The Scooter

We have a mover on our hands. Gavin put it all together and is now officially "scooting" around like crazy. Not quite crawling, I don't think his legs are up enough, but he is fast! Can't believe that Christmas is only a couple days away. It really doesn't feel like Christmas to me. Usually it is cold and I have made Christmas cookies with my mom and grandma. Just doesn't feel the same making Christmas cookies on a hot, sunny day. I'm not complaining....I love the warm weather, but it just isn't the same as being in the midwest for the holidays. I wish it could snow just one day here, then get hot again.

We "skyped" my family tonight who was celebrating Christmas. Our web camera has sure come in handy, especially now that there is a baby in the picture (literally).

Shop til you Drop

Gavin and I headed out this afternoon for some last minute Christmas shopping. The "town center" where we go is new and filled with lots of stores. We walked,which is about 1.2 miles each way, and enjoyed the warm sunshine and fresh air. As we approached the stores, I noticed immediately that the Christmas "frenzy" was beginning. People are beginning to have that frantic look on their face. We went into TJ Max and a nice lady commented on how cute Gavin is. She said that he was a good shopper and would definitely be a lady's man as he grows older. We ended up in the same checkout line together and she went on to say that he looked like a little genius. Hey, I'll take any flattery I can get...I was so impressed that she did not ask where my sons shoes were. She said that she raised 4 boys of her own, so I asked her: Did you put shoes on your boys when they were little? She exploded in laughter and said, "NO WAY, WHAT WOULD THE POINT OF THAT BE?" I wanted to hug this woman. She went on to say that her sister always had her children in fancy shoes from the day they were born and that she would constantly tell her to put shoes on her own kids. We talked for like ten minutes after we checked out. I was so proud of me! (John would be proud too.) Usually I go into a store with a mission and leave with only a quick "hello", smile, and "thank you" to the person checking me out. Hate all that small talk and chatter. But, today....I talked to strangers!!!! I walked Gavin home in the stroller with a smirk on my face the whole way thinking of my dad's quote: "Shoes? Shoes? We don't need no stinkin' shoes!!!!!!!!!"

Mama Say Knock you OUT

I was cooking dinner last night and noticed that Gavin was no longer in my sight. He had rolled his way under a chair. When I discovered him, he squealed with delight and giggled as I asked him how he got himself under there.

What a crazy couple of days. Over the weekend John had to go to Miami to take an exam. The drive down turned into a long adventure as it was raining and an accident on the highway brought him to a complete stop for several hours. During his exam, someone broke out the window of his car and stole EVERYthing he had in it. His laptop, GPS, money, medicine, hard drive, etc... were taken. Of course the police officer who arrived to take the report was unconcerned and calloused about John's loss. The next day we decided to go to dinner to get our mind off things. On the way home we were almost hit by a reckless driver. I was like, WHAT is going on??? Then the topper: John was playing with Gavin on the floor. I attempted to step over them at the same time that John popped his head up. We collided and John got a concussion. I'm not even kidding. He said that he hoped one of the doctors asked about his weekend. He could say that he was robbed, had his valuables stolen, then was kicked in the head and knocked out by his wife. WOO HOO.

Where are your shoes?

Okay, seriously, what is UP with people? More than once I have been shopping with Gavin when some lady will approach and ask, "Where are your shoes little boy?" The first time it happened I was caught off guard and flashed one of my best fake smiles. Then it happened again. It does not take much to annoy me, but this one really bugs me. First of all, my child is 7 months old. He cannot crawl or walk and sits in a stroller for the duration of our outings. Second of all, we are in Florida and it is 80 degrees or hotter everyday. And, finally, why are these people asking my son this question? He can't talk. I have socks on the kid- is that not enough????

So, I need your help on this one. Can you help me come up with a response so that I am ready next time this happens? Kerri, I know you can think of something! Next time someone approaches and asks in that annoying voice, "where are your shoes?", I will be ready for a come back. This is what I have thought of so far:

Act defensive and say...."It is against our religion."
Say in a bad Chinese accent....."No speaka da English."
Gasp and say....."oh my gosh, someone stole your shoes Gavin. Damn Floridians!!"

Hot Blooded Lady

I think my internal thermostat is broken. I am always hot and sweaty. (Sounds attractive, doesn't it?) But, really, I rarely get "cold". In the middle of winter when everyone else is wearing sweaters and coats, I am usually wearing a short-sleeved shirt. I have to force myself to dress for winter when I am living in a cold place. Awhile back at work my boss, Bart, sat down in my cubicle to fix a computer problem. He asked if I was sick because the chair was putting off a temperature averaging 200 degrees. HA! I was like, no....this is my normal body temperature. At one point my doctor ran some tests to see if maybe I had thyroid problems, or something related, but all tests came back normal. For awhile I attributed my hotness to anxiety, but it is always there.....even when I wake up in the middle of the night from sleeping. Gavin has been waking up in the early morning, around 5:30AM, to eat. Luckily he goes back to bed for an hour or so and I try to catch a little more shut eye as well. When I return to bed there is still some major HEAT coming off my pillow. My goal is to invent and patent a pillow that has air conditioning in it. This would likely solve my occasional insomnia that occurs from being too hot to sleep. For awhile I thought this problem was worse because of pregnancy hormones, but....7 months later I don't think this is the case. I DO, however, think that the extra weight I am carrying is related to this problemo......another motivating factor in my quest to continue losing weight. But, in reality, I don't think it will make that much of a difference. Must be genetic....my mom is the same way.

Shopping Saga II

Crazy morning here. Apparently some little teenage punks were in need of some holiday cash or maybe their next fix, but they decided to break into several of the cars in the parking lot of where we live. Our neighbor, a nice guy who is probably in his late 20's, was held up at gunpoint by the little weasels and was forced to give them his wallet and cell phone. I was up feeding Gavin this morning when he stopped by and asked to use our phone. I felt so sorry for him- he was trembling and appeared to be somewhat in shock. Not a great way to start off a work day. Good news is that the police apprehended one of the guys, so there may be some justice to the situation.

Once the chaos subsided, I headed out to Target with Gavin to pick up some formula and groceries. Cheese was on sale....so I stocked up on shredded cheese for homemade pizzas and also picked up a variety of sliced cheeses for sandwiches. (John is on a grilled cheese kick these days). While I was checking out, the cashier began commenting on all the items I was placing on the counter. "Wow, someone sure is addicted to cheese. Don't you know that stuff clogs your arteries?" I just laughed and said, "yes, but it is high in calcium and probably better than eating fast food". He came back with, "well, not really. You know, I used to eat cheese everyday until my doctor said that I had to start to eating fruits and vegetables. Damn this diet. I want my cheese." I didn't know what to say to that, so I turned to Gavin and asked if he was all ready to go bye-bye. The cashier proceeded to ask Gavin if he liked cheese. Okay, dude, give it a rest. So I have 6 packages of cheese. It is on sale and we are on a budget here......As I was getting my keys out and putting my receipt away, the guy turned to the next lady in line and asked, "wow, do you have a thing for Elmo?" The look on the lady's face was of irritation and surprise, as she had several toys on the belt that were probably Christmas presents.

One rotation done!

Yay! Today is a landmark in John's journey through medical school. He completed his first clinical rotation! Twelve weeks of training in internal medicine. It is hard to believe that just 12 weeks ago we were staying in a motel with a dog and a baby trying to find a place to call home. That was a little bit stressful. Anyway, John has the weekend off, then begins his pediatric rotation on Monday. I can't wait to see all the things he will diagnose Gavin with in the next several weeks..... :) Oh, and I am proud to say that the doctor who John worked under praised his work and said that his dictations would be used as examples for the next group of students to follow. Pretty cool! The cool thing is that he is out of the classroom and now everything seems to be coming together and making more sense than it did in theory alone.

Happy weekend.

Grandma is here!

The days are flying by! My grandma (Gavin's great-grandma) arrived on Monday and we have been having lots of fun. My grandma is something.....you would never know she is 78 years old. She jumped on a plane by herself and loves to go go go! We've been shopping almost everyday and trying out new restaurants. We bought new jammies and undies from Victoria's Secret and trendy new sunglasses. We are SO glamorous. Yesterday we ventured out to Super Target where grandma bought all the groceries!! Then, today, we went to Walmart and she stocked us up on goodies and baby stuff AND she paid for our prescriptions. We are definitely being spoiled!!!! I think Gavin is going to be sad when his great grandma leaves....he has really taken to her. Last night she fed him his bottle before bed and he just stared at her and smiled before he dozed off to sleep.

Tonight we had dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse. I had a delicious filet and baked potato. We had wine and enjoyed a nice evening out. Not sure what we are going to do for the rest of the weekend. Tomorrow morning grandma is going to show me how to cook apples the way she makes them. A yummy topping for my morning oatmeal.

A sick baby......

We are experiencing our first sick infant! He has a pretty bad head cold with lots of congestion. Poor little guy....he seems to be fine except for a little bit of irritability, but I feel so badly for him! His little nose is chapped and he has learned right away that he does not like me wiping his nose with a tissue. We're trying the new trick of putting Baby Vick's Vapor rub on his feet, then bundling him up in warm socks and his sleep blanket at night.

Not much else to report. It is Sunday.....my least favorite day of the week. I sometimes think I going to do my dissertation on all the factors that make Sundays such a depressing day for some people. Don't like em. I think it got worse when I was away at college and was not with my family for church and a nice dinner.

I am so excited! Tomorrow my grandma is coming and staying for a week with us. She got a great deal on airfare and decided to get away from the cold weather and head south. I'm really looking forward to spending time with her!

Dawnie?????

Sunshine....I was so happy to see that you posted on my blog. I keep sending you emails and all have been returned. Has your email changed? Please email me! And I also need to see a picture of Kyla and Shug, Jr.

My week's vacation from the online world of learning has come to an end. Monday I take on the challenge of two more courses......Ethics and Social Standards of Professional Practice and Behavioral Nutrition. The textbooks look really good. That always makes a difference to me.

Been having nightmares lately. Haven't had been dreams since I was pregnant. These dreams are scary and weird. One dream I was in some eerie parking garage and some older man in a suit thought I overheard him discussing some crime he committed. The rest of the dream involved me trying to escape this crazed lunatic who was trying to kill me. In another dream my boss (Chris- who I adore) was mad at me and would not listen to anything I said. Another dream my friend Eileen was telling me that I was not a good mom. Like, am I having some self esteem issues here? Paranoia? I finally get my child to sleep through the night so that I can sleep and I am waking up from scary bad dreams. Weird.

Shopping Saga

It is always something these days. Now that I have Gavin all day long and no relatives around to help watch him, I have had to be a bit creative in the way I now run errands. With a baby I've learned it is all about timing. We do not dare leave the house in the morning until he has played and pooped. Right before we depart, I will fill his belly, change his diaper and then we GO. He usually gives me about an hour or two before he has had enough. Well, today, my mission was to go to Kohl's. My dad told me about these oversized tv trays on sale for 50% off. We've been wanting to get some tv trays since we will have a lot of company soon and are in need of extra "dining" spots. Of course my extremely generous parents said they wanted to buy us the trays as an early Christmas gift and would not take "no" for an answer.

So, we headed to Kohl's. I didn't want to bring the stroller because it has dog poop all over the wheels. Once we got there, I could not find any carts that had a seat in it for Gavin. Well, there was ONE stroller/cart that had TWO seats in it and a cart attached. I figured that was the only choice I had. So, I strapped him into the front seat, put the diaper bag in the second seat and began to push the stroller. Gavin grabbed on to the sides and smiled big for the older gentleman who was talking baby talk to him. As we began moving, Gavin turned around to try to find me. Usually I am right behind him, but the look on his face was hysterical as he noticed me about 8 feet behind him pushing this gigantic contraption. I started to laugh because I felt ridiculous all of a sudden pushing this long monstrosity. And the look on Gavin's face as he strained to turn all the way around was classic. Anyway, we headed toward the right and to the back of the store. Every Kohl's I've ever been in is laid out the same....except for this one. Everything was flip-flopped. We circled the entire store in our cart "limo" without locating the tv trays. An associate directed me to the front cash registers where there were "several right by the door". So, I got into line and when it was my turn I indicated that I wanted to purchase the tv trays. I grabbed the box (which weighed a ton) and returned to the counter. A nice lady behind me was occupying Gavin and offered to help me carry the box out. I told her thank you, but said that it was very heavy and asked the cashier if there was anyone who could carry the box out to my car. I asked, "can someone help me out?" The cashier (an elderly woman)responded, "you want out?" I said, no, can someone HELP ME OUT?? The little lady behind me again said that she would carry it out for me. I looked at this lady.....she was like 5'2" and weighed probably 100 pounds. I again thanked her for the offer, but said that I would rather have an employee lift it because the box is very heavy. In the midst of all this, another lady standing behind us in line asks, "do you want me to help you carry that out?" I was like AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH! Everyone was being so nice, but I was so annoyed. I did not want these two tiny women carrying a big heavy box out to my car. I would have just done it myself, but I had Gavin in this supersized stroller cart and could not do both. I just wanted the cashier to call a guy to come do it and do it quietly without all the commotion. In the meantime, Gavin has pulled his socks off and is trying to squirm out of his seat. The cashier finally gets on her walkie talkie and asks for assistance at the front. While she is trying to explain to me that someone is on the way up to help, a lady approaches me and asks if I am done with the double stroller cart because she has two little girls and there are no other carts. I felt guilty for using the double stroller cart even though it was the ONLY one available at the time so I went into detail about why I was using it even though I only had one child. She was totally uninterested in my story and just wanted the cart. So, I pulled Gavin out and left to get the car. As I was walking out, the nice lady who offered to help me was getting into her car in a HANDICAPPED spot. She saw me, got out of her car, and said that she would carry the package out for me. It was all I could take. My eyes filled up with tears, partly because I was so frustrated with all the chaos, partly because I am hormonal, and partly because I could not believe that this little handicapped older lady was going out of her way to try to help me. No one ever stops to do that anymore (except for my husband). The guy finally came out with the box, put it in the back of my car and said, "whew, that was heavy!".

Bums

We have been so lazy this weekend. Last night I watched the Mizzou game with John. He was all excited about it, so we had some drinks and planted ourselves on the couch. I felt like drinking some beer since it has been several months since I had one. Just sounded good. About halfway through my first Bud Light, my face began to burn and feel itchy. I had some weird reaction and had hives all over my face and neck. So, I took a Benadryl, felt better and had a few more. It was great and I slept like a rock. Today, however, we have been useless! I think we alternated between sleeping and eating all day, each taking turns watching the baby so the other could nap. It has been fun though, because I never just lay around doing nothing. Too much anxiety to lay around, plus it makes you feel really fat. At least that is my take on it.

So, tomorrow John heads back to the hospital. It has been wonderful having him here for the past 4 days. My goal this week is to get a Christmas tree and start decorating. We have lots of family coming for Christmas, so there is a lot to do! Gonna try to wipe out most of my shopping in the next two weeks. I'm not much into last minute shopping. Gets too crowded and everyone gets cranky. Plus, I like to wrap all the presents and "organize" them under the tree. My dad said he doesn't know what they will do without me there for the first time to "organize" the presents. I am a big nerd and love to arrange the presents around the tree by size and wrapping paper to make it look really pretty.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sure feels weird to be celebrating Thanksgiving in Orlando. It is sunny and hot here today. But, more so it is strange being away from family on this holiday. Being away from our friends and family is difficult, but it is felt the strongest during holidays, like today. I miss you all. Even though living in Florida is fun, it will be nice to be closer to you all again someday. Having the little guy makes it THAT much more important to us.

Well....we had our first family Thanksgiving meal...me, John, and Gavin. We had quite the spread! Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, homemade bread, gravy, stuffing, and chicken. Steph, we actually substituted the chicken nuggets for Shake-n-Bake. We felt that we should be a little bit more classy with it being a holiday and all. ha ha ha. Oh, and I made a cherry pie. It looks really pretty!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Today makes me pause for a moment and really think about what is important in life. Having such incredible family and genuine friends is what keeps me going. Love you all!

Any good recipes???

Every fall I get into a cooking mood. I find myself wanting to try new recipes and enjoy watching the food network for different meal ideas. Recently I received the "pass it on" recipe email from my cousin. I hesitated to participate since I have done this before and never received the promised recipes in return. However, this time.....I am scoring big time! Everyday I am getting a new recipe from people I don't even know. Today I got a recipe for "cream puff cake". Doesn't that sound good? Not sure if I will be able to figure out a low fat version of it, but I will definitely try.

I can't believe that it is Thanksgiving week already. I guess since we are in the south, it doesn't feel like it should be the end of November yet. I am hoping that John gets the day off, but he is at the mercy of the physicians he is working under. We planned our menu for our very first "mini" Thanksgiving since we won't be with the rest of our family. We are making homemade mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, and.....chicken nuggets. Yep, that's right. John doesn't like turkey and I am definitely not cooking a huge turkey just for me, so we are improvising. Plus, turkey makes you too tired. Oh, and I am making a cherry pie. Not a homemade crust like my mom makes.....the best pie crust you will EVER have...., but instead a lovely Pillsbury one. Hey, ya gotta start somewhere, right???

Crisis line, may I help you?

I heard from a friend this week and it made my day! I met Venoa, AKA "Zoe" nearly 5 years ago at the crisis line. We started the job at about the same time and worked the evening shift together. I had the pleasure of working several overnight shifts with her and it was very entertaining! She gave me all the ins and outs of pregnancy.....all the stuff that you don't read about it in the books. When she left the crisis line, I was sad, because she always made me laugh and is always in a good mood.

Speaking of that crisis line.....I have to say that it is my most influential place of employment. Considering that I met my hubby there makes it my FAVORITE place to have ever worked. But, beyond that, I have made friends there that will last forever. The work there is so different than any other type of job I have had. It requires a sense of humor and the need to work together with those around you. Having a great boss (Ms. Chris) and my "girls".....Kerri, Hallie, Megan, Krista, BFF Lori, Allison, Tanya.....it just doesn't get any better than that.

Parzzzleee

I love language, especially different accents and dialects I come across. In Grand Cayman we commonly heard the accents of the Jamaican and British folks. I love hearing a strong British or even a Scottish accent. Also love hearing the different pronunciations, or better yet...the different words people use.

One of the best friends I've ever had is from Mobile, Alabama. Laura is the coolest ever. Her southern accent makes her even cuter. I love getting a voice mail from her...."HAWdeee, this is Lahr-RUH....". And my favorite ever is hearing her mom say that never forgotten line (in true southern fashion), "Are they RE-TAHD-UHD or somethin'?" Laura and I used to have fun comparing words that we used. One night I walked into her apartment while she was preparing dinner. I said, "smells good- what is it?" She said, "tender. pork tender." I asked, "a pork tenderloin?" to which she exploded in laughter.

Anyway...the reason for my rambling comes from a conversation last night I had with John. A few days ago he had asked if I would get some garlic powder next time I was at the store. I did, and last night I explained to him that it was only available in "California style", which means that it has parsley mixed in it. He asked me to repeat what I had just said, so I did. He started to laugh and asked me to say it again. I couldn't figure out what was so funny. He said that the way I said "parsley" was hilarious. Apparently I say "parzlee", with a "z" sound instead of "s". He was quite amused-

We have these conversations all the time. Since we met, we've come up with a long list of words that we say differently: hammock, wash, quarter, roof, etc....when a new word comes into play, it typically results in a humorous conversation.

Happy Halloween!

Not to sounds negative, but....I'm not really into Halloween. As much as I love holidays and celebrating special occasions, I just have never been able to get into this one. I guess it is because I really don't like sweets and chocolate, and scary movies are just not my thing.

There is ONE good thing about Halloween though......seeing the little kiddies dressed up in cute costumes. Now that we have our own little "pumpkin" I have a little bit more enthusiasm about today.

Fun with Gma and Gpa

John's parents visited this past weekend. We had a great time being tourists! We shopped and checked out the area. Walt and Cathy totally spoiled us by taking us to Sam's and stocking us up on diapers and food. They saw the hospital John goes to everyday and we enjoyed some yummy meals out. We headed to Animal Kingdom one day to experience the Rain Forest Cafe. It poured nonstop so we truly did experience the Rain forest.....It was a lot of fun. The restaurant is set up with waterfalls, animals that come to life, and a cool menu. Leave it to Gma Cathy to know the ins and outs of Disney!

Being away from family and friends is always difficult, especially now that there is a baby in the picture. It melts me to see Gavin in the arms of his grandma and grandpa and how much love they show for the little guy. We were sad to see them go, but happy that they were able to come visit for a short time.

Hot and Humid

Florida is getting hit with storm showers this week. The weather is so different here. It will rain buckets for 15-20 minutes, then just suddenly stop. The sun comes out, it gets really hot and everything dries up like it never rained. It sometimes does that 3 or 4 times a day! With the rain comes a lot of humidity! I was dripping with sweat after our morning walk.

Not too much to report from the weekend. John was at the hospital both days, so it was just me and Gav most of the time. We went to church on Sunday and Gavin entertained all the people sitting around us. He smiled like crazy and was a little angel.

Post Prego

I think the whole ordeal of pregnancy and labor does something to a girl. During my pregnancy I felt so dumb all the time. I forgot how to spell words and made all kinds of silly mistakes at work. I figured that it would go away and I would get back to myself after childbirth. Wrong. If anything, I might be more flighty now. It makes sense, I suppose...since I have my hands full with another human being now. But, STILL, I long for those days of feeling like I held things (somewhat) together.

Case in point: (I love that line). The other evening I took Sasha for a walk once John got home. Sasha doesn't get as much attention as she used to, so I try take her for her "own" walk once a day. We were walking along when we passed another mom and a young baby that looked about 6 months old. Being so used to having Gavin with me and talking aloud about EVERY thing we see, I said, in total baby talk, "Look Sasha. There is a baby just like you. I bet that baby is about as old as you are." The lady looked at me like I was insane, picked up her pace a little bit and went about her way. It took me a second to realize that I had just talked to my dog (not my infant) and that Gavin was not with me. I just shook my head and wondered what possessed me to say something so stupid. Then I started giggling at how funny it must've looked and then realized that I appeared to be more crazy to anyone who was watching.

Another thing I have noticed post partum is that I now talk to myself out LOUD. I will be wandering through Target thinking about the things I need to get and all of a sudden realize that I will have said, "milk, gotta get milk" loud enough for people to hear me. What is up with that?