeping, picking up her toys, and climbing on the counter to help me cook. She loves feeding the little boy we watch 2 mornings a week and making sure he is happy. She loves her baby brother and enjoys making him laugh by putting his legs over his head and making silly faces at him. She already takes care of him by giving him his pacifier, trying to feed him, burping him, and holding him. I can tell already that she is going to be VERY protective of him. And boy does he admire her. He loves to just watch her with a huge smile on his face. I can already see a special bond between her and him and it melts my heart. He’s hers and she’s his.

She is also starting to know when she goes to the bathroom in her diaper and isn’t afraid to strip down to get that diaper off. She then runs around the house naked and lets her little cheeks jiggle in the fresh air! She has her own little potty that she likes to sit on. She thinks she is going to the bathroom on it and even wipes, but nothing comes out! At least she is starting to understand the concept…I think! She is starting to say more words. I always find myself comparing her to other children her age and notice she doesn’t talk as much. She uses her own language, but not actual words. But then I have to remind myself I can’t do that and she will talk when she is ready. Some of her favorite words are mommy, Bubby, Papi, daddy, doggy, fishy, pease (please), no, side (outside), wasthat (what’s that), pee, thee (three), up, baby, huh, and more. She is also attached to her brown blankie and her pink blankie (from Aunt Jaclyn). Not only is her personality extraordinary, she is also beautiful. Her blonde hair is growing faster and faster and she knows how to use her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. She melts my heart!

She is my angel, my joy, and my daughter….Miss Hayden Grace.

Where did the weekend go?

Above are some pictures that Kelsey took of the kids!

Boy did this weekend go by in a blink of an eye. Don’t you hate it how you get so incredibly excited for something that you can barely stand it and you count down the seconds until that day and then all of a sudden it is Sunday and you are back to where you started. That is how my weekend was. Like I said in the last post, my mom, me, and the kids got to go see my sisters and spend the night with them. An all girls weekend…well…besides Bubby. We left early Friday morning and picked up Kris in Ft. Wayne and then went to pick up Sarah at Taylor. We pulled up to her dorm and watched her walk out to us. WOW…she looked so grown up and beautiful. She was an actual college student. We got to see her cute little dorm room and walked around for a little bit around campus. We didn’t walk for long because the kids were getting hungry…and by kids I meant me! There is a cute little restaurant called Ivanhoes down the road from the campus, so we ate there.

Then the day of fun began. We drove back to Ft. Wayne to an amazing mall. We spent the afternoon browsing the stores and trying on every shoe possible! The cute ones anyways! After dinner we decided to rent some movies and just have a night in. It was so relaxing. Kris and mom went to get the movies and Sarah and I stayed at Kris’ apartment. Thanks to my mom, Hayden had a fun, long bath time with some crayons that are for bath time…and by long I mean LONG. I think she would have stayed in there all night if I would have let her! After that, Hayden went to bed right away….both times…thanks Kris. Before the movie started, we had to make sure the air mattress was up and popcorn was ready. We started with The Back Up Plan and ended with Killers. What a great day!

Saturday started earlier than I was ready for with Hayden and Bubby waking up. The other part of the reason I wasn’t ready was because I knew we had to take Sarah back and then leave Kris. But, for some reason Sarah really likes her college and wanted to get back to her friends….I guess I should be happy for her…right? Yes. I am.

After all our goodbyes, mom and I headed home. We got back in time for most of the ND game, which I won’t talk much about. All I knew was that I was EXHAUSTED and ready for bed. However…when I was actually able to go to bed, I couldn’t. So many things were running through my head, so I decided to clean. Before I knew it, some of my kitchen cabinets were all cleaned out and organized, my shoes were all sorted and reorganized, and my closet was cleaned out.

After another restless night of a million feedings and thoughts, I got up and played with the kids and cleaned some more. Hayden helped me clean out the hall closet and both the bathrooms. She loved sorting through all my jewelry and trying everything on! As soon as Nic got off work we hopped on the Harley and headed to Hoosiers for the bike ride for fallen police officers. I couldn’t believe my eyes as we pulled into the parking lot and saw the lot FULL of bikes. So amazing. As we headed off for the 2 ½ hour ride, I was just amazed by how the community came together for this special ride. There were other police officers, firefighters, and people from the community. There were over 350 bikes. It was times like these as we rode along and watched people wave that made me so proud to be a police officer’s wife. I thought about my husband and all the police officers I know. I thought about what their jobs mean. I thought about how some people hate them until they really need them. I thought about the rude comments that I have heard over the years. Then I though about how every day I have to think about Nic and his friends and just pray that he comes home at 2. I think about how when he steps out that door with his uniform on, he is putting his life on the line. So then I ignore those negative comments and just pray. I am so proud of my husband and what he does. On our ride we passed the house of a police officer who died last December, Michael Swygart. His family was standing outside waving to all of us and in that moment tears came to my eyes. I pray with all my heart that I will never have to stand out in my yard watching hundreds of motorcycles ride by because I lost my husband in the line of duty. At the same time, I thought, “what an honor.” When we finally reached Hoosier again, I was beyond relief…my behind I had quite enough! I was afraid to get off the bike in fear that I would be walking like I had been on a horse for 2 days. Anyways, we ate and then went back home to our kids. Maybe tonight I will be able to get more than 4 hours of sleep…maybe.

Ft. Wayne, Here We Come

This week has been a crazy week of exciting events…well exciting to me! I started babysitting little Kinsley Tuesday, so now Hayden has a little playmate with her all day long. It has been fun watching the girls get used to each other, trying to figure out what the heck is going on! But they are getting the hang of things…and so am I. We are starting to figure out a routine each day. The girls have the same naptime so that right there is just amazing! The house has been turned completely upside down during the day, but hey, that’s ok…right? And just so you all know, just because you have a playroom doesn’t mean the toys stay in that room. In fact, it is a goal of Hayden’s to see how many toys she can bring into the living room. But I don’t mind. At least she is playing with actual toys now!

Now, remember how Colt starting rolling over this week? Well, not only has he been rolling over, he found his feet yesterday! It is so funny to watch him grab is feet and roll side to side. He is a little monkey! He also now plays with his hanging toys with his feet! Amazing what I get excited about! It just means he just keeps growing…no slowing him down. We are still struggling with the sleeping at night subject, which is very touchy for me right now. I feel like a walking zombie, not sure which way is up or down, right or left. But the thing is, once I see his sweet smile and those batting eyes, I forget about all the restless nights. In all reality, I would rather snuggle with him and just memorize everything about him.

The last 2 nights have been filled with learning more about our little business that we entered into and sharing it with others. I think the reason why I am loving it so much is not only will I be helping with income, but it is something that I get to do with my friends! Oh, and guess what?! I get actual business cards. Can you believe it? Me, Tori Minder, with business cards…HA! I am so excited to start handing them out! So if you know me or see me, watch out!

Anyways, I am soooo excited because tomorrow I get to see 2 of my bestest friends…MY SISTERS! That’s right, the 2 people in my life that left me for so called higher learning. I can’t wait to just hang out with them and hear about what’s going on in life WOOHOO! I can hardly stand it! So, as soon as we get up in the morning, my mom, me, and the kids will be heading for lovely Ft. Wayne!

Labor Day Weekend

What a great weekend! Busy…but great! Nic worked ALL day Thursday, so I thought I would venture to my parents…after all…it is just me and them now that my sister left. Mom, the kids, and I had a great day complete with getting Hayden some clothes for the winter, quick lunch, and then…get this…a NAP! Can you believe I just said that?! I got to take a N.A.P. It was wonderful. Not quite long enough, but hey, I aint gonna complain! We then got to spend some time with Jen and Michelle Goethel. Jen was leaving for college Friday, so I got to say bye to her. Yes, another person in my life growing up too fast.

Friday I babysat Ronan for the morning and had a great time with him. All three kids fell asleep at the same time so it was quite wonderful and peaceful in the Minder household. Meghan and Kinley then came over after nap time so the girls could get used to each other and Kinley can become familiar with our house. She is the cutie pie that I start babysitting this week! Nic worked all day again so the kids and I just enjoyed our night in complete with tacos and ice cream.

Saturday, the kids and I got up and headed to my parents…again. One of mine and my mom’s favorite stores is closing so we thought we should go check it out one last time to see if there were any good deals. We were going to take both kids but when Hayden threw the biggest fit EVER because she wanted to stay with Papi, we surrendered and let her stay with him. We were able to get coats for Hayden and Colt for the fall and Hayden found some CUTE shoes for winter. And of course…they squeak….seriously….who designed these? We then found ourselves driving to the mall. I don’t know how…the steering wheel just made us go there. We were able to find some more good deals and then enjoyed a hamburger at Five Guys. It was such a great morning! Thanks mom and dad! Now, since it was Saturday, that meant game day…the first Notre Dame football game of the season. Nic’s dad invited us over so I met Nic over there. I felt a little guilty, I must say, that I spent the whole game in the other room talking to Brooke and her friend, Ally. Oops! We ended up talking about the Twilight Series and decided that after the game they would come to our house to watch Twilight and New Moon. Well….we did make it through all of Twilight with the help of about 30 pieces of Laffy Taffy! We couldn’t believe the huge stack of wrappers that ended up right next to us. Once again…oops.

Now, listen to this…Hayden didn’t wake up until…10:00 am Sunday morning. WOW! She slept for 13 ½ hours. She is my good sleeper…that little girl. On the other hand….Bubby…not so much. Remember how in my last blog I blabbed and blabbed about having him in his OWN bed in his OWN room…yeah…it was HORRIBLE. I was up at least 7 times and he did not want to be on his back. I was afraid to put him on his stomach, so I rolled a blanket and put him on his side…thanks to some advice. It worked for a whole hour before he was kicking his legs like he was running as fast as he could and moving his arms like a trained boxer. Last night was a little better. I ended up putting his bassinet in his room next to his bed...so yes, that means I quite...he can stay in our room until he is 5 for all I care! He slept for about 3 hours before finding himself alone. I turned on some soft music but that obviously made him more mad. What can I say…the boy wants his mom. Needless to say…when writing this blog I had to think VERY hard on what day it was and even what month. Anyways…back to Sunday. As soon as Hayden was up and we got ready, we went to the Romine’s (good family friends) for the yearly Labor Day get together (I know, I know, it isn’t till Monday...we were pretending). It was such a beautiful day with the sun shining but not blazing hot. When Nic got off work, we headed to Eby Pines where Wass and his family were camping. A whole bunch of people from Nic’s work were there and we ate some good food and just had fun. I had SO much fun talking to the other wives that has become great friendships over the time. Well, we talked while we chased our kids all around creation. There was volleyball, cornhole (I would like to add Casey and Nic were the champs…they even got a cool trophy. Sorry Wass, your talent just couldn't compete with them..hehe), food, Karaoke, campfire, smores…mmm…the smell of a campfire. Can’t get better than that! Hayden had fun playing in sand, running around like a chicken with her head cut off, playing with Wyatt, and going to the playground.

That lands us on today...Monday...Labor Day. I had a call the first thing this morning from my parents asking if they could take Hayden with them to see my Grandma and Papa Corten. I immediately started thinking about everything I could do in that window of time to get accomplished...cleaning, cleaning, and cleaning! They came and picked her up and I knew she thought she was in heaven as she left in their Jeep. She had a huge smile on her face and knew she was about to be completely spoiled by Grandma and Papi. And boy was she! While she was gone, Nic and I were able to go look around at different vans even though no car lots were open. We just wanted to get a taste for what was out there. I kept looking in the back seat to see if Hayden needed her drink or some snacks to keep her busy...but then I remembered she wasn't there. I thought it was too quiet! Bubby slept the whole time...go figure. We got home and I cleaned and did laundry while Nic worked out in the yard. I would take breaks to hold Bubby and talk with him. He is quite vocal these days! My parents eventually brought Hayden back to us and she was NOT happy about that decision. We watched as she stomped her feet, bent over, and screamed, running in a circle. She eventually calmed down and realized there was another baby in the house...Hannah Spivey. That's right folks...our best friends finally decided to come back to good ole' Indiana. So we spent the rest of the night catching up and just hanging out. Tara and I talked business as Nic and Steve talked basketball. The best part of the evening was when we laid Colt and Hannah next together on the floor and listened to her coo as Colt kept holding her hand. Then get this...he ROLLED OVER!!!! I mean completely rolled over, even getting his shoulder out of the way I truly believe this happened because he wanted to get closer to his girlfriend! The sad part is, I was looking at Tara as I saw her eyes pop wide open and point to Colt. When I turned to look where she was pointing I saw Colt on his stomach, not his back where I had laid him. Yes, I was disappointed that I missed it, but he did it over and over so I got it on video!! Amazing what makes me so excited!

Seriously, what a great weekend.

Oh, and I have some fun pictures to put up but for some reason the stinkin' blogger thing won't let me...but don't you worry...as soon as it works I will put them up! I know, I know...you will be waiting in suspense!

Long Night Ahead

Can I just say that this is going to be one long night? Now, I know this is my second child and I should have this down pat...but I don't...probably never will. Now, in case you haven't noticed, my 2 babies are VERY different...in everything. Hayden slept through the night right away and has always been a wonderful sleeper...except when she is sick. Bubbs, on the other hand, doesn't know there is a difference between night and day. Sleep? What's sleep? My lovely little boy nurses every 2 hours...even at night. A couple of weeks ago we thought we had it all set where he would nurse at 11:00pm and not wake up to eat until Nic's alarm went of around 5:30. I was good with that. I loved it. Somewhere between that wonderful, glorious week, something happened where he thinks nights are mom-Bubby time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE snuggling with my baby boy...but at 2, 3,4 in the morning? Maybe he just knows that is when Hayden is sleeping so she can't ruin that special time...HA! Anyways...my mom brought it to my attention that I should already have moved him to his OWN room...OWN bed. WHAT?! If you know me, you know I am one paranoid momma. I know, I know, I am crazy as well. Hayden wasn't in her own room until she was 6 months and now Colton is 4 months. No, he does not sleep IN the bed with me, but in the nice little yellow bassinet right beside my bed where I can easily lean over, pick him up, attach him, without ever stepping foot on the ground. Mom also told me that maybe he isn't sleeping well because of Nic and I. I thought it about it...Nic does talk in his sleep quite often and make random noises, and I do move around a lot...so maybe she was right...darn...does she always have to be right? I guess that means I will be right all the time since I am a mom...yeah, I don't think so. Ok, so, anyways...I finally got up the nerve to place him in his own bed...but I do have a monitor right by head right now turned ALL the way up...even though his room is RIGHT next to ours. I have a feeling this is going to be a LONG night with me going back and forth peeking through the door to see his chest going up and down and having the monitor pressed against my ear to hear his little breathing.

Now for the real reason I am writing this right now...I can't sleep and I need to take my mind off of the what if's. See...this is why I have a blog...I need to ramble, so why not ramble to all of you who end up reading this instead of waking up my snoring husband.

Hmm...I wonder if sleep will ever find me tonight. Oh dear...maybe I should just go get him and bring him back in here?

WOOHOO for September

Can I just say how hard it not having the internet at home? Seriously, all I want to do at night when both the babies are sleeping is just totally blurt out all my feelings and things happening in our lives but I can't because of the stinkin' internet. I mean, I can totally spill everything on Nic but it is kinda hard when he is lying in bed with his ear plugs in...and he needs sleep because of how much he has been working. So that idea is out the window! Who's idea was it to "save" money? Oh right, my wonderful idea. Well, I will admit right this second...it STINKS!! Ok, now that I have that out of my system, Colt had his 4-month appointment on Monday. He is now a whopping 14 pounds and 25 3/4 inches long. He finally hopped to the 74%ile in height...but his weight is still under there...which I don't know how or why considering all he does is eat, eat, eat. I think he just likes being attached to me! Such a boy already! But I don't mind because he is just so darn precious and I can't get enough of him. After that appointment, we rushed to get his shots. He did such a great job and I was so proud of him. Not a SINGLE peep came from that little man. The nurse had to actually wake him up to give his oral shot.

On Tuesday, I had the chance to watch my friend's baby boy for a couple of hours. He was so perfect and just so content. My 2, on the other hand, were not quite so content that morning...yes, that means my little Cole-Bob. I think he just needed some extra lovin' from his mommy that day. That night was my first "meeting" since joining our new little business. Nic couldn't go because he had a game, so I went with little Colt and mom stayed with Hayden. I learned so much and just so excited for our future. I know it is going to be time and work, but hey, I get to be with my babies and husband more. I mean, who doesn't want a car, 4 (yes, 4) trips, and more time with their family? I know I do! Yesterday, Nic and I were able to spend some time with some friends, which was an awesome time! Makes me even more excited for what is to come!

As soon as the kids got up this morning, we headed off to my mom's house. It was kind of nice to see the rain outside for a change. Kind of relaxing! I like to say that I am my mom's favorite right now since I am the only one that hasn't left her....I don't think she is falling for that! I sure enjoy my time with her though...and so do my children...partly because Hayden knows she can get her way with Grammie and Papi. And Colt is getting eaten up with kisses as we speak!

Now, if only my best friend would come home from Florida...any time now, Tara, anytime now. Once she is home, all will be fine in the world again...hehe! Oh and speaking of Tara...the one who made fun of me having a blog...started her own blog! WOOHOO!!!! I finally got to her...I have that effect on people! Welcome to the blog world, my friend.

This month is already starting GREAT and I pray that it gets even better! God is good...Yes, He is!

Have a great September, my friends!