The Canup Connection

"Monkey Joes"

2010-03-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

So Friday we took Brynn to Monkey Joes in Indy.. it is an indoor inflatable play place and she loved it... I mean loved it. The name is so appropriate too because it made me realize what a little monkey she really is. They had an area for toddlers but she kept running off to the big kid stuff. I don't know who was more tired when we left.. her or me. We met Jill and Jenny there and their little girls.. it is so much fun to get together with all of them.. it makes me excited for what is yet to come as they get older.

We are having a contractor come tomorrow to check out the basement to finally build our bar.. we have been wanting it ever since we built the house but had other expenses that we felt were more important.. I am super excited though because we like to entertain a lot so that will be a nice added feature.

The weather has been nicer which means happier people in this household. We have taken Brynn to the park three days this past week.. she loves love loves being outside.

Driving me Crazy!

2010-02-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

So I feel horrible saying this because I love Brynn more than anything in this world but she is driving me absolutely crazy. She acts out so much worse with me than with Josh and it is obvious. I think she knows just how to push my buttons and does it to the limit. I have had a horrible head and chest cold all weekend so I think that has contributed to this but I have been home with her since Thursday and because of the weather(even though it is warmer out) we haven't really done much of anything so we both have cabin fever and it is wearing on us. Please let Spring be here soon!!

Happy 2010!

2010-02-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

So it has been two months since I have posted which is pretty sad. I really do not know where my time goes.. I know I spend a lot of it wasted on the computer so why I do not update my blog I do not know!

I had a wonderful holiday season! It was so much fun with Brynn this year. I can't imagine the years to come. She was spoiled rotten by both sides of the family if you can imagine and was an old pro at opening presents by the end of it.

In 2010 we have just been busy working and trying to get some major cleaning done around the house so then the weather gets nice we don't have to worry about that and can be outside. We have all managed to have the flu and pass it around to one another. It started with Josh and then a few days later Brynn got it and then a week later I got it and then a week after that my nephew, LL, got it while staying with us. Apparently we needed to do the cleaning because we are growing something in our house.

We are definitely ready for Spring. This winter has seemed so long.. I am over it already. Brynn has cabin fever a long with the rest of us. She sees her swing outside and points to it all the time.. hopefully soon we will be able to go outside in play. I could use a little Vitamin D.

Brynn is getting bigger and talking all the time. She now understands for the most part what we are telling her.. it is hit or miss whether she listens or not but you can tell she understands. We have to do "time-0uts" quite often.. I don't know if we are getting through to her or not. It doesn't really seem to phase or at this point.

Josh has spent a lot of time at Purdue going to the basketball games. It has been a fun season for a change. We are hoping to make a Final Four appearance.. we will see what happens. We can dream big, right?

We spent NYE with Phillip and Amber at our house. I got a fondue set from Linda for Christmas so we tried that out. Then New Years day went to the Purdue/WVU game at Macke. It was a good time.. makes me wish I could go to more with Josh but someone has to watch Brynn. We had fun watching all the NFL games and excited that Drew Brees and the Saints won the SuperBowl. I know I am from IN and should cheer for the Colts.. I felt like I would have been happy either way.. but I am a Boilermaker and can not cheer against Drew Brees. We had people over for the SuperBowl which was fun.. but most of them were disappointed with the outcome.

My cousin Jenny got married on February 6th, my birthday, and she was so sweet.. they all sang to me and she got me a cake. What a sweet girl.. on her special day thinking of me. She was a beautiful bride and the ceremony and decorations were amazing. I was off most of the week leading up to that so spent it in Loogootee with my sister and nephew and rest of the Smith kids. It was nice to hang out with them.. Brynn and LL fight like brother and sister.. made me think back to me and Pete when we were little.

Last weekend I went to Purdue to meet Kelli for a girls day. It was fun but made me realize why I never drink anymore.. I can't do it!! I swear I felt the aftermath for two days. It was so nice to just have some one on one time and made me miss the good old days.

I worked my 1st overnight this past Monday. I actually kind of liked it.. it was a lot less stressful than being there during the day.. I had hardly any phone calls or customers. Just able to do busy work and make the time go by.. kind of nice!!

So the weeks to come nothing too exciting planned. Taking Brynn to Monkey Joe's in Castleton on the 5th. It is an inflatable play place so looking forward to that.. I think she will have a blast.

Sorry for the long boring post.. just wanted to update everyone on what has been going on!!

Vacay!!

2009-12-17T07:33:00.001-08:00

I am officially on vacation until December 28th.. and it could not have come at a better time. I am ready for a break. I am sure not too many people have sympathy for me since I only work 3 days a week.. but my goodness those three days are crazy. In the past it has been hard for me to enjoy Christmas because people are always so grouchy this time of year.. obviously I deal with the public and almost everyone I deal with is sick or has sick kids so it is understandable.. but when they are grouchy it makes you grouchy too. Josh and I have been off these past two years around Christmas and it just makes us enjoy it so much more.

Brynn is so excited about Christmas. I don't think she really understands the concept but she loves the lights and the trees. When we are in the car she will point out all the lights to us. She will say "Ho,Ho,Ho" when she sees Santa on TV.. it is so cute! We are suckers and already gave her one of her presents.. her kitchen set. We have other presents for her to open closer to Christmas but Josh was putting it together and we just decided to go ahead and give it to her. I think it was money well spent.

'Tis the Season!!

2009-12-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend is crazy busy for us.. we have party after party!! Today my cousin's bridal shower was at 1 in Vincennes.. she was nice enough to be understanding enough that Brynn and I didn't come. We had originally planned on it but then found out Brynn had to go to the doctor this morning to get her booster since this is the 1st year for her getting her flu shot. Thanks Jenny!! We will be at the wedding with bells on!!

This evening is my works Christmas party. I am looking forward to it. There will be lots of little kids. We are a 24 hour store which means we NEVER close so someone is always workings.. so we aren't able to get together very often throughout the year. We get people to work at our store so everyone is able to come to the Christmas party. I am excited for Brynn to get to play with the other little kids. I hope she doesn't bite anyone.. she has been a little bully lately. I will have to keep my eye on her.

Tomorrow we have a birthday party to go to. One of Brynn's friends and my co-workers daughter's 2nd birthday party. It is at Tumble Express where they take gymnastics so it should be a good time. Addie, the birthday girl, has more energy than anyone I have ever met. Every week at gymnastics it is entertaining to watch her run around and I am sure tomorrow will be no different.

Then tomorrow night we are hosting Josh's work party here. I am a little nervous. I have had lots of things for my co-workers here but nothing for his yet.. so I always get nervous when I am hosting a group for the 1st time. I think I am ready but I always feel like there is something I forget.

After this weekend we don't really have any parties.. our friends are having a holiday party next weekend in Valpo but Josh is going to Alabama for the weekend so we won't be able to go!!

Does it ever end?!?!

2009-12-03T08:31:00.001-08:00

I know I should just be thankful I have a big home to clean.. but honestly I don't think the cleaning ever ends! Every day I feel like I am starting all over. I guess that is the joys of having a 17 month old!! Honestly if someone knocked on my door right now to come over for a surprise visit I would be so embarrassed. I told myself when we moved into our new home that I was going to keep it spotless. I would swift or mop the floors every day... well lately that has been falling to the wayside. I did good for almost 2 years.. that should count for something, right?!?

I Wuv You Too!

2009-12-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

So Brynn talks more and more with each passing day. It is so fun to hear the new words she learns and ones she attempts to say.. but I have to say that my favorite things she says now is " I Wuv you too!" It just melts my heart. You have to say it to her about ten times before she catches on and says it back but it is so sweet when she does. When I have a bad day at work and I hear her say that it makes all my sorrows go away!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

I know it is a few days early.. but I have already had my Thanksgiving dinner. Josh and I both work on Thursday and I have been down in the dumps about it but then I realized rather than sitting here feeling sorry for myself I need to reflect on all that I have to be thankful for.

First and foremost that we have our health.. Brynn, Josh and I have had a great year other than Brynn's flu scares at the beginning of the year we have all been extremely healthy as well as our parents and siblings.

I am thankful that I have a job to go to. In today's economy so many people have lost their jobs so I should just be thankful I am in the health care field and have a secure job to go to even if it is on Thanksgiving. I have to keep telling myself someone has to do it and I am setting a good example for Brynn my going to work when I am needed.

I am thankful for my family.. Brynn and Josh. Josh and I had a great marriage to begin with but Brynn has brought so much more to our life. Every day with her is a blessing.. she learns new things as we do to. It has been so much fun and hopefully soon we will be able to add to our family. I am also thankful for our wonderful parents, siblings, and their significant others and our wonderful friends. You all bring so much to our lives with love, friendship, and laughter.. without you our lives would be dull.

I am thankful for God, without him none of this would be possible. He has given us many blessings and for that I am forever grateful.

Happy Turkey Day everyone!! Be safe!!

Go Colts!

2009-11-18T16:54:00.001-08:00

So I went to my 1st NFL game on Sunday and what a game it was. The Colts vs Patriots.. what more could a sports fan want. It started out a little rough.. and looked like the Colts were going to lose.. but yet again Peyton Manning marched the Colts down the field for two touchdowns in a matter of minutes to put the Colts on top yet again. It was probably one of the greatest come backs of all times and I was there to see it, right?? WRONG!! We left the game with 7 minutes left to go in the 4th quarter and missed seeing them win. It wasn't even like we had to drive back that night.. we had a hotel room and everything downtown. Josh was not too happy with me and he said that he will NEVER leave a sporting event early again because you never know what can happen.

We had a great weekend. My mom's 60th bday is in December but not all of us siblings(her kids) will be together again til Christmas so we did a lunch for her on Saturday with some of her siblings. She was surprised and had a good time.. she even did a tequila shot. I love my mom to death but she has gotten more uptight over the years so that shocked me to see her do that but it was funny. Then Saturday night everyone came here to spend the night before heading to Indy Sunday morning for the Smith family pictures. We got our pictures taken downtown by the canal.. I can't wait to see them. Then we tailgated and went to the game.. it was a busy, exhausting weekend.. but lots of fun.

This weekend is the IU/Purdue football game.. which is always a good time. All the Canups will be there so that will be fun to hang out... we don't get together over Thanksgiving so I guess this will be our Thanksgiving!!

Fall Back!

2009-11-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

So I still haven't adjusted to the time changing. I can't get over the fact that when I get off work at 6 it is dark.. it is so depressing. Brynn hates it too.. used to be when I got off early(which isn't often) we would come home and play outside for a while before getting dinner ready but now that isn't an option. I think it is making her a little stir crazy.

Halloween was fun.. she looked so cute in her football costume. I know to some people they might think this is a little boy's costume but it is so appropriate for our family since we spend every fall tailgating and going to football games. We didn't take her trick or treating.. my parents were in FL and Josh's parents came up that day to watch the Purdue game so they saw her in her costume then. We did go to Suzanne's(Brynn's babysitter) for a party that night and she had alot of fun. There was so much food there and for those of you that know Brynn you know that makes her very happy.

This past weekend I worked Saturday. Ashley and Pete kept her Friday night and watched her Saturday day. Then when I got off work I drove down to Loogootee and Brynn and I spent the night with Phillip and Amber. We were their 1st house guest. They were wonderful hosts. Brynn of course was a little rotten after spending all weekend with her uncles that never tell her no... but we always whip her back into shape after a few days. (Yea right!)

She is getting at least one of her molars right now if not two of them. At her 15 month check up the doctor said she would be a teething nightmare because none of her teeth look to be coming in at the same time. She only has five right now the way it is and sure enough they have been one by one.. but she hasn't been too bad so far so I hope it says that way but obviously the molars seem to be a lot tougher on the kiddos.

This weekend Kristine and the Lincoln's are coming home.. we have a busy weekend planned but I am super excited.. then the following weekend is the IU/Purdue game which is always a good time. Can't wait!!

Hug your loved ones!!

2009-10-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

So I keep realizing more and more how precious life really is and how it can just pass you by in the blink of an eye. Some pretty sad things have happened over these past few months and it just makes me realize you can't take anything or anyone for granted.

I am sure almost everyone that reads this knows about Alecia and her baby boy Parker and what they have been suffering through for this past week and a half. This is honestly one of the saddest things I have ever had happen to someone I know. I just admire Alecia's strength in all of this. I have known Alecia for a long time and I have to say I have earned so much respect for her in how she has handled this situation. It is a parent's worst nightmare to have something happen to their child and for poor Parker to be so young. I know God has a plan for everyone and often he works in mysterious ways that none of us understand but I just ask that he gives them the strength that they need to make it through this trying time.

Also, for my dear friend Fix.. his mom lost a long hard fought battle with cancer on Tuesday. We went to her funeral services today. She was a wonderful women. She had two sons but she took all of us in as her own. She always made you feel so welcome in her home and always wanted to take care of everybody. She will be greatly missed.

On a happier note.. I was able to go to Chicago last weekend with my oldest and dearest friends. Six of us went.. we met in downtown Chicago and had a great time. We are all friends from high school(except Kaycee but she fit right in) and we don't get to see each other very often but we make up for lost time when we are together. We can't hang like we used to as far as the night scene goes and bouncing back the next day but we gave it our all..Jill especially.. I was very impressed with us old fokes!!

This weekend is Halloween. The weather was crappy tonight so we did not have 1 trick or treater and tomorrow night we won't be home so I guess I will have to eat all the candy I bought.

I hope there are a few of you out there that still read my blog. I know it has almost been two months.. so let me know if you are still interested or not.

Where have I been??

2009-09-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

So I decided I pretty much suck at this blogging thing... I have only posted twice in the past couple of months. I don't know where all my time goes but I am going to try and be better.

August was a busy month.. going into it we did not think we would be that busy, but we had something going on almost every free day, but it was a lot of fun.

I wrote that we went to Looogootee the 1st weekend.. then the next we went to a wedding and a Beach Party at the Country Club in Terre Haute with some friends. The next weekend we worked all weekend.. which of course was no fun. Then we went to a Colts preseason game on the 20th and took Brynn to the Children's Museum on the 21st. She loved it. We met my friend Jenny there and her little girl is 5 weeks older than Brynn, they had a ball. Brady and Jana met us too.. he was a little trooper while we did all the baby stuff.. but after lunch he got to go do some of the big boy stuff, just him and mommy. We rode the carousel 1st which she absolutely loved but then of course that is all she wanted to do.. we had to go to the next level so she would quit hearing the music playing.

This past weekend was a pretty inspirational weekend for Josh and I. Josh's twin brother, Jason, rode in the Pelotonia in Columbus, OH in honor of his friend Tyler who passed away in December due to cancer. Tyler had only been diagnosed 6 months prior, and unfortunately was only 24 years old when he passed away. We got to meet Tyler's mom and his long time girlfriend of 6 years, Lisa. Tyler's mom rode 25 miles and Lisa committed to riding 180 miles in Ty's honor. Lance Armstrong was affiliated with the ride and he spoke Friday night at the opening ceremony and then led the ride on Saturday.. it was pretty cool to be 10 yds away from him. Anyone that knows me knows I love celebrities so Josh was surprised I didn't tackle him or something since he was so close. Just meeting Ty's loved ones and seeing the committment they all made to train and ride in his honor really really touched me. It made me realize how blessed Josh, Brynn, and I really are. Cancer effects Josh's family big time, on his mom and dad's side of the family. His grandma died when we 1st started dating.. she had breast cancer when she was younger but later it came back and had spread to her bones. Josh's uncle passed away of lung cancer when he was in his 40's. Most recently it was Josh's sister, Jana, who had breast cancer 3 years ago, luckily now she is cancer free.. but it is something she will have to deal with and fear for the rest of her life. Things like this just really put every day life into perspective.. why do I sweat the small stuff. We are healthy, happy, have a great family and friends that surround us and support us, life is good.. enjoy it, because you never know what tomorrow will bring! If you can make any donation, big or small.. go to Pelotonia.org and click on riders and search for Canup, Jason.. he has to raise 1000 dollars by October.. he is getting so close to his goal!!

On a happier note.. Brynn is all over the place and talking up a storm. She now tells us when she is ready for bed by telling us "night, night" and laying her head down on our laps. It is the sweetest thing. She is a mama's girl..that is for sure. When I am not home she will walk from room to room saying my name looking for me. I love it of course, but Josh hates it. He just plays and plays with her but she still wants her mama.

Football season is here. We are heading to Purdue for our 1st tailgate of the season tomorrow.. it will be a long fall but fun. We are trying to sell the bus.. so if you know anyone that wants to buy a full size school bus with Purdue Boilermakers painted on the side let us know.

Next weekend is my 1/2 marathon. Josh, Kristine and I are all doing it. I am in much better shape and mental state this time around so hopefully it will go much smoother.

We have a Walker!!

2009-08-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

Brynn finally decided to walk on Friday.. I guess she knew I had been bad mouthing her on here. It is the cutest thing ever.. which I am sure every parent feels that way when their child starts to walk. She looks like a little drunk person walking. She gets so excited that she still falls forward some but for the most part she gets around the house on her own. Now I am sure the real fun begins!

We had a nice weekend. We went to Loogootee. Josh hadn't seen Phillip and Amber's house yet so we went down and spent the weekend hanging out with them and Pete and Ashley. We ran 9 miles on Saturday morning.. my mom rode her bike again and gave us water. Thanks mom!!

I have a friend from work coming over today. She is on maternity leave right now so I haven't seen much of her lately. She has two adorable little girls so they are coming over today. I am excited to sit and visit, especially since the weather is bad outside.

I have been in cleaning mode lately. I have been cleaning out all our closets.. they were pretty bad. I feel alot more organized now. I still have a ways to go to be where I want to be but at least I am making progress.

Our Baby is 1!

2009-07-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Brynn turned one on July 14th.. I can't believe it. Where has the year gone. We celebrated by having a 1st birthday party on July 11th. We had a cookout at our house and she was surrounded by so much love from family and friends. She is one blessed little girl. We call her our little peanut, so my sister-in-law Jana made her birthday cake in the shape of a peanut and decorated it so so cute. I know, I need to post pictures.. I never upload them any more to the computer.. hopefully soon!! Brynn loved eating the cake and loved playing with all her new toys.

We flew to NY on July 15th and spent 5 days with Kristine, Lincoln and Lincoln.. it was so much fun. We went to the new Yankee stadium while we were there.. it was an adult only day which was so nice to get a break other than going to work. It was so cool to go into the city to the game and see the old stadium as well. Most of the other time we just boated and relaxed. It was so nice and we did not want to return to work.

Brynn is being stubborn as ever. She will walk all over the place if you let her hang onto your hand.. she just has to be holding your pinkie finger but the minute you let go of her hand she freaks out. Who knows when she will start to walk on her own!

This past weekend my cousin Jason and his long time girlfriend Casey got married. They had been dating for 12 years so of course everyone was so excited that they finally took the plunge. They are honeymooning in the Bahamas this week.. wish I was there too.

Other than that I have been training hard core for my 1/2 marathon on September 12th.. I have to run 9 miles on Saturday. I did 8 last Saturday.. my mom was so sweet and rode her bike and brought me water along my route.. I couldn't have made it without water.. not in this humidity. I will be glad when the race is over. I am hoping to improve my time from the one in Indy and then be done with the races for awhile.. maybe just do some 5k races along the way.

Football season is right around the corner. I always have mixed emotions about that. It is something that Josh absolutely loves and that I enjoy.. I just hate being gone every weekend in the fall and never getting to experience anything else. The best part is getting to see family and friends every weekend that come.. now that I enjoy!

Hope everyone is well.. I can't believe it has been a month since I posted last.. I hope you all didn't give up on me!!

Refocusing!

2009-07-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

It has been along time since I have written. Alot has happened since I wrote last and I just feel like I could write forever but I will try and minimize what I say.

On a very sad note my best friend's dad passed away a few weeks ago. It was so sad and my heart goes out to her and her family. They have been dealing with a lot this part 4 years and I hope now they are able to find peace with the situation and start healing... it has been a long road for all of them!

Brynn turned 11 months since I wrote last.. she still isn't off and running yet but getting closer everyday. Her 1st birthday is July 14th so we have been busy planning her 1st birthday party. I am so excited to see her eat the cake and icing.. I am sure it will be a mess but well worth it. We are going Friday to get her 1 year pictures taken. We are meeting the photographer at the zoo so I am so excited to see what kind of shots we can get. We are finally getting a family picture taken. I haven't had hardly any pictures taken with her since she has been born. I know I will regret that one day but I wanted to lose more of the baby weight before I got a bunch of pictures taken but I figured it is her 1st birthday that we should get a family picture taken.

Jason and Kelli came to visit a few weekends ago. It was so nice to visit with them. We hadn't seen them since March.. three months is a long time for us to go without seeing them. We went to Bob and Linda's for a Father's day feast on Saturday and then Linda kept Brynn so we could hang out with Jason and Kelli. You can tell we have all aged.. we were kid less and still at home in bed by midnight. It was so nice to hang out and catch up though.

Last weekend Josh and I had date night. It ended up being with two other couples but it was great nonetheless. We went to dinner at this nice little place in Paris, IL in the middle of a cornfield but it was amazing. It was the best filet I have ever eaten. Sunday we tried to take Brynn swimming at Suzanne's mother-in-laws but she wasn't having any part of that.. so we packed everything up to be there for 1/2 hour to turn right back around and come home.

This weekend is the 4th of July. We are both working all weekend.. what fun, right? My parents are keeping Brynn. My dad is super excited because he Hans't seen her in over a month.. so at least they will enjoy her.

I need to get refocused.. I set some resolutions at the beginning of the year and I need to regain my focus and get back on track. We were doing soo good about going to church and have missed quite a bit lately.

I also need to start reading more and watching less TV. Any good suggestions??

Everyone have a happy and safe 4th of July!!

Spoiled!!

2009-06-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

Josh and I have talked alot lately about what a good baby Brynn has been.. in the beginning it was pretty rough because she was colicky, but after the 1st 8-12 weeks she has been so good. We will go full days without her crying at all about anything. I guess we didn't realize how lucky we really were until more recently other people have been telling us how good she is. I am not trying to be one of those parents who thinks their child can do no wrong, because I know that isn't the truth. I am just spoiled in the fact that we got such a good baby the 1st time around. Plus, she is a great sleeper, it is 9 am and she is still sleeping. I was able to get up and run on the treadmill and get my kitchen cleaned before she even wakes up today. I think this is a trap though, our next child will probably be a living tear!

Am I crazy?

2009-06-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

So I have decided to run another mini marathon in Terre Haute in September. I figured it is the only way to hold me accountable and make me workout. I haven't done hardly anything since the Indianapolis one so I think the only way I will continue running is if I sign up for another. I convinced my sister to do it too.. she will be home that weekend for a Colts game on Sunday so we will run it together Saturday morning. I think Sarah is doing it with me again and possibly Suzanne(Brynn's babysitter) so if anyone else is interested let me know.

I picked Kristine and LL up Wednesday night after work in Carmel. They flew in earlier that day and I picked them up at one of her friends house. We headed to Loogootee for a busy weekend. Thursday my dad watched Brynn and LL while us ladies went to Vincennes to get mani/pedicures with my cousin before her wedding. It was alot of fun.. there were about 30 people there. Then Friday my friend Jill and her little girl Mara came over to my parents house. My parents had gotten a new swing set delivered and we had a baby pool and Elmo sprinkler set up. The kids had a blast. Brynn was like a little fish in the pool.. she loved it. I had to keep reapplying sunscreen because she didn't want to get out. Saturday was the wedding. It was a Catholic wedding so it was a long ceremony.. I was worried sick about how Brynn would do but she was very well behaved.. I just kept feeding her snacks the whole time to keep her occupied. Bob and Linda took her for the night after the wedding. If she had been walking we would have taken her to the reception but she isn't quite there yet so they took her for the night. Sunday we had LL's 2nd birthday party at my parents. I can't believe he is two. It was nice to get to celebrate with him.. since last year I was big and pregnant and didn't get to.

This week has just been trying to get things back in order.. it is always hard after being gone for a long weekend. Brynn has been sleeping a ton the past two days. I think the weekend caught up with her and I think finally she might be getting another tooth.

This weekend Josh is doing a 40 mile bike race Saturday morning and then later that day we are going to Jocelyn's 1st birthday party, which mean Brynn's is right around the corner. I can't believe it and can't hardly talk about it without tearing up.

+

Super Excited

2009-05-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

So I have been wanting a bike trailer so that I can pull Brynn behind me on my bike. I have been doing research for a while now and couldn't believe how expensive they can be.. but today I took the plunge and made the purchase and I should have it by the end of next week.. I can't wait. I got a great deal on it and justified it even more because it can be used as a jogging stroller too. Brynn is going to be traveling in style.. I will post pictures once I get it.

I am watching the Big Ten baseball tournament on TV right now. My cousin Matt is a freshmen at IU and is on the baseball team and he got his 1st collegiate start tonight. I am so excited and nervous.. I can't imagine how his parents feel. I never thought I would say this but "Go IU!"

New Found Respect

2009-05-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

I knew my mom was remarkable growing up, but I don't think I knew how much until I had a child of my own and still working full time(well 30 hours counts). I don't see how she did it with 4 kids. I ask Josh all the time how his mom did it with twins. It just seems like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done.. I feel like I am scrambling alot of time to get the necessities done and have to let the other things slide. Josh thinks I am crazy 1/2 the time, but I think he has always thought that and has nothing to do with having a baby now.

Last weekend Josh and I had a three day weekend off together.. it was so nice. It has been a long time since we have done that and not been going out of town.. we loved every second of it. Friday we got alot of stuff done outside. We cleaned out the gutters, well it isn't fair to see we, I should say he and my dad cleaned out the gutters, pulled weeds, and washed the windows. All things you hate to do but have to be done. That night we went over to Dan and Sarah's and they grilled out for us.. it was nice to hang out and watch Brynn and Olivia play. They are so cute together.. Olivia is motherly to Brynn, it is so sweet to watch her bring her juice or her pacifier.

Saturday morning we ran a 5k race. It was at the Feline Rescue Center in Centerpoint. It was really cool and crazy to think that something like that exists in this part of IN. The cats were beautiful. It was a pretty tough run because I had taken time off since the mini to let my legs rest, I didn't taper down like I was supposed to so basically I was running that after not running at all for two weeks but for me I did good. I finished right under 30 minutes and Josh finished at 22:30.. pretty sad that he finished 7 minutes ahead of me in a 3.1 mile race but I was trying my hardest. Now I am contemplating running the mini marathon in Terre Haute on September 12th. I am trying to convince my sister to do it with me.. she will be home that weekend for the Colts game on Sunday so I told her we should do it.. anyone else interested?

Later that day I went to my great-aunts 50th wedding anniversary celebration. I took Brynn because my mom loves to show her off.. it made me realize how hard she is to contain at some place like that where she can't crawl around. She is so close to walking.. I am hoping it happens soon. I know everyone says then you are chasing them even more but at least she can walk around and tired herself.. but I can't let her crawl around at a place like that.. she will get stepped on. It was nice to see cousins I haven't seen forever. It made me really miss my grandma and grandpa though.. I feel like they would have been the life of the party if they were there. It was sad to see them in their later years in life because I feel like they were robbed of so much when they had their strokes and couldn't get around as well, but they used to be social butterflies. Big family things like that always make me miss them that much more.

Sunday we had a cookout at our house for two of the rph I work with.. one is pregnant and the other ones wife is pregnant. We had about 30 people here.. lots of kids. It was so fun to see them all play together. I love having people over. I stress til they get here making everything is set up and if I have enough food or not and if the house is clean enough.. then I stress when they leave about cleaning everything up.. but I love every minute they are here.

Wednesday night after work Brynn and I went to watch Bailey graduate from pre-school. I can't believe she is old enough for that. She looked pretty darn cute.. it was so funny to watch all those kids sing their songs and recite their pledges.

I am off the next two days and then work Sunday. Not to much going on over the weekend.. I know alot of people get super excited about holiday weekends but unfortunately we work alot of them so it doesn't mean too much to us.

Before I go.. I just have new found respect for all of you mothers out there.. I love every minute of being a mom but I just don't think I have figured out how to balance everything yet. I shouldn't complain because I only have 1 child and a great support system around.

It has been awhile!!

2009-05-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

So I haven't written in two weeks.. I have been so busy.

The weekend of May 2nd, Josh and I ran the mini. It was alot of fun. I never thought I would say that about running 13.1 miles but it truly was.. it definitely was one of the hardest things I have done in my life but the whole time I was running I kept telling myself that I delivered a 9 lb 7 ounce baby, that this was nothing. I did pretty well for my 1st time.. I finished in 2 hours and 28 minutes. I was on pace to do 2 hours and 20 minutes but at mile 10 I cramped really bad and had to walk some, but the main this is that I finished and was so happy to cross the finish line. Josh finished in 1 hour and 53 minutes. I was so proud of him. That day I said I would never do it again, but I am already thinking about how I am going to improve my time next year.

We spent that weekend downtown Indy. My mom and dad had Brynn so it was so nice to have the weekend away. Josh felt horrible that afternoon.. I was ready for a night out on the town but he didn't feel to well. He had worked 13 days straight leading up to the race so I think it just all caught up with him. He finally started feeling better later that evening so we were able to go to dinner and grab a drink.. it was so nice to have adult conversation. It made us realize that we need to make an effort more often to have "date" night. It doesn't ever happen because we work opposite schedules to limit the amount of time Brynn is at the babysitter so we very rarely have an evening during the week at home together and then the weekends seem so busy with everything else, plus we work every 3rd, but we realized we have to make the time.

This past weekend, Brynn and I flew to Long Island, NY to visit my sister and her family. My mom and two of my aunts went as well. It was the 1st time Brynn was on an airplane, I was a nervous wreck about how she would do but all and all she did very well. She was fussy a few times but it wasn't for very long and other passengers made the comment about how well she was behaved. Kristine and I went to the spa on Friday afternoon and got facials while the others shopped. Then later that day we went out on the boat for a ride and then to dinner that night, Saturday we got pedicures and went to church later that day and then just visited Saturday night. It went by so fast but I was happy to be home Sunday. It was my 1st Mother's Day... Josh was sweet, once we got home he could tell I was beat so he let me lay on the couch and be lazy while he took care of Brynn.. it was the best Mother's day present ever.

Brynn is starting to walk more behind her walker toys.. I think she will be doing it on her own in no time. She will be ten months old on the 14th.. I can't believe it. She is babbling alot and starting to say more and more words.. it is so fun to listen to her carry on a conversation with herself.

Big Girl!!

2009-04-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

We have been giving Brynn table food for awhile now, slowly introducing new things to her. She has had carrots, peaches, strawberries, pineapple, apples, bananas, green beans, yogurt, pancakes, french fries, and the list goes on and on. She loves it.. but not the problem is she doesn't want us feeding her anything anymore. She only wants things she can pick up and feed herself. She hasn't used any utensils yet so I am having a hard time coming up with enough vegetables for her to eat that are small and soft enough that she can chew with her gums basically because she only has 1 and 1/2 teeth. Any suggestions? I thought maybe some of you moms out there that read this could help me out.
Thanks!!

Surprise!!

2009-04-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday my sister called and said they had frequent flyer miles that were going to expire at the end of this month if they didn't use them so her and little Lincoln flew home yesterday. I have to admit I was super excited for my parents but also sad because I have to work this week and usually when they are home I try to arrange my schedule to be off the majority of the time they are here. They did come up to see me today and took Brynn back with them so that she could hang out with her cousin since they don't get to see each other very often. There is only a year difference between them and although Lincoln is alot bigger than her he plays so well with her. She was chasing him up the stairs while they were here. That is her new thing, she loves climbing the stairs. Needless to say we don't have a baby gate yet so we have to keep an eye on her all the time. That is one of our projects for this weekend. It hadn't been a problem til this past weekend when she discovered she could do it and now that is all she wants to do.. it is nice because it does wear her out so she takes good naps during the day now.

We went for her 9 month check up today. She is 18 lbs 14 ounces and 27 1/2 inches long. She is 50th percentile for weight and 25th for height.. she keeps decreasing in that department but I guess what do we expect with Josh and I as her parents. It was nice because no shots this time around... but her year appt will be a rough one.

Say Cheese!!

2009-04-19T15:24:00.001-07:00

We took Brynn to get her 9 month pictures today. She did pretty good. It is hard to get her to sit and pose for a picture, she would much rather be on the move but we managed to get a few good ones. I wanted to share a few of them.

Indy, Here I come!

2009-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

I ran 13 miles this morning.. I did it! I was so proud of myself. I did not feel great when it was done.. I did feel a huge sense of accomplishment but physically I was hurting. I had ran 11 miles about a month ago but had not run any long distance since then so I knew going into it that it was going to be rough. I felt great at the start, better than I usually do. It was such a beautiful day and I thought this is going to a great run. The hills didn't bother me like they usually do and I felt like I was in the zone.. and then mile 10 it hit me. It started with my knee just throbbing and then I started cramping. I was so upset because I didn't know what I was going to do.. I had to finish. I walked for a little bit and then just told myself I had worked too hard to just give up.. so I made myself run the rest of the way. I finished in 2 hours and 21 minutes which is better than my goal for the mini and that was with walking almost a mile total distance so I think I could do pretty good race day. Now we start tapering down so that we don't exert ourselves too much over the next couple of weeks and have fresh legs for the mini. I am looking forward to it.. I think just so it is over with more than anything but still looking forward to it.

Josh went up to Purdue today for the Spring game. Brynn and I have just been hanging out. My sister got her this Fisher Price Learning House for Christmas and we just put it together a few weeks ago and she loves it. It has alot of bells and whistles and it seems like daily she figures out what another button will do. It is fun to watch her. She rings the doorbell at least 50 times a day and then I always say "come on in" and she laughs.. so we have been doing that for about an hour now.

Nine months old!

2009-04-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Brynn is 9 months old today.. she is taking her nap right now and I keep catching myself staring at her wondering where the time has gone. I can't believe my little baby is growing up so fast. I see why people want another one so soon after the 1st because they grow up way too fast and become independent and you almost feel like they don't need you anymore. I know I am getting way ahead of myself but it is true. Josh and I have been talking more about when we will be ready for our next, he tells me lets make it through Brynn's 1st birthday and then we can talk more seriously about it. So I guess no big announcements from us any time soon!!

I went home Sunday after getting off work.. I was excited because the Easter bunny did find me at CVS. On old coworker came in to see me at work on Sunday and brought me some Easter treats. Just what I needed but I ate them nonetheless. I got to Loogootee about eight that night and was able to visit with Phillip and Amber for a few minutes before they headed home. It is so cute to see my brothers with Brynn, they just fall all over her. She is one lucky little girl to have such great aunt and uncles on both sides of the family. I know she doesn't know it now but one day she will know how blessed she is.

Monday was my dad's birthday. He is 62 now.. I can't believe it, aging gracefully of course. We just ate lunch at Los Bravos, the weather was too nasty to really do anything else. Then I met Amber at their house after she got out of school. It is so pretty.. it sits up on top a big hill and just looks amazing. I can't wait to see the finished product. They are moving right along and hopefully will be able to move in some time in June.

Josh was glad to see Brynn when we got back last night. He hadn't seen her since Friday. She was glad to see him too.. she gave him some kisses and they played with her new ball. I was glad he could entertain her so I could start on her laundry from the weekend. It is amazing how much laundry kids have.

Today we had music class.. we only have 1 left for the semester. I think Brynn has really enjoyed it. I am ready for it to be over until the fall. I have enjoyed taking her and have met some really nice moms but with the weather getting nicer I am just ready to be outside with her on my days off.

We had another lady come today for the landscaping.. I am excited to see what they sketch out for us. We will see one Friday morning and then the other one early next week.. I hope they are what we are looking for and the right price as well. Wish us luck!!

Easter at Nana's!

2009-04-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

2009-04-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I am a little sad typing this post. Brynn is spending the weekend with my mom and dad! It is her 1st Easter and we have to work so we don't even get to take her to church. We did put her in her Easter dress this morning so we could take some pictures of her. Growing up in my household we always took a family picture Easter morning before we went to mass. Out of us 4 kids at least one of us was always mad about something in the picture which would show by our facial expression, but nonetheless, every year dad would set the tripod up and set the timer on the camera and we would get the Smith family Easter picture. I wish I had some of those pictures to post, now those would be a sight to see. We did give Brynn her Easter basket from us this morning. She enjoyed going through it, she liked the ball we got her the best. It was 1 dollar at CVS so I am glad she doesn't have expensive taste.

Josh and I are really trying to get things going with our landscaping. We are meeting with a couple different designers over the next couple of weeks to get some ideas and estimates. We keep contemplating doing it ourselves but our time together as a family is so limited that we don't know if we want to take more time together away from Brynn to do it ourself or not! I am guessing depending on what the estimates are is what will scare us into doing it ourselves or not.

Brynn will be nine months on Tuesday! She is trying to start and talk more.. she says "dada", "nana", sometimes "mama" and now she is trying to say "ball" and "uh-oh". She is developing quite the personality and unfortunately has quite the little temper. I hate it but it is true. She waves her little arm when she gets mad and has started throwing fits when we put her in the carset.. I am hoping it is short phase she is going through. It makes me nervous because I had a Taro card reading back in February and she told me I would have my hands full with this child, I think it is already starting. Honestly for the most part she is a very sweet little girl.. she loves her mommy and daddy. I think she can already tell daddy is the soft one. Josh has told me since the beginning that I am going to have to be the disciplinarian.. he can't tell her no~ I understand though because that is how it was with my dad too!! I still use that to my advantage at age 30!!

I have to go for now, I can't get the spell check to work so don't judge me if every other word is spelled wrong!

Proud wife!

2009-04-04T13:05:00.001-07:00

We ran a five mile race today.. Sarah and I ran together and ran it at a ten minute mile pace so I was pretty proud of ourselves for that. I know to some people that may seem like we are crawling but to us that is our Olympic speed. The race was called the Swamp Stomp and it was at the park across the street from where we live.. it was pretty fun to run on the trails thru the woods. I was scared I was going to get hurt though because there was gravel and big tree roots all over the place, plus it has rained so much the leaves were all slick.

I am so proud of Josh though, he finished 2nd in his age group and 8th overall, it is sad but he finished over 14 minutes faster than Sarah and I did.. he got a trophy and it was so cute because when we got home he gave it to Brynn. He is such a good dad!!

April Showers!!

2009-04-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is April.. Brynn will turn nine months soon, where has the time gone since last July when she was born. I swear every day I look at her at the end of the day and think she has gotten bigger. It is just so much fun watching her try new things every day. We have been feeding her more and more table food and she does so good feeding herself, not so much with a spoon or fork, but with her hands. She is an absolute mess afterwards but that is alright, I think it bothers daddy way more than mommy. He always makes a comment about how he is a much neater feeder than I am.

Last weekend we went to Cincinnati to see Jason and Kelli. It was a good time. We got there Saturday afternoon and immediately went to IKEA, Josh and I always want to go there to get things for the house. I love that place, it has alot of contemporary stuff for pretty cheap so you can do fun stuff to the house for not that much money. Then that night we ate wings, which we all always seem to do when we are together. I think the cutest thing of the weekend is how much Brynn loved Biscuit, that is their Boston Terrier, it was so cute. He would come right at her and lick her face and it didn't phase her a bit. She would be in her chair eating and be looking around at the floor for him. It was so cute. I told Josh we might have to get her a puppy for her birthday.. I don' t think he was sold on the idea. Sunday, Bob, Linda, Jana, Jeff, Bailey and Brady all came over to their house and we had our Easter celebration since the majority of us are in the health care field and work on Easter. It was nice to have all of us together, it doesn't happen too often, maybe just a few times a year.

This week was a crazy week at work.. always is at the 1st of the month. I left things in shambles last night when I left there so I couldn't sleep worrying about it. Josh didn't go in to work til 2 today so I went back into work this morning to try and help them get things caught up. I looked pretty scary because our power went out at 3 am this morning due to the storms so I couldn't take a shower because it was still dark out and I had no blow dryer to use. I probably did more harm than good by scaring customers away with the way that I looked.

I am looking forward to the weekend. We are running a 5 mile race tomorrow.. hopefully the weather will cooperate. Other than that not much planned.. we are getting ready to try and do some landscaping so we might start getting things together for that.

I need to post pictures of Brynn soon.. I haven't posted any in a long while. I will try and do that over the next couple of weeks.

March Madness!

2009-03-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year.. mostly I think it is because Spring is here but I also love March Madness! I am a huge sports fan and probably a good thing I am because I am married to the biggest Purdue fan ever.. well maybe not individually but as a family they are the biggest group of Purdue fans I have ever met. Those of you who know us well know exactly what I mean. Every year Josh and I feel out our brackets and always have a competition to see who can get the most right.. I usually beat him which he probably won't admit but it is true. I think it is because he knows too much about the teams and I just sort of fill it out blindly not knowing much going into it. This year has been fun also because Purdue is still in the tournament. They plan UConn tomorrow night, the #1 seed in our region, but that is okay, we have nothing to lose, all the pressure is on them so I am hoping we can somehow pull off the upset. We are having people over to watch the game so I am excited to have all a bunch of Purdue fans over to watch and cheer on the Boilermakers!

Brynn is doing so much better this week. She is back to her old self. She finally got her 1st tooth.. it broke through this weekend. She is also starting to pull herself up, she climbed up the bottom two stairs yesterday so I think I am going to have to break down and get a baby gate. She is so much fun right now, developing quite the little personality. She definitely has a temper, she must get that from her dad(he he).

We are heading to Cincinnati this weekend to see Jason and Kelli and Biscuit. We haven't been there since September.. so we are excited about going. It is always nice to just hang out and catch up. We have to run 12 miles Saturday before we can leave so I am not looking forward to that but at least I know fun is waiting at the end of the 12 miles!

Boiler up!!!

Finally!

2009-03-22T02:49:00.000-07:00

So I wrote last weekend saying how Brynn was sick again.. well it turned into her getting dehydrated again and having to get admitted to the hospital AGAIN! It was awful. I just feel so sorry for her. The thing is when she is sick like that she won't drink anything. We try pedialyte, gatorade, juice, and she won't drink any of them. She just lets them run out of her mouth, down her face, or just pushes the bottle out of her mouth with her tongue. So the only thing she will drink is her regular bottle but then you can't give her that because she throws it up, so it was a losing battle. We would try to just give her like 10 ml at a time in a dosing syringe but she wouldn't swallow that either.

So Monday we went to the doctor after her throwing up since Thursday night. They did blood work and her electrolytes were low so they left it up to me as to what I wanted to do.. she wasn't as bad off as the time before but they were afraid it was heading in that direction. Of course I didn't want her to be admitted and have to go thru getting an IV again.. so the doctor let us leave the office but said if she got sick again to call the office. So around three that day she got sick again so back to the hospital she went. It was so sad to have to take her back. We were there for 24 hours and then got to come home. That was Tuesday evening.. and she is finally starting to act like herself again.

She is with my parents this weekend because Josh and I have to work.. I hated to send her away after being sick but I have missed work more this year than ever before in my life with her being sick so much. Plus, I think the break is good for both of us. She got very clingy during all of us, understandable so, but wanted me to hold her all the time. She hasn't been to the babysitter since the Thursday before last and I don't think Suzanne would enjoy having to hold her all day long with two kids of her own.

I want to wish my friend Jill, a happy 30th birthday!! We have been friends our entire lives. I can't believe we are both 30. We have been thru everything together.. and I am blessed to have her in my life!

Again?!

2009-03-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

Brynn is sick again.. she has thrown up since Thursday night. I just feel so bad for her... she is too small to understand what is going and just cries and cries after she throws up. We have done so many loads of laundry cleaning everything up each time. Please pray that she gets healthy and stays healthy soon!

Family and Friends

2009-03-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

We had a busy but fun week. I worked last Sunday and Monday and have been off work since then. I picked my sister and Lincoln up at the airport on Tuesday morning, they came to visit for a few days. I was so excited to see them, it had been since Christmas so we were due for a visit. Lincoln will be 2 in June, but is about 3 x the size of Brynn, but it is so cute because he is so good with her. He knows to be gentle and even has sympathy cries for her.. when she gets upset he would get upset too. I just wish they could see each other more often.

Tuesday afternoon we went to the ISU/IU baseball game. My cousin Matt is a freshmen at IU, and he is on the baseball team. We got to see him pitch for a few innings. It was pretty cool, even though it was for IU. It was so cold though, Josh took Brynn and LL back to the house so they wouldn't have to suffer through it. At one point I had a pair of mittens on my feet to keep them warm.

Then Wednesday we headed to Loogootee to see the rest of the family. We were just there for 24 hours but I hadn't been there since Christmas. We of course had to eat at Dairy Master, but it wasn't the same since I gave french fries up for Lent. I will have to go back after Easter and make up for it.

Then Thursday on our way back up to Terre Haute we went to Bob and Linda's to see the pony and cows. Lincoln thought it was pretty cool, at first he didn't know what to think but then he warmed up to the idea. He also got to sit on the tractor, he doesn't see too many of those in Long Island.

Then Friday morning they left to head back to NY. It never gets any easier to say goodbye. I think my mom, Brynn and I are going to fly there mother's day weekend. I am so scared to fly with Brynn but an extra set of hands will definitely help.

Then yesterday morning we ran our nine miles, yes, I did it! It was so hard this week.. it was warmer, which was nice, but the wind was horrible the last two miles. I felt like I was running as fast I could and getting no where.

Then yesterday afternoon, Garrett and Abby, and their two kids, and Dan and Sarah and O, all came over and we grilled out. I lived with Abby all thru pharmacy school and now that we have kids and they are in Evansville it is hard for us to see much of each other. It was so nice to catch up. We had a good time.

Today we are just getting the house back in order and doing some Spring Cleaning!! I am so ready for it to be here. I think ski season might finally be over for Jason, so I am super excited for him and Kelli to get their lives back!!!

Home at Last!

2009-02-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

It has been a long three to four days for us, out of the blue Sunday Brynn got sick. She had shown no signs or symptoms throughout the day that she didn't feel well. Dan, Sarah, Josh and I met Sunday afternoon to go running while Chelsea watched Brynn and Olivia. They played and everything was fine. Later that day we ordered pizza and watched a movie and Brynn still seemed fine. Then that evening around 530 or 6 she threw up all over Josh, he always seems to be her favorite target. We thought it might of been a fluke though because she seemed fine after that. We gave her a bath to get her cleaned up and then she played for awhile and seemed fine so we decided to go ahead and give her cereal and her nighttime bottle. She ate both and kept it down. Then about 2 am she woke up coughing and puking everywhere again. So we got her and her bed all cleaned up and I went out and got some Pedialyte. I know now to keep it on hand so I don't have to make runs to the drugstore at 3 am ever again. So we were up with her til about 430 am. Then Monday morning she had diarrhea and still wouldn't eat anything so my parents came up to watch her so I could work and took her to the doctor and she had lost 11 ounces since last week when she was there. The doctor had them feed her two ounces and wait 20 minutes to see if she kept it down, which she did. So then two hours later she got another 2 ounces and kept it down. So she waited to daddy got home and fed her to throw up again. I had to hold her all night Monday night, that is the only way she would sleep. So she wasn't keeping anything down so Tuesday morning we went back to the doctor and she had lost another 6 ounces so they admitted her to the hospital due to dehydration. I knew it was going to be the quickest way to get her better. He said it is just so hard for them when they are that little to get caught up again without the IV fluid. It was just so sad seeing her get the IV put in and to make matters worse they had to do it twice because it got infiltrated. She was there for 24 hours and you could tell she started feeling better by last night. She wanted to play but just didn't have much energy. I stayed at the hospital with her last night. She kept waking up and you could just tell she was scared.. she would calm back down when she would see my face. We got to come home this morning. She was so happy to be home. She is still pretty puny but you can tell she feels so much better. She is still sleeping alot and pooping alot but not near as runny. Hopefully this is the last we see of the flu bug in this household for this season.. now we are just hoping Josh and I don't get it this time around. Brynn is the one that started it last time too!

Winter Blues

2009-02-21T13:25:00.001-08:00

I am so ready for winter to be over with. I can't wait for it to be warm and I am able to take Brynn for strollers rides every day. I can tell the cold weather is getting to me and her. Not to mention as soon as it gets warmer we are moving her up to a convertible carseat, she is too heavy to carry around in the infant carrier anymore, but we do it because it helps keep her warm.

Yesterday I went to Indy and got my haircut. I used to go there all the time before I had her, but once I got pregnant I quit going because it was too much of a hassle to try and make it there. I love the girl that cuts my hair there though and she sent me gift certificate a few weeks ago for a free cut and color so I had to take advantage of that. My mom and dad went along as well to watch Brynn while I got my hair done. I got alot of it cut off. I was just ready for a change, I think that I was starting to feel "momish", so I wanted to do something different. I kind of feel like a punk rocker now, but it is fun.

We were supposed to run 7 miles this morning but skipped out because of the nasty weather. We are hoping it is half way decent out tomorrow so we can run it then. I hate being behind but I was not about to run 7 miles on a treadmill this morning.. that is just too far.

Josh went to the IU/Purdue basketball game today. Brynn and I are being lazy. It is 430 and she is still in her pj's. I will just give her a bath and put her in another pair of pj's later. Tonight we are going to an art show with Dan and Sarah, Josh and I neither one know anything about art but it is for charity and it will get us out of the house for alittle while. Grandma Canup is going to babysit Brynn.

7 months and counting!

2009-02-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

We had a nice weekend. Saturday morning we ran our 6 miles and I was so proud of myself, I ran the whole way without stopping. I didn't know if I would be able to do it because it seemed as if I was a mile behind of where I really needed to be, but I guess it was pure determination that got me through. It is so nice training with the group here in The Haute because they have coaches that run with you that encourage you the whole way, Josh is at the very front of the group so he is no help back where I am, so it is nice to have the coaches along the way.

My parents came up Saturday afternoon. The plan was for them to babysit while Josh and I went out to dinner for Valentine's Day, but we both decided we didn't want to fight the crowds at places( I know we are fun) so we just stayed in and all cooked dinner. It was nice to visit, I know they were only gone for a week but it had been two weeks since they had seen Brynn and since they hadn't been in the US I wasn't able to talk to them that whole time so it was nice to catch up.

Sunday we went to church. Brynn was flirting with the boys sitting behind us, I already think we are going to have our hands full with her and the boys. She always seems to flirt with them. I have no idea where she gets that from. Then Sunday afternoon I hosted a baby shower for one of my co-workers. I work with mostly women and we all seem to get along so well so it is nice to hang out together away from work sometimes. It was alot of fun having people over to the house, I love cooking and getting things ready for things like that.

I took Brynn to the doctor today just to make sure she didn't have an ear infection because she has been so congested and pulling at her ears. Everything with that was fine, but she does have some eczema and then the doctor noticed that she tilts her head to one side alot, which I had noticed before too. I can't spell what she called it, but basically the muscles in her neck are stronger on one side than the other and so that is why her head tilts. So we have to go to some physical therapy to try and work through it. She will go for an evaluation on March 10th and then we will know more from there. She did weight 18 lbs 4 ounces so that was a big gain from a month ago. The doctor said 6 months is the chubby stage, she doesn't seem chubby to me but considering she gained almost 2 lbs in a month, I think she does have more chubb than I am admitting.

She is still crawling all over the place and now pulling herself up on the stairs and furniture. She definitely thinks she is hot stuff. We have still been going to music classes on Tuesday mornings which she loves and I enjoy visiting with the other moms, so it is nice for both of us.

Surprise!!

2009-02-10T12:06:00.000-08:00

So I wrote early in the day on Friday, little did I know that night there was a surprise birthday dinner planned for me. I knew we had plans to meet Kelli and Jason for dinner. We always try and get together with them in February because my birthday is the 6th and Josh and Jason's is the 11th.. I knew Bob and Linda were coming to dinner as well.. but I didn't know when I got there that there would be a bunch of other friends and family there too.. it was so nice. I was truly touched that people came that far just to meet up for dinner. It was so special so thank you to everyone that made it.. I really appreciate it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! and Kelli thank you for planning the whole thing. I am sure it took quite some time to get ahold of all of those people and coordinate something!

Brynn started crawling over the weekend. It is so cute. I know she is old enough to do it, but she just seems so little to be on the move. I love watching her crawl. She watches you the whole time to make sure you see what she is doing, like she is so proud of herself.

My parents and sister, brother-in-law, and nephew have been in St. Kit's for a week now. I am ready for all of them to get back.. I forget how often I call my sister or my mom to talk to them on my way to or from work.. I haven't been able to do that since last Tuesday. I feel like I have so much to tell them.

Josh's birthday is tomorrow, he will be 28.. I like them young what can I say!! Of course every year at this time he teases me about how old I am until his birthday rolls around, this year is worse of course since I turned 30.

So far 30 hasn't been too bad.. I am just going to keep telling myself it is the new 20 like all my 30 year old plus friends keep telling me!!

The Big 3-0

2009-02-06T05:27:00.000-08:00

So I am thirty today.. I can't believe I am thirty. I am having a hard time with this birthday for some reason... 30 just seems so old. I apologize to everyone out there that reads this that is over thirty, I don't mean to offend anyone. I guess I just feel like I am no longer a young adult, but a full blown adult now. I guess I knew I was always going to have to grow up sometime but now I feel like it is official. So I have made myself reflect on what I have in my life and then I get so happy. I am healthy, I have a wonderful husband that is healthy, and I have an adorable, sweet 6 month old baby that is healthy. I still have both my parents alive that are healthy, two wonderful in laws that our healthy, siblings, neices and nephews, friends and tons of family that are healthy.. so I need to not pout because I am thirty and just be thankful for what I am so lucky to have at thirty. Thank you to everyone for all the birthday wishes! Love ya!

Can't believe it is February

2009-02-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

It seems like 2009 is going so fast.. it is already February. I feel like the month of January flew by. We have been busy so that is probably why, but still I want time to slow down for two reasons. One being, I don't want my baby girl growing up too fast and the next being I am not ready to turn 30!! Yikes!!

Brynn and I have been going to music classes on Tuesday mornings. It is alot of fun! I think she really enjoys it. She is definitely ready for a nap by the time it is done but she loves every second we are there. I also thinks she likes the fact that there are a lot of little boys in the class, she is already a flirt. I don't think Josh is going to be prepared for this.

We went to Lafayette yesterday. Josh went to the basketball game and I went and visited my friend Mary from pharmacy school and her new baby boy, Will. He is so cute and so cuddly, that is one thing Brynn was not... she never liked to cuddle. I just loved how he w0uld fall asleep on you and you could hold him for hours.

Wednesday morning( I know I am not going in order), I got the car stuck in the driveway. It was 630 in the morning and I didn't want to wake Josh up because he had worked 14 hours on Tuesday so I just left him a note telling him the car got stuck and to call me when he got this message. I think he really appreciated the fact that I left a note. Luckily, the yukon is 4 wheel drive and I could take that to work.

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-27T15:35:00.000-08:00

Really not much to report, it is just one of those days where I am doing things I shouldn't be doing to keep from doing the things I should be doing. It has snowed alot as everyone knows, so we went to Kindermusik class this morning but have been inside the rest of the day. Brynn likes to be on the go so she gets cabin fever very quickly. I had to use the old carseat trick to get her to nap today.. I swear she is going to look weird when she is 3 or 4 and I am trying to get her to sleep and am rocking her in an infant carrier, it has worked ever since we brought her home from the hospital so I guess whatever works we will keep doing.

This weather is making it hard to train for the race though. I have just been running on the treadmill but that isn't the same. I guess it is better than not doing it at all.

We have been getting some estimates to finish the floors in our basement. It is one of those things that we want to get done but don't know if we want to spend the money on right now. We are trying to justify it.. made it is hard. It is a big basement so it will not be cheap, but I think we would use it alot more if the floors were finished.. decisions, decisions.

Brynn thinks she is a Dog

2009-01-25T14:41:00.001-08:00

So within the last week or so Brynn must of discovered she has a tongue or something because it is constantly hanging out of her mouth, then she will start panting, so I think she thinks she is a dog. This might seem a little more normal if we actually had a dog but we don't and she has hardly ever been around dogs, so we are not for sure where this is coming from. We went to get her six month pictures taken and she had her tongue sticking out in so many of them. The photographer was cracking up, I guess at least it made for a good laugh. Then today at church she kept staring at the man behind us and doing that to him. She would stare at him, almost in disbelief that he wasn't staring back, until she would get his attention and then stick her tongue out and start panting. I guess that is what I get for some of the weird things I did to my parents when I was a kid.

Caught Up

2009-01-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am finally caught up on the training schedule for the mini. It is weird because I know just last week I was writing asking if it was going to get easier, but it already is. I am still not running long distances yet but we are scheduled to run three miles tomorrow but the thing is I know I can do it, and I am also enjoying it. It is just a little time out of the day to clear my head, I have to admit I am thinking of everything I need to be doing while I am running and then I think that makes me run faster so there is more time to do the other things, but whatever gets me thru it. I have a friend, Andrea, who I just recently reconnected with thru our blogs and she ran a full marathon a few weeks ago, now that is something I could NEVER imagine doing. I am so proud of her for doing this and I think in a way it is inspiring me to do the mini, since I know it is just half the distance.

6 month Check up

2009-01-20T12:57:00.001-08:00

Brady's birthday party on Sunday was fun. We got him clothes so of course he wasn't too excited about those but he got plenty of toys to play with. It was a good turnout. Jana made him a Thomas the Train cake that was so cute. I hope she is planning on making Brynn something when she turns 1 because I am not that talented. I will try and post some pictures some time soon. Never seems like there is enough hours in the day to do everything.

Today was a busy day. We started Kindermusik classes today. Brynn is in a newborn to 18 month class. Gavin, Suzanne's 1 year old, is in the class also. I think she liked it. Now that she is sitting up on her own she enjoys sitting and playing and is content for long periods of time. There was 2 other six month old girls in the class and then the rest of the kids were 15 months and older, so they were all walking. Brynn was fascinated by all the movements and sounds.. it was so much fun to watch her.

Then I got my haircut, when it is short I have to get it cut so often or else I am a shaggy dog. I always feel so much better after getting a haircut though.

Then we had Brynn's 6 month check up. She weights 16 lbs and 9 ounces and is 25 and 3/4 inches long, so 50th percentile for both. I guess we knew it was a fluke that she had been in the 75th percentile for height, with Josh and I as her parents she doesn't stand a chance. I just hope she is taller than me. She had to get more shots today, which is never fun, but she managed. Now she is snoozing, I think the busy day wore her out and mommy too.

I have to run tonight. I have been doing good, sticking to the training schedule they gave us, over all I am only 1 mile behind and plan on making that up on Friday. It is hard on the days that I work til 8 to get it is because in the mornings I have her so there is no time and then when I get home I am tired from standing 10 to 12 hours, but I am managing to squeeze it in, and honestly always feel better after I do.

It's Party Time

2009-01-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

Today we are going to Brady's 3rd birthday party. My parents have had Brynn since Friday. I miss her sooooooooooooo much. Josh and I both had to work yesterday so we met them Friday in Vincennes and then we both headed home. Needless to say it has been pretty quiet around here without her. We go to the doctor on Tuesday for her sixth month checkup and then pictures on Friday so I am sure I will write how all that turns out. She is so much fun now. Sitting up pretty well by herself and so so close to crawling, she is just trying to figure it all out.

I think I can, I think I can!!

2009-01-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

So I knew this wasn't going to be easy, especially considering I haven't worked out in honestly over a year. Everyone told me to work out when I was pregnant, and I would occasionally get on the treadmill but no hard core stuff. So this week started the training for the mini-marathon and boy oh boy, can I tell how out of shape I am. I know it will get easier, but there first few weeks are going to be pretty rough until my body can get over the initial shock of actual doing physical labor again.

The New Year

2009-01-11T05:52:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve was fun. It wasn't crazy by any means, I hope the other couples that were here weren't bored out of their mind but Josh and I had fun. We built our home to host alot of things but really haven't had that many get togethers here yet, just really our baby shower and that is about it. The kids were all so cute and it was so nice for us to be able to catch up with old friends. Bailey and Brady were here and they were troopers, they stayed up until 1 am. I was having trouble staying up til then.

Since the New Year it has been the usual. We have made it to church both weekends. We have had to go on Saturday night both weeks because of work and then today there is a Purdue basketball game that Josh is going to. It is at 6 pm on Saturday nights and starting around that time is a rough time for Brynn, the day just sort of catches up with her and she is sort of a bear until she goes to bed. So needless to say she hasn't been that well behaved but we are dealing with it.

Our training starts this week for the mini. I went to a meeting on Tuesday night that explains what we need to do to be ready on May 2nd. I have to admit I am really scared. Mentally I hope that I am tough enough to do this. This week isn't too bad.. just have to run a mile a few days this week, but by week 3 or 4 we are already running 5 miles or so on Saturday and then it keeps increasing from there.

Our nephew, Brady, turned 3 on Friday. His birthday party is next Sunday. I can't believe he is 3. I tried to call him the other day and wish him a Happy Birthday but he didn't want to talk to me. Josh says he is smart already since he knows not to get into a phone conversation with me.

Wish me luck with the training!!

Wrapping up 2008

2008-12-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that tomorrow is New Years Eve.. where has the year gone. It seems like the older I get the faster time goes by. We had a wonderful Christmas, except the fact that the flu ran its course through my entire family. We weren't able to have Christmas Eve at my mom's house due to the flu. Other than that, everything was very special for Brynn's 1st Christmas. Of course she got a ton of stuff, no thanks to Josh and I. Between the grandparents and aunts and uncles on both sides of the family she got pretty spoiled if you can imagine.

I do this every year around this time but I have to set my New Years resolutions. I am hoping this year I can stick to them better than in the past.

First, I want Josh and I to start going to church as a family. It seems like the only time we go together is when we have family in town or are out of town with family and go. I was raised in a family that went to church every Sunday together and I want Brynn to have that same thing. I have gone to two different churches in Terre Haute since we have moved here and I like both of them alot. I have gone alot by myself before she was born , and could get Josh to go with me some then. It isn't even really that is he is opposed to it, but I just don't seem to force it on him either.

Second, I want to get back into shape.. don't we all. I am just sick about how I sort of let myself go. I just got so wrapped up in being a new mom and other things that I just didn't take the time to really take care of myself. I have already signed up to do the mini marathon like I said before so that will hopefully get me the motivation to start lifting weights and doing pilates again.

Third, I want to do volunteer work. It is hard to find time to do that, but it is so important. Josh and I are so blessed and have so much to be thankful for that we should give something back to the community.

So I hope everyone will help me stay true to these resolutions, check in on me every once in a while and see how I am doing!

Happy New Year!!

Home for the Holidays

2008-12-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

We have a busy week ahead of us and I am so excited.. alot of time to spend with good friends and family. My sister and nephew fly in tomorrow from NY.. I am so excited to see him. I haven't seen him since he started walking so I cant wait. Then over the weekend we are getting together with several friends for the Purdue-Davidson game at Conseco on Saturday.. it should be a good game and I am excited to see my friend Kerri who is home from San Diego for the holidays. Then Sunday I am going to my goddaughter's 1st birthday party. I cant believe she is 1.. where does the time go? It seems just like yesterday she was born.. I am so excited to have the time off of work to do all of these things.

I am feeling so much better today.. it really took it out of me though. Luckily, Josh has dodged the bullet so far, so lets keep our fingers crossed that he doesn't get it. Brynn is 100 percent recovered now which is most important anyways.. and I am slowly getting my energy back.

Hope to see you many over the holidays. I am sure I will post more before then but if not everyone have safe travels and a wonderful Christmas among family and friends. Love to all!

FYI

2008-12-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

Just wanted everyone to know the flu has spread.. I woke up this morning not feeling so well. I thought it was just a fluke so I went a head to work and after the third time of throwing up called Josh in to rescue me. That is the nice thing about us both being in the same profession and working for the same company. The bad thing is I couldn't take care of Brynn.. so my mom came up to help out. I feel so sorry for Brynn she hasn't been feeling well and all she probably wants it to be held and comforted and I couldn't even do that for her. I feel like a deadbeat mom. Luckily Nana was able to come to town. Makes me once again realize living close to both sets of grandparents is so nice!

Bitten by the Flu Bug

2008-12-12T07:04:00.001-08:00

So Brynn had her 1st experience with the flu.. it was short lived thank goodness but still so sad to see her that way. It is hard telling where she got it from.. considering Josh and I are pharmacists and everyone we interact with is sick. I had never seen someone so small throw up so much. It made me so so sad. I called Jill, who works with pediatrics and Suzanne, whose kids were battling this a week ago just for some reassurance that I was doing the right thing. You know in your mind in the right thing to do but just feel so helpless so want to know that you are doing everything you can to help them feel better. Luckily, she didn't have the diarrhea to go along with it. She finally ate a real bottle this morning. I was leery of giving it to her but she was so hungry so I just gave her a small amount to see if she could keep it down and a half hour later fed her more. It has been 2 hours now and I haven't seen anything come back up and the good news is she finally had a wet diaper. Yeah!!

So now I just hope Josh and I don't get it.. obviously I would much rather be sick than have her sick.. but don't want it to be a continuous cycle.

Am I Crazy??

2008-12-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

We had a busy morning today.. we are signing Brynn up for Kindermusik classes that start in January. Josh was off this morning so we went to a class to try it out and make sure Brynn would like it. It was 45 mintues long. We think she really enjoyed herself, but she was tired by the end, rubbing her eyes and she was asleep before we even pulled out of the parking lot. She was the youngest in the class today.. most the other kids were walking but she enjoyed watching them run around. Hopefully when the Spring semester starts there will be some smaller babies in there with us, but either way she and I will both enjoy it. I am doing it just as much for her as me to meet people.

Then Josh and I went to sign up for the mini marathon in Indy next May. Our friends, Dan and Sarah, did it last May and encouraged us to sign up with them. We will be training with the Terre Haute Road Runners so it will be another good way to meet people, not to mention a great way to get back in shape. No more excuses!! I do think I am kind of crazy considering it has been well over a year since I have ran at all but it will give me something to work towards.

Then I got my haircut.. much needed. I looked like a shaggy dog.. so now Brynn and I are at home, cleaning the house for the rest of the day. I don't have too many more days home between now and Christmas. My sister flies in next Thursday, the 18th and I will be spending alot of time at my parents after that until Christmas with her and her family. I can't wait.

I am happy to say that Grandma Canup(Josh's mom) is getting around much better now. She had to go to the ER Friday night due to her back. She couldn't even get out of bed on her own, for those of you that know Linda she doesn't like to ask for help, is always wanting to help everyone else. Hopefully surgery wont be required but just sorting to wait and see.

Today is my mom's birthday.. Happy Birthday!! She is NY with Kristine and the Lincolns. They are going to see the the Rockettes tomorrow. I am so jealous. I would love to be in NY this time of year.. with all the Christmas decorations.

2008-12-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

The Lion King

2008-12-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

So I had my first experience with a Broadway show last night.. I cant believe it is the 1st time I have been to one as much as I like musicals. It was absolutely amazing. I went with Jill and 12 of her fellow nursing staff at Jasper Hospital. I had such a good time. The makeup, costumes, music, everything was awesome.. and I don't care what anyone says Rafiki is my favorite!!! It definitely makes me want to go see more shows.

Updates

2008-12-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

Since I last wrote it has been more bad news... Jason's friend Tyler passed away Monday. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

Then Bobbi was able to come off the ventilator on Monday but since then has been put back on it. Her family has been there around the clock for love and support so I know this is a very trying and tiring time for all of them. Between the three sisters there is 15 kids that have to be taken care of, please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers. It is all so so sad.

On a more positive note, we are done decorating for Christmas. It wasn't has fun as I thought it might be.. just more stressful. Next year will be easier now that I have more of an idea of how to do things. Luckily my mom came up Tuesday evening to help me, so that was nice to have her expertise.. her house always looks so pretty every Christmas. I don't think I would have gotten it done without her.

Brynn is doing good.. growing like a weed. She will be five months old on the 14th. We don't go back to the doctor until her six month checkup, hopefully as long as she doesn't catch something.. I will be anxious to see how much she weighs, I feel like she is gaining alot faster now. We recently changed her formula because she was spitting up so much and she seems to be doing alot better on it. She is getting close or I should say closer to sitting up on her on.. she doesn't fold completely in half at least anymore. I am hoping she will be doing it on her own by Christmas.. I just think it will be more enjoyable for her if she can sit up.

I am going to see the Lion King tomorrow night with Jill and some of her nursing friends. I am really looking forward to it. I will let you all know how it goes.

Thanks to everyone that helped out with the babysitting this week since Suzanne needed to be with her family during this sad time. Brynn is lucky to have such loving grandparents.

Count our Blessings

2008-12-01T07:00:00.001-08:00

Although I had a nice Thanksgiving with my family, I received alot of sad news over the weekend.

First, the girl that babysits for Brynn, who is also a classmate of mine from high school, father passed away yesterday morning. He has been sick for several years but the doctors could never really figure out what was wrong with him. He has been in the hospital since November 15th, they had him on a ventilator but really no signs of improvement. It was a decision the family made together to take him off rather than prolong the inevitable. I just feel so bad for her. She is my age and I can not imagine losing one of my parents. Please pray for them.. she has two little boys, a 1 yr old and 3 yr old that will now grow up without their grandpa. It makes me so sad to think about if that were Brynn.

Then, Jason has a good friend, Tyler, who has been battling cancer for the past few years.. he has progressively been getting worse and is now in renal failure. Although I have never met Tyler, just by the stories Jason and Kelli tell he sounds like an amazing person. He is in his late twenties, way too young to be battling something like this. Please just pray for Tyler and his family that he can at least be comfortable these next few days/weeks, and hopefully it isn't too late for some sort of miracle.

Last but not least of course, I know everyone from Loogootee knows about Bobbi Hunt Nonte, but please pray for her and her family. She had surgery a few weeks ago and things did not go as planned, she has been on a ventilator ever since and is not showing signs of improvement. I have not had an update since Saturday so hopefully things have improved since then. She has small children at home and I just pray for them that their mommy pulls through. I have not seen Bobbi in years, but when I was little used to run around with her sister Tara alot. She used to tote me and Tara around to the pool and wherever else we needed to go, I used to always think of her as another big sister.

I hope I didn't depress everyone.. it just puts things into perspective and makes you realize how lucky we really are. Please pray for all the people I listed above, for their families to give them the strength to make it through such horrible times, I cant think of a worse time of year for this to happen to them.

Thankful

2008-11-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

I feel like this Thanksgiving is the best ever and I have so so much to be thankful for.. well one thing I am not thankful for is that I have to work tomorrow but other than that I have a ton to be thankful for.

This year has been such a big year for Josh and I.. we moved into our beautiful new home and more importantly had our beautiful baby girl, Brynn. I am so so thankful for her health. Every pregnant woman goes thru it but you worry the entire pregnancy whether or not they will be healthy.. each doctors appt you anxiously await to hear the heartbeat, each ultrasound you hold your breath until they tell you everything looks healthy. When she was born it was such a relief to know that everything truly was okay.

Obviously I am thankful for Josh, without him none of the other amazing things in my life would have occurred. He truly is a wonderful husband and an amazing dad, seeing him with Brynn makes me love him that much more.

I am thankful for my wonderful family and Josh's wonderful family. We are both very blessed in that aspect to have great relationships with our parents. It makes things so much easier in life.. plus it makes me so happy for Brynn that she has two sets of loving grandparents, lots of aunts and uncles and a few cousins to play with(hopefully more on the way in the not too distant future).

I am thankful for my and Josh's health. Everyday in our line of work we hear and see heartbreaking stories of terminally ill patients and it just makes you count your blessings.

I am thankful for my amazing friends.. who have been a huge help this year,especially after Brynn was born and I was going thru such a rough time.. you are all amazing and I love you.

I am sure there are many more things I am thankful for, but don't want to bore you all.

Everyone have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Goodbye Tiller

2008-11-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

So I survived another football season!! Although I enjoy every moment up at Lafayette I have to admit I am glad when the season is over and Josh and I get to spend more time together at home, especially now that we have Brynn, I really value our days at home together with her since we work opposite schedules during the week to limit her amount of time with a sitter. Saturday was Joe Tiller's last game coaching at Purdue, although he did turn the program around while he was there in the beginning I think alot of us are glad to see him go.

My parents made it home from Florida safely on Thursday. They came up and stayed with us Friday night and took Brynn back with them for her 1st overnight at Nana and Papaw Smiths on Saturday. They couldn't get over how much she had changed in a months time. I think it is harder for me to notice since I see her everyday but when I go back and look at pictures from a month ago it does make me realize how much she has changed and is growing up.

Josh and I have to work Thanksgiving.. just til 2 though and then will be heading to my aunt Betty's. We are hoping to put up our Christmas decorations over the weekend.. I cant wait. I will have to post some pictures once it is all said and done.

Happy Turkey Day everyone!!

Dr Appt

2008-11-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

Brynn went for her 4 month check up and shots today. She weighs 14 lbs and is 25 inches long, 50th percentile for weight and 75th for height. She was 9 lbs 7 ounces at birth, the doctor said she would probably like her to weigh a little more right now but isn't overly concerned since she is so active, rolling over all the time. Obviously the shots are so sad, I just hate hearing them cry like that. Thank goodness it is short lived, only about 5 minutes if even that.

We have been busy since I wrote last. My work schedule changed a little last week so I worked Wed, Thurs, Fri and then Saturday we went to Shelbyville to visit with our friend ,Kyle Fix, and his family. His mother is undergoing chemo and radiation right now and they are our fall tailgating buddies. She hasn't been up to coming to Purdue so we took the Purdue crew to her. It was nice, we had all the regulars there. Fix made his world famous chili, we watched the game(which we wont talk about) and played cornhole. It was a fun day.

I worked the past two days so I was definitely excited about having the day off and spending it with Brynn. My parents have been in Florida since mid October, they get back this Thursday. I cant wait for them to see Brynn and how much she has changed. She can do so much more now. They will be amazed.

I have been busy talking to my sister alot trying to plan what all we are going to do while she is home over Christmas. I haven't seen them, or my nephew, since September 20th.. I am going crazy. He is now walking so I cant wait to see him in person .. they have emailed a few videos but they aren't the same. Other than that just trying to get the house cleaned before I start putting up Christmas decorations. I cant wait. This will be the 1st year that Josh and I have actually decorated since being married. We have always been in our apt and didn't really have the room to have a tree up so I am super excited to decorate this year.

Toes

2008-11-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

So I got a call from Josh today at work to tell me that not only can my daughter suck her fingers but now she can suck her toes.. too funny. I was afraid I wouldn't ever get to see her do it but sure enough tonight when I was changing her diaper I always lay her on her changing table and talk to her a for awhile, and she started sucking her toes. I got the camera but of course by that time she had quit doing it and now I cant get it to do it again. I cant get over how flexible babies are, I couldn't suck my toes if I wanted to(believe me I don't want to).

Blogging

2008-11-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

So when I started this blog I figured I would do it because it was a good way to communicate with everyone and take up less time than sitting down and emailing everyone personal emails and pictures.. well I am soon learning this takes alot longer than doing that. The reason being is when I sit down to blog I not only update mine but have to read everyone elses blogs as well. I cant help it. I love being nosy and keeping tabs on everyone. I hope that doesn't make me a bad person, I figure if people didn't want me to know their business they wouldn't put it out there for the rest of us to read.

2008-11-10T07:28:00.001-08:00

Too fast

2008-11-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

So it has been awhile since I have blogged. I know surprise surprise. I cant help it, with being back to work it seems like I want to just spend all my spare time with her and when I am not doing that I want to be cleaning or cooking or doing laundry(well not really want to be but need to be).

Halloween was okay. We really didnt take her out and about. She hated her costume. It was just too hot for her and since it was 70 degrees on October 31st, I cant really blame her for not wanting to be in it. Josh went to Lafayette that night for a basketball game and I was too scared to turn the porch light on and be the only one here, so Brynn and I sat basically in the dark all night because I didnt want the neighbors to know I was home and not passing out candy.. I was afraid some weirdo would come to the door. Me and her had fun, nonetheless, so that is all the matters.

On November 1st, Josh, Brynn and I went to Purdue to tailgate for the Michigan vs. Purdue game. Josh's uncle was in town from Florida.. so the whole Canup clan was there(except Kelli we missed her dearly). It was fun to have all the kids there, Mamaw and Papaw had to get a few pictures taken with them to say the least. That was the 1st time John had seen Brynn, I think he enjoyed being around her. He drove a motorcyle all the way from Florida and said he was going to take Brynn back with him, I told him only if he got her a little side car that she could ride in.

Then on the 2nd, Phillip and Amber came up to visit. I have been to Loogootee so much since Brynn has been born that no one has had to come here to see her. It was nice to have visitors for a change. They are getting ready to start building their house so we just went around to some neighborhoods so they could look at some brick and different things. It was a beautiful day so nice to be out seeing all the pretty trees and leaves.

Brynn is a rolling machine now. She goes from her back to her belly so fast. The minute you put her down her legs go up in the air and she rolls over. It is so cute. She isn't content very long because she cant really get going from her belly to her back, every once in a while she will do this and really surprises herself. I cant believe she will be 4 months this Friday. We were watching video of her yesterday when we gave her the 1st bath, it was so sad to see how much she has changed and grown.. I know I probably sound ridiculous and am acting like she is going to college but I cant help it. She is just growing up way too fast!

1st cold

2008-10-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

Brynn is finally over her 1st cold that she has been fighting for three weeks now. She never had a cough just really congested and she would sound like a little pig at night when she was sleeping. When she would sneeze snot would fly everywhere, it was lovely. I didnt take her to the doctor though, she was never running a temperature and didnt sound wheezy so I figured I would just let it work its course.

We had fun at our niece's 5th birthday party. Hannah Montana was definitely the theme. I cant believe how much Hannah Montana stuff she got. Jana made her a guitar cake, it was so cute. Bailey had her 1st slumber party that night. She had three little girls spend the night with her. It was too cute. Brady was quite the pimp, in the middle of all the ladies. Now that he has that cast off he is ready to mingle.

Josh and I had our 1st overnight away from Brynn. Grandma Canup took Brynn home with her after Bailey's birthday party. It was really hard to leave her and I missed her so much. She is just so much fun to be around and with being back at work I just want to be around her all the time when I am off of work. She is getting so close to rolling over. She will do it when she is on the couch but that doesnt really count because it isnt a flat service. She goes from her back to belly though.. she wont do it when she starts on her belly.

Nana and Papaw Smith are in Florida for a month now. Brynn and I had to go see them last Tuesday so they could see her one last time before they left. They were so sad to think they werent going to see her for that long. They have seen her at least once a week since she has been born and sometimes more often than that.

This weekend Josh's uncle John will be in town from Florida. He hasnt gotten the chance to meet Brynn yet. The plan is for everyone to go to Purdue to tailgate for the Michigan game. It should be fun.

I need to go for now. Please say a prayer for my friend Jenny's brother, Steven, he had a very serious 4 wheeler accident on Sunday and has a long recovery ahead of him.

3 months

2008-10-17T13:10:00.001-07:00

Brynn is now three months, it is hard to believe. I feel like she was born just yesterday. It is funny to remember when we 1st brought her home from the hospital and how we had no idea what to do with a new baby. I feel like Josh and I have both come so far as parents. Josh especially, he had never even changed a diaper until Brynn. I had to show him in the hospital how to do it, Jason and Kelli got to witness it and thought it was pretty comical. He is so sweet with her and she loves her daddy. I like to say she is a mommy's girl but in all reality I dont think that is true.

We took her to get her three month pictures today. She did really well. She was so tired by the end and didn't like her Halloween costume(a penguin) to begin with so that shot didn't turn out but all the rest of them were pretty cute. Be looking in the mail because I am sure alot of you will receive them soon.

This weekend we have our niece Bailey's 5Th bday party. I cant believe she is 5. I remember when she was born and how excited I was to be an aunt, even though Josh and I were just dating at the time I still considered myself an aunt. Then afterwards Josh and I are going out with some friends while Grandma Canup babysits. I am looking forward to it. Then Sunday we are getting together with some friends to watch the Colts game.. they have a 1 year old daugther, obviously Brynn is still too little to really play but still likes to watch other kids that are busy bodies.

Tagged

2008-10-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged to post 6 random things about myself, so here it goes!!

1. I am obsessed with Dancing with the Stars. I love, love, love it. I even get Josh to watch it with me, I keep telling him I want to take dance lessons but I doubt I could truly ever convince him of that, or even know if that is an option in Terre Haute.

2. I love being a mom more than I ever even dreamed. I knew it would be great but obvioulsy you dont understand completely how wonderful it is until you experience it yourself.

3. I hate missing anything... absolutely anything. Anytime family or friends get together I want to be there right in the mix of things. Brynn is the same way, she fights sleep because she is so afraid she is going to miss something.

4. I wrecked a car when I was in the 3rd grade. To make matters worse it was a government rental car and it was my Principal's house that I hit, my little brother and I thought we could get a way with it and not get caught. When we ran up the hill after wrecking the car, we didn't even tell our parents. We just went to our rooms and hid, until the neighbor came up with her hair in curlers to tell my parents what we had done. Oops!

5. I have been best friends with my fellow blogger since we were in the 2ND or 3rd grade. WE have literally been thru everything together. Training bras, boys, moving to big cities! It is pretty cool after all this time that we still remain friends and our little girls are going to grow up together being only 8 months apart.

6. I am married to an identical twin and everyone says that me and his brothers wife look like twins. For those of you that know her, it is a definite compliment to me.

Good News

2008-10-07T12:32:00.001-07:00

Brynn's test results from her echo came back and everything is normal.. we were so happy and relieved. It seemed like forever from the time she had the procedure done until we got the results so there was alot of worrying that went on between then and now.

This past weekend we went to Lafayette for another tailgate. Brynn loves being outside so she is usually pretty good the whole time we are there. Obviously my behavior has changed dramatically from previous years but it is all worth it to have her there with us. Josh loves showing her off in all her Purdue gear. It is amazing how much Purdue stuff we have had handed down to us from Bailey and Brady.

She was twelve weeks yesterday. It is so hard to believe, I don't know where the time goes. Sometimes I feel like she has been in our lives forever and then other times I get so sad because she is growing up too fast. It is so much fun though to see her discovering new things all the time.. and she is definitely a talker, I have no idea where she gets that from. When we found out we were having a girl my dad told me that it served me right for the way I was growing up, I have no idea what he means by that, but I think I am going to learn as I go with Brynn.

Fun Packed Weekend

2008-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Brynn had her echo on Friday afternoon. She was really good for the most part until the very end and then she got really upset. The tech had to leave the room for about 15 minutes until I could get her calmed down. She was uncomfortable, tired, and hungry, that is a horrible combination for anyone especially an 11 week old. We wont know anything until the end of the week, so now it is just the waiting game until we hear from the doctors office.

Saturday we drove over to Bill and Teresa's house in Guilford. I got to see my cousins, Michelle and Liz, and their beautiful families. Michelle has three kids and another on the way, Christina(3), Paul(2), and Cecelia(9 months), and another due in April. Liz has her big boy Isaac(6 months). It was so much fun seeing them all interact together. Brynn is too young to really know what is going on but I know one day she will be right there in the middle of all the action. We also got to Liz and Will's new house. I was embarrassed that they have only been moved in for a little over a week and more settled than Josh and I who moved in December.

Later that day we watched the Purdue/Notre Dame game at Jason and Kelli's. It was another disappointing loss if you can imagine. Brynn got to meet Biscuit. I don't think she quite new what to think of him. Poor Biscuit though, he finally meets someone his own size and cant even play with her yet. Soon enough Biscuit, I promise. Kelli had to work that night so Josh, Jason, Brynn and I went shopping for her birthday present. Then on Sunday we went to lunch and I made my 1st trip to IKEA. I was in hog heaven. We got a bunch of stuff for our office, so I am so excited to finally get that in order.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and makes me realize once again how great both our families are.

Dairy Master

2008-09-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

As the majority of you know on August 8th my brother-in-law, Lincoln, purchased Dairy Master in Loogootee. I don't know if you all know that all four of us Smith kids worked there during our high school and college years, I think combined we had 15 years invested in working there so it seems only appropriate that someone in our family now owns it. Since Lincoln purchased it, my younger brother Pete has been managing it. This past weekend was the Grand Re-opening of Dairy Master. Kristine and the Lincolns flew in from NY for the festivities. It was alot of fun and nice to see our family pull together to help make this a success for Pete and Lincoln.

Also over the weekend I was able to see alot of high school friends and Brynn got to see her little friends too, Jocelyn and Mara. Erin drove from Nashville and got to see Brynn for the 1st time, Brynn asked when Erin left when she would too have a playmate for her, hopefully sooner than later.

The rest of the week I have to work two days, babysit for Bailey and Brady tomorrow and then Brynn has her doctors appt on Friday for her echo. I am looking forward to the weekend as well. We are going to my Uncle Bill's to visit with their family. Michelle, my cousin, and her three kids are going to be in town so we are going to see all of them and hopefully see Elizabeth's(my cousin too) new house. Then we will spend the night with Jason and Kelli in Cincinnati and Brynn will finally get to meet her cousin Biscuit(their boston terrier).

1st Day Back to Work

2008-09-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the dreaded day, I had to take Brynn to the babysitter and go back to work. I tried not to let it effect our weekend together, but of course I was so depressed all weekend long. In all reality, leading up to it was alot harder than actually taking her to the babysitter. I know that she is in good hands with Suzanne and also know that it is just 3 days a week, I figure if I have more days off with her than I have to work that is better than most people have it.

Then today we had to go for her 2 month appointment and 1st round of shots. It was so hard seeing her cry like that and be in pain, but luckily it was short lived at the doctors office and she has just been a little fussy this afternoon. The doctor did detect she has a heart murmur though. She didn't seem overly concerned but does want to look into it further. Next Friday she has to get an echo cardiogram done, they will send it off to Riley for one of their cardiologists to read and then we will go from there depending on what they find out. I talked to my sister-in-law this afternoon, Jana, who assured me that it is fairly common in newborns and usually something they do outgrow so we are hoping for the best.

Our nephew Brady is getting along just fine with his cast. Jana says he is now doing an army crawl around the house. I didn't figure he would be able to sit still for too long considering before he was a little boy always on the move.

I am excited about this weekend. Kristine, Lincoln and Little Lincoln are flying home for the grand reopening of Dairy Master. We have gotten so spoiled seeing them so often since Brynn has been born. Unfortunately no visits are scheduled after this one, so I am hoping it wont be too long until we can all see each other again.

Eventful Weekend

2008-09-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

First of all, after reading my friends blogs and visiting others from their sites, I realize how boring mine is.. I promise to try and spice it up over the next few weeks with more pictures and information about our family.

So Brynn attended her 1st tailgate at Purdue this weekend. I was of course worried sick, what I do best, about how she would handle being outside and around that many people for that length of time but she was amazing. The only bad thing in all of this now Josh thinks she will be fine to go every weekend, and she probably would I just don't think mommy could handle that.

However with good news seems to always come some bad. We found out about 530 that our brother in law, Jeff, and niece and nephew, Brady(2) and Bailey(4) were in a car accident. Bailey just had some minor bruises from the seat belt in the car seat, Jeff had a bloody nose and a concussion, but poor Brady broke his leg. He had to go to Riley and spend a couple of days. He is in a Spica cast(half body cast) for 4 to 6 weeks until everything heals properly. I went today and spent the afternoon with Bailey and Brady while Jana and Jeff ran some errands. I was so impressed with the way he is handling things He is only 2 years old and usually is on the move nonstop and now he is having to just lay on the couch all day and is handling it so well. He is definitely acting older than 2.

I go back to work on Monday. Each day I wake up with that sick feeling in my stomach knowing it is a day closer. I am just hoping to enjoy my remaining days off and just make the most of things when I do go back to work.

Canup Cruiser

2008-09-04T16:03:00.001-07:00

We picked up the Canup Cruiser today and brought it to the house to clean for football season. I was worried that we might be kicked out of the neighborhood for having it parked here, but so far so good. We have gotten quite a few looks with people walking and driving by, but I am sure they will be sad to see it go tomorrow when we take it to Lafayette for the season.

Next week is my last week off of work, I am getting so sad. I have enjoyed my time off so much and cant imagine leaving Brynn with anyone. I am very blessed though because a friend of mine from high school, Suzanne Strange, is going to watch her. She has two boys of her own, Cole(3) and Gavin(10 months), so she will have her hands full but she seems up for the challenge. She used to run a daycare so it used to having lots of kids around at once. I will only be working three days a week, so I guess I cant complain too much.

Tomorrow we are going to Indy to pick up Kristine at the airport. Lincoln and LL are heading to Loogootee for the night, while Kristine, Brynn and I go to Lafayette for the 1st football game. On Saturday the rest of the family will come up. It is a good opportunity for alot of us to get together and for the aunts to see Brynn and LL. We are hoping the weather will cooperate.

Bruisers

2008-09-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

We had a nice weekend as a family. Saturday we ran a bunch of errands that we had been putting off. Brynn set foot on the bus for the 1st time on Saturday. We started cleaning it up to get it ready for kickoff next Saturday. She cried the whole time she was on it, much to Joshs dismay. I told him that wasnt a good sign, but he is chalking it up as a fluke.

Sunday we went to our friend Bruisers house. He had a cookout for the Purdue Crew. It was the 1st time the majority of our tailgating friends met Brynn. I think it might have given baby fever to a few of the girls(Stacy) but not if their husbands have anything to do with it(Brent). Brynn was pretty good but I think the hot weather got to her a little bit so we had to cut the day short to make sure she was more comfortable and napped. It seems like the only time we can really get her to take a good nap is in her carseat while we are on the move.

Today we went to visit my old college roommates Emily and Abby Durnil and their kids. It was alot of fun and nice to catch up, now that we all have kids we don't get to see much of each other so it makes you cherish the times you really do get to see each other. Once we left there we headed to nana and papaw Smiths house for the night. Josh works 14 hours tomorrow so it is always nice to visit with family on those days.

The rest of the week we will spend getting ready for Kristine and the Lincolns flying home and going to Purdue for the 1st football game. Luckily no rain in the forecast but just hoping it is cool enough to keep Little Miss Brynn content.

Date night

2008-08-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Last night Josh and I had our 1st date night since Brynn was born. Both sets of grandparents live close by and have offered to come and babysit so that Josh and I can go to dinner, but up until this point I hadnt felt ready to leave her. Last night my mom came up and watched her so that Josh and I could go out, our anniversary is the 3rd, so we figured we would just go to dinner to celebrate. We were only gone for a little over an hour but it was nice to get out for a little bit, but I did miss her like crazy while I was gone and of course had to call once to make sure everything was going okay. Everyone keeps saying that when you have kids that you still have to make time and do stuff with your spouse, just the two of you, but it is so hard. Josh works all day and wants to spend time with her in the evenings when he is home, I cant blame him because I get to see her all day and know that I will want to do the same thing when I go back to work.

College football season starts tomorrow! Josh loves this time of year, as you all know all too well. Purdue doesnt play this weekend so I have one more weekend of freedom before the madness begins. We are taking Brynn next weekend to her 1st tailgate, we will see how she does and then decide from there how many more she and I will go back to. Luckily there will be lots of family there next weekend to help out, I am just hoping it doesnt rain or isnt too hot for her.

Great Grandmas

2008-08-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Brynn went for her 1st visit to Great Grandma Canups house today, we call her Grannie. Josh had a dentist appointment in Sullivan this morning so we all rode down together and Brynn and I visited while Josh got his teeth cleaned. It was a nice visit, not long enough, but hopefully we can make it back down there again before I go back to work.

While we were in Sullivan we picked up the Canup Cruiser to get it ready for another tailgating season. Josh said it drove like a dream. We don't know how it does considering what Josh and Jason(Josh's twin brother) paid for the bus 3 years ago, but somehow it continues to putt along, making it to all of Purdue's home games. Even though I complain alot about the bus, I do enjoy it and the memories it has given us over these past 3 years are priceless(Josh would be so proud of me for saying this).

Brynn has been a good sleeper ever since we have brought her home from the hospital, usually just getting up once around 3 am and then again around 630 am to start her day. Well I think she is in a growth spurt because she has been wanting to eat more often the way it is and last night she was up at midnight, 3, and when she was up at 3 didn't go back down until almost 5 and then up again at 630. It makes me sympathize with those mothers who kids are 15 months and 8 months old and still not sleeping thru the night(I wont mention any names), I am hoping this is just a short stage and she will soon go back to her old habits, or even better sleep thru the night.

This weekend we are going to a cookout at our friend Bruisers house. It will be the 1st time Brynn meets alot of our Purdue buddies. We are the 1st out of this group of friends to have a baby so it will interesting to see how it goes.

New Baby

2008-08-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

I had mentioned earlier that Brynn had been suffering with some colic, well a few friends had suggested giving her gripe water. I had never heard of this before, I know I am a pharmacist, but they never talked about it in school nor had I heard a doctor recommend it before. We got some and started it on Wednesday and Brynn is like a new baby. She still has some fussy moments, but she is 6 weeks old, what do I expect. However, no more three hour long fits where you cant console her because she is in pain.

We went to Baileys soccer game on Friday night. She looked so cute. I don't know how much she was into the soccer game but she did like when we yelled her name and cheered for her. At one point she was running up and down the field holding the other girls hand on the team, I told her there is no hand holding in soccer.

Then we went to Loogootee for the weekend to visit with Nana and Papaw Smith. Josh was working so it is always nice to go and have an extra set of hands for the weekend. They just cant get enough of her. It is so sweet to see them interact with her. She really is starting to be so much more alert and talking alot. She is starting to smile at us, alot of times it is when she is pooping but we will take what we can get at this point.

A Big Day

2008-08-21T13:49:00.001-07:00

Brynn had a big day today. She got to go visit her cousins, Bailey and Brady. My sister-in-law, Jana, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2006 and since then underwent chemo and had a double mastectomy, is doing a Breast Cancer 3 day walk in Cleveland, OH this weekend. Grandma Canup is keeping Bailey and Brady over the weekend while Jana is out of town, so Brynn and I rode to Clayton with her to pick them up today. Bailey and Brady are both so cute with Brynn, especially Bailey. I cant wait until Brynn is a little bit older to see them play together. Brady doesn't quite know what to think of Brynn.. sometimes I think he likes her, other times I think he is jealous. I was nervous about her being in the car for so long because we had the drive there and back and went to lunch while we were there, but she was so good. I honestly think she likes being on the move, I think maybe some times why she throws fits is because she is bored when it is just me and her at home. Not that I can blame her, I am probably not that good of company.

Last night our friends Dan and Sarah brought us dinner over. They have a beautiful one year girl named Olivia. It was nice to have friends over and just relax. Since Brynn has been born Josh has cut back his hours, he is only working 40 now instead of 50 or 60. We have had alot more time together and has been nice to be home together in the evenings when he does work.. I think when I go back to work I am going to miss him just as much as I miss Brynn. We will sort of be working opposite shifts to limit the amount of time she is at a babysitter so we wont have much time home together as a family during the week but will have to make up for it on the weekends. It is amazing how before I never realized how little time we did have together because I never knew any different but having a baby really puts things into perspective and made me realize you work to live, not live to work(sound familiar Kristine).

Tomorrow we are going to watch Bailey(our 4 yr old niece) play soccer. I am excited to see how she does. She is quite the talker so I am wondering if she will actually play or just be talking up and down the field the whole time, she gets it honest though(right Grandma Canup?) Then we are heading home to Loogootee for the weekend to visit with Nana and Papaw Smith, Josh has to work so I figured I would go home and she can see her uncles and aunt too.

Doctors appt

2008-08-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

So today I had my postpartum follow up appointment at the doctors office. The doctor that delivered Brynn wasnt the doctor that I saw all through the pregnancy but was on call the day that I delivered so that is who I saw today. We were there for over an hour and a half waiting on him to see us because he got called out for delivery right before our appointment. I was nervous how Brynn would do but she was a good girl. Everyone in the office loved her, but couldnt get over how big she was. I kept reminding them all that they had a part in letting me go that long and letting her get that big. Once he was finally able to see us everything went fine and he released me to go back to work. I was sort of hoping that he would tell me I needed to take at least a year off to fully recover but no such luck.

After the appointment I went to see the lactation consultant again. I dont understand how something that is supposed to be so good for the baby can be so hard to accomplish. She is sort of puzzled too as to why we are having so much trouble, but seems to think that because I had to give her so many bottles when she wasnt gaining weight that now she doesnt want to work for it anymore so just eats enough to satisfy her for a little at a time. She told me for future reference not to necessarily do that right away even if the doctor suggests it(dont tell my doctor that), but I felt like I was doing the right thing at the time because she wasnt gaining weight. Who knows but it has been a struggle from the start and I think Josh and I are about ready to throw in the towel and switch to formula, just because every day I get upset about it and Brynn seems upset because she isnt satisfied and I need to make sure she is a more content baby when I start taking her to the babysitters. I applaud all of you moms who are able to do it and especially those of you who did it for the long haul.. at least I can honestly say I tried my hardest. It does make me sad though to think about giving it up just because it is such a bonding experience, but hopefully now at least I will be able to enjoy the rest of my time off with her. My 1st day back to work is September 18th, a month from today. I cant even think about it without tearing up.

Why Not!

2008-08-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! After reading a few friends' blogs, I figured why not start one myself, so here it goes!

Most of you know that I am married to Josh , from Merom. We met at Purdue University, I am embarrassed to say that I was his TA for Anatomy lab during pharmacy school. Although we didnt break any rules then by dating, our paths soon crossed once again at the Neon Cactus at Purdue and we have been inseparable ever since. We were married on September 3rd, 2005. We reside in Terre Haute and this past December we moved into our new house that took 13 months to build, not because it is a castle but because that is how long it took our contractor to get his act together.

Last November we found out that we were pregnant with our 1st child and that we were due on July 7th. We found out in February that we were having a girl and immediately started buying pink clothes. As the end of June approached we kept waking up every day thinking this was the day that she would arrive, but once July 7th came and went we were beginning to wonder if she was ever going to make her appearance. Finally on July 14th my water broke at about 3 am and at 801pm that night Brynn Madison made her arrival weighing in at 9 lbs 7 ounces and 22 1/2 inches long. Josh wasnt totally convinced she was his kid with that size but then soon realized she looks just like him. She truly is a blessing and we thank God every day that we had a healthy, beautiful baby girl. We are now just trying to work thru some colic and acid reflux issues but other than that are doing well.