Lady Ellice

So last week, my first week as a stay at home, did not go as I planed, I felt like I got nothing done, nothing cleaned, not fixed, and didn't do as many neat things with laurana as I felt I should have... so after a little self relization I decided to give this week a new chance, and so far it has gone much better. Yesterday we painted our nail, and cleaned. today, I replaced a kitchen faucet, sewed and hung some curtians, got to see a friend, and spend a great morning with Princess La-la. I feel better about life today although I am still looking for full time work, I am going to enjoy and use all the time I have at home wiht my Princess.

So since I am home, we have decided to start introducing potty training to Laurana. WE are NOT pushing hte matter yet as she is still pretty young for formal training. However a couple of times a day she likes to go and sit on the potty and read a book. Two times now she has peepeed in the potty. WE had a big celebration, and let her flush to peepee away. she thinks we are weird but keeps trying to get on the potty herself so we are going to keep going. SHe has a bad habit of trying to get on the potty right after she has poopyed, so that one might need some work.

Baby girl is getting so big. Summer comes to and end soon, but since I don't have a position yet, I will get to spend some time at home with the baby girl.

We took baby to the zoo. She loved the big animals, lions, rhino's (she was pregnant) elephants, giraffes, those kind of things as well as the little meercats that ran right up to her in the window and almost seemed like they were talking to her. All in all we were tired but she seeme dto have a blast. and she liked the sheep (yes, shelley I know we can come to your farm and feed sheep and goats and such,) but she liked it. and the video is of her favorite teething past time.. table chewing.

My beautiful baby girl got her 1 year pictures back. we got htem the weekend of fourth of July thus the patrotic theame and teh beach fun.

Baby girl is the best. but I don't think she should hold Asher any time soon. and you have to love her fashion sense.

yesterday morning, around 6:00 am or so, after a night of labor. Sonya gave birth to a 7 lbs 9 oz baby boy. his name is Asher. We are excited about this new addition to the famiy.

This week brad turned 35 again. (38) and I turned 32. I might catch him at this rate. baby girl got her ninth tooth and her first pre-molar. she is walking better and better everyday. She got her first piece of dressup clothes, and wore her tutu all day today. but carried her basketball w ith her. For brad's birthday we went to church and saw cars, and made him cookies, for my birthday we went to Bufflo wild wings and watched the final for world cup.

So we went to galinburg this week. We drove down late WEd. night got there about 12:00 midnight. It was a fun drive. then we slept til morning and got up and walked to a flapjack place (they cleaned the grill special for laurana) she had a little egg out break but that went away pretty quick. Then she fell asleep on the way back to the room so brad and I played cards while she took a nap. It was nice to not be watching TV just sitting talking and playing cards. when she got up we went to the Aquarium. Laurana was a little wary of the fish. she wouldn't even get near the shark tank, when you tried she would lean back away from it. then we got to the Penguins.. and she was like.. let me in, I want to swim and be with the penquins. In the gift shop I held up a cute life colored penquin and a smaller purple one with sparkles.. guess which one she went for. After the aquarum we went to Wendy's for lunch, wehr I got lots of Pleases over the frosty. then we went for a walk up the st...

Baby Girls June photos, including her father's Day picture, are in. Don't they look alot alike. She has his eyes. Although I think there might be a bit of me in the smile. :)

baby girls gift from mom and dad

Today was Laurana's First birthday. I woke her up with the birthday song, and special pancakes. Then I was off to summer school. Daddy gave her a bath dressed her in her birthday shirt that declared that she was one years old. They went for a great walk were she looked around and saw many wonderful things. Then I came home she had corn dogs for lunch and then played for a while. then went down for her afternoon nap. she woke from it and we were off to Million park. We filled up to little baby pools and had all her little baby friends come and share he special day. There was much splashing, and giggling. she loved her chocolate cup cake. she smashed it in her face with no fear or delay. then ate the peices that fell on the ground. she loved all her wonderful gifts. she got new toys, a couple of really cute outfits (pictures to come) a stroller, and a riding push thing from mommy and daddy. she loved them all and had moretrouble deciding what to play with than anything. We can home...

Today is father's day. Last year Brad missed father's day by one day. This year I have to brag on him he is a wonderful father. he takes care of Laurana ever day this summer while I am at summer school, and he doesn't call it babysitting. He loves to give her a bath, and carry her around on his shoulders. He reads her books and laughs with her, and wrestles on the floor with her. When I was looking for a husband a man to be a father to my children Brad is what I wanted. I look back and realize that I too had a wonderful father. Fathers are so important to little girls. Little girls with daddy's who lvoe and care for them jsut have extra hope. my dad loved to take us places and introduce us to new things. it was hard finding pictures of him because he spent so much time documenting our lives for us, that you know he is the one behind hte camera. I remember him taking me out to special father daughter dinners, buying me a very special easter dress. I remmeber calling him ...

So it has been a very busy month, and I apologize to the people who have missed me. this month we found out that as of right now there is not a teachng position for me at my school. Studnet numbers are down and not enough teachers retired. brad has been transfered to the preschool so fun times there. :) Laurana has severe peanut allergies and we had to remove all peanut and other tree nut porducts from our house. you would be amazed what has peanuts in it. in the picutre the spot to the left is the control. the top spot on hte ri ght is eggs, which she says most babies grow out of, ad the bottom huge one is peanuts... so not good. I have been teaching summer school which has been fun and nice with limited students. VBS this week was wild. there were not clear directions given, alot of at home work to be done, and alot of saying, "yo have too." instead of could you please. it was very frustrating and not as enjoyable expereice like it as been in the past. makes me leary of doi...

A weird week. So on Monday Laurana got a taste of Peanut butter, in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This is early for the baby girl. since youa re supposed to wait til 3 years old, or at least 2. she had an allergic reaction. broke out in hives on her face. some benadryl and she was okay. she seemed okay afterward, they are going to have an allergy doctor check her out and see what happens. they said getting it early may or may not make her allergies worse. we are not supposed to give her anything with peanuts in them till she is 3 now, and we have to work with teh allergy dr. on it. I will keep ya'll posted. In other news.. she is adorable. here are her mother's day pictures.

So it is mother's day. And for the first time I feel like a mother. being a mother is everything that I imagined it would be. There are days when I am on cloud nine, I watch her laugh and play and know that nothing could be better. there are days where she is cranky and I feel like screaming. there are days when I am so worried about her I could just cry. and there are days that I can't help but think of the future and all the joy and sorrows it will hold. I LOVE BEING A MOM!!!! I think I love being a mom, because I had such a good example. I had the best mother in the world. Sure she is the ticket agent for guilt trips, but she is also the strength when I am weak and tired, the voice of reason when I flip out a little, the smile I can turn to when I am down, she is the person I call at 2:00 am when my little bear is sick, she is the mom that I am trying so hard to be. If I coudl be half the mom that she ahs been I know that Laurana will turn out great. I thank God eve...