Shots:

I forgot to mention; when the Nurse was giving Owen his shot, I kept waiting for her to finish (I can't look). When she said she was done we both stared at Owen. She said she had NEVER seen a 2 month old not cry when getting a shot. I guess I have really tough boys because Christian didn't cry when he got his last shot either. He just said "Ouch!" and gave the nurse a dirty look.
I pray that my kids aren't huge wimps like I am. The last time I got a shot I cried my eyes out, just ask Karen. Of course, I was a bit traumatized about having a needle stuck all the way through my finger and lodged in my nail. Now THAT was weird.

Lemon's Big Brother:

Who is Lemon?? Well, Lemon is a little baby caterpillar who has just been born and is still at the hospital with her Mom. Lemon's brother has a name I can't spell and sounds like someone hacking something up. So we will just call him "Lemon's Brother"
Christian is a total crack-up. He found this caterpillar at my parents and I made the mistake of letting him keep it. He discovered that it was fun to let it crawl on his hand. He kept saying "I like this hingle guy!" (Hingle=little). I spent that night and the next morning trying to convince Christian that it was mean to keep the caterpillar away from his family. This is when I was assured that Lemon's Mom was at the hospital having a baby and the caterpillar was very happy with Christian. As if I didn't have enough little critters in my room, Lemon's Brother slept on my nightstand in a blanket of leaves that Christian tore up for him. Unfortunately, he lost the poor hingle guy the morning we left somewhere in the house. I looked everywhere, but we seriously couldn't find that tricky little bug. I wonder if a beautiful butterfly will be flying around the house when my parents get home?

Owen 2.5 months:

Owen had his checkup today. He is 13 lbs. and 24 inches long. He is in the 62nd to 75th percentile. He is growing great and developing on time. We are so grateful to have such a healthy baby boy!

Worst Sleeping Position Ever!

Isn't it so strange that kids can fall asleep practically anywhere? I kept trying to straighten out Owen's head, but he just moved it back. He is a great sleeper! He sleeps through the night and when he wakes up he is always so happy and sweet. He brings so much joy into our home.

Troll Poll:

So I know all of you are just dying to know the results of the Troll Poll:
Whoever said that I didn't sell any obviously doesn't understand the enormous value of trolls. 52% said $23.98 and 41% said $56.99.
The winner is:
$56.99 plus $5.00 for shipping. That is an insane amount of $61.00!
I guess people love trolls! I had a ton of bids and have sold almost all 130-something trolls. Let me just say troll people are really weird, but also really nice. One woman called me and talked to me for over a half hour. One lady e-mailed me and told me that she puts blankets on hers. All I know is that if people are spending that much money on trolls, they must know something that I don't know. Here is a picture of the $60.00 troll just incase you were wondering. Oh, and don't worry.. this will be my last post about trolls- unless I decide not to cut the boy's hair for a while!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!
Like many holidays, this one is bitter sweet. I am lucky (and grateful) to have my Mom still here, and be the Mother of the 2 most wonderful kids in the world; but can't help feeling sorry for those who don't have these things. I think holidays are horrible reminders for many people of what they don't have. I truly realize the enormous gift it is to be able to have a Mom who loves and cares for me, and for me to be able to share that with my own children. I think there would be nothing worse than to not be able to be a Mom. It is what I have always wanted to be ever since I decided I did not want to be a gymnast (about age 10).


Thanks Mom for always being there for me. I know I was meant to be your daughter. You are a wonderful and thoughtful Mommy and Nana. There is nobody else in the world I would trust with an umbrella:)



I am so lucky to have been able to spend a lot of time with both of my grandmas when I was growing up, as well as my Great Grandma (Little Grandma). My grandparents lived nest door to each other and I was able to run back and forth to their houses. I remember my Grandma P. always letting me play with her little stove while she watched me during baseball season. I loved to sleep in the bear room. Grandma B. Made the best toast! I know that sounds strange, but she would make me a ton of it and bring it to me when I stayed with her. Little Grandma lived far away, but when I did see her she made me feel like her favorite. She would always send me home with a new broach or necklace.


And even though it is uncommon for women to like their in laws, I just love Laura. No really, I have the best Mother-in-Law in the world! She is such a great example for me. I love how she has taken me in and treats me like one of her daughters. I couldn't have picked better if I tried.


I just have to mention all of my kid's wonderful Aunts. Holly, without you the boys would never have Easter baskets and all the best children's books- you are always so thoughtful and generous. Emily, you are such a good Mommy, and Aunt. You are one of the only women Christian has warmed up to and I know it is because you radiate love for not only your own kids, but others as well. Marge, I am so glad you are part of our family. I have learned so much from you- you are one of the most easygoing and patient people I know. (and you got me started blogging!). Kelli, you are my sister in every way. I love you.

Home Sweet Home

I got home last night after what seemed like a VERY long drive. I walked into a spotless house. Jason (with help from his Mom) cleaned the house and changed the sheets on all of the beds and everything. But that wasn't all: Jason bought me a cute little geranium. Then as I started to look around I saw that he hid little notes all around the house. I have found almost 20 of them in weird places. I just never know what I am going to find! It is SO nice to be home and to have been missed.

New Poll:

Are there seriously only 2 people who read my blog?? Geez pople, take like 2 seconds and vote on my poll. I will post the answer in a couple of days.

I can do it by mine self!

Christian is going through another Caillou phase. It is a bit torturous for me because I can't stand that whiny little brat (Caillou, not Christian. I like Christian). He told Uncle Jim one day that I drank coffee. (Um, YUCK, I can't even stand the smell of it thatnks to my piano teacher when I was a kid). And now he wants to do everything by himself. He always says "Doooon't worry, I can do it by mine self!" So his new independent action is getting dressed. Except he is such a tease he won't just get dressed like a normal kid. First he does something silly with his clothes and looks at me and says "like this?" I will smile and say "No, you are so silly!" Then he keeps doing it until I get tired of it. Then he will disapear and come back with his clothes on all wrong. He thinks he is so hilarious. I am pretty sure he will have a great sense of humor- just like his Dad. But with all of the work it takes to get dressed, I am realizing that I may never be on time to anything!

Owee, Owee, Owen!

Before Owen was born I told myself I wouldn't call him Owee. Then Jason strted singing a song to him that goes "Owen, Owen Owee Owee Owen; Owen, Owen O-E-O-E---O!" I guess it just grew on me because I have been calling him Owee. Oh well!
Doesn't he look so different with two chins than one?? It is weird how much he changes when he looks up. But he looks cute no matter what!

Cousin Brea:

It is so much fun for Christian to be able to see his only girl cousin. Brea is a darling little girl and Christian has so much fun running around with her. She is so different from Christian in every way. She is very high energy, and Christian is more laid back. She wanted to pick up and hold Owen, Christian barely acknowledges his existance. Brea likes dolls and clothes, Christian loves cars. Brea picks at her food, Christian eats everything in sight. But, with all of these differences, they get along perfectly. What fun it is to have cousins the same age!

Christians Obsession!

You know how kids repeat the same thing over nad over?? Well, when we are at Nana and Papa's house the phrase is "Wanna ride in the Hot Rod with me??" Papa has a couple of old cars in the garage and Christian just can't get enough. One is all leaky and Christian won't go in it because "It is stinky." But he would stay in the other one all day if he had a choice. He makes me sit in it with him as much as he can (at least twice a day). We do lots of fun stuff in there:

-We go to sleep (by laying the seats back).

-East snacks: water to drink and marshmallows (these are all pretend).

-We go adagio, fast, super fast, and really super fast. (He watches way to much Little Einsteins, I know).

-We go either to Grandma's house or Disneyland. Sorry Laura, I like Disneyland better.

-We honk the horn at "freakin' drivers." Yes, that is the phrase Christian uses. I think I need to bridle the road rage a bit!

Needless to say, Christian is obsessed!

Letters to my Daddy:

Okay everyone, my crazy cousins Jenny and Karen are doing the nicest thing for my Dad before his next chemo session and we want everybody to be involved. No matter how well you know my Dad, we would like you to write him a letter of encouragement. Jenny and Karen are making a book that they will give him with all of the letters. It would mean a lot to our whole family, and we hope to get lots and lots of letters. E-mail them to me ASAP: gdbrittanygd@hotmail.com. Thank you all for your time and for loving my Dad! (Oh, and please keep it a secret from my Dad so that it will be a surprise!)

The Biggest Loser:

(Let me clarify: Loser as in weight, not social skills, although my social skills are a bit lacking too. I hang out with little kids all day- what do you expect?)
So, as everyone knows, I had a baby a little over 2 months ago. Can I just say.... I HATE women who give birth and then leave the hospital in their pre-pregnancy jeans? Okay I don't hate them, I am just really really jealous. I literally can't get my above my knees. Hell, I can't even zip my husbands jeans that I am wearing. Anyways, a few weeks ago I decided to start working out. Those of you who know me are rolling on the floor laughing. My idea of working out is reaching for something in the fridge. I am just so sick of being a bit tubby; but even more than that, I want to be HEALTHY. Here is what I have learned since I started excersizing:

-Excersize videos have really cheesy music.

-2 pound weights can get quite heavy!

-I can loose more weight by peeing and nursing than working out for a month. (I just lost a pound this morning using the pee/ nurse method).

-My knees click- a lot!

-Just because you can see your toes doesn't mean you can touch them.

-Jumping Jacks make your brain jiggle... I swear I can feel mine moving around in my head. Jason says because it is so small. (Huh?? I don't get it.)

-I look really sexy in my workout clothes. You know... garments with a sports bra.

-3 year olds cannot do jumping jacks but they can sit on your back to intensify push-ups.

-Excersize does NOT give you more energy. I find that I am much more energized by a donut. (Particulary, Bavarian Creme).

-I can be more motivated and devoted to something I hate than I thought.

Well, hopefully I can keep it up and feel confident to go swimming this summer in Holly's pool (Hint hint Holly). OR at least go up the stairs without panting.

Monkey See.... Monkey Do

Christian is such a crack-up. I never know what he is going to do or say most days that will make us laugh. Last time we were here (about a month ago) Christian wanted to do everything just like Owen. He was pretending he was a baby and being a bit jealous whenever Owen got attention. I did get a couple of pictures that give you an idea of how silly Christian was being:




This time, he wants to be a big boy and asks to hold Owen, help bathe him, and do all of the "big boy" things. Christian has been doing this for a couple days, and a couple nights ago Owen pooped while Christian was holding him and blew out on Christian's leg. Lets just say, he hasn't asked to hold Owen unless he says "Owen don't poop on me?" We assure him that Owen won't (we hope). It is nice that my parents can be around all of the time to see the boys grow and develop. But we sure do miss Daddy!

My husband the Model:

A couple years ago I was reading a series of books and I kept thinking that the guy on the cover looked familiar. Does he look familiar to you??? I think it is really creepy. At least I know what Jason would look like if he were Amish.

My Dad:

Thank You everyone for asking about my Dad. His Chemo at the hospital went pretty good (considering that chemo is essentially killing every part of your body in order to get to the cancer). Then he took shots all last week, and did pretty good with those too. He has been throwing up, and hates doing that as much as I do, so I feel really sorry for him. He is so very tired and won't let my Mom or I do anything for him. I had to race him up the stairs the other day convincing him that I can use a fax machine so that he wouldn't have to do it. Here are some things I hae learned since my Dad was diagnosed with cancer:

-As much as I would like to loose 25 pounds, I am grateful that I can eat without throwing up. And also that I don't have to force myself to eat food that tastes terrible.

-People are both very kind and at the same time very insensitive: Yes, please pray for us. No, do not leave church talks about dying on our doorstep. Yes, we would love your help. No, we don't want people we hardly know to come visit and bring their entire family.

-People who have not experienced loss are both very lucky and very immature.

-When God tests us, he doen't give us much time to study.

-People say they want to help, but oftentimes they don't really mean it. I think it is one of those things that if someone offers and hopes they don't have to, they feel better about themselves without ever having to actually do something or make a sacrifice. I think it would be much better if people would just not offer. That way at least they are honest.

-People are crazy not to spend every minute they can with their families. I watched my parents take care of my Grandparents, most of the time without help from their siblings. How sad for them, I would drive a million miles with 2 kids in the backseat to be with my Dad.

-It sucks being an only child.

-I miss my husband and HATE JP Morgan Chase for not giving him time off of work to be with his family.

-The older I get the faster time flies... which is really scary because I am only 28.

-Children are a true blessing. No matter what happens their innocence is a ray of sunshine. I wish we could all learn something from them. Including me. I obviously could use less bitterness and more understanding in my life.

Christian and Owen love their Papa. Whenever Owen is fussy (which isn't often) we just give him to Papa and he calms down. Christian always want to be near him and spends a lot of time laying with him in the chair.

THe reason I haven't Blogged:

SO I have a really good reason for not blogging. I have been e-baying yarn (over 150 skeins) and trolls (over 100 of those). Anybody who knows my family (Or is part of the family) knows that we get a little obsessed about things. For example: I have been rounding up yarn aroung my mom's house for the last month and have found about 250 skeins. My mom was willing to part with almost half. That is a big deal. I am discovering that she is a bigger pack rat than I thought. The more I wander the house the more I realize I NEVER want to own as many things as my parents do. It is a joke, and I don't mean the funny kind.
So, I have been going through my dozens of boxes in their basement... bye bye Troll collection. The funny thing: Someone has bid $16.49 on this one:

The question remains.... will I be able to get rid of my eraser collection??

(Or my cabbage patch doll collection, or Madame Alexander, or Bouncy Ball, or Bear, or Stuffed Animal, or American Girls, or ... well, you get the point).

Brothers:

Here is a picture of Christian when he was 7 weeks old


And this is Owen at 7 weeks and Christian now. I can't believe how similar they were as babies! Christian had the same dark eyes that are a much lighter blue now. And I think his hair was much thicker and lighter as well.
But even with all of the differences, you can really tell that they are brothers!

I was reading Kendra's blog and she posted some of the funny pictures from Photo Booth. I love the program! I love my MAC (thanks Daddy!) I will never buy a PC again. So anyway, after laughing at Kendra's pictures I wanted to look at all of my old ones... See if you can guess who each person is, the effects are a vast improvement on how we normally look! (Thanks for the idea Kendra, you are so cute!)

Smile Baby, Smile!

Owen has started to smile quite a bit. I just can't get enough of his sweet little smile. What a blessing he is to our family. He is getting quite chubby and sleeps up to 6 hours during the night. I am one happy Mommy! He is a much easier baby than Christian was. I hope it doesn't mean that he will be a horrible teenager! 

Smart Mom/ Stupid Mom:

Smart Mom: Gives her sweet little boy a nice long bath at the end of the day.
Stupid mom: Gives her clean little boy a bowl of Rocky Road after his bath.

Do you have any Stupid Mom moments, or is it just me??

We Miss You Daddy!

Christian, Owen, and I have been out of town helping my parents for a week, and boy does Christian miss his Daddy. And even though Jason has expressed that he likes to be alone, I miss him too.

Every time Christian talks to him on the phone, he throws a fit when he has to hang up. He also doesn't understand that Daddy can't see things here when they are talking and wants to show him things by pointing with the phone.
So honey.... enjoy your freedom for 1 more day before we are back to nag, need diaper changes, cry, and give you lots and lots of hugs and kisses!

100th Post!

Congratulations to me! This is my 100th post! I have been thinking what to write about for this momentous occasion, and I think just about anything would be appropriate, but I haven't really addressed the issue of my Dad. So, that is what I want to write about.

I am not going to go into the details. Those of you who know me already know the struggles that our family has gone through, and will face in the future- so I don't feel like I need to reiterate that.
I do want to say that my Dad is the strongest person that I know. He has always been a perfect example of hard work, spirituality, and patience.
He nursed my Mom through all of her surgeries without a complaint. And will drop what he is doing to help anybody.
He is a wonderful "Papa," Christian, Owen, and Brea adore him and are drawn to his easygoing personality.
Daddy- I am proud of you and your stregnth. I love you!