A Fresh Start

It's official folks, Lorne's tightening the purse strings. Yes, Kelly is on a budget. I must say I had a good run. I hardly expect anyone to feel sorry for me. I had almost seven years of buying whatever I wanted pretty much whenever I wanted. We dated almost seven years before we got married and Lorne would buy me anything my little heart desired. What a fun time this should be! Some may recall the comment, "I don't have any idea how to budget," on my "Twenty Random Thoughts" blog a few months ago. That is because I am really good at paying the bills on time, but after that it's anyone's guess as to where the money goes. Maybe I need another tantalizing bottle of Bath & Body Works shower gel because thirty bottles of smelly stuff just isn't enough for one girl to handle. Don't even get me started on the must-have baby gear out there these days. Who could live without the handy-dandy travel baby spoon holder? Ziplocs are for sissies after all! Not to mention my endless assortment of low-point snacks. Everyone should remember your dear old friend/daughter/niece if we have a nuclear war (God forbid) because I could feed an army for months with the stash of VitaTops and CocoaVia I've accumulated. I add links to these sites only to show how much I have been spending on my favorite foods. It frustrates me because I was actually spending LESS money on groceries when I was eating MORE while nursing because most of the lower calorie foods are more expensive. I think that the manufacturers know that people will spend more on foods that are good for them. Lorne likes to say, "They saw me coming." He couldn't be more right!

In all seriousness, this is something I have been wanting to learn how to do for some time now. It is really important to me that we start a college fund for Sawyer and that we are also able to live comfortably in retirement. Not to fear, we are hardly in dire straits. My wise-beyond-his-years husband has these things called a 401K and Employee Stock Purchase Plan up his sleeve. That's Lornespeak for "money my wife can't get her grubby little paws on." :) I must say he's done quite well for himself thank you very much (as if I had anything to do with it!)

We met with a SmithBarney financial consultant this morning to gather the straw for the nest egg so to speak. I felt so grown up while throwing around words like "diversify" and "short and long-term goals." We basically have all our eggs in one basket with stock from his company so now is the time to diversify, diversify, diversify! It sounds more fun if I repeat it over and over in my head. The big challenge now is for me to make Lorne's dream budget a reality. He really is the most patient man on Earth just in case anyone was wondering. He spent hours yesterday inputting data into Microsoft Money so that I can have a better idea of how much money I'm wasting on any given day. He set it up so that a shortcut to the program is on the left-hand-side of the Internet Explorer screen on my laptop. It is always there, following me to each website I visit as if to say, "Don't forget about me, I'm watching you as you shop online."

Wednesday is my official first day to begin our budget. It is a wonderful starting point since it is the beginning of the month. What a great coincidence for me that it is also Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. I give up something every year, usually food-related like sodas or chocolate. I've decided to give up impulse buying this year. I will not make a purchase unless it is absolutely necessary, no matter how tempting the aroma of Cherry Blossom shower gel.

I'll close with a few pictures of Sawyer. He cut another tooth this weekend so that makes seven total. He also tried Goldfish for the first time on Saturday. He didn't seem as impressed with them as he is with his Arrowroot cookies or Fruit and Veggie Puffs. He still isn't crawling but he's definitely getting from one end of the room to another. He is like a moth to a flame, opening the doors of the entertainment center and trying to chew on the wrought iron table leg. Yum!


He LOVES to play with my water bottle. He'll choose it over all of his other toys when given the chance.


I get this look from him quite a bit. I think he's trying to tell me that he's tired of pictures and would rather play.


"It's time for my close up!"

I've lost twenty-five pounds (again)!

No that doesn't mean I've lost fifty pounds total for those keeping track. It means that I am back to a twenty-five pound total weight loss. As of today I weigh what I weighed when I went to Weight Watchers on December 14. How sad is that? I go "off-program" for one week during Christmas and it has taken me this long to get my mind made up to get back on the wagon. Anyone who fights their weight like I have knows that food is just my drug of choice. Some people smoke cigarettes or something stronger, drink gallons of coffee or glass after glass of wine. The only difference is that food is completely legal and morally acceptable and the kicker is that it is needed for survival. That always leaves me in a quandary because no matter where I go food is always there, waiting to comfort me. The choice is mine as to whether I am going to eat to live or live to eat.

I called and talked to Aunt Tisha today. It was so great to talk with her. She had a chemo treatment on Monday and she said that she was doing well. This was the first treatment that actually "took" and that she was able to complete I think. She had been battling an infection since December and she said that is finally gone so maybe that's why the chemo was a success. She is going through such a rough time right now and I know that she would appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Tammy came and stayed with us this weekend. I am ashamed to admit that I don't have any pictures to share. What is up with that? I think it's because it was so icy and cold outside that we mostly hung out in our pajamas, especially on Sunday. Friday I met Tammy at the Galleria and we went to get Lorne from work and stopped at Freebird's for dinner. Yum! Saturday Tammy and I went to Sam Moon in Frisco which is a store that sells great knock-off purses, jewelry, scarves, and lots of other stuff. We went to On the Border for lunch and we were going to see a movie but there was ice accumulated on the Camry when we got out of OTB so we decided to stop at Blockbuster and rent some movies instead. We got Cinderella Man, Wedding Crashers, and The 40-year-old Virgin. I think that I could go back every weekend for the rest of the year and still find some movies we've missed out on seeing since the last movie we saw in the theater was Star Wars. They were all pretty good but I think I enjoyed Cinderella Man the most. The weather finally started to warm up Monday and Sawyer and I took Tammy to the airport.

It seems like everyone enjoyed reading the "Alisms" post. I had fun writing it. Mark called and reminded me of some that I can't believe I forgot. Dad almost always introduces himself to people for the first time as "Herman Rosphosniak." I have absolutely no idea if I've spelled that correctly nor do I know where in the world he came up with that name. It's kind of like Phoebe on Friends calling herself "Regina Phalangie." He also likes to ask, "What time is all this happening?" Another is, "All I lack is finishing." He also likes to say, "Number 56 on the program, number 1 in your heart" or whatever jersey number we were at the time. I think the thing I've heard the most from him my whole life is, "Are you kin to your momma?" I'm happy to report that I definitely am! :)

On the food front, Sawyer has now tried beef, chicken, ham, and turkey. Last night he had the Vegetable Beef dinner. He inhaled it so I think he enjoyed himself. He also tried Zwieback toast for the first time this week. I want to ask about Goldfish at his nine-month visit because I think that maybe he would enjoy them. He is also really liking the YoBaby yogurts.


Sawyer posing with his Zwieback toast.


Yummy!

I'll close with a fun quiz that I made about myself. Take a coffee break if you like and see how well you know me! Thanks to Jen for giving me the idea.

ALISMS

It has been over a month now since Dad moved to Wyoming. After seeing him this past weekend I started thinking about some of the things that I've heard him say over and over throughout the years. I thought I'd make a list (because that's what I do!). Some may have only been heard by family, but I'm sure that most people who have had the opportunity to talk with (or at least listen to) my dad will recognize some of them. :)

Take a look and see how many you've heard:

"He's got more talent in his little finger than most people."
"I'd like to introduce you to my first ex-wife Pat."
"I didn't win the Lotto."
"I gave Pat $5 for Christmas so she could buy herself something nice."
"I don't go out on New Year's Eve because of the amateur drunks."
"Go Buddy!"
"He gets paid by the hour."
"It's just like it only different."
"Have you been good?"
"I'm going to filter that through my eyelids."
"If you can't come see us write."
"Home..where you can scratch it wherever it itches."
"Is that free information or do I have to pay for it?"
"I feel more like I do now than I did before."
"I got shots for that before I started Newgulf Elementary."
"Does he know me?"
"Is anybody watching what I'm doing?"
"I'm not even in my Frito truck!"
"We're gonna get lost!"
"Aw hell!"
"I had more money on my paper route than I do now."
"Everyone should own a Ford, own a boat, and see an opera, once."
"I'm going to go back to work and rest."
"He started out slow and then tapered off."
"I started out with nothing and I've got most of it left."
On stray animals: "He's a walk-on who joined the team."
Ask him if he needs anything: "I'll take $100,000 in twenties."
On appearances: "I'll get runner-up."

Courtesy of Matthew:
"You can reach across the table as long as you keep one foot on the floor."

I love you Dad!

Weekends are for Family

It has only been a few days since I posted but I have a lot to write about. For those who visit only to see the pictures feel free to scroll down. I promise that my feelings will not be hurt. I know how long winded I can get on here.

I took our dog Rosie to the vet last Tuesday. We weren't sure what was wrong with her, but all we knew was that she wasn't acting like herself. She wasn't jumping on the couches or our bed and she yelped when Lorne tried to touch her hips last Saturday. The vet did an exam and discovered that her temperature was 103. She decided that Rosie needed to come back Wednesday for X-rays of her hips and lower back. I had to bring her in early Wednesday morning and drop her off. I had a bad feeling about even being in the clinic since that was where we'd lost Maggie just a few months ago. Speaking of Maggie, she would have been eight years old today. I can't believe that she has already been gone for almost four months. I was so worried about Rosie all day. They finally called that afternoon to tell me that Rosie has hip dysplasia, arthritis, and degenerative joint disease. She said that Rosie has the hips of a ten-year-old Lab. She has two vertebrae that have fused together from bone spurs. It was so terrible to see on the X-rays. The vet said that Rosie must have an extremely high pain tolerance since she wasn't displaying more symptoms. I told Dr. Glover that we must seem like such bad pet owners since I didn't know Maggie had an orange-sized malignant tumor and didn't know that Rosie had bone spurs out the wazoo. She told us that there was nothing we could have done and no way we could have known in both cases so that eased my mind a bit. She said that Rosie's is genetic and Maggie's was just bad luck.

Rosie has to have Adequan injections every four days until she has had six. She is also going to have to have follow-up injections every month or so for the rest of her life depending on how she is getting along. She is also on a chewable medication called Cosequin for the rest of her life. She is on amoxicillin for the next two weeks from the fever she had. They decided it must have been due to the pain from her hips and lower back.

I was preoccupied all day Thursday because I was waiting on the results of her bloodwork. Apparently Rosie took her time coming out of the anesthesia during her X-rays and Dr. Glover said that could be because she was enjoying the feeling of being without pain or it could be because something else was wrong. The clinic was swamped all week because they were having their low-cost vaccinations and they were super busy. Dr. Welch was in surgery all day and it was 3:00 before she returned my calls to let me know that her bloodwork was "perfect." I was so relieved. We had to decide what to do with her since we were leaving town but Lorne decided that he wanted her with him during the weekend since she'd had such a bad week.

Sawyer, Rosie, and I hit the road to get Lorne from work and headed to Van Vleck for my cousin Rachael's wedding. I was glad that we were leaving on Thursday because it gave us an extra day with our families. Mom called on the way and said that Dad was going to be able to fly down so that was really good news.

I rode to the airport with Mom on Friday. We got Dad and headed over to Matthew and Jackie's house. Mark was also there so we all went out for Mexican food. I rode back to Larry and Velma's house with Matthew and Jackie because they wanted to see Sawyer. I was away from him for seven hours that day. I think that I called at least three times to check up on him. I knew that he was in good hands with Lorne and his parents but I was still worried about how he was doing. I don't think that he even missed me!

The wedding was lots of fun. It was so great to see all of the family again. Lorne actually said that we weren't going back to Van Vleck until 2011 since this was our third trip since December. We're making up for lost time I guess since we only went there four times in 2005. Sawyer did well during the ceremony but I still took him into the cry room during the vows. I was a nervous wreck because I was so afraid that he would start screeching or howling at any time.

He only had his morning nap Saturday so I think that was why he didn't seem to be in the mood for being held by anyone but me. It was so unlike him to not want anyone else to hold him. He even cried a couple of times when Lorne held him. It may have been because I was gone the day before, who knows?

Rachael was a beautiful bride and the reception and dance were great. I got to dance with Lorne, Dad, and my brothers so I was happy. I even did the polka with Tammy! That is a tradition of ours that we've been doing as long as I can remember.


Uncle Matthew's hat is just a tad too big I think.


Mom and her baby boy.


Mom and her sisters. They all look so pretty!


Mark said this was the longest he had held a baby in his life.


I never got a picture of the groom, but here's the beautiful bride!


Matthew and Jackie are so excited about becoming parents soon.


Lorne was busy with his daddy duties.


It was so great to see Dad again.


I think that my brothers and I are always in the same pose.


Mom was so excited that Dad was able to be there for the weekend.


Tracy and her boyfriend Robert. I hope that we didn't scare him away!


I was so happy that I got to waltz with Dad.


Sawyer obviously thought someone else was more interesting.

I nursed Sawyer for the last time last night. I was sad but at the same time I know that it is a good time to stop. I have been weaning him since December 20 so I took it really slowly. I will be weaning him for the bottle in just a few months time.

Sawyer tried beef for the first time this week. It is the nastiest smelling stuff ever. It smelled like cat food to me. He didn't like it at all until I mixed it with the sweet potatoes I was feeding him. I only bought a few bottles of the plain meats. I bought mostly dinners like the chicken and rice and vegetable beef. I think that he'll try chicken tonight.

I went to Weight Watchers today and I gained .2 pounds. I swear that today I am going to recommit for good. I am soooo tired of gaining and losing this same five pounds. I haven't celebrated at a meeting since before Christmas when I got my twenty-five pound magnet. I am hoping that now that I'm not breastfeeding I can get this weight loss thing jumpstarted. I can eat artificial sweeteners again and that will help with eating fewer points. Today is also my first day to eat 24 points which is what I should be eating for my weight. I was getting ten extra points for nursing and I had been cutting down on those points since I started weaning back in December. I have thirty-five pounds to lose and I want to lose it before Sawyer's first birthday. That only gives me a little over three months so I don't know if it's possible but I'm going to try my hardest. I am sick of this extra weight already. I announced to my leader Lori at my meeting today that I want her to ask me how much weight I lost in front of everyone. I think that extra accountability is what I need to get me motivated this week. I'm also looking over my old food diaries to see what has worked for me in the past. There is no need to reinvent the wheel after all. I'll be sure to post on my progress. Maybe I can use my blog as another form of accountability.

Sawyer is Eight Months Old!

Here are the eight month pictures of our little man. He is not at all interested in just sitting next to the bear anymore. It has become his mission to get it into his mouth or roll away from it as soon as possible. He is becoming more and more entertaining each and every day.


"Is it bear time again, Mommy?"


At least someone in this house is getting some exercise!


It's a shame that he's not a happier baby.

First Look

Making her Aggiefamily debut via ultrasound picture is Matthew and Jackie's little girl. I am so excited at the thought of being an aunt again. I can't wait to hold her. She will be here before we know it.


Here she is!


Here is a closer look.

Super Weekend

We had a busy weekend and we got out of the house quite a bit which was fun. We went to Dos Charros for Mexican food on Friday evening which was a nice change. It's a good place here in Wylie. I've never enjoyed cooking on Fridays (even once I stopped working). I normally go and pick up something to go from Dickey's BBQ or Chili's and bring it home. It's never as warm as the dishes would be if we were eating them at the restaurant. I fed Sawyer his cereal before we left and he munched on Fruit Puffs in his booster seat while we were able to enjoy a hot meal. It was almost like old times.

Saturday we finally made it to IKEA in Frisco. It is the only one in the Metroplex and it opened in December. We've been trying to get there for over a month but something would always come up or we'd be out of town. We wanted to get some bookshelves for the study and Sawyer's room. We've never been to IKEA before and it was insanity! I couldn't believe how many people were there! I'd like to go back when I could take more time to look around. Lorne's not much of a shopper/browser and more of a let's-get-what's-on-the-list kind of guy. I normally am too, but this store is just awesome.

We had Mexican food again Saturday at Manny's while we were in Frisco. This great place is off the beaten path of the traffic and booming new developments of Frisco. I would have never even known it existed if I hadn't heard about it from a friend from grad school. We were skeptical at first because when most people comment on how good a Mexican food restaurant is they usually mean the taste of the margaritas or the happy hour deals. We were happy to discover that this place is definitely worth the drive. Lorne loves that the enchiladas are made with the same kind of gravy as the restaurants where we grew up. It's hard to come by this far north much to his chagrin.

I gave Sawyer another bottle starting on Saturday and cut the nursing sessions to just the nighttime one. It's going to take some adjusting of his schedule since adding more formula is causing him to be able to stay full longer. I think that I'm going to just give him cereal with his fruit in the morning and just baby food at lunch and dinner to ensure that he will take the 24 ounces of formula that he's supposed to be drinking.

I can't remember if I have mentioned his yeast diaper rash. He has had some form of it for at least two months. Looking back it seems like it started after his round of antibiotics at Thanksgiving which makes sense the more I read. It would just be a red patch that would come and go so I pretty much ignored it and chalked it up to regular diaper rash. A few weeks ago I took him to the ped because it looked like he had a ringworm. Dr. Darrow said that it was yeast because at his age he doesn't really have the opportunity for exposure to ringworm apparently. She said to use Monistat and to let him air dry. I went back a few days later because I thought it was spreading but she said that it was actually healing. We went BACK last Thursday because IT'S STILL THERE! The first thing she asked was if I had been limiting the fruits and I was frustrated because I swear that's the first I've heard of doing that. Sugar feeds the yeast so limiting the sugar should help kill the yeast. I wanted to get a prescription-strength cream with the hope that it will finally go away. It's obvious that it isn't bothering him but it drives me crazy because "something" is wrong with him. I'm sure that seems stupid but it's just how I feel. However, my wonderful cousin Lorie is teaching me how to not "let the little things get in the way of the big picture." I'm making that one of my resolutions that's for sure. I am able to put this stubborn diaper rash in perspective and I am thankful because it could be an ear infection or some other illness that he could be battling instead. I'm not going to let a little yeast get the better of me by golly! I started feeding him YoBaby yogurt, adding acidophilus granules in one of his bottles, slathering on the Monistat, and letting him "air out" on a disposable changing pad on the floor as much as possible. It *seems* to be clearing up but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. All I know is that the next time he's on antibiotics I will be sure to push the yogurt and try to be more preemptive about the whole situation.

We went to a Super Bowl party Sunday at Jesse and Laura's house. Lorne and Jesse are office mates and I enjoy spending time with Laura, even though she's a Teasipper. :) It was our first "kid party" as parents. It pretty much went like I figured with the guys all watching the game and the moms running around tending to their kids and talking with each other. That was fine with me. I lost interest once Peyton's team lost anyway. There were seven kids and eight adults there so it was pretty crazy. I think that it went really well considering. Sawyer did great and we were able to stay for the entire game.


Lorne actually managed to snap a shot of both kids smiling.


Denise, Sophia, and Jeremy.


I like to get a picture of the three of us together every chance I get.

I think my favorite part was deciding what to make. I've always wanted to have a Super Bowl party so that I could create football-themed snacks. Lorne limited me to bringing one dessert and one appetizer since it wasn't my party so I had to make a tough decision on what to bring. I decided on a cheesefootball and football cookies. I am SUCH a dork! :)


I made the cheeseball and Lorne shaped it to look like a football. It looked more like a sledge hammer when I tried. :)


We went through many prototypes, but here is the finished product: football cookies.

I'll close with a picture of the star of the show:


Here's my Punkin'!

New Comment System

Hi everyone! Lorne has modified the comment system, yea! It is now possible for everyone to comment again. The only difference is that I get to review comments first which will allow me to delete the comment spam. Please feel free to comment if you like, but just know that the comment won't post immediately but should appear sometime the same day.

Happy reading and commenting! :)

It's (Going to Be) A Girl!

Matthew and Jackie called yesterday and gave me the good news that they're having a girl!! I am sooo excited for them! They have already registered at Babies 'R Us and they have a crib and are working on the nursery. I can't wait to hold their little one! Jackie is due between June 15-22 so their baby and Sawyer will be almost exactly one year apart. I can't believe that one of my little brothers is going to be a daddy! Matthew and Jackie are going to be the best parents! They have so much love for their nieces, nephew, and friends' kids that I know that their own child will be enveloped in love and affection. I can't believe how many exclamation points are in this paragraph! :)

Sawyer and I went to Wal-Mart this morning and he rode in the front of the shopping cart for the first time. I think that he was amazed at his new vantage point. He was too funny! I've been stalling on taking him out since he's been out of his ultra-convenient infant carseat, but I thought today would be a good time. We were out for Weight Watchers anyway and I knew that the grocery store would be pretty empty and I was right. I didn't want there to be a lot of witnesses if he had a meltdown and I wanted to go when I only needed to pick up a few items. He did wonderfully and now I'm feeling more confident so it all worked out.


Velma made the cover for the shopping cart. They wanted $40 for one at Babies 'R Us. She did such a great job. It makes it extra special since she made it and now we can minimize the germs while we shop.


This is why we needed the cover! Up and down the aisles we went while he tried to chew away.

Sawyer was getting ready for bed last night so I wanted to take a picture of him. I mostly thought I'd take one so that I can blackmail him when he's a teenager. :) Plus I wanted everyone to see how much he has grown. Warning; he's showing a lot of skin! :)


He's going to kill me over this picture in a few years I'll bet!