Feierabend FUN!

Oh what fun!  Tonight Jenn and I were able to have some time to chat while our boys played together for a couple of hours.  Being home with Anthony has been wonderful, but it's been an adjustment to not have regular day to day conversations with some co-workers and friends like Jenn.  Getting the chance to connect tonight was wonderful.  Our topic of discussion was wide open as always and I was reminded again of how much I've missed her and how thankful I am to have such a great friend.

The boys played with Rylan's car collection before we sat down for dinner.

Yummy!  The boys started off with some fresh fruit and then we had some Papa Murphy's pizza. (Nice and easy for the moms!)

After supper we went downstairs to explore the plethora of fun toys waiting to be played with. Ry and Anthony had a great time on the slide.  They did a good job taking turns and there was lots of laughter to be heard.  Ry even taught Anthony some new ways to go down the slide! How fun!

The tent filled with balls was a BIG hit.  Ry and Anthony had fun going in and out as well as throwing balls everywhere.  Cam-a-roo definitely wanted to join in on the fun, but was nervous about getting tackled as you can see. The older two are a blur because they were GO GO GO the whole time.

Check out Mr. Gap boy with the beautiful blue eyes!   Being with Cam is a quick reminder to be thankful for being a special part of his life as well as his family.

 

We love you Feierabend family!  Thank you for a great night.  

GET BETTER SOON, JENN!! We'll continue to pray for you and hope that your back gets back to its old self.

Wednesday's Adventure

This morning we stuck to our potty "schedule".  After breakfast we played a bit and then headed for the bathroom.  I started the timer for 15 minutes and we began to read books, play with cars and work on our body parts game.  (Where's Anthony's nose?  Where's mommy's nose?  Where's Anthony head?  Where's mommy's head?  Etc.  He's getting REALLY good at it and today he pointed out his elbow and knee!  Yahoo!)  Towards the end of the 15 minutes he started to PEE in his potty chair!  Of course I started to sing, clap, give high fives and go all crazy.  He just sat there staring at me.  I picked him up, continued to sing and started dancing around.  He just stared at me.  We went out into the kitchen where I get him a "potty cookie" and a sticker for his bathroom poster.  He's now eating and just staring at me.  We then went back into the bathroom where he puts his chosen sticker on his "Anthony used the potty" poster (I know I'm a dork...) and I continued to make such a big deal out of it.  HE JUST STARED AT ME with no expression on his face.  

Isn't he suppose to be the one super excited?  Perhaps I'm taking all of this a bit too seriously? Or maybe that genuine excitement will "fire him up" for more potty moments?

I'm hoping today I can find some Sesame Street stickers or poster when I head into Monticello. Maybe that would be way more exciting than his mom going crazy?

Yummy Num-Nums!

Last night's meal wasn't a feast by any means - just a simple penna pasta recipe.  However, Anthony thoroughly enjoyed his meal and brought messy to a whole new level.  As you can tell by the picture he was pretty pleased with the amount of spaghetti sauce he got on his face and took time out from devouring the num-nums to smile for daddy.  (NOTE: If you double click on the photo it will enlarge the image.  Then you can get a good close up of the wonderful messy face.)

Sesame Street

Sesame Street has become a new love in our household.  His buddy Cole gave him an Oscar the Grouch book that he absolutely loves reading.  In the book it has other characters from "the street" - Cookie Monster, Elmo, Burt and Ernie, etc.  Anthony also has a Tickle Me Elmo that he got from the Feierabends and a gigantic Elmo that Grandma Kathy brought down.  I decided that he could watch 10-15 minutes of Sesame Street each day during Elmo's World.  (Yes, I know kids aren't suppose to watch television until they are two... I'm hoping this small amount won't be too detrimental to his development.) Needless to say, he LOVES his almost daily dose of Elmo's World and gets beyond excited.  He starts off by pointing at Elmo, talking jibberish and jumping up and down.  Then he finds his big Elmo, milk and  heads for the couch so he can see what Elmo and Dorothy are up to for the day.  His big Elmo plays the theme song for Elmo's World and after I shut off the tv he'll keep pushing it and we dance around.  It's really quite cute!

Gotta love Elmo and the gang, right?!

How Will I Know?

Anthony is in size three diapers right now.  I've checked the packaging and know that they go up to 28 pounds; at his last doctor's appointment he weighed 26 pounds.  I kept wondering when we should switch him over to the next size.  How exactly would I know it's the "right" time?

Sunday after church Anthony was soaked - his onesie and pants.  I didn't think much of it.  I just thought perhaps he drank a lot of milk before the 8:30 service.  Then on Monday morning we went for a quick, less than two hours shopping adventure to the outlet mall and Target.  As we were leaving Target I realized he was soaked yet again.  His onesie was drenched and his jeans were wet in the front and the back.  I felt so bad for the covered in urine boy!  I ended up changing him in the parking lot and he rode home with just his shirt, coat, diaper and socks on.  Poor kid!

I guess I can stop wondering.  He really will let me know when it's time for things like a bigger diaper even though he can't talk.

You can totally tell I'm a new mom, huh?  All you pros out there are reading this and thinking I'm crazy for (1) even thinking it and then (2) for actually writing and posting this on my blog.  It's safe to say that Anthony has completely transitioned into our home and is doing wonderful.  I, on the other hand, am learning new things all of the time when it comes to being a mom.  :)

PS - Does anyone else have Whitney Houston singing in your head after reading the title for this blog or is it just me?

Sunday Thoughts...

Random thoughts to end the weekend with...

Happy birthday, Grandma Carol and Jenn!  I hope you are both enjoying your special day.  I've been thinking about you both all day long.

It's a girl!  This week I found out that our goddaughter, Ella, is going to be a big sister to a baby girl in September.  It was great fun waiting to hear the news on Wednesday and then being completely shocked.  I thought for sure Mol was going to have a boy for baby #2.  I am so happy for them and cannot wait to meet the new little one this fall.

This week marked two months that we've had Anthony and he also turned 20 months old on Saturday.  I wish I could just freeze this time period in our lives; it seems like everything is going by way too fast.  Currently he is in love with Elmo and everything Sesame Street as well as his dada.  He says dada constantly and loves being around Mark. It's so awesome to see. (Although I must admit it still would be nice to hear mama every once in awhile.  I guess I'm not that exciting because he spends all day with me and only sees his dada at night.)

On Saturday morning in less than ten minutes Anthony peed on his potty chair once again.  I was so excited because I thought for sure the first time was just a fluke.  Maybe not?  Again, I'm keeping my expectations low and we'll keep working on it...

This week is also the first time he started to walk up the stairs without crawling!  He's getting to be SUCH A BIG BOY!

Today we became members of a local Lutheran church.  It felt good to do so and know we will be helping to give Anthony a good foundation to his life.   Also, we've set the date for Anthony to be baptized as well as myself.  Cynthia will be coming to Becker to take part in the baptism as well as meet our family and friends afterwards.  I'm really looking forward to that special day in May.

"The Compact"  It is a way to save money, go green, help out the environment, etc. etc.  I first read about it on Kare 11's website and then in today's Star Tribune.  It's all about simplifying our lives and going beyond the act of recycling.  The principles to follow would be (1) You can't buy any new products of any kind (with the exception of food and toiletries) and (2) You need to borrow, barter or buy used items.  I wonder if the Hanson household could go off of the "consumer grid" for 12 months...  Could you?

Firefly Lane

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

This is a must read if you want to get lost in a beautiful story spanning decades between two girlfriends who have their ups and downs. I found myself laughing and tearing up throughout the story and compelled to read more even when the book had concluded.  This was the perfect, somewhat "light" read - especially if you have ever had a friend as close as Kate and Tully.  (My mind often drifted back to my younger years and my "twin" aka BFF as I read.)  Thank you, Erin, for the great recommendation as well as Meade for passing your copy onto me.  

As always, has anyone read a book recently worth recommending?  I would love to hear about it!

We've got PEE!

After Anthony got up from his nap today I thought I would try the potty chair one more time.  While he was playing with his toys Zoey came in with her barf noise.  I cleared away the rugs and started petting her letting her know it was okay. She barfed up some bile and I quickly ran to the kitchen to get some cleaner and paper towels.  After cleaning everything up I decided to get Anthony off of his chair (he had been on there for 15 minutes already), got on his diaper and started to leave for the living room.  Before going to play I thought I would take a look into his chair - HE HAD PEED!  Granted it wasn't a ton and I STILL have low expectations about this whole process, but I'm super excited.  Of course we had to do the potty dance, have a cookie in celebration and talk to daddy and the grandmas to brag!  YIPPEE!

Potty Time

This past weekend Anthony got his own potty chair from Grandma Kathy.  Since he's turning 20 months on Saturday and because I will be home with him until August I thought perhaps we could start trying to work on using it.  

Is this a good or bad idea mommies and daddies out there?

Today after breakfast I introduced it to him.  I brought in his sippy cup along with some favorite books and toys.  I showed him the big potty (and, yes, how to use it) and then showed him his.  He sat down right away and began to play.  We ended up being in the bathroom for 25 minutes; however, nothing happened on the potty chair.  My goal for today was just to introduce it and have NO expectations that it would actually work.  I'm thinking that we will try using it everyday after breakfast as well as lunch or dinner.

I know boys train much later than girls.  I also know this is probably WAY TO EARLY for him to even be training. Anyone want to share any thoughts, research, tips or advice for this process?  I would love to hear all about it!

Hopefully he doesn't hate me too much later on in life because I posted pictures of him on a toilet...

Grey's is BACK!

Grey's Anatomy is back in the tv lineup tonight!  (Hip Hip HOORAY!)  I'm not a big tv watching fan; however, I am excited to FINALLY have the show I really like to watch back on Thursday nights.

Which Grey's doctor are you most like?  The first time I took the quiz (thanks again Erin for sending it my way) I was most like Izzie; today when I took it I was like Callie.  Take the Grey's quiz and find out which character you are most like on this show.

Happy watching tonight of the Seattle Grace doctors!

What a Surprise!

Last week I got a call from Rebecca who is a neighbor and friend of one of my co-workers and friend.  (Sound confusing?)  We had a great talk about becoming mothers and everything that goes along with it.  They wanted to bring over dinner and meet Anthony for the first time.  On Tuesday night they did just that.  It was great fun to get to know them better as well as meet their little one, Owen Ray.

Owen was such a good baby the whole night while we visited.  He's like SUPER cutie patootie baby!

Rebecca hanging out on the couch after dinner with the two boys.

Anthony warmed up to both John and Rebecca right away.  Here they are hanging out looking at his book. 

Thank you so much for coming over Monahans!  It was great to have you visit and get to know you better.  PLUS the meal was absolutely wonderful.  I'm convinced that I need to watch Rachel Ray from now on and get some good cooking ideas.  (Last May I went to a Rachel Ray recommended restaurant in Chicago with friends and it was fabulous!)  Next time we will have to bring over supper to you.

Anthony's Highlights

Even though we obviously had a busy weekend and at times Anthony was a bit overwhelmed he did have a great time meeting new friends and seeing his family. He enjoyed playing with old Fisher Price toys at his grandparents' house (Mark did as well!) and seeing the kitties and dogs too.  We also walked Auntie Manda to work every morning, which was another favorite.  He sat there eating his num-nums all bundled up while the two of us chatted on the 15 minute walk.  On two out of the three nights he slept until 8:00 the next morning, which is just UNHEARD of normally! (Today he was up at 4:00, 4:40 and then for good around 6:10.)  Maybe that was actually MY highlight of the long weekend up north!  Anthony and I also got to visit Amy from the ACDC Family and hang out a bit with my cousin Brent. He also went to school!  On Monday he visited Grandma Carol at Forrest Lake and then on Tuesday he visited Grandma Kathy at Murphy.  He loved seeing the kids and hamming it up for anyone who would pay attention to what he was doing.  And, of course, the grandmas loved the chance to introduce their first grandchild to their friends and co-workers.  It really was busy, busy, busy, but a lot of fun too.

On Sunday afternoon Anthony played outside with his Uncle Damon.  They went into the garage and he was able to "drive" the snowmobiles and check out all of the other cool things as well.  The best part was he actually was able to drive Damon's interesting lawn mower. (Sorry, Damon.  I had to throw that one in there!  I've never seen such an attractive "race car" lawn mower!)  Damon put it in the lowest gear and let Anthony drive it around the yard.  He was very serious about driving and completely loved it.  He kept going to the lawn mower wanting to drive it again.

Nedward was a bit jealous of Anthony - he stole a lot of attention away from him - but did a great job with him.  Anthony received lots of wet kisses and was able to ride Ned any time he laid down to rest.  

Oh bath time.  In the following picture he looks happy and enjoying the fact that his auntie is giving him a bath.  That quickly changed.  Anthony was trying to get all of the shampoo and conditioner bottles to stay up on this little ledge in the tub.  Ultimately they kept falling down and his frustration level continued to rise.  When he gets frustrated he clenches up his body, starts shaking and crying/yelling.  I was telling him it was okay and he needed to settle down. Then he threw a bottle at me to make his point that was M-A-D!  Auntie Manda was still "helping"; however, she was laughing hysterically by this point.  Needless to say, she got booted out of the bathroom and was banned from coming back.  (I could still hear her laughter as I was trying to calm him down and finish up.)  I seriously cannot wait until she has kids and I can do the same to her!

On Monday night we had supper at my parents' house.  On the way out there Anthony was fussy so Manda and I thought it would be a good idea to sing to him.  (It worked too!)  We dug deep and found songs that we haven't sung in a long time.  We had tunes from Sunday school, cheers from high school, pep band songs - she played her trumpet and I tooted my bari saxophone, songs from our old Cabbage Patch Kids record and lots more!  We were laughing and singing and each time we would look back at him he was looking at us like we were crazy.  (Well, we probably are!)  It was quite fun!   

Grandma Kathy made spaghetti hot dish, which was a staple at our house growing up.  Anthony loves it and always gobbles it up.  (Okay, he's only had it twice now, but he honestly does like it!)  As you can see he is the center of attention while he ate and growled at everyone.  It was nice to have the whole family together and spend time hanging out.

Mr. Dirty Face enjoying his noodles as well as lots and LOTS of pickles.

Come Meet Anthony

On Sunday Mom and Manda had a meet and greet Anthony party at Bixby's in Grand Rapids.  It was great to see so many relatives and friends of the family and have them meet our little man. A great number of these individuals had already expressed their congratulations with cards and gifts that were sent previously.  Therefore I really wanted it to be a "meet and greet" and not a "shower".  To say I was surprised and overwhelmed with the generosity of gifts given to Anthony on Sunday would be a complete understatement.  It probably doesn't shock anyone that I was emotional.  (Yes, Gretchen, I cried multiple times yet again.)  It's just amazing to see the support and love for our family.  We are very blessed.

The ACDC family (Amy, Chloee, Donny and Cole) showed up - minus the "D" though.  Here's a great picture of the kids posing together.  I love that the boys are doing whatever while Chloee is smiling and looking directly at the camera!  Way to go our beautiful, so grown up flower girl!

Anthony was able to meet his great-grandma for the first time on Sunday.  Here's a picture of the four generations posing together - My grandma, Dolly; my mom, Kathy; Anthony and myself.

Even though Anthony was busy running around he took a timeout to pose with some special family members - grandma Kathy, great aunt Gloria and great aunt Peggy.

My favorite mustard and ketchup ladies!  (Just kidding, girls!)  My mom's two good friends have always been an important part of my life.  I was so thankful they both showed up to meet and celebrate Anthony.  Thanks, Annie and Sister Mary!  (NO, she's not really a nun.  The three of them came up with interesting nicknames a LONG time ago.  I still am not sure what Annie's is... Apparently it is still "too bad" for me to know.) 

Here is the guest of honor - Mr. Sweat Ball.  He had great fun running around the restaurant and playing with everyone there.  He was so hot and sweaty that his hair was sticking up like a mohawk.  At least he had a great time at his own party, right?!

THANK YOU everyone for a beautiful day and for your thoughtfulness.  You are ALL greatly appreciated and loved by me.

THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU 

The Arlts

On Sunday morning we stopped by the Arlt's house so Mark could FINALLY meet baby Samuel who is six weeks old.  Rachel dressed Samuel in a cute Minnesota Gophers outfit that he ended up peeing through within minutes of us being there!  Oh well.  At least I was able to get a cute picture of Mark holding him and the two of them checking each other out.

Clara was busy having FUN the whole time we were there!  Her outfit changed several times as well.  When we first arrived she was wearing just pants and shoes.  Then she moved to being naked.  When Rachel asked her to get dressed she came out with the pink apron she found in her room.  Finally her and I picked out a dress to wear.  Soon after she spilled orange juice on it.  Who knows how many outfits she actually went through by the end of the day!

Rachel had to go back to work this past Monday after being home for six weeks with Samuel and Clara.  She went back to state testing - oh the joys of being a teacher!  Hopefully her transition back to work will go well for everyone.  (I still don't want to even think about having to go back right now...)

Visiting Coleraine

On Saturday night we took the time to visit with the Davis family - Ryan, Meade and Paul, 16 months.  It was fun to see the boys together and chat with Ryan and Meade too.  

Mr. Mischief aka Paul is quite the cutie!  (I loved the Little Miss and Mr. Men series when I was a kid!  His shirt was super cute and a big hit with me.)

Paul hanging out with his daddy.  (You have finally made our blog, Ryan!  You're FAMOUS now!)  :)

I know this picture is super blurry; however, it does capture Anthony's craziness.  He was holding onto a shark and attacking Meade.  As you can see she's trying to duck out of the way and he's absolutely loving it.  Hopefully next time he'll start wrestling/"attacking" Ryan instead!

It was great to see them and spend some time together.  I always love chatting with Meade and getting caught up on the happenings in her life.  It will be fun in the future to see the boys grow and continue to play with one another.  Thanks for having us over!

Clara Shower

Clara Lutheran Church is a small, rural church north of Deer River that Mark and I were married at over three years ago.  Before our wedding the ladies of the church threw us a shower, which ended up being so memorable for me.  We received many thoughtful, homemade gifts that I still use today and will forever treasure.  When the ladies learned that we had adopted Anthony once again they wanted to throw our family a shower.  Again it was a memorable and beautiful day.

The basement of the church was decorated with hats and balls.  Anthony was completely in love as soon as we walked in.  I have to admit that I was a bit worried because he wanted to throw the balls at the ladies.  Luckily Uncle Erik came during the party so he could have someone to play with and throw balls to.  In this photo we are playing my favorite party game - Dirty Dice.  (It was a bit hard, though, to steal things away from these sweet ladies.  I kept taking a homemade dish rag from Irja who is such a sweetheart.  In the end I did "win" it.  I am feeling a bit bad, though.  I think I'll mail it to her this week...)

Anthony had a great time!  Not only was he able to meet the ladies of Clara, but he also got to play with balls, eat a ton of pickles (check out the dirty shirt!), play piano with Uncle Erik, and he even said ERIK that afternoon!  Whew!  What a fun time.

It was great to see the ladies of Clara and talk with them.  I'm completely in love with that little country church and its members.  It's great to know most of them knew my paternal grandparents and have attended that church for decades.  It's rich in history and will always have a special place in my heart.  It was also nice to know that Grandma J - who past away two weeks before our wedding - was present to celebrate Anthony.  Call me crazy, but I know she was there.  Anthony was wandering around the pews and ended up sitting down in the exact spot Grandma always sat in. Coincidence or something more?

The Penders

On Friday the Penders - Mason, Sara and Isla - came to Becker to visit, meet Anthony and spend the night at our house.  It was GREAT to FINALLY meet Isla!  (I cannot believe it has taken 16 months to do so!)  It amazes me the difference three months makes when kids are little.  When they grow up and are teenagers we won't even notice the difference; right now we do.  Isla is just starting to feel more comfortable with walking while Anthony is running around and jumping.  It was really fun to see them together!

Anthony and Isla hanging out in the kitchen.  They spent a lot of time playing with the fun fridge magnets!  (Thanks again Gundersons and Zimmers for the great gifts!)

They both snuggled next to Sara to hear Isla's favorite bedtime book.  (Anthony was super squirmy, but in this photo he looks like a little angel!)

Good night, daddies!  The kids gave kisses and said good night to the dads who were catching up and sharing new stories downstairs.

The highlight of the whole visit for me was talking with Sara after the kids went to bed.  I completely enjoyed her honesty when she talked about being a mom as well as hearing how she balances her life with work and family.  It was great to get caught up and even stay up way past our own bedtimes!  Hopefully there will be more visits in the future.  A trip over to Detroit Lakes this summer would be lots of fun.

We're Finally HOME!

WHEW!  It's been a long and wonderful weekend up north with not one, but TWO showers for Anthony as well as many visits with family and friends.  I see there have been over 150 "hits" to our blog since I've last checked...  Don't worry!  In the next day or two I'll be posting pictures and updating everyone on our adventures starting with last Friday.  

Play Time = Learning Time

It has been really fun to watch Anthony learn and grow since he's come to live with us.  One toy he received at the shower Mark's co-workers threw for him was the Elmo's World Aqua Doodle mat.  When I first took it out a few weeks ago for us to play with he really didn't know what to do.  Today was a different story.  He figured out how to draw with his aqua doodle pen and that Elmo and the truck made marks when wet.  He had a blast sitting there doodling and kept trying to figure out why it wouldn't should up when he would draw on his face, hand, shirt, couch, mom, etc.  

This morning he also started learning his shapes using his Playskool Form Fitter toy that he got from the Lefebvres.  Usually he just wanted me to open up the box so he could dump out the shapes, put them in the box and close the lid.  Now he knows he has a star and tries to find the matching shape so it can go into the box.  

It is so much fun to see him learn and change as each day and week goes by.  What an awesome and amazing opportunity to be a parent!

I should also note the hat he is wearing is his FAVORITE hat lately that was made by Uncle Erik.  He looks for it right away when he gets up and doesn't wear a different hat until daddy comes home.  The two of them go look at all of Mark's hats and he picks out one of daddy's to wear for the evening. What a hat boy - just like his dad!

The Faheys

Tonight we FINALLY had the Faheys over for dinner and a visit.  (It's been a long time coming - something we should have done months/years ago!)  Mark has known Casey since fourth grade and I first met the couple back at BSU during our college years.  It was great to have them meet Anthony, visit with them and get caught up on the happenings in their life.  

Anthony warmed up to Jessi and Jovi, 29 months, right away.  He climbed right into her lap and wanted to read the story too.  He definitely isn't a shy boy!

Mark and Casey chatting and hanging out with the kids.  Jovi really liked Anthony's new toy he recently got from the Makis.  We're still working on S-H-A-R-I-N-G.  (It will come, right?!)

After dinner the two of them sat in the chair to read a book and hang out.  

Thanks for coming over, Fahey Family!  We had a great time seeing Jovi - she's SO BIG - and talking with the both of you as well.  We're looking forward to July and finding out the sex of baby #2.

Noises

Starting today everything has a motor sound according to Anthony.  This morning we went to the grocery store and the clinic - he made his new noise the whole time.  As I was vacuuming the house he was watching me from the stairs, couch and bed making the car noise.  While in his Cozy Coupe he sat there twisting on the steering wheel making the engine noise.  When he went upstairs to play with his school bus, Tonka trunk and cars they all had the noise too.  

Right now he only has one sound for all of his vehicles.  I'm waiting for him to start channeling my cousin's Ryan's large repertoire of sounds for different tractors and models of cars and trucks.  :)

It's pretty cute to hear him making the sound as well as seeing him make the connection that his Tonka truck would have a sound as it moves.  

An Anthony First

I suppose it shouldn't come as a huge shock that Anthony fell asleep while eating lunch today. If I were up at 1:30 for a diaper change and then cried out four times in the next 45 minutes I would probably be tired too.  It also didn't help that he was up and ready to go at 4:47.  (Luckily he laid in bed with me; however, he was wide awake the whole time as I tried to doze on and off.)

One moment he's screaming out "NUM-NUMS" and the next moment this is what I see.  He is hungry, but sleep has finally won over - darn heavy eyelids!  (I should mention the pink balls are not candy or chewing gum.  I decided to try some yogurt bites thing-a-ma-jiggies.  It would have helped if I had read the box first because they are basically pure sugar...)

Just trying to get comfy in the chair - darn tray keeps getting in the way!

I'm trying to get him cleaned up as quickly as I can, but it wasn't fast enough.  The rubbing of the eyes started as well as BIG crocodile tears.  Poor little man!  (Just to note: I DID put my camera away after this picture.  I didn't keep snapping just for the sake of having more pictures for the blog...)

So right now he's in his crib sleeping peacefully, right?  WRONG!  It's been over 30 minutes and he's talking away. How can a little boy go from being so tired to having another LONG conference with his teddy bears in his crib?  Silly goose!

My Horoscope

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)

Responsibilities change you, requiring you to serve a purpose greater than your own.  In a roundabout way these responsibilities will form you into the person you've always wanted to be.

Usually my horoscope is a bit off and typically not always true for me.  This one, however, is spot on.   My responsibilities in life have changed and shifted; I have become the person I always wanted to be - a mommy.  It couldn't have been stated any better.

What's next?  

Maybe I'll go with Mark's aunt, Barb,  and visit a psychic?!

Zoo Day

After weeks of begging and pleading we finally went to the Minnesota Zoo.  (I should mention that although Anthony loves the zoo's website for its animal sounds and animals in general I was the one who was begging and pleading to go!  Actually, I have been asking Mark for a few years now to go to the zoo.  His response is always the same - "We will when we have kids." FINALLY our time has come to visit!  Yippee for me!)  

Anthony got a fun surprise, though, when he woke up at the zoo - Uncle Erik!  (No, we didn't find him in the monkey cages!  We picked him up from a friend's house so he could spend the day and night with us.)  He was excited to see his uncle and had a great time hanging out with him.  The best moment was when the two of them went through this tunnel built for little kids.  Of course Anthony was running everywhere looking at various animals while his uncle was chasing him on his hands and knees.  I think they both had a great time and it was fun to watch from the exit point of the tunnel!

Overall it was a great adventure and I can see why the Lefebvres have become members and go often.  It's a great place for kids to have fun and learn along the way.  Maybe if we lived closer we would do the same.  Hopefully we'll be able to go back when it's warmer and visit the animals again!

Mark, Anthony and Erik were on the edge of their seats waiting for the dolphin show to begin. (Actually, that was ME!) As you can see, Anthony was too busy studying the map of the zoo to be bothered for a picture.  He needed to take the time to figure out where we would go next.  :)

He didn't really get into the dolphins as much as I thought he would.  Towards the end he would point occasionally, but that's about it.  I think he was still sleepy from the ride to the cities and hadn't quite woke up yet.

He's awake and he sees MONKEYS!  (By the way, monkeys apparently growl in Anthony's world because he kept pointing and growling at them.)  We ended up spending a lot of time watching the monkeys and he really got into them.

The whole reason we went to the zoo was because of the baby farm animals.  The farm didn't disappoint!  He was super into the goats out of all of the animals.  (Yes, they growl too and occasionally say, "BOO".)  He was able to feed them with daddy's help and pet them as well.  He LOVED it!

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day!  Both Uncle Erik and the goat look so happy posing for the camera!  It was nice to spend the day with him and have a third person to help out with Anthony who loved running around and finding the next animal to look at!

FINALLY!  We made it to the cow barn and Anthony meets Godiva who says, of course, "BOO"! Godiva was very friendly and Anthony had a hoot petting her and saying boo constantly.  For some reason he is really into cows right now.  He had a lot of fun in this barn checking out all of the cows that live there.   Too bad it was so cramped with other zoo goers that we didn't stay as long as he probably would have liked.

It looks like Anthony will have to spend some time with his auntie and uncle out on the family farm to enjoy even more animals.  Until then he has been content playing with his barn at home and making all of the animals say BOO!

The THIRD Time IS a Charm!

Today Anthony FINALLY got his shots at the clinic.  We were in and out in a matter of 15 minutes without any glitches! We had great nurses, the right information on what shots to give and no mean comments.  Yippee!  The surprising part is how well he did.  He received two shots both administered at the same time.  He didn't even cry when he got "poked", but then briefly cried afterwards.  I was quite impressed!

Hopefully all future appointments will go this smoothly.

I'm a Wimp

After shoveling half of the driveway so Mark could get in the garage and checking out Logan's (the boy next door) snowman as well as talking to friends/family up north I decided that we weren't going to travel anywhere this weekend. (Of course Mark would go no matter what - I'm the wimp of the family.)  I still cannot believe this is the sight we are seeing in the month of April.  However, it has been nice to have a lazy weekend at home.  This morning all four of us snuggled in bed until 7:30 and had a laid back morning - the best kind.  We definitely needed it.

Hopefully Wednesday really will bring 70s to the area and spring will finally be here in Minnesota!

Picoult Delivers!

Once again Jodi Picoult manages to be an amazing story teller who keeps you guessing and wanting more in her latest novel, Change of Heart.  The story is so beautifully written and thought provoking that as I finished the last page I wasn't "done" with the book.  Its story line and characters stayed with me as I pondered my own belief system and what's right and wrong in life.  I truly love books that can make you feel and question who you are beyond a reader.  

Even though I didn't want to put this book down EVER I had to for obvious reasons.  I cannot even remember the last time it took me a week to finish a book.  Crazy!   I'm glad, though, I took the time each day to do something that I love and enjoy in life. 

While I'm talking about books I should mention two other favorites that I've recently read (well semi-recently) just in case you're on the prowl for something good to read.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I have to admit that I went in thinking I wouldn't like Gilbert's book very much; I ended up completely enjoying it and felt revived by what spirituality/God/religion really means.  I think it was a good read for that time period in my life.  We were still waiting for our baby and trying to heal the wounds of almost becoming parents in October.  The message resonated in me deeply.

Water for Elephants was a great, all day Sunday read-a-thon type of book.  I still would love to have the opportunity to talk with people regarding the main character who is in an assisted living/nursing home to hear their opinion and thoughts regarding what happened throughout his lifetime.  (You still need to read this one, Manda!)  

Does anyone out there have a recommendation for my next read?  Maybe you've read something that kept you thinking or entertained or was just plain amazing writing.  Let me know!  

I should mention that I'm planning on ordering some parenting books as well to read up on.  There's so much to choose from with different points of view.  Has anyone found a book and/or author that you've liked in this genre?

Okay, I think the conference upstairs in the crib has finally commenced after 30+ minutes.  I'm off to shovel.

Glorious!

That was the word that came to mind when I woke up this morning on my own accord and realized that Anthony slept through the night for the first time all week!  How absolutely GLORIOUS!  We've had a fantastic morning - we were both wide awake, chipper and so pleasant.  I don't feel like I'm a walking zombie and he's not a crabster because he actually slept.  

Maybe the stars were aligned just right or some of you knew of my frustration and said a quick prayer or this was just some magical gift...   However it came to be I'm so absolutely thrilled to have been able to sleep through the night and feel like a new mommy this morning.  YIPPEE!

For all of you mommies (and daddies too!) that bring home infants and really know what it is like to be sleep deprived I have a new respect for what you've gone through or are going through.  

Karma Bites - HARD!

A measly five days after feeling so good that we didn't get any snow and that spring was 

"definitely" here I'm astounded by the sight outside.  

Yuck!

Karma.

It has come back to haunt me.

Or perhaps a bunch of middle school students banded together in a plea to Mother Nature for one more snow day this school year.

Either way I'm not looking forward to Anthony finally taking his nap (he's currently having an intense conversation with his teddy bears up in his crib) and then having to go outside to shovel all this wet, icky, APRIL snow.  

Next time I'll keep my mouth shut and stop feeling so good about our fabulous weather...